what is popular food in japan

what is popular food in japan
You can avoid ¥774 ($6) cups of coffee and ¥1,161 ($9) hamburgers if you know what to eat and how to get it. The Japanese diet consists of plenty of rice, fish, and noodles, all of which can be bought far more cheaply than expensive Western foods like burgers and pizza. Though it might take a while to adjust to the high-salt, low-fat content of most Japanese foods, eating a traditional Japanese diet will leave you with more change in your pocket and less cholesterol in your arteries. Try to keep your consumption of the more expensive Western-style foods at a minimum.


Popular Dishes
Curry rice. Rice with the Japanese version of Indian curry added. It can be ordered in varying degrees of spiciness.
Donburi. A bowl of rice with a hot entree, like stir-fried vegetables or deep-fried chicken, on top.
Kobe beef. A very expensive delicacy throughout Japan, Kobe beef comes from specially bred cattle, massaged and pampered throughout their lives to produce especially tender meat. The high fat content sometimes makes this meat unpalatable to Westerners.
Ramen. A popular and very inexpensive noodle soup. This is true Japanese "fast food." It seems that everywhere you look office workers can be seen slurping down a quick bowl of ramen. It can be ordered in different styles with vegetables and/or meat.

Tempura. Lightly batter-fried vegetables and shrimp served with a dipping sauce.
Teishoku (or setto). This is a set meal that usually includes an entree, soup, salad, and a drink. Teishokus are great because you get a lot of food for a very reasonable price.
Udon. Very similar to ramen, but with thicker noodles. Udon is inexpensive and can be purchased at most ramen stands.
Yakisoba. The literal translation is "fried noodles," but yakisoba can also include vegetables and meat. The ingredients are stir-fried in a wok and eaten like spaghetti.

The foods listed above can be found throughout Japan, and vary only slightly from region to region. You will find the best values on or near college campuses and train stations. Avoid restaurants in hotels because they inflate prices for naive tourists. Remember that there is no tipping in Japan.
Groceries


Buy in bulk! Discount stores do exist in Japan and offer bulk goods at reduced prices. There is a very low sales tax in Japan. Ask your employer for the store nearest you. For daily necessities, shop at a major supermarket, like you would in North America. Avoid food markets in major department stores (Daimaru, Mitsukoshi) - the food looks appealing, but the prices are outrageous. Instead, look for the local Japanese farmers' cooperative. They tend to have the best prices on produce. Also, don't overlook Japan's ubiquitous vending machines; they offer the cheapest coffee prices in town and also dispense everything from french fries and vegetables to bottled beer.

The first mention of Christmas

The first mention of Christmas

The first mention of December 25 as the birth date of Jesus occurred in A.D. 336 in an early Roman calendar. The celebration of this day as Jesus' birth date was probably influenced by pagan (unchristian) festivals held at that time. The ancient Romans held year-end celebrations to honor Saturn, their harvest god; and Mithras, the god of light. Various peoples in northern Europe held festivals in mid-December to celebrate the end of the harvest season. As part of all these celebrations, the people prepared special foods, decorated their homes with greenery, and joined in singing and gift giving. These customs gradually became part of the Christmas celebration.

In the late 300's, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. By 1100, Christmas had become the most important religious festival in Europe, and Saint Nicholas was a symbol of gift giving in many European countries. During the 1400's and 1500's, many artists painted scenes of the Nativity, the birth of Jesus. An example of these works appears in the Jesus Christ article in the print version of The World Book Encyclopedia.

The popularity of Christmas grew until the Reformation, a religious movement of the 1500's. This movement gave birth to Protestantism. During the Reformation, many Christians began to consider Christmas a pagan celebration because it included nonreligious customs. During the 1600's, because of these feelings, Christmas was outlawed in England and in parts of the English colonies in America.

the most beautiful city in the world

the most beautiful city in the world
New York: wall street, the opera house, the empire state building, lady liberty, Dylan’s candy shop!! ahhh.. New York, the home of new york cheesecake! this is MY favorite city ever.. noone knows why exactly, but NYC is the most charming city in the world. its on this list (i donno who came up with the list, i received it by email) because its versatile. the culture, the art, the music, the food, the places and faces of New York. i absolutely love it.




from - http://pandimasbox.wordpress.com/2008/04/05/5-most-beautiful-cities-of-the-world/

Nokia X2 Qwerty price

Nokia X2 Qwerty price

Right upfront, one of the most disappointing feature of this Nokia X2-01 handset which is in fact the upgraded version of older Nokia X2 music phone, is its VGA resolution camera offering maximum 640 x 480 pixel still picture resolution. Its predecessor Nokia X2 music phone boasted a high-resolution 5 megapixel 2592 x 1944 pixel resolution auto-focus digital camera.

