Japanese clothing companies adopt fifth “Intense Heat” season because summer is too long

There are five seasons in Japan.

People who come to live in or visit Japan from other countries often have a humorous encounter with a Japanese person who informs them that “Japan has four seasons.” This often leaves the foreigner confused as to how to react to something that’s experienced in quite a few countries on Earth to some extent. It’s kind of like saying, “You know, in Japan we have both day and night!”

However, if someone were to casually bring up the fact that Japan has five seasons, I’d find myself suddenly more intrigued. And, for better or worse, that may soon be the case as a fifth season is gradually appearing in some settings.

Clothing companies are among the businesses most sensitive to seasonal changes and thus among the first to consider adopting widespread use of a five-season system. This fifth season is generally being called “Intense Heat” (“Mosho“). I imagine that’s a working title, but looking out the window, I’ll be damned if I can come up with a more appropriate name.

Traditionally, in the apparel industry, the four seasons are designated three calendar months each, with “Summer” being given July, August, and September. However, recently temperatures we tend to associate with summer are occurring before and after this period, so some companies have begun calling May, June, and July “Early Summer / Mid-Summer” while August and September are the “Intense Heat” months.

▼ Intense Heat is THE season for parasol fashion.

One such company, Sanyo Shokai, is currently operating in its first Intense Heat season. They made the switch after finding that last year, their sales of cooler-temperature Autumn fashions during August and September fell short of expectations.

Some Japanese readers of the news are already practicing telling people from other lands how many seasons there are in their country, while others feel five seasons is way too generous.

“There are five seasons in Japan.”
“Japan is the only country with five seasons.”
“I think a more accurate system is spring, summer, scorching, humid, fall, and winter.”
“The other day it was 35 degrees [Celsius] at 8 p.m. and it’s September…”
“A boutique near my station is already in fall mode, but I can’t even look at long sleeves.”
“I always have to go from shorts to winter clothing in about a day.”
“I can’t accept this. Vivaldi taught us that there are only four seasons.”
“I notice some companies are also turning the days of the week into Monday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Friday.”
“It’s really more like two seasons than four or five. Autumn’s only like four days long.”

I’m inclined to agree with that last comment, and in fact, rather than a five-season system, there are also some companies choosing to adopt a two-season release schedule of Winter and Summer. It sadly makes a lot of sense since I have a few thin, long-sleeve shirts in my closet that I’ve never used once because the periods when they could be worn seem to just fly by.

Another option would be to go way back to the old Chinese system of 24 seasons. It would probably be great for the fashion industry as we eagerly await what color is hot for keichitsu and if flared bottoms will make a comeback this kanro.

Source: Twitter/@nikkei_kotoba, TBS News Dig, Hachima Kiko
Photos ©SoraNews24
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How long does it take to order at all SEVEN Starbucks stores at this huge shopping mall in Japan?

One drink per location, for an epic adventure.

When it comes to shopping malls in Japan, it’s hard to beat Aeon Lake Town in terms of size, as it contains more than 700 shops and restaurants in three large complexes that cover an expanse of 224,000 square metres (2.4 million square feet).

Located in Koshigaya, in Tokyo’s neighbouring prefecture of Saitama, this is a mall that you can spend an entire day in without getting to see everything it has to offer, which got us to thinking — how long would it take for us to visit all of the mall’s Starbucks branches?

▼ The mall has a total of seven branches, pictured below.

As you can see, they’re pretty spread out, so this wasn’t going to be an easy task, but it was a challenge we were keen to complete. We began our journey at the first branch, located at the top of the escalator, immediately after exiting the station.

▼ The clock starts here at 3:22 p.m.

With this being a Sunday, the complex was quite busy, so we started the clock when we joined the queue, patiently waiting in line until it was our turn to order.

Considering we had a lot of drinking ahead of us, our order here was for a small-sized iced decaf Americano.

It took a while for the coffee to be made, but once we had it, it was gone in seconds and it was time to head off to the next location.

