Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
Kay is a native Japanese who has lived in Honolulu, Hawaii and Los Angeles, California. She currently resides in Tokyo and enjoys writing about a wide range of topics, including all things cute and glamorous. She also loves stories about any type of food, from gourmet cuisine to junk food. Her favorite pastimes include reading, going to the movies, watching American T.V. dramas and shopping. (Yes, she is painfully aware that she owns too many bags and shoes.) She also loves to travel and has visited over 25 different countries. Her favorite place to go on vacation is New York, an amazing city where you can enjoy the best of shopping, dining, art and theater.
Posted by Kay (Page 18)
It’s that time of year again! Starbucks Japan has announced their line of holiday beverages and goodies! Yes, it’s amazing how quickly a year seems to go by, isn’t it?
This year, the coffee chain will be offering their customers seasonal goodness featuring caramel and toffee (and plenty of whipped cream), and if that’s how they’re expressing their holiday spirit, well, we have to say, “Bring the holiday sweetness on!!!”
Sanrio’s Gudetama, the anthropomorphic egg character that hates to do anything other than sleep, has somehow managed to win a place in our hearts—at least among fans of kawaii in Japan. He’s now one of Sanrio’s most popular characters and has been turned into products of various shapes and sizes, including some in edible form, so we already knew that he looks adorable being served as food.
But what we didn’t know, as these videos from a dim sum cafe in Hong Kong show, is how cute Gudetama looks even when he’s, well … pooping and vomiting!
Here in Japan, Halloween may be a relatively new tradition, and we haven’t gotten to the point of dressing in costume at school or work (at least not at normal jobs), but there’s no denying we’re quickly embracing the seasonal event, especially with special sweets and beverages. With Halloween-themed parades and parties becoming more and more common, finding an attractive and appropriately playful costume is something an increasing number of people are thinking about this time of year.
Well, if you want something original and eye-catching, then how about renting a Japanese kimono as a Halloween costume? Of corse, you won’t be wearing it like a regular kimono, though!
There’s no denying McDonald’s Japan has had rough time these past few years, with incidents like the spoiled meat scandal contributing to declining sales. To complicate matters further, some of the fast food chain’s campaigns and initiatives, like the sudden removal of menus from its counters (which have since been reinstated), have been met with confusion if not outright anger from Japanese customers. Now, it seems McDonald’s has captured the Japanese Internet’s attention again with what could well be their strangest campaign ever.
McDonald’s Japan will be releasing a new line of “affordably priced” burgers on October 26. And while that’s all fine and well, it’s their special one-day promotion in which they’ll be giving away these new burgers for free that has been raising eyebrows due to its bizarre catch.
Step into a convenience store in Japan, and you’ll find no shortage of tea drinks—and not just Japanese green tea either. You’ll have a wide variety to choose from, including oolong tea, barley tea, jasmine tea and English-style straight, lemon or milk tea. And one of the most well-known tea drinks in Japan has to be the Gogo no Kocha (Afternoon Tea) line of products from major beverage manufacturer Kirin.
Well, the folks at Kirin have apparently decided to make their popular “Gogo-tea” drinks, as they’re sometimes called in Japan, into something artistic and playful as well. It’s the “Disney Design Label” line of their Gogo no Kocha drinks, and with these, you’ll actually be able to mix, match and play with the bottles!
Ramen lovers in Japan will have something to be excited about this Friday, October 16. Popular ramen chain Hakata Ippudo is celebrating their 30th anniversary that day and will be offering complimentary bowls of ramen at 30 select locations. That’s right, we’re talking FREE RAMEN here, and come the 16th, we know there’ll be plenty of customers waiting for their bowl of steaming pork-broth noodles!
Fans of the internationally popular hit manga Naruto were dealt a huge blow when the series ended last November after 15 years of serialization in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. Who would have thought that the story of a young ninja with high hopes and ideals (and named after a ramen ingredient, no less) would become such a success world-wide and go on to continue for 15 years?
Well, it did, and while Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto has been enjoying his well-earned rest since finishing the series, fans will be delighted to know that he apparently hasn’t been completely idle, as he publicly commented on plans for his next manga recently at an Apple Store event in New York!
If you love cats and owls — and judging from the popularity of cat and owl cafes in Japan, we’re guessing there are a good number of people who do — then the Tokyu Hands Ikebukuro Store in Tokyo may be a place you want to check out this month. Their ongoing special event features various cat and owl-themed products including irresistibly cute sweets, and we just had to share with you the images of these expertly crafted cat and owl cakes!
Here in Japan, people are just as excited about the new Star Wars movie coming out in December as the rest of the world. (Yes, this writer is all geared up to go see Episode VII in warm and comfy Darth Vader UGG boots come December.) People are so excited, in fact, that Kirin is releasing two Star Wars-themed carbonated drinks next month! Star Wars fans in Japan will be delighted to hear that the major Japanese beverage manufacturer is collaborating with the movie franchise in releasing the “Kirin Mets Red Force” and “Kirin Mets Blue Force” on November 10, and we think the concept behind the drinks is actually quite cool!
