Twentythree

Find out how to use the machines, and more importantly, where to find them.

Back in 2013, 7-Eleven Japan revolutionised the convenience store scene by equipping its stores with coffee machines so customers could make their own individual cups of freshly brewed coffee. Then, in 2022, the chain upped its game even further with smoothie machines that became a runaway hit, and now there’s a new machine causing a stir with customers: the self-service ramen machine.

Introduced last October, the new “Steama” cooking machines, produced by Japanese tech company SoftBank, can make five different types of noodle dishes, and they can only be found at 41 branches, all in Saitama Prefecture.

▼ This screenshot from the official site introduces the 7-Eleven noodles as “Dekitate Men”, which means “Freshly Made Noodles”.

Saitama isn’t too far from Tokyo, so we headed out to the branch near Asaka Station in Asaka City, which takes just 27 minutes from Shinjuku Station by train.

▼ The branch is a 10-minute walk from Asaka Station.

As soon as you enter the store, you’ll spot the unusual-looking machine, which catches the eye with its jet-black appearance.

Like 7-Eleven’s smoothies, the noodles need to be retrieved from the freezer section of the store, so we headed over there and selected the Rich Pork Bone and Seafood Ramen for 880 yen (US$5.60).

Taking our noodles to the cashier to complete our purchase, the staff asked if this was our first time using the machine, and when we told them it was, they kindly explained the process.

First, they told us to press the start button on the machine, which gets the machine to warm up. After about a minute, we were prompted to scan the QR code on the side of the product with the QR code-reading camera.

If you’ve used one of the chain’s smoothie machines before, operating the noodle machine will be a cinch as it’s the same process. After scanning the QR code, the door lock will be released, so you can open it up and pop your noodles in the recess on the tray inside.

▼ Keep the protective film lid on.

After closing the door, the process begins, with a nozzle punching its way through the middle of the film. Then, you’ll see hot steam escaping from the lid as the machine thaws and warms the frozen broth and noodles.

You’ll receive a sticker, which isn’t a cute stationery souvenir but an item with which to cover the hole in the film before taking it home.

▼ We couldn’t wait to try these at home so we stopped by a nearby park to taste our 7-Eleven ramen.

Reading the labels on the outside of our meal, we discovered that these noodles had been created in conjunction with Chuka Soba Tomita, an award-winning ramen restaurant based in Chiba Prefecture.

This raised our expectations for the freshly made convenience store noodles, and our expectations rose even further when we peeled off the lid to find that the ramen had been evenly heated all the way through.

Though the nozzle only pierced the centre, it did an impressive job of heating the entire meal, right to the edges of the bowl.

Dipping our spoon in for a taste, the rich pork bone broth displayed subtle hints of seafood flavour, and it even contained yuzu peel for extra aroma, making it seem like a restaurant-quality dish.

Next up, we tried the noodles, which had the undeniable texture of heated-up frozen noodles. Still, for a convenience store meal, we couldn’t complain as they were satisfyingly thick and chewy.

The most impressive ingredient was the char siu pork, which was huge, and so tender you could tear it apart with chopsticks. The taste and size of it helped to completely overturn any preconceived notions we had of frozen ramen.

In the ever-evolving world of frozen foods, being able to whip up a bowl of noodles in a machine represents another significant leap forward for 7-Eleven. While other convenience stores have introduced their own coffee machines, the ramen machine will be a hard one to replicate.

In fact, it seems that even 7-Eleven is finding a full-scale rollout to be a challenge, because even after six months since its introduction in Saitama, the ramen machine is yet to expand to other prefectures. It’s a fun new convenience store experience that ramen lovers should definitely try, and the full list of participating stores can be found at the link below.

Store information
Seven-Eleven Asaka Saiwaicho 1-chome Store / セブンイレブン 朝霞幸町1丁目店
Address: Saitama-ken, Asaka-shi, Saiwaicho 1-4-1
埼玉県朝霞市幸町1-4-1
Open 24 hours

Related: 7-Eleven Japan
Photos ©SoraNews24
Screenshot: 7-Eleven Japan
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Ibaraki Prefecture now offers rewards to whistleblowers who lead them to companies illegally employing foreign workers.

Ibaraki Prefecture doesn’t get a ton of international attention. Sure, it has cool places to visit, like some of Japan’s best spots to see plum blossoms and Nemophila flowers, and it also boasts outstanding natto, according to fermented soybean fans. But in general, Ibaraki isn’t such a huge draw for international tourists, and it’s also usually on the short list of places where people imagine themselves living when they’re daydreaming about moving to Japan either.

