Twentythree

The one time you won’t get in trouble for playing on the stairs.

Four decades ago, Alexey Pajitnov created one of the most groundbreaking and universally beloved video games of all time in Tetris. It has appeared on countless gaming platforms over the years, and now it’s coming to a literal platform outside of Kyoto Station.

Those who visit Kyoto and pass through its main station can’t help but be impressed by its huge, sprawling architecture, including its Grand Staircase (Daikaidan). This set of 171 steps spans 70 meters (230 feet) lengthwise and climbs 35 meters (115 feet) vertically, running from the fourth to 15th floor of the station complex.

▼ A view from the top of the Grand Staircase

In addition to being really big, many of the steps along this staircase are also lined with lights, allowing it to become a giant display. Various seasonal illuminations can often be seen there, as well as the occasional promotional display for events or companies.

▼ They even have a livestream of the stairs so you can keep up with what’s showing there.

And from 19 to 25 March, these stairs will become a massive video game cabinet where anyone with 500 yen (cashless only) can play a round of Tetris. Each light on the steps will become a pixel and form the screen to play on. Players will be given a game pad for the standard Tetris controls, as well as a tablet that gives additional information like upcoming blocks and scores.

Both single-player and competitive two-player modes are available, and difficulties of Easy, Normal, and Hard can also be chosen. Also, in true arcade fashion, you can input your name to be displayed with your score for a commemorative photo, and be added to the leaderboard if it’s good enough, which means it might be time for me to dust off “GNFNR.”

Low-light conditions are required for best results on the stair screen, so the game opens from dusk at 6 p.m. each day and ends at 10 p.m., with 9 p.m. being the last chance to put your quarter up and get in line.

The chance to play Tetris on a staircase doesn’t come around often, so this will be sure to bring out some of the best players in the area. If you want to see how you stack up at stacking, head on down while it’s happening.

Event information
Kyoto Grand Staircase Tetris / KYOTO DAIKAIDAN TETRIS
Venue: Kyoto Station Grand Staircase
京都駅ビルの大階段
Kyoto-fu, Kyoto-shi, Shimogyo-ku, Karasumi-dori Shiokoji-sagaru, Higashishiokoji-cho 901
京都府京都市下京区烏丸通塩小路下る東塩小路町901
Runs 19 March-25 March, 2026
6 p.m.-10 p.m. (last entry at 9 p.m.)
500 yen per play

Source, images: PR Times
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A new convenience store sweet…but you need to be lucky to find it.

Whenever we see the words “先行発売” (“senkou hatsubai“) during our travels in Japan, we always step in for a closer look. That’s because it translates as “advance sales” or “pre-sale“, which means you might just discover the next big thing before it goes viral and becomes widely available.

So when we stopped by our local Lawson convenience store and saw those words on a large promotional poster, we were immediately intrigued.

▼ The poster was advertising a new type of doughnut called “Mochimochimochibee“.

“Mochimochi” is an onomatopoeic term for things that are wonderfully soft, squishy, springy, chewy, or doughy, like the texture of mochi (Japanese rice cakes). The word “Mochimochimochibee” goes overboard with the description, suggesting these doughnuts will be incredibly soft and chewy, and tacks on the suffix “bee” at the end, a term of endearment like “baby” or “cutie” in the Ibaraki dialect, to add a sense of cute plumpness to the product.

▼ There are two varieties, sugar and kinako, priced at 171 yen (US$1.10) each, and we bought both of them for a taste test.

▼ Another thing you should look out for at any store in Japan is the words “新発売” (“shinhatsubai”), which means “new release”.

Once we got these babies home, we found they were much heavier than expected, so we plonked one on the scales, where it weighed in at 102 grams (3.6 ounces); a lot heavier than a regular convenience store doughnut.

Releasing them from their packaging, they were plump yet elegant, with a look that wouldn’t seem out of place at a famous specialty doughnut store.

▼ Time to start the tasting with the “Mochibee Sugar“, which goes by the less playful English name “Donut with Sugar“.

