Friday, January 8, 2010

Will Miss #104 - convenient packaging

Rice being sold in a 200 gram (7 oz.) package that can be snapped in half for 100 gram (3.5 oz.) servings.

Most things in Japan are packaged with the customers' convenience and lifestyle preferences in mind rather than efficiency. This is handy if you're the type of person who prefers to eat things in small portions or takes a long time to use something up. Often cookies come individually wrapped so that you don't have to worry about air getting into the bag or repeatedly exposing the contents to germs each time you dip into it. Such convenient packaging isn't perfect (air does slowly get into the sealed individual packages, too), but it does discourage over-eating and keeps things cleaner.

I'll miss this convenient packaging and the (good) effect it has on my eating habits.