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Non stop Anime movies on weekends in July

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Studio Ghibli films are famously difficult to locate on any streaming or online service.

So the announcement that an Australian television network will be playing almost their entire catalogue, every weekend for a month, is pretty big news for fans of the world-renown Japanese animation studio.

This is what's going down in July on SBS Movies, the new free-to-air TV channel that launches on July 1.

SBS Movies will screen most of Studio Ghibli's catalogue, every weekend in July, from 6am to 7:30pm each Saturday and Sunday.

The full list of titles on rotation will be:

The following GIF accurately reflects how we feel about this.

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SBS World Movies will play Studio Ghibli films non-stop every weekend in July

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Studio Ghibli films are famously difficult to locate on any streaming or online service. So the announcement that an Australian television network will be playing almost their entire catalogue, every weekend for a month, is pretty big news for fans of the world-renown Japanese animation studio.

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Sonic the hedgehog redesign (Fanmade, Funny)

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Sonic the hedgehog redesign (Fanmade, Funny)

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTyxJPaQg3A&feature=youtu.be

Sanic the Hedge!

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Children of the Sea

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Studio Ghibli composer and an extremely eclectic director team up for what looks like an unprecedented anime experience.

The most anticipated anime movie of the summer is, indisputably, Weathering with You/Tenki no Ko. It is, after all, the first piece of animation Makoto Shinkai has directed since Your Name, and audiences are dying to see what he's going to do next.

However, some people might argue that they can already guess what Shinkai is going to do next, since, as a director, he has an extremely specific visual and storytelling style that he's been honing over the last 15-plus years. But if you find yourself craving an anime film that looks like nothing else in recent memory, you're still in luck, as shown by the trailer for Children of the Sea.

▼ You'll want to turn your speakers on, because the trailer doubles as a music video for the film's theme song, "Umi no Yurei" ("Ghosts of the Sea") by Vocaloid songsmith-turned-singer Kenshi Yonezu.

The latest theatrical feature from anime house Studio 4°C, Children of the Sea (or Kaiju no Kodomo, " Children of the Sea Beasts," to use its Japanese title) is an adaptation of the manga of the same name, which ran from 2006 to 2011. After a falling out with both her mother and the other members of her school club, female lead and junior high school student Ruka finds herself with nowhere to spend her days during summer vacation, and so she ends up hanging out at the aquarium where her father works. While there, she meets a mysterious pair of brothers, named Umi and Sora, who her father tells her were "raised by dugongs."

▼ Though neither swarthy Umi nor fair-skinned Sora resemble the manatee-like sea mammals that supposedly raised them.

The three teens share some sort of connection to a series of supernatural phenomena that have been affecting the world's marine life, such as a comet falling into the sea and aquatic life from around the world gathering in Japan.

Visually, the film is bold and stunning, with extremely detailed environments and color design that immediately communicates the temperature and humidity of each scene, making for what looks to be an incredibly immersive environment for its distinctly designed characters.

Oh, and if you're wondering if the rest of Children of the Sea's soundtrack will be as impressive as its bittersweetly haunting Kenshi Yonezu theme song, the smart money would be on "Yes," since the rest of the movie's music is being handled by Joe Hisaishi, composer for the vast majority of Studio Ghibli's anime, including Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and My Neighbor Totoro.

▼ The one-minute trailer for Children of the Sea

Making Children of the Sea even more mysterious is the man in the director's chair for the project: Ayumu Watanabe. Watanabe's diverse resume includes directing credits for Mysterious Girlfriend X, which is about a high school boy who drinks his girlfriend's drool, After the Rain, a story of a high school girl and middle-aged restaurant manager forming an emotional bond through their shared difficulties dealing with loss of purpose, and over a dozen theatrical installments of perennial kids' favorite Doraemon.

Watanabe's breadth of experience and styles makes it hard to pin down what the eventual message and lasting emotion of Children of the Sea is going to be, but audiences will be able to find out for themselves when it opens in Japanese theaters on June 7.

Images: YouTube/米津玄師
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Anime film Children of the Sea's trailer is heartbreakingly beautiful, looks like nothing else

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Studio Ghibli composer and an extremely eclectic director team up for what looks like an unprecedented anime experience. The most anticipated anime movie of the summer is, indisputably, Weathering with You/Tenki no Ko . It is, after all, the first piece of animation Makoto Shinkai has directed since Your Name, and audiences are dying to see what he's going to do next.

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Pikachu wants you to get some sleep, and the new Pokémon Home system will allow you to transfer Pocket Monster species from one game to another via cloud memory.

At one point or another, just about every video game fan has been in a situation where they thought "I want to keep playing, but I really should go to sleep." It's an understandable dilemma, since the very best games create an atmosphere where you can't wait to see what's over the next mountain or inside the next treasure chest.

But what if your love of games could actually encourage you to have better sleep habits? That could soon be the case, if your love is for Pokémon.

Unveiled during a Pokémon Company's press conference, the teaser trailer for Pokémon Sleep starts off by referencing how geography-based mobile game Pokémon GO has reacquainted players around the world with the joy of taking a long walk, and how all that extra stretching of legs has had a positive impact on their health. But the scene then switches to a man who's not only not walking, he's not even standing up. Instead, he's lying down in bed, with a Poké Ball-like device next to his pillow.

As he slumbers, a Pikachu quietly hops onto the bed and yawns adorably before curling up into a ball and dozing off too.

Once both Pokémon and Trainer are asleep, the on-screen counter moves from "0.00 hour" to "0.01 hour," showing that the Poké Ball gadget is measuring their sleeping time.

"Pokémon made walking into entertainment," says the narrator. "Our daily life has become more active, colorful, and fulfilling, but this is just the beginning. Pokémon could enrich our everyday lives even further."

"Pokémon's next challenge is to make sleeping entertainment," Pokémon Company president Tsunekazu Ishihara explains in the video. While he doesn't get into the specifics of how this will work, he does say that Pokémon Sleep is being developed in partnership with Select Button, makers of mobile game Pokémon: Magikarp Jump, and is scheduled to launch in 2020.

The teaser promises that when Pokémon Sleep launches it will "make waking up in the morning a game to look forward to," which implies some sort of gameplay options or rewards that unlock with the morning sun. However, they apparently aren't simply clock-based, since the video shows that in order to "play" the game, you've got to have accumulated actual hours of sleep.

As for the device seen in the Pokémon Sleep teaser, it's made by Nintendo, and is a follow-up to the company's Pokémon GO Plus and Poké Ball Plus peripherals for Pokémon GO and Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu!/Eevee! Called Pokémon GO Plus +, the new device can be used like an ordinary Pokémon GO Plus to capture Pokémon GO Pocket Monsters and collect PokéStop items during the day, but at night is meant to be used as a sleep sensor that measures your sleeping time and automatically sends it to the Pokémon Sleep app on your phone.

The Pokémon Company also announced an interesting development for wide-awake fans, called Pokémon Home, which will launch in early 2020. Developed in response to the influx of new fans whose first Pokémon games were GO or Let's Go, Pikachu!/Eevee!, Pokémon Home will allow users to store and trade Pokémon species they've captured via a cloud memory service, with support for Nintendo 3DS Pokémon titles compatible with the Pokémon Bank cloud service, Pokémon GO, Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu!/Eevee! and the upcoming new mainline installments Pokémon Sword and Shield.

▼ The diagram only shows arrows leading from Pokémon Home to Pokémon Sword and Shield., however, so it's not clear if you can transfer Pokémon species into the other games on the list, or will only be able to import members of your Pokémon GO and Let's Go rosters into Sword and Shield.

Speaking of Sword and Shield, the Pokémon Company says more information on the paired Nintendo Switch games will be coming in a separate Pokémon Direct conference on June 5. The live stream is scheduled to start at 10 p.m., and since Pokémon Sleep won't be out then to make us go to bed, we'll be staying up late to watch it.

Source, images: YouTube/ポケモン公式YouTubeチャンネル
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Follow Casey on Twitter, where he's preemptively looking forward to Pokémon Eat, Pokémon Poop, and Pokémon Shower.

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New Pokémon mobile game, Pokémon Sleep, promises to turn sleeping into entertainment【Video】

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Pikachu wants you to get some sleep, and the new Pokémon Home system will allow you to transfer Pocket Monster species from one game to another via cloud memory. At one point or another, just about every video game fan has been in a situation where they thought "I want to keep playing, but I really should go to sleep."

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A glimpse in how the original Godzilla would've been made over 60 years ago (with no special effects of today)

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Just before the release of the King of the Monsters' latest CG slugfest, a team of practical effects geniuses take the kaiju back to his roots.

In many ways, it's a great time to be a Godzilla fan. 2016's Shin Godzilla did a better job than any previous installment of presenting the kaiju as a legitimately terrifying force of destructive nature, the 2017-2018 trilogy of Japanese-animated Godzilla movies marked the screen icon's first foray into anime, and the soon-to-be-released Godzilla: King of the Monsters looks like it's finally going to "let them fight" by keeping its focus on spectacular giant monster battles.

However, for a certain type of Godzilla fan, these are dark times, because even though the franchise started out as a practical effects extravaganza, Godzilla himself is now, like most special effects, CG. But if you're craving the OG Godzilla, the one that came to life not with computer expertise but with an intricate physical creation of the creature and scale-copy of the cityscapes he rampages in, we've got just the thing.

Toho, Godzilla's original creators, recently decided to go old-school and produce their first practical-effects Godzilla video footage since Godzilla: Final Wars, which came out 15 years ago.

Yes, they spruced things up in post-production with some CG flourishes, but Godzilla himself is played by a man in a suit, and not just any suit, but a recreation of the original Godzilla design from his debut film in 1954.

The one-minute video, which doubles as an ad for Suntory's Boss canned coffee, took 114 takes and 38 hours to film, with 105 crew members working on tasks including building 90 scale-model buildings for Godzilla to smash, all of which were designed to fit in with the 1950s Tokyo skyline.

▼ A behind-the-scenes look at the making of the video

But actually, the real star of the video isn't Godzilla, but rather the spirit of Haruo Nakajima, the actor who portrayed Godzilla in a dozen films, including the 1954 original. While Nakajima's job might seem more like play than work, it turns out that being Godzilla is like being Pikachu, in that it's a much harder job than it looks like at first glance.

Yes, Nakajima got paid to stomp around and wreck model cities, but he had to do it all while wearing suits that could weigh as much as 100 kilograms (220 pounds) and got up to temperatures of 60 degrees Celsius (140 degrees Fahrenheit) on the inside. What's more, working in the pre-Internet era meant that even most Godzilla fans had no idea who Nakajima was, since all of the actor's his best movie moments occur when he's wearing a full-body kaiju costume. And yet, Nakajima put his heart and soul into every performance, and in recognition of his legacy Toho and Suntory's video salutes him as the atomic fire-breathing embodiment of the stoic work ethic and unceasing craftsmanship that Japanese society holds up as among the highest of virtues.

Sadly, Nakajima passed away in 2017, so that's not him wearing the suit in the new video, but an actor portraying the legend in his younger days. Still, this summer, as you're watching Godzilla rumble with other kaiju in King of the Monsters in all their shiny, modern CG glory, take a moment to reflect on how none of those giant monsters would be here without the guy who played one of the most famous movie characters of all time, and lived his life without most audiences ever seeing his face.

Top image: YouTube/サントリー公式チャンネル （SUNTORY）
Insert images: Suntory
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Follow Casey on Twitter, where he's still upset about the ending of King Kong vs. Godzilla.

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Godzilla drops the CG, straps on the suit for awesome old-school tribute video【Video】

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Just before the release of the King of the Monsters' latest CG slugfest, a team of practical effects geniuses take the kaiju back to his roots. In many ways, it's a great time to be a Godzilla fan.

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The story about Godzilla steams from Japanese pop culture.

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GODZILLA 2: King of the Monsters "Super Godzilla" Spot & Trailer (2019)

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ようかい

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【妖怪ウォッチ】ようかい体操第一

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The cherry blossom season is ending.

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The castle is one of Japan's top cherry blossom destinations, and these photos show why.

By the time May rolls around, the Tokyo area has pretty much forgotten about the sakura. Cherry blossoms in and around the capital usually bloom in late March or early April and stick around for about a week, so when the Golden Week vacation period kicks off at the end of April, no one is going out in Tokyo to look at Japan's favorite flowers.

But it's a different story up in the northern Tohoku region, where cooler temperatures shift the hanami, or cherry blossom-viewing, calendar back a few weeks. For example, when Japanese Twitter user Yukinori Hasumi (@833__3) headed out in the town of Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture the other day, his sakura timing couldn't have been better.

弘前の遅い春は待ち侘びていたかのような狂い咲きでした https://t.co/HiGDoqvmRg
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Yukinori Hasumi (@833__3) April 30, 2019

Hirosaki, and specifically the moat surrounding Hirosaki Castle, is one of the most breathtaking spots for cherry blossom-viewing, not just in Tohoku, but all of Japan. Cherry trees line both sides of the castle moat, and the blue skies during Hasumi's visit made for a striking contrast with the pink flowers.

Even in Tohoku, though, the cherry blossom season eventually has to come to and end, but even that's something to look forward to. The petals of Japan's sakura tress gently drop off one by one, and as they flutter down to the waters of Hirosaki Castle's moat, they float on the surface, making it look like the grounds are encircled by a broad carpet of blossoms.

Called hanakaida, literally "flower raft," the phenomenon is captivatingly beautiful to look at from the banks of the waterway, although we can't help but feel a little jealous of these ducks that get a 360-degree view.

▼ Yes, we're jealous of ducks. That's how awesome sakura are.

It won't be long until even these petals drift away, but at least we have Hasumi's amazing photography to tide us over until next spring...or winter, should Hirosaki Castle's "mid-winter sakura" appear again this year.

Source: Twitter/@ 833__3 via IT Media
Images: Twitter/@833__3
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Follow Casey on Twitter, where he's sad to see the sakura go, but also already hyped for Japan's summertime fireworks festivals.

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Solid Sakura: Gorgeous photos show cherry blossom season's grand finale at Japanese castle

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The castle is one of Japan's top cherry blossom destinations, and these photos show why. By the time May rolls around, the Tokyo area has pretty much forgotten about the sakura.

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Characters from Spirited Away

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We catch up with No Face, Mari Natsuki, who voiced the character of Yubaba, and legendary producer Toshio Suzuki at the limited-time exhibition.

Back in January, Studio Ghibli made the grand announcement that it would be opening a brand new exhibition in Tokyo to honour the beautiful calligraphy and words of wisdom from the studio's co-founder and producer Toshio Suzuki.

Called the "Toshio Suzuki and Ghibli Exhibition", the event promised to wow visitors with special exhibits from Ghibli movies and an awesome themed menu, which had us impatiently counting down the days to the event's 21 April grand opening.

In the end, we were lucky enough to get a sneak peek of the whole exhibition before it opened to the public, and joining us on the day were some very famous faces.

▼ Left to right: No Face, Mari Natsuki, Zeniba, and Toshio Suzuki.

Mari Natsuki is a singer and voice actress who voiced the characters of Yubaba and Zeniba in the 2001 anime film Spirited Away, and these characters take centre stage at the new exhibition with a host of related merchandise and a giant display in their honour.

The exhibition is being held in a hall on the grounds of Kanda Myojin Shrine in Tokyo, which lends an otherworldly air of spiritual magic to the event, and just like at a shrine, there are omikuji fortunes here, located in the main exhibition room.

▼ The omikuji are located next to the two-faced display of Yubaba and her older twin sister Zeniba.

Visitors receive their omikuji fortunes by shaking a number out of these wooden holders, in the same way you would at a shrine.

There are two sets of wooden drawers beside the giant Yubaba/Zeniba display, with one holding the fortune paper slips for the red " Love Omikuji" and the other containing the " Fortune Omikuji ".

Opening the drawer that corresponds to the number drawn out of the wooden holders reveals your fortune, which you can take home with you.

No matter what level of luck is displayed on your fortune, each one contains beautiful calligraphy penned by Suzuki himself!

If you don't mind waiting in line, you can head over to the mouths of the characters to pull out your omikuji fortune.

Inside each character's open mouth, you'll be able to see two rows of wooden tags with tassels attached to them.

On the blue side, Zeniba has blue tags which correspond to the "Better Fortune" numbers.

In Spirited Away, Sen and Lin (Rin) use a tag from the foreman to connect up the bathwater and fill the tub at the magical bathhouse. Yanking on the rope allows Sen to make hot water flow into the huge bathtub in the movie, but yanking on the tags inside the open mouths at the exhibition gives you a totally different experience.

Check out the video below to see what happens:

Walking around to the back, you'll be able to pull on a red tag inside Yubaba's mouth, which will reveal your omikuji fortune number, along with with a special phrase for you to enjoy.

Pulling on a "Love Omikuji" tag here (all numbers are written in Japanese kanji) will let you know which numbered drawer to open to receive your fortune.

After enjoying the interactive omikuji experience, you might get extra lucky with an appearance from No Face, who might just slink out from the shadows and grace you with its presence, which is equal parts cute and creepy at the same time.

This Ghibli-approved No Face makes you feel like you've entered the world of Spirited Away, as its silent face stares out at you, expressing a surprising amount of emotions depending on the angle of the mask. Add to that a mound of realistic hair, a pair of creepy claws, and a hunched slide when it walks, and you'll have even more respect for Sen, who wasn't afraid to befriend the spirit despite its frightening countenance.

Another highlight of the exhibition is the Spirited Away bathhouse, which comes with a special display of lights and sounds that make it seem as if all the characters are really inside the miniature building.

The scene goes from day to night, and will have you wishing you could shrink yourself down and walk across the beautiful arched bridge and into the building.

There are a number of other Ghibli references around, including this little Totoro figure drawn by director Hayao Miyazaki, which contains the kanji characters for Toshio Suzuki's name.

There's a giant soot sprite, drawn by Suzuki with a giant calligraphy brush...

And an image of Yubaba on a wooden plaque at the entrance to the exhibition. The words "Toshio Suzuki and Ghibli Exhibition" appear on the plaque, written by Suzuki.

The entrance to the exhibition makes you feel as if you're entering the world of Spirited Away.

Inside, there are more Ghibli surprises, including a wall of characters that appear as stickers on messaging app Line.

And a collection of posters from some of the studio's most famous films.

There are also production notes, which give you a behind-the-scenes look at the making of anime classics like Princess Mononoke.

Suzuki's calligraphy, however, is the main highlight that binds together different aspects of the exhibition, and his beautiful works can be seen spread out across a number of different rooms.

While some of the works have a traditional Japanese look to them, others show a more modern, western influence.

There's even a piece written in honour of the Never-Ending Man Hayao Miyazaki documentary that screened on public broadcaster NHK in 2016.

Suzuki's calligraphy also appears in front of giant posters from some of Studio Ghibli's most beloved movies.

Given that the event is entitled "Toshio Suzuki and Ghibli Exhibition", there are a number of displays dedicated to the producer and his illustrious career.

There's a room filled with nostalgic items that helped to nurture Suzuki's creative mind from a young age, after his birth in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, in 1948, three years after the end of World War II.

▼ There's a cosy cinema room that screens classic films from this post-war period.

And you'll also find a wall of Animage magazines, which Tokuma Shoten began publishing in July 1978. Suzuki's professional career started at Tokuma Shoten, when he joined the company shortly after graduating from university. He then went on to become an editor of the Animage anime and entertainment magazine when it was first created, which led him to meet future Studio Ghibli co-founders Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata.

▼ Hayao Miyazaki's manga, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, was serialised in Animage from 1982 through to 1994.

One of the most touching pieces you'll come across at the exhibition is this photo of Suzuki with his fellow studio co-founders, Miyazaki and Takahata, who sadly passed away at the age of 82 in April last year.

Some of the exhibits are prohibited from being touched or photographed, but it's hard to be upset by this when the prohibited signs come with cute cats and little "nya" ("meow") expressions.

