Twentythree

Shadow warrior test includes a written exam, with marks given for shuriken throwing and ninja attire.

On 14 June, 131 aspiring modern-day ninjas descended on Koka City in Shiga Prefecture to test their ninja prowess by taking a special ninja certification test. Known as the Koka-ryu Ninja Certification, with “Koka-ryu” meaning “Koka School”, the exam is divided into three levels – beginner, intermediate, and advanced – and includes written questions as well as marks for shuriken throwing and ninja attire.

For the 18th iteration of the exam this year, participants came from across Japan and even overseas, including Singapore and Hong Kong. With ages ranging from 9 to 76, there were 93 beginner-level candidates, 28 intermediate, and 10 advanced candidates, all of whom diligently worked through each stage of the test.

While all three test levels consist of a written exam, beginner-level test takers were given extra points for wearing a ninja costume, and also took a shuriken-throwing test.

▼ Some of the day’s activities can be seen in this report.

Intermediate candidates faced a more advanced written test, requiring a deeper understanding of Koka ninja history and traditions, and for the advanced level, participants submitted a separate written report in addition to taking the exam. As the Koka Ninja Research Association who runs the test hasn’t revealed details of the submission method, we have to assume that it didn’t involve an actual ninja scroll.

When asked what prompted them to take the exam, many attendees expressed a long-held interest in ninja culture and Koka itself, which is revered by enthusiasts for being the birthplace of ninjutsu. The Koga clan who lived in the area over 500 years ago were known for their elite shadow warrior skills, and it’s a culture that the Koka Ninja Research Association aims to keep alive by holding the test every year.

Judging by the test results, with the pass rate for beginners being 90 percent, intermediate 70 percent, and advanced 55 percent, it’s a culture that is steadily being kept alive, and if Japan ever needs to call on a team of modern-day shadow warriors, they now have a pool of people to pick from.

Sources: TBS, NHK, Chunichi, @Press via Yahoo! News Japan
Featured image: @Press
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If you need a break from the noise in your life, this Koenji cafe is waiting for you.

In Tokyo you’re never very far away from a convenience store or vending machine, so going to a cafe to have a drink is about more than just quenching your thirst. It’s about enjoying the atmosphere of a cozy or stylish space, and while some people might see that as conducive to lively conversation, others prefer a place that offers peaceful relaxation conducive to contemplation, and for those in the latter group, there’s R Zadokushokan.

早番報告
外がしっとりした空気になってきて、水槽の音がいつもよりお店のと馴染んでいるような気がします。
窓から少し入る風が心地よくてしっとりしている中で少しさらさらしたような気持ちになれます。

一人立ちしたての新人スタッフですが、空気の質を細かくとらえてくれてます

13:00空席7 pic.twitter.com/bxVwP0R15e

— 読書喫茶室 アール座読書館 (@rzadokushokan) April 29, 2026

Located in Tokyo’s Koenji neighborhood, The “Zadokushokan” part of R Zadokushokan’s name translates to “sitting and reading building,” and the place has the vibes of a classy reading room.

空気報告→ふかふかの毛布に包まれているような雰囲気です

店主:心身を深く緩めることが出来ると、そんな心持ちになれます

20:30 空席5 pic.twitter.com/15MncEDHXP

— 読書喫茶室 アール座読書館 (@rzadokushokan) May 14, 2026

But what really makes R Zadokushokan unique is that the cafe explicitly asks customers to “please refrain from long conversations.” So while walking across the threshold doesn’t mean you’ve committed to a monastery-like vow of silence, it does mean that customers agree to keep their chitchat at a minimum. Aside from a few words exchanged between customers and staff when ordering, and the occasional sounds of the city outside that seep through the walls and windows, the only things you’ll be hearing are ambient sounds like the burbling of the water pump for the cafe’s aquarium or the soft mechanical click as its electric fan gently turns back and forth.

