Twentythree

This is the summer for dipping.

With warmer weather on its way in Japan, Starbucks is coming to the rescue with a new release inspired by “a Milan cafe at sunset”. Sold exclusively at the chain’s Reserve Cafe branches, the new menu items are designed to provide you with a refreshing escape from everyday life, and there are two drinks and a sweet pastry in the lineup.

▼ Frozen Crush Coffee Lemonade (Tall size only) 864 yen (US$5.39) for takeout; 880 yen for dine-in

This frozen beverage is inspired by granita, a traditional Italian summer dessert. The refreshing zing of lemonade is combined with iced coffee and finished with a topping of olive oil and salt, adding an extra layer of depth to the cool beverage. Sophisticated and elegant, this drink will seduce you with its citrus notes and pep you up with espresso, make it ideal for a quick energy boost.

▼ Sparkling Lemon Iced Coffee (Tall size only) 775 yen takeout; 790 yen dine-in

This refreshing drink is made with iced coffee, lemonade, and tonic water. Upon first sip, the delicate carbonation is said to fizz on your tongue, creating a light taste as the aroma of coffee gently unfolds. It’s perfect for when you want to quench your thirst, refresh your mood, and feel invigorated – three things we find ourselves desperately in need of during summer.

▼ “Cornetti Pistachio” (481 yen takeout; 490 yen dine-in)

Though “cornetti” is technically the plural of “cornetto”, this is the word Starbucks uses for its signature “Italian croissant”. Featuring a light dough infused with the aroma of fermented butter and topped with a cream blended with crushed pistachios, this new pastry has a nutty richness and gentle sweetness that’s said to be ideal for dunking into foam-topped Starbucks drinks. The chain recommends dunking this one into the Cinnamon Mousse Foam Honey Latte as the aroma of cinnamon and gentle sweetness of honey are said to “envelop the richness of the pistachio”. You can also add the newly introduced condiment, “Coconut Flavour Syrup” for a lighter, more summery feel.

▼ The chain also sells plain cornetti that pair well with coffees.

The summer range is a getaway our taste buds will fall in love with, but it will only be available at the locations listed below.

• Shinjuku Marui Main Building 2F store
• Tokyo Skytree Town 30F store
• Daimaru Umeda Basement 1F store
• Shinsaibashi PARCO Basement 1F store
• Nagoya Sakae HAERA store

Available from 24 June, the new items will be on the menu for a limited time. If you’d like to try some other super-exclusive Starbucks drinks, then these pineapple beverages will hit the spot, as they’re only available at 30 special stores.

Source, images: Press release
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Teams of researchers in Japan believe that they’ve pinpointed the most effective moment while breathing for memorizing new information.

It’s always been funny to me that to this day I can still remember the exact J-pop songs where I first learned hundreds of new Japanese vocabulary items more than two decades ago. I often practiced while singing along to the lyrics again and again, creating much stronger associations than if I were to simply read them in a textbook. It turns out that vocalizing those new words out loud–which involves the process of exhaling–may have actually been the key to cementing them in my memory.

Research teams at Hyogo Medical University Hospital and other institutions in Japan are preparing to publish the results of a research study focused on the connection between memorization and breathing patterns in a British scientific journal by August 8. The study concluded that there is a possibility that memorization is most effective when exhaling, as the speed of recalling newly learned information differed for study participants depending on where they were in the process of taking a breath.

▼ Japanese study tip: Say new words or grammatical patterns out loud and not just in your mind while learning them!

Previously, the relationship between memorization and breathing patterns had only been studied in mice, so this was the first time that human subjects have been involved. Researchers used a method where they inserted a tube in the 30 study participants’ noses to record the flow of air while breathing. They then displayed 40 images of plants and animals in succession to the participants at one-second intervals. After that, they mixed in unrelated images and displayed a total of 80 images one by one, asking participants to identify whether each image was in the original batch of 40 or not.

The results showed that participants were able to more swiftly answer the questions if they had memorized the image when they were finishing to exhale compared to when they were beginning to inhale. They were able to provide the fastest responses while exhaling as well. There was no definitive difference in the percentage of correct answers they provided, perhaps because the difficulty of the topic was low to begin with. Either way, this study opens the door to all kinds of possibilities for exciting further research on effective strategies for memorization.

▼ We would like to propose a further area of study in which participants are asked to memorize information while blowing on their childhood game cartridges.

So the next time you need to memorize some new Japanese vocab, the order of Yamanote Line train stations, or the over 1,000 existing Pokémon names, consider saying them out loud and at the end of an exhale. Just don’t use the technique to do what this guy with a photographic memory did.

Top image: Pakutaso
Insert images: Pakutaso (1, 2)
Source: Livedoor News via My Game News Flash
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We find out if premium prices mean superior flavour. 

