Twentythree

We find out if a bag made specifically for soaking chopping boards is actually useful.

How do you disinfect your chopping boards? If your answer to that question is “With great difficulty” or “Huh? We’re meant to disinfect chopping boards?” then we would like to introduce you to…

▼ … the Chopping Board Sanitising Bag.

The idea is simple: put your chopping board inside, then add water and detergent, or diluted chlorine-based kitchen bleach, which is commonly used in Japan to disinfect chopping boards.

▼ The bag (袋) comes with an Any Lock (エニーロック) sealing clip and a funnel (じょうご) for pouring in liquids.

The bag is designed so the chopping board can be fully submerged while floating inside, with the airtight seal helping to prevent any cleaning-agent odours from escaping.

When we tried it out, we were happy to find that the medium-large size that we’d ordered easily fit our large 37 × 22 cm (14.6 × 8.7 inches) chopping board. Alternatively, it’s roomy enough to fit two medium-sized chopping boards.

▼ After sealing the opening securely with the Any Lock clip…

▼ … the centre flap lifted slightly, making it easy to pour the cleaning detergent in using the funnel.

We ended up using around 600 millilitres of liquid to fully submerge the board. Because the bag is sealed shut, oxygen-based bleach should not be used.

Once the soaking is complete, simply pour the liquid out by sliding the Any Lock clip halfway open.

To dry the bag, simply hang it up with a peg. The inside can take a little longer to dry, so if you place something sturdy like a chopstick inside to keep the bag open, it helps to speed up the drying process.

▼ When not in use, the bag can be folded away for compact storage.

After using the product, we found it had some pros and cons. Starting with the pros, the biggest advantage is that you can soak both sides of the chopping board, as well as the edges, evenly in one go. Not having to repeatedly change the water or flip the board over made things much easier than expected.

If you have small children or pets, the product is particularly useful as you don’t have to worry about them accidentally touching the detergent solution if you were cleaning it in a filled sink, for example. The securely sealed bag gives you extra peace of mind. The main downside, though, is that you can’t put it away until the inside has completely dried, so be prepared for it to lie around taking up space for a while after you use it.

So can you live without this sanitising bag? Well, yes, but you can also live without sanitising your chopping boards too. If you do like to err on the side of caution by disinfecting your boards as many recommend doing, then this is a surprisingly useful little kitchen helper. The M-L size has a recommended retail price of 1,100 yen (US$6.76), and it can be purchased at Iwatani retailers and online shopping sites like Amazon and Rakuten.

Photos ©SoraNews24
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Escape Tokyo to harvest mandarins, dig footbaths, or learn how to run an inn.

Many people have dreams of where they would like to live, and it can sometimes be starkly different from the environment in which they have grown up, but there are few who truly decide to take the plunge. Trading the hustle and bustle of city life for a peaceful rural retreat sounds like an idyllic lifestyle, although it’s difficult to make that leap without trying it first. Kagoshima City has now partnered, though, with All Nippon Airways (ANA) and ANA Akindo (a company focused on airline sales and marketing, and regional revitalization) and created the perfect opportunity for you to do just that, launching a trial migration program designed to give participants a genuine taste of life in rural Japan.

▼ Scenery in the rural area of Yoshida

Targeted at young adults under 40 and families with children residing in major metropolitan areas like Tokyo, Nagoya, or Osaka, this initiative serves as a welcoming bridge to dual-region living. Whether you are an international resident exploring possible options beyond the major cities or you’re simply eager to experience authentic Japanese culture, this program connects you to local communities through hands-on activities, cultural immersion, and outdoor adventures.

You can choose from several tailored multi-day itineraries across two areas: Yoshida, which is focused on the countryside and family life, and Sakurajima, centered on volcano and island life.

The Parent-Child Discovery program in the tranquil Yoshida area lasts for three days and two nights, where groups or families of four people can experience rural living surrounded by hot springs and starry skies. They can also look forward to farm harvesting, local craft-making (such as making miso and woodworking), and visits to local schools.

▼ Harvesting vegetables

▼ Making miso

Applications for programs in Yoshida are being accepted from now until September 30 for stays starting between mid-October 2026 and mid-January 2027. Activity materials will cost 2,000 yen (US$12.70) per person, and participants are required to cover their own accommodation, food, and local transport costs.

