Twentythree

Pocket sandwich innovator is sick and tired of being called an imitation, and furious too.

Npa might not be Japan’s most famous mascot character, perhaps because of his difficult-to-pronounce name, but you can’t really fault his design. Not only is the spokescharacter for Fuji Baking cute, he’s also an anthropomorphized version of the company’s pocket sandwiches, which it calls Snack Sandwiches.

Like most Japanese mascot characters, Npa is usually shown to have a friendly, earnest, and unassuming personality. We see that agreeable aura on display in a recent promotional video from Fuji Baking that depicts Npa as an office worker at the company. Sure, he may end up spewing egg salad into an elevator filled with his coworkers, but that was an honest accident.

Even when he’s sitting at his desk and looking at social media, it’s all in the name of market research to see how people are enjoying the different varieties of Snack Sandwich that are currently on the market.

This might be your first time hearing about Snack Sandwich, but if you’re the sort of well-cultured scholar who regularly reads SoraNews24, this probably isn’t your first time hearing about Japan’s pocket sandwiches. Fuji Baking competitor Yamazaki Baking’s Lunch Pack series is far and away the most prevalent and popular brand of pocket sandwiches in Japan, so much so that “Lunch Pack” has become practically a generic term for the sandwich type, and we ourselves often eat Lunch Packs for both personal and professional taste-testing reasons.

Lunch Pack is so ubiquitous, and has been around for so long (since 1984), that many people assume that the brand was the originator of pocket sandwiches in Japan, and with Npa not making his debut until 2016, a lot of people also assume that Snack Sandwich is one of a number of Lunch Pack imitators.

But wait a second let’s take another look at the Snack Sandwich packaging, which says…“since 1975?” And that’s not all — it also says ganso (元祖), which means “the original.”

Yes, not only are people incorrect in thinking that Snack Sandwich is a Lunch Pack imitator, every other company that they also think is imitating Lunch Pack, as well as Lunch Pack itself, is actually imitating Snack Sandwich, since it was the first to hit store shelves.

However, in a survey 87 percent of people said that they didn’t think that Snack Sandwich was Japan’s original pocket sandwich brand, and it definitely has less cachet than Lunch Pack does. So in the video, as Npa continues scrolling through online posts, he comes across ones such as “Ah, woops! I messed up and bought Snack Sandwich by mistake” and “Agh, I screwed up! Bought that lookalike Fuji Baking one instead.”

He…doesn’t take this well.

“Even though it’s the original,” screams the narrator, “87 percent of people think it’s not!” So great is Npa’s rage over this injustice that he grows to gargantuan kaiju-class size, bursting through the walls of Fuji Baking’s headquarters and firing beams of fiery indignation as he rampages across the city.

▼ “Take back the title of the original! Npa Strikes Back!”

In hindsight, the video’s narrator was a clue that things were going to go off the rails, as its provided by veteran anime voice actor Shigeru Chiba, whose credits include such less-than-even-tempered individuals as both Kefka and Profssor Hojo from the Final Fantasy franchise, Patlabor’s Shigeo Shiba, and One Piece’s Buggy.

OK, but now that Npa has blown off some steam, the frustration is out of his system, right?

Apparently not.

▼ “He will rage until 100 percent of the people know.”

In the month since the video was posted, it’s been viewed an astounding 13.69 million times, so no doubt more people know about Snack Sandwich’s pioneering status now than they did before. And Npa does seem to have calmed down enough that he looks to be back to having carefree fun on the packages for Snack Sandwich’s Halloween lineup of chestnut, apple, purple potato, and pumpkin cream fillings.

None of his Halloween costumes look particularly scary, but that’s probably just because no outfit could make him look as terrifying as his burning anger can.

Source: YouTube/フジパン公式チャンネル, Fuji Baking (1, 2)
Top image: YouTube/フジパン公式チャンネル
Insert images: Fuji Baking, YouTube/フジパン公式チャンネル, PR Times
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Could this spell doom for one of the most beloved ramen styles?

Bean sprouts, known as “moyashi” in Japanese, make an excellent addition to several dishes with their delightful texture and pleasantly mild flavor. It’s kind of like the Ichiro of the topping world, in that it’s a consistently clutch player that crucially supports a meal, even if it doesn’t stand out too often. And one dish which has embraced the joys of bean sprouts wholeheartedly is ramen.

We’re talking about “Jiro-style ramen” to be exact, a genre of ramen in which almost absurdly high piles of bean sprouts are sometimes placed atop the bowl.

▼ Other toppings are also included, but bean sprouts play a major role.

