Kung-fu shoe flipping tournament coming back to Yokohama Chinatown

Kick off your shoes and have a good time.

There’s that old saying that everyone in the world is the best at something and it’s just a matter of finding what that thing is. This is also true of kicking a single kung-fu shoe of a foot in terms of distance and straightness. Right now, somewhere out there sits the world’s greatest kung-fu shoe flipper and they probably don’t even know it.

That’s why we should all head down to Yokohama Chinatown on 3 November and take part in the 2023 Kung-fu Shoe Flying World Championships. This is quite likely the only organized tournament devoted to the art of flicking off shoes like the ones Bruce Lee used to wear and anyone can compete.

The way it works is simple. Each contestant is given a pair of kung-fu shoes and must kick off one of the shoes along a narrow lane. If the shoe flies outside of the boundaries of the lane then the kick is disqualified and the shoe that travels the farthest is declared the winner.

▼ A video taken from last year’s contest

Before you go racing for that pair of kung-fu shoes in your closet, it should be noted that all contestants must use the tournament’s shoes to ensure fairness. The tournament is also divided into men’s and women’s divisions and there’s even a separate competition for junior high students and younger.

▼ That little tyke’s got the spirit! Unfortunately, his toe is over the line and he his thusly disqualified. Better luck next year!

And in addition to all that, three prizes will also be awarded to the most entertaining contestants, regardless of their respective kung-fu-shoe kicking distances. However, for those only interested in sheer kicking, the world record to beat currently stands at 29.81 meters (97.8 feet) and was set in 2017 by a kicker in the men’s division.

And for those few folks who aren’t even interested in kicking kung-fu shoes off their feet, the Kung-fu Shoe Flying World Championships is just one part of the Kitamon Festival taking place in the same place on the same day. Food and drinks will be served all day long and there will be musical performances from start to finish.

But for those serious about kung-fu-shoe kicking, entry costs 100 yen (US$0.67) per kick and the first 390 contestants who sign up will receive a special edition Yokohama bottle of Coca-Cola. To do so, just follow the Kitamon Festival account on the messaging app Line, text “I hope to participate” (参加希望), and start practicing your kicks.

▼ Here’s a QR code that’ll link you right up with the Kitamon Festival Line account

ありがとうございます♪お時間ありましたらエントリーお待ちしてます pic.twitter.com/0OLimWilcV

— 横浜中華街 きたもん (@Kitamonkai) October 23, 2022

Maybe you’ll be crowned the next world champion? And if not, you can always vent your frustrations at the World Table Flipping Tournament held in Iwate Prefecture.

Event information
Kung-fu Shoe Flying World Championships / カンフーシューズ飛ばし世界大会
Address: Kanagawa-ken, Yokohama-shi, Naka-ku, Yamashitacho, Yokohama Chinatown, Kitamon-dori
神奈川県横浜市中区山下町横浜中華街 北門通り
3 November, 2023
Reception begins at 9:30 a.m.
Competition runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Winners are awarded at 5:30 p.m.
Website

Source: Kitamon Festival, Hachima Kiko
Top image: Pakutaso

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Tokyo’s best downtown garden gets even more beautiful with after-dark fall colors event

Naked returns to Shinjuku Gyoen.

There’s never really a bad time to go to Tokyo’s Shinjuku Gyoen garden. Located within easy walking distance of Shinjuku Station, it’s a nature-filled oasis right in the middle of downtown Tokyo.

Autumn, though, is an especially good time to visit, since that’s when the parks’ trees show their fall colors. Usually, you’ve got to head outside the Tokyo city center to see much colorful foliage, but Shinjuku Gyoen has plenty of beautiful views to keep you oohing, aahing, and snapping photos.

The only drawback, though, is that the park usually closes at sundown. Later this month, though, Shinjuku Gyoen will be staying open after dark as part of a special event with Japanese art and design company Naked.

The garden’s most expansive fall color sections will be illuminated, creating a breathtaking contrast between the yellow and crimson of the leaves and the dark night sky. That includes Shinjuku Goyen’s 200-meter (656-foot) long path lined with Platanus/plane trees, as well as the sloped area of the garden known as Momijiyama, or “Maple Tree Mountain.”

