Twentythree

We head to a unique restaurant for a harami bowl and a janken match.

It wasn’t all that long ago that you could find lots of restaurants in Japan offering “one-coin” lunches, so called because the meals were priced at 500 yen (US$3.25) or less, with 500 yen being the largest denomination of coin in Japan. With prices rapidly rising, though, one-coin meals are getting harder and harder to find, something that’s making both our wallets and our stomachs very sad.

However, we recently discovered a restaurant in Tokyo where you can not only get a one-coin lunch, but you don’t even need a 500-yen coin, because the place sometimes charges as little as just one yen for lunch!

The restaurant is called BBQ Terrace Nakano, and as the name implies, it’s located in the Nakano neighborhood, about a five-minute walk from Nakano Station on the Chuo train and Tozai subway lines. After heading out the north exit, we strolled partway down the Nakano Sun Mall covered shopping arcade, hung a right and cut down one of the side streets until we got to Fureai Road, then turned left and kept walking for a bit more…

…until we were at the building that houses BBQ Terrace Nakano.

▼ Keep an eye out for this sign.

Now, if you’re wondering if there’s some sort of insidious catch to BBQ Terrace Nakano’s one-yen lunches, like they give you a slice of plain toast and call that a “lunch” before trying to upsell you on all sorts of different expensive side dishes, you can put your mind at ease. The one-yen price is a special offer on weekdays between 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., and is applicable to the restaurant’s BBQ Harami (skirt steak) and BBQ Yakitori (grilled chicken) bowls, which give you the meat, rice, miso soup, and pickles, which are normally priced at 1,200 yen.

That said, there is a challenge you’ll have to complete in order to get these meals for just one yen: you’ll have to defeat the restaurant staff in a game of janken, a.k.a. rock-paper-scissors.

We opted for the harami bowl, and after we placed our order, we sat waiting with our stomach growling and our competitive juices gurgling. It turned out that we’d gotten a bit ahead of ourselves, though, since you do the rock-paper-scissors challenge at the end of your meal, right before paying. In hindsight, this is a smart way to structure the system, since it encourages customers to be accepting of possibly paying 1,200 yen for the meal, making the potential one-yen price feel like a 1,199-yen discount if you’re lucky enough to get it.

And honestly, even for 1,200 yen, this is a pretty attractive spread.

The slices of beef are nice and thick, topped with ito togarashi (shredded red chili pepper) and treated with a soy sauce-based sauce and egg yolk to make it even more moist and flavorful.

It really is an outstanding meal, so much so that we wondered if we’d feel a little guilty if we ended up paying just one yen for it.

But hey, BBQ Terrace Nakano had issued the challenge, and we were going to accept it! Once we were done eating, we headed up to the register, where waiting for us was BBQ Terrace Nakano’s owner himself, who personally takes on all comers in the rock-paper-scissors bouts.

Together, we recited the customary Japanese janken cadence (“Saisho we gu! Janken pa!”) and threw out our opening gambit, paper…

…only to see that the owner had had the same idea! Tying like this is called aiko in Japanese, and you reset by calling out “Aiko desho,” and while we switched tactics to rock…

…BBQ Terrace Nakano’s miscalculated and changed to scissors, giving us the win, and the one-yen price for our lunch!

▼ Though it’s technically the same gesture, at this point our janken rock had transitioned to being a victory fist pump.

▼ The single one-yen coin, worth less than 1 U.S. cent, which we paid for our lunch.

So if you’re feeling lucky, or just very confident in your rock-paper-scissors skill, you can have a great meal at a great price here…but you’ll also need to be quick. Initially, the plan was for BBQ Terrace Nakano’s weekday lunch janken promotion to run only until the end of May, and while the owner says he’s now thinking about extending it farther than that, it probably won’t be around forever.

Restaurant information
BBQ Terrace Nakano / BBQテラス中野
Address: Tokyo-to, Nakano-ku, Nakano 5-50-4, Rikamu Building 4th floor
東京都中野区中野5-50-4　リカムビル4階
Open 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.
Website

Photos ©SoraNews24
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry conducts study to estimate damage to producers of anime and other Japanese media.

With Japanese entertainment media growing in popularity around the world, the Japanese government’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is also growing more concerned about the effects of media piracy overseas. In its latest study of the situation, the ministry claims that damage from piracy has been rapidly increasing, but one of its proposed countermeasures might not really do much to solve the problem.

For its study, the ministry conducted surveys in six foreign countries, including the U.S. and China, regarding “content piracy,” “content” here being a loose term used for entertainment media including anime and digital manga. Based on the results of the surveys, the ministry estimates that 5.7 trillion yen (US$37 billion) worth of Japanese content was pirated overseas in 2025, roughly three times the amount estimated for 2022, the previous iteration of the ministry’s study.