アール座読書館、エセルの中庭ではアルバイトの応募を随時受付けております。
※募集のタイミングで選考が行われます。

曜日固定 週2〜3日程度

ご興味ある方はスタッフまでお声がけ下さい。
折返し仕事内容や選考についてご説明致します。

内容詳細→https://t.co/PrsYPfe7Jd pic.twitter.com/OFNFO1fOT2

— 読書喫茶室 アール座読書館 (@rzadokushokan) May 9, 2026

Our ace reporter Mr. Sato isn’t exactly a regular customer at R Zadokushokan, but he’s visited more than a few times, and recently stopped by one again. Mr. Sato spends most of his days chasing down trends as he looks for weird and wonderful things to write about, and when he’s on the move he’s pretty much always listening to music through earphones stuck in his ears. It’s exciting and all, but after a while that sort of sensory overload can start to saturate his cerebrum, and when he feels that sensation coming on he makes a detour to R Zadokushokan.

R Zadokushokan doesn’t have rules banning the use of smartphones or laptops (as long as they’re not emitting noise from their speakers). Even without any such formal policy, though, Mr. Sato feels like electronic devices would be sort of a mismatch for this atmosphere, and so when he visits he goes old-school in his musings, writing down his thoughts and drafting articles with pen and paper.

Being here, Mr. Sato’s thinking process starts to slow down, but it becomes clearer too. Yes, writing this way takes more time than typing, but when he’s at this cafe, speed isn’t his goal. He’s looking for a place where he can think deeply and thoroughly, and he doesn’t want to waste the opportunity to find meaningfully expressive words by rushing though his search for them.

With each line his pen leaves on the paper, Mr. Sato feels like he’s clearing away the unwanted, unnecessary distractions from his mind, and transferring what he really wants to say onto the page. That sensation of the world coming into sharper focus by stepping away from both the literal and mental noise that so often surrounds us is why he keeps coming back to R Zadokushokan, and why he recommends it to anyone looking for the same sensory reset.

Cafe information
R Zadokushokan / アール座読書館
Address: Tokyo-to, Suginami-ku, Koenji Minami 3-57-6
東京都杉並区高円寺南3丁目57-6
Open noon-10 p.m.
Closed Mondays
Twitter

Photos ©SoraNews24
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Our writer’s scheme to keep the birds off his balcony backfires in a spectacularly birdbrained way.

As one might expect from someone with the kanji for “bird” (鳥) in his name, our Japanese-language reporter Go Hatori (GO羽鳥) likes birds and enjoys watching all of their funny antics. However, just like how family members can quarrel, recently he’s been hearing a couple of lovey-dovey pigeons cooing on his balcony that leave behind a few too many droppings after one of their dates. This simply would not do for Go, who prides himself in keeping a spotlessly clean living space.

He’s already tried placing a device outside which emits ultrasonic waves that are supposed to repel pigeons, but it was a massive failure. For his next strategy, he purchased a plastic crow figure for 999 yen (US$6.24) on Amazon Japan that should scare away pigeons, crows, and other birds.

  ▼ If you’ve ever seen the large-billed species of crow that lives in Japan, you know that they are not ones to be messed with.

It was lighter than it looked, at only 200 grams (7.05 ounces), which made it ideal for hanging up or standing upright.

At 38 x 12 x 23 centimeters (15 x 4.7 x 9.1 inches), it was a decently sized corvid creation as well.

Go played around with where to place the crow on his balcony–such as on one of his planters–so that the pigeons would see it and be spooked away.

He also didn’t want it to be too conspicuous where it might get in his way, so he settled on subtle places that would make you go, “Oh, it’s a crow!” if you saw it.

This tactic certainly worked well on himself whenever he stepped onto the balcony without thinking and then did himself a startle.

Just when he was starting to think that maybe the product’s description should include scaring off one “Go Hatori,” he heard something–but it was different than the usual “coo coos” he hears. He peeked outside and spotted some kind of bird in the branches of one of his plants.

  ▼ Top arrow: mystery bird, bottom arrow: crow figure

It was a juvenile white-cheeked starling, called mukudori in Japanese, chilling like a feathered villain.

It seemed to have arrived with its parent and was taking a quick rest.

That didn’t stop it from winging it a bit.

The parent was now nowhere in sight, so it was probably waiting for its return. Maybe the crow figure was babysitting…?

Go couldn’t help it–he thought it was cute. It reminded him of a preschooler eagerly waiting to be picked up at school.