Each group of visitors will also be given a “Naked Distance Lantern” to carry as they stroll around the park. The lanterns produce an image of maple, maidenhair, or Platanus leaves on the ground, letting you play a part in creating the art.

Shinjuku Gyoen’s regular in-park snack stands won’t be open during the after-hours event, but light refreshments will be available from the Tree by Naked food truck, including cups of tea with edible maple leaves floating atop them (yes, maple leaves can be eaten).

The event, which follows a sakura-season illumination held at the garden this past spring, is called Naked Autumn Night Garden at Shinjuku Gyoen 2023, and will take place from November 22 to December 3. Adult admission is 2,200 yen (US$15) Monday through Thursday, and 2,600 yen on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, but those prices drop to 2,000 and 2,200 yen if you reserve your tickets in advance through the event website here.

Related: Naked Autumn Night Garden at Shinjuku Gyoen 2023 website
Source, images: PR Times
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New Japanese bowl-shaped donburi rice cooker cooks rice and toppings at the same time

Making curry rice and beef bowls is now easier and faster than ever. 

It can be hard to cook up meals for one at home after a long day at work or uni, but thanks to a new product from Japanese cooking gadget maker Thanko it’ll now be the highlight of the day.

Called the Takitatedon, this new gadget is a bowl-shaped two-layer cooker that cooks up rice and your desired topping at the same time, essentially creating a “takitatedon” or “freshly cooked donburi rice bowl“.

▼ Not only is it a super convenient way to make a rice bowl meal, it’s also super fast, as the whole meal is ready to eat in just 15 minutes.

As the image above shows, the appliance cooks up rice in the bottom portion of the cooker, while the top tray sits above it, conveniently using the steam created during the cooking process to heat up your topping.

There are just three steps required to use the cooker, and they’re so easy to follow that even first-time cooks will be able to use it. All you have to do is add rice, pour in water up to the appropriate line, then place your topping into the tray, sit it on top and attach the lid, then press the button.

▼ The cooker takes either half a go or a go of rice (traditional measurements, where one go is a serving for one person equal to 150 grams [5.3 ounces]).

The appliance can be used every day of the week, with Thanko offering suggestions for a weekly rotation of meals below. Top to bottom, left to right, we have: Monday — Retort Beef Bowl, Tuesday — Large Curry Rice, Wednesday — Oyakodon (Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl), Thursday — Grilled Salmon and Vegetables, Friday — Retort Chinese Rice Bowl,  Saturday — Takikomi Gohan and Vegetable Side Dish, Sunday — Convenience Store Side Dish.

While retort pouch packs are a popular choice to use as a topping, the gadget can also heat up toppings like leftover side dishes and side dishes purchased from supermarkets and convenience stores, and it can steam food as well, allowing you to enjoy a wide variety of meals with rice throughout the week.

Another perk is the fact that the bowl can be removed from the heating element, so you can eat straight from it, saving you the hassle of setting the table…

▼ …and cutting down on the amount of washing afterwards, as there are just four pieces that need to be cleaned, along with your chopsticks.

▼ This short video shows the gadget in action.

The cooker is compact, with the bowl measuring in at 18 centimetres (seven inches) across and 14.8 centimetres in height, and the heating element measuring 18 centimetres across and six centimetres in height.

Despite its compact size, you can make up to two small bowls of rice and a large size 300-millilitre (10-ounce) topping at a time, so even those with big appetites won’t go hungry.

Being able to make a fresh donburi rice bowl at home in just 15 minutes is something busy people like us could’ve only dreamed of in the past, and the best thing about it is it won’t break the bank, as it’s priced at just 5,980 yen (US$39.96).

It’s a lot cheaper than having to buy a rice cooker in a country where rice cookers can cost 60,000 yen (US$400.97), and for those who’ve just moved out of home and find themselves in cramped kitchens, this is the only appliance they’ll need to stay well fed.

Although with products like the one-person instant ramen pot, mini oden maker and the izakaya gadget for one, there’s no end to the amazing solo gadgets you can fill your kitchen with!

Source, images: Thanko via Net Lab
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Halloween costume idea: Dressing up as the Tokyo neighborhood that banned Halloween parties【Pics】

If we can’t go to Shibuya on Halloween, then we’re going to be Shibuya on Halloween.

