Twentythree

New system allows you to travel with just a credit card on more than 50 lines in and around the capital, but with one major holdout.

It was a big deal when train lines in Japan added the option to pay for your fare using an IC card. Rather than having to buy a paper ticket from a machine to feed through the gate every time you wanted to go somewhere, all you had to do was tap your prepaid card and the fare would be automatically deducted.

Nowadays, though, that sort of pay-with-a-tap functionality is something that’s built into a lot of credit cards, and so it’s time for another change in train ticket purchase options. As of March 25, credit card tap payments can finally be used via an integrated system for nearly a dozen rail operators in the Tokyo area, allowing you to easily ride and transfer between their lines just by tapping your card, with no need to fiddle with tickets or to purchase and recharge IC cards.

The new system supports credit card tap payments for a total of 11 operators, including both Tokyo subway companies (Tokyo Metro and Toei). Also part of the system are the lines operated by Keihin Kyuko/Keikyu, Keio, Odakyu, Odakyu Hakone, Sagami Railway, Seibu, Tobu, Tokyu, and Yokohama Rapid Railway (operator of the Minato Mirai and Kodomonokuni Lines). Aside from the Tokyo city center, that network provides access to destinations as far as Hakone and Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture and Kinugawa in Tochigi. The credit card tap network also connects with Haneda Airport to the Tokyo subway system via Keikyu train lines, which should make it especially convenient for international travelers who’ve just landed in Japan and want to get to their hotel or sightseeing destinations ASAP.

The complete credit card tap network consists of 54 lines and 729 stations. The current list of usable cards consists of Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Diners Club, JCB, and UnionPay.

Notably absent from the new credit card payment system is East Japan Railway Company, a.k.a. JR East. However, while JR does operate the Yamanote Line loop that encircles downtown Tokyo, most of its other lines are more useful for local residents commuting to/from the suburbs, so if you’re in Tokyo for on vacation, your credit card might be all you need to handle your train and subway fares.

Source: Impress Watch, Toyo Keizai Online
Top image: Pakutaso
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There’s a beautiful reason why Mr. Matsuda didn’t name his restaurant after himself.

As Japan’s biggest restaurant chain for gyudon (beef bowl), and also its primary ambassador abroad, Yoshinoya is practically synonymous with the dish, But have you ever wondered how the chain got its name?

Looking at how Yoshinoya is written in Japanese, 吉野家, it seems like the reason could be pretty obvious. The first two kanji, 吉野, are pronounced “Yoshino,” which is a family name, and the last kanji, 家, pronounced “ya,” means “house,” “home,” or “family,” and by extension can also sometimes be used to refer to restaurants or places of business. So putting those two concepts together, we arrive at the tempting assumption that Yoshinoya was founded by someone whose family name was Yoshino…but that’s not true, because the man who opened the very first Yoshinoya, all the way back in 1899, was named Eikichi Matsuda.

▼ Eikichi Matsuda

That first Yoshinoya was in Tokyo, but Matsuda wasn’t a native son of the capital. He was born in Osaka, and so many people who know about his roots then assume that he named Yoshinoya after the Osaka neighborhood of Yoshino…except Matsuda didn’t grow up in Yoshino. He grew up halfway across Osaka in the Sumiyoshi district, so if he’d named the chain after his boyhood home, it would have been “Sumiyoshiya.”

However, Matsuda’s decision to call his restaurant Yoshinoya was born out of a desire to give a shout-out to one of his favorite places in the region of Japan he’d come from, though not his specific home prefecture. The inspiration for the Yoshinoya name actually comes from Osaka’s neighbor, Nara Prefecture. Though Nara is best known for its deer and temples, it has one more claim to fame: the breathtakingly beautiful cherry blossoms of Mt. Yoshino.

The slopes of Mt. Yoshino have so many sakura that they’re grouped into four sections: the lower, middle, upper, and inner “senbon,” or “thousand trees.” That’s not an exaggeration, either, as there are way more than 4,000 cherry trees on the mountain, with the actual total being roughly 30,000, with the pink forest so vast that a helicopter tour is one of the best ways to get a sense of its full scale.

