No way can I list all of the dozens of vending machine drinks I’ve had over the past 5 days, so I’ll just mention a few notable Potent Potables:

1. Aquarius Sports Drink (Coca-Cola product): Kind of like Pocari Sweat, but in a different PET bottle and with an odd, chemical aftertaste. Meh. Not recommended.
2. Asahi Ginger Draft: Beer, but with a slight gingery aftertaste. Weird. I no likey. Not recommended.
3. Kirin Fire Menthol coffee: Coffee, but with a slight minty aftertaste. Weird, but not in a gross way. Kind of tasty, actually. Recommended.
4. Minute Maid Morning Orange: Much like its sister beverage, the hated and loathed Morning Banana, this had an acceptable orange-y flavour, but all the texture and mouth-feel of vomit. Not recommended.
5. UCC Deep Master coffee: 50% something! Much darker and less sugary than most vending-machine coffee, it has a kick like a mule, but isn’t bitter. Quite nice, considering it comes from a can. Recommended.
6. Suntory Gokuri Peach: Black label, dripping peach, little heart after the logo. Sugary, but fruity. I like. Recommended.
7. Yakult: In tiny bottles or huge bottles, it’s all good. Milky-looking but lastes kind of tangy and lemony. Really unique and addictive flavour. I love it. Recommended.

Japan, like Canada, has both fresh produce at outdoor markets and packaged stuff at indoor supermarkets.

While in Kanazawa, I visted the Ōmichō-ichiba, which (for my Toronto audience) was like their local Kensington Market, except all inside a covered arcade and selling way more seafood.

I also visited the huge supermarket in the underground mall directly below Hiroshima train station, and did some field research there, to see what was different from our supermarkets at home. Sadly, my geeky internal monologue kept interfering with my scientific examination of the evidence at both markets. Here are my findings…

Market: Ōmichō-ichiba, Kanazawa

I realized fully just how much of a nerd I am when the endless boxes of crabs for sale at ÅŒmichō-ichiba made me think first of the quote from the movie SuperTroopers, where Mac says “…And that was the second time I got crabs,” then of the level in Katamari Damacy where you have to reconstruct the Cancer constellation, and then the piles of dead squid staring up at me looked like the Ood from Doctor Who. Sigh. Such a geek.

Also, childishly, every bucket of fish heads I see makes me hear that 1980s Dr. Demento song. You know the one I mean… “Fish heads, fish heads, rolly polly fish heads; Fish heads, fish heads, eat them up – Yumm! In the morning, laughing happy fish heads; In the evening, floating in the soup… I took a fish head out to see a movie, Didn’t have to pay to get it in… They can’t play baseball, they don’t wear sweaters; They’re not good dancers, they don’t play drums… Rolly Polly fish heads are never seen drinking cappuccino in Italian restaurants with Oriental women. Fish heads, fish heads, rolly polly fish heads; Fish heads, fish heads, eat them up – Yummmm!”

I digress.

My philosophy for eating unfamiliar, unlabeled or unappetizing-looking things on this trip has been “what’s the worst that can happen?” With the exception of fugu, generally speaking the worst that could happen is a few unpleasant hours spent in a bathroom or experiencing weird-smelling, strangely-coloured pee, but so far this trip *knock on wood* not even those unfortunate fates have befallen me.

I must admit, however, there are limits to my culinary sense of adventure. In the realm of meat, I’ve drawn the line at eating horse, and I still kind of gag at the thought of eating something while it is still alive and kicking. But I had to overcome this last cultural reservation when visiting ÅŒmichō-ichiba.

A very nice fishmonger saw me photographing his wares, and kindly offered me some VERY fresh baby tako. So fresh, it was still sort of writhing weakly. I gulped, but not wanting to seem rude, said “domo arigato!” and took a bite. I steeled myself to the task by thinking that I was saving the world from a potential future cthulhu, scourge of the seas and demon of the deep.

To rinse my brain from that experience, I stopped at a local sushi shop for some sashimi and to try a famous local dish called jibuni, made from boiled and seasoned duck and various vegetables. I am disappointed to report that I think the sushi chef gave me the crappiest cuts of fish because I was an obvious foreigner, as the sashimi wasn’t as fresh and luscious as I was expecting, given the proximity of the market. The duck was also mediocre; overcooked and mostly fat, very little dark juicy meat.

Supermarket: Hiroshima

I found the supermarket interesting, but a tad overwhelming. I think I finally cracked when I saw the green tea and white chocolate bagels. I mean, they were GREEN. I wanted to write Japan a concerned letter:

Dear Japan,
Re: Green Bagels – UR DOIN’ IT WRONG.
Sincerely,
M.

Here is a list of some things I saw in the Hiroshima supermarket that made me go “hmm”:

1. * Asahi “Style-Free” beer (totally without style!)
2. * Brown paper packages, tied up with string
3. * Asahi “Off” beer (it’s just… off. Eww)
4. * Green tea and chocolate bagels (as mentioned, terrible)
5. * Weird tomato jelly dessert balls, shaped like tomatoes (I know tomato is technically a fruit, but still…)
6. * Tomato liqueur (when did tomato become a flavour for booze??)
7. * Clear jelly in a box (“Honey, don’t forget to pick up clear jelly at the supermarket!”)
8. * Seedless raisin clusters *still on the vine* (they look mummified, it’s creepy)
9. * Creepy cow cream in a tube (probably just condensed milk, but the packaging is nightmarish)
10. * Bananas in clear plastic bags (why would you re-package bananas? Srsly?!)
11. * Kiwi Pocky (bought some to bring home; first time I’ve ever seen this flavour)
12. * “UFO” brand noodles (ha ha)