Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
USA (Page 45)
‘Tis the season of the “Summer Gentei” (“Summer Specialties”) in Japan; an exciting time of year where near every food vendor in the country offers up some sort of cold, frozen, or energy-packed limited edition summer-themed menu. And even the foreign chains are getting into it, with Krispy Kreme Japan currently offering three new summer-only doughnuts and two summer-themed drinks. Because we love you, we went and stuffed our faces.
Nintendo has announced that it will be giving visitors to this year’s San Diego Comic-Con event the chance to get their hands on a number of as-yet-unreleased Nintendo games for Wii U and 3DS.
Being based in Japan, the spiritual home of video games, we’re used to feeling smug about getting our sticky fingers on most of Nintendo’s titles before many in the West, so you can be sure this news has left us greener than Luigi’s cap with envy!
It can take a while to wrap your head around the concept of “character goods” in Japan. It’s a term used to refer to licensed merchandise such as notebooks, stickers and figures featuring the likenesses of fictional characters. What sets character good apart from plain old cartoon or movie merchandising, however, is that its characters generally don’t appear anywhere else, and are created solely for the purpose of having an excuse to produce their associated knick knacks.
It’s a tradition that was firmly established by Hello Kitty, and carried on by newer characters such as Rilakkuma. A blending of the words “relax” and “kuma” (Japanese for “bear”), Rilakkuma is exactly what you’d expect, a bear who loafs around, usually depicted in the prone position.
But what if the world had greater things in store for Rilakkuma than just yawning and eating stack after stack of pancakes? If humanity needed a savior and destiny called, could he be bothered to pick up the phone?
History has a way of creating awkward situations for future generations. I can’t think of how many times I’ve attempted friendly conversation by asking a Japanese local where they’re from and been blindsided by the answer, “Hiroshima.” I, with my American perspective, will then fall into this comically long pause as I wonder how appropriate it would be to apologize on behalf of my country for turning their city to dust, but the fact of the matter is that most Japanese people bear absolutely no grudge towards America for the atomic bombings of World War II.
Apparently this is difficult for some Internet users in China to comprehend, as there was recently a thread on one of the country’s most popular bulletin board sites asking “Why doesn’t Japan hate the USA for bombing them with two atomic weapons?” Interestingly, the answers that the thread received probably say more about Chinese people’s lingering disdain for the Japanese than Japan’s view of America.
Don’t let Takeru Kobayashi’s slight build fool you. That guy vacuums up food faster than a Hoover. In his most recent feat of voracity, the Japanese competitive eater gobbled down a whopping 67 hot dogs in 10 minutes. The next closest contender only managed 34!
There’s a fast food chain in a small number of the western states in the US that is popular among the locals for its ridiculously tasty burgers. It goes by the name of In-N-Out Burger and is a place that our Japanese reporter Yoshio makes a point of visiting whenever he’s in the US. Join us below as Yoshio lists four solid reasons why, even for a man who grew up on Japanese food, In-N-Out Burger shouldn’t be missed.
The endless influx of American hamburger and pancake chains onto Japanese shores is perpetuating the stereotype that the American diet is basically nothing but an artery-clogging combination of grease and lard peppered with artificial flavors, but for American expats sick of being asked “Do you love hamburger?” by Japanese acquaintances, help may be on the way.
Rumor in Japanese foodie circles has it that the next American food chain to come to Japan may just be True Food Kitchen, an Arizona restaurant focusing on so-called “anti-aging” recipes made from healthy, natural ingredients.
KFC Japan president Maseo “Charlie” Watanabe surprised and angered the front page of the Internet itself, Reddit, yesterday when he won Colonel Sanders’ iconic white suit at auction for US$21,510 and promptly tried it on for all to see.
On a recent trip to the US, one of our Japanese reporters, Yoshio, heard about an unusual vending machine that serves up ice cream. Excited to see how the icy treats would be delivered, our reporter made a beeline for the machine’s nearest location: the local Walmart. We filmed the machine in action and got his take on the automated ice cream experience first-hand.