Jiro-style ramen has built up a cult-like following over the years, to the point people are willing to keep eating it even when the restaurant is on fire. This is thanks in no small part to the noble bean sprout.

This year, however, cracks in the bean sprout supply chain began to emerge. Saiki Shokuhin, a major producer of bean sprouts in the Kanto region around Tokyo, has apparently suspended operations without warning since last June and now appears to be completely shut down.

Many other Jiro-style ramen restaurants have been posting about the dire bean sprout situation on social media as well. Some owners have had to scour local supermarkets in search of bean sprouts in an effort to keep their loyal customers happy, because Jiro-style ramen without a giant pile of bean sprouts is, well… just ramen.

This crisis seems to have been a long time coming. From 2009 to 2026, the number of bean sprout producers in Japan fell from 235 to 86. Among their other positive traits, these immature plants are also known to be extremely cheap, with packs selling for well under 100 yen (US$0.63). The rapid inflation of recent years and even more recent issues with fuel have pushed some producers to the breaking point.

▼ This pack cost Mr. Sato just 28 yen, making it a great addition to any home senbero.

It would seem the only solution is to raise the price of bean sprouts, which would in turn raise the price of Jiro-style ramen, yet another sector desperately struggling to keep their relatively low prices that make them such attractive dining options. If ramen shops raise their prices, then their often cash-strapped customers will also dry up in a lose-lose situation.

In fact, this bean sprout situation is a pretty good illustration of critical flaws in Japan’s economy. Online comments of the news did a surprisingly good job of laying out a lot of the factors behind it.

“The reason bean sprouts were so cheap was the stable production behind them. Disrupt that, and it doesn’t just affect restaurants but households as well.”
“If we want to ensure bean sprouts remain affordably available to everyone, we have to fix the economic factors supporting production.”
“For now, the price needs to go up to keep producers going, but this price instability is unsustainable and needs to change.”
“I always look forward to Jiro-style ramen on my cheat day, and appreciate how affordable they are. But this news gives me pause. Cheap food is great, but if the producers don’t get enough money then the customer will ultimately suffer.”
“I’ve seen packs of bean sprouts for 19 yen at the supermarket and always wondered how they stay in business. I’m grateful that they keep prices so low, but they should charge enough to be sustainable.”
“They’re so cheap already, they’d still be cheap even if the price went up.”
“I used to be a producer wholesaler and supermarket buyers would refuse any kind of price increase, threatening to change producers if we did. This problem is caused by short-sighted buyers who force the producers to shoulder the cost increases until they go bankrupt.”

To summarize, bean sprout producers are dealing with mounting costs for just about everything from fertilizer to fuel. On the other end of the chain, most consumers are struggling with the cost of just about everything rising and have to pay close attention to what they buy and eat. Knowing this, supermarkets and other retailers do as much as they can to keep their prices low and keep their customers coming, including putting pressure on producers not to raise their prices.

It’s easy to see how this system is unsustainable, and poised to break down in spectacular fashion as producers go under, and the supply simply dries up to the point bean sprout prices skyrocket way beyond what they would have had the price just gone up slightly to begin with.

▼ Image this costing 1,000 yen… I might still eat it sometimes.

The comments also showed how many consumers can tolerate price increases when required, but with retailers mainly calling the shots with regard to pricing, it still doesn’t happen. A few years ago, the makers of Garigari-kun ice candy and Umaibo puffed corn snacks made headlines for issuing public apologies for raising their prices by a few yen. Both were met with praise from customers who said they’d remain loyal to companies who are honest about their prices and explain their situation.

Though, in light of recent events, I’m starting to wonder if that could even be a way for producers to go over the heads of retailers and appeal directly to the public. If the bean sprout growers’ association issued a public apology for having to raise prices by 5 yen a pack, they’d almost surely get a good response from people in Japan, leaving buyers with little leverage to refuse said price increase.

Anything’s possible, but ultimately, there are clearly far more fundamental issues with Japan’s economy that need to be worked out so everyone can eat well and make a living. This is just the tip of the pile of bean sprouts on a bowl of Jiro-style ramen.

Source: TV Asahi News, Yahoo! Japan News
Top image: Pakutaso
Insert images ©SoraNews24
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Beloved anime movie characters are perfectly placed for wiggle-toe animation. 

The cosy season has finally arrived in Japan, and here to herald its arrival is Studio Ghibli, with a duo of brand new blanket socks. Designed for homey nights in, these warm blanket socks will cuddle your feet and warm your heart, with Totoro and Jiji serving as our cuddle buddies.

Totoro brings forest charm to this green pair, in calming hues that conjure up the nature-filled home in which he dwells.