In years past, Tokyo’s Shibuya neighborhood was the place to be on Halloween night in Japan, with costumed partiers gathering around the Shibuya Scramble intersection and flooding the Shibuya Center-gai shopping street. As it’s just a short subway ride from SoraNews24 headquarters in the Shinjuku district, we made several Halloween trips to Shibuya ourselves over the years, with our ace reporter Mr. Sato usually taking charge of our group costume theme.

This year, though, Shibuya has made it clear that it doesn’t want people turning its streets into a mass Halloween party. After year of ugly, often alcohol-fueled Halloween incidents in the neighborhood, including vandalism and violence, this year signs went up commanding “No events for Halloween on Shibuya streets.”

It’s a complex issue. On the one hand, the troublemakers were clearly having a negative impact on the local community, and the unregulated, organic nature of the Shibuya Halloween gatherings made maintaining law and order difficult. On the other hand, it’s sad to see what was, for many people, a fun event that had become a symbol of the neighborhood get shut down even for those who did mind their manners while partying.

This left Mr. Sato in a tough spot while thinking of our team’s Halloween costumes for this year. We wouldn’t be going to Shibuya, but he still wanted to do his part to keep the Shibuya/Halloween connection from fading away.

That’s when yet another of his brilliant ideas came to him: If we couldn’t go to Shibuya on Halloween, we’d BE Shibuya!

“OK everybody, for Halloween, we’re dressing up like Shibuya this year!” he told everyone in the office, leaving it to each member of the project to sort out the exact details according to their own creative sensibilities. Since this was his idea, though, it’s only fair that he show his costume first.

OK, Mr. Sato, come on in!

Is that…?

Why yes! It’s…

…the statue of Hachiko the dog, symbol of loyalty and Shibuya’s most popular meeting spot!

Remember, if you’re dressing up as Hachiko, it’s important to get the details right. For example, since so many people like to pat Hachiko, the metal on the statue’s paws has become faded in color.

▼ Like this

Mr. Sato, consummate pro that he is, made sure to recreate this aspect in his costume.

Next up, SoraNews24 founder and owner Yoshio!

Huh, Yoshio’s costume includes a sign saying “Center-gai” across his face.

It makes sense, though, since he’s dressed as…

…a Center-gai streetlight, decked out in various “No Halloween parties” notices and other etiquette reminders, just like the ones put up in Shibuya a few days before Halloween.

▼ “At Halloween, Shibuya is not a garbage dump, pickup spot, or ash tray.”

▼ “Let’s all mind our manners!”

Yoshio really went all out with his streetlight costume, even rigging up functioning light bulbs.

To test the quality of Yoshio’s costume, we went outside to see how well he could blend in with the actual Tokyo streetlights. He passed the test with flying colors, integrating so seamlessly with the surrounding scenery that not a single person realized he was really a guy in a costume.

▼ Or maybe they did realize, but just figured they should give any dude dressed like this a wide berth.

For his Shibuya costume, our reporter Masanuki Sunakoma thought big, literally…

…dressing up as Shibuya’s most iconic architectural landmark, the 109 shopping skyscraper!

In terms of combined cleverness and convenience, we’ve gotta say, Masanuki really knocked it out of the park. It’s a costume anybody in Japan will instantly recognize, but that you can make in just a few minutes with a couple pieces of poster board, some markers, and something to poke a surreptitious eyehole for you to see out of.

Next, we’ve got reporter Go Hatori’s costume…

…which is the most terrifying of our group (yes, even more so than Mr. Sato’s Hachiko).

A lot of that fear factor will dissipate, though, if you know your Shibuya history. For decades, there was a branch of the Tokyu Department Store located right next to Shibuya Station, and its logo was easily visible from the plaza outside the station and the rest of the Shibuya Scramble vicinity.

【今日】渋谷駅直結「東急百貨店東横店」が営業終了、85年の歴史に幕https://t.co/ScEmwuE54Z pic.twitter.com/7UZliHJQwU

— FASHIONSNAP (@fashionsnap) March 31, 2020

The store is now closed, but in tribute Go’s taken its logo and turned it into a mask. However, his decision to go with larger, more contoured eye cutouts, plus an opening for his mouth, also produce some unsettling psychotic clown vibes.