Once you've walked through the exhibition, you'll exit through the gift shop, which has a wide variety of goods, including some exclusive merchandise created especially for this exhibition.

Yubaba appears on a number of goods, including tenugui cloths and keychains.

▼ And there's even a purse and kokeshi doll created in her honour!

Shinto goods like ema plaques and omamori protective amulets adorned with images of Ghibli characters are also on sale at the gift shop.

Some of the most sought-after items in the range include an ema in the shape of a shikigami, as seen in Spirited Away, and wooden tags that resemble the ones used to operate the bath in the movie.

▼ There are No Face face masks ...

▼ Stationery and alarm clocks...

▼ And a mini replica of the house from the movie My Neighbour Totoro.

On the ground floor of the exhibition hall, you'll want to stop by the cafe for a taste of some very special themed meals, including the Hakumai no Onigiri ("white rice rice balls"), which is a clever nod to the character of Haku in Spirited Away.

Each set, priced at 864 yen (US$7.71), contains three rice balls moulded on the grounds of the shrine with a wish to uplift those who eat them, in the same way that Haku's rice ball helps Chihiro gather strength in the film.

▼ One rice ball is salt-flavoured, while the other two will contain mystery ingredients that will only be revealed to those who eat them.

There's also the Makkuro na Kuro Goma Ohagi no Ocha Set ("Dark Black Black Sesame Rice Ball Sweet Tea Set"), which retails for 864 yen and features a round sweet that resembles the "makkuro kurosuke" ("soot sprites") from Spirited Away.

And for dessert, there's the " Tonari no Kakigori" (648 yen), which pays homage to the film Tonari no Totoro ( My Neighbour Totoro). Made with spring water, the shaved ice dessert is created in the Ujikintoki style, with matcha syrup and sweet adzuki bean paste, and adorned with a leaf and acorn sweets, to recreate the magic of the forest seen in the film.

Other exclusive exhibition goods can also be purchased on the ground floor, including cans of nori seaweed "chips", in plum or sesame flavour s...

▼ Bottles of sake produced in collaboration with Kanda Myojin Shrine...

▼ Sake cups ...

▼ Fans ...

▼ Tins of candy and boxes of yokan sweets ...

And biscuits that allow you to devour Suzuki's penmanship, with one even decorated with the word "Barusu" (rendered as "balse" in English) in bright blue. As fans will know, the characters from the Ghibli film Castle in the Sky say the word "balse" in a Spell of Destruction to bring down the floating city of Laputa.

The sought-after beer bottles featuring labels written by Suzuki can also be purchased at the store on the ground floor.

There's plenty to see, do, drink, eat, and purchase at the exhibition, so be sure to fill your handcrafted Totoro wallet with some yen and head out to Kanda Myojin Shrine during the event period, which runs from 20 April to 12 May.

However, if you want to avoid crowds that make the shrine one of the busiest places in Tokyo once a year, you'll want to visit before the annual Kanda Matsuri festival takes place on 11-12 May.

Venue: Kanda Myojin Cultural Exchange Center "EDOCCO" at Kanda Myojin shrine hall Event information
Toshio Suzuki and Studio Ghibli Exhibition / 鈴木敏夫とジブリ展

神田明神 文化交流館「EDOCCO」内 神田明神ホール
Address: Tokyo-to, Chiyoda-ku, Sotokanda 2-16-2
東京都千代田区外神田2-16-2
Dates: 20 April-12 May
Hours: 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. (last admission 5:30 p.m.) ※ operating hours are subject to change

Photos © SoraNews24
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New Studio Ghibli exhibition opens in Tokyo, features giant talking Yubaba from Spirited Away

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We catch up with No Face, Mari Natsuki, who voiced the character of Yubaba, and legendary producer Toshio Suzuki at the limited-time exhibition. Back in January, Studio Ghibli made the grand announcement that it would be opening a brand new exhibition in Tokyo to honour the beautiful calligraphy and words of wisdom from the studio's co-founder and producer Toshio Suzuki.

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Watch this cute video on days of the week

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ようびのうた | こどものうた |  Days Of The Week in Japanese | Super Simple 日本語

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Issue 02 2019

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Sensei getting dressed up as Maiko

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Issue 01 2018

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Apple or A

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the japan foundation japanese-language institute

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‎1. Description Study katakana the fun way using mnemonic pictures and check your understanding with a variety of quizzes! Recommended for: Complete beginners in Japanese Anyone interested in Japanese letters 2. Features -Features pictures, sound and animation to help you remember the katakana c...

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JF Japanese e-Learning Minato - Course Outline

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Learning a language can change your life

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Learning a language can change your life

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The number of teenagers learning foreign languages in UK secondary schools has dropped by 45% since the turn of the millennium, BBC analysis has found.

The reaction to the research was mixed. Why learn a foreign language when English is spoken by hundreds of millions of people worldwide, some people wondered.

Others questioned the need for a second language when translation technology is advancing so quickly.

But many speakers of foreign languages extolled the benefits. Four native English speakers tell the BBC how making the effort to learn a second language is important - and how it changed their life.

'It gave me the confidence to interview footballers'

When Alex Chaffer moved to Germany four years ago, he could only say "hello" and "thank you" in German.

He had not learnt the language at school, but was starting off a career in sports journalism and had the opportunity to go to Germany.

When he first arrived, he discovered his accommodation had fallen through.

"I had been scammed," he said. "I couldn't speak to anyone because I didn't have the language, I was lost."

"The first year I was here I didn't learn a lot. I then had a German girlfriend that helped massively, having someone force me to do it and hearing it around all the time. She would speak in English and I would speak in German."

The 23-year-old is now fluent and works on the website of Germany's top football league, Bundesliga.

He said that in his job, he was "embarrassed to not know the language" and learning German has given him "so much confidence".

"I would be worried about going to the shops and restaurants," he said.

"Even professionally, I didn't interview footballers for three years because I didn't have the confidence in my language but now I can go up to any player. It's totally changed my way of living.

"It's opened me up as a person professionally and personally."

School language learning at 18-year low

Critical window for learning a language

Should all kids learn sign language?

Five tips to learn a new language

'I gave my children the gift of a second language'

James Westgarth's first introduction to a foreign language was at school, a comprehensive in west London where he learnt French.

"My parents had no language skills but they encouraged me so I could order food etc when we went on holidays," he said.

"The result is a 23-year international career. I spent 13 years at Airbus in Toulouse and the US and am now a sourcing director at a subsidiary of Lufthansa in Frankfurt."

The 44-year-old puts his successful career down to his language skills and the cultural awareness they bring.

"Speaking a language helps to break the ice," he said. "Even if it's not perfect, it's a good introduction and brings people on-side when you're negotiating

"My own two children, who attend an international school in Toulouse, are of course bilingual in French and English.

"Now they have a lot of international friends and they're discovering the world through two sets of eyes. The gift of a second language is the best thing I can give to them."

From his experience of working in Europe over the past 20 years, he said he believes the UK has become "more and more insular" and that "a language barrier plays a part".

"Things could be made a lot easier with language skills," he said. "I'm still learning German, and when I'm with my work colleagues in Frankfurt, it helps to show that I'm making an effort."

He added: "If you see the language as living, if you experience it in daily life, it makes it more real. They really do help people later in life."

'Why do we see languages as nice but not important?'

Being introduced to languages at a young age is something that teacher Ellie Baker believes strongly in. She founded BilinguaSing - which runs musical French and Spanish classes for children.

"Since 2013, I've been teaching babies and upwards," Ms Baker said. "My business is about empowering families.

"We cannot afford for children not to learn languages. We should be equipping them [for] whatever Brexit is going to bring."

Among the benefits of learning a second language is the potential to "boost brain power", Ms Baker's company has said.

Studies have suggested that learning a second language can slow brain ageing, and can lead to higher mental function in the brain.

She said schools are still overly focused on qualifications rather than skills for life, like languages.

"Why do we look at learning a language as nice to have but not important? Why are we more worried about a child having a lower GCSE grade than average?

"The future of our kids will not hinge on academic abilities as much as it has done," she said.

"We're still really focused on academic grades. I'm not saying qualifications are not important, but it's not everything. We have to think about what the kids need for their future."

'Foreign languages did wonders for my English'

Cassandra Scott, from Edinburgh, studied three languages in her final year at school: Advanced Higher French and German as well as beginners level Russian, which her French teacher taught "just for fun".

She is now a freelance translator in Edinburgh, and said: "Learning languages at school really set the course for my career."

"I went to Fortrose Academy in the Highlands, where we had brilliant language teachers. It's a state school, but they offered us so many amazing opportunities.

"Learning two foreign languages also did wonders for my English. It gave me a new perspective on my own language and also gave me extra practice in identifying parts of speech, and later on, analysing literature."

Since studying interpreting and translation, she has worked as an in-house translator and an assistant language teacher (for English) in Osaka, Japan.

"I now work as a freelance medical and marketing translator," she said. "Most of my work - about 80% - is in German.

"I love my job and I'll always be thankful to my language teachers at school who taught me how to learn."

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'Learning a second language changed my life'

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The number of teenagers learning foreign languages in UK secondary schools has dropped by 45% since the turn of the millennium, BBC analysis has found. The reaction to the research was mixed. Why learn a foreign language when English is spoken by hundreds of millions of people worldwide, some people wondered.

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Release in May

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POKÉMON Detective Pikachu - Official Trailer #1

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Though anime is enjoyed and watched globally, its roots find itself in Japan. By definition, anime is simply Japanese animation created by computer or hand. Anime is often thought to have originated in the early 20th century. The style of anime most people and familiar with took off in the 1960s with one of Japan's most prominent anime artist, Osamu Tezuka, and is leading the path for other artists to showcase their work domestically and internationally.

The impact that anime culture has had on Japan is so great that it's birthed the otaku subcultures which includes role-playing, computer gaming, and cosplaying. All of these hobbies have huge followings both in Japan and internationally.

In Japan, anime has such a large influence, you can find statues, other landmarks and sites dedicated to the anime culture and their creators. For instance, in Odaiba, visitors will be greeted by a monstrous life-size Gundam at the entrance of the building which hosts a small indoor theme park dedicated to the popular anime series.

Statues of anime characters, let alone giant statues, may be a rare sight in other countries, but in Japan, the anime or otaku culture is so normalized that many of these popular characters appear in other aspects of daily life. Other examples include anime themed products and packaging, snacks, and advertisements featuring popular characters, things you would not see so commonly outside of Japan. There are entire stores dedicated to these characters, such as the Pokemon MEGA center in Ikebukuro. This store is a Pokemon fan's dream come true and sells a selection games and merchandise that would be hard to find in other countries.

Anime culture is so ingrained in Japanese society that many companies use anime characters in the advertising or even create their own anime characters or mascots to appeal more to the younger Japanese market. There are even anime inspired vocaloid singers, such as the virtual idol Hatsune Miku, which are anime characters idols. Many of these virtual idols have developed a large following and even host their own concerts!

The town of Akihabara, located near the heart of Tokyo, houses many shops and anime related venues. The streets of Akihabara are lined with shops selling specialty goods, manga, video games, and other anime themed exhibits and souvenirs. It buzzing with anime fans browsing the latest merchandise and visiting their favorite themed cafes. Akihabara is the district well known for the many maid and butler cafes, where you will often see staff dresses in kawaii maid or costumes standing on the sidewalk and trying to attract more guests. For anime fans, Akihabara is the place to go!

These are just a couple of examples but the deeper you dig, you will see what an enormous influence the anime culture has on people in Japan.

Because of its tremendous popularity and following in Japan, there are anime related conventions that take place in Japan annually. The biggest of them all, Anime Japan, had over 135,323 attendees in just 3 days! With many anime related booths and events, any anime lover will find themselves immersed in anime utopia. with like-minded anime fans.

Has anime influenced your country any way? If so, in what way? Have you ever been to any anime related convention; either in your country or abroad? What was that experience like?

Please share your experience with the anime culture and the effect it has had on you either personally or in your country in the comment section! :)

Check out these 5 places in Japan where you can find anime or video game locations in real life!

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Japanese Anime Culture | TokyoTreat: Japanese Candy & Snacks Subscription Box

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Though anime is enjoyed and watched globally, its roots find itself in Japan. By definition, anime is simply Japanese animation created by computer or hand. Anime is often thought to have originated in the early 20th century.

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Wagashi

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In Tokyo Treat's Japanese candy box you can find many interesting Japanese snacks in crazy and unique flavors. Ramune, matcha, red beans, octopus, curry, sakura, choco mint, lemon... there are a lot of flavors that are used in Japanese snacks that companies in other countries never would have thought of. Some of these Japanese snacks were however inspired by snacks from other countries, such as potato chips, gummies, marshmallows, chocolate (think of KitKat) and so on! Japanese people also have their own traditional snacks known as wagashi, most of these treats come from times when Japan didn't have any connections to western countries which makes these treats so unique! In this article you can read about 10 delicious wagashi or Japanese traditional sweets that come from different areas or prefectures in Japan!

1. Hiroshima - Momiji Manju

Momiji Manju is a traditional Japanese sweet treat from Hiroshima prefecture. The Japanese word momiji means 'autumn leaf' and because Hiroshima is famous for maple trees these manju are shaped like leaves as well! They are made of castella cake filled with sweet red bean paste which is one of the most popular fillings for wagashi.

2. Yamanashi - Shingen Momo

Yamanashi prefecture is even though its not too far from Tokyo surrounded by nature and famous for Mount Fuji. Besides that, the prefecture is also famous for its fruit, especially peaches! The Shingen Momo is also a type of Manju but instead of the traditional red bean paste, white bean paste and peach jelly are used as filling.

3. Osaka - Ichigo Daifuku

There's a big chance that you have heard of Ichigo Daifuku, or strawberry daifuku. it's a very famous Japanese sweet and is originally from Osaka, a prefecture also famous for savory snacks like takoyaki and okonomiyaki. If you already love mochi than you will absolutely love this treat too! Ichigo Daifuku is made of mochi, sweet red bean paste and a strawberry! This fruity Japanese snack is perfect for spring and summer and you can find it throughout all prefectures in Japan.

4. Tokyo - Tokyo Banana

Japanese people who visit Tokyo never forget to bring back some Tokyo Bananas for coworkers, family or friends! It's by far the most popular snack from Tokyo. The 'bananas' are made of soft cake filled with custard cream. Shops often come out with Tokyo Bananas with interesting designs such as animal prints or flower prints!

5. Gifu - Mizu Manju

The Mizu Manju from Gifu prefecture look just like colorful water drops and probably the prettiest treats out of this list. Thanks to a starch that is made of a special Japanese root they look just like big drops of water and are a treat that is people especially enjoy in summer. This manju doesn't come in one but in several flavors, such as red beans, matcha and other fruity flavors!

6. Aomori - Ki Ni Naru Ringo Pie

Aomori prefecture in Japan is famous for its delicious apples and apple pie! These apple pie are quite different from the ones that we know though! A whole apple is used which is sweetened by syrup and surrounded by a flaky pie crust. It's supposed to be served warm!

7. Yamagata - Sakuranbo Kirara

Just as Aomori prefecture is famous for its apples, People from Yamagata take pride in their cherries! About 70% of the cherries of Japan are produced in Yamagata so of course treats inspired by and using cherries can be found everywhere in the prefecture! The Sakuranbo Kirara are made of jelly with inside a whole cherry! Doesn't it sound great for summer?

8. Fukuoka - Meika Hiyoko

Fukuoka prefecture located in the south of Japan is famous for these adorable chick snacks! These cute treats were made for the first time in 1912 by Shigeru Ishizaka who felt a deep connection to sweets and felt that our products not only symbolize our lives but also our true hearts. Through Hiyoko he hopes to create a more friendly and lively society. The filling exists of pea beans and fresh eggs complements while the exterior is slight savory.

9. Ishikawa - Wari Gori

Wari Gori are sweets from Ishikawa prefecture and look similar to rock candy. Actually they are a lot softer though and are made by drying agar ('kanten' in Japanese) for 6 days which results in the beautiful clear colors! This sweets have a refreshing and subtle flavor and taste crunchy on the outside and silky inside. These traditional sweets are hand-made and broken into pieces by craftsmen.

10. Okinawa - Chinsuko

Okinawa is an island south of Japan, people who have visited have most likely noticed the Chinsuko cookies that are being sold everywhere! These cookies are quite similar to shortbread cookies and are made of floor lard and sugar. These cookies come in several flavors such as vanilla, sweet potato, coconut mango, chocolate, pineapple and so on!
Which of these 10 traditional Japanese sweets would you like to try or have you tried? Let us know in the comments!
Keep up with all the fun news coming out from Japan by following us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Want a free Japanese subscription box? Make sure to check out how to get one here!

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Top 10 Wagashi: Traditional Japanese sweets | TokyoTreat

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In Tokyo Treat's Japanese candy box you can find many interesting Japanese snacks in crazy and unique flavors. Ramune, matcha, red beans, octopus, curry, sakura, choco mint, lemon... there are a lot of flavors that are used in Japanese snacks that companies in other countries never would have thought of.

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Japanese bento boxes are taking lunch boxes to a whole new level. What makes them stand out over classic lunch boxes in other cultures is the extreme attention to detail and the variety and balance of ingredients. Everything is packed into the bento box in a beautiful display that sometimes makes it look almost too good to eat. Putting together a proper Japanese bento lunch can take hours of prep time plus all the time spend arranging and decorating the items to perfection.

Some bentos go above and beyond by not only organizing each component in a visually appealing way, but but making the food look cute too.

A classic way the kawaii touch is added to Japanese bentos is by slicing the end of a mini sausage so that becomes a little octopus. Turning food into cute animals is also often done with apples by cutting the edges of an apple slice to make it appear as though it has two bunny ears. These cute elements are just the tip of the iceberg. Some dedicated bento makers take it to the next level by making full character displays with the food.

Here are some Japanese character bentos that are so extra and are taking meal prep to the next level.

This little My Melody bento is too cute to eat! This bento really nails the My Melody design right down to the little box fascened at her ear and her little yellow nose!

Upon first glance, Daisy Duck's face in this bento looks like it could have been a drawing printed out and pasted on top of the bento. Take another look though, her face is actually made out of food right down to those black lines made from thin pieces of nori!

Credits: @kaseifu_mudazono

This vibrant bento has the cutest little hello kitty peeking out of what appears to be roses or some sort of red flower which must have taken ages to make! There is so much going on in this bento, it really makes you appreciate all the time an effort this bento maker put into making this!

Credits: @yocchimama_chiyuki

You can never go wrong with a Disney character bento! Not only does simba from The Lion King looks stunning, they even added in his little whiskers! Not to mention each little detail in the flower garden surrounding him, this is yet another character bento that is knocking it out of the park!

Credits: @hide_811

What better way to get in the holiday spirit or feel festive than a winter wonderland bento! Just looking at these designs would brighten your mood, there's no way anyone can eat this snowman bento and have a bad day,

Credits: @comugi.bento

These Ghibli character bentos are a work of art! It looks likes some of them feature edible hand drawings of the characters, now that's dedication.

Credits: @tomoxryuxtora

Whoever started this character bento trend was really onto something, these kawaii bento designs would certainly brighten anyone's day during and make lunch time something to really look forward to! Now imagine prepping a week's worth of character bentos, would you be able to do it??

If you liked these character bentos, then these cute bento will definitely make you smile!

Which character bento was your favorite? Let us know in the comments!

Keep up with all the fun news coming out from Japan by following us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

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These Japanese Character Bentos Take Meal Prepping To The Next Level | TokyoTreat

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Japanese bento boxes are taking lunch boxes to a whole new level. What makes them stand out over classic lunch boxes in other cultures is the extreme attention to detail and the variety and balance of ingredients. Everything is packed into the bento box in a beautiful display that sometimes makes it look almost too good to eat.

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Want candy from Japan?

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TokyoTreat: Japanese Candy & Snacks Subscription Box

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A Japanese Candy Box that delivers Japanese snacks from Tokyo to your door every month with free shipping worldwide. Try ramune, Japanese Kit Kat & more!

