Twentythree

In addition to selling delectable cat-themed sweets, the convenience store chain wants to increase cat adoptions and pet food donations.

Family Mart has celebrated Japan’s Cat Day (February 22) since 2022 with all kinds of adorable, feline-themed snacks and a tongue-in-cheek name change to “Family Nyart” (nya meaning “meow” in Japanese). The now-annual campaign has proven to be a major success, with Nekonomics (neko is “cat”)–the term for revenue driven by cat-themed products and services–showcasing the economic impact of cats in Japan.

Last year, as a special thank you to cats everywhere for helping drive customer satisfaction and profits, three Family Mart branches with “cat” in their names, plus the branch within company headquarters, hosted a pet food drive to collect people’s unused cat and dog food. Within two weeks the chain had collected approximately 200 kilograms (441 pounds) of food, which equates to a 70-gram (2.5-ounce) daily diet for almost 3,000 adult cats. This year, the food drive is back but has expanded to encompass a total of nine Family Mart locations throughout the country, including those with cat-loving owners and those that are located near one of Japan’s so-called “cat islands.” Donations began being collected on February 10 and will be accepted through March 2.

▼ Look for one of these hard-to-miss donation boxes inside of the nine designated branches

The food drive isn’t the only special event that’s going on this year, as Family Mart’s Shibuya Cat Street location in Tokyo–named so because of the large number of cats that can be spotted in the area–is also trying out something brand-new this year. In an effort to spread awareness about rescue cat adoption as well as organizations that foster cats, staff have set up photo displays of rescue cats that are currently available for adoption in the basement level of the store centered around the tables for dining. 

▼ A news feature introducing the cat photo exhibition

The 17 featured cats were selected from six pet adoption agencies that are participating at an adoption fair event in the nearby Ebisu district. No two of the more-or-less life-size photos are exactly the same, with the felines featured in a striking variety of poses.

In a fun twist, the photo displays are even showcased in a number of places within the room, including higher-up, tricky-to-reach spots that the cats themselves would likely find quite purrfect.

Basic information such as the name, sex, age, and personality traits are also displayed next to each cat, along with a QR code to easily access more information about potential adoption.

▼ For example, here’s Momo…

▼ …and here’s Suko at your service!

The rescue cat photo exhibition will run through March 9 at the Shibuya Cat Street Family Mart location, so be sure to swing by before then if you’d like a glimpse of the furry friends.

Now that that cat’s out of the bag, you might also be interested in reading up on other rescue cat adoption tactics in Japan, such as this public bath-themed cat cafe or this cat cafe with yoga classes.

Store information
Family Mart Shibuya Cat Street shop / ファミリーマート 渋谷キャットストリート店
Address: Tokyo-to, Shibuya-ku, Shibuya 1-22-10 Toho Building #2
東京都渋谷区渋谷１丁目２２－１０ 第２東邦ビル
Open: 24 hours, 7 days/week

Source: Shibuya Keizai Shimbun
Top image: Family Mart
Insert images: Family Mart
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Make your golden years your red, green, and blue years.

Puyo Puyo is a beloved puzzle game that can be casually enjoyed by people of all ages, as well as in highly competitive eSports. In it, players must arrange falling rows of slimes and match their colors to earn points and keep the screen clear. 

▼ If you feel that sounds like a bit of a Tetris rip-off, know that the two have settled their differences.

Puyo Puyo is especially popular in Japan and is now setting its sights on helping the aging population with a special edition tailored just for elderly people in assisted care facilities. Puyo Puyo Trainer will do away with its more high-pressure and complex elements and instead focus more on the nice little dopamine hits that come with seeing the little slimes pop and go “bloop!”

There will be difficulty levels of Easy, Medium, and Hard, but unlike regular Puyo Puyo games, those will be aimed at the different levels of cognitive and physical ability people in assisted care may possess. The menus have also been streamlined for people not familiar with video game setups, so new players don’t feel daunted right off the bat.

There will also be competitive play in the form of a Two-Player Versus mode, but here the goal is more to encourage social interaction than intense showdowns. Care was taken in development to make Puyo Puyo Trainer a tool for cognitive training and players’ data can be tracked by facility staff so they can monitor residents’ mental performance and motor skills.