The cross section doesn’t hint at any extra chewiness, so we weren’t entirely sure what to expect in terms of mochi mochi texture.

However, as soon as we bit into it, our eyes widened with surprise as it was insanely delicious. The exterior was slightly crispy, and the inside was incredibly fluffy, with just the right amount of chewiness.

The dough sprang back beautifully with every squeeze, making us wonder what the secret was behind the fantastic texture.

▼ Checking the back of the package revealed that it contained cracker flour and poppy seeds.

Cracker flour was a surprising element, as it’s usually used for making rice or wheat crackers. However, after taking another bite, we realised this may well be the secret ingredient behind the slightly crispy surface, with poppy seeds adding to the contrast in texture.

As for the delectable chewiness, this is probably due to the starch in the flour mix. The doughnut also contains soy flour, but it’s not really noticeable, and the entire treat has only a subtle sweetness, which adds to its greatness.

▼ Next up, we have the Mochibee Kinako, or “Donut with Soybean Flour“.

▼ The cross section here looked identical to the sugar doughnut.

The amount of kinako used is one that makes or breaks a Japanese sweet, as too much can drown out the other ingredients and too little will make it disappear on the palate.

▼ Here, though, Lawson shows extreme skill as the amount of kinako is perfect for the doughnut.

Again, the texture of the doughnut was a highlight – so much so that we couldn’t resist cutting a piece of the inside out to enjoy on its own, and we can confirm that it’s one of the mochiest doughs we’ve eaten.

While a lot of people rave about Japanese sweets, it’s often not just the flavours but the textures that contribute to their deliciousness. This new doughnut is testament to that focus, as the textures help to make the ingredients sing on the palate, lingering as you chew through every bite.

The only downside to the doughnuts is they’re not available nationwide – in fact, we couldn’t find any information about them at all online.

▼ We purchased ours at a Lawson in Tokyo’s neighbouring Chiba Prefecture.

Since it’s being marketed as a “pre-sale” product, we have high hopes that the doughnuts will soon be making their way to Lawson stores around the country. After all, 7-Eleven recently introduced doughnuts as a permanent item at stores in Saitama, Chiba and Tokyo, so our fingers are firmly crossed that these doughnuts will follow suit.

Photos©SoraNews24
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Move aside, Uncle Rikuro – Aunt Wanda is here to steal your fluffy souffle crown, without the raisins.

If you’ve been following must-try Japanese food recommendations online, you may have heard of a super popular, fluffy souffle-style cheesecake called “Uncle Rikuro“. Born in Osaka, the cake is available in the Kansai region in and around the prefecture, but one question people tend to have after trying it is, “Are the raisins really necessary?”

That’s because the cake contains a layer of sweet, non-alcoholic raisins in its base, and while some people like the chewy contrast in texture, others think it ruins what would otherwise be an excellent cheesecake.

That’s where another cheesecake maker steps in, and although a lot of foreign tourists are yet to discover it, this baked delight has a large following of local fans.

▼ Move aside, Uncle Rikuro – Aunt Wanda is in town.

Whereas Uncle Rikuro hails from Osaka, Aunt Wanda hails from Okinawa, and although the two companies aren’t related, the character of Wanda and the size of the box is so similar that you might mistake it for Uncle Rikuro at first glance.

▼ That’s what happened to us when we spotted the box in a Kansai supermarket.

According to the company’s website, Aunt Wanda, or “Wanda Obasan” as she’s known in Japanese, was created in 1993, just shy of a decade after Uncle Rikuro, or Rikuro Ojisan, debuted in 1984. With 33 years of history behind her, Aunt Wanda is a hit in her homeland of Okinawa, and is so popular she occasionally makes inroads to the Kansai region, appearing as a limited-time product in select supermarkets and branches of the Don Quijote retail chain.

▼ At just 862 yen (US$5.56) per box, we wasted no time in purchasing one and taking it home for a taste test.