The little guy probably appreciated having a place to hide among the leaves while waiting.

So while the jury’s still out on whether the plastic crow has taken care of Go’s pigeon problem or not, it appears that it has actually invited another species of avian to his balcony. Maybe he should just give up at this point and recognize that all birds of a feather should flock together–either that, or it’s time to break out his batting cage on the balcony to scare them off.

All images © SoraNews24
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Convenience store range strips everything back to basics, including the rice balls.

Just last month, Calbee, Japan’s leading snack manufacturer, announced it would be switching to black-and-white printing on its potato chip packages due to a shortage of naphtha, an oil-derived component used in the production of solvents and resins to make printing inks. Ever since then, consumers have been keeping their eyes peeled to see if the naphtha shortage, caused by tensions in the Middle East, would be draining the colour from any other products in the marketplace. So when 7-Eleven announced it would be launching a new range of onigiri rice balls in plain packaging, using only black, white, and silver ink, people were quick to make the connection.

However, 7-Eleven says the simple new black, white and silver design is simply to reduce packaging costs and help keep prices down for the company and the consumer. It also aligns with the ethos surrounding the new rice balls, which focuses on simplicity by completely stripping them of seaweed, allowing customers to fully appreciate the texture, aroma and sweetness of every grain of rice.

Taking a closer look at the range, it goes by the name “Gin Shari Musubi”, where “gin shari” (literally “silver rice”) refers to premium white rice, and “musubi”, a word often used interchangeably with “onigiri”, evokes a more refined sensibility. The simple paper packaging certainly gives the lineup a different look to the chain’s regular rice balls, but one downside that some people have been pointing out is it’s hard to tell the difference between the varieties.

▼ Tuna Mayonnaise (160 yen [US$0.99])

▼ Grilled Salmon (181 yen)

▼ Spicy Pollock Roe (181 yen)

▼ Pickled Plum (160 yen)

▼ Kelp in Soy Sauce (160 yen)

▼ Salted Rice Ball (146 yen)

▼ By comparison, most 7-Eleven rice balls are sold in packages that look like these.

While 7-Eleven openly admits it’s reduced the number of ink colours used on the packaging in the new range, it’s staying mum on whether any other factors contributed to the direction of the design. With companies reviewing their costs now more than ever, though, it remains likely that the naphtha shortage played at least a small part in the decision to go ahead with the stripped-back design. Still, if it reduces costs, safeguards against potential future risks, and ensures we’re able to get a consistent supply of rice balls whenever we stop by a 7-Eleven, then personally, we don’t mind the new-look design.

Source: 7-Eleven Japan via FNN via Hachima Kikou
Featured image: 7-Eleven Japan
Insert images: 7-Eleven Japan, ©SoraNews24
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There’s one unique feature that makes this Tokyo sweet so sought after. 

While some Japanese sweets have attracted global attention, for the most part ohagi is yet to be discovered by overseas tourists. This traditional sweet consists of sweet pounded rice balls, made with mochigome (glutinous rice), and anko (sweetened red bean paste), and it’s a combination that many locals find irresistible, including our very own reporter P.K. Sanjun, who’s always on the hunt to find the most delicious ones Tokyo has to offer. So when he heard about a hugely popular shop where the ohagi reportedly sells out before noon, he knew he had to make the trip out to Hatanodai, where it was located.

▼ Ohagi

His destination was a rice specialty store called Okita Seimai, so quality glutinous rice looked certain to be on the cards. Plus, the store has been around since the Taisho era (1912-1926), proving its popularity with customers.

▼ The shop is about a five-minute walk from Hatanodai Station.

The store also sells sekihan (red bean rice) and mochi (pounded rice), but it’s their ohagi that has earned them the biggest following.

When P.K. arrived at the store shortly after it opened at 10 a.m., there was already a crowd gathered outside so it was clear that business was booming. Spying packs of red beans on the counter, he quickly made his way over to them, and saw that these were indeed the coveted ohagi. Grabbing a pack of three classic ohagi and a pack of three assorted ohagi, both priced at 577 yen (US$3.61), he felt tempted to join some of the other customers, who had purchased chopsticks with their orders and were eating their ohagi fresh nearby, but he decided to hold off and take the sweets back to the office for a proper inspection.