Since Yoshinoya’s standard interior and logo design doesn’t make use of any cherry blossom motifs or colors, the connection between the Nara mountain and Tokyo-founded beef bowl chain isn’t one that most customers make, although we have to say that sakura and gyudon are both very beautiful, just in very different ways.

So maybe as we’re shopping for stuff to take out to cherry blossom picnic parties this year, we might need to grab some Yoshinoya takeout too, in keeping with the inspiration for the chain’s name.

Source: Yoshinoya
Top image: SoraNews24
Insert images: Yoshinoya, PR Times, SoraNews24
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As Donbei celebrates its 50th anniversary, two of its original noodle recipes return.

Nissin might be most famous for their Cup Noodle ramen, but they know a thing or two about speedy udon and soba noodles too. They offer both as part of their Donbei instant noodle line, which has been a hit ever since it first went on sale in 1976.

Over the years, Nissin has tinkered with the Donbei recipe, adapting and updating it to suit changing preferences. To celebrate the brand’s 50th anniversary, though, they’ve brought back the original Donbei recipe in what they’re calling Donbei Classic. It’s going on sale March 30, but we were able to bend time and get an advance taste of this flavor of the past when we received a Donbei Classic box set prior to its official launch.

▼ The box is cleverly designed to look like a TV from the ‘70s.

Included in the set are four bowls of Donbei, with both the current and classic versions of their Kitsune Udon and Tempura Soba represented. We decided to start our taste test off with the udon, which comes in the green bowls.

▼ The Classic version (shown on the left) even recreates the packaging style from 50 years ago, but the overall look has stayed pretty consistent, especially the font used to write Donbei (どん兵衛).

Both the Classic and current kitsune udon take the same five minutes to cook after you add boiling water, and as soon as we picked up a mouthful of noodles with our chopsticks, we could see that they’re thinner for Classic udon than they are for the modern version.

▼ Classic Donbei Kitsune Udon

▼ Modern Donbei Kitsune Udon

While they share a smooth, slippery texture, the modern Donbei udon also has a chewiness that you don’t get with the Classic’s less substantial noodles. Similarly, the modern Donbei’s broth has a stronger presence, with more pronounced dashi (bonito stock) notes than the original recipe delivers. It’s not that the Classic Donbei is bland, but it doesn’t match the depth of flavor that the current recipe has. The trend continued with the aburage (fried tofu) topping, which is plumper in the modern Donbei.

Next up was the Tempura Soba. Since it uses the same broth as the udon, we had the same feeling, that the modern Donbei broth has a deeper, richer flavor. The newer Donbei also uses straighter noodles that have a more pronounced and enticing buckwheat aroma, and its tempura is crispier too.

▼ Classic Donbei Tempura Soba

▼ Classic Donbei Tempura Soba again

To be clear, the Classic versions aren’t bad at all. They’re tasty, entirely viable options, and might even be to one’s individual preference if they’re in the mood for something simple and light. Eating both the new and old Donbei back-to-back didn’t leave us disappointed at the Classic ones, but rather impressed that even 50 years ago, Nissin’s instant noodles were this good, and with the Classic Donbei priced at just 236 yen (US$1.50), this is about as affordable as quasi-time travel gets, so they’re worth checking out, even if, in the end, we’re glad to be living in the present.

Photos ©SoraNews24
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No conveyor belts or chairs here, just excellent sushi at a fair price.

Japan’s rail network is a joy to use. Trains arrive at the exact minute they’re supposed to, carriages are clean, and stations have ample, easy-to-understand signage that makes it a snap to navigate to your necessary transfer or desired exit.

But there’s a special kind of joy waiting for you if you’re passing through Akabane Station in Tokyo, which has an outstanding, speedy, and affordable sushi restaurant inside its ticket gates.