For the 2025 investigation, the ministry also added a new category, estimating the amount of pirated “character goods” that were sold online outside of Japan, such as knockoff and unlicensed figures, posters, plushies, and the like. For this category, the ministry arrived at an estimate of 4.7 trillion yen, brining its total figure for pirated content and knockoff merch to 10.4 trillion yen.

The ministry is framing this as the amount of “damage” caused to the legitimate Japanese media/merchandising industry, which invites consideration of whether pirated media always directly correlates to lost sales revenue. Those of a more lenient viewpoint could argue that if someone pirates content which they weren’t going to pay for anyway, no actual damage has been done, and similar logic could be applied to pirating of Japanese content not available in the country of the pirating party. On the other hand, it’s naive to think that no one is pirating content they would have paid for in the absence of an illicit way to get it for free, and with such a significant amount of Japanese entertainment media now being distributed in major foreign markets in a fairly timely matter, it’d be disingenuous to try to frame piracy as strictly an issue of availability either.

As such, while the actual damage to Japanese rightsholders is likely less than the full 10.4 trillion yen that the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is claiming, it’s also not like there are no negative effects from piracy, and so it’s not surprising that the Japanese government would want to look for ways to address the problem.

However, one of the ideas being floated by the researchers is to promote the use of AI in production to lower costs and secure profits. In addition to sidestepping the root causes of piracy (insufficient legal enforcement and/or local availability), a reliance on lower costs also ignores that a major reason Japanese content, particularly anime, has become so popular around the world is that many foreign fans see it as having a mix of high quality and unique narratives, neither of which are things that AI is particularly good at producing. Leaning on the technology as a method by which to address piracy could end up as a sort of monkey’s paw if, by eroding what makes Japanese entertainment content attractive to audiences in the first place, AI simply turns Japanese-made media into something that’s not worth watching.

Source: TBS News Dig via Livedoor News via Otakomu
Top image: Pakutaso
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

We find out why Japanese social media has gone crazy for this cake.

Starbucks might be famous for its Frappuccinos, but fans of the chain will tell you its cakes are where it’s at. That’s what’s happening right now on Japanese social media, where sweet tooths are raving about the chain’s chocolate terrine. At 540 yen (US$3.40) apiece, this is no cheap slice, but fans say it’s worth the investment, and the calories, so we picked one up to find out if it was worth the hype.

We were immediately captivated by the cake’s decadent appearance, and impressed by how well the thick cream topping sat perfectly atop the slice, even after the 10-minute journey home.

Taking a bite, our fascination deepened, much like the intense chocolate flavour that washed over the palate upon first contact. It was incredibly rich and smooth, melting on the tongue with a deep, lingering taste, and although it wasn’t too sweet it imparted a satisfying feeling of having eaten something sweet, which was a very fine feat.

The mellow aroma of cocoa was deeply present in every mouthful, and we were amazed at how rich and decadent it was without being cloying. Perhaps because of the light aftertaste, it felt substantial yet not too heavy, making it ideal for summer.

According to the rave reviews, what makes the Starbucks chocolate terrine so popular is the way it has a light, melt-in-your-mouth texture that’s pleasant to enjoy, even in summer, and after trying it, we finally understood what that meant.

▼ In this case, the rave reviews are warranted.

Even when we were buying our terrine at Starbucks, we saw a number of other people ordering it as well, so word of its deliciousness is spreading rapidly around Japan.

For a cake that’s gone viral on social media, the chocolate terrine really is worthy of all the praise and attention, so keep an eye out for it next time you’re at Starbucks. It’ll make the perfect partner for this year’s chunky and milky strawberry Frappuccino.

Related: Starbucks Coffee Japan
Images©SoraNews24
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Pikachu and Gyarados invite you to come by for a relaxing soak as Noto town recovers from disaster.

A lot of storylines in the Pokémon anime and video games follow the journeys of Pokémon Trainers as they roam far and wide in search of rare Pocket Monsters as part of their training to become Pokémon Masters. No matter how strong your resolve is to be the very best, though, eventually you’re going to need to take some time to stop and rest along the way. Likewise, if your real-life travels take you to Japan’s Ishikawa Prefecture, there’s now a Pokémon-themed hot spring where you can rejuvenate yourself.

