On Dec. 6, 1964, television audiences watched Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer for the first time never knowing that Rudolph’s “mother” was Japanese.
Animator Kyoko Kita working
on Rudolph the “Animagic” Reindeer
This year “Rudolph” celebrates its 50th anniversary, extending its reign as television’s longest-running (Japanese-made) TV special.
‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’: 10 things you didn’t know about the holiday classic
San Jose Mercury News | Nov. 25, 2014
…№1) AN INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR
Rudolph might appear to be an all-American reindeer, but he and his pals were lovingly brought to life overseas by Japanese stop-motion animators working in a building that had previously been used to test engines for fighter planes…more...
Below are a just a few of the versions of the classic ’Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.’ (CBS/Classic Media 1964) (Wiki).
The real source of the meat of Taco Bell has always been “suspect”, but one thing is quite noticeable: Cats won’t eat Taco Bell leftovers.
Taco Bell plans to open 1,300 restaurants overseas
Nation’s Restaurant News | Dec. 4, 2014
…Taco Bell Corp. on Thursday announced changes to its international leadership team, kicking off a growth push to add 1,300 locations overseas…Taco Bell will look for experienced franchise operators around the globe, with an emphasis on Europe, Asia (Korea, Japan and Thailand) and Latin America…more…
The-Rest-of-the-Story…
Years ago (1987) , there was a fast-food chain in Japan called “Taco Time” that was started by a foreign “talent-o,” Kent Gilbert (Wiki). It was open for less than two years but it closed down—It was the butt of many jokes. Basically, Mexican food on a fast food tray looks gloopy and ugly to Japanese and they hate the smell of cumin and meat/grease. For a long time, the any mention of tacos and Mexican fast food in Japan only has elicited laughter.
Kent Gilbert’s bankruptcy of Taco Time was so famous that it made it difficult for foreign entrepreneurs to secure business loans for decades after the debacle. Strangely, one Taco Time location remained in operation in the upscale “Dogwood Plaza” of Futako-tamagawa on the outskirts of Tokyo until 2006.
Likewise, the was one Taco Bell in Nagoya in the 1980s that was used to test the Japanese market for acceptance of American-style, Mexican fast food. It was a huge failure and it has taken all these years have a try at the Japanese market again. 
Rots of ruck.
Den4 the 3Yen’s correspondent-at-large writes:
♫ You better watch out / You better not cry / Better not pout / I’m telling you why / Goji-chan is coming to town… ♪ ♬
Not to be mistaken with the infamous Godzilla Tree
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In Japan it’s sometimes hard to tell if its Krampus or Claus, so you make the call.
Why don’t young people in Japan like eating traditional New Year’s dishes?
Japan Today | Dec. 03, 2014
…in Tokyo, for New Year’s, my host family and I ate a traditional osechi meal. Served in a multi-layered box, almost each of the dozen or so dishes had some sort of auspicious meaning behind it …More and more young people born and raised in Japan are deciding they can do without osechi at New Year’s, and they’ve actually got some pretty sound reasons why…more..
“Why?”…Maybe ’cause it’s stone cold, three day old food that hasn’t been refrigerated, sheesh.
Yummy-looking, New Year’s osechi like the above ought to be enough to make young people in Japan like eating traditional New Year’s dishes,
NOT.
Osechi-ryori (御節料理 or お節料理) is a tradition started in the Heian Period (794-1185), and at times it tastes a millennium old. wikipedia.org/wiki/Osechi ↓
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The Tokyo Metro manners poster for December warns of the holiday rush of horny reindeer and rhino salarymen.
Previous 3Yen reports of the dangers of December’s holiday rush on the Tokyo’s subway system include:
Holy-moly! Japan’s OG—Original Gaijin—Saint Francis Xavier is looking great for being almost 500 years old on his Saint’s Day December 2 (he died on December 2, 1552).
Saint Frankie X is perhaps Japan’s most venerated foreign failure.
That is, the percentage of Christians in Japan has remained at around one per cent every since 1549, when Francis Xavier arrived as a missionary (he left by December 1551 with his tail between his legs without having mastered what he called the “Devil’s Tongue,” Japanese).
Quotes about Saint Francis Xavier’s failures in Japan are in the Comments Section below.
Blueberry burgers for Christmas?
Saaa…
Sometimes I have to wonder if Burger King Japan is just trolling us with weird stuff*.
burgerkingjapan.co.jp/campaign
* Previous 3Yen reports of the bogus burgers of the “King” in Japan include:
Hey, has anyone seen the new Star Wars trailer yet?
The still below from the movie looks gr-r-r-reat, doesn’t it?
スター・ウォーズ エピソード7
pic.twitter.com/nDKDJ7moqP — パトリック・マシアス (@Patrick_Macias) November 28, 2014
The-Rest-of-the-Story…
Ok, ok, that still is from Japan’s film version of Star Wars, the film “Message from Space” (Wiki) and its TV spinoff “Message from Space: Galactic Wars (宇宙からのメッセージ 銀河大戦 Uchū kara no Messēji: Ginga Taisen).”
Specifically, its a still from episode 3, “Earth Beautiful Messenger,” that aired on TV Asahi (Toei) July 22, 1978 (Sat.) 19:30 ~.
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Episode 3’s plot according to the thoroughly demented, goofy Google Translate is…
…When the dragon and balloon is a combat training in space
One aircraft of spacecraft I crash to theta attacked from Gabarasu
Planet theta is the hometown of the Ape Man Ballou
Machine was riding women members Mass in reconnaissance spacecraft from Earth
The purpose of the Mass, the determination of the Earth Federation Supreme Council to father-Gen of Hayato was intelligence personnel
“Earth is not dispatched troops to intercept Gabanasu” It was mission is to inform the Hayato to us will be disappointed whether Abandoned Even though immigrants from the earth, and Suddenly, disappear Ron hair of Sofia appeared in encouragement and “Do not give up” in Brown
Oh …! What are things of that. . ! ! Planet reconnaissance personnel Mass kun, was kidnapped word Woman ninja Kunoi approach to kill the garbled Liu us to Mass in the “ninja-face steal”
However, Hayato is rescued the Mass real, I break the Gabanasu Ninja Corps
Ten years and 1,920,372 blog comments* ago, the news.3Yen officially started in 2004 with the following post below.
Let’s anniversary happy, wo0T!
*About those 1,920,372 blog spam comments:
I guess we really understand our “readership” very well to have garnered so many spambot comments, right? ( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°)
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