Standing Sushi Bar Yasuke is managed by Choshimaru, whose primary business is a chain of roughly 100 conveyor belt sushi restaurants in east Japan. Because of that, and also the time-is-of-the-essence nature of train station dining, you might expect Yasuke to be a conveyor belt joint too, but it’s actually a traditional sushi bar, with staff behind the counter making your pieces to order.

Prices start at 97 yen (US$0.65) per piece, which is a great deal for non-conveyor belt sushi, so great that we weren’t about to pass up the chance to get some for ourselves.

With no chairs, the interior actually felt more spacious than the restaurant’s modest amount of floor space would otherwise have you expecting. You place your order through a tablet, and we especially liked the clever design of the soy sauce dish, which allows it to do double duty as a chopstick rest.

▼ You also use the tablet to ask for green tea, wasabi, and ginger, which are all free.

Yasuke offers a trio of omakse-style lunchtime sushi sets, ranging from 880 to 1,4330 yen and coming with a bowl of miso soup.

However, rather than leave the selection up to the chef to decide on, we wanted to pick our own kinds of fish, and we started with four pieces from the middle of the menu’s per-piece price range.

● Squid (121 yen)
● Engawa/flounder fin (176 yen)
● Warayaki buri/straw-seared yellowtail (231 yen)
● Aji/horse mackerel (176 yen)

Don’t underestimate the quality of the fish or the presentation on account of this being a standing sushi bar, because they’re were excellent across the board, with the warayaki buri particularly rich and flavorful.

Of course, now that we’d tried some of Yasuke’s mid-tier offerings, next we needed to check the quality of their even more budget-friendly kinds of sushi, so after a few more taps on the ordering tablet we had a second plate in front of us.

● Egg (97 yen)
● Squid tentacles with ginger (97 yen)
● Bay scallop (97 yen)
● Boiled shirasu/whitebait (97 yen)

And for the sake of proper taste-testing, naturally we also needed to explore the other end of the spectrum, with a plate of more premium pieces (though they’re still within the bounds of affordable luxuries).

● Kanpachi/amberjack (231 yen)
● Akagai/ark shell Egg (231 yen)
● Otoro/extra fatty tuna (396 yen)

Once again, there was no room for complaint regarding the flavor, texture, or presentation of any of them, though out of the bunch, we have to heap the most praise on the otoro, which was delectably marbled and every bit as delicious as it looked.

Akabane is a bit outside the center of downtown Tokyo, but with five train lines all running through the station, there’s a chance you’ll need to make use of it if you’re headed to sightseeing destinations in the northern part of the city or other prefectures in that direction from the city, and if you find your sushi cravings hitting en route, now you know where to satisfy them.

Restaurant information
Standing Sushi Bar Yasuke (E-cute Akabane Minami branch) / Standing 鮨 Bar Yasuke（エキュート赤羽みなみ店）
Address: Tokyo-to, Kita-ku, Akabane 1-1-1 (inside JR Akabane Station ticket gates)
東京都北区赤羽1-1-1（JR赤羽駅改札内）
Open 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

Photos © SoraNews24
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Moth poo and cherry blossom leaves are the secret ingredients in Secret Spring. 

We’ve seen a lot of weird tipples in our time, but a new release from Haccoba Craft Sake Brewery in Fukushima Prefecture beats them all with one very unique ingredient: insect poop.

This special sake is actually made by fermenting rice with Chuhicha, a tea developed by a researcher at Kyoto University Graduate School. This tea, written in Japanese as “虫秘茶“, which contains the kanji for “insect” (“虫”), “secret” (“秘” ) and “tea” (“茶”), contains the feces of moth larvae that have eaten plant leaves.

This interplay between insects and plants creates teas with varied flavours, aromas, and colours depending on the plant-insect combination. The tea in this sake draws upon the combination of “Oshima cherry blossoms and Luna moth” (Oshima is a sakura species native to Japan’s Izu Islands and coastal areas), which is said to impart the aroma of cherry blossoms.