Since there is a large mix of people from many different countries living in the United States (and because of the country’s relative youngness), it’s hard to identify a truly “American” food. Regardless, there are those dishes you simply must try when venturing over to the US for a trip. Our Japanese reporter recently tried what he considers to be a “must have” food from the USA: Domino’s pizza. To us Americans, Domino’s is hardly a delicious meal; it’s more of a cheap disk of sauce and cheese to keep hopeless college students alive. But to our reporter, who has already been exposed to Domino’s pizza in Japan, eating pizza made in the company’s homeland was a true treat. The following is our Japanese reporter’s glowing review of crappy Domino’s pizza in the United States.
Long ago, American automobile manufacturers dominated the industry, until Japanese producers started steadily offering superior products through the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. But following years of eroding sales, U.S. companies have finally stepped up their game and returned to competitiveness, with luxury marquee Cadillac recently recording its biggest sales spurt in decades.
Likewise, fast food restaurants from the U.S. initially dominated the hamburger field in Japan, but Japanese brands such as MOS Burger and Freshness Burger have been progressively eating into their market share. Will history repeat itself with a resurgence of quality American burgers? We sent one of our reporters, on assignment in the U.S., to McDonald’s to try its latest creation, the Bacon Habanero Ranch Quarter Pounder. Would it prove too much for the Japanese palate?
Ever the video game fans and hungry for news of upcoming titles and hardware, we sent our reporter extraordinaire Kuzo over to L.A. to check out the games event of the year. It wasn’t long, though, before he became distracted by the swathes of official swag on sale.
Thankfully, before he found himself completely over encumbered Kuzo was able to get a few snaps from the trade show floor. Check this little lot out!
Among the extensive pantheon of ramen varieties is tsukemen, in which the noodles are served on a dish with a bowl of dipping sauce on the side. My first experience with the dish was in college, when a buddy took me to a tsukemen place that had opened up near our campus in Tokyo that was famous for their sauce made with fish stock. At the time it seemed like a wildly exotic concoction, but little did I know that years later my hometown of Los Angeles would produce an even more outlandish version of the dish: marshmallow ramen.
That magical time of year when game companies throw themselves a giant party and start spilling family secrets like your drunk aunt is finally upon us. That’s right, E3 starts Tuesday! And all this week, excited fans will be glued to the blogs, chomping on the bits for new info from Microsoft, Sony, Ubisoft, and many other major publishers. One company that won’t be giving a massive, blow-all-the-fuses presentation, though, is Nintendo.
Even so, that doesn’t the company is skipping the event entirely.
United States Vice President Joe Biden came under fire late last month after a number of Chinese students took offence at comments he made during a congratulatory speech at the University of Pennsylvania, a China Smack report has said.
There’s no nation in the world that loves hot springs more than Japan. Known as onsen (lit. warm 温, and spring 泉), there are very few Japanese alive who could ever claim to having never taken a dip. If you’re tired, you head to the onsen; if you’re going on holiday, you visit an onsen; you go to the onsen to hang out with your friends, on a date, to relax with the family – anything is an excuse to strip off and let the hot water soak your aches, pains and worries away!
But onsen actually exist all over the world, even in America. Today our Japanese reporter Yoshio reports on his stay at a hot spring hotel in America, and his experiences in their natural sulfur spa. Let’s find out if the US’s version of the hot spa stands up to our reporter’s rigorous testing…
Everyone knows the famous golden arches of McDonald’s. Wherever you go in the world, you can be sure you’ll spot that big yellow M, calling out to you with promises of juicy burgers, greasy fries, and gallons of soda pop.
But did you know that somewhere out there is a lone blue M? That’s right, blue!
There are plenty of reasons to visit San Diego, California. Aside from beautiful beaches, visitors to the Golden State’s southernmost metropolitan area can watch professional baseball and football, see killer whales and other marine life at Sea World, and dine on authentic Mexican cuisine.
And of course, there’s also Legoland California, North America’s first theme park dedicated to the Danish blocks that have captivated generations of kids. Since its opening in 1999, Legoland California has gone through numerous renovations, and as of April even has its own Legoland Hotel, one of only three in the world.
