When traveling time zones, it's a good idea to remember that TV schedules change. When I sat down to watch the 3rd episode of "I Survived a Japanese Game Show," in St. Cloud, Minnesota where were were visiting friends on our way to Montana, I forgot it was Central Time.

The show comes on ABC at 8:00 p.m. in St. Cloud and not at 9:00 like in Columbus. The show had just ended. We proceeded to watch the sunset and drink wine.

Watching online a day later in Bismarck, North Dakota at the Seven Seas Best Western was just as entertaining. To catch you up for tonight, here's the recap. If you can't head to Japan any time soon, here's one way to feel like you're there in an unusual sort of way.

What I liked so much during the first episode is back. There was more about Japan and the contestants reactions to being in the country. Everyone loves being in Japan.

There was also more footage about what it's like to be on a Japanese game show. Less time was spent on the contestants' chatter about their strategies to win, therefore the bickering was minimal which left more time for more interesting footage.

Another positive change in round three was Mamasan's increased TV time. I particularly liked observing the contestants reactions to her. The hugs, the thank-yous, the being ever so polite, even when served a gritty version of green tea that isn't what one likes is so typical of trying to be a gracious guest in another country.

Anybody who's a frequent reader of Matthew Firestone's Big in Japan blog here at Gadling knows that there are some mighty strange things to be found in Japan.

"How strange?" I hear you ask.

Well, with Big in Japan on vacation in Africa, of all places, I'll throw out these 10 wacky consumer products that are available in Japan, as compiled by Oddee.

Next time you're in Japan, try to get your hands on:

• A pillow in the shape of a woman's lap
• A cold bottle of "bilk" (milk + beer)
• Special pills to enhance your gaming abilities
• Diet water ("half the calories" of regular water)
• Horse meat ice cream
• Lollipops that taste like flavored condoms, designed to make you horny
• Breast milk available by the carton (called "Mother's Milk")
  
• Chewing gum meant to increase breast size
• A rather phallic-looking swan balloon that "rapidly expands"
• A fresh air mask you hook up to any household plant

I'm not making any of these up. Check them out yourself here.

This week was round two of I Survived a Japanese Game Show. Here's the recap of last week's show. Now that the American contestants know the framework--they've been whisked to Japan without their prior knowledge to appear in the Japanese game show Majide, that element of surprise is gone. Still there were plot twists that added some flavor, and some people just don't like each other.

The first twist was when Ben from Punxsutawney clutched his stomach and said he wasn't feeling well. Off he went to see a doctor never to return. Was it something he ate? A travel bug--not the good kind, but the bad kind? Whatever sent him to the hospital wasn't part of the banter.

Personally, from a cross-cultural/travel perspective, I wish Ben's trip to the hospital had been included, at least minimally since going to the doctor in another country is always enlightening--I've always had great luck no matter where I've been, but since that wasn't part of the planned show, it didn't fit the format.

Here is what was part of the format:

I had a chance to visit Osaka on my trip through Japan last month and I am convinced it has be one of the more bizarre places I've ever visited. In addition to gorging myself on deep-fried Octopus tentacles and fishing for live eels, I also discovered Osaka boasts some truly surreal architecture.

This instinct for surreal architecture also extends Osaka's public spaces, including one of the city's more recent additions, Namba Park. Rather than tear down the city's under-used baseball venue, Osaka Stadium, city planners decided to remake the space into a futuristic public space, boasting a shopping complex and an awesome rooftop park. The park is composed of a series of terraced levels, filled with cliffs, waterfalls, ponds, trees and manicured sitting areas. Sounds like a fun place to wander around for an afternoon, doesn't it?

What I find most interesting about Namba Park is the example it sets for other urban tourist areas. All too often if a building or stadium proves unpopular, the city will tear it down and put an ugly parking lot in its place. Rather than follow this depressing example, the city of Osaka chose to leave the shell of their old baseball stadium intact, offering tourists and locals alike a useful public space that offers a great hybrid of both the urban and the natural.

Yesterday, I wondered if ABC's I Survived a Japanese Game Show would be really awful or very funny. I had some concern that there would be cultural insensitivity that would make for very bad TV. My teenage daughter, who I corralled to watch with me, and I laughed and laughed.

Hollywood got it right.

Whoever thought of this show likes people and knows something about what it feels like to be thrust into an unfamiliar environment, but wanting to stay open to the experience. This was like Lost In Translation meets The Amazing Race, Average Joe and the game show, Beat the Clock.

Love is hard - in any language - but you shouldn't let your search for Mr. / Mrs. Right get you down. After all, if you're having problems finding someone of the same species who understands you completely and intimately, perhaps it's time to start looking elsewhere...