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Nintendo Remakes Classic Games like Mario and Zelda

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Nintendo Remakes Classic Games like Mario and Zelda

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Links awakening is coming to the switch, and classic games are free to play for those with EShop Pro.

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Detective Pikachu Movie

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POKÉMON Detective Pikachu - Official Trailer 2

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Step inside with us as we try all the exclusive treats and drinks only available at this stunning Japan location.

Ever since Starbucks announced that Tokyo would receive a special Starbucks Reserve Roastery - the fifth of its kind in the world, following branches in New York, Seattle, Milan and Shanghai - there's been a lot of hype surrounding its grand opening on 28 February.

We were lucky enough to step inside the huge four-storey complex on a press day ahead of the official opening, where Starbucks' CEO Kevin Johnson, Starbucks Japan's CEO Takafumi Minaguchi, Starbucks' Chief Design Officer Liz Muller, and famed Italian baker Rocco Princi were also in attendance.

▼ Left to right: Princi, Muller, Minaguchi, Johnson.

The team behind the new Starbucks Reserve Roastery Tokyo shared some interesting insights about the new outpost, including design details that pay homage to Japan and the Roastery's location in Aobadai, right next to the beautiful sakura-lined Meguro River. So let's take a look at all the things you should see and taste here, starting from the moment you approach the iconic new building.

▼ Take a look at the video below for a quick walkthrough of the complex.

▼ Japanese architect Kengo Kuma says he wanted to integrate the building into the city with modern hisashi (roof eaves) and planter boxes designed to look like modern bonsai.

▼ The Roastery is the first one in the world to be created from the ground-up, with the Starbucks mermaid greeting visitors as they enter through the main doors.

As soon as you walk inside, you'll be struck by the sheer expanse of the interior. The ground floor (referred to as the "first floor" in Japan) is called "Starbucks Reserve", and it's where you'll find a selection of the company's rarest coffees.

▼ At the front there's the main roaster, where customers can see the coffee journey firsthand as it makes its way from bean to cup on the premises.

▼ Green coffee beans are stored in these silos for seven to eight days so the gasses can be released before the roasting process begins.

At the back of the first floor is Princi Bakery, where focaccia pizzas, breads, and sweets are freshly baked and delivered to bars on different floors throughout the day.

▼ They also whip up an awesome platter of cheese and cured meats for events.

The Main Bar is where you'll find some of the country's most exclusive Starbucks coffee drinks, including a Barrel-Aged Cold Brew (1,200 yen [US$10.83]), which is made with beans stored in Bourbon whiskey barrels.

If you look closely at the bar, you'll see that the ash wood counter features traditional Japanese joinery techniques, as the design team wanted to incorporate the same traditional nail-free woodworking techniques used on Japanese shrines and temples.

▼ The bars were made by Tendo Mokko, a wood company in Yamagata Prefecture, using strong box joints and a simplistic design that pays homage to Japanese culture.

Taking pride of place in the centre of the whole building is an impressive copper cask, which, at almost five-stories high, is the biggest one Starbucks has ever created.

As customers make their way up to the higher floors, they're able to view the inside of the copper cask, which conceals all the different equipment needed to create the coffee produced onsite.

Running from the cask is a series of "symphony pipes", which deliver freshly roasted coffee beans from the first floor up to the third floor, complete with digital displays showing the journey of the bean.

▼ Customers can journey up to the second floor via the elevator or two different stairwells.

The stairwell near the elevator features gorgeous murals painted by a local artist who lives in the Nakameguro area. This one shows the Meguro River outside, with its famous cherry blossom trees, and a Japanese tea field plantation.

Another way to get to the second floor is via the stairs at the back of the first floor area, which features a wall directing you to the Teavana Bar, which is the largest of its kind in the world.

This Teavana Bar pays homage to Japan and its local customs and traditions, starting with the brilliant teacup wall. This display contains hundred of mugs specially crafted by members of a small ten-person ceramic factory in the city of Seto in Aichi Prefecture.

The space here is dedicated to all things tea, with staff ready to guide you through the extensive range of specialty blends on offer.

The menu includes a number of signature drinks and creations only available at this Starbucks Reserve Roastery.

One of the drinks you won't find anywhere else is the gorgeous Teavana Cream Soda Matcha (900 yen).

Made with Uji matcha, an original vanilla ice cream, and sparkling water, this is a tea experience like no other, with the sparkling taste of powdered green tea dancing on your tastebuds with every sip.

▼ Another highly recommended beverage is the Pop'n Tea Sakura Jasmine (950 yen).

This is, in a word, amazing. More like a non-alcoholic cocktail than a tea, this drink is filled with flavour, as it combines the natural hibiscus and cherry notes from the Sakura Allure Tea with the Jasmine Silver Needle Tea blend.

The fruity notes are enhanced by the addition of edible hibiscus flowers, both in the drink and frozen inside the icy sakura-jasmine tea popsicle, creating a deliciously light and refreshing flavour.

▼ Another must-try signature beverage from the Teavana bar is Sakura Path (1,200 yen).

Served on a wooden dew-drop tray, this comes with a small bowl of gyokuro green tea leaves, designed to add fragrance to the set, and a slim sake glass and masu (a wooden box which is sometimes used to serve sake).

Once the gyokuro green tea is poured into the glass, the serving set tricks you into thinking that you're about to enjoy a sip of Japanese rice wine. There's a good reason behind this, though, as the gyokuro used in this beverage has been stored in a tea box with sake lees for a week. This creates an incredibly unique type of green tea, which is imbued with the aroma and flavour of Japanese sake.

For those who prefer to enjoy a regular cup of tea, there's plenty to choose from as well, complete with sweet side pairing suggestions.

Another thing to keep an eye out for here is the gorgeous Teavana wall, which is made with traditional Japanese washi paper. Individual paper strands on each of the fluttering tea leaves here were carefully applied by hand to help recreate their natural vein-like appearance.

The display here also features a beautiful range of locally made drinkware and products, which are all available to purchase.

▼ Before you head up to the next floor, there's a Tea Scooping Bar where you can take home your favourite Teavana blend as well.

On the third floor is the Arriviamo Bar, which greets customers with a "Tokyo" Coffee Card Wall.

▼ This display is made up of 5,000 cards designed for Starbucks' Reserve roast coffee regions.

▼ This is where you'll also find one of two giant clacker boards.

These boards are designed to relay messages in a similar way to the old-school boards used at arrival and departure lounges. According to Muller, these boards are connected to the roastery system, and clack over when a new roast is on its way, much like an arriving train.

Another third-floor highlight is the "P-25" roaster, which is substantially smaller than the one on the first floor, but equally beautiful.

▼ Nearby, you'll find mission statement plaques...

▼ Origami ceilings...

▼ A Whiskey Barrel Wall, which showcases the casks used to create their barrel-aged blends...

▼ And a side bar dedicated to serving coffee, alcohol, and sweets.

▼ This is where the third-floor cold brew silos are located.

▼ The main star, however, is the Arriviamo Bar, which features a selection of delicious snacks and desserts...

▼ Along with some stunning alcoholic beverages and signature cocktails made with various tea and coffee blends.

▼ Some of the highly recommended alcoholic cocktails here include the Spring Shower (2,000 yen).

This limited-time offering lets you enjoy "hanami cherry-blossom viewing in a cup", with the addition of an edible sakura blossom and a spray of Starbucks Reserve Cold Brew Coffee on the surface.

There's also the Tokyo Pour Over (3,000 yen), which comes served with its own drip filter coffee stand and two shot glasses, so you can share the taste of the whiskey-and-coffee blend with a friend or loved one.

▼ And the Nakameguro Espresso Martini (2,000 yen).

This cocktail contains a blend of Japanese vodka, chestnut liqueur, and cacao liqueur - which is shaken, not stirred - and served with chocolate shavings and a decadent piece of Green Bean to Bar Chocolate on the side.

The third and fourth floors also come with outdoor terrace areas where customers can sip their coffee and cocktails while enjoying a view of the sakura trees.

Then it's up to the fourth floor, where the coffee pack line is located. The Tokyo Roastery packs its coffee beans on site for delivery to Starbucks branches around Japan.

Most of the fourth floor is dedicated to the Amu Inspiration Lounge, where seminars and impromptu meetings can be held.

"Amu" means "to knit" in Japanese, and this space "aims to inspire, connect and knit diverse people and thoughts together".

Starbucks aims to turn this area into the chain's first officially-recognised Speciality Coffee Association (SCA) training facility.

There's also a custom-made Yamaha piano here, with an extended end for musicians to place their coffee drinks on while they play or enjoy impromptu jam sessions with friends.

From the fourth floor you can also enjoy a beautiful view of the Copper Cask, which Starbucks says is their "tribute to the sakura trees".

The curved cask is adorned with approximately 2,100 flowers, all with a unique shape as they're modelled on natural materials and hammered individually by hand.

The cask itself has also been hand-hammered, with design project members all leaving their mark with a mallet on the 12 sheets at the second row from the bottom.

Taking the elevator from the fourth floor back down to the entrance is a nice way to stop and take a closer look at some of the Reserve Roast coffee cards.

And before you head to the exit on the first floor, there's a Coffee Scooping Bar to entice you with some Tokyo Roastery-exclusive beans.

This is where you'll find exclusive merchandise to take home as well, and unlike the regular lineup of Starbucks sakura drinkware, these cherry blossom mugs and tumblers won't be available to purchase anywhere else.

If you're after an "elevated coffee experience" that combines great-tasting goods with unique aspects of Japanese culture, be sure to stop by the new Starbucks Reserve Roastery Tokyo. And if you time your visit right, you'll be able to enjoy the beauty of the sakura at its spectacular riverside location as well.

Cafe information
Starbucks Reserve Roastery Tokyo / スターバックス リザーブ ロースタリー東京
Address: Tokyo-to, Meguro-ku, Aobadai 2-19-23
東京都目黒区青葉台2丁目19-23
Open 7 a.m.-11 p.m.
Website

Featured image: Starbucks Press Release
Insert images: ©SoraNews24, Starbucks Press Release
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Follow Oona on Twitter and Instagram for more information about restaurants, cafes and bars in Tokyo.

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Starbucks Reserve Roastery Tokyo: A visitor's guide to the biggest Starbucks in the world

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Step inside with us as we try all the exclusive treats and drinks only available at this stunning Japan location. Ever since Starbucks announced that Tokyo would receive a special Starbucks Reserve Roastery - the fifth of its kind in the world, following branches in New York, Seattle, Milan and Shanghai - there's been a lot of hype surrounding its grand opening on 28 February.

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Evolution

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Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution remakes the Pokémon franchise's first film in full CG, and the trailer shows Ash and pals like we've never seen them before.

Earlier this week, we got our longest preview yet of the upcoming Western-made Detective Pikachu movie, which pairs live-action actors with computer-animated versions of the anime/video game franchise's famous Pocket Monsters. But there are actually two movies with CG Pokémon coming out this year, and the second is a made-in-Japan full CG reboot of the very first Pokémon theatrical feature.

Sort of like how 2017's theatrical Pokémon feature, I Choose You, went back to the beginning of protagonist Ash's/Satoshi's journey to become a Pokémon Master, Japan's next Pokémon movie is a retelling of the events of 1998's Mewtwo Strikes Back, titled Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution. But while the story of Ash going up against a genetically engineered Pokémon that rebels against its human creators will be familiar, the visuals, as shown in this just-released trailer, are all-new, as this is the first time for a Pokémon anime to be full CG.

For long-time fans of the Pokémon anime, the trailer can look a little jarring. Yes, the Pokémon video games abandoned pixel graphics quite some time ago in favor of polygons, but the more sophisticated models used for Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution mean fewer vague details for your imagination to fill in, particularly since they don't seem to incorporate any of the sort of cel-shading used in the games to give them a more hand-drawn look. The result is that some of the Pokémon species are smooth in texture that they look a little plasticky, almost like figures or toys (at the other end of the spectrum many of the Pokémon in the Detective Pikachu trailers look more scruffy than fluffy).

▼ "Incredibly smooth and shiny" are descriptors that can also be applied to the hindquarters of Team Rocket's Jessie/Musashi.

But it's the designs for the humans in Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution that are going to take the most time to get used to. Whereas the CG Pokémon are an extended evolution of what's been gradually happening in the games over the past few decades, Ash has strictly been part of the anime arm of the franchise, and his cohorts Misty/Kasumi and Brock/Takeshi only show up in certain games, making for bigger gap between how fans generally picture them and these extra-detailed CG models.

▼ Brock's constantly closed eyes, for example, seem quite a bit stranger when they're rendered in a more realistic 3-D space.

That said, fans will no doubt be happy to see the old gang together again on the big screen after Brock and Misty were replaced by new characters in the last two Pokémon anime movies. And while the CG Pocket Monsters, at least right now, might not look as cute as their hand-drawn predecessors, Mewtwo does look unsettlingly sinister

Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution opens on July 12 in Japan.

Images: YouTube/ポケモン公式YouTubeチャンネル
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Follow Casey on Twitter, where he's still not over the trauma of the CG models in the Ranma 1/2 Battle Renaissance PlayStation game.

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The new Pokémon anime movie is entirely CG, and it might take some time to get used to it【Video】

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Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution remakes the Pokémon franchise's first film in full CG, and the trailer shows Ash and pals like we've never seen them before. Earlier this week, we got our longest preview yet of the upcoming Western-made Detective Pikachu movie, which pairs live-action actors with computer-animated versions of the anime/video game franchise's famous Pocket Monsters.

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Would you eat this?

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Our intrepid reporter completely loses his cool biting into the sizable bugs.

A lot has been said about the impending food difficulties the world faces and the potential of insects as a viable food source. And bit by bit, six-legged gourmet offerings have been trickling into the public, the most notable of which has been the highly successful edible insect vending machine in Kumamoto City.

Serving up all types of creatures from crickets to scorpions, the machine is said to be raking in hundreds of thousands of yen a month. To find out more, we sent our reporter Masanuki Sunakoma to check it out. Masanuki was chosen, of course, because he generally really hates insects and would be the most entertaining to watch.

Masanuki approached the store where the machine was said to have been installed. It was a balloon store called Discover Balloon with brightly colored and shiny floating party decorations, in stark contrast to the box of horrors that stood in front of it.

The flag read "World's First Insect Vending Machine" which temped Masanuki to go inside demand proof of the claim from one of the balloon store clerks - anything to get out of what he was assigned to do.

Looking through the machine's selection, there are about 10 types of items including grasshoppers, crickets, diving beetles, and rhino beetles. There were too many to choose from, especially when your desired number is zero, so Masanuki did go inside and asked the balloon store staff for a recommendation.

Inside the store more insect foods were being sold. The clerk told our paling reporter that for beginners, the chocolate covered grasshoppers or crickets were the easiest to keep down. However, Masanuki wasn't sent down there to nibble on chocolates like some wealthy dowager at a tea party.

"On the other hand," the clerk added, "the diving beetles and rhino beetles are the most terrible because of the way they look."

That was all Masanuki needed to hear. As much as it pained him to, he bought a pack of rhino beetles for 1,300 yen (US$12). They plunked out of the machine in a futuristic looking tube.

Inside the tube was shiny vinyl resealable pouch to keep his dead bugs fresh.

And inside that was a plastic baggie with five big black lumps rattling around inside. They appeared to have been lightly salted - as if that would make a difference.

Like many Japanese kids, Masanuki used to have a few of these large non-threatening insects as pets. But like most people, at a certain age that wonder and open curiosity about bugs had somehow transformed into abject fear and loathing.

He tried to reconnect with that childlike courage as he pulled out a big male and held it in his fingers. Maybe it wasn't so bad after all. It just sort of looked like a big M&M.

Let's just turn it over and...

▼ "G yahhhh!"

It was no good. Even as a child, Masanuki never wanted to eat one of these things. The little guy stared at him with all of its rigor-mortised arms folded as if pleading with him not to eat it. It also looked as if it might suddenly spring back to life and fly away at any moment.

But these thoughts weren't helping at all, so our soon-to-be-traumatized writer grabbed the rhino beetle by the horn and braced himself.

Once inside his mouth, all that was left to do was bite down and...

▼ "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

▼ "GHOOOOOOOOGH!!!"

The texture of the beetle was significant, and there way no way Masanuki could delude himself into thinking it was anything but a large dead bug in his mouth. That being said, there wasn't much flavor. It had a kind of earthy scent and felt like he was eating egg shells.

Still, eating a rhino beetle left an impression on him that would last a lifetime. It was a bit like what he imagined hell would be like.

Luckily for Masanuki, the future of eating insects probably isn't going to be popping dead carcasses into our mouths whole, much like the way we don't normally rip into the entire dead bodies of chickens and cows.

A better example of viable insect food would likely be more in line with the BugMo Protein Bars which were also on sale at Discover Balloon. But surely there will still be a demand for whole rhino beetles for those special times when you want to make a grown man hop around a balloon store screaming.

Vending machine information
Discover Balloon
7-8 Kitasendanbatamachi, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto-shi, Kumamoto-ken
熊本県熊本市中央区北千反畑町7-8
Website (Discover Balloon)

Images ©SoraNews24
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[ Read in Japanese ]

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Eating a bag of Rhino Beetles from Kumamoto's bug-food vending machine【Taste test】

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Our intrepid reporter completely loses his cool biting into the sizable bugs. A lot has been said about the impending food difficulties the world faces and the potential of insects as a viable food source. And bit by bit, six-legged gourmet offerings have been trickling into the public, the most notable of which has been the highly successful edible insect vending machine in Kumamoto City.

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Cute glassware has our hearts full of warm fuzzy feelings and deep, deep jealousy.

Here in Japan, we're not exactly hurting for cool Starbucks stuff. We've got that awesome Starbucks Reserve Roastery Tokyo that just opened in the capital's Nakameguro neighborhood, a brand-new lineup of sakura-flavor sweets, and a never-ending parade of limited-time Frappuccino flavors to enjoy.

But right now, though, we're finding ourselves incredibly jealous of Starbucks fans in China, and the reason is this.

中国のスタバで売ってる猫の手のグラス。 https://t.co/FODAFEk9D7
-
バラ色中国 藤井&中国嫁 (@barairo_cn) February 27, 2019

Starbucks China has released a line of spring glassware and tumblers, with pastel colors and cherry blossom motifs. However, the most charming point of the cutest piece of all isn't seasonal, but feline, as pouring your beverage fills up an adorable cat's paw, as shown in the above tweet from Japanese Twitter user @barairo_cn.

The physics behind it are the same as similar glasses we've seen that turn your drink into a Shiba Inu or polar bear. But even more so than a beefy bear or silly pooch, a lovingly pampered cat seems like a great motif for a relaxing beverage break.

今日から淘宝で販売開始するとのことです。 https://t.co/JdrdHllBpw
-
バラ色中国 藤井&中国嫁 (@barairo_cn) February 28, 2019

▼ Alternatively, you could buy four and use them as a very unique set of kitty slippers.

贅沢な使い方！ https://t.co/rrucyFPoMk
-
バラ色中国 藤井&中国嫁 (@barairo_cn) March 01, 2019

As you might expect, the cat paw glasses are extremely popular, and have been selling out quickly since their release on February 28 (though they can be ordered here through online marketplace TMall for 199 yuan [US$29.67] each). However, Starbucks China has a lengthy list of other beautiful springtime items on sale, including a cat head glass.

▼ Dog lovers aren't neglected either.

▼ Cherry blossom tumblers, in both day and night versions

▼ You can even get a Starbucks cherry blossom umbrella.

It looks like all of these items are exclusive to Starbucks China, as they're not listed on the brand's Japanese website ( Japan gets a cool collection of sakura mugs and cups of its own), and so we'll just have to admire them from afar, while keeping our fingers crossed that one of our friends takes a trip to China soon and brings us back a kitty glass as a souvenir.