Meanwhile, on the volcanic island of Sakurajima, prospective participants have the choice of four different programs to get involved in: Daily Life, Volcanic Activities, Seasonal Harvest Experience, and Guest House Open Bootcamp.

The Daily Life experience is for people looking to stay in local guest houses for at least four days, harvesting produce, cycling, and discovering what it’s like to live on a volcano that’s almost constantly smoking. Recruitment is from now through January 31 for stays between October 1 and February 28, with the total plan cost ranging from 6,600 yen to 23,100 yen per person, covering lodging and activities, although meals and local transport are extra.

▼ Harvesting giant Japanese radishes

The Volcanic Activities program lasts for at least four days, where participants can dive into nature with trekking, freediving, footbath digging, and pottery. Recruitment is from now to November 30 for stays between October 1 and December 24. The total cost for the program is 9,900-23,100 per person, covering both lodging and activities, whereas meals and local transport are extra.

▼ Freediving

▼ Digging a footbath

The Seasonal Harvest Experience allows you to work with local farmers for four or more days, picking famous Sakurajima mandarins and giant radishes. Applications are accepted between now and December 31 for stays between December 1 and January 31. The total costs are 13,200-19,800 yen per person, including the lodging and harvest activities, but meals and local transport are extra.

The final Guest House Open Bootcamp is targeted at prospective entrepreneurs who might be considering starting a business or managing guest houses on Sakurajima. Participants will spend three days learning how to revitalize abandoned and empty houses, repurposing them, giving them new life. The application period is from now to December 31 for a fixed stay period of February 21 to February 23. The total cost is between 36,600-43,200 per person, which includes the two-night stay plus a 30,000-yen seminar and networking fee, with meals and local transport extra.

▼ You can observe working guesthouses

For stays on Sakurajima, you’ll be spending the night at one of the local guest houses, depending on which program you’re on. Participants in all of the programs can stay at the Iko Terrace or Ulala Furusato.

▼ Iko Terrace

For the Guest House Open Bootcamp, there is one more option, Umino Terrace.

▼ Umino Terrace

While anyone joining the programs is expected to pay their own way there, they do receive some round-trip airfare support via ANA Sky Coins, equivalent to 20,000 yen in credit for flights from Tokyo and Nagoya, or 15,000 yen from Osaka. All you need to do is reserve your flights on the ANA website and apply the digital coins toward your fare, paying any remaining balance out-of-pocket.

For anyone interested in any of the programs, you just need to complete the free registration on ANA’s official portal site, with profile approval typically taking three to five business days. You will be expected to participate in the chosen local activities, and complete a post-trip feedback session with local staff to help shape future regional initiatives. However, they do give a warning that canceling after your participation is confirmed will incur a cancellation fee equivalent to the amount of ANA Sky Coins granted, so choose your dates carefully.

If you’re ready to see whether country living is your true calling, head over to the portal site and take the first step toward your Kagoshima adventure. Even if you don’t see yourself settling down there, the prefecture is filled with hidden gems that are definitely worth exploring.

Related: Application portal site
Source, images: PR Times
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Don’t have a My Number Card from the Japanese government? You might not be getting into some events for One Piece or other Bandai trading card games.

Recently, the Pokémon Company announced a new system that requires proof of identity through a Japanese government-issued ID card to purchase certain Pokémon Card Game items or participate in selected events. It turns out they’re not the only otaku-oriented company that likes the idea of having you verify your identity with the backing of the Japanese government, as Bandai has announced that it’s looking to introduce a similar requirement starting as early as next month.

The announcement was made through the official Twitter account of Bandai Card Games, the division of Bandai that manages collectible trading card games based on the One Piece, Dragon Ball, Naruto, Gundam, and Digimon franchises, as well as the anime crossover card game Union Arena.

【BANDAI TCG+に関する重要なお知らせ】

すべてのお客様に公平な機会を提供し、より安心・安全にサービスをご利用いただけるよう、「マイナンバーカード」を用いた本人確認システムの導入を検討しております。… pic.twitter.com/1c0Xu3qNrr

— 【OFFICIAL】BANDAI CARD GAMES (@official_BCG_JP) August 5, 2026

“In order to provide equal opportunities and a safe, secure service to all customers, we are investigating the idea of introducing an ID verification system utilizing the My Number Card,” says the statement, referring to the combination ID/national pension/national health insurance card issued by the Japanese government.

