Twentythree

Beautiful new design pays homage to regions that the bullet train serves, with charming hidden details.

When you’re travelling between cities on the Shinkansen in Japan, the journey is often just as memorable as the destination. That’ll be especially true for passengers on the Sanyo Shinkansen from this winter, as they’ll be able to enjoy the ride on a bullet train featuring a new-look “Yurari” design.

The new look will be gradually introduced on Kodama services between Shin-Osaka and Hakata Station in Fukuoka, as well as the shorter route between Hakata and Hakata-Minami. The special design will feature on eight-car N700 Series 6000 trains, which were converted from 16-car trains and used for Kodama services from September 2025.

▼ The Sanyo Shinkansen stops at popular destinations like Kobe, Himeji, Okayama and Hiroshima on its way to and from Shin-Osaka and Hakata.

The new “Yurari” design concept (“yurari” describes a gentle, swaying movement) draws inspiration from the waves and shimmering surface of the Seto Inland Sea, which can be seen by passengers along parts of the route. The trains, which are currently white with a blue line on their sides, will have a completely new pale blue exterior called “Sanyo Blue”, to evoke the peaceful image of a calm, windless sea, and in the sunlight the gentle hue is said to look almost emerald green.

▼ The Shinkansen will be going from this…

▼ … to this.

Along the body are a series of undulating dots to represent the “gentle passing of scenery and time”, with subtle wave shapes hidden within for passengers to “discover by chance, like an unexpected find during a journey”. When the train is moving at speed, these undulating dots look like lines, but when stopped at a station, the wave patterns between the dots can be seen more clearly.

The design concept, which goes by the full name “Yurari – Savouring the Gentle Flow of the Journey”, incorporates gentle waves and calming colours to reflect not only the surrounding scenery but the relaxed atmosphere of a Kodama journey. Although the train can reach speeds of up to 285 kilometres (177 miles) per hour, it operates at a more relaxed pace as it stops at every station along the route, giving passengers more time to enjoy the views.

The relaxed seaside imagery also appears in the logo, which features three flowing “waves” in graduated shades, further emphasising the movement of the sea and the passage of time. The design also incorporates motifs inspired by the prefectures along the route, giving the train a stronger connection to the regions it travels through.

Every element of the design carries meaning, which is fitting, given it was produced as a joint collaboration between West Japan Railway (JR West), who operates the Sanyo Shinkansen, and researchers from Kyoto Institute of Technology’s Product Design Planning Laboratory. This marks JR West’s first train exterior design created through an industry-academia partnership, and the lab’s design team studied the culture, traditions and natural landscapes along the line, and even visited train depots to refine the final look.

While Shinkansen are famous for their speed, this new design reminds us that it’s not always about getting to the destination in the fastest way possible – when you’re travelling in a world-class bullet train, sometimes the journey itself is worth slowing down for.

Source: JR West
Top image JR West
Insert images: JR West, Pakutaso
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Limited-edition “gyugyutto” beverage features a fruit combo rarely seen at Starbucks.

After a succesion of brutally hot days in Japan, this summer is already testing our limits, even though the season has barely begun. Thankfully, there’s now some much-needed respite to be had, in the form of a new Starbucks Frappuccino to help keep us cool and calm as we enter the hottest days of the year.

Called the “Gyugyutto Orange & Mango Frappuccino” (“gyugyutto” means to be “packed full”), this icy beverage is the crowning glory of a new three-piece range that includes the “Chillax Soda Orange & Mango” (from 590 yen) and the “Craft Juicy Orange & Mango Tea” (630 yen).

While orange and mango have long been a popular flavour combination, it’s rare for them to partner up in a Starbucks Frappuccino, so our reporter K. Masami was especially excited to try the new drink when it was released on 22 July.

▼ It certainly looked beautiful when she received it, with its bright orange hues immediately lifting her spirit.

Lying in wait for her in the base was a mixture of mango juice, orange pieces – four different varieties with different levels of sweetness, acidity and aroma – and blood orange jelly.

▼ Up top, the drink was finished with honey blood orange sauce and whipped cream.

With no milk component in the main body of the drink, the Frappuccino looked like it would be extra icy and refreshing, so Masami braced herself for brain freeze and took a big slurp of the drink.

Thankfully there was no sudden brain freeze, so Masami was able to enjoy the delicious flavour of orange, which the drink was definitely “packed full” of. It was sweet and fruity, but with a refreshing acidity that Masami absolutely loved – so much so that she was quick to declare it her favourite new Frappuccino out of all the ones released this year.