Source: Starbucks via Twitter/@barairo_cn via Wadai no Gazo ga Wakaru Site
Featured image: Twitter/@barairo_cn
Insert images: Starbucks
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Starbucks' new kitty cherry blossom glass turns into adorable cat's paw when you pour a drink

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Cute glassware has our hearts full of warm fuzzy feelings and deep, deep jealousy. Here in Japan, we're not exactly hurting for cool Starbucks stuff. We've got that awesome Starbucks Reserve Roastery Tokyo that just opened in the capital's Nakameguro neighborhood, a brand-new lineup of sakura-flavor sweets, and a never-ending parade of limited-time Frappuccino flavors to enjoy.

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Are you a Pokemon fan?

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These limited-edition munchies are Master Ball worthy!

Fans were thrilled when the world's first permanent Pokémon Cafe opened its doors to the public some time ago, allowing customers to immerse themselves in the world of Pokémon.

A year has passed since then, and to commemorate the establishment's one-year anniversary, the cafe will be implementing a special menu from 14 March to 26 April. On top of regular food and desserts like Pikachu Curry or Eevee's Sweet Chocolate Parfait, customers can also indulge themselves with some limited-edition treats.

▼ Like this adorable Cherry Blossom Afro Pikachu
Marshmallow Cake (1,706 yen, US$15.30), for example.

▼ Or a warm mug of Cherry Blossom Afro Pikachu Latte (756 yen).

▼ What about a fresh and healthy Bulbasaur Vegetable Burger (1,490 yen)?

▼ Those who prefer meat will not want to miss this
Charizard Roast Beef Volcano Platter (1,598 yen).

▼ Ending your meal with Squirtle's Bubbly Parfait (1,274 yen) would be perfect.

But the highlight of the one-year anniversary menu has got to be the awesome range of legendary Pokémon drinks and floats, promising to recharge and revitalize you enough to last through several adventures.

▼ Our favorite is perhaps Mew's Fluffy Marshmallow Drink (1,058 yen).

▼ Chill out with an icy Articuno Float (864 yen).

▼ Refresh yourself with an electrifying Zapdos Float (864 yen)...

▼ ...or incinerate your foes with a fiery Moltres Float (864 yen).

Each order of drink comes with a randomly chosen coaster from a pool of six designs, one of which remains a mystery for now.

▼ See if you can collect them all!

▼ What's more, each customer gets to take home a commemorative
lunch mat featuring Pikachu with cherry blossom afros.

As both the lunch mat and coasters are on a while-stocks-last basis, those hoping to collect these limited-edition collector's items ought to make early reservations and head down to the Pokémon Cafe when 14 March rolls around.

The adventure does not end there, however, as once you have had your fill of delicious mythical treats, fans can walk over and acquire more goodies at the Pokémon megastore next door.

Restaurant information
Pokémon Cafe / ポケモンカフェ
Address: Tokyo-to, Chuo-ku, Nihonbashi 2-11-2, Nihonbashi Takashimaya S.C. East Building 5th floor
東京都中央区日本橋二丁目11番2号 日本橋髙島屋Ｓ.Ｃ.東館 ５階
Open 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m.
Reservations

Source: Pokémon Cafe via PR Times
Images: Pokémon Cafe
● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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Pokémon Cafe celebrates one-year anniversary with exclusive food and legendary Pokémon drinks

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
These limited-edition munchies are Master Ball worthy! Fans were thrilled when the world's first permanent Pokémon Cafe opened its doors to the public some time ago, allowing customers to immerse themselves in the world of Pokémon. A year has passed since then, and to commemorate the establishment's one-year anniversary, the cafe will be implementing a special menu from 14 March to 26 April.

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See how they make fake food

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Do you like cup noodles?

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Osaka was the first city I visited in Japan. I got invited to spend a week-end with Yuki, a former classmate in San Francisco and his family at their house in Akashi. They took me around to visit the main attractions of the region and discover activities that Japanese people typically have on week-ends. I had an amazing time tasting all types of food and doing very unusual things that Japanese seem to like. I wanted to share with you guys the super fun experience I had at the Museum of instant noodle in Osaka, an intriguing, almost odd but extremely entertaining place.

This museum could almost be a historical monument for the Japanese culinary culture. Momofuku Ando, the creator of the instant noodles was convinced that creativity is the most powerful thing a human can have. "Inventions and discoveries are the main actors of history," he believed. So all the museum is about sending a strong message of encouragement to all visitors making them believe in their own potential, and creativity skills.

It is Momofuko's philosophie of life that inspired the creation of such a museum. The place sends a very strong encouraging message to adults and children as well, pushing them to believe in their potential. It is a very inspiring museum that I would definitely recommend to check out if you are in Osaka.

This museum really helps to understand better the history behind the invention of instant noodles and evaluate the growth and expansion of this new industry in Japan and in the world.

It offers an interactive exhibition that shows the exploits of the father of instant ramen. You can learn all about this man who dedicated his life to creating a revolutionary culinary culture.

Over 100 billion packages of instant noodles are consumed annually worldwide. Each of these packages can trace its origins back to the first package of Instant Chicken Ramen invented by Momofuku Ando in 1958.

It even exposes noodle cups that no longer exist in the market today . This permits the Japanese visitors to recall all the various noodles they used to eat when they were younger.

History of Momofuku and the Instant Ramen

Momofuku museum's mission is to show its visitors how everyone could invent and create new things. They just need to find the courage to start.

As a matter of fact, it took Momofuku more than 10 years to believe in his project and create the instant noodles. But the invention itself of the first instant noodle took less than a year.

The museum vehiculates the idea that efficiency is the key of success. "It does not matter how much time you spend, what matters is how you use this time " he believed.

Therefore, the story of Momofuku shows everyone how a simple idea can turn into a brilliant invention. His work was a revolution for the world and its eating habits because he believed in him self and his project.

The goal of making a museum out of it was to make people chase their dreams. The workshops are there to bring out the creative and artistic potential of all children and adults who take them.

The exhibition begins with an impressive amount of packages of instant noodles. They are organized in a chronological order of their creation. The first noodle package is the Chicken Ramen (originally called "Chikin Ramen") .

As a matter of fact, over 800 packages are exposed. They show visitors how a single product introduced into the market more than 50 years ago has changed diet and eating habits for billions of people around the world.

Instant Ramen Around the World

Instant noodles were born in Japan but are consumed all around the world nowadays. I discovered uncountable varieties of ramen sold in more than 80 different countries. Their flavors, thickness and even size is adapted to the target consumers of each country. The differences between a country and another were very interesting to analyse.

The whole museum in dedicated to Momofuku achievements. His life story is introduced through images and photographs, medals he receives and some personnel objects. But the star of the museum is the "Chickin Ramen", the first ramen ever created in the world's history.

The best part of the museum is indubitably "My Cup Noodles Factory"!

Step 1: First, buy an empty cup of instant noodles from one of the many vending machines around.

Step 2: Then, customize the cup of noodles as you wish. (You can choose from a large selection of colors, and get some inspiration from the pre-designed models.)

Step 3: "Manufacture" your own instant noodles. Starts first by turning the handle of the machine that puts the noodles into your customized cup. Finally, choose the ingredients and sauce you wish. (Over 5460 possible combinations)

Step 4: Finally, wrap the noodle cup, and go home with a big smile over your face to taste your "création".

The museum gift shop is "Chickin Noodle" centered. The mascotte Hiyoko-chan is the real star of this shop. You can buy the cute yellow chick in the shape of any object you wish: hat, teddy bear, mug...etc. Also, some very interesting books about the instant noodle history and Momofuko Ando are sold for a fair price.

Useful information about The Instant Ramen Museum ?

Opening hours : 9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (Last admission is at 3:30 p.m.)

Admission fee : Free for the museum. 300yens for each cup of noodles at the "My Cup Noodles factory" .

Address : 8-25 Masumi-cho, Ikeda-shi, Osaka 563-0041, Japan

Train station : Ikeda Station on the Hankyu Takarazuka Line (20 min ride from Hankyu Umeda Station via express train). The museum is approximately 5 min walk from the Masumi-cho Homen Exit.
How to get there:
Here was a little preview about the most unusual museum I have seen so far. My stay in Osaka was an absolute delight thanks to Yuki and his family.

If you likes this article, share the love on your favorite social media!

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Japan : The Instant Ramen Museum in Osaka, a Place of Wonder

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Osaka was the first city I visited in Japan. I got invited to spend a week-end with Yuki, a former classmate in San Francisco and his family at their house in Akashi. They took me around to visit the main attractions of the region and discover activities that Japanese people typically have on week-ends.

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"What's the purpose of your visit?" is a common question to get asked at immigration. "Who do you main?" is not.

If you have an unusual job, it can sometimes lead to some awkward conversations with immigration officers when traveling abroad. That chance is especially high if your job is something that most people are more likely to think of as entertainment than a profession, like playing video games.

So when Japanese e-sports competitor Abadango (@abadango on Twitter) recently traveled abroad to take part in a tournament, he probably expected that he was going to get a few follow-up questions while going through immigration, and sure enough, he did.

俺の入国審査は 審「なにしにきた？」 あ「ゲームトーナメント」 審「なんのゲーム？」 あ「スマブラ」 審「何使ってんの？」 あ「インクリング」 審「インクリングかよ(首振り)俺はドンキー使ってるよ、他には？」 あ「ワリオとメタナイ... twitter.com/i/web/status/1...
-
あばだんご@Frostbite (@Abadango) February 22, 2019

"What is the purpose of your visit?" the official asked. "I'm competing in a video game tournament," replied Abadango (who doesn't specify which country the exchange took place in). "What game is the tournament for?" asked the official, to which Abadango answered " Smash Bros. "

▼ Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the newest game in the series

It's not uncommon for immigration officials to ask for specific pieces of information like that, and it often seems like just a simple spot check to see if the traveler will get flustered, which could be a sign that he's lying and thus needs to be questioned. However, it turned out that the officer talking to Abadango had a genuine interest in the competitive gaming scene, because his next question was:

"What character do you use?"

For those who haven't counted, the latest iteration of Nintendo's Smash Bros. series, Ultimate, has a whopping 75 characters on its roster. Abadango's favorite, he told the immigration official, is Inkling, and not only did the official recognize the guest fighter hailing from the Splatoon franchise, he had an opinion on the character too, reacting with:

"Seriously, Inkling? (shakes head) I use Donkey Kong. What other characters do you use?"

Abadango said that aside from his main, Inkling, he also sometimes plays as Wario or Meta Knight, and these choices seemed to go over better with the official, who said:

"Yeah, Meta Knight is cool. But Inkling is shit."

The sudden discovery of their shared video gaming passion had other Twitter users leaving comments such as:

"Did...did the Inkling do something mean to the immigration official?"
"People all over the world hate the Inkling's Splat Roller attack."
"For a second, I thought they were going to take you into the interrogation room and make you beat the official at Smash to prove you really are a pro gamer."
"I bet if you had said you use Cloud or Link or one of the other characters with lots of fans overseas, even more immigration officers would have joined in the conversation."

▼ Abadango playing as Inkling

In the end, Abadango wasn't asked to demonstrate his Smash Bros. prowess, not did he and the immigration officer engage in a battle to determine whether Inkling or Donkey Kong is the superior character, since the inevitable call for a rematch which always occurs when playing fighting games would have held up the line. Still, it's a sign that the Super Smash Bros. fan community spreads around the globe, plus a story that has a happier ending than this one of a Japanese dad doing all he can to break his Smash-loving son's spirit.
Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! Follow Casey on Twitter, where he's a little sad that Abadango missed a golden opportunity to use the Patlabor Movie quote of "combat" for the reason for his visit.

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Immigration officer has surprising questions for Japanese pro Smash Bros. player traveling abroad

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"What's the purpose of your visit?" is a common question to get asked at immigration. "Who do you main?" is not. If you have an unusual job, it can sometimes lead to some awkward conversations with immigration officers when traveling abroad.

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Want to have a sleep in a cafe?

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Nestle's new sleep cafe offers the most luxurious nap experience you can find in Tokyo - doze to your heart's content!

There's possibly no country that needs to celebrate World Sleep Day more than Japan does. Overtime culture and societal engagements keep people in Japan up way past their natural bedtimes, and so World Sleep Day - which happens every year on the Friday before the Spring Equinox - is a welcome reminder to catch some well-needed Zs.

This year, coffee conglomerate Nescafe is prepared for the festivities. Once again they're running one of their "sleep cafes", and this year they've chosen Oimachi in Tokyo as their prime snoozing spot, with the cafe opening its doors on March 6. But this latest cafe is special - unlike previous pop-up sleep cafes run by the company, this one is here to stay.

Previous cafes run by Nescafe have starred luxurious, high-quality mattresses and rooms with dimmed lights to create ideal napping spots, and the new Oimachi installation is no exception. Customers will even be permitted to choose their preferred hardness for the mattresses and pillows, select relaxing music and lighting, and even can use an eyemask that will monitor their sleep patterns (for their own reference).

▼ You can nap on an adjustable mattress, or doze in a leather reclining chair

▼ Various smart light fixtures in a pretty palette of colors customize your experience

You can choose from numerous courses at the cafe, from a 30-minute nap course (750 yen/US$6.78 plus tax) to a 180-minute sleep course (4,950 yen/US$44.76 plus tax). The reclining leather chairs are only available for the nap course - all other courses assume you want the full immersive mattress experience.

All courses come with at least one cup of coffee, even the nap course, where a regular cup is offered right before you take your 30-minute siesta. In the sleep courses a cup of decaffeinated coffee is offered before you rest, and a caffeinated one is provided once you wake up - just to make sure you're REALLY invigorated as you head back out.

▼ All coffee served is Nescafe's own Gold Blend, whether caffeinated or not.

With a great selection of sleep cafes already available in Tokyo, not to mention massage parlors with similar purposes and even soporific taxi services, there are fewer and fewer reasons to deprive yourself of a good night's sleep...and at the Nescafe Sleep Cafe, you'll be able to enjoy it with a side of coffee.

Cafe information
Nescafe Sleep Cafe / ネスカフェ 睡眠カフェ
Address: Tokyo-to, Shinagawa-ku, Oi 1-7-7 K-2 Building 5th Floor
東京都品川区大井1-7-7 K-2ビル5階
Open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (open from 2:30 p.m. on March 6)
Website (Reservations Booking)

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Nescafe opens permanent sleep cafe in Tokyo in time for Sleep Day, blends catnaps with caffeine

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Nestle's new sleep cafe offers the most luxurious nap experience you can find in Tokyo - doze to your heart's content! There's possibly no country that needs to celebrate World Sleep Day more than Japan does.

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Pokémon fashion comes to Harajuku, and we've got a massive photo preview to help you decide how to customize your dress shirt.

Harajuku has become world-famous as a Japanese fashion center, but the trendy Tokyo neighborhood is actually divided into three distinct areas, each of which has its own look. Takeshita Street is the place for the fastest fashion, with designs and affordable prices that appeal to teenagers. Meanwhile, the tree-lined boulevard called Omotesando is where high-end international brands like to put their flagship stores.

Then there's the network of side streets collectively called Ura Harajuku, meaning "Inner Harajuku." This is where you'll find clothing from smaller design houses that are more mature than what Takeshita has to offer, but more unique than Omotesando's. And last weekend, it's where you could find the Pokémon Shirts shop.

As the name implies, the store was stocked exclusively with apparel from Japanese label Original Stitch's new Pokémon dress shirt line.

Don't think for a second that means the store was short on variety, though. Original Stitch's shirts are all made to order, and allow for a huge amount of customization. The biggest decision is whether to have the Pokémon pattern cover the entire shirt or some combination of the chest, collar, cuffs, and pocket, but there are also multiple collar options and the choice of long or short sleeves.

The shop's first floor was dedicated to four different patterns which were exclusively available to customers ordering their shirts then and there.
An even bigger treat for fans, though, was waiting upstairs...
...where Original Stitch had set up a gallery of all 151 shirt patterns for the original 151 Kanto Region Pokémon species!

There were also racks of sample shirts, showing some of the nearly endless number of possible configurations they can be ordered in.

The variety doesn't just come from all the different Pokémon species, either. For some patterns, the character being saluted is obvious, while others are more stylized and subtle. Tropical, Asian, and even 1980s-style touches really help each shirt feel unique. The huge range of colors means there's sure to be at least one hue you like, and the staff informed me that for the sections of your shirt where you're not applying a Pokémon pattern, the solid cloth can be in any color you like, so you're not necessarily locked into choosing between a Poké-pattern and plain white.

▼ The Snorlax pattern, with a Pikachu taking a nap on the stomach of the perpetually sleepy roadblock, is one of the most clever.

While the display shirts were generally single-Pokémon designs, you can also request multiple characters on the same shirt, putting one pattern on the chest and another on the collar, for example, or placing different Pokémon on your cuffs and pocket. That sort of flexibility is key, because with so many cool and cute patterns to choose from, it can be hard to pick just one species.

Of course, there's only so much fabric to work with, so you will eventually have to narrow your list down to no more than seven Pokémon patterns, the maximum that can be used for the same shirt. So to help you do that, here's a sample of some of the stand-out patterns, like Pikachu ...

... Eevee ...

... Magikarp ...

...and...wait, you know what? They're all awesome, so really the only fair thing to do is show you ALL of them, so that's exactly what I'm going to do.

Before that, though, there's the sad news that the Pokémon Shirts shop was a limited-time pop-up affair, with February 24 its last day. Don't be sad, though, because on February 27 (also known as Pokémon Day, in commemoration of the date on which the very first Pokémon games were released in Japan) Original Stitch will start taking orders online through its website here.

And now, as promised, all 151 Pokémon Shirt patterns (minus one secret), in Pokédex order.

