food challenge
Customers who finish everything, including the two-kilo topping of coriander, are rewarded with all-you-can-eat coriander for life.
Thursday Throwback is your peek into the archives of RocketNews24. We’d hate for you to miss any of the quality quirky news from Asia and Japan just because you recently stumbled on our site. And if you’re a devout RN24 reader, thank you for your continued readership! Enjoy this blast from the past!
(Originally posted on April 19, 2012 by Steven)
Well that didn’t take long. Just yesterday we shared the story of how our own Mr. Sato capitalized on Burger King Japan’s current 15 bacon strips for 100 yen (US $1.20) promotion by ordering a Whopper with 105 bacon strips. While Mr. Sato managed to finish the burger, he didn’t seem to be in the best shape afterwards, falling into a meat-induced coma and then suddenly breaking out of it only to run out of the room with his hand covering his mouth.
Surely we thought Mr. Sato had finally learned his lesson that consuming stacks of bacon is a task better left to professionals. So imagine our surprise when he came in the office holding a plastic bag sagging under the weight of a 1,050 bacon strip Whopper.
There is a chic French restaurant in Tokyo’s Gotanda district known to those in-the-know. It’s called Ne Quittez Pas, and it is famous for using high-quality seafood and produce from Kanagawa’s Misaki region. However, they’ve just unveiled a new full-course menu created around a rather peculiar ingredient: actual dirt. Of course, we had to check it out. Read More
This site has covered some frankly ridiculous foods in the past. Who could forget our articles on deep-fried caterpillars, the 1050-bacon strip Whopper, or the bright blue curry challenge? But this is the first time we’ve covered something that actually made me throw up in my mouth a little.
A sandwich shop in Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture, has conjured up this ungodly creation and, even more strangely, it seems people want to eat it. It’s called the Natto-Coffee Gelatin Sandwich, and that is exactly what it is: natto and coffee gelatin slathered with whipped cream and plopped on some unoffending white bread. For those of you unfamiliar with natto, it is an extremely stinky and sticky food made from fermented soybeans. Yes, rotting soybeans.
Inexplicably, this sandwich has become one of the shop’s most popular items, leading the representative director Koji Suzumura to explain their motivation in creating this abomination. Read More
You, Me, And a Tanuki is a weekly featured blog run by Michelle, a Californian who is currently one of only two foreigners living in Chibu, a tiny fishing village on one of the Oki islands in Japan. Check back every Saturday for a new post or read more on her website here!
When I first got to Japan, I made a goal to try any food that was offered to me. Sea snails (freshly cracked out of their shells and still alive), check. Sea cucumber, check. Shiokara (fermented salty squid), check. I’ve encountered some of the grossest edible things I’ve ever seen, but stuck to my goal, tried not to think about the slimy mess in front of me, and ate the new food.
To up the ante on my food challenge, I told myself that I would eat every dish that was served in kyuushoku (school lunch). The main reason I took this challenge is that I think it sets a good example for the kids, who are made to sit at the lunch table until they finish every bite of their food. Usually, completing my goal isn’t a chore at all. I’ve had some of the most delicious meals I’ve ever encountered in Japan served to me in the lunchroom at school. But it hasn’t all been easy. I’m not a fan of shishamo (pregnant smelt fish) which are eaten with head, eyes, tail, bones…everything, intact. As unappealing as shishamo is to me, I still manage to eat all of them when they are served in the school lunch.
Unfortunately, my undefeated school lunch record has come to an end.
A few months have passed since our resident reporter Mr. Sato consumed a Whopper loaded with 1050 strips of bacon. Now the smell of bacon grease has finally faded from the office and Mr. Sato seems to have learned his lesson after spending countless hours curled up in the fetal position, praying his arteries would hold out another day.
At least, that’s what we thought until he walked into the office the other day carrying a Whopper with 1000 slices of cheese in his hands.
Cheesus Christ.
