Twentythree

Fukubukuro season starts very early for Starbucks fans in Japan.

In Japan, shops, restaurants, and other companies celebrate the new year by releasing fukubukuro, a.k.a. lucky bags, surprise assortments of their wares and coupons, usually with a combined value much greater than their asking price. Back in the day, the only way to get a lucky bag was to show up at the shop on the first few days of the year, but especially popular bags now go on sale ahead of time, and with Starbucks Japan’s lucky bag being one of the most popular of all, it’s going on sale while we’re still in November.

One of the reasons Starbucks Japan’s lucky bag is so coveted is because of the bag itself. While most other brands’ fukubukuro are disposable paper pouches, Starbucks Japan gives you a classy tote bag. The design, featuring an emblem of the Starbucks mermaid, is elegantly understated in order to coordinate with a wide variety of outfits, and sized such that it can work for both fashionable in-city meetups or more extensive outings for which you need to carry more gear.

But you can’t be a lucky bag without also having cool stuff inside. The highlight of the contents is a fukubukuro-exclusive Starbucks Japan stainless steel drink bottle, the design of which is still being kept under wraps. You’ll also receive three pieces of randomly selected Starbucks lucky bag-exclusive merch, which could be one of 1,000 special mug and Bearista plushie combos.

▼ The surprise is super lucky and super cute.

To fill up the drink bottle, the bag additionally contains two bags of Starbucks coffee, one of high-grade roast and one of light-note blend, as well as a Coffee Bean Ticket redeemable for a bag of coffee of up to 2,000 yen (US$13) at any Starbucks Japan branch. Finally, for when you’re not in the mood to do your own brewing, the bundle also contains seven drink tickets, once again redeemable at any Starbucks in Japan.

The 2027 Starbucks lucky bag is priced at 9,500 yen, but because the demand is so high for them every year, it’s offered by a pre-sale lottery system only. To enter, you’ll need to be a My Starbucks member and complete the online entry form between November 4 and November 15. Randomly selected winners will then be notified by email (Starbucks says notifications are slated to be sent out by November 25), after which payment can be arranged and you can select a delivery date between January 1 and 7 of 2027 (domestic shipping is included in the price of the fukubukuro).

The entry form can be found here. And if it’s still too early for you to be thinking about New Year’s, but not too early for you to be thinking about Christmas, Starbucks Japan has something for you too.

Source, images: Starbucks Japan
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Art collection includes never-before-shown illustrations from Hayao Miyazaki’s vision for a feudal-Japan version of Beauty and the Beast.

The very first time I saw a preview for Studio Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke, I was shocked by how dark the tone was. I was not at all prepared for a grim tale of humans and giant forest creatures fighting to the death in a territorial struggle with no clear “good guys” or “bad guys.” I’d been expecting this story of a mononoke/monster princess to be a sort of feudal Japan-version of Beauty and the Beast, complete with a cuddly-looking cat samurai’s caring, protective side being awoken by a young girl whose safety he has to ensure.

However, my shock wasn’t because the Princess Mononoke trailer was the first piece of Japanese animation I’d ever seen, some sort of “THIS IS ANIME!” moment that shattered my sheltered American mind with the revelation that animation didn’t have to be limited to Disney fairy tales (I’d already had that experience — thank you, Bubblegum Crisis). No, the reason I had been expecting Princess Mononoke to a pseudo-Beauty and the Beast with cute Ghibli critters is because that’s what the original story concept and artwork were, as shown way back during the anime’s pre-production phase and reprinted in at least one North American anime magazine at the time.

I’ve been telling fellow anime fans this for years, usually getting a puzzled expression and awkward silence in response, but now finally I can point to the newest entry in the Hayao Miyazaki Image Board Series, in which the early-concept artwork for Princess Mononoke has been collected.

▼ Two of these illustrations will immediately look familiar to people who’ve watched Princess Mononoke, and one of them almost certainly will not.

This is the seventh volume in publisher Iwanami Shoten’s Hayao Miyazaki Image Board Series, which compiles all of the concept illustrations and brainstorming drawings produced by anime director Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki. A total of 258 pieces of artwork are contained within the 184-page book, including 90 which have never been publicly shown before, making it a sort of record of two different Princess Mononoke, the version we were originally going to get, and the one we eventually did.