▼ 1. Bulbasaur

▼ 2. Ivysaur

▼ 3. Venusaur

▼ 4. Charmander

▼ 5. Charmeleon

▼ 6. Charizard

▼ 7. Squirtle

▼ 8. Wartortle

▼ 9. Blastoise

▼ 10. Caterpie

▼ 11. Metapod

▼ 12. Butterfree

▼ 13. Weedle

▼ 14. Kakuna

▼ 15. Beedrill

▼ 16. Pidgey

▼ 17. Pidgeotto

▼ 18. Pidgeot

▼ 19. Rattata

▼ 20. Raticate

▼ 21. Spearow

▼ 22. Fearow

▼ 23. Ekans

▼ 24. Arbok

▼ 25. Pikachu

▼ 26. Raichu

▼ 27. Sandshrew

▼ 28. Sandslash

▼ 29. Nidoran (female)

▼ 30. Nidorina

▼ 31. Nidoqueen

▼ 32. Nidoran (male)

▼ 33. Nidorino

▼ 34. Nidoking

▼ 35. Clefairy

▼ 36. Clefable

▼ 37. Vulpix

▼ 38. Ninetales

▼ 39. Jigglypuff

▼ 40. Wigglytuff

▼ 41. Zubat

▼ 42. Golbat

▼ 43. Oddish

▼ 44. Gloom

▼ 45. Vileplume

▼ 46. Paras

▼ 47. Parasect

▼ 48. Venonat

▼ 49. Venomoth

▼ 50. Diglett

▼ 51. Dugtrio

▼ 52. Meowth

▼ 53. Persian

▼ 54. Psyduck

▼ 55. Golduck

▼ 56. Mankey

▼ 57. Primeape

▼ 58. Growlithe

▼ 59. Arcanine

▼ 60. Poliwag

▼ 61. Poliwhirl

▼ 62. Poliwrath

▼ 63. Abra

▼ 64. Kadabra

▼ 65. Alakazam

▼ 66. Machop

▼ 67. Machoke

▼ 68. Machamp

▼ 69. Bellsprout

▼ 70. Weepinbell

▼ 71. Victreebel

▼ 72. Tentacool

▼ 73. Tentacruel

▼ 74. Geodude

▼ 75. Graveler

▼ 76. Golem

▼ 77. Ponyta

▼ 78. Rapidash

▼ 79. Slowpoke

▼ 80. Slowbro

▼ 81. Magnemite

▼ 82. Magneton

▼ 83. Farfetch'd

▼ 84. Doduo

▼ 85. Dodrio

▼ 86. Seel

▼ 87. Dewgong

▼ 88. Grimer

▼ 89. Muk

▼ 90. Shellder

▼ 91. Cloyster

▼ 92. Gastly

▼ 93. Haunter

▼ 94. Gengar

▼ 95. Onix

▼ 96. Drowzee

▼ 97. Hypno

▼ 98. Krabby

▼ 99. Kingler

▼ 100. Voltorb

▼ 101. Electrode

▼ 102. Exeggcute

▼ 103. Exeggutor

▼ 104. Cubone

▼ 105. Marowak

▼ 106. Hitmonlee

▼ 107. Hitmonchan

▼ 108. Lickitung

▼ 109. Koffing

▼ 110. Weezing

▼ 111. Rhyhorn

▼ 112. Rhydon

▼ 113. Chansey

▼ 114. Tangela

▼ 115. Kangaskhan

▼ 116. Horsea

▼ 117. Seadra

▼ 118. Goldeen

▼ 119. Seaking

▼ 120. Staryu

▼ 121. Starmie

▼ 122. Mr. Mime

▼ 123. Scyther

▼ 124. Jynx

▼ 125. Electabuzz

▼ 126. Magmar

▼ 127. Pinsir

▼ 128. Tauros

▼ 129. Magikarp

▼ 130. Gyarados

▼ 131. Lapras

▼ 132. Ditto

▼ 133. Eevee

▼ 134. Vaporeon

▼ 135. Jolteon

▼ 136. Flareon

▼ 137. Porygon

▼ 138. Omanyte

▼ 139. Omastar

▼ 140. Kabuto

▼ 141. Kabutops

▼ 142. Aerodactyl

▼ 143. Snorlax

▼ 144. Articuno

▼ 145. Zapdos

▼ 146. Moltres

▼ 147. Dratini

▼ 148. Dragonair

▼ 149. Dragonite

▼ 150. Mewtwo

▼ And finally, 151. Mew, whose pattern remains shrouded in secrecy

Again, orders start here on the official Pokémon Shirts website at 11 a.m. on February 27, Japan time.

Related: Pokémon Shirts official website
Photos ©SoraNews24
Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
Follow Casey on Twitter, where if you choose to buy an Abra shirt, he'd be honored, since the character is called "Casey" in Japan.

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A visit to Tokyo's Pokémon Shirts store, and what all 150 original species patterns look like

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Pokémon fashion comes to Harajuku, and we've got a massive photo preview to help you decide how to customize your dress shirt. Harajuku has become world-famous as a Japanese fashion center, but the trendy Tokyo neighborhood is actually divided into three distinct areas, each of which has its own look.

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The Sydney Manga and Anime Show, the convention by fans for fans!

SMASH! is an event for everyone; the casual anime watcher, the seasoned figurine collector, and all appreciators of Japanese Pop-Culture! From our growing gaming section to our unique panels and awesome guests, SMASH! is brimming with the best of the best. So come join the fans behind SMASH! at the ICC Sydney this upcoming July 13th - 14th, for another great year of all-round Anime fun, and our biggest year to come!

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The Sydney Manga and Anime Show, the convention by fans for fans! SMASH! is an event for everyone; the casual anime watcher, the seasoned figurine collector, and all appreciators of Japanese Pop-Culture! From our growing gaming section to our unique panels and awesome guests, SMASH! is brimming with the best of the best.

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Japan KFC Dragon Ball Z Commercial (KFZ)

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Or celebrate another iconic symbol of Japan with a 3-D cherry blossom art glass.

The Shiba Inu has been a popular breed of pet dog in Japan for generations, but the rise of social media has ushered in the golden age of Shiba popularity. See, the baseline Shiba character is often described using the Japanese word soboku, which, if you're being generous, could be translated as "unpretentious," but in the case of Shiba, more often works out to them being incredibly goofy.

Shiba are stars of countless videos in which they get into cute and comic shenanigans with silly grins on their faces the whole time, and now they're ready to brighten up your coffee break or tea time too.

These drinking glasses, manufactured by Goodglas for R&K Japan, come in both clear and brown-tinted varieties. Their double-layer construction (similar to the one on Starbucks Japan's Christmas polar bear glasses) gives them a standard semi-spherical shape along their outside edge, while the interior of the cup is shaped like an adorable Shiba with an overconfident grin and bone-shaped collar. Pour your beverage in, and watch a liquid canine companion appear before your very eyes.

▼ Made with heat-resistant glass, the glasses can be used for hot or cold drinks.

However, because of how the glass uses gravity to make the trick work, it has to keep the top of the shiba's head at the bottom of the glass in order to properly form the irregular lines that make up the pooch's ears and forehead.

The result is that the Shiba appears upside-down when you're actually using the glass to drink from. Of course, considering some of the unusual things we've seen Shiba do before, the unusually oriented pose actually seems entirely keeping with their peculiarly playful personalities.

Meanwhile, if you'd like something as quintessentially Japanese as a Shiba Inu but also a little more elegant, R&K is also selling a sakura glass which shapes your drink like a cherry blossom.

Both glasses are priced at 3,200 yen (US$29), and can be ordered through R&K's website (Shiba here, sakura here).
Follow Casey on Twitter, where he's been using the same 100-yen coffee cup for 15 years.

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Shiba-sip your beverages with adorable glasses from Japan that turn your drink into a Shiba Inu

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Or celebrate another iconic symbol of Japan with a 3-D cherry blossom art glass. The Shiba Inu has been a popular breed of pet dog in Japan for generations, but the rise of social media has ushered in the golden age of Shiba popularity.

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Ice Sculptures

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Maybe he can do your homework?

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Sharp's RoBoHoN can make calls and take photos of anyone who enters your home. 🤖📞

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This is the real sushi train

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Looking for something to eat

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So cute!

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BEST of Japanese Art of Lunch Boxes (BENTO 弁当)

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Yum yum

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We taste the new Pokémon doughnuts and get our hands on some exclusive merchandise before the official release.

After months of waiting, the new Pokémon Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon Let's Go, Eevee! games are finally set to land on the Nintendo Switch on 16 November. And to celebrate, Mister Donut is collaborating with the gaming giant for a new " Let's Meet Pokémon at Mister Donut! " campaign.

At the centre of the campaign is a pair of adorable Pokémon doughnuts, in the shape of a Poké Ball and the character Pikachu. We were lucky enough to taste the new doughnuts ahead of their official 16 November release date, and we got to take a look at some of the other items from the campaign too!

As soon as we locked eyes with the first Pokémon doughnut in the range, there was a second where we thought we might not be able to bring ourselves to bite into the cute face of Pikachu. However, once we were told that it was covered in a yellow banana-flavoured chocolate, with chocolate embellishments on the ears, cheeks and eyes, we couldn't resist the awesome-sounding combination.

This was a delightfully fluffy doughnut, and as soon as we took a bite, a soft white cream oozed out from the centre, coating our taste buds with a mellow sweetness that was soon overtaken by banana and chocolate flavours.

It was a fantastic doughnut, and one we thought would be hard to beat, but then we laid eyes on the Poké Ball, which was deliciously round and plump.

The Poké Ball comes served in a special case that can be reversed to either feature the character of Pokémon, or the character of Eevee.

If you prefer berries to bananas, then this is the doughnut for you. Once you resist the urge to throw it, you'll find that it comes covered in a delicious white chocolate and strawberry glaze, and in its centre lies a sweet strawberry jam, which melds together in your mouth for a superb flavour combination.

Joining the Pokémon doughnuts over the holiday period are a limited-edition collection of Christmas doughnuts, which went on sale on 9 November.

▼ The White and Berry snowmen retail for 162 yen (US$1.42) each.

▼ While the sparkly Chocolate Snow and Red Snow wreaths retail for 151 yen each.

Also retailing for 151 yen is the Yellow Snow Old Fashioned Wreath, featuring the flavour of banana.

And if you want something that lasts a little longer than a doughnut, there's a beautiful mug duo designed to complement the collection.

The pink mug has an image of the holiday doughnut range assembled into the shape of a makeshift Christmas tree, with Pikachu and Eevee playing on the front, and even more Pokémon characters on the back!

▼ The white design has Pikachu on the front, and Eevee on the reverse side.

While the Pokémon doughnuts can be purchased separately for 216 yen each, the mugs can only be purchased as part of a special set. The first set option is for those eating in, and includes one of the Pokémon doughnuts, one drink, one coaster and one mug, for 800 yen.

The second option, for 1,080 yen, is for takeout orders only, and includes two Pokémon doughnuts, plus one extra Pokémon doughnut or two Christmas doughnuts, one mug and an original takeout box, in the design of a Poké Ball.

There's a lot on offer, and it's all for a limited time, so if you'd like to catch 'em all, be sure to head to a Mister Donut store in Japan from 17 November to 25 December.

Related: Mister Donut shop list (Japanese)
Featured image:PR Times
Insert images: © SoraNews24, ©2018 Pokémon, ©1995-2018 Nintendo/Creatures Inc. /GAME FREAK inc.
ポケットモンスター・ポケモン・Pokémon ・モンスターボールは任天堂・クリーチャーズ・ゲームフリークの登録商標です。
[ Read in Japanese ]

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Mister Donut releases Pokémon doughnuts in Japan for a limited time

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We taste the new Pokémon doughnuts and get our hands on some exclusive merchandise before the official release. After months of waiting, the new Pokémon Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon Let's Go, Eevee! games are finally set to land on the Nintendo Switch on 16 November.

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Would you like lunch?

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People in Japan love fried chicken. It's so popular it's become one of the staple ingredients in Japanese bento lunches, where it's served in small, boneless pieces known as kara-age, and it's in such high demand that you'll find queues outside specialist kara-age joints around the country.

World-famous fast-food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken has finally picked up on the popularity of the chicken piece with a new line-up of Japanese-style hole-in-the-wall outlets dedicated to serving up kara-age in a variety of KFC flavours. And that's not all. They'll even serve it up in a bento lunchbox too.

Known as Niwatorikaratei 「鶏から亭」, there are only four of these specialty outlets in Japan - three in Tokyo and one in Yokohama. We visited the store in Togoshi Ginza, a place that gets its name, incidentally, from the fact that it was built with bricks left over from the reconstruction of Ginza after the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923.

Offering take-out only, the small servings of chicken come in four varieties and are sold by weight. At 278 yen (US$2.73) per 100 grams, you can buy one piece of chicken for about 90-100 yen ($0.88 -$0.98).

The four varieties available are Karauma (Delicious Spicy), Shouyu (Soy Sauce) Hiden Supaisu (KFC Secret Spice) and Koshou Arare (Pepper and Roasted Rice).

If you're after something more substantial, then you can try the Japanese style bento lunch for 515 yen ($5.05), with your choice of three chicken pieces.

We decided to buy the bento box and as the store was promoting their new seasonal product, the crunchy pepper and roasted rice chicken, we knew we had to give this a try.

Offering a new culinary experience, the KFC bento box comes complete with a set of chopsticks.

Just like traditional, store-bought bento boxes, the lunch box comes wrapped in paper bearing the company name and logo.

The lunch box is two-tiered, with the main ingredients on top and a tray of rice underneath.

Alongside the chicken pieces we have a scoop of Japanese-style potato salad and a square of Japanese omelette. These were remarkably tasty and a great accompaniment between bites of chicken.

From left to right we have the Koshou Arare (Pepper and Roasted Rice), the Shouyu (Soy Sauce) and the Karauma (Delicious Spicy). While the Soy Sauce chicken was delightfully salty and the Delicious Spicy could've done with a little more kick, our favourite was the Pepper and Roasted Rice, which had a fantastic crunchy texture, thanks to the crispy, puffed rice coating.

While the chicken pieces had a distinct KFC flavour, the Japanese influence and packaging made this a unique bento-eating experience! If you're in town and you come across the Colonel on one of these Japanese-style banners, be sure to pop in and give it a try!

KFC Niwatori Karatei
1-6-17 Hiratsuka, Togoshi Ginza
Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo
Ph: 03-5749-4848
Store Hours: 10:00-22:00
Photos: RocketNews24

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KFC now selling bento lunchboxes from exclusive chain of Japanese-style outlets

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People in Japan love fried chicken. It's so popular it's become one of the staple ingredients in Japanese bento lunches, where it's served in small, boneless pieces known as kara-age, and it's in such high demand that you'll find queues outside specialist kara-age joints around the country. World-famous fast-food ...

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Want a job

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McDonald's Anime Commercial [1&2] English Sub

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Real Estate commerical

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ショートムービー『超機動街区 KASHIWA-NO-HA』

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Inspiring to be a chef?

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ANA Australia’s New Culinary Ambassador - Adam Liaw

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Two different ranges with totally different blossoms and colour tones.

Now that Starbucks has revealed their Japan-exclusive sakura drinks for this year's cherry blossom season, the global coffeehouse chain is giving us a sneak peek at their limited-edition range of seasonal drinkware as well.

The sakura drinkware range for 2019 comes in two collections, with the first one based around a "cold" theme, given it will become available just before the buds open in spring. With 21 items in the first range, this is one of their biggest releases to date, and this year they're offering goods that aren't in the drinkware category as wel l.

1 Clear Blossom Bottle (500ml) 2,100 yen*
2 Blue Bottle (355ml) 2,000 yen
3 Petal Tumbler 473ml) 2,000 yen
4 Petal Slim Handy Stainless Bottle (400ml) 4,300 yen
5 Grace Handy Stainless Bottle (500ml) 4,500 yen
6 Flying Petal Double-Walled Stainless Bottle (355ml) 3,500 yen
7 Grace Double-Walled Stainless Bottle355ml) 3,600 yen(available online only)
8 Layered Covered Stainless Bottle (355ml) 3,900 yen
9 Matte Pink Stainless Logo Bottle (473ml) 4,100 yen
10 Pink Bottle (355ml) 2,000 yen (available online only)
*All prices exclusive of tax

11 Sakura Shape Double-Walled Glass (237ml) 2,400 yen (available online only)
12 Clear Drop Double-Walled Glass (237ml) 2,400 yen
13 Blossom Stainless ToGo Logo Tumbler (355ml) 3,600 yen
14 Blossom Stainless Mug (355ml) 2,800 yen
15 Grace Mug (355ml) 2,100 yen
16 Stationery Pouch 2,000 yen
17 Nakameguro Journal Book 1,900 yen
18 Journal Book 1,900 yen
19 Blossom Beverage Card 620 yen
20 Nakameguro Beverage Card 620 yen
21 Nakameguro Mug (355ml) 1,500 yen

As always, these items are only available in limited quantities and are so sought after they often sell out as soon as they hit the shelves. If you miss the items in the first collection, though, you'll have another chance to stock your cupboards with cherry blossom tumblers when the "Sunlight" collection hits stores.

1 Gloss Stainless Create Your Tumbler (473ml) 2,900 yen
2 Breeze Pink Stainless Tumbler (355ml) 3,500 yen
3 Colourful Tumbler (355ml) 1,800 yen
4 Double-Walled Sunny Bottle Dancing (473ml) 2,500 yen
5 Lively Stainless Bottle (480ml) 4,600 yen
6 Bright One-Touch Stainless Bottle (450ml) 4,400 yen
7 Charm Tumbler Vivid Pink (355ml) 1,900 yen
8 Colourful Stainless Tumbler (355ml) 3,500 yen
9 Nakameguro Glass (384ml) 1,300 yen
10 Embossed Line Mug (355ml) 2,000 yen (available online only)

11 Bright Pink Mug (355ml) 2,100 yen
12 Breeze Stainless Tumbler Ivory(355ml) 3,500 yen (available online only)
13 Blanket and Case 2,300 yen
14 Coaster Set 1,900 yen
15 Double-Walled Stainless Bottle Dancing (355ml) 3,500 yen (available online only)
16 Bloomy Handy Stainless Bottle (400ml) 4,300 yen
17 Silicon Lid Stainless Cup Charm (355ml) 3,100 yen
18 Petals Mug (355ml) 1,500 yen

While we get to enjoy sakura-themed Starbucks tumblers, cups, glasses and travel mugs every cherry blossom season, this is the first time we've seen blankets and journals in the collection. The first series will be on sale from 15 February, while the second collection will be on sale from 25 February, until stocks sell out.
Source, images: Starbucks Japan

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Starbucks Japan releases new cherry blossom travel mugs, glasses and goods for 2019

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Two different ranges with totally different blossoms and colour tones. Now that Starbucks has revealed their Japan-exclusive sakura drinks for this year's cherry blossom season, the global coffeehouse chain is giving us a sneak peek at their limited-edition range of seasonal drinkware as well.

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Would you stay here?

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Would you eat this?

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Eating a $200 Square Watermelon ★ ONLY in JAPAN

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Dawn is an inspirational marriage of technology and humanity.

On 26 November, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held in the Nippon Foundation Building in Akasaka, Tokyo for a very special kind of cafe.

Called Dawn ver.β, it's staffed entirely with robot waiters. While these days that's hardly something new, these aren't mere robots.

Developed by Ory, a startup that specializes in robotics for disabled people, the OriHime-D is a 120 cm (4-foot) tall robot that can be operated remotely from a paralyzed person's home. Even if the operator only has control of their eyes, they can command OriHime-D to move, look around, speak with people, and handle objects.

▼ This video shows how an ALS patient, unable to speak, can use his eyes to type messages that can then be spoken by the OriHime-D robot.

▼ And here another paralyzed man using a OriHime-D serves a coffee.

Created in a collaboration between Ory, NPO Nippon Foundation, and airline ANA, Dawn ver.β is designed to resemble the titular cafe from the 2008 anime Time of Eve, which is also contributing to the project.

▼ Time of Eve depicts a cafe in which robots and humans interact as equals

However, as the "beta" in its name suggests, this is a limited run and will only remain open until 7 December.

During this time a staff of ten people, with conditions such as ALS or spinal cord injuries and working from home, are paid 1,000 yen (US$8.80) an hour (a standard wage for part-time work in Japan) to serve up coffee and interact with the clientele. But more importantly than money, these people are also given a newfound independence.

Prior to the cafe's opening, a crowdfunding drive was held on Japanese site Makuake where it more than doubled its goal of 1.5 million yen ($13,000). If the support continues to come in, it is hoped that a full-fledged Dawn will open in 2020.

However, to achieve that they still need as much support as people can give. So, if you're in the Tokyo area, there's still time to stop by and buy several cups of coffee.

In an age where people complain that robots are taking all the jobs, it's nice to see an instance of robots giving people jobs for a change, especially in such a meaningful way.

Cafe Information
Dawn ver.β
Address: Tokyo-to, Minato-ku, Akasaka 1-2-2, Nippon Foundation Bldg. 1F
東京都港区赤坂日本財団ビル１Ｆ
Open: 26-30 November, 3-7 December
Hours: 1 p.m.-5 p.m.

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Cafe opens in Tokyo staffed by robots controlled by paralyzed people

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Dawn is an inspirational marriage of technology and humanity. On 26 November, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held in the Nippon Foundation Building in Akasaka, Tokyo for a very special kind of cafe. Called Dawn ver.β, it's staffed entirely with robot waiters. While these days that's hardly something new, these aren't mere robots.

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My neighbour Totoro

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Enjoy hanami flower viewing with some famous anime wood sprites this year.

As we get ready to head into spring, stores around Japan are beginning to blossom with sakura-themed treats to help get us into the spirit of the flower-viewing season.

One of those stores is Donguri no Kyowakoku ("Acorn Republic"), a retail chain dedicated to selling official Studio Ghibli merchandise, and this year they're treating us to a special My Neighbour Totoro Sakura series.

▼ The new collection features Totoro, surrounded by sakura blooms and petals, holding a cherry blossom.

