Posted July 17, 2012 by Jonelle Patrick WTF Japan?

When the Thermometer Hits 30º, It’s Time For a Tall Icy Glass Of…

…BLACK BEAN TEA?

Yes, this offering appeared in the vending machine near my school just as the word “summer” became synonymous with just-shoot-me-now-I-feel-like-going-back-home-and-taking-a-shower-before-I-even-make-it-to-the-train-station.

Because vending machine owners are on the cutting edge of predicting exactly what consumers will demand as the seasons change, I figured I ought to give Cold Black Bean Tea a chance.

This was a mistake. Although it had a rich, black color that promised full-bodied flavor, unfortunately that flavor was…beans.

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Read a novel set in Tokyo…

A young woman dressed as a Gothic Lolita is found dead in a car with two strangers. But the more Yumi Hata learns about her friend’s death, the more she’s convinced it was murder…*read more*

Jonelle Patrick View All

Writing mystery books set in Tokyo is mostly what I do, but I also blog about the odd stuff I see every day in Japan. I'm a graduate of Stanford University and the Sendagaya Japanese Institute in Tokyo, and a member of the International Thriller Writers, the Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters In Crime. When I'm not in Tokyo, I live in San Francisco. I also host a travel site called The Tokyo Guide I Wish I'd Had, so if you're headed to Japan and want to check out the places I take my friends when they're in town, take a look!