Twentythree

Players should get power-ups each time they pass one, too.

Last autumn saw the 40th Anniversary of everyone’s favorite plumber who was transported into a world of mushrooms and turtles. Yes, Super Mario Bros. was a game so ahead of its time that it took Hollywood decades to figure out how to make a decent movie adaptation of it.

And over the years, Mario has dabbled in just about every recreational pursuit known to man, from go-karting and golf to tennis and officiating boxing matches. You can count baseball among that long list of hobbies, and now Mario will be taking those talents to the real world at several Nippon Professional Baseball games this year.

Nintendo will be sponsoring games held at the home fields belonging to each of the 12 teams in NPB from 29 April to 21 June. As with other sports stadium takeovers by pop culture franchises, you can expect ballparks to be all decked out in Super Mario and Nintendo decorations.

The centerpiece of these decorations are official question-block bases that will be used in each of the special games. In doing so, this will be the first time in history that all 12 teams will use originally designed bases in official games.

The players won’t get to hog all the fun either. At each game, a lottery will be held for parents and children in attendance to be able to run the question-block bases at a special event after the games.

Also, each game will see Mario himself throw the ceremonial first pitch, and you can expect lots of limited-edition merchandise to be sold in the stadiums as well, the details of which will be unveiled at a later date.

▼ The Chiba Lotte Marines even have caps with Ms on them. It’s a match made in heaven.

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Here are the dates and locations for each special game, so clear your calendar when the Mario Bros. crew roll into your local stadium. 

29 April
Chiba Lotte Marines at ZOZO Marine Stadium

6 May
Yokohama DeNA BayStars at Yokohama Stadium

9 May
Hanshin Tigers at Koshien Stadium

15 May
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles at Rakuten Mobile Saikyo Park Miyagi

31 May
Saitama Seibu Lions at Belluna Dome

7 June
Hiroshima Toyo Carp at Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium Hiroshima

14 June
Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters at Escon Field Hokkaido

20 June
Orix Buffaloes at Kyocera Dome Osaka

21 June
Tokyo Yakult Swallows at Meiji Jingu Baseball Stadium

8 August
Yomiuri Giants at Tokyo Dome

11 August
Chunichi Dragons at Vantelin Dome Nagoya

16 August
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks at Mizuho PayPay Dome Fukuoka

Between this and the limited-edition Yoshi Bobbleheads coming to Dodger Stadium, all this talk about Nintendo and baseball reminds me of the time I kidnapped my emotionally withdrawn brother to prevent him from being institutionalized, only to learn he was amazing at baseball. We traveled across the country, hustling at pickup baseball games in order to attend the Baseball Armageddon tournament, but our hopes were dashed by the snobby Lucas Barton when he stole my brother’s home run just past the fence. That kid had one hell of a glove, let me tell you.

Source, images: Nintendo
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There’s no question that this is a case where the celebrity endorser really is a fan of the product.

There’s often quite a bit of suspension of disbelief that goes into celebrity endorsements. It’s hard to imagine, for example, Tommy Lee Jones whipping out a SoftBank cell phone when he needs to call his agent, or Leonardo DiCaprio hopping into a for-poor-people Suzuki to drive to his next A-lister party in Beverly Hills, but the Hollywood stars have indeed appeared in ads for those products in Japan.

However, Heinz Japan appears to have done its homework in approaching their newest pitchman, or perhaps we should say their newest pitch-mon, as they’re getting the nod of approval from none other than Pikachu.

ピカチュウ…？
近日中の発表をお楽しみに！ pic.twitter.com/b9poOFfrzp

— ハインツ (@HeinzJapan) March 2, 2026

When it comes to things to put in his tummy, the face of the Pokémon franchise has a long-established love of ketchup. He even made his character song debut singing from atop a giant ketchup bottle. So with Heinz being the world’s biggest ketchup maker, it’s a natural fit for them to collaborate with the world’s cutest ketchup fan, and in the process create the world’s cutest ketchup bottles.