Readers of the news online had mixed reactions. Some felt it was a great way to combat the feelings of loneliness and isolation that come with living in such facilities. Many people suggested other games that might work with varying levels of seriousness, while some questioned whether video games were really effective at maintaining a person’s cognitive ability.

“Take my pension!”
“They should make a version of Valkyria Chronicles for nursing homes.”
“Makes sense that Puyo Puyo would celebrate its 30th anniversary by entering nursing homes.”
“I used to work at an assisted care facility, and I like this idea. I hope it makes the people there a little happier.”
“I hope they play on the Switch servers, because the PlayStation ones are deserted.”
“Older people should all play games. They keep you entertained and kill time.”
“Maybe they should have games that feel like going outdoors, like racing games or golf simulators.”
“Puyo Puyo can get a little boring after a while, though. They need something with a story, like Romance of the Three Kingdoms.”
“Phantasy Star Online would be great. It’s empty and sparse, so they can run around and just do whatever.”
“They say Nobuyo Yamashita [the original voice of Doraemon] was a huge fan of Arkanoid but she still ended up with Alzheimer’s.”
“People usually act civilized on Rainbow Six Siege. That would be a good choice too.”

I personally would think Suika Game is good for nursing homes since it involves fruits, which are more relatable than magical slime monsters. But Puyo Puyo certainly does have a lot of experience on its side, and if anyone can pull off this kind of revolutionary game design, it’d probably be the people behind it.

Source: PR Times, Hachima Kiko
Images: PR Times
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We simply cannot accept the results and now feel compelled to rectify this grievous generational lack of knowledge among the youth of Japan.

As far as legendary solo singer-songwriters of Japan go, perhaps no one is higher on the list than Masaharu Fukuyama (福山 雅治), nicknamed Masha, who turned 57 years old earlier this month. Known for his myriad of accolades in the entertainment industry including his prolific acting career, Fukuyama is THE celebrity of choice that the vast majority of middle-aged and older Japanese women are infatuated with (though his unrivaled popularity extends beyond gender as shown by his successful male-only and female-only concert runs in 2014). That’s why my brain simply couldn’t process what I was reading when I saw the headline of a recent research survey concluding that about one in five current high school students in Japan don’t even know who he is.

▼ “Whaddaya mean they don’t know who he is?!”

It’s like this–think of the most famous solo musician/singer in your country, and then try to imagine members of Gen Z drawing blank stares when you say their name. The headline was in fact so shocking–and downright disturbing–to me that I promptly messaged some Japanese friends who were born in the Showa period (1926-1989) or early years of the Heisei period (1989-2019). Their reactions matched my incredulity:

“I think it’s ridiculous.”

“I mean, how can that be possible???”

“My mom and aunt will die of shock when they hear the news.”

And yet, that’s exactly what Japanese marketing website Wakaimono Research concluded after distributing a survey last month to 343 current high school students–both male and female-identifying–in Japan. The initial question the research team posed was as follows:

Do you listen to Masaharu Fukuyama’s music?

● Yes, I listen to him–59.5 percent
● No, I don’t listen to him–40.5 percent

Based on the comments of the “No, I don’t listen to him” camp that indicated a lack of any recognition of Fukuyama, the research team was able to calculate that 19 percent–or about one in five–of all survey respondents didn’t even know who he is.

For further context–we’re talking about the same Fukuyama who, in September 2015, inadvertently created whole new entries in the Japanese lexicon for “Fukuyama Shock” and “Masha Loss” when he announced his marriage after enjoying a long life of bachelorhood up until then. News outlets across the country reported that many single women left work early because they were so in shock that they couldn’t focus on anything, subsequently drowning their sorrows by drinking or impulse buying expensive things like new apartments. Current high school students were likely in preschool when this news broke, so they probably weren’t even aware of the unique phenomenon as it was unfolding.

▼ We’re not sure which is more devastating–reliving the emotions that came with the news of Fukuyama’s marriage, or realizing when exactly today’s high school students were born…

OK, so by coming to terms with that last point everything starts to make sense, even if it doesn’t make me me feel any better.

In fact, among those survey respondents who noted that they listen to Fukuyama’s music, many of them noted that they became familiar with his music because their parents often play his songs (especially while driving in the car). Fukuyama’s melodies and arrangements–even those of his most recent works–are certainly reminiscent of times past and are a far cry from the catchy idol tunes and K-pop that today’s youth tend to gravitate to.