First up in the series is a tote bag, priced at 2,700 yen (US$24.42), which comes covered in pink-and-white petals. The fluttering petal design sees Totoro being joined by some soot sprites and a smaller blue Totoro pal, against a pale blue background that resembles the sky on a clear spring day.

There's also a matching pouch for 1,800 yen, which can be used to store items like makeup or stationery.

Next up in the range is an adorable pink-trimmed handkerchief (1,000 yen), which has Totoro sitting in the middle of a flurry of sakura petals, joined by a medium-sized Totoro and three smaller Totoro in the corners.

The photo frame (2,600 yen) features Totoro, a couple of soot sprites, and some smaller Totoro friends. With tiny Totoro peeking out from the blooms on the frame itself, this is an adorable item that can be used to display your hanami picnic pictures year after year.

The paper envelopes, which come in a pack of three for 350 yen, are designed to be used for gifts of money, usually given out at this time of year to congratulate students on their graduation or entrance ceremonies.

Rounding off the new six-piece range is this adorable ornament (1,800 yen), which shows Totoro enjoying the cherry blossoms while showing off his signature grin.

The entire collection is currently available to purchase at Donguri Kyowakoku stores around the country and also online.

Like many of this year's sakura- themed goods, this Ghibli merchandise collection is only available for a limited time, so be sure to pick them up while you can. And if you're overseas, you can always try a forwarding service to get these goods delivered to your door!

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Sakura Totoro: Official Studio Ghibli merchandise for cherry blossom season 2019

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Enjoy hanami flower viewing with some famous anime wood sprites this year. As we get ready to head into spring, stores around Japan are beginning to blossom with sakura-themed treats to help get us into the spirit of the flower-viewing season.

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Do you love kit kats?

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Chocolate lovers around Japan were understandably thrilled when the Kit Kat Chocolatery, the world's first Kit Kat specialty store, opened in the Seibu Ikebukuro Department Store about a year ago. Of course, we were pretty excited too, and when we visited the shop on opening day, we could see from the crowd that plenty of people felt the same way.

After a year, it seems the Kit Kat Chocolatery has been a success so far, as they've just opened their fourth shop in Japan, this time in Kyoto. And what's even better, this Kit Kat Chocolatery comes with a cafe attached! Plus, they've released some new Chocolatery products as well, so we thought we'd share the news with all our sweets-loving readers!

As we've previously reported, the Kit Kat Chocolatery features items produced by renowned pastry chef Yasumasa Takagi, and his special creations made exclusively for the Chocolatery were certain to attract attention, particularly as Kit Kats have always been popular in Japan. But just how successful has the Kit Kat Chocolatery been since its launch a year ago?

Well, according to Nestle Japan's recent press release, the two Chocolatery shops in Tokyo (the Seibu Ikebukuro and Daimaru Tokyo stores) and the third shop in Nagoya (the Matsuzakaya Nagoya store) so far have welcomed over 400,000 customers and generated roughly 900 million yen (approx. US$7.6 million) in sales. No wonder they decided to open a fourth shop! And the historic city of Kyoto, which attracts a huge number of tourists from both within Japan and abroad, certainly seems an excellent choice of location.

As a matter of fact, Kit Kat actually already has ties with Kyoto, as one of its products, the "Kit Kat Matcha Green Tea for Grown-ups ( Kit Kat Otonano Amasa Matcha)," has been designated a "PR Partner" by the Prefecture of Kyoto for promoting the Uji Matcha green tea, which Kyoto is known for.

▼Here's an image of what the new shop in Kyoto looks like. It just recently opened on January 28 on the B1 floor of the Daimaru Kyoto Department Store.

Now, as we've already mentioned, this is the first Chocolatery shop with an eat-in cafe, and their menu definitely sounds tempting. On offer at the cafe are: the " Kit Kat Sablé" and " Kit Kat Sablé Matcha Flavor" cookies, both baked with rich dough containing crushed Kit Kat crumbs (350 yen [US$2.96] a piece); the " Kit Kat Parfait" consisting of chocolate flavored soft serve ice cream made with chef Takagi's original chocolate topped with Kit Kats (600 yen [$5.08]); the " Café Affogato (Affogato al Caffè) Chocolat" made with NESCAFÉ® Dolce Gusto® Espresso poured over chef Takagi's original soft serve chocolate ice cream (300 yen [$2.54]); and the " Café Mélange," a beverage consisting of NESCAFÉ® Dolce Gusto®'s Lungo regular blend coffee topped with whipped cream (350 yen [$2.96]). Goodness, just introducing the menu makes us seriously crave sweets and coffee! And if you just want something simpler, they also have the NESCAFÉ® Dolce Gusto®'s line of Lungo coffee, Espresso, Cappuccino, Tea Latte and Uji Matcha Green Tea Latte available for approximately $2 to $3.

And now, let's take a look at the new Chocolatery items that have just recently been released.

● The " Kit Kat Chocolatery Special Kyoto Assort" (1,350 yen [$11.43]/12 pieces)

This package containing 3 pieces each of the " Strawberry Maple," " Plum," " Matcha Greent Tea and Kinako Soy Bean Powder" and " Ginger " flavors, comes in an original package decorated with an illustration of Kyoto's famous five-story pagoda and is available only at the Kyoto Daimaru Store.

● The " Kit Kat x DISH Special Collaboration Kit Kat with CD" (Special Kyoto Package Version)" (600 yen [$5.08])

These Kit Kats come with a CD of the tie-in song "Kit" featured in the short musical film "Your Story" which stars the four-man rock band DISH. The box has a blank space on the bottom where you can write a personalized message if you're giving it to someone as a present. The package pictured above is a special edition box sold only at the Kyoto Daimaru store, but a regular version will be available at all Chocolatery shops from February 2.

● The " Kit Kat Chocolaterie Special Plum ( Ume)" (400 yen [$3.39]/4 pieces)

The slightly sour flavor of plum makes a refreshing combination with the sweetness of chocolate in these KitKats. They're currently available only at the Kyoto Daimaru store but will be sold at the rest of the Chocolatery shops too from February 2.

●The " Kit Kat Sublime White" (300 yen [$2.54]/piece)

These Kit Kats made with quality white couverture chocolate are rich, yet not too sweet. They're now available at all Chocolatery shops, but only 300 are sold each day, and each customer is limited to a purchase of three pieces.

And for your reference and enjoyment, here's a recap of the other choco-licious items available at the Chocolatery shops:

▼The ever popular " Kit Kat Sublime Bitter" made with bitter couverture chocolate containing 66% cacao (300 yen [$2.54]/piece)

▼The "Kit Kat Sublime Raspberry," which also contains couverture chocolate with 66% cacao combined with the refreshing flavor of raspberry (300 yen [$2.54]/piece)

▼The "Kit Kat Chocolatery Special Ginger," made using cream containing ginger powder (400 yen [$3.39]/4 pieces)

▼The " Kit Kat Chocolatery Special Cream Cheese," which contains powdered cheese in between the wafers (400 yen [$3.39]/4 pieces)

▼The " Kit Kat Chocolatery Special Matcha Green Tea and Kinako Soy Bean Powder," which uses quality Uji Matcha green tea (400 yen [$3.39]/4 pieces)

▼The " Kit Kat Chocolatery Special Strawberry Maple", made from white chocolate containing strawberries, with a touch of maple flavoring added (400 yen [$3.39]/4 pieces)

▼The " Kit Kat Chocolaterie Special Orange Cocktail" with a refreshing orange flavor (400 yen [$3.39]/4 pieces, 1,200 yen [$10.19]/12 pieces, available only in Tokyo)

Well, the folks at Nestle Japan must have a ball thinking up special Kit Kat flavors to drive chocolate lovers mad with craving. Not that we're complaining, as long as they continue coming up with delectable looking treats for us! We can never have too many choices of chocolates, after all, can we?

79 Shijo Street Takakura Nishiiri Tachiurinishimachi, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto[Details for Kit Kat Chocolatery Daimaru Kyoto Shop]
Business Hours: 10am to 8pm
(Closed when Daimaru Kyoto is closed)
Address:
Daimaru Kyoto Department Store B1 Floor
Access: 1 min from Hankyu Kyoto Line Karasuma Station 2 min walk from Karasuma Subway Line Shijo Station
Tel: +81-75-211-8111

Source: Nestle Japan press release (Japanese)
Photos: Flickr (Nestle Japan), Kit Kat Chocolatery site store info page and Kit Kat Chocolatery site product info page

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First Kit Kat Chocolatery shop with cafe opens in Kyoto! New Chocolatery items released too

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Chocolate lovers around Japan were understandably thrilled when the Kit Kat Chocolatery, the world's first Kit Kat specialty store, opened in the Seibu Ikebukuro Department Store about a year ago. Of course, we were pretty excited too, and when we visited the shop on opening day, we could see from the crowd that pl ...

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Sakura season is just around the corner, and Lipton will help you prepare.

Starbucks may have taken the lead on getting us all pumped up for early blossoms with their Spring 2019 sakura series, but other brands are starting to make announcements for drinks, food, and more that are just as exciting.

Joining this year's sakura goods lineup is Lipton with Sakura Milk Tea. Starting on February 19, it will be available throughout Japan (except Okinawa). It's supposed to taste like the original Lipton Milk Tea with a refreshing touch of cherry blossoms.

▼ For just 135 yen (US$1.22) you can enjoy an early taste of spring.

Aside from the special flavor, it also features a festive package. The carton is dominated by a pale pink color and delicate cherry blossoms surround the Lipton logo. It definitely has Instagram potential!

Netizens have been reacting to the upcoming drink on social media, and they seem just as excited as us.

"I like how this is taking the initiative on spring."
"Just looking at it makes me feel refreshed."
"This is one of those drinks that I know won't taste good but will still buy every year."

We can't vouch for the taste (yet), but we think the packaging alone makes Lipton's Sakura Milk Tea worthy of putting on your Spring 2019 bucket list. If you want to try it out, though, you only have until this spring to enjoy it, so make sure o grab a carton or two if you're heading out to a hanami party!

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Lipton to release Sakura Milk Tea for cherry blossom season!

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Sakura season is just around the corner, and Lipton will help you prepare. Starbucks may have taken the lead on getting us all pumped up for early blossoms with their Spring 2019 sakura series, but other brands are starting to make announcements for drinks, food, and more that are just as exciting.

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*舞蹈版* 黃明志【東京盆踊り Tokyo Bon 2020】 Ft. 二宮芽生 & Cool Japan TV (Official Music Video)

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ALL BLACKS IN JAPAN - AIG JAPAN COMMERCIAL

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designboom | architecture & design magazine

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yayoi kusama opens museum in tokyo, a world of infinite polka-dots

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the yayoi kusama museum, accompanied with an inaugural exhibition of over 600 pieces of the artist's work, has recently opened in tokyo, japan

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Park reveals project is bigger than Wizarding World of Harry Potter, gives tentative opening date.

When news first came that Universal Studios Japan (commonly called USJ by locals) and Nintendo were partnering to bring the beloved video game company's characters to the Osaka theme park, many weren't sure how high they should het their hopes up. Nintendo has never had a major amusement park presence, and many of USJ's Japanese pop culture-based projects tend to be limited-time or small-scale endeavors.

But then came word that USJ was ready to make a sizeable investment as part of the team-up. Earlier reports said the theme park would be spending 40 billion yen (US$388 million) on its Nintendo attractions, but now the theme park is saying it will pouring 50 billion yen (US$485 million) into the venture.

To give a sense of just how far that much money could go, USJ's Wizarding World of Harry Potter area, which has been blowing visitors' socks off ( ours included) since it was added to the park in 2014, was only a 40 billion-yen project. Considering that outlay was enough to build a gigantic castle and adjoining village, it seems a safe bet that with an extra 10 billion yen to spend, USJ's Nintendo area will be no less impressive in terms of polish and size.

USJ executives say the Nintendo area will be home to multiple attractions, dining options, and souvenir shops. The park is aiming to have the new section open by 2020, in order to capitalize on the expected influx of foreign visitors to Japan as it hosts the summer Olympics for that year. It sounds like the making of a dream come true for Nintendo fans, and we can't wait for USJ to make more details available (including what kind of Pokémon players can catch there).

Source: Sankei West
Top image: Nintendo (edited by RocketNews24)
Follow Casey on Twitter, where he's wondering if parkgoers will have to fight someone every time they cross a walkway in the Nintendo area, Urban Champion-style.

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Sounds like Universal Studio Japan's Nintendo zone is going to be huge!

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Park reveals project is bigger than Wizarding World of Harry Potter, gives tentative opening date. When news first came that Universal Studios Japan (commonly called USJ by locals) and Nintendo were partnering to bring the beloved video game company's characters to the Osaka theme park, many weren't sure how high they should het their hopes up.

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Some product ideas sound nice on paper, but run into hiccups in the real world. Foaming bottom soap? Great in theory, terrible in practice. A "chin rest arm" to keep your head up and your posture straight at work? Not very practical.

Maybe you could say the same about these "cat foot" socks created by the company Lemcos and being sold here through Amazon Japan. They're made to actually look like striped cat feet, even down to the fine details of the fur and the shapes of the toes. On the bottoms of the socks, you can even see the little paw pads and toe beans!

In theory, these cat foot socks would be really cute. The problem is, they're just too realistic. They make your feet look like giant cat feet, and in practice, that's pretty weird. That's what Twitter user and cat lover @Campanula73 learned when they ordered them from Amazon Japan.

▼ "These cat socks were exceedingly more cat-like than I expected."

猫の靴下が想像以上に猫だった https://t.co/ZzOujWx53O
-
campanula73 (@Campanula73) February 05, 2019

Shown here jutting out of @Campanula73's blue jeans, the cat socks on this netizen's feet just look unnatural, like an anthropomorphic cat person wearing jeans. We have nothing against anthropomorphic cats, of course, in animated or art form. But it's a concept that's a little hard to accept in the confines of reality, and it makes us wonder if @Campanula73 might actually be a nekomata demon cat!

Japanese netizens, understandably, were alternatively in love with and shocked by the socks:

"Those are super realistic. I'm going to buy some for my family as joke gifts!"
"Those really do look like cat feet! If somebody told me that was a cat wearing pants I'd probably believe them."
"Cats the musical!"
"I want some!!"
"I can't tell the difference between these and actual cat feet!!"
"These are great"
"I bought some! My thanks to you!"

For the record, there are also nine other realistic animal feet socks on sale from Lemcos, like this absolutely astonishing pair of eagle feet:

@ Campanula73 FF外から失礼いたします。 こちらの鳥、もってるのですが...猫の方がかわいいですね...( ◜ᴗ◝) https://t.co/pz3JVEkGRw
-
褌のんたん🕊️ (@72nunenontan) February 07, 2019

▼ The complete lineup

A helpful netizen pointed out that they are also available on Alibaba Express as well, and ship from China. On a quick search for "cat foot socks" on Amazon U.S., we also found them for a slightly higher price than on Alibaba and Amazon Japan, but they are available through Amazon Prime, so you might better and cheaper shipping options from your own country's Amazon if you're living overseas!

These socks are on par with the pussycat underpants that were released a couple of years ago. Make sure you wear both together to really leave an impact on your significant other!
Source: Twitter/@Campanula73 via Wadai no Gazou ga Wakaru Saito
Featured image: Twitter/@Campanula73
Insert images:Amazon/レンコス（Lemcos）

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These "cat foot" socks from Japan are so realistic they look terrifying on human feet

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Some product ideas sound nice on paper, but run into hiccups in the real world. Foaming bottom soap? Great in theory, terrible in practice. A "chin rest arm" to keep your head up and your posture straight at work? Not very practical.

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Wolverine actor owes much of his fame to his handsome face and bulging muscles, but it's his heart and his voice that are captivating fans.

Most people don't leap out of bed when their alarm goes off in the morning, completely full of energy and with nothing but excitement for the day of work or school to come. So it's nice to have something to give you a little boost in the a.m., even if it's something as simple as having someone give you a cordial "Good morning."

Of course, when you build up a global fanbase as large as the one Hugh Jackman has, the effect of your "good morning" is amplified, and if you happen to be able to say the phrase in Japanese in a manner that's not only intelligible, but also incredibly cool, then fans in Japan are going to swoon at the multicultural gesture.

Jackman recently came to Tokyo to promote the Japanese release of his latest film, The Frontrunner. Upon arrival, the dapper Australian actor posted a short video in which he whips off his sunglasses and says "Ohayou gozaimasu," Japanese for "Good morning," with impressively accurate pronunciation. Granted, his initial "o"is a little close to an "a," but the breathy way in which he speaks is remarkably close to the tone of a mature Japanese gentleman.

▼ And his pronunciation of the phrase is even clearer in this pre-arrival video he shared.

The videos from Jackman (who also spent time in Japan filming The Wolverine, inspiring one Japanese city to name a new kind of rose after the character) have earned him praise from Japanese online commenters, such as:

"This just made my morning wonderful."
"I wish I could have Hugh Jackman tell me 'Ohayou gozaimasu' every morning."
"I've been listening to the video on loop since I got up."
"It's so sweet how he went to the trouble of mastering that phrase before coming to Japan."
"Good morning to you too, Hugh Jackman! Let's both do our best at work today."

Jackman has also been posting photos of his time in Japan, taken at locations such as the Harajuku neighborhood's Takeshita Street, the TeamLab Borderless art installation, and one of Japan's ever-present, eternally fascinating vending machines.

▼ This one comes with the short but sweet message 日本が大好きです, meaning "I love Japan."

So far, though, it's his quick " Ohayou gozaimasu " video that's getting the biggest reactions from local fans, and it's a warmhearted reminder of an important aspect of modern Japanese society. While Japan has a dense set of linguistic and cultural traditions, many of which can seem intimidating to foreign visitors, the country always appreciates it when people from abroad take a participatory interest in them, especially the Japanese language. So if you're planning a trip to Japan, don't be shy, and keep your eyes open for an opportunity to use those two or three phrases, or even just the one, that you learned on the flight over.

Sources: Instagram/@thehughjackman, Twitter/ヒュー・ジャックマン おはようございます
Featured image: Instagram/@thehughjackman
[ Read in Japanese ]

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Hugh Jackman says good morning to Japan in Japanese, makes fans swoon【Videos】

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Wolverine actor owes much of his fame to his handsome face and bulging muscles, but it's his heart and his voice that are captivating fans. Most people don't leap out of bed when their alarm goes off in the morning, completely full of energy and with nothing but excitement for the day of work or school to come.

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And you can browse all of their outfits in detail on the Instagram page of the company that made them.

AKB48 has been one of the most popular artists in Japan for years, selling so many CDs that they even cracked the list of the top three best-sellers of all time. This enormous group of cute girls in cute outfits have amassed legions of devoted fans, and not always because of their music, as some fans' devotion is due to the group's elaborate stage shows and music videos featuring dozens of cute girls in cute outfits.

AKB48's clothing has been getting extra attention these days as Instagram has been abuzz about the cabin attendant-inspired outfits the girls wore at 2018's Kohaku Uta Gassen, the most popular end-of-year TV show in Japan.

▼ Their performance of "Koi Suru Fortune Cookie"

At this year's Kohaku Uta Gassen, AKB48 did a collaborative performance with some members of their Bangkok sister group, BNK48, and they were divided into 16 pairs of one AKB48 member and one BNK48 member each. Each pair wore a unique set of matching black or white uniforms in a classical style, with pencil skirts and lace gloves, giving off a very elegant feel that Instagram users just loved.

#NHK紅白🎤#AKB48 #BNK48 の「恋するフォーチュンクッキー」の新衣装をオサレカンパニーで担当させていただきました！ AKB48とBNK48のメンバーが2人1組でシンメトリーになるようなデザインになっています👗✨... twitter.com/i/web/status/1...
-
オサレカンパニー (@osarecompany) December 31, 2018

The clothes were designed by Japanese fashion company OSARECOMPANY, which, according to their homepage, was founded by AKB48 creator Yasushi Akimoto himself, for the sole purpose of producing and managing the styling, hair, and makeup of the group.

