I'm Going To Japan

Enna wrote:Re: The "V" sign in Japanese photos:

I asked my friend in Japan why so many Japanese people use the "V" or Victory sign when they take photos and here is what she said:

"don't know the reason why. When I was very young they showed an animation film named "Our Sign is V " on TV. This was a story of girls who play volleyball. V is for victory as you know. Maybe the sign of two fingers is very simple and everyone can do it. LOL !"

krim wrote:
That question, and "why are jdrama's only 10-12 episodes usually" should be in a FAQ...

then a Glossary of terms, like what CM stands for, would be good too..
(yes, i dont know what CM stands for :P )

I put the "V" sign info in this thread because I couldn't remember, but I thought someone asked the question of why so many Japanese used that "V" sign when they took pics, either in this thread or in the Member's Pics thread.

I am not sure but I thought CM stood for a Commercial advertisement. :D

Enna wrote:

I am not sure but I thought CM stood for a Commercial advertisement. :D

ur right.

Enna wrote:I am not sure but I thought CM stood for a Commercial advertisement.

Tu_triky wrote:

ur right.

Thanks Tu_triky! :say_thanx: :)

Enna wrote:

Thanks Tu_triky! :say_thanx: :)

for what?! you are obviously well versed in the appropriate jargon :bow:

Enna wrote:

I put the "V" sign info in this thread because I couldn't remember, but I thought someone asked the question of why so many Japanese used that "V" sign when they took pics, either in this thread or in the Member's Pics thread.

I am not sure but I thought CM stood for a Commercial advertisement. :D

twas me that asked earlier.

Tu_triky wrote:

for what?! you are obviously well versed in the appropriate jargon :bow:

I wasn't 100% sure. :sweat:

krim wrote:then a Glossary of terms, like what CM stands for, would be good too..
(yes, i dont know what CM stands for )

Enna wrote:I am not sure but I thought CM stood for a Commercial advertisement.

tu_triky wrote:ur right.

krim wrote:twas me that asked earlier.

Yes krim-chan it was! :) Tu_triky was just reassuring me that my answer was correct. thats all. ;)

Nuff said...now back to I'm Going to Japan talk. :sweat: :D

Enna wrote:

Yes krim-chan it was! :) Tu_triky was just reassuring me that my answer was correct. thats all. ;)

Nuff said...now back to I'm Going to Japan talk. :sweat: :D

regarding stuff found while going to japan...i remember a while back bringing up the fact that they opened the first Family Mart "conbeni" in the United States here in West Hollywood under the name Famina. well i went there about a month ago...and while it was very well appointed and ultra nice for a convenience store it had less japanese goods than i hoped...they had some nice packaged lunch items including onigiri and some sushi bentos but much of the food items there were not japanese...they had a few things such as a few japanese beverages, snacks and magazines but nothing approaching the Family Marts of Japan. it was very posh but if you're looking for japanese food one would be better served to go to one's local Japanese market if you have one....
in sum, nice but nothing to go out of your way for....


Enna, alas, no tasty fried chicken to speak of....

Ijou desu.

Tu_triky wrote:

regarding stuff found while going to japan...i remember a while back bringing up the fact that they opened the first Family Mart "conbeni" in the United States here in West Hollywood under the name Famina. well i went there about a month ago...and while it was very well appointed and ultra nice for a convenience store it had less japanese goods than i hoped...they had some nice packaged lunch items including onigiri and some sushi bentos but much of the food items there were not japanese...they had a few things such as a few japanese beverages, snacks and magazines but nothing approaching the Family Marts of Japan. it was very posh but if you're looking for japanese food one would be better served to go to one's local Japanese market if you have one....
in sum, nice but nothing to go out of your way for....


Enna, alas, no tasty fried chicken to speak of....

Ijou desu.

@Tu_triky,
i was going to check it out, "Famina"/Family Mart, but i didn't know where it was... I drive out to Torrance/Gardena area the other week from OC, and i forgot about paying a visit to Famina...
so, it is nothing like Family Mart in Japan eh?
darn......and not much in terms of Japanese goods like Mitsuwa or Marukai....i know i am comparing Convenience store to Supermarket, but here in america, we don't have all that many convenience stores that are Japanese, other than the bookstores and super markets in some areas... :bonk:

where is the Famina at? worth a visit?

qilver wrote:

@Tu_triky,
i was going to check it out, "Famina"/Family Mart, but i didn't know where it was... I drive out to Torrance/Gardena area the other week from OC, and i forgot about paying a visit to Famina...
so, it is nothing like Family Mart in Japan eh?
darn......and not much in terms of Japanese goods like Mitsuwa or Marukai....i know i am comparing Convenience store to Supermarket, but here in america, we don't have all that many convenience stores that are Japanese, other than the bookstores and super markets in some areas... :bonk:

where is the Famina at? worth a visit?

as i mentioned it's in West Hollywood, on Santa Monica....honestly it's not really worth a visit unless you are in the area....given the fact that you're in Orange County....I found that all the more reason not to go because that would be one long drive only to be disappointed. i really don't have any intention of going back especially considering little tokyo is much closer to me in any event. stick to Mitsuwa and Marukai....it's almost only for the novelty that they have japanese goods at Famina...they're not really targeting the customer who is really seeking those goods.

