Should DJs be the next big thing in Japanese preschools? This principal seems to think so

Traditional education is getting a remix, and preschoolers are ready to rave.

Shaping young minds is no easy task, so preschool teachers are always on the lookout for creative ways to spark children’s curiosity. In Japan, one preschool is shaking things up by taking traditional education and saying “More turntables, please!”

Enter Nbebe Shokai, who recently stumbled across a listing for a DJ on Timee, a popular Japanese app for short-term part-time jobs. The mission: to show children the coolness of DJs and the wonderful world of music. Arriving at the preschool, Nbebe was warmly welcomed by the staff and introduced to a fellow DJ. Together, they set up their gear and prepared to blast out an exciting mix of tunes for the kids as part of a back-to-back set, where each DJ takes a turn playing one or more songs before handing over to the other. From children’s classics like “Anpanman March” to the infectious beats of “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born,” and even some of his favorite Vocaloid tracks, the kids were bursting with enthusiasm, dancing freely to every song, even the ones they didn’t know.

While Nbebe was the second DJ to visit, the first was such a hit that he now returns weekly as the school’s resident DJ. According to Principal Masayuki Ihara, the kids put in 110 percent effort in their dancing and exercises, especially with the DJ there, and they’re always asking when he’ll come again. The DJs, too, have shared how much they appreciate the kids’ enthusiastic reactions to every tune.

This all began about seven years ago when Ihara was principal at Minamishimabara Bunka Preschool in the city of Minamishimabara, Nagasaki Prefecture. Back then, Ihara invited a DJ friend to visit, and the kids were instantly captivated. They loved the sounds from the turntables, the flashing lights, and especially the chance to touch the equipment themselves. When Ihara moved to his current role at sister school Nishijin Bunka Preschool in Fukuoka City’s Sawara Ward, he wanted to keep the fun going. Conversations with some of the kids’ fathers then set everything in motion; they talked about showcasing hobbies and skills, giving kids a chance to see adults doing unique things, ultimately leading to the creation of events like this preschool rave.

With a background in the restaurant industry, as well as a brief stint considering his own talent agency, Ihara has a unique take on childcare: it should be entertaining. He believes parents shouldn’t be forcing children to learn or trying to live vicariously through them. Instead, adults should show children how they are growing and developing, and do fun activities together. Recognizing that staff may lack certain skills, Ihara has taken to recruitment agencies to invite performers, such as ballet dancers and other skilled artists, to engage with the children. To further enrich their experiences, the preschool also organizes monthly outings to museums, theaters, and other cultural venues.

Ihara’s preschool is all about inspiring curiosity and showing the children that learning can be a lifelong adventure. For some, these moments could simply be joyful memories on the path to adulthood, while for others, they may be the seeds of a future full of discovery and new possibilities that they might never have dreamed of. So, while it’s yet to be seen if these ideas will catch on, Ihara’s preschool is devoted to changing children’s futures, one preschool disco at a time.

Source: J-Cast News via Livedoor News via Hachima Kiko
Top image: Pakutaso
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Overwhelmed by modern social media? Japanese company is bringing back pagers with an emoji-twist

Sega’s emojam wants to keep messages short and sweet, plus within your circle of close friends.

It’s not an uncommon opinion that modern communication technology, and social media in particular, is a double-edged sword. The ease and speed with which messages can be sent to anyone in the world allows people to form and maintain connections they would have been unable to otherwise, but it can also lower the social barriers that insulate us from people we’d rather not be connected to, subjecting us to harassing messages that are unpleasant or even traumatic.

So while you probably won’t find too many people saying it’s time to go all the way back to handwritten letters and landline phone calls as our only non-face-to-face options, a lot of people are likely longing for some sort of happy medium in terms of technology for interpersonal communication, and Sega thinks it has the answer: bring back pagers, but with some fun new twists.

Pictured above is the emojam, a new creation from Sega’s Sega Fave division. Like the pagers of yore, emojam doesn’t allow for text entry, and there’s a pretty tight cap on how long messages can be. Instead of sending a series of numbers, though, emojam lets you send a string of emoji.

The device comes with over 1,100 pre-loaded emoji, and you can send up to 10 per message. The intent, Sega says, is to encourage users to put extra thought and care into crafting and deciphering messages, helping to strengthen bonds between friends as a result of considering how each other’s perspective and emotions influences their interpretation of the pictures.