In addition to the bearer’s name and photo, the My Number Card also lists their home address and date of birth. While that same information can be found on many forms of identification, the system that Bandai Card Games is describing would specifically require verification through the My Number Card, not an alternate class of ID such as a driver’s license or student ID card.

All residents of Japan aged 15 or older, including foreign residents, are eligible for a My Number Card, but that also means that any system which requires the card to be presented effectively locks out any tourists in Japan. In addition, not all residents have applied for a My Number Card, with many having concerns about privacy or the security of the government’s data handling/storage protocols.

The Bandai Card Games announcement doesn’t appear to offer much hope for those looking for an alternative, though, as is says “For those without a My Number Card, we recommend applying for one as soon as possible, as the process of issuing the card can take a certain amount of time.”

Bandai Card Games says that is progressing with preparations to have a My Number verification requirement in place sometime around September of this year. As for the extent of the requirement, right now the company is saying that it will be used for ID verification for admission to selected Bandai Card Games events, but also that is looking into applying the system for other purposes farther in the future, ostensibly requiring My Number Card verification for eligibility to purchase certain items. This would be in keeping with the recently increased efforts to discourage scalpers from bulk buying products for the purpose of reselling them at inflated prices, as the My Number Card would help identify and block individuals buying abnormally large quantities that are clearly beyond a reasonable amount for personal use.

All else equal, I think we can agree that most genuine fans of a game or series would be happy to see speculative scalpers’ money-grubbing schemes shut down. As for foreign tourists being shut out of certain events, many official card game competitions already have local residency as a registration requirement, and language differences mean that most overseas fans aren’t looking to buy cards in Japan since they’re printed in Japanese, making them hard to play with back in their home countries. However, much like with the Pokémon Company’s new policy, the unsettling part of Bandai introducing a My Number Card verification system is the possibility that it could expand its scope beyond trading card games to encompass other, non-card game items in its vast anime merchandising empire, though thankfully that hasn’t come to pass yet.

Source: Twitter/@official_BCG_JP via Hachima Kiko
Photos ©SoraNews24
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A new way to make your journey on Japan’s fastest trains even cooler.

If you’re about to take a bullet train ride on a hot summer day, you’ll be happy to know that Central Japan Railway Company has just installed a new station platform vending machine selling something cold and refreshing. However, this machine doesn’t sell cans of cola, bottles of tea, or even tubs of ice cream. Instead, it sells cups of ice.

As of August 7, travelers passing through Shin Osaka Station on the Tokaido Shinkansen line (which connects Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo) will find a Fuji Electric FFS107WFXU1 vending machine on Platform 27. Ordinarily this model is used to store and sell frozen foods, but the Shinkansen platform one is stocked entirely with Rock Ice Glass, containers of ice cubes.

Though crunching into the cubes as an edible snack is, technically, an option, that’s not really their intended use. As fast as the Shinkansen may be, it still takes about two and a half hours to get from Osaka to Tokyo by bullet train, and roughly the same amount of time for the trip from Osaka to Fukuoka, so any beverage you’re taking onboard with you is going to get lukewarm long before you reach your destination. The new vending machine gives travelers a way to keep a separately purchased drink cold for an extended period of time by pouring it into the Rock Ice Glass after they’re seated on the train.

Of course, there are limits to how long the ice will last before it melts. Rock Ice Glass has already proven to be a big seller at stores and kiosks within Shin Osaka Station, though, so there’s clearly a demand for it among rail travelers, and by placing the vending machine right on the Shinkansen platform, passengers can get theirs just before boarding, so that they’ll have the maximum amount of time to use it during their ride.

▼ Despite the name. Rock Ice Glass comes in a plastic cup.

The Rock Ice Glass vending machine is located on Platform 27 near where Car 6 of incoming Shinkansen trains stops. Payment is by cashless (IC transit card or bar code) methods only, and at 220 yen (US$1.40) it might be slightly more expensive than the drink you’re pouring into it, but it’s hard to put a price on the pleasure of an ice-cold drink during a Japanese summer, especially since the Shinkansen no longer sells beverages onboard.

Source: JR Central Retailing Plus, Impress Watch
Top image: Pakutaso
Insert images: JR Central Retailing Plus
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Rural town’s attempt to draw tourists may have gone a step too far.

In recent years, Japanese public toilets have become known not only as places to do your business but as tourist attractions with creative design features. So you can’t really blame the Kagawa Prefectural Government when they saw an opportunity to turn a local public toilet into a tourist magnet. However, the resulting facility turned out to be so extravagant that it became a source of division instead.