Nevertheless, Wakaimono Research was determined to dig a bit deeper, and so it uncovered which of Fukuyama’s songs are most popular among the current high school students that are familiar with him. While some of his biggest overall hits such as “Sakurazaka” and “Hello” made the list, it’s a bit surprising that neither of them clinched the number-one spot. The results are summarized below.

What are your favorite Masaharu Fukuyama songs?

7. “Hello” (1995)–3.2 percent

“Hello” is the oldest song on this list, serving as Fukuyama’s 10th single. Its cumulative CD sales of about 1.87 million made it his second biggest hit after “Sakurazaka.”

6. “Sobo” / “Longing” (2023)–3.8 percent

“Sobo” was a digital single released in 2023 which served as the theme song to the time-traveling live-action film Ano Hana ga Saku Oka de, Kimi to Mata Deaetara (English title: Till We Meet Again on the Lily Hill) of the same year.

5. “Mokusei” feat. Koshi Inaba / “Jupiter” feat. Koshi Inaba (2025)–5 percent

The newest song on this list, “Mokusei” was released as a digital single on Christmas Eve of last year as a special collaboration with Koshi Inaba, the vocalist of best-selling J-rock duo B’z. The two also performed the song on last year’s Kohaku Uta Gassen, a longstanding singing competition show held annually on New Year’s Eve. It was the theme song of the film The Last Man -First Love-, also released on Christmas Eve.

4. “Kusunoki ~ Gohyakunen no Kaze ni Fukarete” / “Camphor Trees ~ Blown by 500 Years of Wind” (2025)–6.7 percent

Released last summer as a digital single, this song is a rearranged version of his 2014 single “Kusunoki.” As the child of survivors of the 1945 bombing of Nagasaki, Fukuyama donated the funds from this song to help preserve the city’s camphor trees that also survived the nuclear blast.

3. “Niji” / “Rainbow” (2003)–14 percent

“Niji” is definitely one of Fukuyama’s most popular works, first released as part of a triple A-side single and used as the theme song of the hit TV drama Water Boys and its sequel.

2. “Sakurazaka” / “Cherry Blossom Slope” (2000)–16 percent

Anyone of a slightly older demographic would likely choose “Sakurazaka” as Fukuyama’s representative work, having sold about 2.3 million CDs at the time of its release, making it his best-selling single. Keep an ear out for it if you’re ever walking around Japan during springtime.

1. “Kazoku ni Narou yo” / “Let’s Become Family” (2011)–29.4 percent

Gen Z likely got to know this song after it was featured in a commercial for wedding magazine Zexy and was sung as the White Team’s final song on 2020’s Kohaku Uta Gassen.

In summary, while I still can’t quite accept the fact that a growing chunk of Japan’s population isn’t acquainted with one of its biggest stars, I CAN turn my disbelief into action and do something about it. If you have any contact with the youth of Japan, we humbly ask that you also help in spreading Fukuyama Awareness. Perhaps it’s time to start preemptively educating the children about other Heisei-period legends of the Japanese music scene as well.

Reference: PR Times
Top image: Pakutaso
Insert images: Pakutaso (1, 2)
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Central prefecture quietly becomes the strawberry capital of Japan.

It’s strawberry season again in Japan, but for people like our writer Tasuku Egawa that doesn’t mean a whole lot aside from some interesting baked goods at Family Mart. However, for people like his friend, who is a devout strawberry follower and has not only traveled across the country to sample different varieties but also taken an exam to become a licensed strawberry sommelier, it is the best time of year.

One day, while listening to his friend’s enthusiastic rambling about strawberries, he was surprised to hear that the country’s and perhaps even the world’s best variety of strawberry comes from Saitama. This prefecture doesn’t have much of a reputation for its agriculture, but this was especially unbelievable because Tasuku is from Saitama and had never even heard about this.

▼  We tend to associate Saitama with places like the Hiratsuka wafer factory, where you can buy giant wafers.

Afterward, he researched and found that indeed, Saitama’s strawberries have risen to the highest ranks in Japan over the years. However, they are so limited and coveted that even people living in Saitama have had trouble getting a hold of them. Thinking this might just be a blind spot in his own knowledge, Tasuku asked 18 of his other friends about this, and none of them were aware of Saitama’s strawberry prowess either.

