I've always wondered about the Snack J. What kind of establishment is it, anyway? It seems like a bar... but Jun is 16 and Jinpei is 11. Is it legal for them to be serving alcohol in Utoland? What we know from the series: Water is served free of charge. They also serve coffee. Everyone often drinks something orange. Orange juice? Orange soda? Ken has had a sandwich at the Snack, so presumably that's on the menu. Any other thoughts?

The age issue was always a confusing one for me also! Not only because they could have been serving alcohol, but because Jun, IMO, was too young to also have begun undertaking such a business on her own!

I could see her doing it if she were dedicated... maybe it's an underage club?

I heard that 14 is the age people become adults in Japan.

I've generally assumed that the Snack J has a food menu but that it's kept to fairly simple items that don't necessarily require much cooking like sandwiches and "snack-like" finger foods such as chips, peanuts etc., or things that can easily be heated up and served if a customer orders them. In addition to Ken being shown getting a sandwich, Jun and Jinpei have both been shown frequently washing or drying plates, so they must be serving things that aren't drinks. Besides, I don't really see Ken, Joe or Ryu doing a lot of cooking and they seem to hang out at the Snack J a lot -I wouldn't be surprised if food made up a big part of their tabs! As for the drinks, I imagine that legal minimum ages for serving or purchasing beer/wine/liquor must vary widely around the world. Even myself, where I grew up -Nova Scotia- the drinking age is 19, but it's 18 where I went to university -Quebec- and it's 21 here in the States. I went on a high school trip to Europe in 1986, and I remember being told that the minimum drinking age for beer in England was 12! I'm not sure if that was true, but I was 16 then and I had a beer in a pub (and wine in France, and more beer in Amsterdam) I don't think it's too far fetched that Jun, at 16, might be considered old enough to serve and buy alcoholic drinks under Utoland law (because who really knows where Utoland is?) and that a blind eye is turned if Jinpei is serving them to customers. But on the other hand, lots of places require establishments that serve alcohol to have special licenses that tend to be expensive and Jun might not be able to afford one. Or maybe she does have a less expensive one that just permits beer sales... A lot of possibilities! Has anyone here ever seen the "Ninja Burger" website -it's pretty funny. A good thing, though, that the Snack J doesn't run like this: http://ninjaburger.com/order/how.shtml The menu is funny too. http://ninjaburger.com/order/menu.shtml

That's hysterical, LB! I love the menu! And the explanation for why they serve cola is the best! You make a good point about the plates. They *do* wash a lot of dishes...

There is a scene of her and Jinpei walking down the street with boxes of cakes for the Snack J. Ryu ran into them and sent the whole lot flying.

Some countries have no drinking age , I think Germany is one, though their DUI and crimes along that line have some very high penalties.. like death in some places. Though I'd say that the J is more of a burger/smaller items like that... maybe even a special of the day type thing.

Originally posted by Ebonyswanne There is a scene of her and Jinpei walking down the street with boxes of cakes for the Snack J. Ryu ran into them and sent the whole lot flying.

For the Snack J? I thought it was for them personally. Interesting...

No real mention of who the snacks were for, but there were so many boxes that they might have been for the J.

The age of majority in Japan is 20. No drinking, no smoking, no voting and no working full time until then. Of course, cigarettes and beer are sold in the billions of vending machines on every street corner and train platform in the country - but to stop underage consumption they shut down at 11pm every night... Yes, really - because that's when every kid under the age of twenty is running around looking for illegal kicks, don't you know. *sigh*

Wow! I don't think I've seen a cigarette vending machine for about 20 years or so. I do know that California got rid of them before Nevada; heck Nevada may still have them for all I know. As for the looks of the bar, it is a snack bar, and many other things are served at bars or at counters that look like them. We have an ice cream parlor that has a small bar. I remember eating lunch at the bar in Woolworths (yeah, I know I just dated myself, and for those of you not in the US, it was the dime store, not the grocery chain in Australia). As for the bottles behind the counter, if you can't read the label sometimes it is hard to tell the difference between something that is used for mixing soft drinks or for alcoholic drinks, sometimes they are one in the same. Sodas used to be dispensed by the same mechanism that now pours beer, or even wine (I went to Round Table last night and got wine on tap).

I can recall JC Pennys little eating place inside the store too, think it was in the 70's when they took it out... was fun to eat there though.

Many department stores had restaurant areas. These days, you'll only find them in novels and movies written at the time. Too bad, really. A nice place to sit down, have a little something to snack on or to drink, could help business. Especially if it can be cheaper than a vending machine.

Don't forget that 'internet myth' that went around abut 10 years ago... about the person paying $250 for the cookie recipe at Nordstrom, when they went to the cafe!

I remember that.

That urban legend has been told about a number of stores, and it's been about a red velvet cake or chocolate chip cookies. (Apparently, most of the recipes sent with the e-mail are delicious.)