▼ The team at Haccoba.

The sake is called Secret Spring, and as the secret ingredient is essentially a digested and fermented plant ingredient, the team at Haccoba are encouraging people to think of it as something similar to black tea. In fact, many people who’ve tasted it praise its flavour and taste, saying “it tastes refreshing” and “it smells sweet”.

For this batch, the scent of cherry blossoms is said to spread through the palate from the very first sip – a surprising result for moth poo. Haccoba says the delicious flavor of rice intertwines with the sakura in a complex way, creating an indescribable taste you won’t find in other sakes.

There are two varieties to choose from – regular and barrel-aged, with the former being a more tea-forward offering, sold through the official online store, and the latter displaying more complex, whisky-like notes, sold through select partner retailers (see links below). Each 500-millilitre (16.9-ounce) bottle is priced at 3,300 yen (US$20.66), and if you’re looking for something to pair them with, may we suggest this feast of insects.

Related: Haccoba, Retail locations
Source, images: Press release
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Put your best foot forward with the help of some beloved movie characters. 

If you’re a Ghibli fan who believes in function and fashion, then this new release from the studio’s Donguri Kyowakoku retail chain will be right up your alley. Consisting of not one, not two, but a whopping 18 designs, this bumper sock collection will keep your feet warm and protected while adding a dash of anime charm to your outfits, ensuring you feel comfortable and fashionable while stepping out in them.

The collection starts with two “Pattern Socks“, priced at 1,980 yen (US$12.40) each and available in two sizes, 23-25 centimetres (9-9.8 inches), commonly suited to women, and 25-27 centimetres, commonly suited to men.

▼ The first pattern, called Howl’s Moving Castle Room, takes us into the titular character’s bedroom, with its treasure trove of trinkets.

▼ The second pair shines a light on Baron from Whisper of the Heart.

Baron has been beautifully embroidered into these cable pattern socks, in a “brick red” hue.

▼ Next up is a range of “Sneaker” socks, priced at 550 yen per pair and available in one size only – 23-25 centimetres.

▼ Each sock has a gorgeous embroidered character on the heel pull.

▼ Totoro appears on the bright orange My Neighbour Totoro design.

▼ Jiji represents Kiki’s Delivery Service…

▼ … No Face casts a silent spell over this Spirited Away design…

▼ … Baby Boh, in mouse form, adds charm to another Spirited Away pair…

▼ … and Calcifer adorns this pair for Howl’s Moving Castle.

▼ Now we move on to a series of Sagara Embroidary Socks, also in size 23-25 centimetres only, and priced at 880 yen per pair.

▼ There are four to collect in this series, each featuring a character from a different Ghibli film.

▼ The Small Totoro from My Neighbour Totoro.

▼ Jiji from Kiki’s Delivery Service.

▼ Ootori from Spirited Away.

▼ And Calcifer from Howl’s Moving Castle.

▼ Now we have the “Float Embroidery” socks, in size 23-25 centimetres, and priced at 880 yen per pair.

▼ These socks come with distinctive, puffy motifs on the design.

▼ My Neighbour Totoro

▼ Whisper of the Heart

▼ Spirited Away

▼ Howl’s Moving Castle

▼ Finally, we have three “Amerib” Crew Length socks, in the 23-25 centimetre size, priced at 550 yen per pair.

▼ “Amerib” is an amalgamation of “ribbed” and “American”, referring to the American casual style championed by Ghibli’s GBL brand.

▼ My Neighbour Totoro “Catbus”

▼ Kiki’s Delivery Service “Jiji”

▼ Howl’s Moving Castle “Window”

With so many designs and characters in the collection, choosing which ones to take home with you will be a very tough call. They’re only available at Donguri Kyowakoku stores and online in limited numbers, though, so you’ll want to act fast to avoid missing out.

Source: Donguri Kyowakoku
Featured image: Donguri Kyowakoku
Insert images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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