Nokia X2-01 is a quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz network ready candybar style handset that runs Symbian S40 and weighs just 107.5 gms.
The new Nokia X2-01 Music Phone is already available in India for Rs. 4,459 and it features 2.4-inch 240 x 320 pixels 256K color capable QVGA display and includes a fixed full QWERTY keypad in addition to a bunch of dedicated music playback keys on sides.The Nokia X2-01 also offers direct access to Facebook from the homescreen and comes with Nokia Messaging application for email and Instant Messaging requirements.

Nokia X2-01 phone includes 55-MB internal memory along with 64MB RAM and 128 MB ROM, and comes equipped with microSD card slot offering up to 9GB expandable memory allowing 1000 entries phone book.
For data connectivity, Nokia X2-01 music phone offers GPRS class 32, EDGE class 32 connection, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP and is equipped with microUSB 2.0 port for wired connectivity
Most disappointingly Nokia X2-01 handset sports a single 0.3 megapixel fixed focus camera (no flash) offering VGA 640 x 480 pixels still picture resolution, allowing video recording in 176 x 144 pixel resolution @15fps.
Some other features of Nokia X2-01 QWERTY music phone includes 3.5 mm audio port, Stereo FM Radio with RDS (has built-in antenna), voice recording, Voice Memo, JAVA MIDP 2.1 support, integrated dual stereo speakers, dedicated music keys and audio media player supporting MP3/WMA/eAAC+ files and video player supporting MP4/H.263 files. Music can be managed using the Ovi Player PC client or Windows Media Player 11.
Handset comes preloaded with Opera Mini browser and includes several games such as Bounce Tales, City Bloxx, Snake III, Blocked, Diamond Rush, Rally 3D, Brain Champion, and Sudoku etc.
The new Nokia X2-01 music phone comes with 1020 mAh Li-Ion battery that offers 4.5 hours of talk time and 450 hrs of stand-by time.
Nokia X2-01 Music Phone Key Features
* Quad-band GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
* Candy-bar form factor
* QWERTY Keypad, Dedicated music centric keys
* 2.4-inch 240 x 320 pixels 256K color capable QVGA TFT display
* 55-MB Internal Memory, 64MB RAM, 128MB ROM
* microSD card slot, max 8GB expandable memory
* 1000 entries phone book
* GPRS Class 32
* EDGE Class 32
* Bluetooth v2.1+A2DP
* microUSB 2.0 port
* VGA 640 x 480 pixel resolution fixed focus camera
* Video recording, 179 x 144 pixels @ 15fps
* Email, IM, SMA, MMS
* Stereo FM Radio, built-in Antenna
* JAVA MIDP 2.1
* MP3/WMA/eAAC+ Audio Player
* MP4/H.263 Video Player
* Colors – Red on Black, Blue on Silver
* 1020 mAh Li-Ion Battery, 4.5 hours talk time, 450 Hrs standby time
* Dim – 119.4 x 59.8 x 14.3 mm
* Weight – 107.5 gms

from - http://mobilephone4all.com/2011/03/11/nokia-x2-01-qwerty-review/

what is the best fast food in korea

what is the best food in korea
Chinese restaurants in Korea don't have lo mein or Kung Pao chicken like they do in the States, but they do have a lot of jajang myun.