However, Ibaraki is on the top of the list of something related to foreigners in Japan, as last year it had more confirmed cases of foreigners found working without proper work or residency permits than any other prefecture, accounting for 3,518 of the 13,435 people caught doing so in Japan in 2025. What’s more. Ibaraki has now held the title of most confirmed illegally working foreigners for four years in a row.

That’s a distinction the Ibaraki government would like to shake off, so as of this past Monday, a new policy has been introduced, offering a reward, or perhaps you could call it a bounty, of 10,000 yen (US$65) to individuals who report the illegal employment of foreigners within the prefecture.

Ibaraki is the first prefecture to offer such payments. The new policy comes at a time when the overall mood towards foreigners in Japan is becoming somewhat less warm. Though it’d be an exaggeration to call the atmosphere hostile, there has been an uptick in the sense of suspicion, with an increase in high-profile thefts and other crimes committed by foreign nationals as well as frustration at tourists and newly arrived foreign residents who don’t follow local etiquette norms.

Thankfully, the system is not set up to reward people for calling the cops to come and question individual foreigners they see living or working in their neighborhoods. Instead, the subject of submitted reports must be the company the reporter believes is illegally employing foreign workers. In addition, anonymous reports are not allowed, as reporters must provide their name, address, and phone number for their report to be accepted. There’s no emergency phone hotline or rapid dispatch team for on-site investigations, either. Reports must be submitted through an online form, and only if the report has been reviewed and judged as credible will the Ibaraki prefectural government coordinate with the police about conducting an investigation, and only if wrongdoing is confirmed will the reporter receive the 10,000-yen reward.

Together, these aspects of the system are meant to discourage false or frivolous accusations. Of particular importance is the stipulation that it’s the employer who must be reported for wrongdoing, not the employee, and thus the employer who would need to provide any required proof that all of its operations are in compliance with the law. Since lawful foreign residents of Japan are issued residency ID cards that also indicate the bearer’s work eligibility status, any employer who’s done their due diligence in hiring by asking for such identification should be able to easily provide proof to investigators that their foreign staff is being employed legally. The Ibaraki government has also stated that reporting companies based on the appearance of nationality of their employees, or things such as not following rules about sorting trash properly for garbage pickup days (a stereotypical complaint about foreign residents in Japan) will not be seen as warranting further investigation for suspicion of illegal employment.

At the same time, there are those with misgivings about, in effect, deputizing Ibaraki’s entire population regardless of whether or not they have any training or aptitude for diagnosing illegal employment. Since the formal announcement of the reward program in February, the Ibaraki government has received 456 phone calls or emails protesting its adoption, with the prefectural bar association and various citizens’ groups voicing their concerns that it could contribute to racial discrimination and harassment. Again, reports must be submitted indicating a company, not an individual worker, of wrongdoing, but it still puts an unwanted target on the backs of employers by incentivizing their communities to be suspicious of them, and the associated stress and potential hassle of an investigation prompted by someone eager to make some cash for themselves could make companies less enthusiastic about hiring foreigners who actually are legally allowed to work.

As for why Ibaraki has had so many cases of illegal foreign workers, out of the confirmed cases in 2025, 70 percent involved foreigners working in the agricultural sector, as Ibaraki is mainly rural and has a lot of farmland. However, with Japan’s population, and especially its population of young people, shrinking most quickly in the countryside, prefectures like Ibaraki are the ones most in need of an influx of foreign workers in local communities. Speaking at a press conference last month, Ibaraki governor Kazuhiko Oikawa stressed that the goal of the reward system is not to keep foreigners from working in the prefecture, but to ensure that those who are working in Ibaraki are doing so legally, saying:

“In a society with a declining population, the utilization of foreign workers will have a tremendous influence on the local community, It is precisely because of the shortage of workers that employment must properly abide with laws and regulations.”

It should also be noted that while Ibaraki’s is the first prefectural government to offer rewards to whistleblowers about illegal employment of foreigners, Japan’s national government, through the Immigration Services Agency, itself part of the ministry of justice, has been offering such payouts for at least the last five years. In fact, the Immigration Services Agency offers even larger rewards than Ibaraki’s, giving out up to 50,000 yen for information leading to the confirmation of illegal employment. However, between 2021 and 2025, no rewards at all were paid through this framework, which, in turn, means no one got paid for false or irresponsibly unsubstantiated accusations either, so hopefully Ibaraki’s system will go similarly unabused.

Source: Mainichi Shimbun via Jin, Teleasa News
Top image: Pakutaso
Insert images: Pakutaso (1, 2)
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You got your drones in my fireworks! You got your fireworks in my drones!

Drone displays are becoming quite popular these days. So much so that it makes you wonder if they may one day replace the more traditional firework shows that have dazzled people of all ages around the world.