As soon as we opened the box, the soft and fluffy cake inside instantly reminded us of the Rikuro cheesecake, only with Aunt Wanda’s face stamped in the centre instead of Uncle Rikuro’s.

At first glance, it seemed smaller than Rikuro’s, but that was probably due to the fact that it was shipped frozen, as opposed to being freshly baked, which is how we’re used to eating cheesecakes from Uncle Rikuro.

▼ The cake was around 18 centimetres (7 inches) in diameter.

When we cut into the cake, it had a wonderfully smooth, moist feeling, and one very noticeable difference.

▼ No raisins to be seen.

The absence of dried fruit is like a dream come true for raisin-adverse fans of the souffle-style cheesecake. As soon as we took a bite of Aunt Wanda’s, we were hooked on the smooth and fluffy texture, and the gentle sweetness and rich cheese flavour, which we could enjoy to the fullest without any pesky raisins getting in the way.

▼ It was so smooth and delicious, we could easily have eaten half of the entire cake in one go.

Limiting ourselves to a generous quarter of the cake, we demolished it in no time at all, and by the end of it, we felt that although Riku Ojisan’s cake might edge out Aunt Wanda’s in terms of richness, we personally prefer Wanda’s, as it’s lighter and easier to eat.

▼ Plus, no raisins is a total win for us.

So next time you find yourself with a hankering for fluffy Japanese cheesecake, be sure to keep an eye out for Aunt Wanda. She may be lesser-known than the cheesecake uncle that dominates social media, but that’s what makes her even more special.

Reference: Aunt Wanda’s Cheesecake
Photos© SoraNews24
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It’s not too late to get organised with One Piece, Tomie, Mother, and Tamagotchi at your fingertips.

If you’re looking for a diary at the beginning of the year, or the beginning of the school and fiscal year in April, then Hobonichi is a fantastic choice. Launched in Japan 25 years ago, the Hobonichi Diary, or “Hobonichi Techo” (pronounced “tetcho”) to use its Japanese name, has grown to include a wide range of styles, with daily planners in the “Original” A5 size and larger A6 “Cousin” size, as well as weekly “Slim” size planners, day-free and five-year diaries, and a choice of covers and stationery accessories to boot.

▼ The Hobonichi Diary range

The diaries are so carefully thought out, with handy grid layouts and inspirational quotes on every page, that they’ve become highly sought after both in Japan and overseas. Making them even more popular are the designs that adorn the diaries and the covers made specially for them, and we’ve picked out the best varieties that are brand new for this year.

▼ Frog and Toad

This three-piece range captures the beauty and charm of the Frog and Toad series of children’s books, written and illustrated by American author Arnold Lobel. The weekly “Slim” diary (top, right) retails for 3,190 yen (US$20.57), while the Cousin and Original covers (sold without the diaries) retail for 5,720 yen and 4,620 yen respectively.

▼ The covers come with leather or ribbon bookmarks attached to their spines.

▼ The Frog and Toad range is exclusive to retail chain Loft, both at its physical stores and online.

▼ One Piece

There are many One Piece items to choose from, with covers produced in collaboration with One Piece magazine, a popular publication.

▼ Original and Cousin covers in Mint Green and Sand Beige (4,290 yen and 5,390 yen respectively)

▼ Straw Hat Luffy Black cover (4,400 yen for the Original and 5,610 yen for the Cousin)

It’s recommended that the covers be used with the Hobonichi Techo Original – One Piece Edition (3,410 yen) diary, which contains a collection of quotes from the One Piece series.

▼ If you prefer not to use a cover at all, then the hardcover Straw Hat Luffy Red Weeks (3,190 yen) will be right up your alley.

Other items in the range include Hiriluk’s Cherry Blossoms Diary (3,190 yen for the Weeks and 3,960 yen for the A6 size) and stationery items like Rotating Stamp for the Techo – One Piece (5,940 yen).