On sale as of this month is a series of Pikachu-label Heinz bottles, oriented not only so that the contents will flow to the bottom, but that you’ll be able to admire Pikachu during your meal. There are three different designs, each evoking a different mood, and with ketchup being a staple condiment in many households, picking up the complete set feels like a pretty guilt-free plan for fans, especially at the price of 390 yen (US$2.50) per bottle.

For those wanting even more Pikachu cuteness in their home (and really, who doesn’t?), Heinz Japan will also be giving away special Pikachu Cheek Plates. The illustration on these Pikachu-shaped melamine resin dishes, measuring 20 centimeters (7.9 inches) across, have black circles for Pikachu’s ordinarily rosy cheeks, so that you can add the circles of color yourself with squirts of ketchup.

450 plates will be given away, with winners selected randomly from Twitter users who retweet the upcoming present campaign tweet from the official Heinz Japan account sometime between March 16 and 22. And if you’re looking for something special to use your Pikachu ketchup on, might we suggest a DIY Pikachu burger?

Related: Heinz Japan official Twitter account
Source, images: PR Times
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Meet the new stars of your next viral ASMR video.

In Japan, Häagen-Dazs is constantly looking for ways to thrill ice cream lovers, and now the brand has outdone itself with a new series of ice creams designed to deliver the pleasure of ASMR.

Those who experience ASMR, or autonomous sensory meridian response to use its full name, describe it as a pleasant tingling sensation triggered by stimuli such as certain sounds, and that’s what Häagen-Dazs is hoping to achieve with this new range. Dubbed “Rocky Crunchy!“, these treats create a super crunchy sound when you eat them, through the use of hard toppings that contrast with the smoothness of the ice cream.

We received the two debut flavours ahead of their nationwide release, so we ripped into them straight away to see if they really generated the same type of crunchy audio that features in a lot of online ASMR videos.

▼ We begin the taste test with the Strawberry Black Cocoa.

With words like “ザクッ” (“zaku” [onomatopoeic sound effect for a sharp, crisp bite or crunch]) and “硬ッ” (“kata” [hard]) on the packaging, sound and texture are clearly the stars of the show here. As soon as we tried our first mouthful, we were pleased to discover that Häagen-Dazs really does deliver on this front, giving us a cluster of chunky cocoa cookies that crunch terrifically when you bite into them. The cookies are super hard, but not in a way that’ll hurt your teeth – more in the way that they crumble with an immense sense of satisfaction while filling your ears with a pleasant “zaku” crunch.

▼ The bitter cocoa goes well with the sweet tartness of strawberries, making it a good accent not only in terms of texture but also in terms of taste.

The crunch is one you can easily get hooked on, so we were glad to have another tub to try: the Salty Honey Butter.

Tearing off the lid reveals another topping of rock-like biscuit pieces, only this time with butter as the star component. Beneath it all is a a saucy honey ice cream that’s rich and sweet, contrasting beautifully with the butter cookies.

For a brand that’s known for its luxurious smoothness, these Rocky Crunchy! varieties serve up an exciting textural contrast that highlights the quality of Häagen-Dazs ice cream. The flavour now lingers longer on the palate thanks to the biscuit topping, letting us enjoy the taste of Häagen-Dazs for longer.

Anything that extends a good ice cream session is a winner in our books, so keep an eye out for it when it’s released this week at stores nationwide, where it’ll be sold at a recommended retail price of 373 yen (US$2.36).

Photos ©SoraNews24
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Doctorate degree, bilingual communication skills, and research regarding plants and animals are only requirement for mysterious position with Pokémon Company.

Professor Oak has a pretty good job, doesn’t he? As the Kanto Region’s leading Pokémon scholar, he spends his days using his intellect to deepen mankind’s understanding of, and affinity for, all sorts of Pocket Monster species.

Of course, Oak isn’t the only great mind in his field, as other regions have their own Pokémon Professors, and that apparently goes for our world too, as the Pokémon Company has posted a job opening for a real-world professor-caliber candidate.

