Asakusa Diary - The Staff Blog

Japanese traditionally clean the wax from the insides of their ears with a small bamboo hook
or scoop, called a "mimikaki."

Japanese Bamboo Ear Pick
This is the most major Mimikaki.
Scoop your ear wax on the left side, and finish up the feather.

Stainless Ear Pick

Brush type Mimikaki

If you feel uncomfortable using Mimikaki, you can start with this brush Mimikaki.
You don't need to worry about poking your eardrum.

Also there are variety of Q-tips called ''Menbo'' in Japanese.

Sticky Menbo

Black Menbo

You can see your ear wax clearly. Japanese like this black colored Menbo especially.

More interesting stuff, Lighted Ear Pick

This type of menbo is used for a special occasion like this,

Japanese men love to have their girlfriends or wives clean their ears.
This light up Menbo is useful for cleaners.

Westerers don't get used to have clean their ears. It's more Asian culture thing.
Japanese especially have a special emotional state, ''Amae.''
Amae refers to a desire to receive love, tolerance, permissiveness and generosity from others.
Amae cannot be translated into English dictionary.
This Amae emotional state probably comes from the parent-child relationship.
Such dependent feelings are often carried into adult relationships, including husband and wife,
teacher and student and even boss and subordinate.

Do you wanna experience Japanese Amae Culture?
This is the best place to go.
Yamamoto Mimikakiten

Lie on a maid's lap and get your ears cleaned.
This locates at Akihabara, Ueno, Ikebukuro, Shinjuku, and more!

Watch this funny Japanese show
How Foreigners react when they have clean their ear first time.

Don't be afraid, when you get used to it, feels like......in heaven.