Needless to say, we booked our reservation as soon as possible.
Many people in Japan think that American school lunches are unhealthy. For the most part, they are right. When photos of the greasy fried foods and brown piles of slop that are served to students in the US surfaced on the internet, Japanese netizens were shocked. With all the talk of Americans being overweight and school lunches being fat-laden and unhealthy, our own Japanese reporter wondered, “Is it really as bad as it seems?” During his recent trip to the US, our reporter was allowed to try the lunch served at a school in the United States. The following is a translation of his encounter with American school lunch.
Family Mart commits “reverse fraud” in new Giant All-Star Festival, and we couldn’t be happier
New Square Enix Cafe reveals Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Nier, and Fullmetal Alchemist menu items
New Tokyo sweets shop offers 648 different mochi ice cream dumpling combinations
Godiva melts minds by releasing a new corn chocolate drink in Japan
Shinto shrine’s night sky firefly sweets are Japan’s newest breathtaking, mouthwatering desserts.
Retro fashion magazines from Tokyo’s street market remind Mr. Sato of a special gift from his dad
Ghibli’s No Face continues to demonstrate his generous character growth by dispensing soy sauce
Even at twice regular Daiso price, this handy item is still great for summer travel in Japan
Body of missing American college student found in Kyoto mountains
Colour Hunting: The hot new street photography trend changing how we see JapanEven at twice regular Daiso price, this handy item is still great for summer travel in Japan
Uniqlo reveals third round of massive 100-year-anniversary manga T-shirts for Jump’s Shueisha
Kyoto public junior high school becomes first in Japan with a hoodie school uniform
Japanese convenience store shows us how to dress for the rainy season
Starbucks Japan unveils new Frappuccino showcasing “mottainai” culture
Osaka is hosting a “hentai” event, but it’s probably not what you think
Japanese rice cooker recipe gives us a tasty new way to enjoy vegetables and wienersGhibli’s No Face continues to demonstrate his generous character growth by dispensing soy sauce
Tokyo’s Pokémon Cafe reopens this month with brand-new sweets and Pikachu show
What’s it like to join Tokyo’s walking-and-talking-with-strangers club for a day?
Tokyo’s life-size Gundam anime mecha statue will be removed this summer
Ichiraku Ramen-inspired ramen sets from Naruto anime pay homage to Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura
Kanji ice cream becomes a sell-out hit in JapanUniqlo reveals third round of massive 100-year-anniversary manga T-shirts for Jump’s ShueishaEven at twice regular Daiso price, this handy item is still great for summer travel in Japan
New official Ghibli anime food cookbook will teach you how to make Ponyo’s ramen and more
Japanese convenience store Lawson launches new “mini supermarket” chain, L Minimart
Japan’s real-world Pokémon hot spring’s first photos are here![Photos]Kyoto public junior high school becomes first in Japan with a hoodie school uniformJapanese convenience store shows us how to dress for the rainy season
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Retro fashion magazines from Tokyo’s street market remind Mr. Sato of a special gift from his dad
Ghibli’s No Face continues to demonstrate his generous character growth by dispensing soy sauce
Even at twice regular Daiso price, this handy item is still great for summer travel in Japan
Body of missing American college student found in Kyoto mountains
Colour Hunting: The hot new street photography trend changing how we see Japan
Gun found in Japanese convenience store restroom, traced to forgetful on-duty cop
Japanese rice cooker recipe gives us a tasty new way to enjoy vegetables and wieners
Japan’s cheap beef bowl chain Matsuya opens gourmet Premium Matsuya with Kobe beef…inside Matsuya
Lawson opens a new mini supermarket, and the lucky bags can essentially stock your kitchen
A Japanese toast sandwich remix: The toasted rice rice ball[SoraKitchen]
Fukushima City on edge as resourceful and violent bear still not found
Order a cocktail, support a senior with Shinjuku Day Service Mojito at a handful of businesses
Osaka is hosting a “hentai” event, but it’s probably not what you think
Video of man spraying liquid on conveyor belt sushi leads to arrest in Japan