In Japanese, the Pokémon Professors are called hakase, meaning “doctor,” as in someone with a PhD. On Monday, the Pokémon Company placed a posting on Japanese professional recruiting site HRMOS with the title “Seeking doctoral candidates.” The required qualifications are similarly broad, with only three listed:

1. A PhD in science and engineering or agriculture
2. Ecological research experience related to plants or animals
3. Japanese and English language skills

As long as you’ve got those three, the Pokémon Company would like to hear from you, and they’ll figure out what your exact assignment in the company will be based on your skill set and experience. Salary will be negotiated in the range of 7 to 11 million yen (US$45,000-$71,000), with the potential of yearly raises each spring.

While the requirement of detailed scientific knowledge of plants or animals might sound like the Pokémon Company is ready to start trying to create actual Pocket Monsters, it’s more likely that they’re seeking such expertise to help with design work and spin-off projects for the franchise. Though they all have fantastic elements, many Pokémon species draw inspiration from real-world flora and fauna, and creating what feel like viable ecosystems for the worlds of the games and anime go a long way in creating a sense of immersion and fun for fans. As a matter of fact, the Pokémon Company already has at least one PhD on staff, Yoshinari Yonehara, a doctor of agriculture, who was in charge of creating the Pokécology encyclopedia of Pokémon ecology, a book with illustrations from Chihiro Kinoshita, a fellow agricultural doctorate and sea turtle researcher. There’s also been a Pokémon museum exhibit that uses Pokémon skeleton sculptures to teach kids about fossils, and half of Poképark Kanto, the Pokémon amusement park area that recently opened in Tokyo, is a nature walk, presenting another way in which the franchise intersects with real-world nature.

▼ Pokécology, published by Shogakukan

The mention of both Japanese and English communication skills in the job listing indicates that non-Japanese applicants are welcome, though as this is a non-remote position, the successful candidate will need to commute to the Pokémon Company’s headquarters in downtown Tokyo’s Roppongi neighborhood.

Source: HRMOS, Denfamico Gamer
Top image ©SoraNews24
Insert images: Shogakukan
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Free-to-use system helps disaster victims connect with loved ones in times of crisis, and is worth remembering for anyone traveling or living in Japan.

This week marks 15 years since the March 11, 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami that devastated coastal communities in northeastern Japan’s Fukushima, Miyagi, and Iwate Prefectures. Even a decade and a half later, the suddenness with which the tragedy occurred serves as a solemn reminder of the necessity of disaster preparedness, and while many people are conscious of the need to maintain a supply of things such as preserved food and water, something that often gets forgotten is the importance of knowing how to deal with communications infrastructure being disrupted or destroyed.

When everything is running smoothly, modern personal electronic devices make staying in touch with friends and family a snap. Just whip out your smartphone, open up your favorite messaging app, and add a new text message to the thread or tap on the other person’s icon to start a voice or video call. However, that system goes to pieces if power has been knocked out in a disaster-hit area and victims have no way to recharge a dead battery, or if their phone was lost or destroyed in a quake or flooding, or had to be abandoned during a hurried evacuation.

So as part of disaster preparation when traveling or living in Japan, there’s an important number to remember: 171. That’s the number you need to dial to access telecommunications provider NTT’s Disaster Message Call (“Saigai Dengon Dairu”) service. Essentially an audio message board, Disaster Message Call allows users to record and store audio messages of up to 30 seconds. When recording a message, the sender also gives the phone number of the person it’s intended for, and those calling in to the service can input their phone number to play back messages that have been left for them. The key thing is that playback doesn’t require the service to be called from the same number that the message was left for, meaning that as long as a person has access to a phone of any sort, they can receive the messages that have been left for them, even if they’ve lost their mobile phone or landline.

The 171 Disaster Message Call system is compatible with landlines, mobile, IP, and ISDN. It even works with payphones, which allow 171 calls to be placed for no charge at all. A total of 20 messages can be stored at one time, with newer messages then replacing the oldest.

Given the open access allowed to the messages, it’s probably wisest not to use Disaster Message Call to relay sensitive or private information. For those looking to confirm that loved ones are OK, though, it can provide immense peace of mind, as even when people in disaster-struck regions still have their smartphones, wireless networks can become temporarily overloaded. Audio messages recorded through the Disaster Message Call system are also linked to its web-based version, Disaster Message Board 171, which also allows for the posting of text messages designated for/accessed by entering the intended recipient’s phone number.

