Comments on: Japan:Where the plastic looks like food and the food looks like plastic http://clubtroppo.com.au/2008/03/08/japanwhere-the-plastic-looks-like-food-and-the-food-looks-like-plastic/ Fearlessly dispensing political, legal and economic analysis (and some whimsy) since 2002 Fri, 25 May 2012 00:50:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: NPOV http://clubtroppo.com.au/2008/03/08/japanwhere-the-plastic-looks-like-food-and-the-food-looks-like-plastic/#comment-248187 NPOV Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:00:13 +0000 http://clubtroppo.com.au/2008/03/08/japanwhere-the-plastic-looks-like-food-and-the-food-looks-like-plastic/#comment-248187 Which confirms that "normal" was a poor choice of word: "While an ordinary melon in a grocery stores rarely costs more than $5..." Which confirms that “normal” was a poor choice of word:

“While an ordinary melon in a grocery stores rarely costs more than $5…”

]]> By: Yobbo http://clubtroppo.com.au/2008/03/08/japanwhere-the-plastic-looks-like-food-and-the-food-looks-like-plastic/#comment-248153 Yobbo Mon, 10 Mar 2008 11:23:18 +0000 http://clubtroppo.com.au/2008/03/08/japanwhere-the-plastic-looks-like-food-and-the-food-looks-like-plastic/#comment-248153 "Almost double, or even triple? Whatever it means, fresh fruit cant seriously be that expensive in Japan can it?" Check out the explanation here: http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/11/28/features/rluxfruit.php “Almost double, or even triple? Whatever it means, fresh fruit cant seriously be that expensive in Japan can it?”

Check out the explanation here: http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/11/28/features/rluxfruit.php

]]> By: John O http://clubtroppo.com.au/2008/03/08/japanwhere-the-plastic-looks-like-food-and-the-food-looks-like-plastic/#comment-247939 John O Mon, 10 Mar 2008 00:46:54 +0000 http://clubtroppo.com.au/2008/03/08/japanwhere-the-plastic-looks-like-food-and-the-food-looks-like-plastic/#comment-247939 Rockmelons are selling for about $20 in my local supermarket in Tokyo. Of course that's out of season, but I don't think they ever go below $10. There is a lot of cheap fresh fruit and veg here (strawberries are going for $3-5 for a large punnet right now), but there is also an enormous price range. I think the explanation for that comes from the fact that people in Japan are constantly giving each other gifts, and food is a very popular type of gift - everyone likes it and it doesn't take up space for long. Practically none of the expensive fruit you hear about is bought for personal consumption, and that's also why it looks unreal - no one wants to give blemished fruit as a gift. <a href="http://item.rakuten.co.jp/eviivmo/10000540/" rel="nofollow">Here's an example</a> of an ad for a box of 24 cherries for mother's day for about $40 (down from $100!). It's like the market for chocolate in Australia - plenty of Cadbury about, but for presents you get the more expensive stuff. We can argue about whether it's worth paying a lot for fruit, but I would be surprised if there isn't some connection between the higher respect for fruit in Japan and the low obesity level and high life expectancy. Having said that, I don't think anyone here in Japan would pay $83 for a vegetable, no matter what the shape. Rockmelons are selling for about $20 in my local supermarket in Tokyo. Of course that’s out of season, but I don’t think they ever go below $10. There is a lot of cheap fresh fruit and veg here (strawberries are going for $3-5 for a large punnet right now), but there is also an enormous price range. I think the explanation for that comes from the fact that people in Japan are constantly giving each other gifts, and food is a very popular type of gift – everyone likes it and it doesn’t take up space for long. Practically none of the expensive fruit you hear about is bought for personal consumption, and that’s also why it looks unreal – no one wants to give blemished fruit as a gift. Here’s an example of an ad for a box of 24 cherries for mother’s day for about $40 (down from $100!). It’s like the market for chocolate in Australia – plenty of Cadbury about, but for presents you get the more expensive stuff. We can argue about whether it’s worth paying a lot for fruit, but I would be surprised if there isn’t some connection between the higher respect for fruit in Japan and the low obesity level and high life expectancy.
Having said that, I don’t think anyone here in Japan would pay $83 for a vegetable, no matter what the shape.

]]> By: Nicholas Gruen http://clubtroppo.com.au/2008/03/08/japanwhere-the-plastic-looks-like-food-and-the-food-looks-like-plastic/#comment-247223 Nicholas Gruen Sat, 08 Mar 2008 09:04:10 +0000 http://clubtroppo.com.au/2008/03/08/japanwhere-the-plastic-looks-like-food-and-the-food-looks-like-plastic/#comment-247223 I think a 'normal' one is a very very nicely presented watermelon which is so perfect - and devoid of those messy brown stains on the bottom of our watermelons - that it looks like it's made of plastic. I think a ‘normal’ one is a very very nicely presented watermelon which is so perfect – and devoid of those messy brown stains on the bottom of our watermelons – that it looks like it’s made of plastic.

]]> By: NPOV http://clubtroppo.com.au/2008/03/08/japanwhere-the-plastic-looks-like-food-and-the-food-looks-like-plastic/#comment-247222 NPOV Sat, 08 Mar 2008 08:53:45 +0000 http://clubtroppo.com.au/2008/03/08/japanwhere-the-plastic-looks-like-food-and-the-food-looks-like-plastic/#comment-247222 "Each melon sells for 10,000 yen, equivalent to about $83. It is almost double, or even triple, that of a normal watermelon." Almost double, or even triple? Whatever it means, fresh fruit can't seriously be that expensive in Japan can it? “Each melon sells for 10,000 yen, equivalent to about $83. It is almost double, or even triple, that of a normal watermelon.”

Almost double, or even triple? Whatever it means, fresh fruit can’t seriously be that expensive in Japan can it?

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