The new building was unveiled to the public on 22 March outside JR Kinashi Station in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture. During the official opening ceremony at the site that night, the mood was high, with government officials hailing it as a much-needed improvement to the previous outdated building, which housed a unisex, squat-style pit toilet that had long elicited complaints from residents over its poor condition and hygiene.

▼ This report shows the opening ceremony and the state of the former facilities.

When the station’s operators, JR Shikoku, said it would prefer to remove the facility altogether rather than rebuild it due to a lack of funds, prefectural officials stepped in with a plan to build a new public toilet, in order to serve the station’s approximately 600 daily boarding passengers, as well as students from a nearby prefectural high school who often stop to use the facilities.

▼ Kinashi Station sits two stops west of Takamatsu Station on the JR Yosan Line and ranks 14th out of Kagawa Prefecture’s 48 JR stations by passenger numbers.

The new building now contains separate men’s, women’s, and multi-purpose toilets with modern amenities, which locals have expressed appreciation for. The real wow factor, though, is the exterior, which acts as a canvas for two nightly projection mapping shows, held from 7:15 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and again from 8:20 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Weekday displays feature illuminated angel wings, while weekends showcase a rotating selection of different artworks, including student-produced videos.

While the light display has turned the public toilet into an eye-catching landmark, it also aims to help nurture young creators, with local students and emerging artists encouraged to submit their own projection mapping designs, giving them a rare opportunity to see their work displayed publicly.

Officials also hope the unusual attraction will encourage more visitors to stop by the area. As Japan’s leading producer of pine bonsai, Kinashi already attracts international visitors interested in the local craft, so it’s hoped that word of the unique building will spread amongst overseas travellers, helping to bring more tourism to the area.

Despite these admirable goals, the unusual concept has been attracting the wrong kind of attention, as many locals have been surprised to learn that the entire project reportedly cost around 100 million yen (US$670,000).

Local opinion over the cost has been divided, with some residents arguing that the money could have been better spent elsewhere, while others say the discussion itself has helped to shine a spotlight on the town and its attractions.

Like any revitalisation project, the return on investment may take some time to reveal itself, so we’ll have to wait and see whether this expensive toilet has the power to breathe new life into the town. One thing is certain, though – it’s certainly helped put Kinashi Station on the map by making headlines, and if you’d like to help support the town, you now know where to stop and do your business.

Sources: Kagawa Prefectural Government, Asahi Shimbun via Yahoo! Japan News (1, 2, 3)
Images: Kagawa Prefectural Government
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Shop ‘till you drop unfortunately becomes shop ‘till you get arrested.

As any hard-core fan can tell you, anime and manga can be a pricey hobby. Sure, the proliferation of video streaming services and digital reader apps mean the content itself is much more affordable than it used to be, but the modern otaku merchandising industry is more robust than ever, with an endless flow of figures, plushies, character standees, and more for fans to covet.

This brings us to a 32-year-old restaurant worker living in Osaka’s Kita Ward, who, in a statement to the police, said “I like anime,” and has the numerical data to back it up. Over a roughly two-year period beginning around October of 2023, she ordered more than 4.3 billion yen (US$27 million) worth of items from manga publisher Shueisha’s Jump Character Store. If you’re wondering how she managed to pay for all that merch on what’s assumedly a modest food service worker’s salary, the answer is that she didn’t.

That’s not to say that the woman, Mayu Yoshida, stole anything. Instead, she placed the orders but never paid for, or took delivery of, the items. She did this through two methods, the first of which involved exploiting Japan’s convenience store prepayment system. For shoppers who either don’t have a credit card or don’t want to carry a balance on it, many online retailers in Japan allow customers to place an order but pay for it at a convenience store, with the seller shipping the item once payment has been confirmed. There’s a limit, though, to how much time is allowed to pass between the order’s placement and payment, after which the order will be cancelled. So Yoshida would order figures, key chains, and other items through the Jump Character Shop, select the convenience store prepayment method, and just never actually go to pay for them. Between 2024 and 2025, she placed orders with a total bill of over 4.3 billion yen this way.

