Twentythree

What makes this bowl of noodles cost around twice as much as a regular ramen, and is it worth it?

Ever since the pandemic eased, inbound tourism has been booming in Japan, with record numbers of overseas visitors arriving in the country. In fact, it’s hard to walk through almost any area of central Tokyo without passing a visitor from overseas, and for many businesses that’s seen as a good thing, especially as the weak yen gives them greater spending power than local customers.

In an attempt to appeal to these overseas customers, you can now see multilingual posters and products aimed at tourists all over the city. Our reporter P.K. Sanjun recently came across one such poster outside the Kabukicho branch of ramen chain Mita Seimenjo, where the words “WAGYU RAMEN” in large font immediately caught his eye.

▼ With no Japanese writing on the poster whatsoever, this was clearly a menu item that was marketed towards foreign tourists.

Mita Seimenjo might not have the same level of instant brand recognition amongst foreign visitors compared to rival chains, but locals know it for its rich seafood-and-pork-bone broth and thick, chewy noodles. P.K. himself says it’s probably most famous for its tsukemen (dipping noodles), and he has a lot of praise for its excellent karaage (fried chicken) too.

With over 50 branches, mainly located around Tokyo, P.K. has visited his fair share of Mita Seimenjos but not once had he seen the “WAGYU RAMEN” poster before. After running a search for it online, he couldn’t find any mention of it on the chain’s official website, leading him to believe it must be a Kabukicho branch exclusive.

Never one to pass up an opportunity to try a new ramen, P.K. stepped inside the store and ordered it, while wincing slightly at the 2,380 yen (US$16) expenditure, which is around twice the cost of the tsukemen he normally orders at the chain. Though local customers would balk at such a price tag, the chain even offers an extra slice of A5 Wagyu for 1,480 yen, making it a very expensive topping.

When his order arrived, it certainly looked delicious – a generous slice of Wagyu beef dominated the top of the bowl, crowned with a raw egg yolk for an extra touch of luxury.

On the side, as if to avoid stealing the spotlight from the beef, were spring onions and bamboo shoots, served separately on a small plate.

Taking a sip of the broth, it was exactly what he expected from Mita Seimenjo. The reliably delicious seafood-and-pork-bone broth paired perfectly with the smooth, chewy noodles, and he had to admit that at this point, it was an excellent ramen.

▼ Time to try the Wagyu.

Though he’d initially had his doubts, he needn’t have doubted the skills of Mita Seimenjo, because this was a fantastic slice of A5 beef. Beautifully marbled, it was incredibly rich, with a remarkable sweetness to the fat that had him wanting to jump up and do a happy wagyu dance.

Just when he thought things couldn’t get any more indulgent, he added the accompanying truffle into the broth and it immediately transformed the taste of the entire bowl, giving it an even richer, more luxurious flavour. In the end, the truffle left just as much of an impression on P.K. as the Wagyu itself.

▼ The truffle, and the raw egg, really elevated the soup.

After slurping up the final mouthful of broth, P.K. was pleased to discover that this wasn’t an expensive tourist gimmick. Rather than simply placing an expensive slice of Wagyu on top of a plain bowl of ramen, careful consideration had been given to the dish as a whole, balancing the flavours with quality ingredients that made the price feel surprisingly reasonable.

That said, if P.K. were to return, he’d probably opt for two bowls of the chain’s delicious tsukemen instead of one bowl of WAGYU RAMEN. However, from a tourist’s point-of-view, the chance to enjoy two of Japan’s most famous culinary exports, ramen and Wagyu beef, in a single bowl will likely be a temptation too hard to resist. So go ahead and indulge, as this is a food encounter you won’t regret, but keep in mind that the tsukemen is also worth a look-in, as that’s what locals really keep coming back for.

Restaurant information
Mita Seimenjo Kabukicho Branch / 三田製麺所 歌舞伎町店
Address: Tokyo-to, Shinjuku-ku, Kabukicho 1-14-3 Kabukicho Dai 103 Tokyo Building 1F–2F
東京都新宿区歌舞伎町1丁目14-3 第103東京ビル1・2F
Open 11:00 a.m.–3:00 a.m. (Last order 2:45 a.m.) Mon-Thu; 11:00 a.m.–6:30 a.m. (Last order 6:00 a.m.) Fri & public holidays; 10:00 a.m.–6:30 a.m. (Last order 6:00 a.m.) Sat; 10:00 a.m.–3:00 a.m. (Last order 2:45 a.m.) Sun
Irregular holidays
Website

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The legendary Japanese chain known for its heavenly cream puffs has only a handful of stores where you can pair pastry with an icy treat.