You’ll find this place in the town of Nanao, on the Noto Peninsula. This part of the prefecture is part of the collection of communities called Wakura Onsen, which has a number of onsen (hot spring) inns. Many of these facilities were damaged during a powerful earthquake that struck the peninsula in 2024, but the latest sign of the region’s recovery comes with the completion of renovations to the ashiyu foot bath in Yuttari Park. Earlier this month, the foot bath reopened following renovations, and visitors can now enjoy a soak in the company of several different Pokémon, including Pikachu, Gyarados, Vaporeon, and Psyduck!

The photos of the now-open facility show that the designers have done a fantastic job delivering on the promises of the concept renders. The footbath uses legitimate hot spring water, but unlike with a full-fledged onsen, visitors don’t have to be nude to make use of it. Just slip off your shoes and socks, the slide your feet in. Since you’re not completely submerged, you won’t need anything more than a hand towel or handkerchief to dry yourself off afterwards either, making this equally appealing to those looking for a long soak or sightseers who just want a quick Poké-relaxation session before moving on to the rest of their itinerary (such as tracking down the area’s Pokémon manhole covers). Aside from the obvious appeal of the Pokémon statues and murals, the foot bath also faces out onto the waters of the bay adjacent to the park, so you get some beautiful natural scenery to admire as well.

And as cool as the place is, it won’t cost you a single yen to use. Wakura Pokémon Footbath is completely free, and is open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Location information
Wakura Pokémon Footbath / わくらポケモン足湯
Address: Ishikawa-ken, Nanao-shi, Wakuramachi Hibari 1-1
石川県七尾市和倉町ひばり1丁目1番地
Open 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

Source, images: PR Times
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

KFC set out to recreate the image of three parts of the U.S. in sandwich form, and it looks like they hit at least one bullseye.

People in Japan are well aware that KFC originated in the U.S. Seeing as how Kentucky doesn’t get a lot of international tourists or pop culture attention, though, very few Japanese people have any strong impression of Kentucky Fried Chicken’s home state, to the extent that most Japanese people call KFC itself simply “Kentucky.”

So for the trio of sandwiches KFC Japan is adding to its menu, collectively named “The American Burgers,” they’re picked three other parts of the U.S. for their themes, saying that they want for them to be edible expressions of the image of America. That might sound like a challengingly abstract goal, but they might have nailed it with their Las Vegas “burger.”

I’ve put “burger” in quotes since it usually implies a sandwich with a either a ground meat patty or a bun, but the Las Vegas Style Double Down Fillet Burger has neither. Instead, it’s a pair of boneless fried chicken pieces being used to sandwich onion rings, a cheddar cheese slice, what appears to be a large dollop of mayonnaise, and a drizzle of barbecue glaze. KFC Japan describes the combined effect as “a guilty flavor,” and it absolutely looks like the sort of extravagant decadence one would wallow in while visiting Vegas, right down to the inevitable soul-searching self-questioning “Should I really have done that?” afterwards.

The other two members of the The American Burgers trio are less likely to trigger a review of your life choices, though they’re both definitely heavyweight meal options too. Picture above, the New York Style Onion Ring Fillet Burger scales itself back to one piece of boneless fried chicken and has a bun, but does keep the onion rings and cheddar cheese. The other key ingredient here is a garlic sauce which KFC boasts combines the umami properties of bacon and onion, with the goal of the sandwich, KFC Japan says, being to to deliver a hearty meal evocative of a New York diner.

And last, there’s the Texas Style Spicy Avocado Filet Burger. This one ditches the New York sandwich’s onion rings and garlic sauce, and instead gives you a diced avocado filling. This is sort of an unusual choice, linguistically/geographically speaking, since in America a burger with avocado is usually called a “California burger.” KFC Japan says the avocado filling is inspired by guacamole, but with an extra spicy kick added to it, and that Texas was chosen for the name as a symbol of guacamole’s popularity across the southern U.S.

With guacamole being at least as popular in California as it is in Texas, and having been introduced to the U.S. via Mexico, the “Texas” theming still feels a little off, and while New York is famous for its delis, it’s not necessarily any more known for diners than other large American city. Still, full marks to KFC Japan for capturing the excitement-to-potential-regret roller coaster of a Vegas bender in sandwich form.

The New York and Texas American Burgers are both priced at 580 yen (US$3.75), while the Vegas one is for higher-rollers at 790 yen. They’ll all be on sale for a limited time at KFC Japan branches starting May 27.

Source: KFC Japan via Shokuhin Sangyo Shimbunsha via Kinisoku
Images: KFC Japan
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

A victory for freedom of eats.

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party has been hard at work drafting a bill to criminalize desecration of the Japanese flag. It’s apparently a pressing matter, even though I’ve never seen anyone do anything bad to a flag before. In fact, I rarely see the flag used much at all, good or bad. But it’s perhaps in anticipation of continuing protests to the current administration’s efforts to roll back the pacifist elements of the constitution that they feel this is a priority.

