Twentythree

Japan’s all-for-fun spring holiday season is a little tarnished these days.

Japan has three major vacation periods, but two of them come with social obligations. For both Oshogatsu (the New Year’s holiday period) and Obon (which takes place in early August), tradition holds that you’re supposed to go back to your hometown and spend a week or so reconnecting with parents, grandparents, and other extended family members.

That leaves Golden Week, the string of spring holidays that straddles the end of April and the start of May, as the purest vacation period in Japan, one in which you’ve got no cultural obligations beyond going out and having fun. This year, though, a Golden Week survey shows that roughly a third of respondents aren’t planning to do anything during their time off this year.

▼ Woooo…Golden Week…

Tokyo-based marketing research company Intage conducts an annual Golden Week survey, with this year’s iteration collecting 5,000 responses from participants aged 15-79 at the end of March. When asked what they had on their schedules for Golden Week, which started on April 29, 41.2 percent said “Nothing.” Even among those who did have “plans,” they often didn’t involve traveling or going out for other leisure activities, with 35.1 percent saying they would be “spending Golden Week at home.”

How are you planning to spend Golden Week this year?
● At home: 35.1 percent of respondents
● Going out to eat: 17 percent
● Shopping: 15 percent
● Domestic travel: 12.3 percent
● Exercising: 9 percent
● Spending time with friends or acquaintances: 8.7 percent
● Going to my parents’ home: 8.3 percent
● Going to movies, museums, theme parks, or other entertainment facilities: 8.2 percent
● Visiting relatives: 7.7 percent
● Going to nearby parks, temple, or shrines: 5.5 percent
● Overseas travel: 1 percent

When asked what their estimated Golden Week budget was for this year, the average worked out to 27,660 yen (US$179), which isn’t a whole lot when you consider that for many people Golden Week this year covers a span of eight days, with holidays on April 29 and May 4, 5, and 6, and many workplaces closed on April 30 and May 1 in order to form a string of days off with the weekend in the middle. The average Golden Week budget of 27,660 yen is down 5.4 percent compared to last year, and is even lower than in 2023, the first full year after Japan pulled out of the coronavirus pandemic.

So what’s causing the Golden Week leisure cutbacks? 49.2 percent cited a combination of rapidly rising consumer prices in Japan and the falling value of the yen. With spring also being the start of the business year in Japan, there’s been a recent flurry of companies announcing price increases for their products, and with no sign of that trend slowing down, a lot of households are tightening their belts to brace against the possibility of even more price hikes to come.

The low numbers of people planning to travel are especially telling. As mentioned above, Golden Week has long been the one extended vacation period in Japan that doesn’t include a responsibility to visit family members, which should make it one of the easiest times to travel. With the yen being at its lowest value against foreign currencies in decades, though, international travel is also beyond the budget of many Japanese people. The ongoing war in Iran is further dampening enthusiasm for overseas trips, with 25.4 percent of respondents saying it’s affecting their desire to travel abroad. Not that Iran itself was a particularly attractive destination for Japanese travelers, but air travel safety and reliability are a concern on many people’s minds.

As for decreased domestic travel demand, there are several factors at play. While the weak yen is making it harder for Japanese people to travel abroad, it’s made Japan a bargain for inbound foreign tourists, and many travel providers have realized they can raise their prices but still feel attractively affordable to visitors from overseas. This has resulted in higher hotel prices even as Japanese residents find themselves with less disposable income as they grapple with higher prices for groceries, utilities, and other necessities, and the prospect of straining an already stretched household budget just to travel somewhere that’s going to be packed with tourists from overseas isn’t a particularly appealing way to spend your week off. This, though, then encourages travel providers to orient their services, and prices, even more towards foreign tourists, further reducing their appeal and affordability for Japanese domestic travelers.

Hopefully, the Japanese economy will bounce back and Golden Week will once again become a period of pure fun, but for now, for a lot of Japanese people they don’t have the cash for a flashy vacation.