Miyazaki was developing the original Beauty and the Beast-esque story after directing 1992’s Porco Rosso, and in 1993 he added text to some of his concept illustrations for a long out-of-print book, also titled Princess Mononoke, which was published by Tokuma Shoten, Studio Ghibli’s parent company. As time went by, though, Miyazaki came to feel that the story he was crafting was too old-fashioned and stale, and while working on the animated music video for Japanese pop song “On Your Mark” in 1995, he became convinced that “it is wrong to be limited by the past,” and the changes in creative course from then on were what resulted in the Princess Mononoke anime that opened in Japanese theaters in 1997.

Hayao Miyazaki Image Board Series Volume 7-Princess Mononoke, which comes with a personal endorsement by One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda (hence his signature on the book’s obi paper wrapping), goes on sale December 3, priced at 6,000 yen (US$38), and can be purchased through Iwanami Shoten ‘s website here.

Source, images: PR Times
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Suntory’s newest Craft Boss release promises the taste of freshly dunked buttery pastry in a single bottle.

One of the things I’ve enjoyed since coming to Japan has been stopping at vending machines I walk past to check out what new and unusual drinks they have on offer and scouring different supermarket and convenience store shelves for limited-edition flavors that could potentially blow my mind with their outlandishness—I’m looking at you, caramel popcorn soda. Now, the latest limited-time release coming from beverage maker Suntory seems to suggest they’ve been attempting to liquidize a bakery item.

In collaboration with the popular bakery chain Bread, Espresso & and hitting shelves on November 10 for a limited time, Craft Boss Croissant Latte is an attempt to capture the exact flavor you get after dunking a croissant into a warm caffe latte.

As far as I’m aware, the French can be quite vocal about proper etiquette when it comes to their bread and coffee on the best of days, but turning the breakfast habit into a drinkable liquid in a plastic bottle might have them sharpening their baguettes for the sheer audacity.

According to the breakdown of the recipe, the drink blends light-roasted coffee beans with espresso to create a sophisticated bitterness, plus sugar, a touch of salt, and the custom croissant flavor, with a result that aims to form a buttery aroma and a multi-layered balance of sweet, bitter, and salty notes in every sip.

As with all Suntory Boss coffee varieties, we can expect to see the Croissant Latte in Japanese convenience stores and supermarkets, and it’s scheduled to go on sale November 10. Starting that same day, select 19 Bread, Espresso & stores nationwide will also be selling a special 900-yen (US$5.70) Croissant Latte menu item featuring a honey-butter caramelized croissant designed specifically for dipping into foamy latte cream.

The first 100 people at each store who order from the collaboration menu will also receive a bottle of Craft Boss Croissant Latte (limited to one per person).

● Tokyo
Bread, Espresso & (Omotesando)
Bread, Espresso & Shibaura Gallery
Bread, Espresso & Machiawase

● Kanagawa
Bread, Espresso & Shonan to
Bread, Espresso & Yuigahama Shoten
Bread, Espresso & Hantaba wo

● Chiba
Bread, Espresso & Kojitsutei

● Fukushima
Bread, Espresso & Komine Castle

● Miyagi
Bread, Espresso & Hitoyasumi

● Mie
Bread, Espresso & Kuwana Kobo

● Shiga
Bread, Espresso & Sekitoan

● Kyoto
Bread, Espresso & Kyo to

● Osaka
Bread, Espresso & Minamimorimachi-kosaten
Bread, Espresso & Coffee Seisakusho

● Hyogo
Bread, Espresso & Ijinkan
Bread, Espresso & Himeji Castle

● Oita
Bread, Espresso & Beppu-kan

● Kochi
Bread, Espresso & Tosa Kissa

● Okinawa
Bread, Espresso & Omoromachi

As a final added bonus, by purchasing target products between November 10 and November 24, you could be one of five lucky people who have the chance of winning a Bakery and Boss Jumbo Jacket, emblazoned with the Boss logo, and an assorted-bread design on the inner lining.

Whether liquid croissant coffee turns out to be a brilliant morning hack or just another entry in Japan’s history of experimental beverages, it’ll no doubt turn a few heads when it hits the shelves in a few days. If you happen to be near one of the stores, why not forgo your traditional breakfast snack and pick another up in one convenient bottle.

Related: Suntory, Bread, Espresso &
Source, images: PR Times
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Green oasis in the center of Tokyo is site of city’s newest cafe serving exclusive coffee blend.

With people in Japan long having been fans of cafe culture, Tokyo has plenty of spots in the city in which to sit and sip a cup of coffee. However, there’s never been a cafe on the grounds of the Imperial Palace, until now.

November 3 was the grand opening for the Imperial Palace East Garden branch of Sarutahiko Coffee. As the name implies, the cafe is inside the eastern garden area of the palace grounds, not far from Tokyo Station and open to the public, free of charge.