When asked what strawberries they thought were the top tier in Japan, most of them mentioned Fukuoka Prefecture’s legendary variety Amaou or the Tochiotome, a stalwart strawberry from Tochigi Prefecture.

But according to Tasuku’s research, it was the Amarin variety from Saitama Prefecture that has ruled the strawberry kingdom with a sweet fist. It has won the grand prize in the last three National Strawberry Awards and placed very highly this year as well.

▼ Sorry if I’m spoiling this for anyone who DVRed the National Strawberry Awards ceremony.

Amarin was developed about 10 years ago by the Saitama Agricultural Technology Research Center, meaning that these strawberries are actually the intellectual property of the prefecture. As such, only farmers based in Saitama and permitted by the prefectural government are allowed to grow them. This ensures the brand’s quality, but also severely limits the supply.

Knowing all this, Tasuku went in search of some. Considering he lived in Saitama, he thought he had a competitive edge, and yet every supermarket he went to said they rarely have any in stock, and when they do, it’s only a few cases. The one phrase he heard often was, “If you find any, consider yourself very lucky.”

Even online, farms and other vendors were sold out one after another, despite this being the peak season, when supplies should be most plentiful. He finally found a website to order some from. They didn’t come cheap, however, and two small packs of Amarin came to 5,531 yen (US$36) with shipping.

▼ “Rare Amarin 2-Pack (500g)“

Tasuku also decided to put them berry-to-berry against Japan’s other top varieties to understand what supposedly makes Amarin so great. First, he got some Amaou, the reigning champion strawberry from western Japan.

▼ Amaou strawberries: 780 yen ($5) a pack

He had often eaten these and was not surprised by the elegant balance of sweetness and sourness. It was a reliable taste that he’d come to know and associate with the standard “strawberry” flavor.

Next, he tried the queen of strawberries in eastern Japan, Tochiotome.

▼ Tochiotome strawberries: 518 yen ($3.34) a pack

Despite being produced closer to where he lived, Tasuku didn’t have much experience with these. However, he felt they tasted a lot like the Amaou. In fact, he doubted he could accurately tell the difference between them from taste alone.

The other challengers to Amarin were Benihoppe from Shizuoka. Tasuku had researched the top varieties in Japan with the agriculture ministry data, and this stood tall along with Amaou and Tochiotome.

▼ Benihoppe strawberries: 537 yen ($3.46) a pack

These didn’t exactly wow our writer. They had about the same sourness as the previous two, but there was a somewhat earthy tinge to their sweetness. Some people might be into that flavor profile, but it wasn’t his bag.

Finally, it was time to see what all the low-key hype for Amarin was about! Considering they cost about five times as much as the others, they had a lot to live up to…

And they did! Tasuku could immediately taste the difference. Amarin strawberries were in a league of their own, and the competition wasn’t even close. Their sweetness was far beyond that of the other strawberries, and to our writer, it felt like eating strawberry jam.

That kind of sweetness might suggest they were overripe, but that wasn’t the case either. They had just the same firmness as perfectly ripe strawberries, but without the high acidity. Tasuku could easily see how they won so many competitions and felt the people at Saitama Agricultural Technology Research Center must be geniuses.

If there was one complaint, it would be that these strawberries are so sweet, they wouldn’t work as well on cakes or with cream where the interplay of sweet and tangy is highlighted. Still, considering the price, they’re probably best enjoyed on their own anyway.

If this sounds like something you’d like to try, we can only echo the words of so many supermarket produce clerks and say consider yourself lucky if you find some. The best places to check would probably be the gourmet sections of high-end department stores, among their other luxury foods. Also, since they’re controlled by the prefectural government, the Furusato Tax program could be a good avenue to try if you can navigate the complexity of it. And if there’s a Saitama antenna shop in your area, that would be well worth checking out, too. Happy hunting!

Photos ©SoraNews24
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New cafe will offer beautiful views of the city, Mt. Fuji, and cherry blossoms.

In Japanese, the word for expensive is takai. So when Starbucks Japan announced that they’ll soon be opening the most takai branch of the chain in all Japan, I thought it was kind of an odd thing to bragging about, though, given the fact that they also recently announced an expansion of their location-based pricing system, maybe not the biggest surprise.