OSARECOMPANY also has Instagram and Twitter accounts, in which they frequently post pictures of the group's outfits, but the best part is that they tend to hone in on the fine details that you can't always see on TV. They uploaded a few shots of AKB48 and BNK48's stewardess uniforms from Kohaku Uta Gassen, and the photos really show that a lot of care and attention goes into the costumes, even when they might look like ordinary schoolgirl uniforms from afar.

Just by browsing their Instagram gallery, you can see the styling of the individual patches that each member wore as well as the minute decorations on the hems of the blazers and the cuffs of the sleeves.

You can even see the fine texture of the clothing's material from the photos!

The page has tons of AKB48 outfits that are not just from Kohaku Uta Gassen, but from other events like the group's appearance at the 60th Japan Record Awards and even their special Christmas outfits.

The outfits have become all the rage with Japanese idol and fashion fans, drawing comments like:

"AKB's outfits are like works of art!"
"No matter what outfits I see, AKB always seems to be the best at fashion."
"Is there an AKB Fashion exhibition somewhere? Even if it's expensive I'd like to go!"
"I always had this strong image of AKB in school girl uniforms, but that's completely different from this design and I can't take my eyes off of it!"
"OSARECOMPANY 's clothes are coming from a place of love. I'm so happy the girls get to dance in them!"

Even if you aren't a fan of the group, if you are a fan of clothing design or even pretty things, you'll probably enjoy browsing through OSARECOMPANY 's Instagram page. And if fashion design is your thing, you'll also want to check out all the awesome kimono outfits that young adults wore to this year's Coming of Age Ceremony, because they're pretty cool, too.
Sources: OSARECOMPANY, Instagram/@osarecompany
Featured Image: Twitter/@osarecompany

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AKB48's new idol outfits are so stylish everyone's talking about the company that makes them

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And you can browse all of their outfits in detail on the Instagram page of the company that made them. AKB48 has been one of the most popular artists in Japan for years, selling so many CDs that they even cracked the list of the top three best-sellers of all time.

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How much do you love bread? Would you cuddle with it? Wear it on your back? Use it to carry your books home from school?

Well now thanks to Village Vanguard, the popular Japanese supplier of crazy and unique items, you can do all of these things! They will be releasing a series of bread-themed items to help you get your balanced breakfast on your way to school or work.

Ready to be the toast of the town with an egg-cellent new backpack? Read on to find out how to get in on a slice of the action!

Village Vanguard is a major Japanese proprietor of fun novelty items with locations all over the country. The latest creation that they have cooked up for us is a fluffy line of bread-themed bags, cushions, and house slippers. Sounds tasty! Let's take a look at the menu.

▼ Do you take your toast buttered or with a fried egg on top?

▼ Sorry, we can't cut the crusts off. All the insides would spill out.

▼ Lightly-toasted straps are all the rage at school this year.

▼ The inside looks just as fluffy as the outside, but is pretty plain, even for white bread.

▼ I know what that face says: hooray for bread cushions!

▼ That melon bread cushion is enormous! You're gonna share, right?

▼ And for the fashion-conscious, matching bread slippers to match your new bread backpack.

▼ "I know what I'm going to put in my bread backpack: bread pouches!"
"But what are you going to put in the pouches?"
"More bread!"

The backpacks, pouches, and cushions will be released in early November, and the slippers will follow later in the month. Prices range from 842 yen (US$6.98) to 3,240 yen ($26.89).

But be sure to get them quick; you're going to want them when they're still warm and fresh out of the oven.

Source/images: Village Vanguard
[ Read in Japanese ]

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Bread lovers rejoice! Toasty bread backpacks, cushions, and footwear look good enough to eat

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How much do you love bread? Would you cuddle with it? Wear it on your back? Use it to carry your books home from school? Well now thanks to Village Vanguard, the popular Japanese supplier of crazy and unique items, you can do all of these things!

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Akihabara's awesome Off Kai is a hair salon by otaku and for otaku, and SoraNews24 stopped by for a trim.

So the other night I hopped on the train and headed to Akihabara. But while I make frequent trips to Tokyo's otaku district, this time I wasn't going there to search for that Slayers Try soundtrack CD I've been wanting or to munch on the surprisingly delicious food at the Square Enix Cafe. This time, I was going to Akihabara because I needed a haircut.

Not far from Akihabara Station (though Suehirocho Station on the Ginza subway line is the absolute closest rail stop) you'll find Off Kai, a hair salon that bills itself as being "by otaku and for otaku." Off Kai shares its name with a Japanese slang term for "offline meeting," and its existence is another sign of how being an otaku in Japan is evolving from a solitary existence to a more social one, with modern hard-core anime and video game fans valuing personal grooming more than their predecessors did.

▼ The street leading to Off Kai

From the outside, Off Kai looks like any other stylish hair salon, unless you notice the sign out front which explains that it's "a hair salon that's nice to otaku."

But once you open the door...

...you'll know you're in the right place.

Instead of the bland, general-interest magazines you might find in a regular hair salon, Off Kai is stocked with hundreds of volumes of manga. They're lined up on shelves in the waiting area, so you can read through your old favorites or check out a new series while you wait your turn, and you'll also hear anime theme songs playing through the salon's speakers.

There's also a menu of free drinks on offer, including coffee, green tea, and juice.

If you're a first-time visitor, the staff will also ask you to fill out a survey with three simple questions. The first asks how you found out about Off Kai, while the second asks you to share a few of your favorite anime, manga, or video game series.

▼ And no, they won't laugh at you even if you don't list anything newer than 1996's Escaflowne.

The third question asks whether or not you're the sort of person who likes to chitchat while you're getting a haircut (with check boxes for "yes," "no," and "no preference"). That's because Off Kai recognizes that while some people enjoy having a lively conversation about the latest and/or greatest anime (no dull chatting about the weather here!), other people relish a bit of quiet time while they get a trim. The salon says its customers are split pretty evenly between the three conversation comfort levels, and there's no stigma about staying silent as you continue to flip through whatever manga you've grabbed off the shelf while the stylists quietly do their thing.

▼ Sitting back and admiring the figures and artwork is also an option.

Appointments can be made through Off Kai's website, which also has brief bios for each stylist, and since Haruki, the woman who would be cutting my hair, describes herself as a big fan of '90s anime and robot series, I figured we'd have plenty of common interests to talk about (other staff members list series such as Love Live!, Onegai Teacher, Serial Experiments Lain, and FLCL as their personal favorites).

▼ After years of small talk along the lines of "Umm, how about that local sports team?" it's pretty awesome to have the person cutting your hair ask "So, are you a Ranma 1/2 fan too?" and then be able to bond over how you both agree that Ryoga is the best character.

In addition to being a hair stylist, Haruki is also an avid cosplayer, and is gearing up to do some KanColle cosplay at the upcoming Winter Comiket. She was also kind enough to recommend some more recent anime series that a fan of '90s series might like, such as Hisone and Masotan, Zombie Land Saga, and Karakuri Circus.

Given its clientele, Off Kai often gets customers who ask for their stylist to recreate a particular anime character's hairdo or color, both services they're happy to provide. My hair is no longer long enough to pull off a respectable Vash the Stampede, though, but that's no problem, since the staff is equally skilled at styles with no connection to any fictional franchise.

▼ Unless this sort of counts as Deckard from Blade Runner.

Off Kai charges 5,400 yen (US$48) for a haircut, which isn't an unusual price for a full-service salon in downtown Tokyo. All haircuts also include a shampoo and styling.

▼ The finished result

▼ Before/after

On the way out, you'll be given a point card, and once you've filled it up, you can exchange your points for discounts on hair products sold in the salon, or, as most customers no doubt prefer, anime figures.

OK, so we've established that Off Kai is a great place for a haircut if you're an anime fan, but what if you're a foreigner? Yep, it's still a great place. While the staff doesn't have a designated English speaker, Haruki says they regularly get foreign customers, and with the help of some basic smartphone translation apps, they're able to communicate well enough to understand how they want their hair cut, once again making a shared love of otaku culture and entertainment a way for Japan and the rest of the world to connect.

Salon information
Off Kai / オフカイ
Address: Tokyo-to, Chiyoda-ku, Soto Kanda 3-6-6, Akihabara Hattori Building 1st floor
東京都千代田区 外神田3-6-6秋葉原服部ビル1階
Open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. (Monday, Wednesday-Saturday), noon-10 p.m.(Sunday)
Closed Tuesdays
Website
Photos ©SoraNews24 Follow Casey on Twitter for more about Akihabara, though less about his hair.

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Let's go get a haircut at Tokyo's anime otaku hair salon【Photos】

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Akihabara's awesome Off Kai is a hair salon by otaku and for otaku, and SoraNews24 stopped by for a trim. So the other night I hopped on the train and headed to Akihabara.

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Tokyo Disneyland and Disney Sea celebrate the Year of the Boar in style with a fan-favorite Disney character in the limelight.
Right off the heels of their spectacular Christmas celebration, Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Sea have turned on the magic once again with a New Year's extravaganza. Our Japanese-language reporter Momo Momomura had the enviable task of reporting from the scene. Take it away, Momo.
Happy New Year!!

2019 is the Year of the Boar in the Chinese zodiac. It just so happens that there's a certain boar causing a ruckus somewhere in Japan at this moment ( note: not the one that knocked this guy down not too long ago), and that place would be Tokyo Disney Resort.

It's customary for Disney characters that represent each zodiac animal to take the helm for limited-time New Year's celebrations at the theme parks. It also gives many of the minor characters in the Disney pantheon a chance to shine. This year's star of the show is none other than... The Lion King's Pumbaa! OK, OK, so he's not technically a boar, but close enough.

First up, notice how Pumbaa has been turned into a traditional kadomatsu New Year's pine decoration at each theme park's entrance:

▼ Disneyland on the left and Disney Sea on the right

The Disneyland decoration is located at the entrance to the World Bazaar. Pumbaa's image in the kadomatsu is coupled with a shimenawa rope to ward off evil. Meanwhile, the Disney Sea decoration is located at the entrance to Mira Costa Avenue along with some more whimsical illustrations of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck donning kimono and engaging in traditional Japanese New Year's activities.

Speaking of kimono, the limited-time attractions at both parks definitely give off a traditional Japanese vibe. Disneyland is currently featuring a special parade and Disney Sea is host to a unique seasonal greeting from above the water. Let's look at each in more detail.

When I visited, the parade began with the echoing sound of a flute and drums befitting New Year's in Japan. Kimono-clad Disney characters began to appear one by one on top of floats that were gorgeously decorated to celebrate the advent of the new year. The entire parade lasted 35 minutes, and every now and then the vehicles stopped so the characters could give a short dance performance.

The Disney Sea New Year's Greeting event began with notes of traditional Japanese instruments at the Mediterranean Harbor. Here the Disney characters appeared holding traditional New Year's items such as kites and spinning tops.

▼ Mickey's holding a kite that bears the kanji for "boar" in the Chinese zodiac.

The vessel circled the Mediterranean Harbor twice, so there wasn't a bad vantage point in the house. The air was also full of the cheerful sounds of people yelling "Happy New Year!" to their favorite characters.

▼ Circle back a third time, please!

OK, now on to the shopping. I know you're dying to check out the limited New Year's merchandise, most of which features very Japanese-looking designs and characters disguising themselves adorably as wild boars.

▼ More boar and Japanese-themed goods galore!

In addition to all of the warthog wanna-bes, Pumbaa himself made his presence known with his powerful smile!

▼ His smile is so radiant that it's almost blinding.

One thing I was surprised to find at the Disneyland shops were some Chip 'n' Dale stuffed animal accessories.

While all of the other characters were decked out in their most elegant kimono, these two were sporting mawashi loincloths in the sumo style! As far as cute and gaudy stuffed animal accessories go, I thought these ones were quite unusual in their simple design.

Another cool piece of trivia is that if you visit the stores on New Year's Day the staff won't call out "Welcome!" as usual but will instead greet you with a chorus of "Happy New Year!" It was an interesting change from the usual shop greeting.

▼ A visual summary of Momo's feelings about Tokyo Disney Resort's New Year's celebration

These limited-time New Year's attractions last from January 1-6 at Tokyo Disneyland and Disney Sea. They're perfect for people who need to recharge their happiness levels moving into the new year, or for those who just really like Pumbaa. Once within the parks, I would caution you to time your trips to the bathroom, getting food, and buying souvenirs carefully because it's quite crowded during this period. But there's truly no more magical place to be to ring in the new year.

Photos ©SoraNews24
[ Read in Japanese ]

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Tokyo Disneyland rings in Japanese New Year with special parades, kimono, and a flatulent pig

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Tokyo Disneyland and Disney Sea celebrate the Year of the Boar in style with a fan-favorite Disney character in the limelight. Right off the heels of their spectacular Christmas celebration, Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Sea have turned on the magic once again with a New Year's extravaganza.

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Japan, as you may have heard, has a lot of unique themed cafes. Of course, the cat cafes are the most well-known, having become a bit of a social and cultural phenomenon. Now, as we mentioned earlier this week, you can stop by cafes dedicated to everything from bunnies to maids to gyaru (basically young trendy women) and find an experience tailored to your desires.

However, there's one new cafe that opened last year that really grabbed our attention: the Fukuro no Mise, or the Owl Store, located in Tsukishima, Tokyo. After hearing about all the cute owls to be seen, petted, and held, we simply had to give it a visit! Here's your official RocketNews24 report and photo album!

Getting to the owl cafe was pretty easy-just take the Oedo or Yurakucho subway lines to Tsukishima station and head out Gate 10. From there cross the street and walk straight ahead, past the grocery store pictured below. The cafe is on your right, less than a block from the intersection.

And here's the storefront. As you can see, there are curtains hanging over the windows-no outside light can get in. And no pedestrians can stop to gawk either. You should have no trouble finding the cafe as there is almost guaranteed to be a crowd waiting outside. We got there around 11:30am and, following the sign on the door, knocked. Shortly after, someone peeked their head out and asked when we'd like to come back. "Come back?" She pointed to the sign on the door listing the times that still had open slots-the first one was 3:00pm!

The cafe doesn't have any sort of advanced sign up. You come on the day and hope there will be an opening. During the week, we imagine it's less crowded, but on the weekend? You will definitely want to arrive early! But we'd already come this far, so we shrugged our shoulders and said we'd come back at three. If you find yourself in a similar situation, we recommend getting some monja-yaki on Nakanishidori, just another block or two down. It's worth noting that when we came back, all of the open slots for the rest of the day had been filled!

Once you're let inside the cafe, the first thing they have you do is settle into a seat and choose a drink. Now, you're probably not too interested in the menu, but it is technically a cafe and they make money off of the drinks. The menu is pretty simple: You can choose from iced, hot, or alcoholic drinks like coffee, tea, and beer. Since there's no cover charge, you have to buy at least one drink-which will cost you 1,000 yen for non-alcoholic drinks or 1,200 yen for alcoholic drinks. While this might seem expensive, it also gets you one hour with the owls.

▼ Like this adorable little fellow!

Before you can play with the birds, though, they'll run you through the rules of the cafe. You absolutely need to follow them! It's nothing too extreme, but some of the owls can't be held and others cannot be touched at all. Also, while photos are completely fine, you're not allow to use your flash or take videos. Finally, when holding an owl, or, rather, when an owl is perched on you, you have to hold the tether tightly. Though the birds are quite mellow, if they get spooked or irritated, they'll try to fly away-and that would be very bad. By hanging onto the tether, you can prevent them from smacking into a wall or getting eaten by another owl. While it's nothing malicious, owls are birds of prey, so they'll instinctively attack something smaller, as the owner explained.

So, whatever happens, don't let go of the tether!

▼ Cute...but deadly!

The one last thing to be aware of at the cafe is that the owls might accidentally poop on you. If you've ever had a pet bird or known someone with a pet bird, you probably know just how much the creatures can push out of their butts: a lot. Don't let this discourage you-and be sure to tell the staff right away if you see a bird drop some dookie so they can clean it up-but maybe you'll want to avoid wearing your nicest clothes.

▼ Pictured below: One cute owl and several splatters of dried poop.

With the introduction finished, we were allowed to get up and play with the owls! My first move was to pet the adorable little guy sitting on the counter. Just look at his tiny head with those enormous eyes! It's like an anime character came to life.

When petting the owls, there are two things you have to careful of. The first is to pet softly, from front to back. You need to go with the feathers; going against the feathers can hurt the birds. The other thing is just being aware that they might try to nibble on your hand. Apparently this is how they communicate, so unless it really hurts, they said that you should just continue petting. If you start and stop too much, apparently it will annoy the owls!

After petting the small owl for a bit, I decided it was time to see what it was like holding them! You have to ask the staff to give you an owl, to take the owl away, or to move it a different part of your body. You might have to wait a little bit for them to get to you, but since only about 12 customers are allowed in at one time, it won't take too long.

First things first, I decided to try out an owl hat! Though owls obviously have fairly sizable talons, it didn't hurt at all! For some reason though, the bird kept slowly inching its way toward the back of my head. Fortunately, though, no poop!

One of the first things you're bound to notice about the owls is how quickly and sharply they move their heads. Photography can prove exceptionally difficult-they seem to move faster than the shutter!

Below is one of the larger owls. Though it's quite tall and has an impressive wing span, the bird only weighs about 1.2 kilograms (about 2.6 pounds)! While this really isn't shocking if you consider their basic biology, it can still be surprising just how light they are perched on your shoulder. On the other hand, this is quite the boon since it means nearly anyone can easily hold even the largest owl comfortably.

▼ Click for a larger image!

As I mentioned before, some of the owls were off-limits for various reasons. One was born blind, so we couldn't pet him for fear of surprising him. There was also one owl that they were watching for a customer, so it wasn't really meant to be petted. They also had a hawk owl, but it was too skittish for petting. Finally, there were two owls that were just too tired!

▼ The blind owl

▼ A customer's owl staying at the cafe

▼ A hawk owl

▼ Too sleepy to come out and play!

▼ This big guy was sleeping, so we couldn't hold him, but petting was okay.
And in case you're worried, yes, he can open his left eye. That's just how he sleeps!

If you happen to live in or be visiting Tokyo, we highly recommend stopping by the owl cafe! You'll get about 55 minutes with the birds, and it's in a very nice part of the city as well. We do recommend bringing along a book or a walking guide to kill the time while waiting for your slot, but there are also a few sight-seeing and shopping place in the area. Though the wait can be a bit long, there's nothing quite like holding and petting such an exotic and wonderful creature!

If you're interested in learning more, you can visit their website (Japanese only). Since you can't call, this is your best source for up-to-date information in case they're closed for an emergency.
Finally, be sure to check out the rest of our owl photos below! All images by RocketNews24
Many thanks to Fukuro no Mise for the great time!

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We visited the owl cafe in Tsukishima where the awesome never ends【Photos】

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Japan, as you may have heard, has a lot of unique themed cafes. Of course, the cat cafes are the most well-known, having become a bit of a social and cultural phenomenon. Now, as we mentioned earlier this week, you can stop by cafes dedicated to everything from bunnies to maids to gyaru (basically young trendy wome ...

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We step into the wizarding world of Harry Potter and Newt Scamander, and dine on magical transforming meals with some well-known characters.

Two years after Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them appeared in cinemas, audiences around the world now get to enjoy the second instalment in the Harry Potter prequel series, with Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald now playing on screens.

To commemorate the occasion, the world's first two Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts themed cafes have been unveiled, and the only place you'll find them is in Japan.

Located at Fukuoka on Japan's southernmost island and Shinjuku in the capital of Tokyo, we paid a visit to the cafe in Tokyo just after its 9 November opening, and as soon as we arrived, the first thing that caught our eye was this note from Dumbledore's Army. Signed in 2007, when Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was released, the note contains both the signatures of the group's characters and the actors and actresses who played them.

▼ According to staff, there are only two of these signed sheets in the world, located at the Tokyo and Fukuoka cafes.