At first, the orange flavour came through strong, but then the mango gradually appeared, adding extra sweetness. The juicy, smooth texture of the jelly provided a beautiful mouthfeel, helping to highlight the pulpiness of the oranges, making Masami feel as if she was drinking a whole piece of fruit.

The orange flavour was even more refreshing than she’d expected, and it went down incredibly easily, making it the perfect drink for a hot summer’s day. Mixing the whipped cream into the drink also worked well to transform it, giving it a slightly richer and smoother flavour.

The new Frappuccino proves yet again that Starbucks knows what it’s doing when it comes to summer refreshment. After already giving us peaches, pineapple, and muscat this season, the new Orange & Mango Frappuccino is perfectly timed for the hottest days of summer, and Masami says she’ll be returning for more before it disappears from the menu like a summer sunset.

Images ©SoraNews24
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One country’s travelers spend more than double the total average for tourists in Japan, and it’s one the Japanese tourism industry hasn’t paid much attention to.

Recent statistics show that during the first half of 2026 Japan had its first dip in the number of foreign tourists visiting the country since five years ago. Some might call that a sign that the Japan travel boom has peaked, but the number of travelers only paints half the picture, and the amount of money foreign tourists are spending in Japan continues to grow.

The Japan Tourism Agency, part of the Japanese government’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, has released the results of its periodic Survey on Inbound Tourism Spending Trends, looking at data from April to June of this year (April being the start of the business year in Japan). During that time, the agency says that overseas travelers in Japan spent a total of roughly 2.5096 trillion yen (US$14.49 billion), a 0.2 percent increase compared to the same period in 2025.

Granted, that’s not a very big increase, but it’s still impressive that total spending went up even as spending by travelers from China, for decades one of the largest financial contributors to the tourism industry in Japan, cratered. Spending from 10 countries examined in the study increased by double-digit percentages, with the U.S. finishing at the top of the spending list and Taiwan leapfrogging China on its way to second place.

Spending by foreign travelers in Japan by home country (April-June 2026)
1. U.S.A.: 384.8 billion yen (8.5 percent increase compared to same period last year)
2. Taiwan: 363.9 billion yen (27.9 percent increase)
3. China: 259.2 billion yen (48.8 percent decrease)
4. Korea: 248.9 billion yen (12.2 percent increase)
5. Hong Kong: 145.2 billion yen (7.8 percent increase)
6. Australia: 105.9 billion yen (5.9 percent increase)
7. Thailand: 71.8 billion yen (0.3 percent increase)
8. U.K.: 68.7 billion yen (0.4 percent increase)
9. Canada: 68.1 billion yen (10.4 percent increase)
10. Singapore: 60 billion yen (20.1 percent increase)

Outside of the top 10, there were surges in spending by travelers from France (57.4 billion yen, up 21.6 percent), the Philippines (45.1 billion yen, up 13.3 percent), Indonesia (42.2 billion yen, up 40.3 percent), India (40.7 billion yen, up 43.8 percent), Malaysia (39.4 billion yen, up 39.8 percent), and Russia (27.5 billion yen, up 62.3 percent).

As for how foreign travelers are spending their money in Japan, hotel expenditures remain the biggest category, accounting for 37 percent of the total, though that’s actually down a bit compared to last year, with upticks seen for spending on shopping and dining.

Spending by foreign travelers in Japan by category (April-June 2026)
● Hotels
2026: 927.8 billion yen (37 percent of total foreign traveler spending)
2025: 963.6 billion yen (38.5 percent of total)
● Shopping
2026: 673.1 billion yen (26.8 percent of total)
2025: 654.7 billion yen (26.1 percent of total)
● Food/beverages
2026: 545.4 billion yen (21.7 percent of total)
2025: 525.7 billion yen (21 percent of total)
● Inside-Japan transportation
2026: 252.7 billion yen (10.1 percent of total)
2025: 254.3 billion yen (10.2 percent of total)
● Entertainment services
2026: 108.8 billion yen (4.3 percent of total)
2025: 103.2 billion yen (4.1 percent of total)

But the biggest surprise of the survey involves which countries’ travelers, on a per-person basis, are spending the most while they’re in Japan. Across all nations, the statistically average foreign traveler in Japan spent 244,457 yen during their stay in Japan. The figures tend to be a little higher for North American and European travelers, who, given the time investment required for them to travel to Japan, tend to stay longer, and lower for Japan’s closer Asian neighbors.