While browsing the upmarket Isetan department store in Shinjuku the other day, we came across a surprising product called Tenran Ukokkei Ran. Literally translating as “Tenran Silkie Chicken Eggs”, the two-pack came with the eye-popping price tag of 1,512 yen (US$10.40), making them 756 yen each.

▼ The brand name “Tenran” is only used for eggs sold by Kanazawa-based company Ukokkei from the Silkie chickens they raise under its management in Ishikawa Prefecture.

As silkie chickens are difficult to raise and produce fewer eggs than ordinary hens, the eggs are sold as a luxury product and gift item.

▼ Produced in 石川県 (Ishikawa Prefecture)

At this price point, these are eggs you wouldn’t want to drop, and thankfully we didn’t when we purchased them and took them back to the office for a taste test. In order to get a better understanding of why these eggs cost so much, we decided to compare them to an ordinary supermarket egg, so we picked up a regular 10-pack for 366 yen, which worked out to 36 yen per egg.

▼ Raising their hands for the taste test comparison were our Japanese-language reporters Seiji Nakazawa, Go Hatori and Mr Sato.

With the silkie chicken egg costing 21 times more than the regular chicken egg, our taste testers were keen to find out if the higher price equated to better flavour. To really put the eggs, and their palates, to the test, they decided to boil both types, while also adding another famous variety laid by a Nagoya Cochin chicken, a premium Japanese breed originating from Nagoya.

▼ Following Go’s advice, they placed the eggs in a pot of cold water before turning on the heat and boiling them for 10 minutes.

Exact cooking times can vary depending on the pot’s thermal conductivity, and after using the cheap stainless steel pot at the office, the boiling process ended up taking around 12 minutes.

▼ Taking the eggs out, our three reporters felt that the “Tenrai Ukokkei” eggs looked the best.

After peeling them all, there weren’t any obvious differences, apart from the fact that there were more marks on the silkie egg, leftover from the awkward peeling process. So now we have the 756-yen silkie egg on the left, the 36-yen regular egg on the right, and in the middle, the Nagoya Cochin, which cost 710 yen for a six-pack, making it 118 yen and placing it in the mid-tier range.

Biting into each of them, our reporters remarked that all three…tasted surprisingly identical.

Seiji and Go were particularly confident that there was barely any difference between the eggs, saying they wouldn’t be able to tell them apart in a blind tasting. Even after trying them all with a pinch of salt, they weren’t able to identify any major differences in flavour or richness. However, from Mr Sato’s point of view, there was a distinction to be made, as he believed that the Tenran Ukokkei eggs had a uniquely springy yet delicate egg white that almost melted in the mouth. He also noted a clear difference in texture compared to the cheaper egg, but Seiji and Go couldn’t relate.

After some discussion, Go did admit that the Tenran Ukokkei egg reminded him slightly of pidan, or “century egg”, a traditional preserved egg that originated in China and spread to many parts of East and Southeast Asia.

Go wondered if it was the texture of the egg white that gave him that impression, suggesting that the main difference between the eggs lay in the mouthfeel of the outer layer. With Seiji unable to concur, it appeared that all three reporters had different opinions after the tasting, but one thing they could agree on was the fact that the taste of the yolk didn’t seem to differ all that much.

This was an interesting result, because our reporters usually judge an egg based on the flavour of the yolk, so they were surprised to find the egg white actually contributed a lot to the overall impression. Still, they did admit that the cooking method may have skewed the results somewhat, so they decided to try again, but this time with a raw tasting, by cracking the eggs over rice to make the popular Japanese comfort dish tamago kake gohan.

Like the boiled egg test, which was streamed live on the team’s YouTube channel, the raw egg comparison will also be livestreamed, this time on 17 June, as part of the new weekly livestreams that are scheduled to take place every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. (JST).

▼ You can check out the boiled-egg livestream here.

If you’d like to see the trio give us their verdict on raw eggs, be sure to join the fun on Wednesday – they look forward to seeing you there!

Photos ©SoraNews24
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A humble store so generous it makes us want to cry.

The recent wave of price hikes in Japan shows no signs of slowing down – in fact, many would say it’s only getting worse. These days, it feels like we’re constantly checking prices and lamenting over how things that were once affordable just aren’t any more, especially when it comes to food, as portion sizes get smaller and prices get higher, even at local supermarkets.

With our eye now becoming expertly trained to spot a bargain, we did a double-take recently when visiting Aikawa in Tokyo’s neighbouring Kanagawa Prefecture. There, we spotted a bright yellow building with “190 yen〜” painted in bright red, so we sidled up for a closer look.

▼ 190 yen translates to US$1.18 in today’s money.

The shop was called Gottsuan Bento, and the “190 yen〜”, followed by “with tax 205 yen〜” in parentheses, was advertising the pre-tax price for things like のり弁 (noriben), やきそば (yakisoba), カレー (curry) and お蕎麦 (soba).

