Twentythree

Japan’s only Starbucks on a bullet train platform now has faster ways for passengers to get their coffee before boarding.

Starbucks Japan has announced the reopening of its Shinkansen platform store at JR Shin-Yokohama Station on 24 June, following a temporary closure for renovations that began at the end of April.

Operated by JR Central Retailing Plus, the store first opened in November last year as a new style of Starbucks based around a “Brewed to Go” concept. Designed to deliver a premium coffee experience to customers from the moment they begin their bullet train journeys, the store turned out to be more popular than expected, revealing opportunities for improvement that prompted it to close temporarily for renovations.

As the only Starbucks on a Shinkansen platform, the store quickly became popular with coffee-loving commuters. However, with only one touchscreen ordering terminal, longer-than anticipated queues formed, making it an inconvenient pitstop for travellers on a tight train schedule.

▼ The store, as it looked in December last year.

Image©SoraNews24

Following the refurbishment, Starbucks says it has now improved its ordering process, introduced original Starbucks equipment designed to increase coffee brewing speed, and strengthened store operations. With two touchscreen ordering terminals instead of one, the company says the renewed store is now equipped to provide customers with a more streamlined coffee experience as they set off on their journeys.

▼ The revamped store, following the two-month refurbishment.

Another noticeable improvement at the store is the introduction of the chain’s latest brewing machine, Clover Vertica, which has been independently developed by Starbucks and is gradually being rolled out at regular stores. The machine grinds coffee beans for each individual cup, allowing customers to enjoy “freshly brewed coffee with a rich aroma”.

Like before, customers place their orders through the touchscreen terminals and pay with cashless payment methods – transport IC cards, electronic money, credit cards and QR code payments – but now there’s the added option of mobile ordering. By using the mobile ordering system, customers can place their order and pay before even arriving at the store, helping ensure their drinks and snacks are ready in time for their train departure. Starbucks Cards can’t currently be used at the touchscreen terminals, but can be used through mobile ordering.

Starbucks employees will continue to be on hand to add a personal touch to customers’ journeys by creating a welcoming experience at the store. As for the menu, the options remain unchanged, with several varieties of brewed coffee, in hot and iced versions, being the main focus, along with light snacks such as cookies.

You can pick up a tall brewed coffee, hot or iced, for 437 yen (US$3). Made using high-quality Arabica coffee beans carefully selected from coffee-growing regions around the world, this classic coffee allows customers to “explore the company’s coffee journey through a variety of flavours”.

The Chocolate Chunk Cookie (236 yen) is one of the standouts on the light food menu. Packed with large chunks of chocolate, this cookie offers a rich chocolate flavour in every bite, with fragrant buttery notes creating a satisfying snack, with or without a side of coffee.

While some might see the temporary closure of the Shinkansen store as a setback for the chain, it’s actually an admirable move for Starbucks to identify areas for improvement and make changes when needed. After all, with speed being a primary concern at this branch, where customers need to get their coffees as quickly as the train they are about to board, there’s no time for delays.

Source, images: Press release unless otherwise stated
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Nook Inc. takes part in delicious new business venture.

Baskin-Robbins Japan’s Dragon Quest promotion is down to its last few days, with the series’ Slime mascot set to shuffle off to Yoshinoya soon. Sweets fans don’t need to feel too bad about this, though, as some other adorable characters will be taking up temporary residence at Baskin-Robbins thanks to a collaboration with Nintendo’s Animal Crossing!

Baskin-Robbins has teamed up with Nintendo before, but this is their first-ever Animal Crossing crossover. To mark the occasion, the ice cream chain has created a brand-new flavor, Animal Crossing Summer Island Feast.

Taking its colorful design cues from the game’s vibrant environments, Summer Island Feast is a mix of pear, apple, and Ramune (citrus apple cider) ice cream, respectively representing the green forests, sandy beaches, and sparkling seas of Animal Crossing’s geography. Also part of the ingredient lineup are little candy fish, ready to bring back memories of Animal Crossing’s extensive fishing mini game system.

▼ A single regular-sized scoop of Summer Island Feast is 420 yen (US$2.60), but if you’re hungry enough for a second flavor too, Baskin-Robbins recommends pairing it with musk melon or its perennially popular Popping Shower.

You don’t necessarily have to be in the mood for the fruity flavors of the Summer Island Feast to get in on the Animal Crossing fun, though. There’s also the Animal Crossing Double Cup, which gets you two scoops of whatever ice cream you want inside a cup decorated with illustrations of the game’s cast (510 for small scoops, 760 for regular-size).

