MUJI To Open First West Coast Store In San Francisco This Fall

by Jessica Marati on

California design junkies rejoice: Japanese retailer MUJI recently announced that it will open its first West Coast location in San Francisco‘s SOMA district this fall. With 7,250 square feet of retail space, the new store will be the fifth and largest MUJI location in the United States.

MUJI has developed a cult following in the design community for producing simple, functional lifestyle items that are high on quality and low in price. The MUJI retail environment mirrors this streamlined approach, with spare design, soft lighting and Zen music in each of the chain’s four New York City locations.

While the store sells everything from notebooks to frying pans to organic cotton T-shirts, travelers will be especially pleased to find a wide range of well-designed travel accessories. The store’s assortment of bags, pouches, cases, bottles, containers and dividers will revolutionize the way you pack, as well as introduce a touch of Japanese simplicity into your travel experience.

[Flickr image via Stephen Spencer]

Travelers’ Favorite Foods While On Vacation

by McLean Robbins on

If you love sushi, you’re in good company. Travelers from around the world voted Japanese as their third favorite cuisine to eat while on holiday. This relative newcomer to the global travel favorite snagged 18 percent of the vote, just behind traditional dishes from Italy (32 percent) and France (24 percent).

The more then 27,000 travelers surveyed stated a preference for Sushi, Tempura, Ramen and Japanese Soba, particularly when it comes to fine dining.

“Japanese food is seen as a great example of healthy eating and there are a variety of Japanese restaurants in every multicultural capital,” said Alison Couper from Hotels.com. “The fact that it beat more traditional holiday dishes such as Tapas and Burritos is testament to the world class reputation of Japanese chefs.”

Several other Asian countries appear in the Top Ten list, including China (13 percent), Thailand (8 percent), Taiwan and India (5 percent). The popularity of Paella and Tapas could have contributed to Spain clinching fifth place (11 percent) on the list, while those who love Burger and Fries have helped the USA secure sixth place (10 percent) in the table.

[Flickr via ZoeShuttleworth]

Tokyo Celebrates Summer With Their Annual Eel Day

by Jessica Festa on

While many Westerners picture watermelon, daiquiris and ice cream when they think of summer, Tokyo gets excited for their traditional treat, broiled eel. In fact, they even have a special day to commemorate the dish, Unagi no Hi, also known as Midsummer Day of the Ox, or Eel Day.

The annual event, which takes place every year at the end of July, took place on Friday, July 27. Apparently, the high content of oil in the animal’s flesh can provide locals with enough energy to get them through the remaining hot summer days. On the holiday, locals will head to their favorite restaurant serving eel to order the dish.

According to CNNGo, a bucket of live eels is traditionally kept under the floorboards of the restaurant, until ordered by a patron. Then, the animal is sliced into filets and pierced with bamboo skewers. From there, they are lightly grilled over charcoal before being steamed to soften the meat and release the oils. Finally, the eel is placed back on the charcoals to broil some more while basting. This method is known as kabayaki, and has been employed since Tokyo was called Edo.

Unfortunately, Tokyo’s neighborhoods are changing, as are people’s tastes. Not only that, but the decrease in eel supplies and the rising price of the dish make this once common meal an occasional splurge. For your next trip, you may want to consider visiting Tokyo to taste the tradition before it’s too late.

[Image via Alpha]

Video Of The Day: Rail Company Spreads Happiness Through Japan

by Libby Zay on

To announce the launch of a new rail line, the Kyushu Rail Company loaded one of its bullet trains with cameras and sent it speeding through Japan. Onlookers came out in droves to catch sight of the train, which linked Japan’s southernmost island to the mainland for the first time. They dressed in a rainbow of colors and waved, danced and smiled as the train went by (the Power Rangers even made an appearance; look for them in the video). The rail company had caught something special: an unscripted, bubbly video that showed varied landscape and happy people of Japan. But what the marketers at the rail company didn’t realize was that the commercial was set to air the very day of the horrific 2011 earthquake in Japan.

Kyushu immediately pulled the two-minute celebratory commercial from the air. But after a month or so of unbearable news about the nearly 16,000 fatalities and the 3,000 plus who still remained missing, the company decided to air the commercial. It immediately became an immediate phenomenon; viewers literally shed tears of joy when they saw the smiling faces across the island. The commercial shows the united power of the country, and most importantly made the grieving nation smile. Today, almost a year and a half after the earthquake, the video is still a morale booster.

Photo Of The Day: Watching The World Go By In Tokyo

by Meg Nesterov on


There are few cities that have the energy of Tokyo. It’s one place where you can feel the past and future collide, with traditional teahouses and 1950s-throwback salarymen mixing with girls in cutting-edge fashion and boys with the latest technology. The intensity is dialed up to the maximum at Shibuya Crossing, where Flickr user m24instudio shot today’s Photo Of The Day. There you can have a seat at a cafe or grab some kind of odd beverage from a vending machine and sit on a bench (Japanese manners dictate that you should never drink and walk), and watch the world go by.

Share your favorite city moments in the Gadling Flickr pool to be chosen for another Photo Of The Day.