With Halloween just around the corner, we seem to be virtually surrounded by pumpkins here in Japan. Not surprisingly, in addition to the usual pumpkin ornaments and decorations on display, we’re seeing a sudden increase in pumpkin flavored foods and sweets as well.
Japan has gotten into the Halloween spirit to such an extent this year that you can buy limited edition pumpkin-flavored tea in a bottle at supermarkets and convenience stores. And when a beverage involves not only pumpkin but tea from Lipton and a cute Halloween label to boot, well, let’s just say it gives us a lot to be happy about!
The Harajuku/Omotesando district in Tokyo is already a mecca of sweet shops from around the world, but things in the area just got even sweeter this past weekend as another internationally loved bakery opened its very first shop in Japan. Yes, we’re delighted that London’s celebrated LOLA’S cupcakes now has a shop in Tokyo, and as you may have guessed, we weren’t about to miss out on trying the sweet creations from one of London’s best-loved baking outlets, so there we were on opening day.
We already knew from the pictures that their cupcakes look simply amazing; now we couldn’t wait to try some for ourselves, and there were even going to be four original Japanese flavors too — Yum!
Starbucks never ceases to delight us with their tempting seasonal creations, and here in Japan they’ve done it again this autumn with two new beverages that they released on October 1, the “Fruit Crush & Tea” and “Fruit Crush & Cream Frappuccino“. Both are fruit infused tea-based drinks that should be prefectly relaxing as the weather gets cooler heading into fall. Naturally, we had to try these, and we sent one of our Japanese reporters to a Starbucks the day the drinks were released!
With Halloween becoming an increasingly recognized event in Japan, we’re sure to be seeing plenty of products featuring pumpkins, black cats, ghosts and witches in shops across Japan as we enter the month of October. And the instant food market is no exception to the trend, as Nissin Foods, known around the world for their Cup Noodles, come out this month with four unique Halloween-themed instant food products.
That’s right, you can be sure to get a taste of Halloween this year, even if you have no time to cook!
Opinions may be divided on the live action TV drama version of Death Note that began airing in July this year, but we think it’s still a pretty awesome series, and judging from the long-standing popularity of the manga, it’s probably safe to say that we’re not the only ones who feel that way.
And now, fans will be delighted to hear that the team of writer Tsugumi Ohba and illustrator Takeshi Obata, who created the Death Note comics have once again joined forces and will soon be starting a brand new manga serialization titled Platinum End!
Everyone knows that Tokyo Disney Resort is a magical place, right? Well, we’re happy to report that this fall Disney Japan will be bringing some of their magic outside their kingdom to central Tokyo. It was recently announced that a very special photo exhibit hosted by Tokyo Disney Resort in conjunction with Fuji Film and major Japanese publishing company Kodansha is coming to the Tokyo Midtown complex in Roppongi. And based on the information that’s been released, the “Imagining the Magic — Moments of Dream and Enchantment” photo exhibit looks set to be a real visual treat!
Okinawa, the tropical island at the southern end of Japan, is known for its unique culture and tasty foods like soki soba (Okinawa noodles) and rafuti (sweet stewed pork). Another local specialty Okinawa is famous for is the alcoholic drink awamori, a distilled drink made from long-grain rice.
While the beverage has its fans across Japan, it also has enough of a distinct flavor that some people consider it a bit of an acquired taste. So you can imagine it came as somewhat of a surprise when we found out that they sell an alcoholic coffee drink in Okinawa that is infused with awamori, and at a convenience store chain, no less. We definitely had to try this!
We all need cool smartphone covers, right? Well, these might be the perfect phone accessory if you’re a fan of the hugely popular Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise. Yes, these futuristic-looking items are smartphone cases made in the image of Evangelion machines, and what fan wouldn’t want a bit of Eva armor protecting their phone?
Sushi … yum! Croissants … flaky, buttery goodness! Sure, we love them both, but while hybrid foods like the cronut seem to be increasingly common these days, does it mean the two foods would taste good combined together?
Well, unexpected as the combination may sound, there actually exists such a product, and what’s more, enough people who have tried it seem to enjoy it. Ladies and gentlemen, we present to you the “California Croissant“, a sushi roll inside a croissant, which some people are eating with chopsticks and soy sauce!
Before we had bags in Japan, we used furoshiki — elegant cloths that come in various colors and decorative patterns that can be used to wrap and carry various items. While you don’t really see them in daily use now, furoshiki are quite useful in their own way, as they can be folded and tied in different ways and be used to wrap items of varying shapes and sizes, in addition to being eco-friendly.