This noodle dish with a savory black bean sauce is the most popular dish takeout or delivery dish in Korea, and it's based on a Chinese noodle dish with same name. You can find the black bean paste in Korean or Asian grocery stores

Sony 3D Blu-ray Fullhd Player Review

Sony 3D Blu-ray Fullhd Player Review
Written by Thomas Spurlin   
For a long time, Sony’s been struggling with a good problem to have regarding their standalone Blu-ray decks.  It doesn’t matter if their quality strong, the reaction time decent, and the supplemental specifics pleasing to the eye, they always have to combat price-wise against the company’s “flagship” player, the Playstation 3. On most occasions, their standalone decks of a comparable quality (such as the BDP-S560, reviewed here) were, on a good day, the same price as their game-playing iteration, a unit that’s become a reference machine for the likes of The Criterion Collection and others.

However, with the whittled-down cost of Blu-ray technology, they’ve finally been able to nail down a wireless, attractive until with their BDP-S570 that’s a good $50 below the PS3’s $300 list price.  With wireless connectivity on-board, a sleek style makeover, snappy loading timeframes and respectable audiovisual performance, including 24p upscaling for DVDs and support for online stream services such as Netflix, Sony might’ve finally concocted a healthy Blu-ray alternative -- one that easily bests their previous 5-series model.  Yes, it’s 3D ready as well for when the technology’s ready, but that’s just part of the puzzle.

Out of the Box

If a pair of eyes will be looking at the S570 that have seen the thickness and width of other Blu-ray decks, they’ll be taken slightly aback at the compressed size of this high-functioning unit.  It barely sits a foot and a half deep at 17 inches, while offering a bit of a slack-jaw inducing height at 1.81 inches tall. Sure, the likes of Samsung’s ultra thin BD-P4600 are more shocking with their size, but the ability to cram this high-function player into a compact, glossy design impresses to a noteworthy extent.  In comparison, this unit sits roughly a full inch shallower from front to back and about a half an inch shorter than JVC’s XV-BP1, an able-bodied and size-conscious unit on its own.    Gone are the flip-open tray and wonky buttons from the S560, replaced by a front panel that’s sturdy, unwavering, and void of any blue coloring.  But it’d be wise to have a polishing cloth ready if lights are in proximity, as the black glossy finish is prone both to dust pick-up and fingerprints.

To the front, attractive minimalist design takes the helm. The short stature calls for a more edgy motif to make it grab the user’s eye, complimented here by a thin silver trim that rides along a small jetting “shelf” at the bottom that holds very, very small buttons for stopping, playing, pausing, powering down and the rest of the standard functions. These buttons feel almost like thinner, hard Tic-Tacs or another small mint, which are pointed but on the stiff side.  A very soft LED timer arrives on the right-hand side, rendered in delicate but readable blue typography that’s adjustable to even darker levels within the menus. For a little extra ambience and, maybe in some lighting, assistance in seeing the buttons, a thin light strip appears directly in the center of the unit that glows an agreeably tame white color – whose brightness can also be toggled along with the time display. A USB 2.0 port also adorns the right of the panel.

On the rear of the S570, there’s very little to get excited about. We’ve got out standard ports for plug-and-play usage, with the HDMI out taking charge as the preferred connection method. Component RGB jacks are available, along with coaxial and optical outputs to match for audio, as well as a LAN cable port for non-wireless Internet usage. The only nice earmark we’ve got on the rear panel is a port for a USB connection, so the user can connect a storage device to the back without cluttering up the front continuously. It’s worth noting, however, the power cable isn’t a standard A/C output port, instead carrying a permanent connection that cannot be unplugged or replaced. That’s a little frustrating for installation folks and those who’d prefer easier plug-and-play experience, or for those that, say, have a power wiring issue and need to switch out cables.

Remote


Though Sony has implemented a new model of remote between the S560 and the S570, jumping from a RMT-B104A to a RMT-B107A, there’s almost no difference between the two devices. Both are flimsy tack-on designs that work, mind you, and are user friendly – just very inexpensively handled.  The B107A, however, has one key feature that the 104A lacked, and that’s an EJECT button. The “Theater” button has been scooped up and moved to a new location, but other than that it’s the same unit; therefore, the comments annotated in the review for the S560’s remote carry over here.  Essentially, it’s a lighter, flimsier version of Sony’s Playstation 3 Bluetooth remote, carrying the same rotary navigation functions, color-coded buttons, and TV control as before

what is the best food in usa

what is the best food in usa
Tips for Cooking the Best Hamburgers
By Laura Dolson
Burgers -- most of us love them. But sometimes they are dry, sometimes they don't have much flavor, and sometimes they turn into "hockey pucks" on the grill. Here are some tips to bring your burgers from "good" to "great".

