Twentythree

What isn’t in a name?

Speaking at a press conference on October 7, Toshihiro Kitamura, press secretary for Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, addressed the latest piece of diplomatic friction between the governments of Japan and China. Yes, Kitamura confirmed, his department has lodged a formal complaint with China’s Ministry of Foreign affairs, over a Chinese diplomat referring to Japanese prime minster Sanae Takaichi as Sanae Takaichi.

On September 30, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun was speaking at a regularly scheduled press conference in Hong Kong, during which the topic of potential changes to Japan’s defense policies came up. As a representative of the Chinese government, Guo is predictably opposed to any changes that would allow Japan to adopt a more proactive stance in maintaining its borders or offering military aid to its allies, such as Taiwan. In criticizing such potential changes, Guo said “In February of this year, Sanae Takaichi reiterated that she was committed to upholding the Three Non-nuclear Principles,” a set of tenets adopted by Japan’s parliament in the early 1970s.

The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs took issue with Guo’s statement, but not because of something he said. The complaint is over what Guo didn’t say, as he didn’t preface his mention of the Japanese head of state with her title, prime minister.

“Even when speaking from different perspectives, showing respect towards the leader of a nation is a matter of obvious etiquette in international protocol,” said Kitamaura in explaining the complaint that the Japanese ministry has lodged.

Local news outlets in Hong Kong reportedly noted that referring to a head of state without their title, as Guo did, is unusual in Chinese. Likewise, in Japanese, much like in English, it’s customary for diplomats to include their counterparts’ official titles when speaking publicly about them. This is something that many Japanese people would be especially conscious of, since in Japanese titles are used not only in politics, but also in many workplaces (in many companies, employees are more likely to call their boss “Section Chief Tanaka” than “Mr. Tanaka”). Even in social settings, the Japanese language has a number of suffixes, -san being the most famous, that are added as a sign of courteousness. Speaking of someone without using any sort of title or suffix, a practice called yobisute is often seen as a deliberate and arguably crude way of referring to someone, since it implies a kind of flippant familiarity that’s really only appropriate for certain very close personal relationships, such as immediate family members.

The exact contents of the Japanese ministry’s message to the Chinese ministry haven’t been made public, and the Japanese government doesn’t appear to be demanding any sort of restitution for the breach of etiquette. With the two countries not getting along very well these days, it’s not surprising that their representatives aren’t in the most forgiving mood over perceived slights, but hopefully this issue can be resolved as amicably as that time the Pokémon Center made the mistake of calling Nicole Fujita Nicole Fujita.

Source: Sankei Shimbun via Jin, Tele Asa News, Asahi Shimbun, Yomiuri Shimbun
Top image: Pakutaso
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We find out if double the cats makes for double deliciousness.

While it might feel like Halloween is creeping up on us now that we’re in October, at Starbucks in Japan the festivities have already leapt up at us, with the release of a special Halloween treat called the Blackberry Yoghurt Frappuccino.

Designed around the theme of “Halloween Purple Cat in Mystery Forest”, where a “Phantom Purple Cat” lures you into the forest, feline motifs are key to the celebrations this year, even in the drinkware range.

▼ The purple kitty is being hidden around stores, with pawprints leading to its secret location.

With both the drink and the drinkware released at stores in Japan on 9 October, our resident Starbucks expert K. Masami decided to go all in on the feline frivolity by purchasing one of the cutest goods in the range, the Cat Glow in the Dark Double Wall Heat-Resistant Glass Cup, and asking staff to serve the Frappuccino inside it.

▼ The result turned out to be one of the cutest things she’s ever seen.

While the cup is incredibly cute, with phosphorescent sprinkles in the base and a cat with bat wings reaching for the stars, the drink itself is just as adorable. Giving it its charm is the chocolate topper, in the shape of cat ears, with two varieties to choose from – “black” or “white”.

Though she initially wanted to go for black ears, which are decidedly more spooky, Masami instead opted for white, in honour of her white cat.

Masami’s feline has her so under its spell that even her drink choices are decided by it.

▼ You…will..adore…meeee…ow”

As an ardent lover of cats and yoghurt Frappuccinos, this drink had all the elements of a dream scanrio for Masami, but what she really wanted to know was… would it taste as good as it looks?

Taking a sip, Masami’s palate was immediately enthralled by the flavours. The tartness of the berries and yoghurt made it refreshing and easy to drink, and there were even tiny blueberry pieces swimming around in the mix, adding exciting bursts of texture. The creamy milk and blackberry sauce gave every sip a delicious richness, and the balance was superbly well-crafted, making for a delicious Frappuccino.