But it turns out that the traditional cloths have recently served as the inspiration for a completely new and unexpected product — Furoshiki Shoes that wrap around your feet!
Remember the Evangelion and Japanese Sword Exhibition that we reported on a while back? We thought the idea was pretty cool, because…well, an exhibit that brings together an internationally popular anime and beautiful deadly weapons of steel has to be awesome, right? And we think you’d agree that such a unique exhibit deserves a commemorative item that’s just as unique and artistic.
Evangelion fans need look no further, because toy manufacturer Takara Tomy has come up with just that — a series of original tie-in figures of the anime’s three female pilots as they appear in promotional artwork for the exhibit…in magnificent kimono!
Foreigner’s request for help in Tokyo makes us sad for the state of society
Japanese city loses residents’ personal data, which was on paper being transported on a windy day
Akihabara pop-up shop sells goods made by Japanese prison inmates
Harajuku Station’s beautiful old wooden building is set to return, with a new complex around it
Historical figures get manga makeovers from artists of Spy x Family, My Hero Academia and more
Sandwiches fit for a sumo served up in Osaka【Taste Test】
Ghibli Park now selling “Grilled Frogs” from food cart in Valley of Witches
Red light district sushi restaurant in Tokyo shows us just how wrong we were about it
Beautiful Ghibli sealing wax kits let you create accessories and elegant letter decorations【Pics】
What did Mark Zuckerberg eat at McDonald’s in Japan, and is it as great as he says it is?
McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goodsForeigner’s request for help in Tokyo makes us sad for the state of society
Japanese ramen restaurants under pressure from new yen banknotes
French Fries Bread in Tokyo’s Shibuya becomes a hit on social media
Studio Ghibli releases new action figures featuring Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind characters
New private rooms on Tokaido Shinkansen change the way we travel from Tokyo to KyotoRed light district sushi restaurant in Tokyo shows us just how wrong we were about it
Tokyo Tsukiji fish market site to be redeveloped with 50,000-seat stadium, hotel, shopping center
All-you-can-drink Starbucks and amazing views part of Tokyo’s new 170 meter-high sky loungeBeautiful Ghibli sealing wax kits let you create accessories and elegant letter decorations【Pics】McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goodsForeigner’s request for help in Tokyo makes us sad for the state of society
Studio Ghibli releases Kiki’s Delivery Service chocolate cake pouches in Japan
New definition of “Japanese whiskey” goes into effect to prevent fakes from fooling overseas buyers
Our Japanese reporter visits Costco in the U.S., finds super American and very Japanese things
Studio Ghibli unveils Mother’s Day gift set that captures the love in My Neighbour TotoroJapanese ramen restaurants under pressure from new yen banknotesAll-you-can-drink Starbucks and amazing views part of Tokyo’s new 170 meter-high sky lounge
More foreign tourists than ever before in history visited Japan last month
New Pokémon cakes let you eat your way through Pikachu and all the Eevee evolutionsMcDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Sales of Japan’s most convenient train ticket/shopping payment cards suspended indefinitely
Sold-out Studio Ghibli desktop humidifiers are back so Totoro can help you through the dry season
Japanese government to make first change to romanization spelling rules since the 1950s
Ghibli founders Toshio Suzuki and Hayao Miyazaki contribute to Japanese whisky Totoro label design
Doraemon found buried at sea as scene from 1993 anime becomes real life【Photos】
Tokyo’s most famous Starbucks is closed
One Piece characters’ nationalities revealed, but fans have mixed opinions
We asked a Uniqlo employee what four things we should buy and their suggestions didn’t disappoint
Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
Sandwiches fit for a sumo served up in Osaka【Taste Test】
Ghibli Park now selling “Grilled Frogs” from food cart in Valley of Witches
Red light district sushi restaurant in Tokyo shows us just how wrong we were about it
Beautiful Ghibli sealing wax kits let you create accessories and elegant letter decorations【Pics】
What did Mark Zuckerberg eat at McDonald’s in Japan, and is it as great as he says it is?
Sakura tree falls on man at Sannenzaka near Kiyomizu temple in Kyoto 【Breaking News】
Suntory x Super Mario collaboration creates a clever way to transform into Mario【Videos】
Beautiful Red and Blue Star luxury trains set to be Japan’s new Hokkaido travel stars
Looking for a job in Japan? New “Sugoi Kawaii” maid cafe in Akihabara now hiring foreigners!
Japanese woman stumbles on the power of the infamous “gaijin seat” phenomenon during flight
All-you-can-eat Häagen Dazs among 200 other frozen foods at Osaka’s Chin! Suru Restaurant【Pics】
Fried sandwiches arrive in Tokyo, become hot topic on social media
Japan’s massive matcha parfait weighs 6 kilos, contains hidden surprises for anyone who eats it
How should you respond when a Japanese person gives you a compliment?