▼ The English page for Message Board 171 can be found here and the Japanese one here, with an English explanation of how to use the system available here.

As you’ve probably realized, 171 isn’t the only number you’ll want to know as part of your disaster preparedness: you’ll also need to know the phone number of whoever you’re trying to contact. While this isn’t an issue for those outside the disaster-stricken area who still have their phone and its stored data, victims who’ve lost access to their device will need to have the numbers stored in their head. Considering how wide the average person’s social network has grown in today’s society, memorizing the phone numbers for your entire contacts list is probably out of the question for most people, but remembering the digits for your most critical personal connections will help you find each other should another disaster strike.

Source: NTT (1, 2, 3)
Top image: Pakutaso
Insert images: NTT
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Studio that made Netflix’s live-action Cowboy Bebop convinces Shinichiro Watanabe to work with them again.

In 2021, Netflix released a Western-made live-action adaptation of landmark anime series Cowboy Bebop. It did not go well. Preexisting fans found little of the charm, depth, and stylishness that had attracted them to the franchise in the first place, and new audiences were left unimpressed.

Less than a month after its release, Netflix announced that there would be no second season. That doesn’t mean that Hollywood isn’t willing to take a second try at adapting the work of Bebop creator Shinichiro Watnabe, as it’s been announced that another Watanabe anime is now being adapted to live-action.

This time it’s Samurai Champloo that’s getting the call. Watanabe’s first major directing project following the Bebop anime TV series and its follow-up theatrical feature, Samurai Champloo was a 26-episode TV series that aired in 2004 and 2005. A tale of three wandering outcasts in the late Edo period, as cracks were forming in the feudal shogunate system and new ideas from both within and abroad were starting to change Japanese society, Samurai Champloo gets the back half of its title from chanpuru, a type of Okinawan stir-fry dish that resonated with Watanabe as a symbol of mixing diverse elements together.

▼ Samurai Champloo’s ending theme, “Shiki no Uta”

Handling the adaptation will be Los Angeles-based Tomorrow Studios, which has, to put it mildly, a mixed record when it comes to this sort of thing. On the one hand, Tomorrow Studios is the same company that was behind the immediately and intensely panned live-action Cowboy Bebop, but they’re also the ones doing the currently ongoing live-action One Piece, which has been praised by many as an excellent adaptation that’s satisfying for established fans and newcomers alike.

A key difference in Tomorrow Studios’ strategies between its Cowboy Bebop and One Piece projects is the involvement of the original creator. By all accounts, One Piece manga author Eiichiro Oda has a much more active role in his series’ adaptation than Watanabe did on the live-action Bebop. In an interview following its release, Watanabe said “[I] only saw [the] opening scene. It was clearly not Cowboy Bebop, and I realized at that point that if I wasn’t involved, it would not be Cowboy Bebop.”

“We’ve learned. Having the creator there to bless the creative is really important,” says Tomorrow Studio’s Marty Adelstein, one of the producers for the live-action Samurai Champloo, in an interview, while promising that Watanabe will have more input this time around. “We had dinner with [Watanabe] in Japan and said, if we move forward on doing ‘Samurai Champloo,’ we really want you to be a part of the creative. We were thrilled that he was willing to do that.”

There’s currently no timetable for the adaptation’s release, nor a streaming home for it (though Netflix would seem to be the most likely candidate).

Despite how things turned out the last time Hollywood attempted to bring a Watanabe anime into live-action, there are a few reasons for more optimism this time around. For starters, the success of the live-action One Piece, as well as the Super Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog movies, have shown that, even when not adhering to strict fidelity to the source material, there’s now a greater understanding and appreciation of the core elements that helped Japanese franchises build their fanbases in the first place within the Western entertainment industry. In terms of visuals and set designs, a samurai story is also a lower bar to clear than the interplanetary adventures and culture that had to be shown on screen for Cowboy Bebop. There’s also the fact that, while respected and popular in its day, Samurai Champloo doesn’t have the same iconic status and intense fan familiarity that Bebop does, which could spare it from the moment-by-moment comparisons to a predecessor it has no chance of surpassing.

