Whenever I import things like games or books or toys from Japan, I've noticed that without fail, they always have the same particular odor. Kind of a powdery, vaguely-musty smell. Not necessarily a bad smell, but it's absolutely always there. I notice it every time I'm in Japan as well, especially in places like Nakano Broadway or on pretty much any of the train lines. A few google searches didn't help, so I'm turning to you. What's that smell? Thanks!
It's the smell of Japanese amazingness =P Couldn't tell you, but I know what you're talking about. Then again it seems every country usually has it's own unique smell. Even when I return home to Canada there's a distinctive "evergreen-y" type smell.
Probably just the smell of Japan. From what I can tell from a few people I know over there, everyone likes fried foods and cigarettes, and thats why my Saturn smelled almost like marijuana and my NGCD a musty smell like you were talking about.
Sounds like you are buying stuff from a poor source. None of my stuff has that smell at all. It all smells like..... well, nothing unless it's got that new product smell. Some people do live in small old cramped homes were everything is crowded together or with little ventilation like my parents in-laws place. If your products come from this type of home then yes, they'll probably stick of tabaco because of the old guy who lives there and fat due to all the frying. My house is a nice western style modern home because that's what I wanted Great ventilation, kitchen is not part of the main living space and it's also nice and bright due to the many big windows. These are the types of place you want to be buying your goods from. If in doubt check out the sellers address with Google Maps I do that quite often.
Thanks for the suggestions. It isn't really a tobacco smell or fried food smell. It's literally been every single thing I've imported from Japan, so I don't think it's just that I've been importing from the wrong sources. As someone who's lived in Japan, I can't imagine how you'd miss it. Literally every subway line in Tokyo is drenched in it. Maybe something in the water, as I've noticed it in washrooms in hotels I've stayed at, too. Maybe it's just hard to smell of you've lived there for a long time?
That's funny, I live in Japan and every package I receive from America has a certain smell too. It's often a mix of cigar smoke and what seems to be really odd washing detergent or something, usually strongest in cardboard boxes for SNES games.
Probably cigarette smoke. When I go into a building that previously had smokers living in it, it is very distinct. Everything has a bad smell (the room I use for my office is the worst - probably where the previous tenant smoked). The air itself can have a bad smell if you are in an area that has active volcanoes.
A lot of stuff I've imported has that scent too. It's not cig smoke, but it is something else. I'll be importing a car from Japan soon, can't wait till I have to leave the windows down for a week.
It's the smell of Japanese paper products. Japanese products like cardboard have a specific smell as the cardboard ages. Western books have their own distinct smell
@LeHaM : LMAO! Nice work XD Oh thank goodness someone knows what I'm talking about. Ahh, that explains it. Thanks
I noticed the same thing when I had packages delivered from Japan. Since moving here, I've only smelt it at the post office. So it's either something at the post office or it's the cardboard they use.