Can you believe there is a sign like this being displayed in a store in Osaka, the second largest city in Japan where millions of people live? Believe it! It’s something that happens all the time, maybe not so foul, but the misuse of English is prevalent in all facets of literary use throughout Japan.

In this day and age, when computers and electronic dictionaries are something most have access to, you’d think those wishing to use English would get it correct. That, however, is not the outcome, no matter what their approach. They still get it wrong; so much it has become a sort of cult for foreigners!

Foreigners living, working and/or traveling in Japan cannot go a day without seeing some sort of English faux pas. Many foreigners make it a mission to seek out bad English. Once they find it, they post their findings to the web. Many blogs and websites around the world have been created by native English speakers to display strangely written English on T-shirts, signs, billboards or other forms of English print. It’s amazing how much there is out there! It’s even funnier when you take into consideration the huge number of foreigners that now live in Japan who can provide Japanese with English support if they were ever given the chance.

Most of the grammar mistakes come from people who think they have a good enough grasp of the language to do it on their own. Some might consider them idiots while others might consider them genius, if you taken into consideration the amount of exposure they get from foreigners posting their mistakes. Just look at how much exposure the store in Shinsaibashi is getting as their sale campaign is being splashed across the web on Facebook and websites like this one.

Another reason people in Japan make grammar mistakes, aside from the fact they don’t hire out foreigners to edit their works, is they take words straight from their dictionaries and use them thinking that because their dictionary said it means what they want to say in Japanese that it can be used in English just the same way. Unfortunately, this does not apply to all or most words the English language. Just look at the different words in a Thesaurus and you’ll see how words may be similar in meaning, but are used in different ways at different times. And some words, if used in conjunction with other words, may take on a whole different meaning.

Japanese people would do well to hire out foreigners to edit their English, especially since so many of them now live in the country and work in the English industry. But then again, they might not get as much exposure if their English stopped being funny!

Residents living just across the street from the unfinished store have been complaining to other residents about hearing loud construction noises, banging and clanging, late at night. My guess is probably because Costco headquarters is flexing their corporate muscles to make the opening date.

Local residents have mixed feelings about the store opening up in their neighborhood. Many feel that traffic will become worse than it already is. However, those who like shopping at Costco, look forward to shopping closer to home than having to drive 1 1/2 hours away to Costco in Amagasaki, Hyogo.

Those of us eager to shop at Costco closer to home will have to wait a little while longer till the ribbon has been cut and the doors officially swing open. About a month and a half to go. I can already smell the pizza and hotdogs!

Some of the more popular items people choose are:

green teas
dried seafood items
Japanese candies
chocolates
cookies
clothes
fashion accessories
kimonos and yukatas
fans
chopsticks
combs
tea cups and/or sets
Japanese cloth
Japanese shoes, slippers or sandals
postcards

Most of these items can be found just about anywhere in Japan, especially in touristy areas. Where are the touristy areas? In Japan, just about anywhere you go. Why? Because Japanese people buy many of these same things and take them back home as souvenirs for their friends and family members, too.

Souvenir shops are everywhere! However, the better quality ones are sometimes hard to find. But have no fear because most souvenir shops in Japan carry quality merchandise. It’s Japanese way!

Souvenir goods are sold in street malls, department stores, underground, along roads, highways and freeways, market areas, and at train stations and airports. Most are good quality and cheap, which is good if you are looking for cheap souvenirs that don’t have to have a high standard of quality behind them to be enjoyed. The better quality things will carry a higher price tag, typical in Japan. Most shops that carry the same item will also have a similar price tag. It’s not like shopping for souvenirs in Mexico or tourist traps where prices are marked way high for tourists and lower for residents. The main reason behind this is because Japanese do a lot of traveling within Japan and buy so many souvenirs that there is no need to mark the good high. It’s basic supply and demand…sell a lot and the price stays low.

So remember, the next time you are in Japan shopping for souvenirs, you can buy pretty much anything everything at around the same price no matter where you go. Sure, sometimes this might not be true or the price may vary a few yen, but in general it will not vary much.

Now that you have an idea of what there is available to buy as a souvenir from Japan, prepare yourself to decide what and which to buy. Even with a list of souvenirs available, choosing will never be easy. So learn to junken – do rock paper scissors – and deciding what to buy will become a bit easier. It’s how many Japanese make their decisions!

Still, Christmas is not the most important time of the winter holiday season for most Japanese, New Years Day is.

People from all over Japan, from now to many days after the new year has rung in, will get off their tatami mats and out of bed to go to a shrine or temple to pray for a better new year even if they are on their death beds. It is what Japanese do. And if you know Japanese, when one person goes all go. Of course, I’m being a little facetious, but not far from the truth.

So if you are planning to spend time in Japan during the New Year’s holiday season, get yourself ready to endure long lines of traffic, crowded trains, shrines, temples and restaurants because everyone and their brother will be out hiking up to a temple alter to pray for health, money, children, love and anything else thought of.

On a little different note, prices during the holiday season won’t get higher like they do touristy areas in other countries around the world. They will in some cases actually become lower because of the high number of people visitors traveling about. So shopping during New Year’s season can be a good time to spend money. But then for you, battling the crowds may or may not be more important than saving a few yen. That’s something you’ll have to weigh for yourself.

Be careful and enjoy a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, wherever you are and especially if you are in Japan! And remember that the bells you may be hearing in the distance, if you are in Japan during this time, won’t be Santa Claus riding off in his sleigh, but people pulling and shaking the ropes to the bells and chimes at temples and shrines as they pray in the New Year!

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So as of August, my wife and I are doing a cost comparison for the next year shopping at local stores instead of at Costco. We have canceled our Costco account, actually just didn’t renew our membership we’ve had since Costco opened its doors in Amagasaki many years ago.

Of course, Costco won’t miss us. They only know our names when we write it down on when we’re returning something or when we’re checking out at the cash register. If they send us a renewal notice, I’ll be surprised.

Most people at Costco recognize our faces, but don’t know our names. Local store employees may not know our names either, but that doesn’t matter. For the next year, we’ll spend more time shopping and pass through the checkout line more often than once a month if the items we buy aren’t as large as the Costco brands. But on a more positive note, we’ll probably also see people we know that live closer to home, maybe even friends or neighbors, and who knows, maybe we’ll even put together a BBQ at a local park and spend time together, spend less money on gas and transportation and won’t have to pay the extra 3500 yen Costco annual fee.

NOTE: We’re also canceling our Japanese American Express card, an annual savings of 20,000 yen for membership before our 5000 yen arigato coupon they send us once a year!

IKEA will open at 10am and close at 10pm. These will be the regular hours of operation. It is unusual to keep a store like IKEA open that late in Kobe, but because there is a restaurant, which can hold up to 750 guests, IKEA expects to attract a good crowd from around Port Island and Sannomiya after people in the area finish work.

Before you visit IKEA, join and become an IKEA Family member. Registration is free and having a membership has some great benefits. It is easy to join. Go to the IKEA Family website and fill in the details. There is a lot of English on this page so filling out the form shouldn’t be a problem. The card takes a week or so to arrive at your home so, in the meantime, write down your membership number and keep that with you when you go to IKEA.

To join the IKEA Family, click the following link: IKEA Kobe Japan Website