Off course, when there are opportunities for new ventures, you have to expect Nook Inc. to take notice, right? The Nook Inc. Special Double Cup is a little pricier (680 yen for small or 930 for regular), but it comes with a cute rubber spoon strap of enterprising tanuki Timmy and Tommy.

The charm comes clipped to a loop that you can slide over a pen or pencil so you can enjoy their company even at times when, tragically, you’re not eating ice cream, and you can also take the charm completely off the loop and instead clip it to your bag or elsewhere.

If you want to go full-sundae with your desserts, there are two to choose from, starting with the Present Box Single Sundae. 820 yen gets you a small scoop of your choice of ice cream, covered with whipped cream and sprinkles and with an Animal Crossing item icon chocolate. All that comes served in a container modeled after the game’s in-game air-drop present boxes which can be rinsed out when you’re done eating and reused to store small items in, and plastic figures of K.K. Slider and Isabelle sweeten the deal.

Or you can step up to the Nighttime Island Double Sundae (1,350 yen), two small scoops served in a cup with konpeito (Japanese sugar candies) and chocolates representing star fragments and other celestial bodies.

Owl siblings Blathers and Celeste and here too, and representing the spookier side of after-sundown Animal Crossing is Wisp. If you find yourself feeling a chill form Wisp, it’s not just because he’s a ghost, because this one is also a reusable cooling gel pack, with a strap so that you can attach it to a bento lunch box or other items you want to keep chilled this summer.

Even Gulliver the seagull gets a salute with the Gulliver Washed Ashore Soda (620), a fizzy ice cream float that, judging from its blue color, it probably Ramune-like in flavor.

Rounding out the festivities are various Animal Crossing-themed party boxes for large ice cream takeout orders…

…including an Animal Crossing Special Set with eight scoops and a drawstring Bell Bag (3,000 yen for small-size scoops, 3,500 yen for regular)…

…and, finally, an Animal Crossing Ice Cream Cake (3,900 yen).

The Baskin-Robbins Japan/Animal Crossing collaboration kicks off July 1 and is scheduled to run until the end of the month, but odds are the spoon charms and cooling packs are going to sell out quickly, so fans will want to take this opportunity to do an ice cream run ASAP.

Source, images: PR Times
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Falsifying a relationship status can land you with a massive bill.

Romance is a beautiful thing: two strangers creating a bond that will tie them together for a lifetime of love and joy. Sadly, not every relationship endures, whether it be due to simply having different goals in life or being subjected to your partner’s dishonesty. In Japan, romantic deception can result in more than just tears, actually landing you in a civil court and facing a huge lawsuit, and a recent case demonstrates just how expensive how romantic falsehoods can get.

On June 23, the Tokyo District Court ordered a married man to pay over 4.6 million yen (US$28,400) in damages for practicing what is known locally as dokushin giso, or “fake singlehood”. According to the case details, a woman in her 30s dated the man in question for about two years under the false premise that he was a single divorcé, after being introduced through friends. In fact, the relationship had reached such a serious stage that the couple had already undergone fertility treatment together, which ultimately resulted in a pregnancy.

▼ How do you even explain this to your future child?

However, despite the man claiming he had decided to marry the woman after two months of dating and filling out a marriage registration form, it was eventually found out that he was still married. After the pregnancy advanced, and with no further signs of progression towards marriage, she eventually became suspicious and confronted him, leading to his confession that he was not divorced and already had children. The woman, who later gave birth, joined her parents in filing a lawsuit seeking a hefty 19 million yen in compensation. According to the Japan Civil Code (Articles 709 and 710), anyone who intentionally or negligently infringes upon another person’s rights is legally liable to compensate for the resulting damages, which can include mental distress and emotional suffering.

In fake singlehood cases like this, the court rules that lying about being single infringes upon a person’s teisoken, or the legal right to sexual autonomy and the freedom to choose a romantic partner. As this is a violation of civil rights rather than a criminal law, a person can’t actually face any criminal charges or jail time for purporting singlehood. No money or property has changed hands, so it doesn’t fall under the umbrella of “fraud”, nor is it considered to be a sexual offense, which means that police don’t have any room for prosecution. However, in lieu of a criminal record, the civil courts are more than happy to drain the bank account of the person in question.

While the man admitted to the lie in court, his defense was pretty casual, claiming that he was considering a divorce when they met. As time went on, the relationship just “continued aimlessly” because he missed the right timing to break it off. This didn’t go over too well with the court, with them ruling in the favor of the deceived partner.

▼ “There was never a good time.”

