The Humble Mikan
Eddie Izzard’s take on mikan (which he calls satsuma) differs slightly from the general opinion of Ehime folks – and yes, I count myself as an honorary Ehime-an. Let’s take a look. Fair warning – this entry contains both profanity and speedmetal in the videos. If you want to avoid it, simply don’t watch them! (But you’ll be missing out on the giggles.) 
What do you think? Are mikan the awkward, social, cute, non-Das Boot version of the orange? Ha ha. I live next to mikan farmers, and as a result I love and hate them. I love eating them (the product, not the farmers). But man, when the leftovers begin to rot in the hot months, and the stench is unavoidable…different story. But perhaps my view is skewed. Most people in my area see the mikan as indispensable – and a must have for any kotatsu or spare table top.
To contrast, here’s a little ditty by the group Sex Machineguns (official site here). It’s in Japanese. And it’s fun. Don’t let the name throw you off – give the video a shot. I’ve embedded the animated flash version of the song as a self-hosted movie. You can see the guys perform it here, but I prefer the flash version.