There has been a lot of discussion about the specific details of this law as it rubs up against people’s freedom of expression. One major point is what exactly constitutes the national flag of Japan. Especially since it’s just a red circle on a white background, I could drop some spaghetti sauce on my shirt and end up wearing the flag. So, how is it legally different from a real flag?

According to the latest revision of the bill, the flag is defined as generally made of cloth or paper, primarily displayed on poles as a sign or decoration, and usable in real society. This means the Japanese flags in the virtual world are fair game, which is great news for my upcoming smartphone game Flag Blaster 3000.

But where does that leave those little toothpick flags that restaurants in Japan stick in the potato salad or rice of kids’ meals? They’re made of paper, displayed as a decoration, and used in society.

▼ The countries are usually randomly given out, so there’s only a small chance of getting a Japanese flag a lot of the time.

Since they technically fit the legal definition of a flag, the makers of the bill decided to explicitly exclude kids’ meal flags from the law. This means you wouldn’t have to worry about getting in trouble with the law if you attacked some ketchup rice extra hard and made a mess of your flag. Another exemption involves flags depicted in paintings. That being said, destroying other people’s paintings can land you in a whole other spot of trouble.

Online commenters have been less than happy that this is what the government is choosing to spend its time on when so many other things in the country seems to be getting less and less bearable.

“This is what they’re discussing?”
“They can’t seriously be spending time on kids’ meal flags.”
“Just ignoring all of our other anxieties.”
“Didn’t they recently say they didn’t have time to discuss same-sex marriage or separate surnames?”
“I should get a tattoo of the flag. Then no one will hurt me.”
“Just copy whatever they do in France and get it done with.”
“When I was a kid, I used to carefully save my kids’ meal flag and take it home. I’d usually forget all about it 10 minutes after that.”

The draft bill also includes a provision that freedom of expression should be considered when pressing charges. According to the wording, artistic expression, such as live-action films, using real national flags as props would be exempt if considered socially acceptable.

That last part about being “considered socially acceptable” is still a matter of contention in the bill, since it is greatly open to interpretation. I think we can all agree that Godzilla torching the flag with its atomic breath is completely acceptable because that big lug just doesn’t know any better. But if King Kong hurls a colossal turd at one, the issue becomes much less black and white.

Hopefully, they get this all sorted out soon, and maybe go back to working on things like how no one can afford stuff anymore, and why we can’t even secure the resources to make colored bags of potato chips.

Source: Mainichi Shimbun, Hachima Kiko
Photos ©SoraNews24
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Outer Senshi join their anime/manga magical girl sisters on the streets of Minato Ward.

Sailor Moon features some pretty fantastical settings, with much of its mythos involving ancient kingdoms on the moon and antagonists hailing from even farther reaches of the cosmos. However, most of the series takes place in Minato, one the actual wards of real-world Tokyo, where Usagi and her friends live, go to school, and fight many of the manga/anime’s monsters of the week,

So a while back, Minato Ward decided to celebrate the connection by installing Sailor Moon manhole covers featuring artwork of Sailors Moon, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus. As fans will be quick to point out, though, that’s actually only half the series’ roster of magical girls. As time went on, creator Naoko Takeuchi added new heroines to the cast, and now Minato Ward is adding new Sailor Moon manhole covers to its streets.

Out of the first five covers, four featured the Inner Sailor Senshi (Moon, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus), while power couple Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask shared the fifth. The two new designs will both once again feature the Inner Senshi, but they’ll be joined by the Outer Senshi, Sailors Pluto, Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn, as well as disruptive and divisive time-traveler Sailor Chibi Moon.

The first of the new manhole covers has the fully assembled Senshi standing amidst the branches of a cherry blossom tree with the sakura in full bloom. It was installed towards the end of March in Minato Ward’s Roppongi district, specifically on the Roppongi 7-4-2 block, not far from the Tokyo Midtown shopping and entertainment complex.

The second new Sailor Moon cover, the seventh overall, will also show all 10 Sailor Senshi, this time with a pastel rainbow color scheme to the background. But while we know what it’ll look like, Minato Ward is keeping its location a secret for now, and will only be publicizing where to find it after it’s been installed.

Minato Ward is keeping the exact timetable under wraps too, but the Sailor Moon official website says that the rainbow Sailor Moon cover should be in place by the end of this month. And if you’re looking for even more crossovers between anime artwork and public infrastructure, don’t forget about the new Pokémon manhole covers in a part of Japan that’s looking to bounce back from a natural disaster.

Source: Minato Ward, Sailor Moon official website
Images: Minato Ward
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!