While she was very impressed with the drink, Masami was even more impressed by the effect of the cat ears on top, which added so much cuteness that it seemed to make every mouthful even more delicious.

Both the drink and the drinkware are definitely worth buying, and the Frappuccino tasted so good that Masami vowed to return again to try it, perhaps next time with black cat ears, and without publishing it online, so her white kitty doesn’t find out about it. She’s also keen to try it with one of the recommended customisations, like chocolate chips, for added taste and texture.

▼ Always watching and reading your stories, Masami.

The Halloween Frappuccino, and the limited-edition seasonal drinkware, are available for a limited time, and only while stocks last, so be sure to get in quick to enjoy the celebrations.

Images ©SoraNews24
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Limited-edition exclusive comes with free goods and special prizes.

Burger King is always looking for ways to stand out from the competition in Japan, and right now it’s doing exactly that with the release of a brand new Pickleball Burger.

Created as part of the chain’s ongoing efforts to promote pickleball in Japan, where it’s sponsored the Pickleball Japan Federation since 2025, there are two varieties in the lineup – the Pickleball Burger and the Chicken Pickleball Burger.

Each burger contains a whopping 11 pickles, as a nod to the scoring in the game, where the first player to reach 11 points wins.

Everyone’s a winner with these two burgers, as they both feature a special creamy dill sauce that balances the refreshing aromas of dill and lemon in every serving. The standard version serves up two of the chain’s signature flame-grilled beef patties, with lettuce and onions, while the chicken version swaps the beef for a chicken patty that’s crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.

As an added bonus, the chain is giving away a free original pickleball paddle keychain for every burger purchased, although stocks are limited so you’ll want to get in quick to receive them.

Pickleball lovers and those who are new to the sport can also enjoy some extra fun with a special pickleball game on Burger King Japan’s official app. Win at the game and you’ll be rewarded with discount coupons, and if you happen to achieve a special, super-rare winning animation, you’ll automatically be entered into a lottery to win an original Burger King paddle.

The game runs from 1 p.m. on 9 October until 11:59 p.m. on 15 October. As for the burgers, they’ll be available at store locations nationwide, excluding the Kansai International Airport Terminal and racecourse branches, from 9 October. The beef Pickleball burger will be on the menu at 1,490 yen (US$9.43), or 1,790 yen as a set, while the chicken will be priced at 690 yen, or 990 yen as a set, and they’ll both be on the menu in limited quantities while supplies last.

Source, images: Press release
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We taste-test Family Mart’s new Famichiki cup ramen, which contains no Famichiki.

Like all Japanese convenience stores, branches of the Family Mart chain are stocked with dozens, if not hundreds, of delicious things to eat. That said, the star of the store at Family Mart is definitely Famichiki.

This year Family Mart’s cooked-in-store fried chicken cutlets are celebrating the 20th anniversary of their debut, and they’re more popular than ever. They’re so tasty that if we’re craving fried chicken we’re probably as likely to find our feet carrying us to Family Mart as they are to KFC.

As part of the party for Famichiki’s 20th birthday, Family Mart has a couple of special treats lined up, and on October 6 they started selling a brand-new Famichiki-flavor instant ramen!

Here’s where things get mysterious, though. Famichiki Flavor Noodle isn’t cup ramen with sliced Famichiki inside of it. As a matter of fact, Famichiki Flavor Noodle doesn’t actually contain any Family Mart fried chicken, but Family Mart still promise they have the flavor of their namesake. To quote the company’s description:

“An addictively delicious cup of ramen combining spices, a fragrant, fried-flavor savoriness, and a broth brimming with umami that’ll have you feeling like you’re eating a juicy piece of Famichiki”

Family Mart is clearly confident in its new instant ramen, but can it really recreate the flavor of Famichiki? There was only one way to find out, so when we brought our 321-yen (US$2) cup of Famichiki Flavor Noodle up to the register, we asked the Family Mart clerk to also grab us a 248-yen Famichiki from the display case so that we could perform a back-to-back taste test.

Taste-testing duties fell to our Japanese-language reporter P.K. Sanjun.

▼ P.K., feeling both giddy at having a job where he gets paid to eat ramen and fried chicken, but also apprehensive at the solemn responsibility that comes with such an important assignment as this.