In a happy twist for cafe fans, though, the company was actually using takai for the word’s other meaning, “high,” and is in fact getting ready to open Japan’s highest-in-the-sky Starbucks.

Fittingly, it’ll be found within Japan’s tallest building, the Tokyo Skytree. Though it’s not all the way up at the tip, the new Starbucks will be located 150 meters (492.1 feet) above the Tokyo streets, on the spire’s 30th floor. From there, you’ll be able to see not only across the city, but out to the Kanto Plain to the west, with Mt. Fuji rising from the horizon. The new Skytree Starbucks will also offer views of the nearby Sumida River, and with the cafe’s opening slated for March 10, it’ll be ready in time for when the cherry blossom trees along the waterway burst into bloom this spring.

Officially, the new branch is dubbed the Starbucks Reserve Cafe Tokyo Skytree Town Town 30F, with “Reserve Cafe” being the chain’s designation for branches that are a little fancier than a regular Starbucks, but not quite as upscale as their Reserve Roastery locations. The Skystree cafe will have an expanded menu of espresso-enhanced beverages, and to celebrate spring they’ll also be baking special sakura-filling cornetti, with the recommendation of dipping the Italian pastries into your coffee. There’ll be a total of 80 seats across three areas: a counter for customers pressed for time, a lounge zone for those who’re ready for an extended relaxation session, and a table section for those whose schedule is somewhere in between.

The Starbucks Reserve Cafe opens on March 10.

Location information
Starbucks Reserve Cafe Tokyo Skytree Town 30F / スターバックスリザーブカフェ東京スカイツリータウン30店
Address: Tokyo-to, Sumida-ku, Oshiage 1-1-2, Tokyo Solamachi 30th floor
東京都墨田区押上1-1-2 東京ソラマチ30階
Open 10 a.m.-11 p.m.

Source, images: Starbucks Japan
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Donguri Kyowakoku lives up to its name with this Ghibli gear.

Generally speaking, businesses tend to chose straightforward names for themselves. When you see a sign that says Mr. Donut, you know exactly what that place is selling, and you likewise don’t need to be a master detective to figure out that if you walk into Tokyo’s “Coffin Meditation Space,” yep, they’ll have coffins inside for you to lie down and relax in.

A notable exception to this pattern, though, is Donguri Kyowakoku. The chain’s name translates as “Acorn Republic,” but they’re not a gardening center or very back-to-basics health food emporium. No, Donguri Kyowakoku is a specialty shop focused on the anime films of Studio Ghibli, with the “Donguri” part of their name meant to evoke a playful appreciation for nature, a common element in Ghibli’s works.

On rare occasions, though, the symbolic and literal meanings of Donguri Kyowakoku’s name overlap, like they’re doing today.

Donguri Kyowakoku calls these the My Neighbor Totoro Korokoro Acorn Holders, with korokoro being the Japanese onomatope for something rolling around. The name might sound like they’re meant for storing acorns inside of, but as we’ll see, there are already other occupants in there, and so these are really meant to be used as key holders/straps.

There are two designs, one designated as the Medium and Small Totoro version, with the blue and white Totoros…

…and the other the Totoro and Small Totoro version, featuring the big gray guy.

Those names don’t quite tell the whole story, though, because inside of each…

…is a Soot Sprite, which rolls around and turns the acorn into a gently ringing bell.

Though made of ABS and PVC plastics, the craftsmanship is very detailed, with smoothness and sheen that looks like it approaches what you’d get with a ceramic piece.

At about 3.5 centimeters (1.4 inches) in length, the holders are pretty much the same size as actual acorns, which adds to their realism and helps create a sense that Totoros actually have shown up in the real world.

From the promotional images, it’s not entirely clear if there’s any way to unhook or otherwise open up the cloth loop. If there isn’t you’ll need to run the cord itself through the opening of your key or bag strap and then tie it off, but that minor hassle seems like it’d be well worth it to have these adorable little anime critters keeping you company while you’re out and about.

Both Acorn Holders are priced at 990 yen (US$5.40) and are available through the Donguri Kyowakoku online store (here and here) following a recent restock.

Source: Donguri Kyowakoku
Top image: Donguri Kyowakoku
Insert images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2)
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This tonkotsu ramen has medicinal benefits that can boost your energy after a long day of sightseeing.