But why does it have to be one or the other? Can’t drones and large amounts of explosives live in harmony? To find out, Osaka Bay Skylumina will be held on 6 June. Taking advantage of the vast flat area on Maishima Sports Island in Osaka Bay, this display of pyrotechnics and technology will bring together a total of 2,000 drones and 10,000 fireworks for one evening.

▼ It was originally going to be 1,500 drones, but they figured, “Why not go for an even 2,000?”

The drones will be operated by Red Cliff, Japan’s leading drone show producers. They were responsible for the nightly drone shows held at the World Expo in Osaka, which included Japan’s largest-ever drone show, consisting of 3,000 units, at the Expo’s closing ceremony.

The work of firing off 10,000 fireworks requires the skill of three of Japan’s most prestigious creators. Kato Fireworks is a century-old producer of colorful explosives from Aichi Prefecture, which has won numerous national competitions. They’ll be joined by Inakako Fireworks from Nagano Prefecture, which was founded in 1899 and also has scores of awards under its belt.

▼ Kato Fireworks

▼ Inakako Fireworks

Playing quarterback for this event is Osaka’s own Katsuragi Fireworks, also known as Fire Brand. They boast insanely precise 0.01-second timing in their execution, so their displays can be perfectly synced with music or a fleet of robotic aircraft.

▼ Katsuragi Fireworks

The venue of Maishima Sports Island Sora no Hiroba will offer a very wide range of seating options, with ticket prices ranging quite a bit from 8,800 yen (US$56) for general standing admission to 57,000 yen ($364) for VIP seating. Even at its highest price, that breaks down to just six yen ($0.04) per firework and 28 yen ($0.18) per drone. It’s a total steal when you think about it that way.

Even if you don’t think about it that way, if you’ve ever seen a Japanese fireworks display, you’ll know it’s worth the price of admission. And with the level of talent working together on this project for one show only, it’s sure to be a night to remember.

Event information
Osaka Bay Skylumina Fireworks & Drones
Maishima Sports Island Sora no Hiroba
舞洲スポーツアイランド 空の広場
Osaka-fu, Osaka-shi, Konohana-ku, Hokkoryokuchi 2-1-128
大阪府大阪市此花区北港緑地2-1-128
6 June, 2020
Venue opens at 1 p.m., Show starts about 7 p.m.
Website

Source, images: PR Times
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Japanese convenience store snack sections are going to be looking drab later this month.

Though your body does need some minimum amount of calories, sodium, and fat in order to function properly, potato chips are one of those foods that are clearly more about fun and pleasure than sustenance and nutrition. That’s reflected in their packaging, too. Strolling through a supermarket or convenience store, you can tell right away when you’ve come to the chip section of the shelves, as the bags are bursting with playful, eye-catchingly bright colors.

At least that’s the way things are right now. Come the end of the month, though, things are going to look different in Japan, as one of the country’s largest snack food makers is planning to switch to black-and-white packaging.

Calbee, who’s so associated with potato chips in Japan that they literally just call their line “Calbee Potato Chips,” has informed retailers that it intends to switch to black-and-white packaging for 14 of its top-selling products, including their perennially popular Usushio (Light Salt) and Consomme Punch-flavor potato chips. Why? Because of the war in Iran.

With the Middle East being the world’s largest source of oil, it’s not just the starting point of most supply lines for gasoline, but also for naphtha. Naphtha is a liquid hydrocarbon with a variety of uses, including as a component in the production of solvents and resins necessary for making printing inks. So as it becomes harder for naphtha to make its way through the Strait of Hormuz, so too does printing ink become harder and more expensive to procure, prompting Calbee to simplify its needs by getting rid of the color in its packaging.

▼ Calbee’s iconic Kappa Ebisen shrimp chips will also reportedly be making the switch to monochrome packaging

This development comes in the wake of rising concerns that disruptions in the naphtha supply chains could also be threatening the flow of purin/pudding to Japanese consumers, as the hydrocarbon is also needed for the production of the plastic cups that the sweet treats are packaged in.

Calbee says that the first black-and-white packages will be sent out in shipments from factories on May 25, and with the long shelf life of potato chips, they should keep long enough for those who want to munch on some of them while wearing their new black-and-white Game Boy pixel art Pokémon Uniqlo T-shirts.

Source: Yomiuri Shimbun, FNN Prime Online
Top image: Calbee
Insert images: Wikipedia/OptimusPrimeBot, Calbee
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Pixel art designs have cool Easter eggs for old-school fans to spot.

