This is my second-to-last Friday in Japan. In a little over a week, I'll be heading to Thailand for two weeks before returning to Los Angeles, land of taco trucks, Thai Elvis and the only person I know worthy of a hand-embroidered Star Wars pillow. What does this mean for the future of Japanese Candy Friday? Initially I thought I would continue posting weekly candy reviews, but expand the focus to include any kind of foreign candy, scouring L.A.'s ethnic markets for crazy treats. I realized it wouldn't be the same, though. The magic of Japanese Candy Friday for me is the Japanese-ness of the candy -- the cute, cannibalizing characters, the unique flavors and textures, the bizarre names -- and what each candy says about the culture that produced it.

But although L.A. has an admirable number of Asian markets, my access to Japanese candy just won't be what it is here. So, I thought, why not enlist the help of those with an unlimited choice of Japanese and other Asian candy and create a group blog dedicated to all that is weird and Asian and candy? The name is has been chosen (We Love Squid Candy), the domain has been purchased (welovesquidcandy.com), the logo is in the works (thanks, Robert) and now all I need is you. Or maybe you. Do you live in a place with easy access to a wide variety of Asian candy (preferably, but not necessarily, in an Asian country)? Are you kind of weirdly obsessed with Asian sweets? Can you write an interesting candy review once a week? If this is you, please email me with the following information: your name, where you live, a bit about you and why you love Asian candy. Emails sent before next Sunday, July 22 at noon JST will get an immediate response with a writing assignment if it seems like you'd be a good fit. If you send an email after that, I most likely won't be able to respond until I'm back in the U.S.

Now, moving on to this week's candy! There is a theme. It is squid. To be totally honest with you, I don't actually LOVE squid candy, but I do love the idea of its existence and I occasionally love the taste. However, welovetheideaandsometimesthetasteofsquidcandy.com just doesn't roll off the tongue, does it?

These two sweet squid treats can best be described as squid Fruit Roll-Ups, except without the fruit. And with the addition of some intense flavors and some sort of oozing juice I was afraid would drip down the front of my shirt while I ate them. Not very pleasant -- but surprisingly, not inedible. The mentaiko flavor is sprinkled with sesame seeds and tastes vaguely of pepperoni. Your opinion of the kimchi flavor will depend on your relationship with stinky, spicy, pickled cabbage. Fans will enjoy its stinky spiciness. But beware the oozing juice.

Squid somen is dried squid cut into thin strips resembling somen noodles. Actually, while you're eating them, you're less likely to think, "Hm. Somen noodles," and more like to recall that dried-out rubber band you found wrapped around the Spanish flashcards you made five years ago. But if you don't mind dried fish flavor (I don't), these have the gnawable appeal of jerky.

And finally, shoyu-flavored squid chips. Not technically a candy, but the only squid snack I can see eating on a regular basis. The chips are more like small, thin sembei (rice crackers), salty and crunchy and a little bit fishy. These are completely addictive and I foresee polishing them off at the movies tomorrow night. Maybe with a cold beer -- what better way to celebrate my last trip to the movies in Japan than by eating squid snacks and drinking alcohol in public?