Surrounded by forest motifs and his beloved acorns, Totoro sits right above the toe section, so you can bring him to life by wiggling your toes.

Adding to the beauty of the socks is their length, which brings the design, and the warmth, right up your calf. This means you can style them in a number of ways, stretching them out fully to enjoy the forest scene, or letting them bunch up loosely around your ankles, giving you the “loose socks” look once favoured by schoolgirls in Japan.

Fans of Kiki’s Delivery Service will want to slip into the Kiki’s Delivery Service Blanket Socks, which come in a navy colourway.

Waiting for your wiggle-toe animation is black cat Jiji, whose wide-eyed facial expression adds to the magic.

Jiji is surrounded by tulips, recalling the countryside setting of Kiki’s home, and the flower-filled workspace of Kiki’s mother, Kokorin. What looks like brown crosses within the design are actually said to represent pretzels, in honour of the bakery where Kiki works.

Again, the long length lets you fully enjoy the design, or you can let them loose to let the colours shine.

Socks these cute make an ideal gift for Ghibli lovers, but then again, they’re so adorable, we won’t be able to resist buying them for ourselves. Made from a poly-cotton blend, both pairs come in one size, to fit 22-26 centimetre (9-11 inch) feet, and they can be purchased at Donguri Kyowakoku stores and online (links below) while stocks last.

Source: Donguri Kyowakoku
Featured image: Donguri Kyowakoku
Insert images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2)
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A Christmas Slime appears, with a Chocobo buddy too!

With the winter holiday season on the way, it won’t be long until Christmas decorations start appearing in Japan. Every year the Landmark Plaza and Mark Is entertainment complexes in Yokohama, half an hour south of downtown Tokyo, put up lights and trees, often with some sort of additional theme, and this year that theme is Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest!

The Yokohama Minato Mirai Winter Holiday 2026-Dragon Quest x Final Fantasy Interwoven Winter Fantasy event has a very long name, but it matches that verbosity with a whole lot of cuteness thanks to the mascot monsters of the two iconic video game franchises, Dragon Quest’s Slime and Final Fantasy’s Chocobo. The pair will be appearing at special Christmas tree displays in the central atriums of Landmark Plaza and Mark Is, which are situated across the street from each other in Yokohama’s bayside Minato Mirai neighborhood.

Scattered throughout the two buildings will also be a number of Dragon Quest Slime and Final Fantasy art panels and photo backdrops featuring more members of their beloved bestiaries, with the event’s key art illustration promising the presence of Final Fantasy’s Moogle. There’ll also be a stamp rally where you can earn a free sticker by filling in the blanks on a sheet of paper using stamps near the displays, much like what Landmark Plaza and Mark Is did for their Pokémon Sleep collaboration earlier this year.

Should you work up an appetite on your stamp rally quest, Landmark Plaza will also be hosting the Slichoco (Slime and Chocobo) Kitchen popup cafe in its Cafe Fan Base event space.

In addition to themed food and drinks, customers who order select menu items will receive one of seven exclusive art coasters, showing the creature cast of the Square Enix series frolicking around Yokohama sightseeing spots such as Minato Mirai, the Akarenga red brick warehouse, and Yokohama Chinatown while bundled up in winter attire.

▼ Is that a Final Fantasy Meteor mint chocolate dessert? Because if it is, I’m definitely eating it.

▼ The healing potion-style mocktail’s presentation is pretty slick too.

The Fat Chocobo Curry doesn’t appear to be on the menu, but diners at the cafe will also receive a clear file…

…and for those looking to get their hands on the special merch even if they’re not hungry, Mark Is will also have two popup shops for the collaboration with the customary assortment of key holders, T-shirts, figures, and plushies.

Rounding out the festivities will be an ironing-beads craft workshop in the Cafe Fan Base event area where you can make your own Slime or Chocobo buddy…

…and hologram stickers being given out to shoppers and diners who spend more than 2,000 yen (US$12.60) at select shops and restaurants within Landmark Plaza and Mark Is.

Yokohama Minato Mirai Winter Holiday 2026-Dragon Quest x Final Fantasy Interwoven Winter Fantasy kicks off on November 11 and runs until January 11. Note that the stamp rally, though, wraps up a little earlier, on December 27, so that’s one more reason to go see this Slime and Chocobo as soon as possible.

Related: Landmark Plaza official website, Mark is official website, Cafe Fan Base reservation website
Source: Landmark Plaza official website, PR Times
Images: PR Times
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It’s been a looooong time since you could get a thigh-meat sandwich at KFC Japan, and now you can get six.