These prices made us feel like we’d travelled back in time to the good ol’ days, so we immediately stepped inside to take a look at what was on offer.

It soon became clear that this really was one of the last bastions of yesteryear prices, with rows of delicious-looking cheap bento meals on display.

▼ Piping hot and freshly made from the kitchen in the back, these meals had a fantastic homemade feel to them.

We may have been cash-strapped in a bento store, but we had all the excitement of a kid in a candy store, with cheap prices enticing us at every turn. Although the yakisoba was 205 yen, the nori ben and curry were slightly higher than advertised out front, but at 213 yen we certainly weren’t complaining.

Taking a look at the back of the store revealed even more bento varieties, with slightly more luxurious ingredients to match the higher prices.

Even these were a great deal, with the “Nori Ben DX” going for 321 yen, and everything else 429 yen.

Despite the cheap prices, each bento was beautifully presented and generously portioned, far exceeding what we’d expect these days at this price point.

▼ Four types of hamburg to choose from – DX, grated daion radish, tomato sauce, and cheese.

▼ Other options included nori mentaiko (noriben with pollock roe), fried shrimp, and pork kimchi.

Although we wanted to buy every type of bento they had, we limited ourselves to just three and took them to a nearby park to try them.

▼ These are the three we chose.

▼ First up to the tasting plate was the noriben, which cost just 213 yen.

Noriben is famous for being one of the simplest yet most satisfying bentos you can get in Japan. It commonly consists of a bed of rice topped with seasoned bonito flakes and a sheet of nori seaweed, and is usually accompanied by a chikuwa (tempura fish cake) and a piece of fried whitefish.

▼ This noriben had all the right ingredients, and it ended up being quite filling, making it great value for money.

The batter on the fish was crispy and absolutely delicious, and although it didn’t really need sauce, you can purchase it separately for an extra 5 yen, which is what we did.

▼ With or without sauce, we loved everything about this bento.

Next up, we tried the Curry, which set us back a meager 213 yen. It was spicy and had an authentic finish, but most importantly, it was so delicious we couldn’t stop eating it.

Keeping the momentum before our belly had a chance to sense how full it was getting, we tried our final bento, the Pork Kimchi, which was the most expensive of the lot, at 429 yen.

What we got was a very good return on investment, as the mound of pork kimchi was so generous it rose up beyond the height of the tray. The intense umami was irresistible, and so dangerously addictive that we managed to finish it all without giving our full belly a second thought.

Sitting back in the sunshine on the park bench like a warlord who’d just finished a bento feast, we took a look at the receipt to find out how much the spread had cost us.

▼ All three meals, including the sauce, cost just 860 yen.

It was hard to believe that in this day and age we could feel this full for this price, and the sense of fullness wasn’t just in our belly, as our heart was full of warmth at knowing a place like this existed. As we digested our food, we were so moved by the experience that we almost wanted to cry with happiness.

The generosity of the store extends well beyond the prices, because although profit margins must be low, there’s no cutting corners on the portions or flavour to cover costs. That does mean the store is popular, and although the opening hours are advertised in the window as “Open from 10 a.m. until sold out”, everything tends to sell out by early afternoon, so you’ll want to keep that in mind if you visit.

Alternatively, there’s another branch of Gottsuan in Sagamihara, near Odakyu Sagamihara Station in Kanagawa Prefecture, which you can get to from Tokyo on the Odakyu Line.

▼ A 10-minute walk from Odakyu Sagamihara Station.

After discovering the wonders of Gottsuan Bento, we’re now filled with hope that there are other cheap bento places waiting to be discovered in Japan. And they might just be hiding out in Kanagawa Prefecture, seeing as it’s home to our other bargain secret, Kogane Bento, where you can buy delicious croquettes for just 20 yen.

Store information
Gottsuan Bento Aikawa Branch / ごっつぁん弁当 愛川店
Address: Kanagawa-ken, Aiko-gun, Aikawa-cho, Nakatsu 303-3
神奈川県愛甲郡愛川町中津303-3
Hours: 10:00 a.m. until sold out every day

Images©SoraNews24
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With the full-scale train needing to take a break, toymaker Takara Tomy is here to pick up the Slowpoke slack.

Much like how every Pokémon fan has their favorite Pocket Monster, so too do various parts of Japan have special relationships with certain species. In the case of Kagawa, that special relationship is with Slowpoke, who’s become such an active goodwill ambassador for the prefecture that he was briefly named governor.

Aside from his brief political career, other highlights of the Slowpoke/Kagawa partnership have included a Slowpoke Park in the town of Ayauta, and as of March 2025, a special Slowpoke Train on the Takamatsu-Kotohira Electric Railway train network, which includes Ayagawa Station, the closest stop to the park.