Japanese cream puff (“choux cream”) specialty store Beard Papa’s has got to be home to one of the best scents on this planet. Whether you’re strolling leisurely while shopping or rushing through a train station, you’ll know immediately when you’ve stumbled upon a store location by the heavenly aroma suddenly wafting everywhere around you in the air.

Despite being famous for its pastries, the chain began selling frozen custard soft serve ice cream at a select few of its locations several years ago, with the fourth and latest location in Aichi Prefecture being added to the lineup last July. However, while there are now locations in Osaka, Hyogo, and Aichi prefectures in western Japan, the store in Higashimatsuyama, Saitama Prefecture remains the only one in all of eastern Japan.

▼ This promotional visual at the Saitama store proclaims that the soft serve “can only be eaten here in all of eastern Japan.”

Saitama is easily accessible from the heart of Tokyo, so we decided to pay this branch a visit to enjoy its special menu item, eventually arriving at Tobu Railway’s Takasaka Station via the Tobu Tojo Line. This is the closest train station to the Peony Walk Higashimatsuyama shopping center where the branch is located. Even so, it’s still either a 20-minute walk or a 10-minute bus ride to get there. On this particular day, we elected to get some exercise in by walking since the heat was relatively low by Japanese summer standards.

Once there, it was easy to locate the store on the first floor of the mall. It looked just like any other Beard Papa’s location upon first glance…

…but there was a unique sign out front displaying its status as the only shop in the eastern Kanto region selling the custard soft serve. You can purchase a cup of it by itself for 330 yen (US$2.09) or as a “cookie choux soft serve” for 360 yen. 

While the frozen treat was definitely tempting on its own, it was a no-brain-freezer for us–we wanted to try it alongside the puff pastry that Beard Papa’s is famous for.

The tantalizing treat that was handed to us looked like it was in serious danger of a meltdown, so we got to work on it right away. Thank goodness the temperature wasn’t obscenely hot on this day or we couldn’t have imagined how quickly we’d be holding nothing but a soggy pastry shell.

Of course, we had to sacrifice a few seconds in order to document the impressive, undisturbed visuals.

The soft serve was luxuriously creamy and rich. It really hit the spot but also didn’t feel heavy inside the mouth.

The combination of soft serve and puff pastry base made for an exquisite pairing with intermingling smooth and flaky textures. We’re sure they would each taste divine on their own, but something about the two of them together seemed to elevate their respective flavors even more.

It’s already been a year since Beard Papa’s added its latest store selling the frozen custard soft serve, and we think they’re long overdue to add another. We know that you’re always busy adding delicious new menu items, Beard Papa’s, but we’d love for you to expand the ones that already exist, too!

Store information
Beard Papa’s Peony Walk Higashimatsuyama branch / ビアードパパピオニウォーク東松山店
Address: Saitama-ken, Higashimatsuyama-shi, Azuma-cho 4-3 Peony Walk Higashimatsuyama, 1st floor
埼玉県東松山市あずま町 4-3 ピオニウォーク東松山 1F
Open: 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
Website

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This week, the Ministry of the Environment is caught between intensely divided public opinion on what’s truly best for cats vs. other species.

Given Japan’s love for all things feline in the modern day, it’s easy to forget that the domestic cat isn’t actually native to the island nation. They were originally introduced during the Heian period (794-1185) via trade ships as a way to deter rats from eating Buddhist scrolls and kept almost exclusively by nobility. It wasn’t until later eras that they became more widespread and grew immensely in population–at times having negative effects on the local ecosystem.

On August 4, Japan’s Ministry of the Environment announced its intent to withdraw a proposed revision that included stray cats–those that depend on humans for survival–on its list of invasive alien species causing damage to local ecosystems. Previously, only feral cats in the wild had been included on the list, and the Ministry was in the final stages of adding an entry for all domestic cats lumped together under their collective species name (Felis catus). However, the decision was met with a flood of public criticism that such a designation might result in pet house cats being unintentionally exterminated if they were to escape. Consequently, the Ministry reverted back to its previous classification of feral cats on the list.

▼ Even when they don’t have a clear owner, stray cats are hard to be seen by many as dangerous pests when they’re just so darn cute.

This year marks the first time that the list of invasive alien species is being revised in approximately 10 years. Despite holding no legally binding power, the list’s proposed revision for feline kind was intended to caution people not to let their house cats roam around outside unsupervised or to abandon them. As Japan has seen time and time again, invasive species such as the red-necked longhorn beetle can have devastating effects on the local environment.

▼ The Amami rabbit, an Endangered species that is endemic to only two of the Amami Islands in southern Japan, is one species threatened by stray cats.