Average per-person tourist spending in Japan by home country
● U.K.: 456,493 yen
● Australia: 426,949 yen
● U.S.A.: 378,547 yen
● Canada: 371,388 yen
● Singapore: 289,923 yen
● China: 266,753 yen
● Hong Kong: 225,117 yen
● Taiwan: 196.641 yen
● Korea: 99,542

However, the country with the highest per-person spending in Japan, is none other than..

…Mexico. Mexican travelers in Japan spent an average of 514,925 yen, more than double the total average for all visitors. Mexico was also the only country to cross the 500,000 yen threshold, with the next closest being an aggregate of travelers from the Middle East who spent an average of 482,836 yen.

Mexico’s strong spending wasn’t the result of a select few captains of the nation’s industry visiting Japan on lavish corporate-funded business travel, either. When the Japan Tourism Agency crunched the numbers to isolate spending specifically by leisure travelers in Japan, Mexico still had the highest per-person spending, at 511,867 yen per person (once again followed by the Middle East with 508,394 yen).

So does this mean we’re going to see the Japanese tourism industry rush to cater to Mexican travelers with increased Spanish signage and a prevalence of custom-designed tour packages, similar to when it became clear a few decades ago that there was huge potential in courting Chinese travelers? It’s probably a little too soon for that. Despite the eye-popping per-person figure, total spending by Mexican travelers in the first quarter of this year only came to 27.9 billion yen, one of the lowest totals out of the 25 countries/regions in the study. As a matter of fact, noticeable Mexican tourism spending is such a new development in Japan that Japan Tourism Agency didn’t collect data for travelers from the country specifically in its 2025 study. Still, it’s now clear that there are deep-pocketed Mexican travelers interested in coming to visit, showing once again that no country on the planet is getting as much tourism attention as Japan these days.

Source: Japan Tourism Agency via FNN Prime Online
Top image: Pakutaso
Insert images: Pakutaso, Wikipedia/Giga Bang
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The English on the back of the shirt is almost as humorous as the beach hut squid in the design.

The hearty warmth of a hot Cup Noodle is well suited to the colder months, but now the brand wants to remind us that it can still bring us joy in summer too.

Here to help do that is American outdoor brand Columbia, who has teamed up with the instant noodle maker for a new collaboration T-shirt inspired by Cup Noodle’s popular Seafood flavour.

▼ The new design was born from the idea of “What if a beach hut was actually a Seafood Cup Noodle hut?”

The answer to that question plays out on the back of the shirt with a design that shows a “seafood hut” that’s popped up on a beach. The customers are a couple of squid, joined by two crabs, all of whom are usually found inside a Seafood Cup Noodle.

The humorous design also prompts us to wonder about its inherent mysteries. With the squid sitting beside a tower of the noodle packs, and each holding one in a tentacle, are they planning to feast on their own kind?

Reading the blurb beneath the design piques our curiosity even further, with the words “Toppings include mostly squid, squid, crab-flavoured fish cake, scrambled egg, cabbage, and green onions.” If you’re wondering what “mostly squid” means, it appears to be a literal translation of “hobo ika”, which appears on the ingredients list for the Seafood Cup Noodle.

Though it literally means “mostly squid”, it’s better understood as “Almost Squid” or “almost like squid”, and it’s actually a processed fish cake that realistically reproduces the flavour and texture of squid.

▼ “Hobo ika” (“ほぼイカ”) appears in this commercial alongside “Maji Ika” (まじイカ [“real squid”]), and former Japanese wrestler Saori Yoshida.

The entire design shows the creativity and sense of fun shared by the two brands, whose collaboration is referenced in the art on the surfboards. The words “Eat Outside”, in Cup Noodle font, also reflects the combined ethos between the brands, with the shirt encouraging people to enjoy a Cup Noolde in the great outdoors.

▼ The Cup Noodle “C” on the sleeve is another nice design detail.

While Nissin brings the noodles, Columbia brings the technology, incorporating its own “Omni-Wick” moisture-wicking technology into the shirt. This helps the fabric quickly absorb and disperse sweat to help keep wearers feeling dry and comfortable, and “Omni-Shade” sun protection technology is also included, to help shield the body from UV rays.

▼ The T-shirt is designed for a range of outdoor scenarios, from beach trips to everyday city outings.