Have you ever heard of yakuzen? Not to be confused with yakuza, yakuzen literally translates as “medicinal meal“, and is made up of the kanji 薬 (“yaku” or “medicine“) and 膳 (“zen”, which refers to a meal, traditionally served on on a tray).

The concept behind yakuzen is food as medicine, and you’ll see it being used to describe meals that contain ingredients designed to boost health. One type of meal that can be given the yakuzen treatment is ramen, and a good place to try it is at Boku no, Yakuzenmen, in Tokyo’s Jimbocho neighbourhood.

▼ Boku no, Yakuzenmen translates as “My Yakuzen Noodles“

Here, you’ll be able to try a bowl of yakuzen tonkotsu ramen for 1,000 yen (US$6.45), with some of the options being Red Spicy Tonkotsu and Miso Tonkotsu.

Tonkotsu as medicine might seem like a misnomer, but the ingredients have been carefully chosen for their health benefits, with the sign outside the store describing it as “A bowl of medicinal pork bone broth ramen to relieve everyday fatigue“.

The sign also shows the different elements in the ramen: roasted seaweed from a longstanding company founded in 1887; chashu pork, slow braised for hours for tenderness; seasoned quail eggs to restore the body’s needs; time-honored Korean ginseng, a fatigue-healing ingredient; seasoned spinach, rich in vitamins to replenish energy; chopped green onions to invigorate and warm the body; medium-thick wavy noodles that cling to the broth, delivering a sense of comfort; and pork bone broth that’s been slowly simmered and imbued with medicinal herbs to create a nourishing essence that restores balance in the body.

That does sound like a restorative blend of ingredients, but would it make for a delicious meal? Anything with the word “medicinal” makes us think of bitterness, something we certainly wouldn’t want to taste in a bowl of noodles, so we felt a slight sense of trepidation after ordering the recommended light-tasting “White” yakuzen tonkotsu ramen.

It only took a few minutes to arrive at our table, and when it did, we were immediately impressed by the generosity of ginseng. Korean ginseng is known for being expensive, and yet, we were given a whole root, cut in two, in our bowl.

Dipping our spoon in for a taste of the broth, it turned out to have a very refined flavour, and although there was certainly a hint of something medicinal in its herbiness, it didn’t taste bad, it just tasted light and dare we say it, healthy. 

The toppings of chashu, spinach and quail eggs didn’t seem out of place, in that you wouldn’t know they had any medicinal benefits unless you’d been told about them. They provided a nice contrast to the light broth and chewy noodles, which did have a comforting quality.

When it came to the ginseng though, this really packed a medicinal punch, with unabashed earthy and bitter notes.

Nothing could conceal the woody, medicinal flavour of the ginseng, but when you think about it, that’s what you want when you’re eating yakuzen. Ginseng is said to have a variety of health benefits as a nutritional tonic that’s said to help ease fatigue, promote blood circulation, improve immunity, reduce stress and beautify the skin. With all that on offer, you want to know you’re getting the real deal by tasting, and seeing the ginseng.

The signs in store don’t gloss over the taste of the ginseng, saying:

“Korean ginseng is an extremely valuable medicinal ingredient, but to be honest, it may not taste great. However, for your health and as a fun talking point, please give it a try. The soup is also infused with plenty of ginseng extract, so enjoy the double benefits.”

As they say, good medicine tastes bitter, and at this restaurant, a bowlful of noodles helps the medicine go down. So next time you’re feeling under the weather, especially if you’re visiting Japan and have no time to get sick, you might want to keep this place in your back pocket as a way to give your health the much-needed boost it needs. It may be the tonic that helps relieve exhaustion at the end of a long day of sightseeing too, which can come in handy when you don’t have the energy to stand in line at some of the more famous, and arguable less healthy, ramen spots in Tokyo.

Restaurant information
Boku no, Yakuzenmen / 僕の、薬膳麺
Address: Tokyo-to, Chiyoda-ku, Kanda Jinbocho 2-4-11
東京都千代田区神田神保町2-4-11
Open 11:00 a.m.-3:00p.m. (weekday lunch); 5:00-8:00 p.m. (weekday dinner); 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. (Saturdays and public holidays)
Closed Sundays
Website

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