With 2026 being Pokémon’s 30th anniversary, a lot of fans are looking all the way back to the franchise’s very beginning. While the anime series and trading card game are both part of the holy triumvirate of Pokémon media, it was the Pokémon Red and Green video games that came first. Releasing in 1996 for Nintendo’s original Game Boy handheld system meant that the graphics were all monochrome, but three decades later what was once a limitation is now part of the nostalgic charm of the inaugural Pokémon adventure, and an awesome motif for a new line of Pokémon T-shirts from Uniqlo.

Technically, Uniqlo’s designers have given the pixel art some extra pop by going with a black-and-white color scheme (or at least black-and-gray), which provides a stronger contrast than the gray and muddy brown/green gamers got with the Game Boy’s screen. The artwork itself, though, retains its old-school aesthetics.

There are a total of four designs on offer, starting with the Pokémon Red title screen shirt pictured above. The title screen shirt is actually the only without a little Easter egg for fellow fans to spot. For example, take a look at this shirt, with Onix, Starmie, Raichu, Vileplume, Weezing, Alakazam, Arcanine, and Rhydonacross the front. With their Japanese-version names written in katakana script.

Pokémon Trainers will recognize all of these as evolved-form Pokémon, so over on the left sleeve you’ll find the in-game items needed to trigger their evolutions to those forms.

Similarly, the shirt with Mewtwo’s commanding presence on the front…

…has a little Mew hiding around back.

And while the vast majority of Uniqlo’s UT graphic tees don’t have pockets…

…there’s a good reason why this one does. Pictured on the outside is Pikachu, accompanied by the Japanese game’s text equivalent for “What? Pikachu is evolving!”…

…and inside the pocket is Raichu!

▼ No sign of Gorochu, though.

【7月販売予定】
『ポケットモンスター』シリーズの原点ともいえるモノクロのゲームドットで表現されたポケモンや主人公たちの特別なデザインがUTに登場！

気になるデザインがあったら、オンラインストアでお気に入り登録https://t.co/1lyO7JxwDO pic.twitter.com/dOQbL98IiY

— ユニクロ (@UNIQLO_JP) May 11, 2026

The shirts are priced at 1,990 yen (US$13) each and scheduled to go on sale in July, at which time online orders will be able to be placed through the Uniqlo website here.

Source: Uniqlo via Nijimen
Top image: Twitter/@UNIQLO_JP
Insert images: Uniqlo (1, 2, 3, 4)
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Chunky by name, but hopefully not by nature. 

On 11 May, Starbucks Japan released two brand new limited-edition drinks – the Chunky Strawberry Milk and the Strawberry Chocolate Frappuccino. According to the chain, these new beverages are improved versions of past popular releases, so our resident Starbucks pro taster K. Masami decided to try both of them to see if they really did taste better than the originals.

Starting with the Chunky Strawberry Milk (620 yen [US$3.95]), which appears to be an evolved version of “THE Strawberry Milk“, released in May last year, Masami didn’t see any big difference in appearance. Like last year, there was plenty of strawberry pulp at the bottom of the cup, with milk making up the bulk of the drink.

▼ So how would it taste?

Upon taking a sip, Masami couldn’t believe the difference in taste. What stood out immediately to her was the texture, which was way better than the previous version, as it had been blended in such a way that the milk felt smooth and airy, making the pulp feel even pulpier by comparison.

It was so light and airy that Masami wished there was more milk, but the balance with the strawberries was so perfect she couldn’t complain. It was fruity, milky and so much richer than the original that it seemed like a totally different drink.

▼ The Chunky Milk was so good she now wondered if the Frappuccino (745 yen) could meet the high standard that had been set.

It certainly ticked all the boxes in the looks department, with a beautiful appearance that showed off the chocolate, milk and strawberry components. According to Starbucks, this is like a customised version of last year’s THE Strawberry Frappuccino, which Masami had fallen head over heels for, so expectations were high for this beverage.

▼ What makes this year’s version significantly different is the addition of chocolate chips throughout the drink and chocolate sauce on top.

Masami remembered that this type of customisation had been dubbed “the Apollo” by fans last year, as it was said to taste exactly like Japan’s extremely popular chocolate-and-strawberry Apollo chocolates. When she took a sip, she had to agree that it did have that same type of double-barrel flavour, but with the richness of milk bringing everything together in a way that was absolutely delectable.

The sweetly tart strawberries combined perfectly with the milk for refreshing mouthfuls of flavour while the chocolate chips stepped in to provide a moreish crunch, creating a truly satisfying drink. She would happily drink this one all year long, but sadly, like THE Chunky Milk, it will only be on the menu for a limited time while stocks are available.

According to Masami, these are two drinks that are well worth the calories, but with strawberries in the mix, you won’t have to feel too guilty about the indulgence. And they’ll taste even better if you pick up one of the new matching Starbucks gel nail sets that are designed to pair with them.

Images ©SoraNews24
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