Available in black and white, the shirt comes in small through to extra large sizes and retails for 6,600 yen (US$41).

Released on 17 July, it can be purchased at official Columbia stores across Japan, as well as the official Columbia online store, and the Nissin Foods online store.

Source, images: Press release
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“Hands-Free” service lets Shinkansen travellers send their suitcases by bullet train without carrying them onboard.

Travelling by Shinkansen is one of the highlights of any trip to Japan, but there’s one thing that can take the shine off the experience – having to lug big suitcases with you onboard and through crowded stations during the journey.

Now, East Japan Railways (JR East) is working to alleviate that problem, by introducing a new drop-off luggage option for travellers so they can ride the bullet train hands-free.

Introduced as part of the company’s “JRE Tebura Tabi” (“JRE Hands-Free Travel”) service, this new system makes use of JR East train station lockers and its Hakobyun luggage transport network to offer a more seamless drop-off and delivery system for customers. The new service is due to begin on 1 August, when passengers will be able to store their luggage in “Multi-Ecube” lockers at Tokyo Station or Sendai Station for same-day delivery to hotels that accept deliveries in the other city.

▼ Up until now, these lockers could only be used to send luggage to nearby hotels within the same area, but this marks the first time they will be used for same-day delivery between different prefectures.

To use the new cross-prefecture service, simply reserve a locker through the Multi-Ecube website and place your luggage inside the assigned locker in the morning for delivery to a hotel later that day. Reservations must be made by 9:30 a.m. on the day of use, and luggage must be deposited by 10:30 a.m. The service costs 3,500 yen (US$21.55) for S-size lockers, 3,600 yen for M-size lockers and 3,700 yen for L-size lockers, with one bag or case allowed per locker.

Previously, passengers were only able to use the “Hands-Free Travel” service for cross-city deliveries by taking their luggage directly to a participating station counter. Although that option still exists, this new system gives travellers a quicker and easier way to forward their luggage, helping to ease the stress associated with travel.

Though the initial locker dropoff system will connect Tokyo and Sendai, the service is expected to expand in the future, with JR East saying it plans to introduce the system for airport deliveries as well. From autumn, travellers will be able to drop their luggage off in a locker in Tokyo and have it delivered directly to the counter at Narita or Haneda airports.

JR East is also testing a future system where travellers could leave their luggage at a station locker before heading to the airport, then collect it from a locker when they arrive. The company hopes this could eventually lead to an entirely customer-led system, giving passengers more freedom of movement and greater autonomy during their journeys.

Unlike traditional truck-based luggage forwarding services, this new cross-city locker drop-off system uses JR East’s Hakobyun Quick service, which transports luggage by Shinkansen. The speed of the bullet train allows for same-day delivery over long distances that would typically take overnight by road.

▼ Tokyo and Sendai are around 350 kilometres apart on the Shinkansen, with the journey taking 1.5 hours by bullet train, compared to 3.5 hours by road.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/9iuDL5faCVv6gxk46

JR East is currently leading the way in Shinkansen-based luggage transport, having set up an entire logistics system that supports not only the tourist sector but wider businesses such as restaurants, who are able to receive fresh produce from rural regions, thanks to the efficient bullet-train network.

With JR East showing how it can be done, perhaps one day JR Central, the operator of the Tokaido Shinkansen route between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka, will also be able to implement a similar service, although with more limited space and less time between departures it would be more of a challenge. For now, though, the introduction of the new locker drop-off system paves the way for faster and more efficient travel up north, which will hopefully encourage more visitors to visit the region and discover all its hidden charms.

Related: Multi-Ecube reservation site
Source: JR East
Featured image: Pakutaso
Insert images: JR East
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Darn gangsters! Building infrastructure without permission.

On 15 July, about 120 officers with the Hiroshima Prefectural Police conducted a search of the headquarters for the Harada faction of the Kyosei-kai yakuza group in Hiroshima City.

▼ Video of the search, with so many officers pouring into there you’d think it was led by a pill-popping Gary Oldman

The search was a part of an investigation into the boss and four members of the Harada faction, who were arrested 14 July on suspicion of building a road. That might not sound so bad, but it just wouldn’t be a yakuza project if there weren’t a bunch of illegal aspects, such as not having a permit to build a road, not owning the property that they were building the road on, and not having permission from the owner to build the road.

