Twentythree

Government probably always just assumed common sense was enough.

When it comes to choosing something to eat, there’s always a risk-reward calculation that needs to be done. For example, when it comes to eating pufferfish, even though the risk of dying a horrific, fully-conscious death is rather low, I personally decided that it was mid-tasting enough that I could easily live the rest of my life without ever eating it again, and just drop that risk right down to a flat zero.

▼ Ironically enough for this topic, I always felt it tasted a bit like chicken.

Raw chicken seems like a no-brainer in this sense. In addition to the days of hardcore, toilet-hugging food poisoning it can very easily cause, there’s also an added risk of Guillian-Barré syndrome. This is a particularly terrifying medical condition wherein your own immune system begins to attack your nervous system. The Campylobacter bacteria on chicken meat bears a certain resemblance to nerve cells, which is why it can sometimes trick your own body into assaulting itself on a cellular level, occasionally resulting in death, but if you’re lucky will only result in weeks or months of varying degrees of paralysis.

Considering the vast array of delicious ways to enjoy conventionally cooked chicken, I can’t imagine raw chicken being anywhere near good enough to even bother putting myself in the path of all that. Still, taste is a subjective thing, and it appears quite a few people are rather keen to dine on uncooked poultry regardless.

One such way is the tataki method of cooking, in which the outside is flash-seared, leaving the middle raw or extremely rare. Katsuo no tataki is probably the most famous version of this, in which skipjack tuna is seared on the outside and raw on the inside. The conventional thinking in Japan is already that if seafood is served fresh enough, then it is safe to eat raw, and preparing it tataki-style makes it even less daunting to eat.

▼ Katsuo no tataki

While that applies to a lot of seafood, though, chicken is an entirely different matter. In fact, freshly slaughtered chicken is even more hazardous to consume raw, because the Campylobacter is also just as fresh and thriving at that time.

Another problem is that eating raw chicken is a bit of a recent trend in Japan. Other meats are either prohibited from being eaten raw, like pork, or heavily regulated, like beef. Raw chicken always flew under the radar legally because it hadn’t really been a thing. One exception has been Kagoshima Prefecture, where serving raw chicken was refined over centuries, and more recently high standards on a local governmental level have been enacted to make it safe to eat.

But more and more, restaurants all across Japan are offering tataki-style chicken, only without the same stringent precautions developed in Kagoshima. As a result, cases of food poisoning and even Guillian-Barré have been occurring. So, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare have announced they will finally enact guidelines for the proper consumption of raw chicken.

▼ While not quite tataki, we tried a very rare chicken cutlet that easily bordered on raw on the inside.

The guidelines are still in development, but are likely to include rules regarding the separation of chicken meat meant for cooking and serving raw, methods to sterilize the surface of meat by searing, and storage methods. In addition, the ministry knows that this will not eliminate the chance of illness, so they will likely also require businesses serving raw chicken to warn customers of the health risks involved.

Going by online comments, a lot of people said this was a long overdue decision, but many also felt the Kagoshima, at least, had it all under control already, and should be able to continue with their cultural heritage.

“It’s about time.”
“I saw some places in Tokyo serving chicken tataki, but was too scared to try it. I’d only ever try it in Kagoshima.”
“I think raw chicken should be banned everywhere except Kagoshima and Miyazaki Prefectures.”
“I do really like it when I get fried chicken that’s just a little undercooked.”
“Forget guidelines. Just throw the book at any restaurant that poisons customers. Charge them with assault too.”
“We evolved from monkeys and learned to use fire on meat, but some people still insist on this…”
“This is a perfect use for irradiating food. If only people weren’t so ignorant about radiation.”

That last comment brings up an interesting point. Since the dawn of the atomic age, for about half a century, there has been intensive study about the effects of sterilizing food with radiation, the logic being that it destroys the DNA of bacteria and viruses while leaving the meat safe to eat. The WHO, EFAS, FDA, and EPA have all concluded that doing so adds no hazardous chemical changes to the meat beyond standard cooking techniques.

However, it’s not a universal solution, since some forms of food poisoning aren’t caused by the bacteria themselves, but by the toxins they leave behind, which radiation has no effect on, but in the case of Campylobacter it would be theoretically effective. The biggest hurdle is really just marketing meat that’s been blasted with gamma radiation to people, and it’s also possible the process can have some effect on the overall taste for the really discerning raw-meat aficionados out there.

It’s a good example of how understanding the science behind the food you eat can really help you know the risk that goes along with it, allowing you to both stay safe and get the best dining experience possible. 

Source: NHK One, Twitter/@nhk_news, Hachima Kiko, EPA
Photos ©SoraNews24
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Ceremony marks official start of climbing season for this six-step summit trail.

While Japan’s alpine topography, of course, exists all year round, many of the country’s most prominent mountains have a dedicated climbing season. Sometimes this is done for safety reasons (like how Mt. Fuji is closed to hikers for most of the year), and in other places the climbing season is more of a traditional cultural custom.

Regardless of the reason, those mountains that do have a climbing season often hold a ceremony to mark the first day and officially welcome visitors aiming to reach the summit. And so it was that on Sunday, July 5, a took place in the city of Sendai’s Miyagino Ward to declare Mt. Hiyoriyama officially open to climbers for the summer. Around one hour later, the first hikers reached the peak and basked in the mountaintop sunshine as they took in the view.

Now, you might be thinking that if it only took an hour to get to the top, Mt. Hiyoriyama can’t be all that tall, and you’re right. However, the opening ceremony wasn’t even held at the foot of the mountain, so after it was done, hikers had to walk from the venue to Mt. Hiyoriyama, and that alone took them about an hour…and if you’re now thinking that left almost no time at all for the actual hike, you’re right, because Mt. Hiyoriyama is the shortest mountain in Japan.

▼ Video of last year’s opening-day Mt. Hiyoriyama hikers, in which one of the interviewed girls says “When I made it to the top, the view was amazing.”

▼ Mt. Hiyoriyama

Of course, it would be irresponsible to claim the title of “shortest mountain in Japan” without sufficient scientific data to back it up. So in 2014, the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, an official government entity, conducted a survey of Mt. Hiyoriyama and determined its peak to be at an elevation of three meters (9.8 feet). This allowed it to slide under Osaka’s Mt. Tempo, which has a peak elevation of a dizzying 4.54 meters (14.9 feet), and Hiyoriyama has since been recognized as Japan’s shortest mountain. There appears to be only one trail to the top, and it can be completed in roughly six steps. This year’s ceremony was attended by roughly 150 people, 50 more than last year’s.

▼ The closest train stop to the Mt. Hiyoriyama is Rikuzen Takasago Station on the Senseki Line. The walk from the station to the trailhead takes about 65 minutes.

It’s worth noting that the Japanese language does in fact have different words for “mountain” and “hill.” It’s not clear what specific criteria, if any, the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan uses for differentiating between the two terms when talking about any specific raised landmass, but the Mt. Hiyoriyama name has been in use for centuries and the “yama” part of it is the word for “mountain,” so perhaps linguistic precedent helped it earn its title as Japan’s shortest mountain.

Mt. Hiyoriyama used to be about twice as tall as it is now, but lost around three meters of height in the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami of 2011. Thought the circumstances by which it became Japan’s shortest mountain are sad, the opening ceremony has become a source of community fun and also a way to attract out-of-prefecture visitors to the area. So if you’re in the area, and up for a 10-second hike this summer, Mt. Hiyoriyama is waiting, and once you’ve got that experience under your belt, you should be physically prepared to try summiting Mt. Tempo, like we did.

Source: TBS News Dig (1, 2), Kahoku Shimpo
Top image ©SoraNews24
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The Nakano family opens a second rice paddy art site this year and shares more about the process that goes into their annual labor of love.

For the 16th year, the Nakano family in Nasushiobara, Tochigi Prefecture creates stunning rice paddy art for the public to enjoy. Part of their mission is for visitors to discover the charm of the northern Kanto region, which consists of the prefectures north of the Greater Tokyo Area but south of the Tohoku region.

This year’s artistic creation, which opened for viewing on June 18, pays homage to local singer Rie Utagokoro and Chika Ozeki, the original Meiji Era (1868-1912)-inspiration for the nurse protagonist of the currently airing NHK TV morning drama Kaze, Kaoru (The Scent of the Wind). The kanji for “wind” is also depicted between them.

▼ Viewing platform

However, for the first time ever this year, a second art site opened for public viewing on July 1. This one features Ujikoji, a Tochigi-based comedian duo, and Kaminari, a comedian duo from neighboring Ibaraki Prefecture. The former’s likenesses have returned to the rice paddy art after two years while the latter two have made their field debut.

A final bonus scene depicts a simple but sleek Mt. Fuji, which officially opened for climbing season on July 1.

▼ Viewing platform

If you’re wondering about the mastermind behind these unusual works of art, that would be 81-year-old rice paddy artist Tokio Nakano, pictured here in front of this year’s creation. He recently shared a bit of insight into the behind-the-scenes process that he’s perfected over the years. The four main steps for creating his rice art paddy are detailed below.

Step 1. Nakano makes a blueprint of the illustration he has in mind while considering factors such as the size of the rice field and the viewing angle. He then makes adjustments as needed to arrive at the correct perspective.

Step 2. He prepares eight varieties of rice that differ in the color of their leaves and rate of growth, deciding how to position them based on the image blueprint.

Step 3. He uses a projector at night to shine the blueprint onto the rice paddy and carefully figure out zones for the different plants with markers. Accuracy is extremely important at this stage.

Step 4. The Nakano family plants the individual rice plants by hand. It takes an enormous amount of time and energy to accomplish, but it’s always worth it to see the final image materialize in the end.

Nakano further shares that while the rice is harvested at the end of September, there’s actually a second crop after that–so the artwork can be enjoyed all the way up until the first frost of the season.

We love seeing residents take pride in their local communities by making some kind of meaningful impact. Perhaps Nakano would someday be willing to partner with our own two “Kita Kanto Brothers” (“North Kanto Brothers”) writers who have a similar mission to promote the charm of the region!

Rice Paddy Art information
Site 1 address: Tochigi-ken, Nasushiobara-shi, Nishiosozawa 279-1
栃木県那須塩原市西遅沢 279-1
Site 2 address: Tochigi-ken, Nasushiobara-shi, Sekiya 416-1 (next to the Michi no Eki Yunokashiobara)
栃木県那須塩原市関谷416-1 (「道の駅 湯の香しおばら」の隣)
Duration: June 18 (Site 1)/July 1 (Site 2) through October (exact date TBD)
Hours: 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

Source, images: @Press
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This bargain bag comes with a unique performance, but things have changed over the years.

Ameyoko (short for Ameya Yokocho, or “Candy Store Alley”) has changed dramatically over the years. Starting off as a black market after World War II (some believe the “ame” in the name is short for “America”), the area grew to become known for its abundance of fresh seafood, produce and specialty foods, leading it to be dubbed “Tokyo’s kitchen” by locals. The lively calls of fishmongers once rang out along the narrow streets here, but these days, there’s one call that beckons visitors: “irechae irechae irechae!”

▼ アメ横 = Ameyoko

The call comes from Shimura Shoten, a discount confectionery store that’s famous for its 1,000 yen (US$6.80) bag offer. By simply handing over 1,000 yen to staff at the front of the store, you’ll be treated to a performance, with one staff member holding up a plastic member to a colleague on a rasied platform, who picks up packets and boxes of sweets, seemingly at random, and shows them to you before gleefully tossing them into the bag while shouting “irechae irechae irechae!” (“It’s going in, it’s going in, it’s going in!”).

This longstanding deal has made the store famous for well over a decade, and the first time we tried it was 15 years ago, in November 2011. Back then, it was the year of the Great East Japan Earthquake, when a sullen mood hung over the country, and a visit to the store helped to lift our spirits, as it would have done for many others. We stopped by again in 2023 to see if much had changed over the years, and were surprised to find the deal was still going strong, representing very good value for money.

▼ However, with prices now rising rapidly amidst a very weak yen, we decided to pay the store another visit, to find out if the deal was as good as it once was.

Even for a first-timer, Shimura Shoten is hard to miss, with its bright yellow signs drawing the eye and enticing you in. Looking at the sign above the storefront after we arrived, we could see that the deal was still being offered, at the same 1,000-yen price point, remaining unchanged over the years.

Like we’ve done in the past, we handed over 1,000 yen, and just like our past visits, the performance began, with the familiar cry of “irechae irechae irechae!” ringing out as staff filled our bag, filling us with excitement as we looked on eagerly to see what surprises were going in.

Fifteen years ago, the bag we took home was filled to the brim, and so packed it could stand up on its own.

▼ In 2011, we received a total of 14 items, including both bagged snacks and boxed sweets.

▼ Although the contents changed considerably since 2011, three years ago the bag contained a total of 15 items.

This year, our bag didn’t seem as full as years past, and it couldn’t stand upright on its own, needing to be propped up against the wall.

Taking a look inside, we received less than 11 items, with one being a large boxed sweet, and the rest consisting of smaller individual packets.

• Morinaga Dear Galette Sandwich Cheesecake Flavour
• Morinaga Ramune Gummy
• Morinaga Gummy Choco Ball Japanese White Peach × 2
• Morinaga Caramel Bar Crunch × 4
• Fujiya LOOK Strawberry Tiramisu
• Fujiya Country Ma’am Choco Mamire The World: Australia Edition × 2

Compared to three years ago, the number of items has now decreased by four. While it’s something that can’t be helped given the current financial climate, we couldn’t help but feel a little sad at the gradual decrease in goods. Though the store seems to want to keep the price of the deal set at 1,000 yen, we have to wonder if maybe the deal would be better if they raised the price to 2,000 yen, or perhaps offered two different price points for customers. That way, we could really feel like we were getting good value for money.

Still, the bag is a fun way to discover some Japanese chocolates, sweets, and snacks that you might otherwise never think to try, so it’s worth stopping by the store. Just follow the siren calls of  “irechae irechae irechae!” to get you there.

Store information

Shimura Shoten / 志村商店
Address: Tokyo-to, Taito-ku, Ueno 6-11-3
東京都台東区上野6-11-3
Open: 10:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Website

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Following suspiciously swift sell-out of Yoshinoya’s Dragon Quest Slime bowls, new policy means that everyone who wants one can buy one at the regular price.

At the start of the month, beef bowl chain Yoshinoya kicked off a collaboration with the Dragon Quest video game franchise. Part of the promotion were Dragon Quest Slime figures being given out as part of a Dragon Quest Walk Set meal being served at Yoshinoya branches, and we went on a very happy (and tasty) quest to get ours.

In addition to the figures, though, there’s also a special Dragon Quest Yoshinoya bowl with cool illustrations of the mascot monster.

The bowl is only available as part of the Dragon Quest Walk Collaboration Set, sold through Yoshinoya’s online shop and also including two packs of instant gyudon (beef bowl) toppings. Unfortunately, the bowl sets sold out almost immediately after they went on sale July 2, with scalpers snatching them up and swiftly listing them at hugely inflated prices on resale sites.

But similarly to how Dragon Quest is a story about heroes finding a way to defeat evil, Yoshinoya has enacted a plan that will, hopefully, completely eliminate the scalping for the Dragon Quest bowl, announcing that it will now be produced as a made-to-order item.

Yoshinoya made the announcement on July 6, saying “We deeply apologize to our customers who had been looking forward to purchasing [the Dragon Quest bowl] but were unable to. In accordance with that, so that the bowls can be obtained by as many of our customers as possible, we will be producing extra [Dragon Quest bowls] on a presale (made-to-order) basis.”

A major reason scalping of fan items is so hard to prevent is that actual fans often have work, school, or personal matters they have to attend to on collaboration launch days, whereas profit-motivated scalpers can make grabbing the goods their number-one priority, buying up the entire available stock before fans have a chance to get theirs. Once the stock is sold out, scalpers can command higher prices on the resale market, because fans are left with no other option by which to purchase the items.

But by switching to a produced-to-order system for the Dragon Quest bowls, Yoshinoya removes the scarcity that would normally allow scalpers to charge higher prices. After all, if Yoshinoya itself is selling the Dragon Quest Walk Collaboration Set for 3,999 yen (US$25), there’s not much reason to pay a scalper more than that price, especially when secondhand sales don’t have the same quality guarantees that Yoshinoya itself provides for its products.

So why don’t all companies do this for their collaboration and other fan merch items? There are a couple of reasons. First, some sort of availability-limiting factor can help create a sense of timely excitement and buzz around a promotion, or, if you want to take a more negative view of it, leverage the dreaded fear of missing out to motivate customers to place their order quickly. The whole point of the Dragon Quest/Yoshinoya team-up is, after all, to help stimulate interest in the games and sales for the restaurant chain. However, items being available for a limited-time doesn’t mean they have to be available in limited-quantities. Yoshinoya has set the order window for the Dragon Quest bowls from July 7 to 8 p.m. on July 15, so they can still reap the benefits of creating a “Don’t delay!” sort of atmosphere.

Online reactions to Yoshinoya’s decision have been very positive, with comments in Japan including:

“I’m really happy Yoshinoya is doing this. If you have a job, it’s pretty much impossible to order things before the scalpers get to them.”
“Awesome that they’re not just turning a blind eye to this and are actually doing something about it…I hope other companies are taking notes!”
“Got my order in. Thank you! Looking forward to delivery.”
“Please hit those scalpers with a Thwack spell.”

The tradeoff, though, is that a made-to-order system takes longer to put the items in fans’ hands, since Yoshinoya needs to see how many orders are coming in before it starts making the bowls. Because of that, while the cutoff date to order the Dragon Quest bowls is July 15, they aren’t estimated to start shipping until October, and later orders might take even more time to fill.

This, unfortunately, still leaves a little bit of wiggle room for scalpers to charge above-retail prices for the bowls that they have for sale right now. Still, the margin scalpers can command for a three-month head start is going to be much smaller than it would be if Yoshinoya simply weren’t selling the bowls at all anymore, and hopefully fans will be patient and shun the scalpers.

The Dragon Quest Walk Collaboration Set can be ordered through the Yoshinoya online store here.

Source: Yoshinoya, Twitter/@yoshinoyagyudon
Images: Yoshinoya
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Vietnam’s star sandwich reaches a new milestone on the road to mainstream popularity in Japan.

I’ve had a lot of people in Japan ask me what foods I miss from my hometown. Usually they assume I miss hamburgers, and as someone who grew up in southern California I do have a lot of fond memories of In-N-Out (and, as a cultured native son of San Dimas, I have especially fond memories of Bravo Burgers). But high-quality burgers aren’t all that hard to find in the Tokyo area, and the sandwiches I most often find myself missing from back home are banh mi.

Not that banh mi originated in the Los Angeles area, but the size of the local Vietnamese population means that you’re never too far from a shop or restaurant where you can pick up one of Vietnam’s representative sandwiches, consisting of a sliced baguette filled with meat, vegetables, and cilantro. But while banh mi have gotten more popular in Japan in recent years, they’re still generally something you have to go out of your way to find here, so it’s a potential sandwich game changer that 7-Eleven Japan has now started selling them.

7-Eleven’s banh mi debuted towards the end of June. Priced at 430 yen (US$2.75), it’s not exactly a bargain, but also not as startlingly expensive as a lot of convenience store fare has become over the past year. One thing that might be a little jarring for banh mi veterans, though, is that 7-Eleven’s banh mi come cold, since they’re kept on the stores’ refrigerated shelves, but that’s probably unavoidable since they’re pre-made.

Out of the wrapper, this isn’t a bad-looking banh mi at all. There’s a nice contrast of colors between the nicely browned bread, ham, diced carrots and radish, and cilantro.

Things are pretty good size-wise too. Some Japanese convenience store specialty sandwiches are woefully undersized, but by Japanese portion standards, this is a decent deal.

Taking a bite quickly reveals that the baguette is soft, not crusty, but still with more substance to it than a generic subway sandwich roll. Once you’re through the bread, though, you’re going to be met with quite a lot of crunch from the vegetables.

The carrots and radish were firmer than I’d expected, and their texture was all the more noticeable because of the tenderness of the sliced ham, since with something heftier, like barbecued pork, the veggies’ crunchiness probably wouldn’t stand out quite so much. Similarly, while there is some cilantro in here, it’s a pretty small amount compared to non-7-Eleven banh mi. That’s probably something that I should have expected, though, since with cilantro being a pretty divisive food in Japan, it makes sense that 7-Eleven would want to err on the side of caution to avoid putting in too much for most of their customers’ tastes. Still, the small amount of cilantro means that 7-Eleven’s banh mi doesn’t have much leafy texture either, once again making the vegetables’ feel even crunchier.

In addition to being crunchy, the vegetables are also surprisingly wet. They’re treated with quite a lot of vinegar, and that gives them a noticeable pickle-sourness, though thankfully it’s not too sharp or overpowering. There’s also extra moisture from the sweet chili sauce that 7-Eleven uses for this sandwich, which adds a little bit of heat, but not so much that you’d call this an out-and-out spicy sandwich.

All that makes for a comparatively wet and crunchy banh mi without a particularly strong aromatic herbal aspect. However, everything that is here is rather tasty, and it delivers that satisfyingly filling but not heavy or bloated sensation that makes banh mi a great meal choice.

Overall, 7-Eleven Japan’s banh mi might not be something you’d feel obsessively compelled to go super out of your way to get, but with how many branches 7-Eleven has in Japan, odds are there’s not going to be any major detour involved in procuring this sandwich. As something you can quickly pop into a convenience store and grab on your way to/from work, school, or sightseeing, this is a viable option in terms of taste and quality, and more intriguing that a plain old ham-and-cheese or tuna mayo sandwich.

Photos ©SoraNews24
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If you’re looking to start your Mt. Fuji hike as early as possible without having to spend the night, here’s how.

Popular tourism destination though it may be, there’s still a certain amount of planning and determination required to hike to the top of Mt. Fuji. As a matter of fact, just making it to the mountain itself from the Tokyo area can require some research, especially if you’ve got a time you want/need to arrive at the summit by and then have to work backwards through your various lodging and transportation options to figure out when and where to start your in-total trek.

But all that’s gotten quite a bit simpler this month with the introduction of a new overnight bus that takes you from the heart of Tokyo all the way to the start of the Yoshida Trail, the most popular route to the top of Fuji. With the Yoshida trail having opened for this year’s climbing season at the start of this month, as of July 3 bus operator Fujikyu Bus now runs a nightly bus that leaves from Busta Shinjuku, the bus terminal adjacent to Tokyo’s Shinjuku Station, and arrives at Mt. Fuji’s Fifth Station the following morning.

The bus departs at 11:25 p.m. and goes directly to Mt. Fuji, arriving at 2 a.m. That gives you around one hour to acclimate and take care of any final pre-hike preparations before the Yoshida Trail opens at 3 a.m.

By starting your hike at a time that’s still hours earlier than trains and most other public transportation is running, you not only get to enjoy more tranquil, less congested conditions on the trail, but you’ll also have ample time to complete your hike at a personally manageable pace, since you’ll have an entire day’s worth of daylight ahead of you (sunrise is as at about 4:30 a.m. in the Fuji area in midsummer).

Another reason to try to beat the crowds is that the Yoshida Trail is capped at a capacity of 4,000 entrants per day, after which no new hikers are let in. While that one-day limit wasn’t reached during the 2025 season, with the number of hikers coming to Mt. Fuji increasing every year, there’s no telling if it might get hit this summer, leaving would-be hikers who arrive later in the day out of luck and with no option but to turn back before even starting their ascent.

The bus fare is 5,800 yen (US$36) if purchased at a convenience store or the bus terminal, or 5,500 yen for those making an online reservation through the Highway Bus.com website. This makes the Fujikyu overnight bus from Shinjuku to Fuji about 1,000 yen more expensive than the company’s daytime buses that run the same route, but taking into account that the overnight bus saves you the cost of a local hotel or rental/hired car that you’d otherwise need in order to be on the trail so early, it’s still a pretty attractive deal.

The overnight bus is scheduled to be offered through to the September 9 departure/September 10 arrival, ending on the final day of the 2026 Yoshida Trail hiking season.

Related: Highway Bus.com
Source: Fujikyu, Fujisan Keizai Shimbun
Top image: Fujikyu
Insert image: Pakutaso
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