▼ Especially when combined with some aggressive posing

We have three more members in our Shibuya Halloween costume group, so let’s see what they came up with. First, we have Seiji Nakazawa…

…who interpreted “Dress up like Shibuya” to mean “Dress up like Japanese music critic Yoichi Shibuya.”

▼ Yoichi Shibuya, pictured center, has a thing for black turtlenecks.

渋谷陽一さん 司会の NHK-FMの番組「ワールド・ロック・ナウ」の 2021年末特番で、大貫憲章さん、伊藤正則さん がゲスト出演時の模様です
↓https://t.co/6L7BTD2bTt

いや～、懐かしい。。
'80年代は、この御三方が司会のFM番組で、エア・チェックをさせて頂いてました。
まだ、やってたんですね♪ pic.twitter.com/4odTS4SOy6

— shu ota (@shu_ota2) February 8, 2023

OK, Seiji always has music on his mind, so maybe we should have expected something like this. Let’s see what P.K. Sanjun came up with.

Ah, that’s right. Yoichi Shibuya is also one of the main organizers of the annual Rock in Japan summer music festival, so P.K. is dressed as “Yoichi Shibuya (Rock in Japan Opening Ceremony Remarks Version).”

All right, one last chance to get things back on course. Come on in, Takashi Harada…

…who’s…dressed like Kaiji, the titular star of the anime/manga franchise…?

This was even less expected than both Seiji and P.K. deciding to dress up as Yoichi Shibuya, so Mr. Sato asked Takashi what his logic was. Turns out he’d mentally rephrased “Dress up like Shibuya” to “Dress up like they do in Shibuya,” and figured any sort of Halloween costume was OK.

So in the end, only about half the people Mr. Sato had tried to recruit into his “Dress up like Shibuya” plan really understood his vision. That’s OK, though. True genius is always hard for some people to wrap their heads around initially.

And in any case, his main desire was to keep the idea that “Shibuya Halloween can be fun!” alive. Hopefully he’s not the only one that feels that way, and Halloween events can return to Shibuya in the future without the undesirable elements.

Hachiko photo: Pakutaso
All other photos ©SoraNews24
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Cowboy Bebop fragrance line created to celebrate anime’s 25th anniversary

Smell like Spike, Faye, or Julia thanks to Tokyo’s anime perfume specialists.

There’s a lot to love about Cowboy Bebop, and anyone who’s seen the 1998 anime classic will tell you that its visual and musical style is in the top tier. Now, as part of its 25th anniversary celebration, Cowboy Bebop is set to stimulate another of your senses, with a new line of eau de parfum and aroma diffusers.

As you may have guessed, these fragrances come from Fairy Tail, the Tokyo-based anime-inspired fragrance company (which, incidentally, is a sperate entity from the identically unorthodoxically spelled Fairy Tail anime/manga franchise). This isn’t Fairy Tail’s first time creating a cologne for Bebop’s moody main character Spike Spiegel, but he gets a new eau de parfum for the series’ 25th birthday, with elements chosen to reflect his personality and history.

The designers wanted to emphasize Spike’s individualistic instincts and physical strength, expressed as top notes of orange and bergamot citrus that gives way to vanilla accord, lemon, and spicy, woody tonka beans. And just like Spike has some heavy things lurking in his past, his fragrance’s base notes consist of cedar, sandalwood, and amber.

Also getting her own fragrance is Faye Valentine. Faye’s scent is crafted to leave a fresh and spicy sensation, with the designers wanting her “hedonistic” personality alluded to by raspberry, blackcurrant, bergamot, and cedar top notes. For most of the series, it’s hard to say whether Faye’s brash attitude shows she feels no commitment to her bounty hunting shipmates or whether she’s come to see them as a surrogate family, the middle notes switch things up with a fruity floral mix of rose, pear, iris, freesia, and cyclamen, and in a final acknowledgement of the bond she forms with Spike and the others while trying to unravel the secrets of her forgotten past, the base notes here are sandalwood, dry amber, and white musk.

And rounding out the trio of character fragrances is one for Julia, Spike’s old flame who’s so mysterious we never learn her last name. Famously described by Faye as being the sort of person where you can’t quite tell if she’s a devilish angel or an angelic devil, Julia’s perfume is complex and brimming with classical feminine elegance, with top notes of peony, lychee, and freesia, then middle notes of rose and rosewood before a base of magnolia, lily of the valley, dry amber, and sandalwood.