Source: Intage
Top image: Pakutaso
Insert images: Pakutaso (1, 2)
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Special collection includes the Spirited Away train that lights up at the push of a button.

In Japan, keychains are hardly ever dull and boring, and right now Studio Ghibli is showing us just how good they can be, with a brand new release through Donguri Kyowakoku, the studio’s specialty retail chain.

There are three new keychains to choose from, covering three of the studio’s most popular films. Making them even more special is the fact that each one has a cute interactive element, so you can connect with them whenever you need to inject a bit of Ghibli magic into your day.

▼ The first keychain, simply called “Medium Totoro and Small Totoro“, features those two characters from My Neighbour Totoro.

The white Small Totoro isn’t immediately visible from the front, but when you turn the keychain to one side, you can see it’s firmly attached for the ride. The dynamic duo have been captured mid-run, recalling the scene where they flee from young character Mei, who chases after them.

▼ The face of the White Totoro as it bumps into the larger one is another faithful nod to the charming movie moment.

Turn the keychain around and you’ll see an acorn falling out of the blue Totoro’s shoulder sack, just as it does in the movie.

▼ And because the sack is meant to be full of acorns, the keychain rattles when you shake it!

Whether you use them as a keychain or zipper pull, these little Totoros will put a smile on your face whenever you see them.

With gorgeous details all around, this product has been meticulously crafted, and the Totoros aren’t the only characters getting the keychain treatment, as Hin, the dog from Howl’s Moving Castle, is also making an appearance.

This keychain depicts Hin (or “Heen” as he’s known to overseas audiences) from the scene where he hangs from Sophie’s arms as she carries him up the stairs to the palace. True to character, Hin appears unfazed to now be hanging from a keychain, with his nonplussed expression making him seem even more adorable.

The neck, ears, and tail are all separate parts that you can move independently from each other, adding an extra element of fun to the keychain.

▼ Hin’s limp body and humorous expression will make every zipper pull a fun one.

▼ Rounding out the keychain collection is the train from Spirited Away.

Though not technically a character, this train has so much magical charm that it might as well be one. The way it glides over the water-covered tracks while whisking Sen/Chihiro and her movie companions off to a mystery destination makes it one of the most memorable modes of transport from the film.

▼ Every detail has been beautifully replicated on a miniature scale.

The train is already beautiful on its own, but when you press the top button it becomes even more adorable, as it activates the front light.

▼ The light adds a gentle glow to the train’s trajectory, just as it does in the movie.

▼ The keychain train looks gorgeous from every angle.

All the above items can be attached to bags, pouches or keys, allowing you to subtly incorporate the world of Ghibli into your everyday life. While the Hin and Totoro keychains are priced at 1,540 yen (US$9.65) each, the train retails for 3,520 yen, and they can all be purchased now at Donguri Kyowakoku stores in Japan and at the online store (links below) while stocks last.

Source, images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2, 3)
Top image: Donguri Kyowakoku
Insert images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2, 3)
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Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle jackets won’t be available in stores, though.

Over the years, there’s been quite a lot of Pokémon fashion for fans to wear. But while most Poké-pparel is only concerned with the aesthetics of popular Pocket Monster species, a new line of jackets looks to give you a taste of their powers too.

These creative designs are part of a collaboration between Pokémon and beverage maker Suntory’s Boss canned coffee. Boss has been giving away branded jackets as part of its promotional activities for years, but for their next round of giveaways they’ll be taking their design cues from he original Kanto Region/Gen-1 starter trio: Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. Naturally each jacket uses the species’ image colors, but the Bulbasaur jacket comes bundled with a backpack that opens at the top, allowing you to carry flowers on your back, where Bulbasaur’s blossoms is found. The Charmander jacket includes a light-up LED section in the small of the back, right about where the Fire-type’s always-on-fire tail tip would be. Finally, the Squirtle jacket comes with a backpack that holds a water tank and a squirt gun to hook up to it, so that you can douse your friends (or yourself) on hot, sunny days.