▼ " Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, 2007 Release, Genuine Handwritten Cast Signatures"

One of the things we loved about the cafe was their merchandise corner, which was stocked with a wide range of items. If you make a purchase here, you're allowed to take it over to your table with you, which means you can cosplay with friends or dine with a furry pal from the series. Some people chose to wear cosplay outfits brought from home, which added to the fun atmosphere.

We could not resist purchasing Niffler (6,800 yen [US$60.19] for a large) and Bowtruckle (1,900 yen), and taking them over to our table for a meal.

▼ As it turned out, this would be an epic feast they would never forget.

We ordered five of the most highly recommended items from the menu, and when they arrived, we were given instructions on how to work some special magic on them.

The Dumbledore Profiteroles (1,200 yen) came in a nine-piece tower, presented with an adorable image of Jude Law's character in anime form. The two-tiered dish came with a plastic syringe on the side, a pile of ice underneath, and a pot of hot water, which we were told to pour over the ice.

As soon as we poured the water on the ice, small pieces of dry ice on the plate reacted to the liquid, sending out plumes of smoke around the table. Plastic LED ice cubes also lit up, adding to the magical display.

Then it was time to work some magic on Newt's Pancakes (1,200 yen), which were topped with a generous serving of cotton candy. Pouring the sweet syrup on top made the cotton candy disappear, melding into the pancake mound beneath to create a sweet and delicious dessert.

▼ Niffler gave our magical abilities a quiet nod of approval.

Accompanying our desserts were three cold beverages: the Hufflepuff Lemon Soda, in honour of Newt's house, the Gryffindor Ice Blend Tea, as a nod to Harry Potter, and the Iced Cafe Latte, which came with an image of Niffler.

▼ Niffler was chuffed with his Iced Tea.

▼ Bowtruckle was immediately drawn to the green leaf garnishes in the drinks.

Once we'd finished our meal, we had another look around the cafe, and saw another precious signed piece of merchandise, this time featuring the cast of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, along with the signature of Dan Fogler, who plays Jacob Kowalski.

▼ This signature only appears at the cafe's Tokyo location.

The cafe's interior design itself is also incredibly impressive, transporting diners to the magical world of Fantastic Beasts with wallpapers featuring newspapers designed by MinaLima, the same graphic design company that created the book covers and posters used as props in the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films.

At the back of the cafe is a special private area that can be booked for groups, with scenes from the films played on the surrounding walls.

▼ And before you leave, don't forget to say sayonara to Newt and his two magical companions!

With Wizarding World themed food, drink and decor, this cafe is definitely a must-visit destination for fans of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts. One person we're sure will be visiting is this Japanese artist who caught J.K. Rowling's attention with a touching image of Newt and Harry Potter.

Whether you're a Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, or Hufflepuff, you'll love all the magical touches at the world's only official Wizarding World cafes. Just be sure to make a reservation on the official website before you go and remember - they're only open for a limited time!
Cafe Information
Wizarding World Cafe Tokyo / 魔法ワールドCAFE 東京
Address: Tokyo-to, Shinjuku-ku, Nishi Shinjuku 1-1-3, Odakyu Shinjuku Mylord 5F
東京都新宿区西新宿1-1-3 小田急新宿ミロード5F
Hours: 11:00 a.m.-9:00p.m. (9 Nov 2018 - 31 January 2019) 60-minute limit per seating
Website (Japanese)

Wizarding World Cafe Fukuoka / 魔法ワールドCAFE 福岡
Address: Fukuoka-ken, Fukuoka-shi, Hataka-ku, Sumiyoshi 1-2-22 Canal City 5F
福岡県福岡市博多区住吉1-2-22 キャナルシティ博多5F
Hours: 10:00a.m.-9:00p.m. (9 Nov 2018 - 31 January 2019) 60-minute limit per seating
Website (Japanese)
[ Read in Japanese ]

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Wizarding World Cafe: First ever official Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts cafe opens in Japan

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We step into the wizarding world of Harry Potter and Newt Scamander, and dine on magical transforming meals with some well-known characters. Two years after Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them appeared in cinemas, audiences around the world now get to enjoy the second instalment in the Harry Potter prequel series, with Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald now playing on screens.

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From an engineering standpoint, Japan's famed Shinkansen is already a work of art. Recently, though, the country's bullet trains have been putting a renewed effort into their appearance, taking inspiration from centuries-old tradition and science-fiction anime.

The latest Shinkansen to be unveiled, though, incorporates design cues more modern than tatami reed floors yet not as futuristic as giant robots. Instead, it's envisioned as a travelling gallery of contemporary art, allowing for what operator East Japan Railways calls "the world's fastest art appreciation."

A special train needs a special name, and the new Shinkansen has been christened Genbi, combining the kanji gen (現), meaning "contemporary," and bi (美), "beauty." The Genbi Shinkansen will run along the Joetsu Shinkansen line between Niigata and Echigo Yuzawa Stations in Niigata Prefecture.

▼ Fittingly, the kanji used in the Genbi Shinkansen's logo are heavily stylized.

Seven of the carriages will be used as art exhibition spaces, with different painters, sculptors, and visual creators represented in each. The contributing artists have been announced as Nao Matsumoto, Yusuke Komuta, Kentaro Kobuke, paramodel, Naoki Ishikawa, Haruaka Kojin, and Brian Alfred.

If you'd like your sense of taste to be stimulated along with your sight, there's also a cafe. On the menu you'll find sweets made with rice flour from Niigata's prized (and pricy) Uonuma-grown Koshihikari rice and butter from dairies on Sadogashima Island.

And it's not like only passengers inside the train will have something pretty to look at, either. The non-windowed side of the Genbi Shinkansen's exterior is covered with colorful photographs of Niigata's Nagaoka Fireworks Festival, one of the largest in Japan, taken by photographer Mika Ninagawa.

The Genbi Shinkansen goes into service next spring.

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Japan's newest Shinkansen is world's fastest gallery, packed with contemporary art inside and out

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From an engineering standpoint, Japan's famed Shinkansen is already a work of art. Recently, though, the country's bullet trains have been putting a renewed effort into their appearance, taking inspiration from centuries-old tradition and science-fiction anime. The latest Shinkansen to be unveiled, though, incorpo ...

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Only cute and good things can come out of a collaboration between the world's busiest cat and international sneaker brand Converse!

That's right, Hello Kitty fans will no doubt be delighted to know that the feline mascot has now teamed up with Converse, resulting in some seriously adorable footwear. But don't take our word for it; just take a look at some of the photos of the " Hello Kitty x Converse " sneaker line and see Hello Kitty's magic touch for yourself!

The collaborative Hello Kitty sneaker line comes in a wide variety of designs and colors, from timeless black and white to pastel colors perfect for spring. Combined with Hello Kitty's charm, just looking at them is loads of fun!

▼ The sneakers come in both high and low-top designs, and the insoles feature Hello Kitty's face and the collaborative logo to add another dose of cute.

There's also a special logo featuring Hello Kitty's ears and ribbon placed in the back, right above the heel - a lovely detail that should delight any Hello Kitty fan.

The variety in design, from simple and understated to brightly colored and decorated, is quite impressive.

▼ If you like something that's not too obvious, you can get something with Hello Kitty patterns printed only on the inside of the shoes.

▼ But you can still get Hello Kitty details with the shoelaces that have "Hello Kitty" printed on them in pink.

▼ Yes, it's Hello Kitty galore!

[ Read in Japanese ]

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Hello Kitty gets a new job - this time appearing on Converse sneakers!

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Only cute and good things can come out of a collaboration between the world's busiest cat and international sneaker brand Converse! That's right, Hello Kitty fans will no doubt be delighted to know that the feline mascot has now teamed up with Converse, resulting in some seriously adorable footwear.

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JR West has finally revealed what the new bullet train will look like inside.

It was a sad day when the Evangelion Shinkansen made its last journey on the rails on 13 May. But where one door closes, another one opens, and that's exactly what happened this week, as West Japan Railway finally let us all peek inside their new Hello Kitty Shinkansen, which is set to make its debut next month.

The new high-speed train will run on the Sanyo Shinkansen line from Osaka's Shin-Osaka Station to Hakata Station in Fukuoka, and it's all about Hello Kitty helping to " tie and bind customers to the region " with symbolic bows and ribbons on the outside of the train, and on the inside too.

▼ The carriages will be wrapped in a pink-and-white colour scheme, with Hello Kitty's signature bow showcased along the length of a pastel ribbon.

Like the Evangelion Shinkansen which came before it, this special Hello Kitty model will have exclusive design features in its first and second carriages. The first car, called " Hello! Plaza " will feature a pastel pink interior, with polka dots, stripes, ribbon and bow accents, and images of Hello Kitty dressed up in her exclusive train-crew uniform.

This first carriage is where passengers will be able to take a break, purchase regional-exclusive goods and watch videos promoting various areas in western Japan, starting first with the " San'in Destination Campaign", which is set to showcase the prefectures of Shimane and Tottori in the San'in region until September. From October, Yamaguchi will be featured, followed by dedicated goods and video screenings for Osaka, Hyogo, Okayama, Hiroshima, and Fukuoka prefectures later in the year.

The second carriage, called " Kawaii! Room " will feature a comfortable seating area for passengers, with pink Hello Kitty armrests, decorated windows and floors, and headrests printed with an image of the cute Sanrio character alongside the words "Hello Kitty Shinkansen".

This is where you'll also find the dedicated "photo spot", which provides you with the perfect backdrop for all those images you'll need to post on social media to commemorate your unique Shinkansen experience.

And the fun doesn't stop there, as JR West is planning to replace the usual in-car chime (used when approaching stations) with an original Hello Kitty melody. There's a whole other slew of goodies in store as well, with campaigns like "stamp rallies" where passengers can receive prizes for imprinting sheets with ink stamps at various locations, and other exciting collaborations planned for the future.

▼ The new video shows some of the special regional Hello Kitty designs we can expect to find on goods aboard the train.

The Hello Kitty Shinkansen will be making its debut on 30 June for a limited time. To find out more about the train schedule and ticket purchasing, check out the special website here, and if you do get to hop on board the exclusive bullet train, you might want to take a look over here for some outfits to help you look as good as Hello Kitty while riding the rails.

Images: Hello Kitty Shinkansen
[ Read in Japanese ]

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Hello Kitty Shinkansen looks set to be cutest Japanese train ever with special kawaii interiors

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JR West has finally revealed what the new bullet train will look like inside. It was a sad day when the Evangelion Shinkansen made its last journey on the rails on 13 May.

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Domino's Japan announces that they're seriously considering this as an option for sending out pizzas this winter.

Japan's meteorological agency has been predicting a particularly brutal winter this year, threatening the nation with blizzards, ice storms, and (perhaps) more vengeful yeti-like snow monsters. All of this could potentially disrupt public transportation and may even cause roads and highways, the arteries of commerce and the food supply chain, to grind to a halt.

But fear not! Japan's greatest minds have turned quickly to confronting the very grave question on all of our minds-how will we eat pizza without leaving our house in the event of a snowmageddon?

Apparently the fine folk at Domino's Japan already have a (very real) contingency plan in place for this type of scenario, and are working hard to figure out the most cost-effective and reliable method for delivering their cheese-laden, dough-based products to the hungry masses.

After considering a number of other options, they've settled on reindeer. Yes, seriously, this isn't a hoax. Reindeer, like the kind Santa Claus uses.

▼ PETA's not going to like this....

This certainly sounds like a festive solution to the problem, but Domino's admits that many logistical hurdles remain. Specifically, they've listed several major issues that need to be addressed before the scheme can be considered seriously.

Can the deliveries be completed safely-you know so that no one gets stampeded to death by giant reindeer hooves? What distance can the reindeer travel to complete their deliveries? What the heck is going to happen when the reindeer encounters someone's pet golden retriever, or cat, or turtle?

▼ These are actual things that are actually being
considered by actual human beings.

To resolve these questions and determine the feasibility of the plan, the company has launched a trial period for performing training exercises in the city of Ishikari in icy Hokkaido. As a former resident of Hokkaido (Kushiro represent!), I can attest that the weather is indeed very cold, to the extent that big chunks of ice float around in the Sea of Okhotsk. So yeah, not quite the North Pole, but you get the idea!

Wikimedia Commons/Ningyou

The action plan included with the press release explains that the trials are taking place on the grounds of a driving school under the supervision of a trained animal-handler. A series of images released by Domino's shows the adorable reindeer, which actually appears a lot smaller than one might imagine, trudging through the snow with what one can only surmise to be pizza-related hardware mounted to its back.

Wow. Well, I guess they just take pizza really seriously. I mean, I hope the reindeer gets a slice or two at least covered with whatever it is a reindeer eats. Lichen? Pinecones?

Other information appears scant at this stage, with many questions unanswered, including the number of reindeer that will be recruited and trained for the program, or whether this is a strictly seasonal arrangement, or where exactly they plan to keep all these reindeer when they're not delivering pizzas. Hopefully not in a stable on the store premises, I imagine that could cause problems with the health inspectors. These challenges aside, however, it seems like the company is actually committed to this plan.

Domino's, for its part, has indicated that additional details about the initiative will be announced on November 24 according to their official website. Hopefully they will answer all of the important questions at that time, including whether or not the reindeer will lovingly kabe-don you upon delivery, or if they will be piloting Hatsune Miku pizza-delivery scooters.

Source, images: Domino's Japan
[ Read in Japanese ]

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Domino's Pizza is actually training reindeer for delivery in northern Japan

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Domino's Japan announces that they're seriously considering this as an option for sending out pizzas this winter. Japan's meteorological agency has been predicting a particularly brutal winter this year, threatening the nation with blizzards, ice storms, and (perhaps) more vengeful yeti-like snow monsters.

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Adaptation of Makoto Shinkai hit now has a high-profile American director, who the producers say was their first choice.

After becoming the biggest international anime film success of all time, the next stop for creator Makoto Shinkai's Your Name is a live-action American remake. Since the project's initial announcement in September of 2017 Hollywood A-lister J.J. Abrams has been attached as a producer, and now the film has a director too: Marc Webb.

The 44-year-old Webb is perhaps best known for helming 2012's critically underwhelming Amazing Spider-Man and its 2014 sequel, but his more significant directing credit comes from farther back in his career with 2009's 500 Days of Summer. While it may not have the science-fiction elements of Your Name, Webb's work in 500 Days of Summer shows that he can tell a compelling romantic story while jumping back and forth between different points on the narrative's timeline, and those talents could lend themselves very well to Your Name, in which the perspective is constantly switching as the male and female leads swap bodies. Webb also has extensive experience as a music video director, and considering that the Your Name anime contains multiple musical montages, maybe he'll get to put those skills to use too.

Speaking of Your Name's characters, the live-action film will indeed have the "Western viewpoint" that scriptwriter Eric Heisserer claims the Japanese rights holders want. While the anime Your Name is centered on a boy living in Tokyo (named Taki) and a girl living in the mountainous countryside of Gifu Prefecture (Mitsuha), the Hollywood version will instead be about a boy from Chicago and a Native American girl in a rural community. The introduction of different ethnic backgrounds is an element that wasn't present in the homogeneously Japanese anime, but Mitsuha's background being steeped in ancient Japanese cultural traditions is both a major motivation for her actions and a critical plot point, so perhaps the American side of the production felt making the female lead Native American was the closest equivalent for an American setting.

Genki Kawamura, who served as a producer on the Your Name anime and will also do so on the live-action film, issued a statement saying:

"We are excited that Marc Webb, our first choice for director, will be directing the movie. He is an expert at telling love stories, such as 500 Days of Summer, and I am convinced that his fresh perspective on Your Name will take it to new heights."

Shinkai himself also commented on Webb's announced involvement through his Twitter account, saying:

"Marc Webb has been announced as the director for the Hollywood Your Name, and I'm so happy! I love him as a director."

ハリウッド版『君の名は。』、監督がマーク・ウェブと発表になりました。大好きな監督です、うれしい！　僕たちの新作も負けないようにがんばります。『天気の子』にはマーク・ウェブの『（500）日のサマー』オマージュもこっそり紛れてたりしま... twitter.com/i/web/status/1...
-
新海誠 (@shinkaimakoto) February 15, 2019

Shinkai apparently isn't just being polite, either. In the same tweet, he says that he's snuck an homage to 500 Days of Summer into his upcoming anime film Weathering with You/Tenki no Ko, and hopes that Webb's fans will enjoy it should they watch the animated feature, which is scheduled for a 2019 release. The Hollywood Your Name, meanwhile, still has no projected release date.

Source: Livedoor News/Oricon News via Otakomu
Images: Your Name official website
Follow Casey on Twitter, where he likes the naming twist for the last character introduced in 500 Days of Summer.

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Hollywood Your Name anime live-action movie will feature Native American girl, Chicago boy

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Adaptation of Makoto Shinkai hit now has a high-profile American director, who the producers say was their first choice. After becoming the biggest international anime film success of all time, the next stop for creator Makoto Shinkai's Your Name is a live-action American remake. Since the project's initial announcement in September of 2017 Hollywood A-lister J.J.

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When you visit Osaka, make sure to stop by this shrine for an amazing photo opportunity!

Osaka may not have as many cultural and historical gems as Kyoto, but it still has some pretty cool attractions for tourists. There's Osaka Castle and Universal Studios Japan, and soon there's even going to be a hot springs theme park! Osaka is no stranger to good cuisine either; between takoyaki, okonomiyaki, steamed pork buns, and this two-foot tall parfait, you'll probably never go hungry there.

But aside from all of the big-name tourist stops, there are also some little-known places that are also worth checking out, like Nambayasaka Shrine. It's got a giant lion's head that beckons you with its gaping, toothy mouth! Osaka residents just think of it as a normal, everyday thing, and tourists don't really seem to know about it, so it's a quiet hidden gem in Osaka!

Nambayasaka Shrine is in a pretty good location, just a s ix-minute walk from Namba Station on the Yotsubashi Line and the Osaka Metro Midosuji Line. The path from the station takes you around to the back entrance of the shrine, and when you get there you'll probably stop, wordless in the street, because the giant lion's head will be glaring at you from inside the gates.

Even if you're expecting to see it, you can't help but be a little taken aback when you do. It is just so big, at 12 meters (39 feet) tall, 11 meters (36 feet) across, and 10 meters (32 feet) deep. The inside is a stage, which is used for dances during festivals and other events. Unexpectedly, there are even speakers in the nostrils!

The large, roaring mouth of the lion is said to invite victory and eat evil spirits, so praying at Nambayasaka Shrine can bring you good fortune in school and work, such as passing exams and having success in business.

The main shrine building is also worth noting. It's unknown how old the building is, but it seems like it was built in reverence to the Namba area's residential god, Ubusuna-gami, who has been protecting Namba for a long time.

It is also known to have once been a shrine for the angry-looking Gozu Tenno, the god who is enshrined at Kyoto's famous Yasaka Shrine, so it has been widely respected, and widely feared, over the years. Because this shrine is precious to many people, including the locals, it is well-maintained; the grounds are very clean, and the buildings are in good condition.

It's also a very quiet and calm place. We couldn't hear any of the usual hustle and bustle of the nearby Namba area, which was really surprising. We had no idea that such a peaceful location existed so close to Namba Station!

If you have some extra time in Osaka, especially if you've already tried the Okonomiyaki burrito at the Namba branch of Taco Bell (which we just tried ourselves, and highly recommend), consider stopping by Nambayasaka Shrine! There could be a festival happening when you go, and it would definitely be worth popping in to see if you can catch a show in the lion's mouth.

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This Osaka shrine is a hidden gem that includes a giant, roaring lion's head

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When you visit Osaka, make sure to stop by this shrine for an amazing photo opportunity! Osaka may not have as many cultural and historical gems as Kyoto, but it still has some pretty cool attractions for tourists. There's Osaka Castle and Universal Studios Japan, and soon there's even going to be a hot springs theme park!