Select the Best Meat

I surveyed a lot of authorities on cooking burgers, and there is agreement on this point. The best, juiciest burgers are made from ground beef chuck, which is about 20 percent fat. Less fat makes a drier burger (however, see tips below when using leaner meat). Meat labeled "ground beef" or "hamburger" can be up to 30 percent fat, and authorities agree that it is also best to know what part of the animal your burger is coming from

Even Better...and Best Ways

Select a piece of chuck and have your butcher grind it (yes, there are people behind those doors -- just ring the bell). Ask for a "coarse" grind. Or, best, grind your own with a meat grinder or chop in the food processor (cut into 1- to 1½-inch cubes first). An advantage to this is that there are fewer worries about contamination and you can safely cook your burgers medium-rare, if that's how you like them.

Don't Handle the Meat Too Much

The heat from your hands begins to melt the fat and makes the patty too dense. Move it lightly from hand to hand and loosely make a patty ¾- to one-inch thick (no thicker, or you will have to cook it too long).

Don't Press Down on the Burgers When Cooking

This compresses the meat, making it denser, and also squeezes the juices out of the meat.

Make an Indentation in the Top

Have you noticed that your burgers tend to form rounded tops when cooking, causing the condiments to slide off? So did the folks at America's Test Kitchen. They found that by pushing down slightly in the center, creating a round area about ¼ inch lower than the surrounding meat, made the burger come out flat.

Try Different Types of Meats or a Combo

Almost any kind of ground meat can be used to make burgers, or mix together different ones. I've heard of mixing pork with beef, chicken with lamb, or even buffalo with beef. For flavor, try mixing some fresh sausage in with another type of meat.

Adding Flavors to the Meat

Many people just want great beef, straight up with salt and pepper. But it's also fun to add flavors, and if you are using leaner meats, or leaner cuts of beef, you can add moisture at the same time. Finely minced vegetables such as onion, mushrooms, or mild chiles are especially good for this. You can also take a lean cut of meat and add some olive oil for good fat, although this will cook faster than meats that are naturally fattier. More Tips on Cooking Low Fat Burgers from Fiona Haynes


Tip: When adding other ingredients to ground meat, use a spoon or spatula to avoid heating the meat with your hands - see above.
Liquids - Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce are perhaps the two most common liquids to add to burgers. Most recipes call for about a Tablespoon of liquid per pound of meat, but I have seen anywhere from a teaspoon to 2 Tablespoons. Wine is another possibility, or, for blander meats, concentrated beef stock or Better Than Bouillon.
Spices - Other than salt and pepper, almost any spice in the cabinet is a good addition. Garlic or onion powder is probably the most common, but everything I've seen everything from chili powder to Asian spices to Middle Eastern to packets of salad dressing mix (but watch the sugar on that one).
 

Cooking the Burgers

Get the grill or pan really hot. If using lean meat, oil the grill or put a little oil in the pan. Put the burger in and don't move it until it naturally releases. Some people turn it at this point (and then flip again later), and others cook for 2 to 4 minutes, depending on how hot the grill is, the type of meat (leaner meat cooks faster), and how done you want it to be. Then flip the burger and cook on the other side until done, about 2 to 3 minutes more.
If you have a thermometer, cook until 160° F., unless you have fresh meat ground at home. In that case, you can take them off around 140 if you like.

Burger Recipes

About.com's Cooking Guides have lots of great ideas about burgers and tons of recipes. Check out the information and recipes on these About.com sites:

Emily Browning biography

Emily Browning biography

Australian actress Emily Browning was born in 1988 in Melbourne, Australia. She has two younger brothers. Her start in acting came after a classmate's father involved in the acting business noticed her "acting all ditsy" in a school play.