On the other hand, following its talk with Adelstein, Variety says that “The [Samurai Champloo] adaptation will retain the core elements fans love while updating the material for a contemporary television audience,” implying that Tomorrow Studios still intends to tinker with the story or other elements in an attempt to improve, or otherwise broaden the appeal of, the original work. It’s a bold decision, considering how that plan panned out with the live-action Bebop, but Watanabe is apparently willing to give Tomorrow Studios a second chance, and time will tell if he’ll be able to help steer the project down a path that audiences will actually enjoy.

Source: Variety via Anime News Network/Alex Mateo, Forbes
Top image ©SoraNews24
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Dashimaki tamago in three minutes sounds awesome, but if it tastes bad, it won’t be worth even 100 yen.

Despite being a delicious part of Japanese cuisine, dashimaki tamago is a dish that you might not have many opportunities to eat. A type of rolled omelet, dashimaki tamago isn’t something you’ll find all that often on restaurant menus, as it’s more commonly purchased at specialty shops in Japanese department stores or made in the home.

This creates a problem if you don’t have a Japanese department store nearby or aren’t particularly skilled in the kitchen. There might be a way to get around that second problem, though, as 100 yen shop Daiso has a dashimaki tamago maker that it says will let you make one of the rolled omelets in your microwave in just a few minutes.

In recent years, there’s been a bit of a price creep at Japan’s 100 yen stores, but Daiso’s Renji de Chin Dashimaki Tamago (“Microwavable Dashimaki Tamago”) kit is true to the store’s original concept, costing just 100 yen (US$0.65). The kit consists of two pieces, one made of clear plastic, and the other yellow.

You will also, of course, need an egg, and the first step in the process is to crack that egg into the clear plastic piece. Add a tablespoon of water and mix the contents to break up the yolk.

▼ We used chopsticks, but a small fork or whisk should work just as well.

After you’re done mixing, put the clear container in the microwave to cook for 40 seconds at 500 watts.

Now it’s time to add the seasoning. Take the container out of the microwave and add roughly 1/3 tablespoon of hondashi (bonito stock) powder.

“Hey now, what if I don’t have hondashi?” you might be asking? Not to worry. Since it’s just being used for its flavor, you can skip adding the hondashi and just follow the other steps in the process to make a Japanese-style rolled omelet with a simpler flavor. Alternatively, you could substitute a sprinkling of salt and pepper for the hondashi, or even some cheese. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves, since at this point we’re still not sure if Daiso’s Microwavable Dashimaki Tamago kit is going to work well or not.

Anyway, after adding the hondashi (if you have any), the clear container goes back into the microwave for another stint of 40 seconds at 500 watts.

The egg should now be starting to solidify from the heat.

This is where the second piece in the kit, the yellow one, comes in. It’s actually a press, so slide it into the clear piece and press down gently on the egg.

Once you get close enough to the bottom, fold in the tabs on the sides to lock the press in place.

Let everything sit for one minute, and then your dashimaki tamago should be ready to eat!

…huh…

…that…doesn’t look all that appetizing, does it? We were sure that either we or Daiso had colossally failed, until we slid our omelet out to plate it…

…and were shocked to learn that the rolled omelet had actually turned out great!

A big part of the appeal of dashimaki tamago is how the outer layer resembles a firm scrambled egg, but the inside is closer to a soft-boiled one. Daiso’s Microwavable Dashimaki Tamago did a fantastic job getting both of those right, and the presentation would have been even better had we taken a moment to scrape the edge of our omelet clean or wipe the runoff off of the unoccupied part of our plate.

And as for the flavor? It was fantastic! This isn’t a last-resort, instant-food sort of quality, but a legitimate, authentic dashimaki tamago taste.

▼ Our reporter Go Hatori, who’s actually a talented cook who used to work in a restaurant, gives the results of Daiso’s dashimaki tamago maker both a literal and figurative thumbs-up.

It may not be quite at the level that an experienced dashimaki tamago chef could achieve, but if you’re new to the dish, or in a rush, this is a great way to enjoy it with a grand total of about three minutes of prep time and no need for any other cooking equipment except a microwave, making it an absolute bargain for the price Daiso charges for it.

Photos ©SoraNews24
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