Christmas Wish List from Japan

Since it's now officially Black Friday in America (and in some stores, it started many hours ago), I figured I would go ahead and post my wish list for Christmas. Not that I expect anything on this list; it's just a collection of tangible things I miss from America.

How about kicking it off with some Reese's Peanut Butter Cups? I got some this summer through a friend, but I can never get enough chocolate and peanut butter together! Too bad it's really unhealthy for me.

And along the lines of peanut butter, how about some of those MnMs or Reese's Pieces. Seriously, candies in Japan don't combine peanut butter and chocolate. It's so rare, I don't even see it at Don Quixote - though I have seen mini peanut butter cups (non-Reese's) at Costco. And I have two boxes of chocolate-peanut butter brownie mix that I need to use.

Another rarity in Japan is mint, so York Peppermint Patties are nowhere to be found. I was lucky enough to find some mint chocolate instant coffee, though it runs me 50 yen per cup. I guess that's cheaper than the nearly 600-yen white mocha drinks I like from the local Starbucks.

The recent news has reminded me how much I love Twinkies, Ho Hos, and Cupcakes. I know they won't disappear completely, but I could go for a package of each!

OK, let's get a bit healthier. Pumpkin pie is my favorite kind of pie, but I haven't had any since I left the States. I haven't looked too much for canned pumpkin, but then I would have to find small pie crusts that would fit in my little oven...

Mexican food. I brought packets of taco seasoning with me, and I can buy them here (they aren't cheap!), which means I get the same basic tacos I made in America. But I can't get the awesome ones that I love from San Francisco's Mission District. And nachos are pretty difficult too, though I guess they can be done. Perhaps some more taco seasoning packets could be brought my way.

And while we're talking ethnic food, I really miss kung pao chicken. Send me some sauce that I can mix in here (preferably in dry-seasoning form - just add water!) and I can add the chicken and everything else. I found one place way out west of Tokyo, several months ago, where I was able to get some kung pao-style chicken. It was awesome. I've replaced my spice craving with curry here in Japan, which I can easily make at home. But a little bit of that familiar flavor would be great. (I suppose I could probably find all the ingredients somewhere around my local supermarket.)

I miss many of my favorite TV shows from America. I've considered Hulu, but the Japanese version doesn't carry most of the ones I want to see. And there are a few movies I didn't get on DVD before coming out here that I really want to watch, most notably the Blues Brothers movie. (Why can't I just stream Netflix like I did in San Francisco!)

While I keep myself pretty busy most of the time, I've returned to reading. English-language books that I want to read are either really expensive or difficult to find. Maybe a gift card I could use on Amazon.JP would do wonders here! I have a bunch of books in a couple boxes left in San Francisco that could be sent over, but you know how heavy books are and thus how expensive it would be to ship them.

Of course, there are many other things I want, and I don't really need anything.

I'll run out of deodorant soon, but I have heard that can now be found in Japan so I'll start my hunt in the next few weeks. I have a lot of toothpaste, and I think good toothpaste is also available. I've lost enough weight that I can fit into (3x-large-size - basically a size L in the US) Japanese clothes and I've had some luck finding new shoes (any guys over a size 10 will probably have some trouble).

Really, I wrote this post with the hopes that those who come to Japan will get an idea of what they might miss while living here and can plan accordingly. As I've tried to convey in the past, there are lots of new and exciting things to be tried, from different food dishes and sweets to exploring the back streets of Tokyo. While I don't have chocolate and peanut butter keeping me fat, I can get some amazingly delicious baked goods and packaged candies to keep my sweet tooth pleased. And while I can't read all the time, I'm pretty happy spending my time trying to figure out what, exactly, is in that package of food, or poking my head around some new-to-me neighborhoods.

So for those of you buying all kinds of stuff this weekend, happy shopping! My address is...