A lot of time has passed between now and 1983. To illustrate just how much, 1983 was the year Nintendo’s Famicom (which would become known as the NES overseas) went on sale. In the years since, Nintendo has had time to release a whole slew of other video game consoles, culminating with the launch of the Switch 2 last year.

If you had been one of those early adopters who went out and bought a Famicom in 1983, on your way home from the store you could have swung by KFC Japan and picked up a fried chicken sandwich made with thigh meat. You wouldn’t have been able to repeat that meal choice for the launch of Nintendo’s Super Famicom (a.k.a. Super NES) in 1990, though. Ditto for the release of the Nintendo 64 in 1996…and for every console after that too. Why? Because 1983 was the last time KFC Japan had thigh-meat sandwiches, after which they switched to breast meat.

On October 14, though, KFC Japan released its first thigh-meat sandwiches in 43 years, with the debut of the brand-new Original Chicken Burger series.

There’s a total of six sandwiches in the two-tiered lineup. In addition to the standard Original Chicken Burger, there’s also a Cheese, Teriyaki, and spicy Red-hot version. Those in a more luxurious mood can opt for the Premier Burger, which adds a slice of thick-cut bacon, or the Premier Cheese Burger, providing both bacon and cheese.

This return of thigh-meat chicken sandwiches is such a big deal for the chain that KFC Japan has temporarily rebranded its branch in Tokyo’s Ebisu neighborhood as KFB (“Kentucky Fried Burgers”).

With the new items going on sale on October 14, we dispatched our Japanese-language reporter P.K. Sanjun for some taste-testing. P.K,’s stomach was not quite up to the challenge of eating six fried chicken sandwiches in one sitting, but neither would his pride allow him to settle for just one, so he ordered two to try, the Original Chicken Burger (490 yen [US$3.19]) and the Premier Burger (750 yen).

P.K. started with the Original Chicken Burger, and he was instantly impressed.

The meat was juicy and flavorful, and the characteristic touch of springiness to the texture made him very glad that thigh meat was finally back. There wasn’t a hint of tough dryness to be found as he happily chewed.

The breading for the chicken is very similar to what you get with KFC’s Original Recipe chicken, so P.K. had no complaints there either. The sandwich’s sauce has a bit of tanginess to it, but it serves as an accent, and the star of the show is the delicious chicken. This is a very well put-together fried chicken burger, and more importantly, a very delicious one too.

Moving on to the Premier Burger, the visuals tell you right away that this is a more decadent meal.

The chicken and bun are the same as in the less-expensive Original Chicken Burger, but in addition to the bacon, the Premier Burger also boasts its own unique garlic pepper mayonnaise spread.

Once again, it’s a very enjoyable combination of flavors…but P.K. feels like there’s a little too much going on here. The garlic pepper mayo is pretty insistent about making its presence felt, and the bacon is even more so. As a matter of fact, the bacon dominates the end of the flavor profile, more or less erasing the pleasurable lingering taste of the chicken that P.K. enjoyed with the Original Chicken Burger.

That’s not to say that the Premier Burger is a bad sandwich, and P.K. might have fallen more in love with it if there were no Original Chicken Burger to compare it to. Even though they’re both tasty sandwiches, though, for P.K.’s money, the more straightforward Original Chicken Burger is the way to go, especially since it lets him save 260 yen that he can put towards another Original Chicken Burger the next time he gets hungry.

Top image: SoraNews24
Insert images: SoraNews24, KFC Japan
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Yamaguchi primate decides to pick fights with two other species.

After several months of bears dominating reports of startling wildlife encounters in Japan, it seems as though the nation’s monkeys have decided to take that notoriety as a challenge. We’ve recently been talking about the dreaded Troop T1, a group of monkeys that’s been running amuck in the town of Yugawara in Kanagawa Prefecture, where they recently surrounded and attacked a man who was out for a morning stroll on the city streets. Now comes an incident on the opposite side of the country, in Yamaguchi Prefecture, where a monkey not only attacked a man, but also reportedly decided to maybe drown a cat.

The man in question is a 49-year-old resident of the town of Shunan. He isn’t necessarily a pet owner, but he says there’s a stray cat that’s made its home in his garden, which has a pond. While the man was at home on Tuesday, at around 3:40 in the afternoon, he heard the sound of a loud splash coming from the pond, which he says was caused when a monkey came into the garden and threw the cat into the water.

While the man was rescuing the cat, the monkey, an adult roughly 50 centimeters (19.7 inches) in height, scampered up onto his roof and stared down menacingly at him. It then jumped back down to ground level, and when he turned away from it, leapt onto his back and clawed at him, leaving long scratches on his skin through the thick work clothes he was wearing.