They also cut down numerous trees illegally over an area of 3,000 square meters (square feet) to make room for the road. Police first noticed the work in April 2025, when they saw trucks carrying some of the felled trees driven by the suspects. After interviewing the owner of the mountain, they found it was being done without permission. And since it was being built right behind the yakuza headquarters, they started to see what was going on.

However, it is unclear why this road was being carved out of the mountainside or even if any of the suspects admitted to the civil engineering crime. Readers of the news had a lot of theories in online comments.

“It looks like they were worried about getting attacked from the rear and wanted to clear the view.”
“Maybe they’re just covering up some illegal dumping.”
“I wonder what they did with the trees.”
“Did they think no one would notice?”
“They probably made it as an alternate entrance and exit that’s not covered by surveillance cameras.”
“Joke’s on them. They just made a huge landslide risk.”

Indeed, trees growing on mountainsides offer a great deal of protection against landslides caused by heavy rains by catching and absorbing water and supporting the soil with their roots. By completely removing them from that area, it is now considerably more vulnerable to heavy rains like the ones that hit Japan a few times last month.

And since their headquarters is sitting right underneath that area, it would bear the brunt of any disaster that might occur as a result of their criminal geo-engineering. Unfortunately, with the entire matter caught up in legal limbo, it is unclear whether this potential hazard will get the treatment it urgently requires.

Let this be a lesson that all the glitz and glamor of organized crime construction projects seen in those Scorsese movies simply don’t pay. You’d be much better off earning an urban planning or engineering degree or learning a trade and joining a fully licensed, bonded, and insured crew. Then, you can build all the roads you want, and not have 120 cops rummaging through all your stuff.

Source: FNN Online Prime, Yahoo! Japan News
Top image: Pakutaso
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Some Pokémon fun to share with your real-world Meowth, Litten, or Sprigatito.

“Pokémon” is short for “Pocket Monster,” but there are more than a few Pokémon species that aren’t exactly monstrous in appearance or attitude. Sure, they may still be fantastical fictional creatures, but there are definitely Pokémon that look like they’d make fine pets here in the real world. For example, what cat lover wouldn’t be thrilled to welcome Litten, Sprigatito, or Meowth to their home?

And while those three Pokémon species themselves will have to stay in the realms of anime and video games, there is a way to have them play with your feline family, thanks to Japanese pet supply company Necoichi.

The first part of Necoichi’s name comes from neko, the Japanese word for “cat,” and cats are indeed the focus of their product lineup. Through a partnership with the Pokémon franchise, they’re now offering a line of themed cat toys and accessories featuring cute artwork of the above-mentioned Pocket Monster trio.

Starting things off is the Baribari Bowl (3,938 yen [US$24]), a scratch pad with a bowl-like sloping inside and an enticingly rough surface for your kitty to run its claws across.

You’ll probably want to set this down somewhere where it won’t be in your walking path across the room, as Necoichi cautions that during testing once cats went inside the Baribari Bowl, they were very reluctant to come out anytime soon.

On the other hand, the Cat Tunnel (2,728 yen) is actually designed as something for your cat to pass through, though, again, there’s really no way to instill a sense of urgency in it if it suddenly decides it wants to hang out in the middle for a while on its odyssey to the other end.

▼ There’s a hole at the midpoint so your pet can stick its head out and see what’s been going on since it went in.

Alternatively, you pet could spend its leisure time crawling into, out of, and all around Nekoichi’s Pokémon Cat Play Cube (2,178 yen).

The Pokémon fun doesn’t necessarily have to stop when playtime is over, either, as Necoichi has themed food and water bowls too (ranging in price from 2,508 to 3,278 yen).

The water bowls come with graduated markings on the inside for if you need to be precise in the quantity of fluids you’re providing your pet, and the food bowls come in two different varieties, the “regular” design seen here…

…or these stylish, ease-to-reach diagonal versions, which Necoichi calls “Nyayame,” a pun on the word naname (“diagonal” and nya (Japanese’s version of “meow”).

▼ Japan loves cats and Japan loves puns, so Japan really, really loves cat puns.

Note that while Meowth, Litten, and Sprigatito are represented as a trio on the scratching bowl, tube, and cube, the food and water bowls feature only Litten or Sprigatito individually, with Meowth nowhere to be found, though perhaps that’s because as the most human-like cat Pokémon, Meowth prefers to dine using the same tableware that people do.

The entire lineup is available through the Necoichi online store here.

Source: Necoichi, Digital PR Platform
Top image: Digital PR Platform
Insert images: Digital PR Platform, Necoichi (1, 2, 3)
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