Emily found an agent and was soon filming on location for the Hallmark TV movie 'The Echo of Thunder' (1998). She received more roles from there, including parts in 'The Man Who Sued God' (2001), opposite Billy Connolly and 'Ned Kelly' (2003), opposite Heath Ledger and Orlando Bloom. In that film she had to hug Heath Ledger,

and she said that all her friends who went to see the film at the same time sent her a barrage of text messages about how lucky she was! Emily says she tries to avoid "cheesy" movies, and her big break came when she was on a press tour in LA for 'Ghost Ship' (2002) that was filmed in Australia and released in America.

In the same year, she won an Australian Film Institute Award for Best Young Actress, and was nominated for the same award the next year. Emily received some scripts when in LA and sent in a video audition for 'Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events' (2004).

 She received a call and was asked to come to LA for a proper audition, which won her the part. She spent months in LA filming, for the second time acting opposite Billy Connolly. Emily said she enjoyed the experience of making a big budget film in America, and says that although she's not sure what is coming next, she's hoping to do some more Australian work.

Emily took a three year acting break starting 2005 to finish school in Australia. She returned in The Uninvited (2009). Her next role will be in Sucker Punch (2011)

What do you think of young Japanese women's fashion style this winter?

What do you think of young Japanese women's fashion style this winter?
Ditto with natosucks

I've been to a few fashion events catered to young women this winter and I really don't understand the appeal of wearing the exact outfit as your favorite model. I love people who follow the trends but make the outfit their own. Also as a Canuck, the denim cut offs in winter make my stomach turn. Miniskirt over tights is much classier.
i'm afraid i don't believe in japanese style. 99.9% of people are just copying styles from magazines. don't get me wrong, sometimes the results look fabulous (can't fault their dedication) but at other times i'm absolutely dumbfounded
fashion is, after all, so ugly it has to be changed every 3 months
haven't spotted any specific trends that are going around at the moment though

health food analysis

health food analysis

The Idaho Bureau of Laboratories (IBL) maintains strict guidelines regarding receipt and processing of samples. Some samples may be submitted by the public while others are accepted only from state agencies, district health departments, or law enforcement agencies.

As a member of the Food Emergency Response Network, IBL provides threat identification and rule-out tests to support public health and law enforcement operations. Potentially hazardous food samples, such as those related to criminal investigations, must always be collected and field screened by authorized HazMat teams prior to submission at IBL. Emergency activation of the laboratory occurs through Idaho's emergency communications system.

Before submitting a sample, it is highly recommended that you consult the Bureau's Sampling and Submission Guide. There you will find information on routine tests performed at IBL. Samples must be received in appropriate packaging for the testing process to be successful. Proper submission forms must accompany samples. If the form you need is not in the list, or if you are unsure of the form you should use

Social networking sites in Japan play an important role in earthquake

Social networking sites in Japan play an important role in earthquake In Friday's 8.8 magnitude earthquake occurred after the emergence of Japan's mobile communications network congestion. In this case, Twitter , Facebook and Mixi social networking sites such as playing an important role. Sina microblogging China has become the Chinese compatriots in Japan and China the best way to communicate.

More serious congestion in the communications area, Japan, operators have begun to limit the voice call. NTT DoCoMo 80% limit net voice calls, especially in Tokyo and northeastern Japan. The country's mobile communications services in Japan have suffered varying degrees of problems.

The other two operators and the AU network Softbank as a problem, the residents of Tokyo have difficulty in sending SMS. DoCoMo users reported that the normal communication with others. However, users of other carriers are facing problems.

In this case, Twitter, Facebook and social networking site Mixi Japan become the main tool of mutual contact. However, Tokyo's Internet service is intermittent state.

Sina microblogging official data showed, after the earthquake in Japan, as of March 11 18:00 pm 4 hours, Sina posted microblogging microblogging related to the earthquake in Japan nearly 4.5 million, of which micro-blog users in Japan issued 30 million. Chinese compatriots in Japan by Sina microblogging help, snapshots be broadcast live on the earthquake situation, the domestic Internet users through the microblogging platform to pray for blessings of advice to people in trouble to pass a strong faith.


