Health-Conscious?

The recent health boom in Japan seems to see no end.
Natural food are picked up on TV shows everyday, focusing on some uncommonly heard but convincing-sounding nutrition or element in food telling that this works for preventing cancer or that works for diet.

Food featured on TV shows like that go out of the market by the next day making it hard for people to obtain it for the following few days. This is really annoying for people who have that food ordinarily.

Sparkling water was far from popular in Japan but you can now see various kinds of sparkling water from US and European brands on the shelves of supermarkets and convenience stores, and just a month ago the first Japanese brand of sparkling water came out. It seems that sparkling water is popular among those who're conscious about calories and sugar but still want to have something popping in their mouths.

The supplement industry seems to be on the current too. You can easily get the kind you're looking for in any store or drug store around town, and it's not just a small number of people who buy truck loads of vitamin on the Internet, just to keep some stock.
One thing about it is that, it seems like the "hottest" supplements in Japan now is what used to be "hot" in the States 2-3 years ago, so Americans out there, try to bring in some of the "hottest" stuff in the States now into Japan a bit later. Your business has some chance of becoming a giant ;-) Not to guarantee it!

So anyway, this is what the health boom is like.
It's sooo big and ridiculous that it even makes me think "Are Japanese born to be healthy or what!!?"

But, this, is the reality.



I took this pic just now right outside of my office.
The blue-white stuff filling the air is, of course, car exhaust.
Or perhaps, is it better to call it toxic gas? Wow, now that looks healthy, doesn't it. Whew.
You eat healthy food and breathe polluted air. What kind of a health boom is that.

This morning the gossip show was sneering at Paris Hilton for her expensive effort in anti-aging but seeming unable to stop clubbing and sun-tanning.

......

Well, I guess it's not completely unrelated to us.