Tu_triky wrote:
it's almost only for the novelty that they have japanese goods at Famina...they're not really targeting the customer who is really seeking those goods.

That's actually disappointing to hear.

Tu_triky wrote:


as i mentioned it's in West Hollywood, on Santa Monica....honestly it's not really worth a visit unless you are in the area....given the fact that you're in Orange County....I found that all the more reason not to go because that would be one long drive only to be disappointed. i really don't have any intention of going back especially considering little tokyo is much closer to me in any event. stick to Mitsuwa and Marukai....it's almost only for the novelty that they have japanese goods at Famina...they're not really targeting the customer who is really seeking those goods.

yeah, probably not worth a drive out there, unless i had some time and i was close by the area....gosh, how disappointing, nothing like Family Mart in Japan....
yea, i usually make my weekly visits to Marukai and Mitsuwa, along with Kinokuniya and bookoff, all in OC....and close by too. :thumbsup: :applaud:

qilver wrote:

yeah, probably not worth a drive out there, unless i had some time and i was close by the area....gosh, how disappointing, nothing like Family Mart in Japan....
yea, i usually make my weekly visits to Marukai and Mitsuwa, along with Kinokuniya and bookoff, all in OC....and close by too. :thumbsup: :applaud:

well then to ask yourself whether you should go is a rhetorical question. you have all that you desire down in OC....

Tu_triky wrote:

well then to ask yourself whether you should go is a rhetorical question. you have all that you desire down in OC....

But you know, if Famima had some aspects of the parent store Family Mart in Japan, qilver would be there in a heartbeat....well maybe the second beat since the first would be in Bookoff or Kinokuniya. :hehe:

Tu_triky wrote:

well then to ask yourself whether you should go is a rhetorical question. you have all that you desire down in OC....

yea, but once a month or so, i like to head over to Japantown in LA and eat at Daikokuya and look around the area. The drive is not bad, on a Saturday. But too bad Japan town is so small.

qilver wrote:

yea, but once a month or so, i like to head over to Japantown in LA and eat at Daikokuya and look around the area. The drive is not bad, on a Saturday. But too bad Japan town is so small.

be happy the greater los angeles area has ONE...but they have pockets of japanese establishments all over including west l.a. and the south bay as well....

you'd be bitching and moaning if you lived elsewhere.....man, the japantown in san francisco on geary is even SMALLER.

Tu_triky wrote:
you'd be bitching and moaning if you lived elsewhere.....man, the japantown in san francisco on geary is even SMALLER.

And the Japantown in San Jose is tiny.

dochira wrote:
And the Japantown in San Jose is tiny.

Yeah, it's just a street. Maybe about 3-4 blocks if that.

eightysix wrote:

Yeah, it's just a street. Maybe about 3-4 blocks if that.

went to the SJ obon this past year, i was up in NorCal visiting.

it was small but they had some good food there, and discovered this small anime store on the block there, and had some cool robots and anime figurines there. :bonk:

qilver wrote:


went to the SJ obon this past year, i was up in NorCal visiting.

it was small but they had some good food there, and discovered this small anime store on the block there, and had some cool robots and anime figurines there. :bonk:

Oh yeah, that store. They have a lot of oldskool anime stuff there.

Tu_triky wrote:

regarding stuff found while going to japan...i remember a while back bringing up the fact that they opened the first Family Mart "conbeni" in the United States here in West Hollywood under the name Famina. well i went there about a month ago...and while it was very well appointed and ultra nice for a convenience store it had less japanese goods than i hoped...they had some nice packaged lunch items including onigiri and some sushi bentos but much of the food items there were not japanese...they had a few things such as a few japanese beverages, snacks and magazines but nothing approaching the Family Marts of Japan. it was very posh but if you're looking for japanese food one would be better served to go to one's local Japanese market if you have one....
in sum, nice but nothing to go out of your way for....


Enna, alas, no tasty fried chicken to speak of....

Ijou desu.

Sorry to hear that Tu_triky. :pout: Maybe you could try e-mailing the parent company a short note telling them of your disappointment. Perhaps they don't realize that it IS the Japanese goods that would bring you back as a return customer. Hey give me their e-mail address and I'll write them. What is the point of opening up a Japanese based store in the USA if it is just going to be another basic boring American convenience store? If they want to increase their sales in that new store (Famina) then they should pay attention to the local customers' needs. You know what they say..."Money talks and BS walks." ;)

PS. I am off to do a little research on where to write Family Mart. :victory: