Twentythree

Blurring the line between soup and cappuccino for Japan’s colder days. 

Two years ago, Starbucks Japan hard-launched a new product called the Soupuccino, which reimagines the cappuccino by replacing the coffee with soup. Now, the Soupuccino is returning to keep us feeling warm and cosy this autumn, and this time it features the flavour of pumpkin, to capture the taste of the season.

▼ This warm and frothy pumpkin soup is topped with the kind of airy foam you’d normally expect to find on a cappuccino.

Made with pumpkins sourced from the famous pumpkin-growing region of Hokkaido, the soup also contains onion, celery, black pepper and nutmeg for added depth of flavour. A hint of maple flavouring brings out the natural sweetness of the pumpkin, while milk gives the soup a mellow richness.

According to Starbucks, the chain’s baristas froth up each serving individually, creating a light, fluffy foam that gives the soup its cappuccino-like texture. As you make your way through the beverage, the texture gradually becomes thicker and creamier, while the pumpkin’s sweetness becomes more pronounced.

▼ The Pumpkin Soupuccino is available in Short and Tall sizes, priced at 500 yen (US$3.17) and 540 yen respectively for dine-in, or 491 and 530 yen for takeout.

Just as they might do with a cappuccino, customers can customise the soup by changing the milk component – soy milk is available at no extra charge and other milk options can be selected for an additional 55 yen.

If you’re feeling peckish, Starbucks has you covered with its recently revamped baguettes, giving us four new varieties made with a high-hydration dough to give them a moister, softer mouthfeel.

▼ Clockwise from top left: Ham & Gouda (530 yen takeout, 540 yen dine-in), Two Kinds of Chocolate & Butter (510 yen/520 yen), Three Kinds of Mushrooms and Roast Chicken (628 yen/640 yen), Herb Sausage (648 yen/660 yen).

According to Starbucks, the mushroom and chocolate and butter baguettes are seasonal specials for autumn, while the sausage and ham & gouda varieties will be mainstays on the menu.

A baguette and a frothy Soupuccino sounds like the perfect autumn meal for Japan’s colder days, and the seasonal offerings will be on the menu for a limited time from 30 September.

Source, images: Press release
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We catch Pikachu at Starbucks and receive an exclusive sticker, but how does the electric Pokémon taste?

Attention trainers! The Pokémon + Starbucks collaboration has begun!!!

This dream collaboration stopped us in our tracks when it was announced last week, and though it sounded too good to be true, when we turned up at our nearest Starbucks on release day on 30 September, the star drink was there on the menu, waiting for us to catch it…so that’s exactly what we did.

Called the Pikachu Honey Cream Latte (690 yen [US$4.55] for dine-in), this limited-edition creation is made with milk and espresso, but unlike a regular latte, the espresso shot is poured in from the top to help create a visual that conjures up the colours of Pikachu.

There’s a lot to love about this rare drink, starting from the fact that it was chosen from more than 700 Pokémon-themed beverage recipes created by baristas from across Japan, as part of the “Pokémon + Starbucks Barista Battle”.

▼ Kind of like the work of a Pokémon Master, with the skills of a coffee master thrown in.

Image: Press release

Then there’s the look of the latte, with honey and caramel sauce giving the drink a Pikachu-like hue, while heart-shaped sugar pieces on top of the chocolate sauce-slathered honey-flavoured whipped cream are designed to mimic the red colour of Pikachu’s cheeks.

The latte was so beautifully crafted that we found it difficult to bring ourselves to drink it, but our curiosity about Pikachu’s taste got the better of us, so we dipped our straw in and took a sip.

First, we tried it as it was, without mixing it whatsoever, and it tasted like a familiar Starbucks latte, but noticeably sweeter. We expected the caramel to be more dominant, but instead the honey really packed a punch, imparting a sweet zap that reminded us of Pikachu.

After mixing the whipped cream and toppings into the drink, the flavour became richer and creamier, with a mellow aftertaste. The honey-flavoured whipped cream had a smooth, rich flavour reminiscent of custard, adding even more depth of flavour to the mix, and though we thought the flavours might battle with the chocolate, it turned out to be a perfect partnership. Everything came together beautifully, with the richness of espresso playing a faint melody in the background, while the heart-shaped sugar pieces provided an exciting crunchy textural accent right to the very end.

Though it ran sweeter than a regular latte, the Pikachu Honey Cream Latte left us completely satisfied. It delivered a sense of excitement and adventure, which is what you want on an outing with Pikachu, and the sticker we received free with purchase gave us a lasting memory of our journey together.

▼ The sticker illustration features an original design by illustrator Hikaru Ichijo, depicting Pikachu and a trainer, or rather, a barista, with a coffee.

▼ You can even purchase a Starbucks gift card with exclusive Pokémon + Starbucks collaboration artwork for a limited time.

The only downside to the Pikachu Honey Cream Latte is that, like any good adventure, it’s destined to end all too soon. The latte is only on the menu for 9 short days, until 8 October, so you’ll want to get in quick to join the journey, and be sure to catch all the Pokémon + Starbucks merchandise available exclusively online too.

Images ©SoraNews24
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Rice cooker manufacturer weighs in on the question of whether you should stir your cooked rice before you scoop it out of the pot.

Ideally, a rice cooker should take all of the guesswork out of making rice. Sure, if you want to get fancy you can fiddle around with fine-tuned settings, but in general you’re supposed to be able to put the rice and water in the pot, close the lid, hit the start button, and have a pot of completely acceptable rice ready to eat a little over half an hour later, right?

Ah, but even after the cooking cycle is done, there’s one more step before you can eat the rice, and it’s one that recently sparked a debate among Japanese Internet users: Should you stir the rice before you scoop it out of the pot?

The simplest thing to do when the rice is ready is simply to grab a rice scoop and scoop the amount you want to eat into your bowl or onto your plate. However, some foodies see this as at least a culinary faux pax, and potentially a way to ruin the remaining rice, and insist that before actually scooping any rice out first, the cooked grains need to be mixed.

炊き立てご飯を混ぜないで、こういうよそい方をする人は、廊下に立っててください pic.twitter.com/HSscvShmK1

— やまさん (@ikujidays) September 23, 2026

The above tweet, from a pro-mixing advocate showing a photo example of what not to do, brought nods of agreement from those saying that leaving the rice unmixed will also make its texture worse, even if it was cooked properly. And while some might be tempted to scoff at that as a pretentious attempt at putting on airs and assuming that the easy way of doing anything must also be the low-quality way of doing it, there actually is a scientific foundation for their stance, according to Tiger, one of Japan’s leading rice cooker manufacturers, Tiger.

On its website, Tiger explains that at the time that when the cooking cycle finishes, it leaves an excessive amount of moisture on the outer/upper surface of the rice inside the pot. If left to sit as-is, the outer layer will become soggy, which will then cause it to stick to the grains underneath it, resulting in clumps that harden. So if you want your rice to be as soft and fluffy as possible. Tiger says you’ve got to stir it as soon as you can after it’s done cooking.

Tiger even explains its recommended stirring technique. Using the edge of a rice scoop, carve a plus sign into the top of the rice. You don’t want to smash or squash the grains together, so instead of pressing down from above, slide the scoop into one of the grooves you’ve made and gently lift the rice up from the bottom, and from the inside of the pot towards the outer edge. Doing this will more evenly distribute the excess moisture that had accumulated along the outer edge and give you a more uniform, classically fluffy texture.

That said, the fact that Tiger felt the need to address the topic on its website demonstrates that not everyone in Japan is aware of how stirring the rice affects its texture, and even then there’s the question of how significant the difference is. Thought not the norm among people in Japan, a handful of commenters on the above tweet mentioned that they actually kind of prefer the harder texture that comes from not stirring the cooked rice, and a few also said that they didn’t feel like stirring provided enough of a texture improvement for them to actually make a habit of doing it every time they cook a pot. There were also a few commenters who pointed out that not stirring the rice inside the pot keeps the uneaten portion in a nicely defined block that’s easier to cover in plastic wrap and freeze to be eaten on a later date, so they were OK with the texture tradeoff. Still, if you’re going for the most authentic/orthodox Japanese rice experience, stirring the rice is the way to go.

Source: Tiger, Hachima Kiko
Top image ©SoraNews24
Insert image: Pakutaso
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Enjoy a free bullet train ride to one of the country’s most beautiful regions.

International visitors to Japan tend to arrive and stay on the mainland, travelling between big cities like Tokyo and Kyoto on the Shinkansen bullet train. However, there are three other main islands in Japan crying out for tourists, and now one prefecture at the tip of Kyushu, the southernmost main island, is enticing tourists to visit by giving away free Shinkansen tickets.

The campaign is being offered by Kagoshima Prefecture, in partnership with travel booking platform Klook. Designed to encourage more international visitors to make the trip down to the southern end of Kyushu, the campaign comes with the following terms and conditions.

1. Travellers need to arrive in Japan via Fukuoka Airport and book at least one night at a participating hotel in Kagoshima Prefecture through Klook.
2. The campaign is currently open to travellers from the U.S., Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and mainland China.

If you fit those two requirements – congratulations! You’re eligible for a free one-way Shinkansen journey from Hakata to Kagoshima.

▼ The journey from Hakata to Kagoshima.

To receive the offer, first get your promo code on the Klook website and then book one of the Kagoshima hotel listings that show the “Receive Free Shinkansen Ticket” promotion. Once booked, enter your code at checkout, then fill out a short survey and you’ll get a code to redeem a one-way Shinkansen fare from Hakata to Kagoshima, up to the cost of 11,420 yen (US$72).

With Kagoshima being home to Sakurajima, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, as well as the UNESCO World Natural Heritage islands of Yakushima, Amami Oshima and Tokunoshima, there’s plenty to see and do in the area. The prefecture is also famous for its natural sand baths, Kagoshima Wagyu and black pork, amongst other local specialties.

According to Klook, the campaign aims to increase the number of visitors to Kagoshima, as many international visitors stop in Fukuoka without venturing further south, despite Kagoshima being two hours away by Shinkansen. The prefecture has allocated around 278 million yen (roughly $1.8 million) to subsidise the promotion, which is scheduled to run from 18 September to 28 February, while allocations remain available.

While the campaign represents a considerable saving, local reports suggest it remains relatively unknown by overseas tourists. Shortly after the campaign began, interviews at Kagoshima-Chuo Station revealed some international visitors were unaware of the offer, while others were taking advantage of different deals, like the 25,000-yen seven-day pass that gives you unlimited travel around Kyushu.

▼ The JR Kyushu Rail Pass is another great deal, and can be purchased here.

You could always get the free Shinkansen deal through Klook and then purchase one of the rail passes to discover more of what the island has to offer. With some of Japan’s best hot springs, and giant sushi on the luggage carousel at one of the local airports, Kyushu is a hidden gem that deserves to be on your radar, especially now that you can get a free Shinkansen ticket to travel there.

Source: Press release
Featured image: Pakutaso
Insert images: Press release, Klook, Kyushu Railway Company
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Fireless fire spirit is ready to provide the cozy glows of the Ghibli anime film.

For some Studio Ghibli characters, the marketing potential is obvious. Totoro, for example, is so invitingly cuddly-looking that making soft plushies of him feels like the most natural possible extension of his on-screen persona.

But what about Calcifer, from Howl’s Moving Castle? Sure, he’s got a cute design and memorable scenes, but his body is made out of burning flames. How do you turn that into something for fans to own that still feels true to the character?

It’s a tricky question, but the designers at Ghibli specialty shop Donguri Kyowakoku have an excellent answer, placing a recreation of the fire spirit atop a candle. Well, I suppose since it’s made of plastic instead of wax, this would technically be a candle-shaped figurine, but even if there’s no wick to light, the Calcifer Candle Light actually does provide illumination!

There’s even a bit of cool simulated magic in how you turn the light on and off. There’s a master power switch, which the designers placed on the bottom of the candle, so that it’s out of sight when placed in its holder. As long as the master power switch is turned on, you can turn the light on and off by giving the candle a little shake with a wave of your hand.

And since flames don’t have a static, constant color, Calcifer’s light changes hues, with shifting tinges of red and blue if left on.

▼ Some might say he’s a little unsettling from certain angles, but Ghibli anime have often mixed some spooky elements in with their baseline cuteness.

Even the packaging shows a high level of design, with hatbox-like aesthetics that bring to mind heroine Sophie’s hatter background.

Oh, and the candle will automatically turn off after 15 minutes of stillness, making Calcifer a capable nightlight to have on as you drift off to sleep.

The Calcifer Candle Light has been out of stock for some time, but Donguri Kyowakoku says it’s now available once again, priced at 5.,940 yen (US$37), and if you’re looking to welcome him to your castle, orders can be placed through the chain’s online shop here.

Source, images: Donguri Kyowakoku
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No one can say exactly when the last time Tokyo got this much rain was, but it was a long, long time ago.

These are dark days in east Japan. And no, I’m not talking about an early start to spooky Halloween imagery or phenomena like people being attacked by gangs of wrathfully violent monkeys, but the weather.

Specifically, these are dark and rainy days in east Japan. Right now, it’s raining in Tokyo. It rained yesterday too, and the day before that, and the day before that, and the day before…well, every day stretching back to August 27.

Yes, August 26 was the last day no rain was observed in the capital, meaning it’s been raining in Tokyo for 34 days in a row. This isn’t anywhere near normal. 34 days it the longest rainy streak for Tokyo in at least 150 years. Why “at least?” Because the government only started collecting official statistics of this type in 1876, so it’s possible that this is the first time in history for Tokyo to experience such persistent precipitation.

▼ The most recent ruler of Japan to have potentially seen this much rain in Tokyo was Emperor Meiji, and boy would it have messed with his epaulettes.

The current conditions break the previous record of 33 days of rain between June 27 and July 29 of 2019, and the gap is almost certain to get wider, as more rain is forecast for September 30.

Tokyo, like much of Japan, usually gets its heaviest rains in the summer, with the country’s rainy season typically taking place in late June/early July. It’s not unusual for typhoons to occur in August and early September, but there’s usually at least some respite of clear skies between storms. East Japan in particular can usually expect breaks from the rain at this time of year, since storms usually tend to form out at sea and come up from the southwest corner of the country, losing strength as they pass over Japan’s main island of Honshu, which Tokyo is located near the eastern end of. That’s not how things have played out this year, though. Typhoons 24 and 25 (also known as Toprical Storm Krovanh and Typhoon Dujuan), both remained near Japan with enough strength to sustain lingering wet weather throughout September, and while Typhoon 26 doesn’t look like it’s going to pass directly over Japanese soil, its associated rain front has still shown up to say hi to the country this week.

It’s worth noting that while Tokyo has had observed rain for 34 days in a row and counting, that doesn’t mean unceasing rainfall across the entire city. Still, this isn’t just a collection of scattered quick cloudbursts followed by clear skies, as meteorologists say that in 2026 Tokyo has only gotten about 40 percent of the amount of sunlight it would in a typical September.

Thankfully, it looks like there’s a light at the end of the dark and dreary tunnel, as current forecasts say Tokyo will be sunny with some late afternoon clouds on October 1. That’s assuming, though, that Typhoon 26 doesn’t decide to swerve closer to Tokyo as it heads east.

Source: Waether News (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Top image: Pakutaso
Insert image: Wikipedia/Adece033090
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We followed a tip we heard through the grapevine that Japan’s sweet grape variety is even sweeter when pickled in a bed of fermented rice bran.

Shine Muscat grapes are in season right now, and we’ve been craving them as a result. We bought our own bunch and began exploring creative ways of eating them besides straight from the fridge. That’s when we stumbled upon a tip to pickle them in nukadoko, a fermented rice bran bed that’s usually used to make nukazuke pickled vegetables and can be easily purchased at grocery stores, online, or even at Muji Japan stores. Would fruit really taste good using this method as well? There was only one way to find out.

The only two ingredients needed for our culinary experiment were a 1-kilogram (2.2-pound) bag of aged nukadoko, like this one from brand Tsukemoto, and a bunch of Shine Muscat grapes.

▼ For the fastest pickling results, make sure that your bag says 熟成 (jukusei) like the one we used, which means that the mixture inside is already matured and ready for fermenting.

▼ Shine Muscats are on the pricey side, so we were a bit anxious about wasting them if this experiment didn’t turn out well.

We gently washed the grapes and removed the moisture, then laid them neatly inside the nukadoko bag…

…only to cover them up completely in the mixture as the last step. They need to stay like that for at least three hours, and we set our timer for four since even though we didn’t want to do the bare minimum, this was a brand-new bag of nukadoko and we wanted to avoid ending up with an overly strong flavor.

▼ Enjoy your special bath, grapes!

Once enough time had passed we removed them from the bag.

After washing them, there was no outward sign that they had been chilling in a fermented rice bran bath.

There was also no visible change when we compared one of them with a grape that hadn’t undergone a bath–both in terms of outer appearance…

▼ Nukadoko grape (left) and ordinary grape (right)

…as well as when sliced. Even when touching them we couldn’t discern any change in their texture or elasticity. Our doubts about this process were growing stronger by the minute.

Let’s see if they lived up to the online hype. First, we took a bite of a regular Shine Muscat to calibrate our taste. As usual, it was sweet, refreshing, and juicy, exemplifying its status as one of Japan’s favorite grapes.

Then it was time to sample the results of our little experiment. WHOAH! Even though it looked no different to the naked eye, the flavor of these grapes was unmistakably deeper and sweeter. It was as if that sweetness were concentrated and enhanced to a strong degree. There were no lingering smell or taste reminders of the fermented rice bran itself, but the saltiness and acidity of the bath must have drawn out the sweetness to the highest possible degree.

The end result? The remaining untouched grapes went right into the nukadoko bag for their own fermentation bath.

For now, the jury’s still out on whether we enjoy this other unorthodox approach to eating Shine Muscats more, so we invite readers to do a taste comparison and decide for themselves.

All images © SoraNews24 
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