P.K. decided on a simple, straightforward testing protocol. First, he would take a bite of Famichiki, letting its familiarly juicy deliciousness wash over his taste buds. Then, resisting both the urge to lapse into a food coma or keep eating the Famichiki until it was all gone, he would immediately eat a mouthful of Famichiki Flavor Noodles, and see if the flavor sensation shifted.

So what did he think after tasting both?

“Yeah, they’re actually really close to each other!”

The flavors of the Famichiki and Famichiki Flavor Noodles are very similar, but what’s really remarkable is how their aromas are almost identical. Since eating cup noodles involves putting your face down into a cloud of steam rising from the broth, your olfactory sensors often play almost as big a role in how you perceive the flavor as your taste buds do. There’s a peppery meatiness to the scent of the Famichiki Flavor Noodles, and if you’ve ever eaten Family Mart’s fried chicken, it’ll feel very familiar, despite the unexpected source that it’s coming from.

However, once the broth cools down, the aroma also becomes less pronounced, since it’s no longer riding those rapidly rising hot air currents up to your nose. So as P.K. continued eating, the flavor of the Famichiki Flavor Noodle started reminding him of something else: Nissin’s Cup Noodle, specifically the flagship soy sauce-broth ramen flavor. Of course, maybe he should have seen that coming…

…since the Famichiki-flavor instant ramen is actually a joint project that Family Mart joined forces with Nissin to create.

But hey, if you’re looking for a partner to make cup ramen with, you can’t pick a better one than Nissin, and aside from tasting like Famichiki when its hot, the Famichiki Flavor Noodle tastes good all the way through to the last bite.

Photos ©SoraNews24
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24 years after its debut, green tea flavor gets kicked out of the Super Cup family.

With matcha being one of Japan’s favorite ice cream flavors, and confectioner Meiji’s Essel Super Cup series being one of Japan’s favorite brands of ice cream, matcha-flavored Super Cup seems like a no-brainer, right? Sadly, very soon it’s going to be a no-show in Japanese convenience stores and supermarkets, as Meiji has discontinued its green tea ice cream.

Go to the Meiji website, and you’ll see containers of vanilla, choco cookie, strawberry, cookies and cream, caramel, mint chocolate, and even blueberry rare cheesecake offered. Finding the matcha Super Cup, though, requires accessing its direct URL, and the product description now states that it’s a “discontinued product,” and that “depending on inventory levels, this product may no longer be available at [certain] retailers.” The discontinuation ends a 24-year run for the flavor, which was added to the regular Super Cup lineup in 2002.

▼ Matcha Super Cup

The exact timeline for when Meiji stopped producing matcha ice cream is a little murky. The company first stated that they’d be discontinuing the flavor back in April, but at the time gave no specific timetable for when that would be happening. The matcha Super Cup product page on the Meiji website currently says that production of the flavor ended in February of 2026, but that seems to be a typo, seeing as how that would be two months before the initial announcement of the then-in-the-future discontinuation. Some Japanese media organizations have said that Meiji ceased production of the flavor this past August, which seems like the more plausible timing.

Regardless of when Meiji stopped making matcha ice cream, though, we know that it has stopped making the flavor. Also on the “get-it-while-you-can” list is the mini-sized Super Cup combo pack containing matcha and choco cookie flavors, which Meiji also says is now limited to existing inventory, after which it’ll be gone too.

While there are a number of seasonal dessert flavors that Japan is happy to enjoy for a few weeks, then set aside until next year, matcha isn’t one of them. It’s a flavor that Japanese sweets fans joyfully consume all year long, and so the news that matcha Super Cup is now a finite resource has been met with shock and sadness by online commenters who have left lactose lamentation such as:

“I eat matcha Super Cup all the time. This is heartbreaking.”
“I’ve been eating it since I was a little kid.”
“This is a vital source of matcha for me, and now it’s gone?”
“Crushed to know I won’t be able to see you anymore, matcha Super Cup.”
“I’m honestly kind of not sure if I’m going to be OK.”
“R.I.P., matcha Super Cup.”
“Well now, with that, I’ll be dying.”

So with matcha ice cream being popular, not pigeonholed as a seasonal dessert, and no recent scandals that have turned consumers away from Meiji or ice cream in general, why is matcha being jettisoned from the Super Cup line? Meiji hasn’t made any public comment regarding the reason, but pretty much every company in Japan these days is grumbling about rising materials and ingredient costs. Matcha prices in particular are said to be rapidly increasing since it’s become the recent darling of cafes and confectioners in countries other than Japan too. Super Cup isn’t positioned as a Häagen-Dazs-like premium brand. Seen as a budget-friendly sweet snack, it generally sells for around 150 yen (US$0.95), and it may be that rising ingredient costs have made the profit margin on matcha Super Cup too thin for Meiji to think it’s worth it to continue its production.

