Twentythree

These dress shirts are sure to have fans.

If you need business attire in Japan, Yofuku no Aoyama is pretty much always a safe choice. They may not have the trendiest fashions from brand-name designers, but they can set you up with outfits appropriately dressy for a day in the office or a meeting with clients, and at affordable prices too.

For example, here’s one of their new button-up shirts. Nothing flashy or overly fancy, but a respectable, understated summer business look.

Now, looking at that photo, you might get the impression that the person wearing it is a little on the stocky side. However, the puffiness of the shirt isn’t a result of overindulgence in edible fireworks sweets, taco sweets, or convenience store-flavor fried chicken. It’s actually because this isn’t just a dress shirt, it’s also a wearable cooling system, and its fans are engaged in the image above.

Look closely, and you’ll see that there’s actually a fan positioned inside the shirt, near the small of the back. Actually, there are two fans, one on each side, and when switched on they provide blasts of cool air, directed inwards to cool down the wearer and help them deal with the summer heat.

Air-conditioned garments like this have become more popular in Japan in recent years, but mainly as an extension of equipment for workers in fields such as construction, garbage disposal, and event crowd control. As such, they’ve usually looked like blue-collar uniform vests or jackets, more “gear” than “apparel.” But with summers in Japan getting hotter and hotter, more and more people have been showing an interest in cooled garments, and Yofuku no Aoyama has responded with its new shirts, developed in partnership with fan-equipped fashion maker FZN to create an option for business settings.

Though the fan is noticeable from behind, the designers have done a pretty impressive job concealing it from other angles.

Yofuku no Aoyama says extensive efforts were made to keep the system’s weight down to keep the shirt comfortable to wear, with the two fans weighing 95 grams (3.4 ounces) each and the rechargeable battery pack 165 grams.

Yofuku no Aoyama doesn’t make any mention, though, of how loud the fans are, though, which would suggest that they’re not necessarily whisper-quiet. However, the point of the Kucho Wear Short-sleeved Shirt (as the item is called), isn’t necessarily to run it during meetings with colleagues of clients, as those conversations will be taking place inside air-conditioned conference rooms. Instead, the appeal of an air-conditioned dress shirt is that you can run the fans while you’re running around the city, heading from one meeting to another while being exposed to the elements, and won’t need to change into more formal clothing once you arrive at your destination.

The “entry complete set,” which includes the shirt (available in blue or gray and sizes medium, large, or extra-large) plus the fans, battery pack, and charging cable, is priced at 17,490 yen (US$107) is on sale now at Yofuku no Ayoama stores and through the company’s online shop here.

Source: PR Times
Top image: PR Times
Insert images: PR Times, Yofuku no Aoyama (1, 2)
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Godiva brings its chocolate expertise to a traditional summertime favorite in Japan.

Godiva is well aware of the worldwide prestige its name carries, but the chocolatier’s Japanese division still frequently looks for ways to get into the spirit of the local sweets scene. Sometimes that means partnerships with anime franchises or Mister Donut, and sometimes it means incorporating traditional Japanese ingredients like tofu into their desserts,

For their next cultural crossover, Godiva Japan is turning its attention to something that’s been a summertime favorite of sweets fans in Japan for generations: shaved ice.

Walking around Japan in the summer, you can spot cafes and sweets shops with signs hanging outside their storefronts with the kanji character for ice, 氷, and as of July 22, they’ll be outside select Godiva Japan branches too. But whereas the majority of shaved ice flavors in Japan are fruity, like melon or strawberry, Godiva, naturally, is bringing its premium chocolate to the mix, starting with the Shaved Ice Chocolat Elegance.

Starting at the bottom of the bowl and working our way up, this extra-chocolatey shaved ice dessert has chocolate whipped cream and shaved chocolate, after which the ice shavings start getting piled on, with chocolate syrup poured on top of them. For toppings, Godiva Japan uses a chocolate whipped cream dusted with chocolate powder, followed by more chocolate sauce and shaved chocolate, then, finally, a Godiva chocolate square as the figurative cherry on top.

