We try the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte in Japan!

After a 15-year absence, we finally get our first taste of a drinkable pumpkin pie.

Despite all the weird and wonderful Japan-exclusive Starbucks beverages we get to enjoy here, sometimes customers want a taste of what overseas customers are having, and that’s the boat our reporter K. Masami has found herself in every autumn.

Because when the seasons change and the leaves begin to drop their leaves, all of Masami’s friends overseas start raving about the Pumpkin Spice Latte, a beverage that hasn’t been seen in Japan for 15 years.

That all changed today, though, when Starbucks finally released the spicy latte, in both regular and oat milk versions, and Masami was one of the first in line to get her hands on them.

Masami decided to skip the iced lattes and try the hot versions, and she was particularly intrigued by the oat milk option, as she’d heard that pumpkin and oat milk go particularly well together.

▼ Oat milk version in the to-go cup and regular version in the dine-in mug.

The Oat Milk Pumpkin Spice Latte cost 50 yen (US$0.45) more than the regular variety, with the small oat milk priced at 520 yen and the dairy milk at 470 yen.

▼ It also came with a cute original sticker.

Masami started with the dairy milk version, which contains pumpkin puree, milk, espresso and a variety of spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. The first thing she noticed was the aroma of coffee and spices, with the nutmeg topping tantalising her olfactory senses.

She took an initial sip, and was immediately smitten with the way the pumpkin spice flavour wrapped itself around the milky coffee notes. It had a gentle sweetness and a light, delicious aftertaste, with a hint of ginger to add to the warming sensation.

▼ There was plenty of nutmeg and cinnamon in the mix, which gave each mouthful an addictive spicy kick!

She now knew what all her friends meant when they told her that this was the taste of autumn. With the temperature dipping in Japan for the first day of the new season, Masami felt as if she was being blanketed by the cosy new flavours, and when she got her first sip of the oat milk version, she was impressed to find that the pumpkin spice and oat grain really did blend harmoniously together.

It was like drinking a rich, spicy pumpkin pie, and Masami couldn’t imagine a better drink to help ease her into the season of pumpkins and cool weather. Both hot versions received a big thumbs-up from our first-time taste-tester, and her only wish is that the new lattes will now return every autumn because she definitely wants to try these again, and they’re only available for a limited time, until 31 October.

For those looking to extend the spiced latte season, though, there’s always the Autumn Spice Oat Latte, which comes with a green pumpkin seed topping, available exclusively at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery Tokyo until 11 November.

Source, images: Starbucks
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This shrine in Japan looks too beautiful to exist in our world

A gorgeous sight from a part of Japan that isn’t on many travelers’ itineraries.

One of the key tenets of the Shinto faith is that divinity is found in all aspects of nature. Whether that happens to align with your personal beliefs or not, the basis for the philosophy isn’t hard to see when you take in the breathtaking natural surroundings of some Shinto shrines.

Here with an excellent example is Japanese Twitter user @yuiphoto2, who recently shared a photo of a shrine with such tranquil splendor that it’s almost hard to believe it could exist in our mortal world.

“A mystical pond in Ibaraki [Prefecture],” tweeted @yuiphoto2 with the photo, keeping the description brief so as not to get in the way of the thousand words-worth picture. Aside from its perfect green backdrop, there’s a certain spiritual quality to the torii gate rising out of the water, with a koi swimming nearby.

茨城にある神秘的な池 pic.twitter.com/QhZ3uFcT6J

— ひらゆい (@yuiphoto2) August 23, 2021

There’s so much captivating beauty that you might not initially notice that at some point since the torii was constructed, a large tree appears to have tipped over onto it. But rather than snap or crush the top beam, the tree is now resting there, with a few additional wooden supports put in place to help gently hold its weight and restore a harmonious balance to everything.

So where exactly is this place? The pond of Kashima Shrine, in the town of Kashima. It’s pretty easy to get to, as it’s only about a 10-minute walk from Kashima Jinja Station, itself about a two-hour-and-fifteen-minute ride from Tokyo Station. With Ibaraki itself not being the most populous part of Japan, Kashima still retains a certain small-town feel despite its population of around 67,000 people, and the shrine occupies a leafy forested plot of land.

Plus, if you time your visit to Ibaraki just right, you can swing by the park that turns an amazing shade of red every fall too.