Hirotaka Ishihara, the current Minister of the Environment, shared at a press conference on the same day that the proposed revision had the possibility of inviting misunderstandings such as that someone’s pet house cat would be put down if it escapes, also citing the high risk of unintended consequences that are unrelated to the list’s original objective. The list’s final revised policy was subsequently determined at an assembly of experts he convened on August 7, a move that is extremely unusual at that stage in the process.

Online reaction to the elimination of the proposed revision was largely met with negative backlash, with many net users upset at what they felt to be a step in the wrong direction:

“Even though prevention ≠ extermination…”
“Who’s going to protect the environment if not the Ministry of the Environment?!”
“Do they really have to withdraw the language out of fear it will be misunderstood? Can’t they just implement measures to prevent the language from being misinterpreted?”
“It feels like a governmental betrayal when a lot of us were finally raising awareness of the importance of keeping cats indoors.”
“So it’s OK when the raccoons or nutrias are being exterminated but it’s considered abuse when it comes to cats?”

It’s unclear how the government plans to tackle the prevalence of stray cats in certain parts of Japan, but there’s already proof of certain localities taking matters into their own hands, including Japan’s most famous “cat island,” Aoshima, which revealed that all of its stray cats will be gone in the very near future due to the population being too large for the small, aging human population to manage.

Source: Yahoo! Japan News via Hachima Kiko
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Kiki’s Delivery Service steals the spotlight with exclusive plushies… and jewellery that would make Kiki jealous.

We all know that young witch Kiki is the star of Studio Ghibli’s 1989 film Kiki’s Delivery Service, but the titular character’s star power is often eclipsed by her black cat and familiar, Jiji.

Being the kind-hearted soul she is, Kiki likely wouldn’t be fazed by Jiji’s worldwide popularity – in fact, every time Ghibli specialty chain Donguri Kyowakoku releases a new line of merchandise related to the feline, we can imagine Kiki herself lining up with the rest of us to purchase the goods so she can proudly share her love for Jiji.

If Kiki were to jump out of the anime world and into the real one, both she and Jiji would likely be making a beeline for the store right now, because Donguri Kyowkoku has released a new plush toy in honour of…

▼ … JIji’s baby!

This is an unusual release for the chain, as the spotlight is usually set firmly on Jiji rather than his offspring, whom we only meet briefly in the closing credits of the film. This late introduction of Jiji’s children, whom he shares with girlfriend Lily, can leave viewers wondering what adventures they get up to next, and this new release gives us a way to answer that, as we can now pick this baby up to keep us company at home.

If Kiki and Jiji were able to see this plushie, they’d be cooing over the gorgeous details, with the large, youthful wide eyes and perky pink ears making it look like a younger version of JIji.

▼ Pair it with a Jiji plushie from the same chain and you get a charming family scene.

Called “Jiji’s Baby Plush Toy“, the soft plushie has a velour-like smooth texture that’s said to be so pleasant to touch you’ll want to keep petting it. Measuring 16 centimetres (6.3 inches) in height, the baby is priced at 3,300 yen (US$20.85).

As an added bonus, Donguri Kyowakoku has also added another unusual plushie to its lineup, by restocking the “Looks Just Like Jiji” plushie (2,750 yen).

As fans will know, this plushie recreates the one that appears in a wicker basket in the film, which looks uncannily like Jiji.

Kiki is tasked with delivering the toy as part of her delivery service, where it’s meant to be a gift for Ketto, but she ends up losing it.

This leads to a humorous sequence of events, where Jiji has to step in to pretend to be the plush toy, while Kiki’s friend Ursula sews the damaged plushie back together.

Those stitching details appear on the plush toy, making it seem like the real one from the world of Kiki’s Delivery Service.

The love for everything Jiji-related continues with the restock of a collection of jewellery in honour of the cat, and the Guchokipanya bakery where he and Kiki spend much of their time in the movie.

▼ This beautifully crafted jewellery line is called The Guchokipanya Bakery Series.

▼ Jiji’s love for jam is depicted in the “Jiji Clinging to a Jam Jar” necklace (2,970 yen).

In the “Jam Jar and Jiji” earrings (available in pierced and clip-on varieties for 2,970 yen per pair), the cat can be seen with a whole piece of bread in his mouth.

▼ The earrings let you dangle Jiji from one ear lobe…

▼ …and a jar of jam from the other.

All the items are so beautiful that Kiki herself would want to buy them all, but as always they are only being produced in limited quantities so you’ll want to step into a Donguri Kyowakoku store or purchase them online (links below) before they sell out.

Source, images: Donguri Kyowakoku
Featured image: Donguri Kyowakoku
Insert images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
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