There is still hope that Meiji will bring the matcha flavor back to the Super Cup line at some point in the future as a limited-time offering, but it’s made no announcement to that effect as of this time. It’s also possible that the company is working on a matcha flavor with which to launch a fancier, more expensive ice cream brand, although this too is just speculation.

Really, the only thing we can say for sure is that this is all further proof that when you do find yourself with the opportunity to eat matcha ice cream, you absolutely should.

Source: Meiji (1, 2, 3), Denfaminico Gamer, Gokujo no Sweets via Kinisoku, Twitter
Top image: SoraNews24
Insert images: Meiji (1, 2)
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A home within a home for snacking, relaxing, and more snacking.

Last year at Christmas time, our Japanese-language reporter Natsuno Futon built a gingerbread house using a kit she purchased at housewares store Mujirushi Ryohin/Muji. She was happy with how it came out, and she might make one again once we get to the end-of-the-year holiday season.

But before that, Natsuno has a different edible architecture project she’s been daydreaming of: building a secret fort-style house that’s big enough for her to relax inside of, and covering it in snacks.

Natsuno got this idea from a friend who’d recently done something similar in her own home. Setting a modest budget of 3,000 yen (US$19) for herself, Natsuno knew that lumber, brick, and concrete were going to be too expensive to use as building materials, so she followed in her friend’s footsteps and decided to build her snack house out of cardboard.

After a trip to home center chain Viva Home, Natsuno had three large-sized cardboard box sheets, with exterior dimensions of 54 x 39 x 46 centimeters (21.3 x 15.4 x 18.1 inches) when folded into shape. However, instead of making them into boxes, Natsuno instead took two of the sheets and taped them together, forming the four walls for her home within a home.

Since this was going to be her special spot to relax in, she made sure that she had enough floor space for a chair, and then got to work folding her remaining cardboard sheet into a gabled roof, which she secured to the rest of the structure with more tape.

Some strategic slices with a craft knife let her cut out a door and window, and she used the trimmings to fashion a fashionable faux chimney.

OK, so now she had a house, but it wasn’t a snack house yet. Unfortunately, the cardboard and tape had cost Natsuno 1,500 yen, so she was going to need to stretch the remaining half of her budget for the snacks.

As always, when you want to get the most bang for your buck, 100 yen shop Daiso is the place to go. A shopping run at the discount chain turned up a whole bunch of wallet-friendly candidates of salty and spicy snack packs, which were just the sort of flavors Natsuno was looking for, since this was going to be a mature, for-grown-ups kind of cardboard playhouse.

Natsuno could tell that she wasn’t going to have enough snacks for total coverage of her house’s exterior, though, so she decided to focus on the roof, and positioning the house in the corner of the room meant she’d be able to leave the backside bare without hurting the aesthetics.

One by one, she taped the bags of snacks to the roof panel…

…and created this charming, mouthwatering pattern.

Natsuno was feeling pretty good with her 3,000-yen snack house, but she couldn’t help feeling the walls now looked barren if she compared them to munchies-covered roof. So she did the only sensible thing and decided to just blow past her budget and go get more snacks to cover the lower sections with too.

▼ They say your house is an investment, after all, so why not put a little more money into it?

Now in splurging mode, Natsuno didn’t limit herself to the 100-yen snack packs of Daiso, and instead allowed herself to indulge in the more luxurious fare available at supermarkets or convenience stores, adding such delicacies as beef jerky and mini dried fish cake cutlets, pistachios, and little cheeses. However, with this decadence came new construction challenges, as the larger, heavier packs of non 100-yen snacks were heavier than their Daiso counterparts, and some slid down and had to be attached using a more liberal application of tape.

Finally, after about three hours of building, Natsuno’s cardboard snack house was complete, and it was time for her to step inside!

Well, it was time for her to crawl inside, but once she was in there, it felt very cozy.

The window and roof opening keep the interior from feeling too cramped or stuffy, and also let her reach outside for more snacks when she needs them. The window even allows you to hold out your cup and ask for a refill from any family members or roommates within earshot, though there’s a non-zero-percent chance that they’ll mistake you for a Japanese horror movie ghost if you don’t give them any sort of heads-up about your building project ahead of time.

And hey, if anyone needs any convincing to pour you a drink, you can always offer them their choice of a snack from your home’s exterior in exchange for the favor.

Photos ©SoraNews24
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