Cowboy Bebop’s recurring theme of one’s past versus one’s future also shows up in a pair of aroma diffusers. The “Past” version, with its artwork taken from the anime’s ending credits, is a throwback to the days when Spike and Julia’s romance was in full bloom, represented by a sweet rose scent to evoke memories of Spike waiting for Julia at their meeting spot so they could run away together, when he was still blissfully unaware that things weren’t going to be that simple.

The ”Future” diffuser instead focuses on Spike’s days of adventure after starting his new life and chasing down bounties with the help of partners Jet, Faye, and Ed, with an invigorating mix of pepper, oakmoss, coffee, and musk.

The character fragrances are priced at 4,400 yen (US$29) each, and the diffusers 3,850. They’re being offered for advance sale at the Cowboy Bebop 25th anniversary exhibition currently being held at the Seibu Shibuya Movida Building in Tokyo, and will be available through Fairy Tail’s online store Dreaming Princess, plus online retailers such as Amazon and Rakuten, starting November 20, as well as at Fairy Tail’s physical store inside the Nakano Broadway shopping center.

Related: Dreaming Princess
Source, images: PR Times
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Japanese temple shop sells special shumai dumplings…with no meat in them

You won’t find shumai like this anywhere else.

When you think of Shumai steamed dumplings, you’re likely to think of small, bite-sized parcels containing meat like minced pork. However, at one temple in Japan, they do things a little differently, selling a meatless version known as Ashikaga Shumai.

These dumplings are so popular they’ve become a regional specialty, named after the city of Ashikaga in Tochigi Prefecture, where the temple is located.

▼ The dumplings are sold on the grounds of Banna-ji, a temple that’s been registered as a national treasure.

The temple itself is a magnificent place to visit, with a moat surrounding the complex. This moat harks back to the temple’s history as home of the Ashikaga clan, who founded the Muromachi Shogunate, and the area is now a premier tourist spot representing Ashikaga City.

After visiting the shrine, we stopped by the famous store selling the famous shumai — Dainichi Chaya. The words “Ashikaga Shumai” are written in large letters on the signboard and flag in front of the store, so it’s hard to miss.

The menu inside is extensive, with loads of hot snacks such as chicken nuggets and fried noodles on offer.

The shumai can be ordered steamed or fried, with both options priced at 170 yen (US$1.13) for a set of two. We decided to order both so we could compare them.

▼ Steamed shumai on the left, fried shumai on the right.

We were excited to try this specialty of Ashikaga, and both versions looked plump and delicious, especially with all the thick, glistening sauce slathered over them.

▼ The dumplings are said to contain a filling of onions and potato starch.

▼ Shumai are usually served with soy sauce, but this thick sauce looked like an even tastier option.

The classic steamed version was almost transparent, giving it an ethereal feel that was truly beautiful. It shone like a pearl in the light and the steamed meat was fresh, plump, and appetising.

The first bite surprised us with its texture — smooth, bouncy, chewy and light, it was absolutely beautiful. Although there was no meat in the shumai, it was so juicy that it felt as if it really did contain meaty juices.

▼ The sweetness of the kneaded onions and slightly spicy sauce went perfectly together!

▼ The fried version is characterised by a crispy exterior, and it was fried to a delicious golden brown colour.

The crunchy texture was fantastic, especially when contrasted with the chewy centre. It was so tasty we could’ve eaten a whole bucketful of them, and we didn’t miss the meat filling at all.

While both versions were incredibly delicious, we felt like we would recommend the steamed version as it was noticeably juicier. Either way, it was a nice way to top off our visit to Ashikaga’s most famous temple, in the prefecture of Tochigi, which is usually synonymous with another type of dumpling.

Store Information

Dainichi Chaya / 大日茶屋
Address: Tochigi-ken, Ashikaga-shi, Ietomi-cho, 2220, Ban’a-ji Temple Precincts
栃木県足利市家富町2220 鑁阿寺境内
Open: 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Closed: Mondays

Related: Ashikaga City Tourism Association
Images © SoraNews24
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