If you’re looking for a little extra sophistication, you can also opt for the Shaved Ice Tiramisu Chocolat. This being Godiva, of course there’s still chocolate on the list of ingredients, but here it’s joined by mascarpone cream and coffee gelatin.

According to the company’s announcement, and also visible in the photos, Godiva shaves its ice to a feathery consistency, so there won’t be much crunch or grit as you bite into a spoonful, but instead a soft texture that should allow all of the sweet accouterments to meld in your mouth with the ice. The result, Godiva promises, is richly flavorful but without feeling heavy, and the moist, chilled combination of flavors and sensations will make for an indulgently enjoyable way to cool off in the summer heat.

Not every Godiva Japan branch will be serving their shaved ice, but it can be found at the chain’s locations within the Mitsui Outlet Park shopping centers in Tama Minami Osawa (Tokyo), Kisarazu (Chiba), Iruma (Saitama), Hokuriku Oyabe (Toyama), Jazz Dream Nagashima (Mie), Shiga Ryuo (Shiga), Marine Pia Kobe (Hyogo), and Spporo Kitahiroshima (Hokkaido).

Godiva Japan’s new frozen treats arrive at a time when a number of cafes in Japan are looking to take shaved ice up-market with fancy ingredients, but priced at 980 yen (US$6) they’re still affordable luxuries for when your taste buds want something sweet and your body needs something cool this summer.

Source: PR Times via Japaaan, Godiva Japan
Images: PR Times
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A cool idea from Coolish, and further proof that sweet bean paste makes everything better.

When you’re craving a snack, anpan (sweet bean paste bread) is never, ever a bad choice. Both sweet and substantial, anpan can be found at convenience stores and supermarkets across Japan, but if you want the really good stuff, it’s worth it to seek this treat out at dedicated bakeries, which is what recently had us on the train to Mitaka Station in Tokyo.

We were headed there to visit Toho Bakery, because while they’re not the only bakery in town that has anpan, they’re the only ones that have ice cream anpan.

Toho Bakery is a 10-minute bus ride from Mitaka Station, or a 25-minute walk if you’re feeling energetic/want to pre-bank some calories to spare before you enjoy this tempting double dessert. Whether you arrive by bus or on foot, though, it’s pretty easy to tell you’re in the right place, thanks to the bakery’s large-font signage and giant illustrated baker with an oversized baguette.

The ice cream anpan is a Toho project carried out in official conjunction with Japanese confectioner Lotte, maker of ice cream brand Coolish, which is so tasty that it can even bring virtual idols into the real world. Coolish’s hook is that it’s a drinkable soft ice cream sold in squeeze pouches…but what if instead of squeezing the ice cream into your mouth, you squeezed it into a piece of anpan?

That’s the idea Toho Bakery and Lotte came up with, and so in late June Toho started whipping up batches of Coolish-use Anpan.

If you’re wondering why they didn’t just call it “Coolish Anpan,” it’s because the baking process required to create bread is equally effective at melting ice cream, and so the Coolish has to be injected into the baked goods after they come out of the oven. What’s more, as a classy place that prides itself on high quality, Toho Bakery doesn’t want to pre-inject the ice cream before purchase and then leave the anpan to get soggy on the store’s shelves, so the 356-yen (US$2.20) Coolish-use Anpan is a set of one anpan bun and a mini Coolish pouch that’s given to you at the register, after which you squeeze in the ice cream yourself.

However, don’t make the mistake of assuming the Coolish-use Anpan is just a marketing name for a bundle of regular anpan and a Coolish. Toho Bakery actually created a different type of anpan specifically for this set. The sweet bean paste filling is less sweet than the bakery’s normal anpan, since it’s going to get an extra infusion of sweetness when the ice cream comes flowing in. The bread is also sized/shaped so that it has an air pocket at the top, giving it space for the ice cream to settle inside.

▼ Proportionally, the Coolish-use Anpan is taller than normal anpan, which usually has more of a dome shape.

Ice cream being a key ingredient means that time is a factor with the Coolish-use Anpan, and if you’ve got a long train ride home from Toho Bakery, taking an insulated bag and some ice packs with you wouldn’t be a bad idea. Of course, there are few things in life more difficult than resisting the urge to eat ice cream when you have some in your possession, and thankfully Toho Bakery has a few outdoor seats and tables where you can enjoy your bread immediately after buying it, which is what we did.