▼ Hobonichi diaries are available in either Japanese or English versions, the latter of which costs 110 yen more.

▼ Pirate Flag Index Stickers (660 yen) and Vivre Card & Treasure Tab Letterpress Printed Card (950 yen)

▼ Chopper’s Techo First Aid Kit Stickers (660 yen)

▼ Next up is a range dedicated to Tomie, an iconic horror manga series by Junji Ito.

The covers feature original illustrations by 62-year-old Ito, which prove that Tomie is still as powerful as she was when Ito first introduced her to the world in 1987, almost 40 years ago.

▼ Tomie, an immortal seductress who drives men to madness and has the power to regenerate from her own severed body parts.

▼ Sticky Notes of Terror (660 yen)

▼ Memory Cover Cousin (centre, 5,390 yen), Haunting Beauty Weeks Diary (right, 3,190 yen for the Japanese version, 3,300 yen for English)

▼ Knowing Smile Cover (4,290 yen)

▼ Now it’s time to step out of the darkness with a sweet range in honour of Mother.

The covers here have been produced in collaboration with the Super Famicom game “MOTHER 2: Gyiyg Strikes Back!” (known as EarthBound in North America), which was released by Nintendo in 1994.

The Mr. Saturn (It’s Great) cover (5,390 yen) adopts a fascinating lenticular print that changes the image depending on which angle you view it from, so Mr. Saturn looks like he’s facing left (as in the image above) or right (below).

▼ There’s also a green Mr. Saturn (Doing Fine) cover for 6,490 yen…

▼ …and Clay Figurines diaries, in Original (5,500 yen) and Cousin (6,050 yen) sizes, available in English or Japanese.

Moomin also has a cute range, with the highlights being the Moomin Hobonichi Graph Notebook (1,210-1,540 yen), created in response to requests for a standard notebook that feels just like the Hobonichi Techo…

▼ …and the Rotating Stamp for the Techo – Moomin (5,940 yen), which will have you stamping all year long.

Hiroko Kubota is a Japanese illustrator who’s been producing designs for Hobonichi annually since 2022, and one of her most impressive designs this year features on the Waiting on the Chord diaries (3,520 and 4,070 yen), available in English or Japanese.

Kubota’s artwork also graces “The Sea’s Dream at Dawn” covers, in A6 (5,500 yen) and A5 (6,600 yen) sizes.

▼ The works of Japanese calligrapher Yuichi Inoue (1916-1985) appear on the A6 Hana (4,290 yen) and A5 Jo (5,390 yen) covers.

Finally, we have the hugely popular Tamagotchi range, which includes clear covers in Growth Chart! (A6, 720 yen), Colourful Tamagotchi (A5, 880 yen), and Carefree Tamagotchi (Weeks, 720 yen).

There’s also Tamagotchi Techo Discovered! covers in A6 (3,410 yen) and A5 (4,180 yen), as well as the hardcover Our Tamagotchi Weeks diary (3,190 yen).

▼ Other must-buys include the Push Button Stamp (1,320 yen)…

▼ …and the Deco Rush Decorative Tape (420 yen), both of which can be used to jazz up the days in your diary.

▼ Hobonichi also sells plenty of handy Techo-related stationery like stickers and sticky notes, priced from 440-660 yen.

As an added bonus, customers who purchase a Hobonichi Techo through the official Hobonichi website will receive a Tiny Robot Paperweight.

The robot is 3.5 centimetres (1.4 inches) tall, weighs 35 grams (one ounce) and was designed by game designer Kouichi Ooyama. The words “You Love You” are engraved on the body, and in case you were wondering, the robot was given a name when he was first developed – G.O.R-01, which stands for “Good Old Robot”.

With so many products to choose from, Hobonichi has all your diary needs covered. Whether you’re into stamping, scheduling, or anime, manga and video games, there’s plenty to keep you smiling throughout the year, so now’s the perfect time to join the global craze for Hobonichi.

Related: Hobonichi (international shipping available), Hobonichi Loft
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