Source: Twitter/@yuiphoto2 via IT Media
Top image: Wikipedia/Saigen Jiro
Insert image: Twitter/@yuiphoto2
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Adult entertainment guidance center in Tokyo also serves up great curry【Taste test】

For when the hot, steamy action you’re craving is of the curry variety.

Walking around cities in Japan, you might sometimes spot a storefront with a sign plastered with the kanji 無料案内所, which means “free guidance center.” However, these aren’t tourist information centers ready to help direct you to the nearest museum, historical building, or other cultural attraction. Instead, they’re filled with fliers and directories for hostess bars, host clubs, and other sorts of adult entertainment establishments.

But our ace reporter Mr. Sato was surprised to stumble across a free guidance center in Tokyo that’s not just for people with a hunger for titillation, but also for people who’re just hungry for lunch.

Located a short walk from the south gate of Tokyo’s Kinshico Station, the Waku Waku Info free guidance center had a menu board outside its entrance offering curry when Mr. Sato walked by. He was intrigued, but also felt a little apprehensive, since to any passersby who didn’t notice the menu, it’d look like he was out cruising for some sexy fun in the middle of the afternoon.

Still, he was hungry, and if he could overcome the recent awkwardness of looking like he’d stolen a microwave he legitimately paid for, he could do this too. So before he lost his nerve, he strode inside Waku Waku Info.

The interior had a counter on one side where staff would keep the information on local clubs, and lined up against the opposite wall were tables and chairs where customers could sit and leaf through their options, but also behind the counter were a few stovetops and pots of cooking curry, presided over by a single non-Japanese cook.

Waku Waku Curry, as the establishment calls itself when it’s serving food, has a simple menu, with just two options. One is Mr. Iwaki’s Pork Curry, and the other is Akkil’s Family Recipe Chicken Curry. However, Mr. Sato had no idea who either of those people are.

Helpfully, though, the photos for Mr. Iwaki’s Pork Curry and Akkil’s Family Recipe Chicken Curry were respectively accompanied by a Japanese and Indian flag, giving some more recognizable information about what they probably taste like. Mr. Sato decided to opt for the 770-yen (US$7) Mr. Iwaki’s Pork Curry, and add a side salad for another 160 yen. “Sorry, no salad right now,” the cook informed him, though, so instead he opted for a bowl of soup, for the same price.

This turned out to be a more dramatic choice than he’d expected. Taking a sip seared his tongue with spiciness and caused a sheet of sweat to start running down his face, and he decided to hold off on trying to consume any more of it until after he’d had his curry.

As weird as the idea of eating lunch in a free guidance center is, the Mr. Iwaki’s Pork Curry looks surprisingly orthodox, and the first mouthful confirmed that the flavor is classic Japanese curry. The menu lists it as “medium spicy,” and while Mr. Sato wouldn’t call it mild, it didn’t sear his soul with spice like the soup had.

Chewing his second mouthful, Mr. Sato had a vague sense of warm and happy memories, and as he continued to eat, it became clear why. This unassuming yet tasty curry is remarkably close in flavor to the curry Mr. Sato’s mom used to make for him and his brother when they were little kids growing up in Shimane Prefecture.

▼ “Man, I should really give my mom a call,” thought Mr. Sato, right before thinking “…it’s weird that I’m thinking about my mom inside an adult entertainment guidance center…”

As he polished off the last of his Mr. Iwaki’s Pork Curry, Mr. Sato got a pleasant surprise when the cook set a small dish of Akkil’s Family Recipe Chicken Curry before him, saying “On the house.”

Never one to turn down free food, especially free curry, Mr. Sato turned his spoon to the complimentary curry, and this one was back to the furious spice level of the soup, instantly flushing his face in red from the fiery flavor. Yes, it tasted good, but you’ll definitely want a lot of rice to help soak up the heat.

So why is a free guidance center serving curry? Primarily because the majority of the people looking for adult entertainment are looking for it after sundown, so during the afternoon, Waku Waku Info’s floor space was going unused. So they decided to start serving curry from 11 in the morning until 2:30 in the afternoon on weekdays, since the building itself is pretty much a fixed cost. The extra line of revenue has also been helpful during the pandemic, when fewer people are going to hostess bars and host clubs because of social distancing.