Coolish pouches have a pronounced plastic mouth, and while the original intended purpose is to make the pouch easier to drink from, this design point also makes it easy to stab the mouth through the top layer of the bun. Because the Coolish had just been taken out of the freezer, it was harder than usual, so it took a couple of strong squeezes to get it all in there…

…but we persevered.

Now it was time to taste the completed Coolish-use Anpan, and on a hot summer afternoon, it was pretty much perfect! Ice cream and sweet bean paste come from very different culinary lineages, but they actually go together extremely well, especially since Toho Bakery uses tsubuan, the type of sweet bean paste in which some beans are left unmashed, adding some enticing texture to the creamy mix that results from the addition of the Coolish. With a mixture of sweet and creamy flavors, the Coolish-use Anpan ends up being like a Japanese-style parfait that you can hold in your hand.

Now, if you’re thinking “Hey, couldn’t I squirt some Coolish into the anpan they sell at the convenience store closest to my apartment/hotel/ninja testing center in Japan?” the answer is yes, you can, and we can’t imagine it’d be anything short of delicious too. Like we said above, though, Toho Bakery’s Coolish-use Anpan is designed to make the combination as harmonious as possible, in terms of both flavor balancing and physical space.

▼ Some of Lotte’s official Coolish-use Anpan press photos

So if you can make it to Toho Bakery, it’s worth the trip to try the ultimate version of this sweets innovation, which is scheduled to be on sale until August 8, or while supplies last.

Bakery information
Toho Bakery / トーホーベーカリー
Address: Tokyo-to, Mitaka-shi, Shimorenjaku 1-9-19
住所　東京都三鷹市下連雀1-9-19
Open 8 a.m.-6 p.m. (weekdays), 7 a.m.-6 p.m. (Saturdays)
Closed Sundays, third Monday of every month
Website

Top image: SoraNews24
Insert images: SoraNews24, Lotte
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Sip on Starbucks in a setting once linked to infectious diseases.

Whenever a historic building in a prime location in Japan needs a commercial tenant, there’s a good chance Starbucks will come knocking. With a solid track record of taking up residence in some of the country’s most unique and culturally important properties, the coffee chain has shown it knows how to adapt its brand to blend seamlessly into its surroundings, respecting historic features while enhancing the original character of a building.

So when the Yokohama city government sought applicants to occupy the former No. 1 Building of the Nagahama Quarantine Station, a Registered Tangible Cultural Property, it wasn’t too much of a surprise to hear that Starbucks was chosen to be its new custodian. What was a surprise, though, was the history of the charming, Western-style building, which dates back to 1895, when it was originally built as a waiting facility for passengers undergoing quarantine inspections after arriving by ship.

During this era, the port city of Yokohama was Japan’s main international entry point, and the quarantine station played an important role in preventing infectious diseases from entering the country via overseas ships. Though the building was damaged in the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, it was restored the following year, and recently relocated to a site within Umi no Koen (Sea Park), after extensive preservation work.

▼ Umi no Koen is roughly an hour by train from Tokyo.

▼ Left: Starbucks Bar Counter (バーカウンター) and Cafe (カフェ); Right: Exhibition Room (展示室), Rest Area (休憩室), and entrance (入口).

Rather than modernising the interior, Starbucks says it has retained many of the building’s original features. Original wallpaper from the Taishō era (1912–1926) has been preserved where possible, while bentwood chairs and other carefully selected furnishings complement the architecture, creating a space that feels more like a heritage lounge than a typical coffee shop.

▼ The planned interior for the cafe.

From its location inside Umi no Koen, the store boasts a scenic waterfront setting that’s especially popular during summer, making it an appealing stop for visitors looking to combine sightseeing, seaside strolls and a coffee break away from central Tokyo.