Last week, Sega announced that they will soon start selling EMA, a 15 inch tall robotic girlfriend that kisses on command. Aimed at a target market of lonely adult men, the robotic lover will hit stores this September, and will retail for around US$175.

Now, I know what you're thinking - EMA isn't exactly a cheap date, and with that kind of dough, you could easily hit the bar and club scene in search of a potential mate. But, as Sega is quick to point out to potential buyers, EMA is very sweet, petite, stacked where it counts and runs on batteries.

Oh, and just in case you were wondering what exactly EMA stands for, it's actually an acronym for 'Eternal Maiden Actualization.' Right.

There's a new reality TV show that starts on ABC tonight. It could either be really funny or absolutely awful. I Survived a Japanese Game Show took 10 contestants--six women and four men-- to Japan where they competed in some sort of wacky game show called Majide in front of a Japanese audience.

Not only do the contestants compete in the game show, they are immersed in aspects of Japanese culture they didn't quite expect. The reason they didn't expect it is because when they showed up a the studio to participate in a reality television show, they didn't know what the show involved. Nothing. Nada. Next thing, Japan.

I saw a preview last night and admittedly, I was laughing out loud. Okay, here's the thing. I thought The Three Amigos was funny and loved Joe VS. The Volcano. I amuse fairly easily, although Abha, I promise, I wouldn't think The Love Guru is at all amusing.

I do love the idea of putting people in cultural situations they are not quite sure about as long as the culture isn't demeaned and the people in the situation aren't elevated in stature. In this case, I'd say the Americans have plenty of opportunity to look fairly ridiculous.

Here's one contest, for example. In the "Chicken Butt Scramble," contestants dress up like chickens and try to break large "eggs" filled with goo by sitting on them and bouncing hard. It's not easy.

As the weeks progress, contestants will be eliminated until the last person wins $250,000.

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Food was once again on our minds here at Gadling. Actually, a lot was on our minds, but almost everyone had something to say about food.

• Grant wanted to know if you could eat what Andrew Zimmern eats on Bizarre Foods. Grant couldn't. I'm not particularly fond of intestines either.
• Matthew told us what foods to avoid in Japan.
• Erik told us how to not lose food because of motion-sickness.
• Iva told us how the Chinese are renaming their food so we don't get sick from the names.
• And, Kelsey reminded us to ask for the bill in a restaurant in Mexico so after you've eaten, you can pay.

Oh, and one more. If you're around Heather in the galley of an airplane, keep your hands out of those lemons!

Today's edition of Big in Japan is brought to you by Shane Sakata, who writes The Tokyo Traveler, a great blog about things to do and see in the city of Tokyo.

Japanese cuisine is known the world over for its exquisite preparation and beautiful presentation of seasonal ingredients. Most visitors to Japan cannot wait to get a taste of 'real' Japanese food, such as fresh sashimi and sushi or delicate shrimp and vegetable tempura. And, truth be told, these dishes just seem to taste better in Japan!

However, it's worth pointing out that the Japanese are adventurous eaters, and their love of food extends far beyond sushi and tempura. In fact, some dishes that are considered delicacies in Japan aren't exactly popular menu items in the West. Internal organs like the heart and intestines are commonly served, and eating the flesh from a fish head with an eye staring straight at you is somewhat disconcerting, but not at all uncommon.

So just how 'real' do you want to get in your exploration of Japanese food? Here are 5 of the more bizarre foods that you might want to avoid while traveling in Japan.

While first timers on the Tokyo night scene can't seem to get enough of Roppongi and Shibuya, at some point the binge drinking and skirt-chasing has to stop. So, if you're looking for a slightly more sophisticated night out on the town, here's a quick introduction to Tokyo's blossoming jazz scene...

Jazz is an American musical art form that originated in the early 20th century in the southern United States. A confluence of African and European music traditions, jazz erupted on the scene, launching successive generations of iconic performers from Louis Armstrong to Wynton Marsalis.

Although you may be surprised to hear this, jazz in Japan actually has a long history dating back to the 1920s. While American soldiers where occupying the nearby Philippines, jazz performers started touring the dance halls of Japan, particularly in Osaka, Yokohama, and Kobe. However, jazz was subsequently banned in Japan during World War II due to its overwhelming "Americanness," though it had strong resurgence during the post-war years.

Given this lengthy history, it's no wonder that jazz continues to thrive in Tokyo's night spots. While there is no shortage of underground clubs and small bars where you can hear live music, today's column is about the big hitters on the Tokyo jazz scene, namely the Cotton Club and the Blue Note.