Unfortunately for those whose summer travel plans included a visit to Kagawa, as of June 15 the Slowpoke Train is on vacation for periodic inspection/maintenance work on the carriages. Takamatsu-Kotohira Electric Railway hasn’t said when it’ll be running again (this is Slowpoke, after all, so hastily rushing through the process simply would hardly be appropriate, would it?), but there is a silver lining since soon there’s going to be a way to own a little Slowpoke Train of your own.

Toymaker Takara Tomy has announced that the Slowpoke Train will be joining its Tetsudo Collection series of miniature recreations of actual famous trains from across Japan’s real-world rails. As pictured above, the Tetsudo Collection Takamatsu-Kotohira Electric Railway 1100 Series Slowpoke Train will feature the same adorable illustrated exterior design as the actual train, and will be offered as a two-car set with a total length of 17 centimeters (6.7 inches).

The Slowpoke Train figure is priced at 8,800 yen (US$56) and will be available in late November, but pre-orders are open now through the Takara Tomy Mall online store here.

Source: PR Times, Takamatsu-Kotohira Electric Railway, Yadon Paradise in Kagawa
Top image: Takara Tomy
Insert images: Takamatsu-Kotohira Electric Railway, Yadon Paradise in Kagawa, PR Times
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Seasonal fruit gets a Japanese makeover, but only for a very limited time.

When it comes to high-value, affordable sweets, Japanese chain Chateraise is one of the true champions of the dessert world. Known for low prices and a wide range of goods, covering everything from Western sweets, to Japanese confections, ice cream, bread, and even alcohol, Chateraise represents great value for money, and is incredibly popular throughout the country.

Right now the chain has become even more popular, thanks to a limited-time June-only treat called “Sakuranbo Mochi” (“Cherry Mochi”). After Chateraise announced the release on Twitter, the post received over 2,000 likes in around two days, which is a far greater response than other product announcements, which generally garner around 700 likes.

▼ It’s since received over 23,000 likes and around 3.7 million views, as of this writing.

今年も登場！さくらんぼ餅
旬のさくらんぼを求肥で包みました。
果肉のはじける食感と甘酸っぱさをお楽しみください
byりこ#シャトレーゼ pic.twitter.com/ie9TYDR8oT

— シャトレーゼ【公式】 (@chateraise_jp) June 9, 2026

After running a search on the product it turns out that, unbeknownst to us, Chateraise’s Cherry Mochi is a seasonal item that comes out every year, and this time it will be in stores from 3-23 June. Priced at 518 yen (US$3.23) for a pack of four, this is slightly on the premium side for Chateraise, but when we saw it in store we knew the cost would be worth it, because…

▼ …look how pretty they are!

As soon as we took them home and opened the lid of the tub they came in, we couldn’t help but gasp in surprise. With four perfectly round, neatly arranged sweets inside, and shimmery, powdered starch dusted over the pale pink gyuhi coating, the sweets sparkled like jewels in a jewellery box, catching the light in ways that created a mesmerising beauty.

The way the cherry appearance is kept intact with the stems still attached gave these an added air of beauty – so much so that we had a strange urge to display them rather than eat them.

Still, with only a two-day shelf life, these freshly made sweets are too good not to be eaten, especially as the combination of fresh cherry and plump gyuhi is such a rare find.

▼ Despite being called “Cherry Mochi”, there’s no actual mochi here, as the term is often used colloquially to describe chewy, rice-based sweets.

Like mochi, gyuhi is also made from glutinous rice, but it’s a softer, sweeter version with a more melt-in-the-mouth texture, making it ideal for wrapping Japanese confectionery. The gyuhi layer here looked delightfully plump, and as we gazed at it, the sweet and tangy aroma of the cherry overtook our senses, drawing us in for a bite.

The gyuhi was the first element to meet our taste buds, nudging them awake with a gentle sweetness and a soft, chewy texture, before giving way to a burst of cherry, followed by a rush of juice across the palate. The generously sized domestically grown cherry was clearly high-quality, displaying a fragrance and sweet-tart flavour that was strong enough to stand up to the sweetness of the gyuhi. Though the fruit would have tasted delicious on its own, the gyuhi wrap elevated it into something much more refined, allowing us to enjoy the seasonal fruit in an elegant way.

▼ A sweet that deserves all the viral attention it’s been getting.

The sweets were so good we couldn’t quite believe they hadn’t reached a worldwide level of fame, but that’s likely only because social media influencers don’t know about them yet. That’s definitely a good thing, though, because otherwise we wouldn’t be able to enjoy them, and these are sweets that definitely need to be enjoyed by as many people as possible during their too-short three-week run.

Related: Sakuranbo Mochi, Chateraise store locations
Photos ©SoraNews24
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