This location is the latest in a growing list of new openings for Starbucks, which includes the recently opened Yanaka branch in Tokyo, the teahouse in Kyoto’s oldest public park, and even the branch on a Shinkansen platform in Yokohama. We can’t wait to see how Starbucks blends its modern stylings into the historic character of this building when it opens to the public on 10 August.

Store information
Starbucks Coffee Yokohama Umi no Koen Store / スターバックス コーヒー 横浜海の公園店
Address: Kanagawa-ken, Yokohama-shi, Kanazawa-ku, 10 Umi no Koen, Nagahama Quarantine Station, Former No. 1 Building
神奈川県横浜市金沢区海の公園10番地 旧長濱検疫所一号停留所
Open: 8 a.m.–9 p.m. (May–Oct); 8 a.m.–7 p.m. (Nov–April)

Source: Press release
Featured image: Yokohama City
Insert images: Yokohama City (1, 2)
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The number of Japanese citizens falls below 120 million for the first time in 42 years, but the foreign community continues to grow.

Japan’s population has been shifting more than ever in recent years, with declining births becoming a growing concern for the country. However, new data shows that the population decline is being partially offset by a growing number of foreign residents, who are taking up residence in Japan in greater numbers than ever before.

According to population data released by Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications on 29 July, the number of Japanese citizens stood at 119,736,483 as of 1 January 2026, dropping below 120 million for the first time since 1984.

The figure represents a decrease of around 917,000 people compared with the previous year, marking the largest annual decline since the survey began in 1968.

The decline reflects Japan’s ongoing demographic challenges, with the country’s ageing population and falling birth rate continuing to accelerate population loss. Japan recorded around 1.59 million deaths, while the number of births fell to a record low of approximately 670,000.

▼ The number of Japanese citizens has now fallen for 17 consecutive years.

Looking at the figures by prefecture, 46 of Japan’s 47 prefectures saw their Japanese populations decline. Tokyo was the only exception, with numbers rising by 0.09 percent. The largest decrease was recorded in Akita Prefecture, which fell by 1.95 percent, followed by Aomori and Kochi, both of which declined by 1.70 percent.

As the number of Japanese citizens continues to decrease, the foreign resident population continues to grow. The number of foreign residents increased by around 354,000 people year-on-year to reach 4,031,159, the highest figure since the survey began tracking this data in 2013.

▼ Unlike the Japanese population, the foreign resident population increased in every prefecture across Japan, not just in Tokyo.

The contrasting trends highlight Japan’s shifting demographics, as a shrinking domestic population is increasingly being offset by a growing number of people from overseas living in the country. With Japan’s massive tourism boom leading to record numbers of overseas visitors in 2025, the foreign population looks likely to grow even further, even as the government moves to implement stricter new requirements for permanent resident applicants.

Sources: Sankei, Yomiuri Shimbun via Yahoo! News Japan 
Top image: Pakutaso
Insert images: Pakutaso (1, 2)
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Pedestrian crossing outside Shibuya Station to lean even harder into tourist selfie appeal.

Shibuya’s Scramble Crossing is one of Tokyo’s most iconic locations, and some would say that a trip to Japan’s capital isn’t complete without stopping by to snap a photo. Soon, though, tourists won’t just be taking photos at the world-famous intersection outside Shibuya Station, but displaying them too, on one of Tokyo’s largest skyscraper-side video screens.

Tentatively titled Shibuya Scramble Crossing Photo, this service will allow individuals to have their photos displayed on Q’s Eye, the video screen mounted on the side of Q Front, a building across the Scramble Crossing that houses a Starbucks (and was one of the last places in Tokyo where you could rent VHS tapes). Shibuya Scramble Crossing Photo actually had a brief test run between July 24 and 26, during which 48 people had their pictures put up on the screen for 15 seconds each, with their faces appearing inside a cute illustration evoking Shibuya’s famously loyal dog/statue Hachiko.