The story may not end up coming to a conclusion there, either, because there is another party to this whole debacle: the betrayed spouse. In Japan, though it is rare, if someone has an affair, the partner can sue the one who committed the affair for emotional distress under the same articles of the Civil Code for disrupting the legal peace of the marriage, which could see him paying up even more. The spouse could also potentially go after the woman her husband cheated on her with, depending on how distressed or vindictive she’s feeling.

So, if you’re ever considering dating in Japan, it pays to be completely honest about your circumstances, since thinking “just one little lie couldn’t possibly hurt anyone” could result in you paying a lot more than you were expecting in compensation.

Source: Nitele News via Livedoor News
Top image: Pakutaso
Insert images: Pakutaso (1, 2)
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Little kids are not allowed to play the death game inspired by Alice in Borderland at one of Japan’s favorite theme parks.

Many would say that Japan’s Huis Ten Bosch theme park, located in Nagasaki Prefecture, is more about the atmosphere than the attractions. Inspired by the Dutch royal palace of the same name, Huis Ten Bosch doesn’t have any roller coasters, and it’s instead better known for its elegant architecture, beautiful flowers, and picturesque canals, some of which can be seen in the photo above.

But even if there aren’t any conventional thrill rides at Huis Ten Bosch, there’ll soon be a way to get your heart pumping very quickly, as later this summer the park is planning to add an immersive death game to its offerings.

That’s Huis Ten Bosch’s own choice of words, too, as it’s unveiled the Alice in Borderland Immersive Death Game. Inspired by the live-action Alice in Borderland Netflix series, itself in turn inspired by the original manga and its brief OVA anime adaptation, Huis Ten Bosch says it will be preparing a “thoroughly unreasonable” game of survival. Participants will be faced with relentless and unescapable pressure as the games they play compel them to toy with and betray one another in a 30-minute-long battle of wits.

As for what really makes this immersive? Before the game starts, a “bomb collar” is strapped to each and every player’s neck.

Make a mistake, and the collar goes off!

Now, the promotional images seem to imply that there’s no actual incendiary detonation, and it looks like instead you’ll get a blast of smoke to inform you of your death. Still, it looks like a nerve-racking, intensely unsettling piece of equipment to wear, and most likely causes a burst of mental shock when it goes off. As such, Huis Ten Bosch says that children under the age of 15 are prohibited from participating in the death game.

The indoor Alice in Borderland Immersive Death Game is set to open on August 27. There’s no additional fee beyond the park’s regular admission price to play, but due to expected demand it’s recommended to go get a timed-entry pass for the attraction early in the day (details for the passes are yet to be announced). The park’s extra-fee Express Pass, meanwhile, will get you in more quickly.

Huis Ten Bosch has actually been moving to add more exciting attractions to its lineup recently. This past spring was the debut of an Evangelion motion theater ride, and next year the park will be opening its very first roller coaster. If you’re looking for more peaceful ways to spend the day, though, don’t worry, as Huis Ten Bosc still has its Miffy Wonder Square…

…where you can play with the Netherlands’ beloved rabbit character, with no bomb collars in sight.

Related: Huis Ten Bosch official website
Source: PR Times
Top image: PR Times
Insert images: PR Times. Huis Ten Bosch (1, 2)
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Sure, they may be messy in the anime, but these Ghibli Soot Sprites will help you keep your real-world paperwork tidy.

It’s honestly impressive how iconic and universally recognized the standard paper clip design is. Not only will just about anyone immediately be able to mentally picture what you’re talking about if you say “paper clip shape,” there’s probably no other set of words that would reliably work as a description of that style of twisted wire.

But just because that shape is iconic doesn’t mean it’s the only way to clip papers together. What if, for instance, you made a paper clip that looks like a Soot Sprite from My Neighbor Totoro?

Actually, Studio Ghibli specialty store Donguri Kyowakoku didn’t stop at designing just one paper clip in the image of the anime critters, but four of them. Plus just like how Soot Sprites appear in big bunches in the movie, so too do these clips come in a pack, with two of each version.

Officially, these are called the Makkurokurosuke Clips, makkuro being the Japanese word for “pitch black” and “-suke” being a common ending to men’s names in Japan. Rather than the oblong dimensions of a typical paperclip, these guys are roughly circular, with the Soot Sprites attached at the end of a prong that you can slide over one side of the paper while the outer rim presses against the other.

That unique construction also means that the Soot Sprites have artistic-looking frames around them, and the aesthetics are nice enough that they can actually work pretty well as decorations for your work or study space, even if you don’t have any documents that need organizing at the moment.