So in the end, Mr. Sato was glad he worked up the nerve to go in. If you’re feeling self-conscious, though, Waku Waku Curry also offers meals to go and you can always wait outside while yours is being prepared.

Restaurant information
Waku Waku Curry / ワクワクカレー
Address: Tokyo-to, Sumida-ku, Kotobashi 2-17-2
東京都墨田区江東橋2-17-2
Open 11 a.m,-2:30 p.m.
Closed Saturdays, Sundays

Photos ©SoraNews24
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Dance the decades away with Travis Japan on their newly dedicated YouTube channel

The Johnnys’ Jr. group also feeds our love for nostalgic and classic J-Pop.

If there’s one thing SoraNews24 writers can’t get enough of, it’s classic J-Pop songs (OK, and also anything by legendary manga artist Rumiko Takahashi). Bonus points go to those timeless tracks with iconic accompanying dance choreography too. For example, we just couldn’t get enough of this retro 80s dance routine performed by high school students a few years back, which has now been viewed over 9.4 million times:

That’s why any news about catchy tunes immediately piques our interest–including the recent announcement that Johnnys’ Jr. group Travis Japan will be highlighting the dancing moves for which they’re known along to some classic tracks from their Johnny’s senpai groups.

Originally formed in 2012, the current lineup of Travis Japan materialized in 2017. As evidence of the septet’s up-and-coming nature as of late, Johnny & Associates has just released an all-new solo YouTube channel for them titled “+81 DANCE STUDIO” (+81 is Japan’s country calling code). While the group will continue to be featured on the main Johnnys’ Jr. channel, the custom channel will serve as a forum for them to showcase their dancing skills–largely to popular Johnny’s songs from the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s. 

The second teaser trailer particularly stokes our excitement by displaying a number of “Johnny’s Classics” album covers along with an upbeat, retro remix of several songs.

According to the announcement, September 4 is the big day when the first video will drop on the new channel. It will feature Travis Japan’s original choreography while dancing to ARASHI’s song “Love so Sweet,” which should be immediately recognizable to fans of the 2007 live-action drama Hana Yori Dango Returns.

I have personal reason to be excited for Travis Japan, as I was delighted to see a video in which the group visited Sendai and Matsushima earlier this month. Miyagi Prefecture and Tohoku in general are like a second home to me, and I have a soft spot for celebrities who make a point of experiencing the local charms of northeastern Japan.

▼ Travis Japan in front of warlord Date Masamune’s statue at the remains of Aoba Castle in Sendai

▼ Who posed better–Travis Japan, or me and my friends?

Photo © SoraNews24

Subscribe to Travis Japan’s +81 DANCE STUDIO YouTube Channel or Instagram to stay up-to-date with their most recent dance offerings. For one, we’re hoping that they’ll perform to several ARASHI songs to honor the quintet in their current hiatus.

Reference: Oricon News
Top image: YouTube/+ 81 DANCE STUDIO
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We check out Films Wako, a “social apartment” building with a movie theater inside

And the price for a room is actually super reasonable!

You probably know that rent in Tokyo can get a little pricey, especially in the center of town. That’s why a lot of people prefer to live just outside the city center, or in neighboring cities, sometimes sacrificing a shorter commute time for affordable rent.

But what if we told you there’s an affordable apartment complex just 25 minutes from the Tokyo city center that also has a built-in movie theater just for its residents?

Yeah, we thought you’d be interested. It’s called Films Wako and it’s located in Saitama, north of Tokyo, near Wakoshi Station on the Tobu Tojo Line, the Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line, and the Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line. It’s a social apartment, which is like a combination of a share house and a private apartment building. It offers private rooms for every resident as well as surprisingly stylish communal spaces–all starting at just 60,000 yen per month (US$546.09). With a price like that, we just had to check it out.

Wakoshi Station is just 13 minutes from the popular shopping area of Ikebukuro, and 25 minutes from Tokyo Station. Since it’s a terminal station on both the Tokyo Metro Lines it services, it’s one of those treasures where, if you’re lucky, you can actually be the first to get on the train and secure a seat on your commute.

Films Wako is just a 10-minute walk to Wakoshi Station, making it a really excellent location for working Tokyo-ites. It’s a five-story, reinforced concrete building with 123 rooms. Its size surprised us. It even had a fancy front entrance that made it look like a movie theater!

