The Kobekatsu program could end up being better for kids than the options they had before.
Casey Baseel
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Casey Baseel spent his formative years staring in frustration at un-subtitled Japanese TV programming shown on Southern California’s international channel. Taking matters into his own hands, he moved to Tokyo to study the language, then found work in Yokohama a decade ago teaching, translating, and marketing hotels he can’t afford to stay in. When not participating in the eternal cycle of exercising to burn the calories form his love of Japanese food, Casey scours used comic and game shops for forgotten classics, drags his wife around the country in a quest to visit all its castles, sings karaoke not nearly as well as he thinks he does, and counts the days until the summertime bars open on Enoshima Beach.
Posted by Casey Baseel (Page 3)
Name could have used some more time in the kitchen, but we still want these in our stomach ASAP.
![New Japanese convenience store rice balls taste like instant noodles [Taste test]](https://soranews24.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/09/0_c8e809.jpg?w=640 "New Japanese convenience store rice balls taste like instant noodles [Taste test]")
![New Pokémon anniversary song is 22 minutes long, features all 1,025 Pokémon species [Video]](https://soranews24.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/09/2_3d80a1.jpg?w=640 "New Pokémon anniversary song is 22 minutes long, features all 1,025 Pokémon species [Video]")
Lego version of the launch PS1 reproduces the style and size of the landmark piece of game-changing video game tech.
Visitors to 600-year-old temple prohibited from wearing traditional garment following problems caused by those prioritizing cool social media photos over basic manners.
![Mini CRT-lookalike Final Fantasy figurines are awesome pixel art music boxes [Video]](https://soranews24.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/09/2_b35e9a.jpg?w=640 "Mini CRT-lookalike Final Fantasy figurines are awesome pixel art music boxes [Video]")
Square Enix’s Mini Melody TVs tap into the nostalgia for retro games and old-school electronics.
Maps and predicated peak color dates to help you plan your autumn journey to see Japan’s natural beauty.
Sushiro, budget-friendly in Japan, is adding private rooms and full-course meals as it arrives in America for the first time.
![A real-world Pokémon Poké Ball hotel is opening in Japan at a still-secret location [Video]](https://soranews24.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/09/00.jpg?w=640 "A real-world Pokémon Poké Ball hotel is opening in Japan at a still-secret location [Video]")
Economic and cultural factors are making it hard to make money selling one of Japan’s favorite meals.
![First Pokémon anime movie since 2020 announced, brings new characters and staff to the series [Video]](https://soranews24.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/08/1_e97adc.jpg?w=640 "First Pokémon anime movie since 2020 announced, brings new characters and staff to the series [Video]")
Pokémon: Wildcard previews deals out mysteries for a Mimikyu-centric return to theaters for the first time in over half a decade.
![Is Tokyo’s Odaiba, once one of its trendiest neighborhoods, becoming a ghost town? [Photos]](https://soranews24.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/08/53.jpg?w=640 "Is Tokyo’s Odaiba, once one of its trendiest neighborhoods, becoming a ghost town? [Photos]")
We check to see whether or not the rumors of Odaiba’s death have been greatly exaggerated.
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