Sarutahiko Coffee started off as a specialty coffee shop in Tokyo’s Ebisu neighborhood, and it now operates a small chain of cafes in the capital. This new branch is special, though, and so it serves an exclusive Imperial Palace East Garden Blend, inspired by the changing seasons, beautiful plant life, and crisp air of the gardens, which for a green oasis in the city center. The dark-roast promises dark chocolate notes and the scent of violets, with the subtle flavor of grapes becoming more noticeable as the coffee cools. The light-roast, meanwhile, has impressions of caramel, orange, and cherry, and picks up a sense of tropical fruit once it cools off.

▼ In addition to coffee to drink in-store, packs of the Imperial Palace East Garden Blend can also be purchased to take home.

▼ Imperial Palace East Garden-exclusive drink bottles

A wide selection of cakes, pastries, and other desserts are also on offer, mixing both Japanese and Western confectionery traditions.

The cafe is attached to a new rest area and located across a pedestrian pathway from the Museum of the Imperial Collections, Sannomaru Shozokan, an art/history museum which also opened on November 3. Customers can enjoy their drinks on the cafe’s second-floor terrace, taking in views of the surrounding greenery…

…or at inside seating, which features tables made with hinoki (Japanese cedar) wood harvested from the same forest where Ise Shrine sources the timber for its periodic rebuilding ceremonies.

The cafe follows the same schedule as the garden, which means that it closes at dusk, but this also allows it to be extremely ecologically friendly. Because the Imperial Palace Gardens create a skyscraper-free buffer zone, they receive plenty of sunlight during the day, and the cafe can operate entirely by solar power, so you can feel good about being kind to Mother Nature as you treat yourself to a drink and a snack ina very unique location.

Cafe information
Sarutahiko Coffee (Imperial Palace East Garden Branch) / 猿田彦珈琲 （皇居東御苑店）
Address: Tokyo-to, Chiyoda-ku, Chiyoda 1-9
東京都千代田区千代田1-9
Opening hours as per Imperial Palace East Garden:
9 a.m.- 4 p.m. (November-February)
9 a.m.- 5 p.m. (March-April 14)
9 a.m.- 6 p.m. (April 15-August)
9 a.m.- 5 p.m. (September)
9 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. (October)
Website

Source: PR Times
Top image: PR Times
Insert images: PR Times, Imperial Household Agency
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Latest crook to hit Tokyo’s hottest theft target feels either remorse or fear, but probably shouldn’t expect forgiveness.

In a city as big as Tokyo, different neighborhoods have different atmospheres, but those reputations can change over time. For example, Nakano is best known for its Nakano Broadway shopping center, which used to be thought of almost entirely as a place for fans of eclectic pop and subculture genres, sort of like a weirder, less trendy version of Akihabara. Over the last few years, though, Nakano Broadway has become famous for having a dense concentration of luxury wristwatch stores, stocked with both new and used high-demand models.

Sadly, Nakano Broadway’s reputation is continuing to evolve, and it’s now becoming a place known for attracting not only watch fans, but watch thieves too. On the evening of October 29, a man, at the time seemingly an interested shopper, approached a salesperson inside a watch store in Nakano Broadway and asked if he could try on a piece that was in a locked showcase. The salesperson obliged, and the man slipped on a watch from Swiss brand Audemars Piguet, only to suddenly run off with it still on his wrist. And while the man hadn’t been an actual shopper, he apparently still knew a thing or two about watches, as the model he stole has a price of 46 million yen (approximately US$290,000).

▼ A CG reenactment of the crime

After fleeing the building, the man escaped out into the web of narrow streets that twist around Nakano Broadway. However, this is still a fairly developed part of Tokyo, not the sort of place where a sprinting thief can blend in with fitness joggers, but Nakano also isn’t so dense one can easily disappear into a sea of passersby either. As a result, investigators were able to spot the fleeing man in recording from multiple security cameras, as shown in the video here.

▼ The video also shows the model of watch that was stolen.

Though the thief is still at large (as of this writing), the stolen watch has been returned, and, surprisingly, it was the thief himself who returned it, via a takuhaibin/parcel delivery service. On the morning of November 1, a cardboard box which had been mailed from Aichi Prefecture was delivered to the store that was robbed, and when the staff opened it, they found a watch matching the model and serial number of the one that was stolen, plus a handwritten letter of apology that included the statement “I’m sorry.” The watch doesn’t appear to have suffered any noticeable damage during its time away from the store.