Upon entering, we were greeted by a person in charge, who offered to give us a tour.

They first took us to the shared lounge. It’s designed to look like the lobby area of a movie theater–and they’ve done a pretty good job on it!

It has a really funky feel that is both retro and modern at the same time. It looks so cozy!

It’s way cooler than we could have imagined.

There’s even a pool table!

Some of the classic deco also reminded us of a New York bar.

Who would have thought that you could live such a classy lifestyle in an average residential area like Wakoshi?

There’s also a shared workspace where you can work or study…

A studio for yoga and dance…

And even an unusual-looking photo studio area!

Of course, the main thing we had to check out was the movie theater. It’s the main attraction of this apartment complex, after all!

To our surprise, it was super nice, with ambient lighting and plush red carpeting.

It had 16 seats, which are actually the same kind you’d find in a regular theater. They’re super comfortable, so you can really sit back and relax while enjoying a film. They even have cup holders!

And with a 150-inch screen and a 7.1 surround sound system, you’ll get a very similar viewing experience to a real theater, too.

True to the social nature of the complex, when using the room, residents must announce when they’re using the room and what movie they’re playing so that other residents can join them. The idea is for it to be a social experience, a chance for everyone to connect.

We also got a chance to check out one of the rooms on our tour.

Each room is about 13.4 square meters (144.2 square feet), which is about the standard size of a studio apartment in Tokyo.

Image by Films Wako

The rooms are very simple, outfitted with only a closet and an AC unit. But with 13 square meters, you’ve got a decent amount of space to work with!

The wooden floors and big window give the room a nice, bright, airy feeling. There is also a good-sized veranda, for those cool nights when you want to sit outside–or for when you do a massive load of laundry.

Because these are social apartments, the toilets, baths, showers, and laundry facilities are all communal. It seems like there’s plenty of opportunities to run into your neighbors!

Housekeepers keep the communal spaces clean, so you don’t even have to worry about that.

Their cost is an additional fee for the apartments, but even with that added to the rent, the monthly cost to live in Films Wako is very affordable. There are several different kinds of plans, and the longer you commit, the cheaper the rent. For a two-year contract, for example, the rent starts at just 60,000 yen per month. You can opt for a shorter contract of one year and pay 4,000 more per month, or ditch the commitment and go monthly for an extra 8,000 yen.

Added to the cost of rent–regardless of contract–is 8,000 yen for maintenance, 500 yen for insurance, and 11,000 yen for electricity and water, for a total of 79,500 yen per month for the two-year plan. The Internet is free! Plus, the electricity and water costs are fixed every month, so you can use the AC as much as you like in the summer, without worrying about the electricity bill.

If you’re interested in moving in, check out the website for apartment availability. There’s even an English-language option, so we can probably assume the rooms are open to foreign residents as well. It’s definitely a beautiful place, in a great location, for a decent price, so it’s worth checking out if shared living is your jam.

If you don’t really want to share bathrooms and kitchens, though, don’t worry; here’s a list of the cheapest Tokyo neighborhoods, so you can still find a place to live in the big city that works for you.

Images © SoraNews24, except where noted
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Gundam’s creator says he can only work in anime studios for three more years due to spinal issue

Yoshiyuki Tomino’s anime career stretches all the way back to writing for Astro Boy, but it might be coming to a close.

A lot is made of anime director Hayao Miyazaki’s ageless passion for animation and desire to create. Though the Studio Ghibli co-founder turned 80 in January, he’s currently working on his next project, titled How Do You Live?, which will be released…well, whenever Miyazaki says it’s finished.

But with all the attention Miyazaki gets for continuing to work well past the average retirement age, it’s easy to forget that Gundam creator Yoshiyuki Tomino is just 10 months younger than Miyazaki and will also be joining the octogenarian club this fall. In addition to various other projects, Tomino still periodically takes the reins of certain branches of the sprawling Gundam franchise, most recently by helming the third Gundam Reconguista in G compilation film, which hit Japanese theaters in July.

However, in a recent interview with Japan’s Shukan Playboy, Tomino himself said he feels like his career is winding down, though not because he’s running out of ideas. Sadly, while his spirit is willing, his body is reaching its limits, as he spoke on his worsening health conditions related to spinal canal stenosis, in which the spinal canal narrows and compresses the nerves inside, causing pain and numbness in the lower body.