▼ In this example image, the top message is “I’ve got a crush on that boy,” apparently someone who’s on the soccer team, and the friend’s excited reaction is “Wow! Really?” The text has been added for demonstration purposes – the actual devices would display only the emoji.

Though emojam sends messages through Wi-Fi networks, it’s not a conventionally Internet connectable device. Group chats are limited to five users, and the friend list, required to send and receive messages, tops out at 100 people, big enough for just about anyone’s primary social circle, but small enough to leave out less vetted individuals who exchanging messages with might do more harm than good to your mental health. Along the same lines, registering friends requires physically touching your emojams to each other, eliminating the anonymity of conventional social media that often enable online harassment. Before someone can exchange emojam messages with you, they have to be someone you’ve met in real life, which would hopefully mean more civil and accountable communication than with a total stranger.

▼ There are also emojam accessories like cases and straps, and the emoji library can be expanded with additional sets featuring characters like the Sanrio crew.

As you can probably tell from the promotional images, Sega is marketing the emojam towards kids, with many of the limits on what kind of messages can be sent and who they can be sent to put in place to put parents’ minds at ease. For any adults who grew up in an era with a less intensely connected communications culture than we have now, though, there’s likely a nostalgic appeal to the concept too, though.

emojam goes on sale December 10 with a suggested retail price of 7,150 yen (US$48), and an Amazon Japan preorder page is already up here.

Source: PR Times via IT Media, emojam official website, Amazon Japan
Top image: PR Times
Insert images: Amazon Japan, emogam official website
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Pokémon doughnuts appear at Mister Donut, with Diglett as the star!

We’re totally digging this new lineup.

Around this time every year, Japan’s leading doughnut chain, Mister Donut, releases a special Christmas range produced in collaboration with Pokémon.

The range has evolved over the years, starting in 2018 with a Pikachu that was too ugly to exist. After fine-tuning its appearance, the Pikachu doughnut went on to become a popular returning character in the series, with a Poké Ball thrown into the mix, and ever since then, the two doughnuts have been joined by a special surprise Pokémon every year, much to the delight of fans.

▼ In 2022, Jigglypuff appeared.

▼ Followed by Psyduck in 2023.

This time, crowd-favourite Pikachu will be returning to Mister Donut, filled with whipped cream and coated with caramel custard-flavoured chocolate, priced from 313 yen (US$2.06).

The Poké Ball, with its soft choux pastry texture and white chocolate and strawberry sugar topping, will also be returning, priced from 248 yen.

However, this year, for the first time ever, Diglett has the honour of being doughnutified, and we’ve never seen the Pokémon looking more beautiful…or delicious.

▼ Diglett is yours to eat for 313 yen.

This new doughnut is called the “Pon de Digda“, seeing as it combines Digda (the Japanese name for Diglett) with the chain’s famous “Pon de Ring“, a style of doughnut that consists of eight dough balls connected in a ring. Diglett is made out of a cream-filled choux pastry which has been coated in caramel-flavoured chocolate, while the “ground” it pops up from is made with chocolate crunch pieces atop a custard cream Pon de Ring.

It’s an incredibly adorable creation, but it’s not the only way we’ll get to savour a Ground-type Pokémon, as the chain is also releasing a duo of doughnuts in special packaging.

▼ Pikachu Custard Flavour Chocolate (216 yen)

This bright yellow treat has a choux pastry texture and is filled with whipped cream and custard cream, and finished with a caramel custard-flavoured chocolate coating. It’s sold in a sleeve with a design that shows Pikachu popping out of a doughnut hole.

▼ Dugtrio Caramel Flavor Chocolate (216 yen)

This doughnut is filled with whipped cream and custard cream, coated with caramel-flavoured chocolate, and placed in a sleeve that shows Dugtrio popping out of the doughnut hole.

If your tastes don’t align with Pokémon, then Mister Donut has you covered there too, with a couple of “Pon de Wreath” offerings — the Pon de Wreath Chocolate and the Pon de Wreath Caramel, priced from 183 yen each.

It’s become customary for this collaboration to include some exclusive goods, and we’re being gifted with that this year too. The three limited-edition items in store for us this time consist of two blankets and a glass, all of which pay homage to Ground-type Pokémon and their propensity for popping up from the earth, or in this case, doughnut holes.

The Pon de Digda Blanket is adorned with Diglett, Pikachu, Dugtrio, Drilbur, Pawmi, and Trapinch. When folded up and stored, it transforms into a Poké ball cushion.

The Friends Blanket also features Pikachu with the Ground-Type Pokémon, and it packs into a Super Ball (or “Great Ball“, depending on where you’re from).

The glass has an ergonomic shape that makes it easy to hold, and it too is adorned in Ground-type Pokémon, along with Pikachu.

The only way to get your hands on the goods is to purchase one of two sets. The Goods Set, priced at 1,990 yen for takeout or 2,004 yen for dine-in, includes two Pokémon doughnuts of your choice, one Pon de Wreath of your choice, and your choice of one blanket, with everything bundled up for you in an original paper bag.

The glass can only be purchased as part of the “Children’s Goods Set”, which includes one Pokémon doughnut of your choice, one Pon de Wreath of your choice, and the glass, all packed into an original paper bag, priced at 990 yen for takeout or 999 yen for dine-in.

▼ With so many cute goods to collect, we’ll definitely have to catch ’em all!

Catching ’em all, in this case, will set us back 4,970 yen, which isn’t a bad investment, given that it includes eight doughnuts and some exclusive goods you can’t get anywhere else. And if you have even more money to burn, then you can always check out the best ways to spend 1,000 yen at the chain!

Source: PR Times
Top image: PR Times
Insert images: PR Times (1, 2), SoraNews24
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Professional basketball player cosplays as Studio Ghibli’s No-Face for Halloween in the U.S.【Vid】

NBA rookie of the year salutes the Hayao Miyazaki anime classic.

When thinking of anime characters to dress up as, Spirited Away’s No Face seems like he’d be pretty low on the degree-of-difficulty scale. Sure, you might have to get out some paint brushes and construction paper to make his mask, but the design isn’t all that complex, and for the rest of the costume any sort of head-to-toe length cloak, robe, or bodysuit should do the trick, right?

But convincingly recreating No Face’s atmosphere requires not just replicating the character’s attire, but his stature too, and that’s the hard part. A lot of what makes No Face such a compelling figure is that his child-like personality is paired with a massive physical frame, as he towers in height over anyone else on screen. So to really pull off No Face cosplay, the person wearing the costume has to be really tall, like professional basketball player-tall…and hey, what do you know, here comes San Antonio Spurs center Victor “Wemby” Wembanyama…

WEMBY! pic.twitter.com/biGipEqE6H

— NBA (@NBA) October 31, 2024

…dressed as No Face!

The video was taken as the seven-foot, three-inch (221-centimeter) tall Wembanyama arrived at the stadium for a game against the Utah Jazz. It should be noted that, with the game taking place on October 31, Wembanyama wasn’t the only person in the building in costume It’s a sign of the far-reaching appeal of Studio Ghibli’s works, though, that out of all the characters he could have dressed up as for Halloween, the French-born Wembanyama chose No Face, and that the NBA’s official Twitter account was eager to share video of his outfit.

Wembanyama would go on to score 25 points in a 106-88 victory for the Spurs over the Jazz, becoming the latest athlete to find success immediately after professing a fondness for the otaku arts.

Source: Twitter/@NBA
Top image: Studio Ghibli
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Totoro stamp collection lets you add adorable Ghibli touches to cards and letters【Photos】

Totoro shows up in time for Japan’s nengajo season.

In a perfect world, we’d spend every day surrounded by Totoros, who’d appear like magic whenever we snapped our fingers. Not that we’ve given up on that dream (<snap>…<snap>…<snap>…), but we’re happy to know there’s now a non-mystical, more reliable way to make Totoros appear too.

Ghibli specialty shop Donguri Kyowakoku has just released a line of adorable Totoro stamps, with six different illustrations featuring the three sizes of the cuddly guys, plus some Soot Sprite friends.

Though the above pattern features cherry blossoms, a symbol of spring, the timing of the stamps’ release was chosen because Japan has a tradition of sending New Year’s cards, called nengajo. Similar to the Christmas cards in the west, nengajo are sent to friends, family members, and coworkers to thank them for their continued kindness and to wish them well in the year to come.

The Totoro stamps are sized and designed to be used to add a little Ghibli touch to New Year’s cards, with the one above bearing the message “Happy New Year” and the ones below expressing similar sentiments.

▼ “Thank you for all your kindness last year. I hope this year will be a happy one for you too.”

▼ “Yoroshiku this year too.”

▼ A small Totoro inside a shimekazari (New Year’s wreath) decorated with plum blossoms

▼ Big Totoro flanked by the kanji for nenga (“New Year’s greetings”)

As a nice bit of consideration by the designers, the illustrations don’t mention a specific year, such as “2025” or Year of the Snake motifs, meaning that they can be used not just for the upcoming New Year’s season but for any year to come, and the sakura stamp is really one that can be used all year-round, since it’s not strictly New Year’s related and cherry blossoms have become arguably just about as representative of Japan itself as they are of spring.

The entire line is available through Donguri Kyowakoku’s online shop, with the small stamps (here, here, and here) priced at 737 yen (US$4.90), the medium one (here) at 1,100, and the two large ones (here and here) at 1,650. And if you’re looking for pointers on how to draw Totoro yourself, we’ve got you covered on that too.

Source: Donguri Kyowakoku
Top image: Donguri Kyowakoku
Insert images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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Japanese communities giving their skylines a spring clean and saying goodbye to power lines

The quest to let Japan’s historical sites shine bright continues on.

From stunning cherry blossom trees lining rivers to breathtaking views of Mt. Fuji standing dominantly on the horizon, Japan’s scenery inspires endless fantasies. However, take a step off the plane, with camera in hand, and your much-anticipated holiday snaps may reveal an unexpected and unwelcome guest: overhead power lines. Crisscrossing through the streets, these cables seem to take every chance to join you on your journey.

Tourists cry out in dismay as they battle with these urban vines—twisting and tilting their cameras, desperate to capture those perfect memories. However, there are good reasons why Japan has lagged behind other countries in removing overhead cables. Cost will always be a major reason, but other factors, like ease of repairs in times of disaster, also play a part.

That’s not to say that all hope is lost. Efforts to preserve historical charm in traditional spots, particularly those beloved by tourists, like Kyoto’s Higashiyama district, have been ongoing for years and have included relocating power lines to underground, opening up great social media opportunities for eager photographers.

▼ A web of wires on Yasaka Street, Kyoto

▼ Yasaka Street after the power line removal in 2010

Back in 2017, as part of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s movement for scenic urban renewal, the city of Tamba-Sasayama in Hyogo Prefecture was selected to be a model district and work was begun to remove the unsightly electrical cables that disrupted the traditional atmosphere of the castle town area.

By 2021, all of the utility poles along Kawaramachi Street had been removed, restoring its historical charm and beauty, creating a sense of having traveled through time when you gaze past the houses.

Strolling through the Kawaramachi Tsumairi Merchant District nowadays, visitors will find a seamless mix of old and new. Long-established pottery shops and newly-opened,  stylish cafes stand side-by-side, all mostly housed in traditional tsumairi-style buildings featuring the distinctive characteristics of a narrow front when viewed from the street and a surprisingly deep interior. This unique architecture has persisted since the area’s original development around 1612, following the construction of the nearby Sasayama Castle in 1609.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the area’s recognition as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings by the Japanese Government.

Though Tokyo’s transformation into a wire-free city, along with rest of Japan, may still be a long way off, there is progress being made. In the meantime, Kawaramachi Tsumairi Merchant District offers a sneak peek into what’s in store for other historical areas. So, next time you find yourself despairing at Japan’s electrical canopy, pop over to Kawaramachi or the equally attractive Kawagoe in Saitama.

Source: PR Times
Top image: PR Times
Insert images: PR Times, Kyoto City Official Website, PR Times (2)
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We try carving a Halloween pumpkin… to eat【SoraKitchen】

It’s the great pumpkin, P.K. Sanjun!

It’s Halloween once again in Japan, which means… Well, it’s still not really clear what Halloween means in Japan. Sure, there are a lot of decorations and other merchandise for sale, but as far as an agreed-upon set of customs, it’s a little foggy here. The closest we had was probably the big street party in Shibuya, but that seems to have gotten out of hand and is now being clamped down on.

So, we all must find our own Halloween spirit for now and come up with ideas on what to do. Fortunately, our boss Yoshio is an eternal spring of ideas, but unfortunately, only about one in ten are remotely good ideas.

▼ Past ideas include plastering his car.

So, when Yoshio approached our writer P.K. Sanjun with a fun Halloween experiment, P.K. was hesitant, to say the least.

▼ Yoshio: “Hey, P.K., I got a great idea!”

▼ P.K.: “…”

▼ Yoshio: “…”

▼ P.K.: “…”

▼ Yoshio: “…”

▼ P.K.: “…”

▼ Yoshio: “I said I got…”

▼  P.K.: “Ugh, what is it?”

▼  Yoshio: “I saw an ornamental Halloween pumpkin for sale at the flower shop just now! It’s only 2,500 yen (US$16)! Why don’t you try eating it?”

Bearing in mind that most Japanese people have no experience carving jack-o-lanterns, this idea didn’t seem so crazy to P.K. After all, pumpkins are quite a common fixture in Japanese meals, and a Halloween pumpkin didn’t seem all that different from the kind he’s often eaten in the past.

P.K. found himself curious about what it might taste like, so he headed over to the flower shop to buy it. While there he asked the staff if they’ve ever eaten a Halloween pumpkin but they just looked at him strangely.

The Japanese word for pumpkin is “kabocha” which, like the English word “pumpkin,” actually very loosely covers a wide variety of winter squashes. Even the pumpkins used for making jack-o-lanterns can vary quite a bit such as Howden, Connecticut Fields, and Autumn Golds. Meanwhile, in Japan the typical kabocha is the Cucurbita maxima, a small, green gourd with a delightfully sweet taste… or so I’m told. I’ve been so traumatized from the stench of jack-o-lantern innards that I can’t go near the stuff.

▼ A cut of kabocha

P.K.’s own Halloween trauma, however, had yet to happen and he eagerly got to work preparing his pumpkin for consumption. For all he knew, it might even be better than a kabocha. It certainly was both a lot bigger and a lot harder than he expected.

After applying a lot of elbow grease, he managed to saw his way through the pumpkin, directly down the middle much like one would to a kabocha.

He then diced the firm flesh of the pumpkin much like one would with a kabocha. A common was of serving kabocha in Japan is to dice it and let it stew in some flavorful seasonings like mirin, sugar, and soy sauce.

Finding a kabocha recipe online, P.K. first microwaved his pumpkin cubes to make them more tender.

He then let them simmer in a pot of various tasty liquids to lock in loads of flavor.

It was surprisingly simple and P.K. felt very proud of how motherly his cooking looked.

The only visual difference was that the outer layer was orange instead of kabocha’s characteristically green outside.

▼ For comparison, here is some kabocha, cooked in a similar way. Notice the green tinges.

Our writer was looking forward to trying it out. After all, the bar was set pretty low, even if it was decent but not quite as good as kabocha, this would still be a relative success. But, if it turned out to be better, than this could be a culinary discovery on par with putting an ice cream cone in ramen.

P.K. popped a morsel in his mouth and immediately handed down his verdict…

▼ P.K.: “Oh, this sucks.”

The first disappointment came when he bit into the grainy, fibrously crunchy texture of the pumpkin that was nothing like the hot-potato-like fluffiness of kabocha. The texture was so unforgivingly entrenched in the pumpkin flesh that he had to tolerate it right up until he could swallow it.

The taste could best be described as “non-existent” aside from the sugary taste that he injected into it. If it weren’t for that, this would probably have been inedible for him. P.K. would best sum up pumpkin as “an object that is able to be ingested” rather than a food.

There was also a very uncomfortable bitterness in the aftertaste, which contained just a hint of kabocha essence in it. P.K. was able to cling to that ethereal thread of tastiness that linked pumpkins and kabocha.

P.K. was now certain that Halloween pumpkins are not meant to be eaten unless he ended up in a Mad-Max-style post-apocalyptic world where food was extremely scarce. He felt the only thing left to do was to inflict this very same agony on his boss Yoshio since it was all his idea.

▼ Yoshio: “Hmm… Mm… So… What, is this like a melon or something?”

▼ P.K.: “It’s a Halloween pumpkin! This whole stupid thing was your idea! REMEMBER?!”
Yoshio: “You… made me drop my melon!”

And so ends another Halloween in Japan. We’ll figure out something worthwhile to do one of these years.

Photos ©SoraNews24
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