Online reactions to the unexpected turn of events have included:

“Must have realized it was only a matter of time until they caught him.”
“Okay, so he got spooked and returned the watch. He still stole it.”
“Returning it doesn’t undo the crime. Turn yourself in.”
“It’s like he thinks they’ll just treat it as a prank since he the watch back.”
“If you know you should return it, you should have known not to take it in the first place.”
“Thieves have totally marked Nakano Broadway.”
“If they’re going to let people try on watches that are that expensive, they should make them do it in a locked room.”

With law-abiding citizens in Japan still fuming over a different brazen watch robbery that recently took place at Nakano Broadway, it’s not surprising that public sentiment isn’t leaning towards letting the guy off the hook just because he returned the property that he stole. Japan is, after all, the country that says “If everything could be solved by saying ‘sorry,’ we wouldn’t need police,” and investigators are still searching for the thief.

Source: Teleasa News via Yahoo! Japan News via Jin, FNN Prime Online, TBS News Dig, YouTube/日テレNEWS
Top image: Pakutaso
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We head to the Seto Inland Sea for a Shimanami Kaido sampler.

Japan has a lot of great places for bicycling, but the Shimanami Kaido Cycling Road is widely considered to be the best. Stretching across the Seto Inland Sea, the 70-kilometer (43.5-mile) route ties together seven different islands as it runs from the town of Imabari in Ehime Prefecture on Shikoku all the way to Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture on Japan’s main island of Honshu.

But while the idea of a 70-kilomter, possibly multi-day ride sounds fun for dedicated cyclists, is it possible for beginner-level bicyclists to enjoy the Shimanami Kaido too, even if they can’t devote a whole day to it? That was the question our Japanese-language reporter Saya Togashi found herself asking. Saya lives in a fairly rural part of Japan, and the lack of public transportation means that she spends pretty much every day getting around by car. Sure, she knows how to ride a bike, but it’s not something she does very often, and certainly not to the extent that she’s built up a fitness cyclist’s musculature and stamina.

And yet, Saya could still feel the Shimanami Kaido calling to her, and her initial research suggested that while the course is loved by serious cyclists, it’s very accommodating to novices as well. For starters, there are 10 official rental cycle depots along the route, so there’s no need to bring your own bike. Depending on the type of bike and specific location, some of the depots even allow you to drop off your bike at a different spot than where you started your ride, in case you want to go part-way across the islands on bike, then do the rest by car, bus, or boat.

Saya decided to get her bike at the Imabari Itoyama Rental Cycle depot in Imabari, essentially the southernmost tip of the Shimanami Kaido. It’s possible (and, honestly, advisable) to reserve a bike ahead of time, but Saya hadn’t made any such arrangements. Nevertheless, when she showed up at around 10 a.m. on a weekday, they still had plenty of bikes available, even some electric-assist ones like the one Saya picked out, which cost 4,000 yen (US$25) for one day.

▼ Imabari Itoyama Rental Cycle also provides helmets free of charge.

Instead of the full-course Shimanami Kaido, Saya’s plan was to experience the first section, sort of an appetizer-size version. Since Imabari Itoyama Rental Cycle has a free parking lot, she could leave her car there while she was pedaling and take her time without worrying about racking up expensive parking fees.

After Saya selected her bike, the staff adjusted the seat height for her and pointed her towards the nearby bridge that makes up the start of the course. They also explained that you can tell when you’re following the Shimanami Kaido by the blue lines marked on the pavement, so there’s no fear of getting lost.

This first bridge, called the Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge, is less than 10 minutes from the rental cycle depot, and it’s a very big piece of infrastructure, about 50 meters (164 feet) up above the shoreline. The bike path, though, spirals around on the way up to keep the incline from getting all that steep, and especially if you’re using an electric-assist bike, it’s not so strenuous, even for a beginner like Saya.

The high guard rails were also reassuring, keeping Saya and her bike separated from car traffic on one side and safe from the drop-off down to the sea on the other. The peace of mind they provided left Saya with the necessary mental space to appreciate just how beautiful the view is from up here.

The weather was a little cloudy on this day, but that added to the atmosphere, and also meant the sun wasn’t beating down on her with full force. There are so many islands in this part of Japan that sometimes they look like they’re layered on top of one another. On the closer ones Saya could make out individual houses and other buildings, while the ones farther in the distance, wrapped in a light mist, looked like they could be part of an ink seascape painting.

Though she’d worked up a bit of a sweat, Saya was making steady progress, and had a smile on her face with no stress in her heart. She felt like she’d sprouted wings as she smoothly zoomed ahead to the far side of the bridge…

…though she stopped for a bit at a cyclist rest area, not because she was worn out, but to snap a few more photos and bask in the cool sea breeze for a bit.