“It’s gotten to the point where I can’t walk well anymore. When I see myself walking on camera, I think ‘Whoa, this guy has a serious medical condition!’” explained Tomino, who continues to make frequent media appearances to promote his works and talk about the state of anime in general (such as which other creators’ series he’d like to crush and whose movies could use more overt horniness). “I think I’ve only got about three years left that I can continue working in a studio.”

In more reassuring health news, Tomino said that he’s gotten both of his coronavirus vaccination shots, and aside from a few hours of tiredness, didn’t experience any negative side effects.

Fans can at least take heart in the fact that advancements in information and communication technology, as well as adjustments to Japanese workplace culture that may continue after the pandemic ends, are making it easier than ever to work remotely, and so not being able to commute to a central studio wouldn’t be the deal-breaker it would have been during, say, the original Mobile Suit Gundam’s 1979 Japanese TV broadcast. On the other hand, Tomino’s condition doesn’t sound like an easy one to cope with even from the comfort of his own home, and if the historically hands-on director can’t be in the physical center of the action for the creative process, he might decide it’s time to step away from anime production entirely.

Source: Shukan Playboy via Hachima Kiko
Top image ©SoraNews24
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Tuna-can-shaped Super Super Super Big Cushions, and more coming to crane games in Japan

Super Super Super Big Cushions can only be won in a contest but come with a month’s supply of Sea Chicken!

Sure, you have rings shaped like cans of tuna on each finger, but how are people supposed to know you really love the taste of tuna from a can?

With a 90-centimeter (35-inch) cushion shaped like one of course!

Dubbed the Sea Chicken Super Super Super Big Cushion, this lovely addition to any home décor isn’t shaped like just any old can of tuna, but a Hagoromo can. By the way, in Japan this type of processed tuna is commonly known as “sea chicken” but only Hagoromo has the trademark for this name. So when you have Hagoromo tuna, you can know you are getting the real-deal chicken of the sea.

This all probably sounds too good to be true for all you hardcore tuna-heads out there, and there indeed is a catch. Only three lucky people will be able to own one of these gigantic cushions by entering a contest on Twitter. Those interested must first follow the Molly Fantasy account and then retweet the following tweet.

世界に３つしかない シーチキン超・超・超BIGクッションとシーチキン1か月分がセットで当たる
①@mollyfantasy_ofをフォロー
②このツイートをRT
抽選で3名様に超・超・超BIGクッションとシーチキンファンシー1か月分(48個)をプレゼント

9/3（金）～順次取扱店舗一覧
→https://t.co/XQcfm00gHL pic.twitter.com/sfb2esaVAb

— モーリーファンタジー【公式】 (@mollyfantasy_of) August 30, 2021

Winners will also receive a month’s supply of Hagoromo Sea Chicken Fancy, which works out to 48 cans. I have no idea how they calculated that to be a month’s worth, but it certainly is a lot!

If you don’t like the looks of those odds, don’t fret! There are plenty other fish-themed cushions in the sea. In fact, the whole reason for this contest is to celebrate the release of Sea Chicken Big Cushions. While not as super as the previous model, these cushions are still sizable at 40 centimeters (16 inches) in diameter and 15 centimeters (6 inches) thick.

This version also comes in cans of Hagoromo’s Shakkito! Corn whose name admittedly doesn’t have the same mass appeal as “sea chicken” but like the tuna, has an authentic pull-tab design on the bottom.

However, these too will require a degree of luck to obtain because they’re only available in crane games at Molly Fantasy and PALO amusement centers. These places are often found in AEON shopping centers all over Japan, or can even be played remotely with the Molly Online website and app.

In addition to the cushions, these games will also feature pouches shaped like cans of Sea Chicken and Shakkito! Corn which have the same pull-tab pattern on the bottom side.

And last but not least we have a range of hand towels with not only tuna and corn, but Hagoromo’s Morning Fruit Mix and Meat Sauce canned goods too! These 20-centimeter long towels feature not the can but rather the food inside each.

▼ It’s a bold move making a meat-sauce print towel

All these items will be put into crane games starting 3 September and continue as long as supplies last. Don’t miss out or you’ll have to settle for one of those non-canned tuna cushions instead, and those are so 2020.

Source, images: PR Times
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