The eight-clip set also includes a case to keep them in, with “Come on out, Makkurokurosuke!” written in Japanese on the lid.

The Soot Sprite Clip Set is priced at 1,540 yen (US$9.60) and can be ordered through the Donguri Kyowakoku online store here.

Source, images: Donguri Kyowakoku
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One of our writers seeks to redeem himself at this all-you-can-eat gyoza deal for 2,000 yen (US$12.40).

Just two months ago, our Japanese-language reporters P.K. Sanjun and Ahiruneko challenged themselves to see if Mister Donut’s 2,000-yen all-you-can-eat donut buffet deal was worth it or not. While both of them came out ahead, Ahiruneko was seriously close to being KO’d with a food coma. Enough time has passed since then that the pair were ready to take on a new challenge with all-you-can-eat gyoza.

▼ P.K. (left) and Ahiruneko (right)

Shibuya Gyoza’s 2,000-yen all-you-can-eat gyoza deal (time limit: 2 hours) was the subject of this next test as they wanted to see if the price was justified. A single serving size there costs 350 yen, so they’d get their money’s worth if they could each finish the equivalent of six servings.

Out of the three locations of Shibuya Gyoza in the Tokyo area, our writers headed to the one in Nishishinjuku on a weekday lunch for this challenge.

They could choose from pan-fried gyoza, boiled gyoza, and deep-fried gyoza, with each serving containing five gyoza. Perhaps in an effort to rile them up, a staff member mentioned that a customer had once eaten 200 gyoza during a single visit.

For his part, Ahiruneko was brimming with confidence as they sat down. He claimed that the fact that gyoza aren’t sweet should make this one easy for him. Let’s see if he’ll eat his gyoza–or his words–this time.

He was so confident, in fact, that they collectively ordered six servings of pan-fried gyoza (30 total), three servings of boiled gyoza (15 total), and one serving of deep-fried gyoza (five total) right off the bat.

All of them were solid entries. The pan-fried gyoza in particular were fried to the perfect level of crispiness, and their thin wrappers resulted in a fairly light feeling.

On the other hand, the boiled dumplings had more markedly pronounced wrappers that screamed “CARBS!” They were smooth and went down easily, but they were the kind that you could definitely feel starting to accumulate in your stomach.

The challenge was proceeding swimmingly as they slowly but steadily cleared the plates. They even ordered another four servings of pan-fried gyoza to save time while finishing the first round. P.K. in particular was feeling very confident of the ensuing victory to come.

…That is, until he noticed his hands beginning to slow down.

Ahiruneko, meanwhile, seemed to be completely frozen. He was muttering something incomprehensible with a blank look in his eyes. P.K. leaned in to hear him better.

▼ “It’s so weird because I can usually eat more at home…”

▼ “I always make 100 of them at home!”

▼ “Maybe the ones at home are a little bit smaller…LOL”

Sheesh. P.K. had no time for his excuses. He just wanted them to destroy all of the evidence.

By the time the second round arrived, Ahiruneko’s hands had completely stopped moving. P.K. estimated that out of the 50 or so gyoza they’d eaten so far, the ratio of ones he had eaten versus Ahiruneko was 3:2. He was irritated to see him playing around on his phone instead of eating…only to then learn that he had ordered a draft beer.

Ahiruneko claimed that because gyoza and beer are a match made in heaven, he would be able to eat even more by washing them down with the drink. He chugged some down and P.K. looked on in eager anticipation.

But afterwards, Ahiruneko only stared blankly at his plate. What was with that earlier display of bravado?!

In the end, P.K. took the lead and managed to polish off most of the remaining gyoza by himself before throwing in the towel. They had collectively cleared 14 servings, meaning that it was a savings of 450 yen per person.

Leaving the restaurant, P.K. couldn’t even feel how full he was–he was too focused on how full of baloney his coworker was. He fears that Ahiruneko’s blankly staring face will haunt his memory for the rest of his life. Ahiruneko will now have a very uphill battle if he ever wants to truly redeem himself in all of his big-eater coworkers‘ eyes.

Restaurant information
Shibuya Gyoza Shinjuku West Exit branch / 渋谷餃子 新宿西口店
Address: Tokyo-to, Shinjuku-ku, Nishishinjuku 1-15-8 Atlas Nishishinjuku Building 2nd floor
東京都新宿区西新宿 1-15-8 アトラス西新宿ビル 2F
Open: 11:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m. (weekdays), 12 p.m.-11:30 p.m. (Saturdays), 12 p.m.-11 p.m. (Sundays)

Photos © SoraNews24
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