The jackets will be given to randomly selected shoppers who purchase five six-packs of Boss coffee with special Pokémon packaging. A total of 15 jackets (five of each type) will be given away, all in a “free size”/one-size-fits-all size, so likely around a loose-fitting adult medium or large. The Bulbasaur and Squirtle backpacks can also be removed, if you want to keep your  Pokémon powers under wraps.

▼ For those wanting to do their shopping all in one fell swoop, you can purchase a case of five six-packs all packaged together.

During the collaboration, Suntory will also be giving away 1,500 Pokémon footprint T-shirts, representing the starter trios from the Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Isshu. These can be won by scanning the QR code on Boss’ special Pokédex-style cans

The Pokémon Boss six-packs are scheduled to go on sale June 1, and the individual cans will be available from June 2. The giveaway campaign runs from June 1 to August 31, so you should have your Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle jacket before the start of crisp fall weather.

Source: Suntory, PR Times
Top image: PR Times
Insert images: PR Times, Suntory
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If you don’t end the war, you can’t have any pudding! How can you have any pudding if you don’t end the war?!

There are few desserts as beloved in Japan as pudding, though I always have to go through the long-winded discussion that this “pudding” is actually purin. It’s a type of firm custard served with a caramel topping and similar to a creme caramel or flan in other countries.

Its soft texture and gentle sweetness make it a treat that people of all ages can enjoy, and it has earned a long-standing reputation as one of Japan’s top-tier snacks. However, Japanese pudding is facing an existential crisis, and it’s all because of the ongoing war in Iran.

So far, Japan has managed to handle the oil crisis fairly well. A few people were panic-buying toilet paper for a while, but that’s par for the course, and gas prices have risen, but just a few months earlier, the government removed a tax on gasoline. As a result, gas prices basically just rose more or less back to their taxed levels which people always had to deal with.

On the other hand, cracks are beginning to appear in the country’s supply of naptha, an essential component in the production of plastics. Originally, the government said there was enough oil in reserves to last four months, but industries are saying the reality is only two months. As proof, some pudding makers are already announcing that they may not be able to produce any more by the end of May.

▼ Get some now, while it lasts.

The reason for this is that pudding is usually packaged in plastic cups, and without naptha, they won’t be able to make any more cups and have nothing to sell their pudding in.

Of course, alternatives such as paper and glass exist, but they would require a huge overhaul of manufacturing and still rely heavily on oil. Paper cups usually use a naptha-based film to waterproof the inside, and glass requires a great deal of heat to make. So, even if they went to the trouble of revamping their factories, they’d probably just end up in the same situation.

And although pudding makers are among the first to cry uncle at the current oil crisis, with plastic being such a big part of our daily lives, this is a problem that will affect just about every business out there at some point. Readers of the news were quick to point this out, too.

“If I look at supermarket shelves, I can’t find anything that isn’t plastic.”
“They won’t be able to build houses either.”
“They’re cutting off our pudding?”
“If they can’t make pudding then how can they make anything else?”
“So, charging for plastic bags was a good idea after all?!”
“This is even worse than rising prices. It’s just going away.”
“How many garbage bags do we have left as a country?”
“I read that tofu containers and plastic wrap are also in a bad situation.”

Now that they mention it, tofu has a very similar consistency to pudding, and has existed in Japan well before the advent of plastic packaging, or any kind of mass production for that matter. So, how did people buy it back then?

There were two ways, the first of which involved bringing your own bowl or bucket to the tofu shop and getting a fresh slice to take home. The other way was to wait for the Tofu Man to come to your neighborhood with a bucket of tofu. He’d announce his arrival by playing a horn called a charumera.

▼ You can still find guys pulling ramen carts through neighborhoods and playing a charumera these days. It’s kind of the same idea.

It seems like pudding makers should just abandon plastic altogether and consider hiring fleets of Pudding People to wander the streets playing horns and selling pudding to all the townsfolk of Japan. It would reduce waste, creates jobs, and be downright charming.

Source: Nikkei, Real Time News Navi, Twitter/@nikkei, Hachima Kiko
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