When he was at the store, he’d asked a member of staff about the ohagi’s sell-out popularity, and they confirmed that it was true, saying it often sells out before noon. Feeling extra lucky to have gotten his hands on this sought-after sweet, P.K. opened the package and was immediately struck by the red bean paste. It was absolutely glistening, with a gleaming shine. The anko looked so luscious and glossy that it was almost divine, and so good looking that P.K. had a sudden urge to photograph it and use it as his phone wallpaper.

One unique feature of these ohagi that makes them so captivating is they aren’t individually hand-wrapped in red bean paste like regular ohagi. Instead, the bean paste is generously spooned over the top. The paste looks exceptionally soft and moist, so it’s probably too delicate to use for the traditional hand-wrapped style.

Lifting a huge morsel to his mouth, P.K. took a taste and immediately found himself swooning. The azuki beans were cooked to perfection as they were wonderfully soft, yet still retained just enough texture to remind you they were beans. The sweetness was expertly restrained, allowing the natural flavour of the beans to shine through. Combined with the soft, pleasantly chewy glutinous rice, the result was a perfect marriage of flavours and textures.

The three-coloured assorted ohagi was excellent as well. The glutinous rice, mixed with ingredients like millet and yomogi (Japanese mugwort), had a wonderful aroma and depth of flavour that added different accents of taste to the sweet red beans.

P.K. polished off all three in no time. They were surprisingly filling, but so tasty that with a cup of green tea, he felt like he could have kept eating them forever.

These ohagi were so fresh and delicious that it’s easy to see why they sometimes sell out before noon. Whether you’re an ohagi fan, or looking to expand your knowledge of Japanese sweets, these are top-quality varieties that are absolutely worth getting up early for and trying at least once.

Store information

沖田精米 / Okita Seimai
Address: Tokyo-to, Shinagawa-ku, Hatanodai 4-6-3
東京都品川区旗の台4-6-3
Open: 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Closed: Mondays, Sundays, and public holidays

Photos©SoraNews24
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A surprising product just sneaked into Lawson’s upsize campaign.

Right now, Japan’s Lawson convenience store chain is holding a special “Chou Happy Sugi Challenge” campaign, which literally translates as “Super Happy Too Much! Challenge”. Running over four weeks in June, each week sees a new lineup of products getting upsized at no extra cost to customers, and right now, in week three, there’s one particular item that has caught everyone’s attention.

Most of the products in the campaign are larger-than-usual food and drink items, but this week, Lawson surprised everyone by upsizing an unexpected product – the long soft towel.

With the standard version being already a metre (3.3 feet) long, we needed to know what the 51-percent upsize would look like, so we purchased both towels for a size comparison.

▼ Two different sizes, but at the same 348 yen (US$2.44) price point.

Starting with the regular version, it definitely lived up to its “long” moniker. As much as it was long in length, it was also short in width, which is in keeping with the style of towel that’s popular in Japan for drying or washing small areas like your face and arms, and wearing around your neck or forehead when doing outdoor work.

Next, we unfolded the 51-percent larger version, and discovered that… it was loooong! Absolutely ridiculously long! Its length was almost double that of the regular version, making it an unusually oversized towel that you wouldn’t normally ever come across.

To get a true feel of the size difference, let’s take a look at them again.

▼ Standard size

▼ Super Happy Too Much! size.

▼ Whereas the standard is handy for wicking away sweat when worn around the neck of one person…

▼ …the long version can do the work for two people!

Needless to say, our reporters were overjoyed with the towel, and everyone in the office couldn’t help but marvel at the size of it. While they weren’t initially sure why Lawson thought to give this particular product the upsize treatment over all the others they could’ve chosen from, it certainly made an impact.

After thinking about it, we realised that upsizing the towel actually served a greater purpose, as it directed us to the daily sundries section, which is one of the least visited sections of a convenience store. It’s a clever way to get us to look beyond convenience store food, and now that we’ve seen what’s hiding there, we know there’s more to Lawson than just its massive bento lunches.

Photos ©SoraNews24
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