The monkey then ran off, and the cat seems to have survived the encounter without suffering any severe injuries.

The Tokuyama neighborhood of Shunan, where the man lives, isn’t a major urban area, but it’s far from undeveloped countryside, and his home borders a fairly sizable road.

▼ The approximate area where the incident took place

This isn’t the only startling monkey incident the town has had recently, either. On September 8, in a separate part of Shunan, a monkey grabbed and tore the clothing of a local woman. Police have been stepping up patrols in the area and calling on residents to be cautious. Experts warn that should anyone run into a wild monkey, they should avoid provoking the animal, and also avoid making eye contact (as monkeys can perceive that as threatening behavior) while calmly leaving the area.

Source: Television Yamaguchi Broadcasting Systems via Yahoo! Japan News via Itai News, KRY Yamaguchi Hoso
Top image: Pakutaso
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All the details on how to collect the stamps and get the commemorative prize.

Japan has a knack for tapping into the human spirit and understanding what nourishes us as a species. One of the ways it does that is through stamp rallies, fulfilling our desire to collect things, achieve goals, and get our hands on a good freebie.

Now there’s a Studio Ghibli stamp rally coming our way, with four digital stamps to collect and an exclusive commemorative badge for those who collect them all.

▼ 金曜ロードショーとジブリ展とSAGAスタンプラリー = Friday Road Show and Ghibli Exhibition and Saga Stamp Rally

Held alongside the Friday Road Show and Ghibli Exhibition, which showcases Japan’s Friday Road Show TV programme and its long-running history of broadcasting Studio Ghibli films, the event is also encouraging visitors to explore Saga City, where the exhibition is being held from 3 November 2026 to 14 February 2027.

The Friday Road Show and Ghibli Exhibition and Saga Stamp Rally will be held throughout the exhibition period, and although it’s free to participate, an admission ticket to the exhibition is required.

You’ll also need to download Fukuoka Broadcasting System’s free FBS app – you can scan the QR code at one of the rally points to download it – and then you simply visit all four stamp rally locations around Saga City and scan the QR code at each one to collect your stamps. Unlike a traditional stamp rally, where participants physically stamp a piece of card or paper, this event is all done digitally, so you’ll be collecting the stamps on your smartphone.

There is, however, a physical reward that you can clutch in your hands like No Face with a mound of gold, because once you collect all four, you can show your completed stamp collection at the prize exchange counter at any of the four locations to receive your badge.

The four locations and their stamp designs are:

▼ Saga Prefectural Art Museum – Friday Ojisan

▼ Saga Mado – From Up on Poppy Hill

▼ Saga Castle History Museum – Princess Mononoke

▼ Saga Balloon Museum – Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

▼ The stamp rally route stretches around 2.9 kilometres (1.8 miles) and takes around 41 minutes to complete on foot or eight minutes by car.

For visitors who don’t have a car and prefer not to walk, Saga has a convenient bus network that’ll get you to the locations, and it’s drawing attention to that fact with specially wrapped buses for a limited time. The vibrant look ties in with the prefecture’s “Let’s walk Saga Prefecture” initiative, which encourages visitors to use public transport while exploring the area on foot.

Visitors who use the participating bus services or JR trains to reach the exhibition can also receive a free A4-sized clear file featuring Friday Ojisan, the Friday Road Show mascot character. These limited-edition freebies are available while stocks last, and visitors will need to show their exhibition ticket along with the required proof of travel – pick up a “clear file exchange ticket” on one of the wrapped buses or snap a photo of the special photo panel inside the ticket gate at JR Saga Station – to claim one of the files.

As another initiative to get people on the buses, there will be special in-car announcements by voice actress Sumi Shimamoto, who voiced the main character of Nausicaä in Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, as well as voicing Satsuki and Mei’s mother in My Neighbour Totoro and Toki in Princess Mononoke.

You can collect the stamps in any order, and you don’t have to visit all four locations in one day as the stamps you’ve collected will be automatically saved in the app. The commemorative badge measures approximately six centimetres (2.4 inches) in diameter and features the exhibition’s key visual, acting as a sweet souvenir and reminder of your efforts. It’s not available for sale, and only one can be claimed per person per device, so it will be a very sought-after item.

▼ A true collector’s item.

Stocks of the badge are limited, so although the rally runs until February, you’ll want to collect your stamps earlier rather than later to avoid missing out. Be sure to check the opening hours of the locations too, so you can plan your visit accordingly and get the most out of each location. Happy stamping!

Related: FBS App, Friday Road Show and Ghibli Exhibition
Source, images: Press release
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