You know that we at RocketNews24 love to do crazy things with McDonald’s foods, like cooking a Big Mac Value Meal in a rice cooker or ordering different burgers without the buns.This time, we did a little experimenting with 10 McDonalds hamburgers and a unique cooking product that we’ve been fascinated with, called “Matomeruko Easy” (which would roughly translate to “Easy Mix-N-Solidify Powder” in English). Read More
Well that didn’t take long.
Just yesterday we shared the story of how our own Mr. Sato capitalized on Burger King Japan’s current 15 bacon strips for 100 yen (US $1.20) promotion by ordering a Whopper with 105 bacon strips.
While Mr. Sato managed to finish the burger, he didn’t seem to be in the best shape afterwards, falling into a meat-induced coma and then suddenly breaking out of it only to run out of the room with his hand covering his mouth.
Surely, we thought, Mr. Sato has finally learned his lesson; that consuming stacks of bacon is a task better left to professionals.
So imagine our surprise when he came in the office holding a plastic bag sagging under the weight of a 1050 bacon strip Whopper.



















New Shinkansen luggage drop-off system begins in Japan, making train travel even easier
Which country’s foreign tourists spend the most money per-person in Japan? Hint: Not the U..S. or China
Brand new Shinkansen bullet train unveiled in Japan… but it won’t carry passengers
Beautiful exclusive Totoro tenugui towel is a gift from Disney to Ghibli physical media buyers
Foreign hiker on Mt. Fuji loses consciousness and dies, becoming climbing season’s second fatality
Cup Noodle releases cold-water instant ramen in Japan, but can it really be made with just cold water?
Starbucks Japan adds a new summer Frappuccino to the menu, but is it as refreshing as it looks?
Yakuza members arrested for building a road on mountain they don’t own
Cup Noodle and Columbia team up for a weird and wonderful T-shirt that’s very Japanese
Studio Ghibli releases anime T-shirts that pay homage to one of Hayao Miyazaki’s most personal films
Japan now has human refrigerators inspired by Japanese vending machines
Hatsune Miku collaborates with Hokusai’s art in new Vocaloid ukiyo-e illustration series [Pics]
Japanese convenience store releases Japanese convenience store-flavor fried chicken
Family Mart’s new Tokyo flagship convenience store doesn’t feel convenient, but is that a problem?
Starbucks Japan releases new Discovery Series collection celebrating local regions and traditions
Teen girl in Japan refuses to be victim, personally escorts train pervert to police for arrest
Is Japan’s tourism boom slowing down? Foreign visitor numbers fall for first time in five years
Starbucks Japan releases exclusive new Bearista collection…with beary cute details
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Japan triples departure tax, foreign tourists and locals now must pay more to leave country
Japan launches first overnight Shinkansen bullet train between Tokyo and Osaka this summer
Family Mart opens new “Famima” flagship store in Tokyo that’s like a tourist attraction
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
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
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
Cup Noodle releases cold-water instant ramen in Japan, but can it really be made with just cold water?
Starbucks Japan adds a new summer Frappuccino to the menu, but is it as refreshing as it looks?
Yakuza members arrested for building a road on mountain they don’t own
Cup Noodle and Columbia team up for a weird and wonderful T-shirt that’s very Japanese
Studio Ghibli releases anime T-shirts that pay homage to one of Hayao Miyazaki’s most personal films
Sanrio eco-friendly plushies are here for the earth-conscious lovers of all things kawaii
Japanese government sets up new group to deal with trading card boom
Hatsune Miku collaborates with Hokusai’s art in new Vocaloid ukiyo-e illustration series [Pics]
If you love Pokémon and cats, you’ll love Japan’s cat Pokémon cat toys and feeding dishes[Photos]
Hatsune Miku, VTuber Suisei Hoshimachi perform opening pitch at pro baseball game in Japan [Video]
McDonald’s Japan reveals new Pokémon collaboration range, covering McNuggets and lucky bags
Japan now has human refrigerators inspired by Japanese vending machines
Japanese convenience store releases Japanese convenience store-flavor fried chicken
Giant Snorlax, other snoozing Pokémon appear in Yokohama for Pokémon Sleeping Faces Research [Pics]