Tokyo people have reported that the MTR to suspend operations, they had to walk a few miles away from home. As of Saturday morning, Tokyo remains a serious road congestion, the highway was still closed. A resident of Tokyo called Toshie Niida in Facebook, said: "Walking on the streets full of people. Due to the very crowded and looks like a morning peak hour traffic train. I spent more than 1 hour before returning to home. "

Journalist living in Tokyo, Brian Chapman (Brian Chapman) said: "I see many people in the street holding a cell phone call, but before the payment is still a long line public telephone. Facebook and Skype to keep in touch proved to be the best way. the scene told reporters that in the most severely damaged areas, there are many people through mobile TV for more details, because the average television service has been interrupted. "

Another editor living in Tokyo, Gregory Reese Rosenthal (Gregory Starr) on Facebook, said: "I've given up home. Convenience stores are virtually no food, but it was fortunately able to find a few cans beer. "

Living in Tokyo's Setagaya Ward, Christopher Johnson, a reporter (Christopher Johnson) said: "I rushed out of shower room, pick up the towel, went outside and saw our old house was shaking the Japanese continued for 1 minute." He also said: "It seems the 1995 Kobe earthquake as bad. The current problem is the fire, and the cold north."
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from - http://www.pubarticles.com/article-social-networking-sites-in-japan-play-an-important-role-in-earthquake-1299902700.html

nuclear meltdown in japan

Snap analysis: Japan may have hours to prevent nuclear meltdown

Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) is racing to cool down the reactor core after a highly unusual "station blackout" -- the total loss of power necessary to keep water circulating through the plant to prevent overheating.
Daiichi Units 1, 2 and 3 reactors shut down automatically at 2:46 p.m. local time due to the earthquake. But about an hour later, the on-site diesel back-up generators also shut, leaving the reactors without alternating current (AC) power.
That caused Tepco to declare an emergency and the government to evacuate thousands of people from near the plant. Such a blackout is "one of the most serious conditions that can affect a nuclear plant," according to experts at the Union of Concerned Scientists, a U.S. based nuclear watchdog group.

"If all AC power is lost, the options to cool the core are limited," the group warned.
TEPCO also said it has lost ability to control pressure at some of the reactors at its Daini plant nearby.
The reactors at Fukushima can operate without AC power because they are steam-driven and therefore do not require electric pumps, but the reactors do require direct current (DC) power from batteries for its valves and controls to function.
If battery power is depleted before AC power is restored, the plant would stop supplying water to the core and the cooling water level in the reactor core could drop.
RADIATION RELEASE
Officials are now considering releasing some radiation to relieve pressure in the containment at the Daiichi plant and are also considering releasing pressure at Daini

signs that difficulties are mounting. Such a release has only occurred once in U.S. history, at Three Mile Island.
"(It's) a sign that the Japanese are pulling out all the stops they can to prevent this accident from developing into a core melt and also prevent it from causing a breach of the containment (system) from the pressure that is building up inside the core because of excess heat," said Mark Hibbs, a nuclear expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
While the restoration of power through additional generators should allow TEPCO to bring the situation back under control, left unchecked the coolant could boil off within hours. That would cause the core to overheat and damage the fuel, according to nuclear experts familiar with the Three Mile Island accident in Pennsylvania in 1979.
It could take hours more for the metal surrounding the ceramic uranium fuel pellets in the fuel rods to melt, which is what happened at Three Mile Island. That accident essentially frozen the nuclear industry for three decades.
Seven years later the industry suffered another blow after the Chernobyl plant in Ukraine exploded due to an uncontrolled power surge that damaged the reactor core, releasing a radioactive cloud that blanketed Europe.
The metal on the fuel rods would not melt until temperatures far exceed 1,000 degrees F. The ceramic uranium pellets would not melt until temperatures reached about 2,000 degrees F, nuclear experts said.
If it occurred, that would ultimately cause a meltdown, with the core becoming a molten mass that would melt through the steel reactor vessel, releasing a large amount of radioactivity into the containment building that surrounds the vessel, the Union of Concerned Scientists said.
The main purpose of the building -- an air tight steel or reinforced concrete structure with walls between four to eight feet thick -- is to keep radioactivity from being released into the environment.
While there has not been any indication of damage that would undermine the building's ability to contain the pressure and allow radioactivity to leak out, there is a danger that if pressure builds too much then the walls could be breached

Read more: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/121974/20110312/japanese-massive-earthquake-tsunami-nuclear-meltdown.htm#ixzz1Gg1rFHQl