Her second strategy was to order items from the Jump Character Shop and select the cash-on-delivery payment method, wherein the recipient renders payment to the delivery person. In these instances, Yoshida would refuse delivery, and therefore not pay for, the things she’d ordered. It’s unclear what the total value was for the orders she refused delivery of, but you have to wonder if any delivery person got tired of coming to her house again and again.

▼ Please, ma’am, I’m begging you, pay for this one.

As a major online retailer, the Jump Character Store likely has protocols in place to flag orders from shoppers who habitually cancel or refuse delivery of their orders, but Yoshida got around these safeguards by creating 238 different customer accounts and hopping from one to another.

However, just because she wasn’t keeping any of the items without paying for them doesn’t make this a no-harm, no-foul situation. By not paying for the COD items, she also wasn’t paying for the shipping charges, leaving Shueisha with a cumulative bill of approximately 7.5 million yen in fees for items sent to her which then had to be returned. There’re also restocking and order-processing costs involved, all of which were enough for the police to arrest Yoshida on charges of fraudulent obstruction of business, which she has admitted to, on August 4.

The repeated targeting of the Jump Character Store might make it seem like she has a bone to pick with the manga magazine or its publisher, but that’s actually not the case. “I have been feeling stressed from daily life, and I felt a sense of satisfaction and refreshment from ordering items before they sold out,” said Yoshida following her arrest. “I do not have any resentment towards Shueisha.”

A particularly bittersweet aspect to the situation is that Yoshida had previously been a legitimate paying customer with the Jump Character Store, placing her first order in the fall of 2018. Hopefully once her legal situation is sorted out she’ll be able to return to a more responsible form of fandom.

Sources: FNN Prime Online, Jiji, Yomiuri Shimbun
Top image: Pakutaso
Insert image: Pakutaso
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Exclusive to only two wards in Tokyo, this is a must-try drink that’s very hard to get.

We’re always on the lookout for new and unusual convenience store finds in Japan, so when 7-Eleven announced it would be releasing a never-before-seen chilled soup smoothie made with grilled corn, we knew it was something we had to try.

Finding it, however, proved to be more challenging than we’d thought, as it’s currently only available at select 7-Eleven stores in Tokyo’s Chuo and Chiyoda wards. After visiting four stores in Chuo without any luck, we eventually found it at our fifth stop, where a huddle of them were lying in wait like golden treasures, gleaming at us from inside the standing freezer section.

▼ A huddle sounds like a good collective noun for smoothies.

After plucking one out and paying for it at the register, we headed over to the smoothie machine at the counter, where we scanned the barcode on the lid before tearing it off to look inside.

▼ 冷製スープ = Chilled Soup

▼ There, in the cup, we found… actual pieces of grilled corn!

The corn looked good enough to eat right away but we were here to drink it, so we popped the cup into the machine and waited for it to work its magic. With apple and banana puree also in the mix, we were curious to find out what this soup-smoothie fusion would taste like, and when it was ready, we were fascinated by the way the corn had totally disappeared and become liquid, with tiny dark grilled flecks being the only evidence of its existence.

Taking a sip, it was clear that the corn was the star of the show. Coupled with fermented rice bran, made with lactic acid bacteria and yeast for gut health, and oligosaccharides to bring out the richness and sweetness of the vegetable, the corn flavour was sweet, with a subtle smokiness, making it different to the cans of corn potage that usually come to mind when we think of a Japanese-style corn soup.

While corn potage balances sweet and savoury flavours, this variety veers towards sweetness, which is apt seeing as it’s marketed as a smoothie. In fact, as we sipped our way through the drink, we found our taste buds becoming confused over whether this should be classed as a soup or a smoothie, as the grilled vegetable component made us think we were having soup, but the overriding sweetness made us think we were drinking a smoothie.

▼ Despite the addition of fruit puree, the smoothie doesn’t taste fruity at all, making it very different from all the other fresh smoothies at 7-Eleven.

At nearly 500 yen (US$3.19), it’s also one of the most expensive smoothies in the range, and one of the hardest to find, given its very limited availability. Though there’s no word yet on whether the smoothies will expand beyond the two Tokyo wards where it’s currently being sold, this is one of the chain’s most unusual and exciting creations, and well worth trying if you’re able to find it.

As part of 7-Eleven’s latest push to explore unexpected flavour combinations and challenge our expectations of convenience store food, this is a taste odyssey we’re happy to be on, and we can’t wait to see what weird and wonderful places the chain takes us with its next new release.

Images ©SoraNews24
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