渋谷スクランブル交差点の大型ビジョンに、自分の顔が映る!? 東急が新たなインバウンド向けの観光体験サービスを実証実験。デザインや演出など、参加した外国人観光客にもお話を聞きました。世界的観光スポット・渋谷は、次のステージへ。https://t.co/JyZ735Y3dm

— 渋谷文化 (@shibuya_bunka) July 30, 2026

Though the service, offered through rail company and property developer Tokyu, won’t be exclusively available to foreign tourists, they’re the primary intended market, with all of the test-run participants being travelers from Germany, India, Italy, Korea, the U.S.A., Vietnam, or elsewhere overseas. Selfie-snapping is a priority for the service, with Tokyo taking participant feedback into account to try to determine the optimum times to offer displays at, since the screen itself doesn’t photograph as nicely during midday, but the tourists themselves can be obscured in shadow when photographed at night. One participant said he would like to be able to select alternate frames/artwork or add some sort of background music when his photo is displayed, and Tokyu itself says it’s looking for ways to let participants add personalized on-screen text messages or purchase merchandise showing their photo as it appeared on Q’s Eye. Tokyu also wants to shorten the lead time from the current six days down and eventually allow travelers to have their picture up on the screen for everyone to see on the same day they apply for the service.

On the one hand, Shibuya Scramble Crossing Photo makes for a uniquely personalized photo opportunity, and is sure to appeal to travelers who think half the fun of going somewhere is posting photos online showing that you were there. On the other hand, this could nudge the crossing’s environment even farther towards being a total circus, further frustrating locals who are growing increasingly tired of having to dodge tourists who stop mid-intersection and turn their back to the flow of foot traffic as they pose for their selfies.

Tokyu does seem to have crowd control concerns in mind, as one reason for the test run was to assess safety issues. Participants were told in advance when their photos would be displayed, and the Q Front screen is visible/photographable from the Hachiko statue plaza on the station side of the intersection, so there’s no need to stand in the middle of the crossing in order to get a selfie with your on-screen photo in the background. However, this then runs the risk of adding to the congestion of the already crowded plaza if multiple photos are going to be displayed on Q’s Eye in rapid succession.

Prices for Shibuya Scramble Crossing Photo are expected to be in the range of 5,000 to 10,000 yen (approximately US$30-US$60), with the service slated to officially start in March of next year.

Source: Shibuya Keizai Shimbun via Yahoo! Japan News, Shibuya Bunka Project
Top image: Pakutaso (edited by SoraNews24)
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Ghibli designs so charming they’ll be hard to peel yourself away from.

Studio Ghibli fans are spoilt for choice when it comes to ways to add a dash of movie magic into their everyday lives, and now there’s a range that’ll stick with you both figuratively and literally.

This latest release is a new addition to the washi tape range from Ghibli’s GBL brand, which prides itself on its cool “American casual” style aesthetic. Though they’re recoginsable to Japanese stationery fans as “washi tape”, so-called as they’re made with Japanese washi paper, GBL adheres to its American style influences by referring to them as “masking tape” instead.

Whatever you choose to call them, these sticky tapes can be used to help seal up wrapped packages, decorate journals and calendars, or stick photos, postcards and notes in place without leaving any sticky residue behind.

▼ Each tape features memorable scenes and motifs from various Ghibli films.

▼ The latest releases adds three new designs to the range, with two dedicated to Porco Rosso and one to My Neighbour Totoro.

▼ Porco Rosso: Piccolo S.P.A.

This cool design features the logo of Piccolo S.P.A., the long-established seaplane manufacturer where star character Porco takes his beloved aircraft for repairs. It’s a subtle choice that captures the look of a vintage aviation brand while looking stylishly modern at the same time.

▼ Porco Rosso: Air Pirate Alliance

Featuring the colourful “flying boats” of the air pirate gangs from Porco Rosso, this lively design has the Dabohaze aircraft leading the formation, with Curtis coming up the rear.

▼ My Neighbour Totoro: Hide-and-Seek

Star character Mei, in her distinctive straw hat, races through colourful leaves as she chases after the Little Totoro and Medium Totoro in this playful woodland design, perfectly capturing one of the film’s most heartwarming moments.

Each roll measures 1.8 centimetres (0.7 inches) wide and 7 metres (276 inches) long, making them ideal for all sorts of sticky situations. All three tapes can be purchased at Donguri Kyowakoku stores and online (links below) for 495 yen (US$3.35) each while stocks last.

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