Once you come down on the other side of the bridge, you’re still in Imabari City, but now on the island of Oshima, in a picturesque coastal community.

Following the blue line in the road brought Saya to Yoshiumi Ikiiki Hall, the island’s michi no eki/”roadside station,” a center for local foods and handicrafts. Bringing her bike to stop and heading into the food court, Saya spotted several other cyclists who were biking the Shimanami Kaido in whole or in part, and she decided to fuel up with a fish sandwich, a sausage one…

…and, of course, some soft serve ice cream.

This was as far as Saya was planning to ride today, but rather than rushing straight back to Imabari Itoyama Rental Cycle, she stopped by the Oshima port along the way, which offers short sightseeing cruises on the Seto Inland Sea.

In total, Saya covered around six kilometers on her round-trip ride from the rental cycle depot over to Oshima and back, and spent around an hour and a half pedaling. This is, she admits, only a very small portion of the Shimanami Kaido, but she still feels like it was enough to understand what makes the course so fun. In addition to experienced bicycling buffs doing the whole thing, she also saw people like herself who were clearly just doing a part of it. She saw people of different ages and backgrounds, and even from different countries, all enjoying this unique activity, creating a heartwarming sense of comradery, and at one point when she got off her bike to readjust the seat, a passing cyclist stopped to make sure she wasn’t in any sort of mechanical distress.

So yes, Saya is happy to report that you don’t have to go hard-core to enjoy going along part of the Shimanami Kaido. Maybe she’ll eventually cycle the whole thing, broken up into different segments on different trips, but if and when she, or you, are ready to go all the way from one end to the other, we’ve got a report on what that’s like too.

Related: Shimanami Kaido official website
Photos ©SoraNews24
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Our new favorite hole in the wall.

Every city has a few mystery spots here and there where something is created and left for others to discover, but the reason why is sometimes only known to the people who did it. Our reporter Mr. Sato discovered one such spot not too far from him in Tokyo’s Shibuya neighborhood, where there’s been some buzz on social media about a wall that gives you your fortune.

After some online research, Mr. Sato found the location of this wall of fortune called “Kabe Uranai” and set out to see it in person.

The wall is located in the Miyamasuzaka area of Shibuya, but it’s a little tucked away. According to Mr. Sato, you have to take the exit from Shibuya Station heading for Miyamasuzaka and walk up the slope. When you see an Excelsior Caffe on the corner, turn right. From there you’ll see a restaurant called Steak Rice no Mise that has “Japanese Steak Bowl” written on the sign in English.

I suppose we could give you a map, but there should be some element of adventure when seeking out a mysterious fortune-telling wall.

The wall is just to the right of the steakhouse, and it’s rather easy to miss. Although it is slightly different from its surrounding wall, it’s very unassuming, with what looks like an ordinary electrical box connected to it.

However, that box is actually the control panel for Kabe Uranai.

Inside is a terminal that you can use to purchase your fortune. It costs 999 yen (US$6.30), and the wall accepts credit card, QR code payment, and other digital payment services, but does not accept cash. Mr. Sato was able to use his Suica prepaid card here.

On the inside of the door were instructions explaining that if you pay the money and touch the wall, you’ll receive a pack of fortune cards with instructions to follow. As you can see, the wall of fortune has full English guidance so even people from other countries can enjoy it.

After paying the money, Mr. Sato placed his hand on the wall…

Suddenly, it made a rumbling sound and the stone began to move!

Underneath it was his treasure: a pack of fortune cards bathed in a golden beam of light.

It was all pretty exciting and made Mr. Sato feel like Indiana Jones for a moment. He took his cards and the stone slid back into place.

Inside each pack are nine cards. The first two are instructions, and the other seven are randomly selected. Mr. Sato won’t spoil the surprise, but they’re kind of a mix between fortune-telling and sending you to certain places in the area.

Regardless of where Mr. Sato’s cards took him, the whole experience was very fun, and he’d recommend it to anyone in the area. And for those not in the area, it appears that Kabe Uranai walls will be appearing elsewhere too. One is scheduled to open in Ikebukuro in November, Nagoya in December, and Osaka in 2027.

Who knows where one will appear after that? You’d need some kind of fortune-telling wall to figure that out.

Wall information
Kabe Uranai / 壁占い
Tokyo-to, Shibuya-ku, Shibuya 1-12-24
東京都渋谷区渋谷１丁目１２−２４
Open 24 hours
Website

Photos ©SoraNews24
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