Cheap and expensive things in Japan

[sakebomb 0]

Gamera, have a look here http://www.wholehealthmd.com/refshelf/foods_view/1,1523,103,00.html

This is the brown rice I believe bettyx is talking about.

[Ocean11 0]

Brown rice sold in small plastic bags is more expensive because it requires cleaning before bagging and is sold in far smaller quantities than white rice which can be polished and sold in bulk.

 

However, if you buy rice in bulk from a farmer or distributor, it comes as brown rice which you polish yourself. Or not, as you please. This way of buying rice is much cheaper, and the brown paper sacks it comes in are very attractive.

[sunrise 0]

Plus genmai is a lot less popular than the mega-tonnes of white rice consumed, which means that of course it must be more expensive, right? (I mean, c'mon, this is Japan logic, okay).

 

Or maybe you're looking at the organic stuff which is usually more expensive than the non-organic.

 

I'm talking in terms of buying in shops rather than, as Ocean says, buying in bulk from a supplier. Still, the only organic mail order folk I know still have genmai as being a little on the takai side.... I guess that's the price I pay for being J-illiterate.....

[sunrise 0]

Oh, also, just quickly (many more):

 

cheap: musical intstruments (excluding some imports), other electronics

 

expensive: public transport

[Ocean11 0]

Where can you get organic genmai sunrise? I wonder if they use the wild duck method of raising it.

[sunrise 0]

Wild duck method? Dare I ask what's that?

 

 

Aside from natural food shops where you can buy organic genmai, I get mine from here in bulk:

 

http://www.warabe.co.jp/

http://www.warabe.co.jp/english.html (english)

http://www.warabe.co.jp/pdffile/english/cataloguewm05oct.pdf

 

 

For imported organic foods there's also Tenju natural foods

http://www.alishan-organic-center.com/en/tengu/index.html

 

 

I also found this link while hunting around for links, no good for me (nihongo only), but it looked interesting.

http://www.kansai-cc.co.jp/

[Ocean11 0]

Thanks for the links.

 

Overview of duck n\' rice farming . The page doesn't mention that the yield is also higher.

[sunrise 0]

Ah, interesting. Come to think of it I may have read about that awhile back.

 

If you want links to free range / organic poultry/meats/fish, (and organic veggies) Goemon posted about http://www.daichi.or.jp/index.html a few months back.

[Ocean11 0]

Have you ever seen kangaroo meat in Japan? I'm interested to try it (on Jared Diamond's recommendation).

[sava 0]

Crabs are expensive...

[gamera 0]

Ah, sakebomb that's genmai what I mentioned about.

Yep, sava crabs are expensive in Japan.

[slow 0]

Yeah, Genmai is expensive. Organic Genmai is super expensive and I can't afford to buy it. Gamera, can you serve Genmai for dinner if your guests ask? I know only one pension serves Genmai in Hakuba.

As for clothing, I never bought my clothes at uniqlo. Like Yama said, it's very clear that they use sweatshops in China. I don't want to have a hand in this kind of unfair business.

By the way, I went to Banana Republic in Roppongi the other day, I expected their casual clothes like shops in California. But they don't have their casual clothes in Tokyo, just expensive suit or something. I really dissappointed...

[sunrise 0]

Oceay: Since I eat almost no red meats, the thought of trying kangaroo meat has never entered my mind.

[Dean 0]

Actually quite a few things from Uniqlo are made in Japan. Although recently more and more is being made in China. the stuff made in the sweatshops for Japan is better than the stuff made in the sweatshops for Australia!!!! The clothes made in China for Oz are crap!

 

Actually I have found since moving away, general food (taking out the obvious exceptions) is as cheap or cheaper than Oz. Things like chicken and pork I have found here $$$$$$. I was definitely eating cheaper in Japan than back here. Going out.......well thats a different story.

 

As for the snow, Japan is pretty good again compared to Oz. Australia has officially been ranked as the second most expensive place to ski in the world. Japan was around 7th or 8th from memory.

 

I think if you buy new clothes in Japan nto during slae times, you deserve to be ripped off!

[bettyx 0]

slow: don't banana repulic use sweatshops too?

 

i had genmai at 2 places in hakuba, one was i think pumpkin, the organic cafe, & the other was... i can't recall. but they were both great. really fluffy, not like the dry brown rice i remember from my childhood.

 

paid 400yen for a bowl of brown rice at a macrobiotic place in tokyo once, my boyfriend was devastated as he said he could buy a half-decent bowl of ramen for that price.

[gamera 0]

Yeah, slow. If people request something in advance, we try to provide them. Some people from abroad sometimes request sushi, shabushabu etc. Maybe hard if it's a busy time though.

 

As to clothes, I don't care which products but care what materials are used. I usually choose natural fiber ones.

[slow 0]

Ah, Pumpkin!! I was thinking to stay there with sunrise last winter.

betty, I didn't know BR was part of Gap. It means they use sweatshops, too? Either way, I don't need to buy anything at BR anymore.

 

Gamera, you are so nice. I think flexibility is the most pleasant service for your guests. Have you tried organic cotton? Organic cotton is very soft and nice. Organic cotton camisole is my favorite summer wear. I love my OC pillow case and sheets, too.

 

Organic cotton and food are still expensive in Japan. Is it same in other countries?

[gamera 0]

Organic cotton - like Indian cotton print ( Indo sarasa )?

I have some indiean cotton prints and hemp shirts they are nice for summer.

Silk are nice for any season, they are not heavy so I don't get any sore shoulder.

[Ocean11 0]

slow, I'm sure you look absolutely spiffing in your organic cotton camisole.

[Yuki's Passion 1]

Are Gap, B.R., J-Crew, and Old Navy part of the same chain?

 

I like shirts/pants in the warm months that are made outta hemp. Very durable and cool.

 

Silk Gamera? Those what youre boxers are?

I dont think I could wear silk in the summer

[gamera 0]

I got a Vietnamese silk t-shirt and it's good even in summer.

No I don't have any silk boxers Yama, zannnen.

[peterson 0]

I love silk. I'm into it in a big way. It really turns me on. I can't concentrate if I'm wearing silk..

[wakaran 1]

I don't find food to be too expensive here... apart from things like fruit. Not a huge amount of choice either for many of the things I like cheeses, meats, etc)