The second branch was, thankfully, surprisingly close by, on the first floor of the building next door. However, it would take us a while to order here as the line stretched out into the mall.

While we waited, we mused on how popular the chain must be, with long lines at two branches so close to each other, and when it came time to order, we got the same iced decaf Americano that we ordered at the previous store.

▼ Again, gone in seconds and time to move on to the next location.

By this stage, 30 minutes had already elapsed on the timer, which meant our initial estimate of completing the course in about an hour was already well off the mark.

Arriving at the third location, this one wasn’t too far away either, and it was a Teavana outlet that specialises in tea-based drinks.

Again, there was a line and some waiting involved, and when we got to the counter, what did we order?

You guessed it — another small-sized iced decaf Americano. We figured it was best to keep the drinks the same at each location, for the sake of uniformity.

The next store was located in the outlet area, so we passed through a passageway to get there.

This branch took a while to get to, but it turned out to be a lovely one, with outdoor seating. However, that meant it was quite popular, so we had to join another queue for the registers yet again.

▼ Another Starbucks, another Americano.

▼ This time we finished the drink in about 30 seconds, proving we were improving our drinking skills as we went.

Finally, we were past the halfway mark, and now it was time to move to the third complex, where the final three stores were located.

The next branch also had a lovely outdoor setting, and out of all the stores it was the one most covered in leafy green plants.

Despite the tranquil setting, it turned out to be the least busy store, with only about five people in line, so we didn’t have to wait long to order and down our Americano.

For the penultimate branch, we headed back inside the building, where we were greeted by another long line of customers.

By this stage, we were getting a little tired of drinking the same thing over and over again, but it was thirsty work so we were grateful for the liquid refreshment.

At the final store, we resisted the urge to descend to our knees in front of it and yell out a hoot in triumph.

▼ It was a beautiful-looking store, but sadly it’ll soon be closing temporarily for renovations.

▼ One final cheers to the final location!

Upon throwing the empty cup into the trash, it was now time to check the results.

According to the data on this final photo, the time was…5:13 p.m!

That meant this epic journey of ordering and drinking coffee at all seven Starbucks locations took us 111 minutes, or just shy of two hours. Surprisingly, we also noticed that the time between ordering at one store and ordering at the next took about 15 minutes each time. Whether or not this was intentionally thought-out by the chain when setting up their locations within the mall, it’s actually a clever configuration, as you’re never too far away from a Starbucks, where you can re-energise between shopping at your favourite stores.

It was an enjoyable adventure, and one we wouldn’t mind trying again next time we visit LakeTown…although then we’ll be ordering something other than an iced Americano.

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Japanese pizza chain starts nationwide delivery of for-dogs pizzas

Pizza-La is going to the dogs…the dogs’ homes, that is.

It’s hard to find a more broadly popular food than pizza. Loved by young and old, it’s transcended barriers to the extent that it’s partially in its own cultural class, and even people who aren’t otherwise into Italian food can still find joy in a slice.

So if all sorts of people love pizza, doesn’t it stand to reason that dogs might love it too? That’s the idea behind Japanese pizza chain Pizza-La’s Wanko (“Doggy”) Pizza, which is finally available for delivery nationwide.

▼ Please note that the Wanko Pizza is delivered by human Pizza-La staff, and not dogs dressed in adorable uniforms.

While Pizza-La offers a full range of topping choices for its for-human pizzas, the Wanko Pizza is currently available in only one variety. To throw actual dogs a metaphorical bone, though, the Wanko Pizza is based on Pizza-La’s teriyaki chicken pizza, the chain’s best-seller, and is topped with teriyaki chicken, corn, mushrooms, and shredded seaweed. There is one big difference, though, which is that the Wanko Pizza uses chicken instead of dough for its crust, giving it an extra-meaty quality to please canine palates. And don’t worry, the Wanko Pizza, which was developed in cooperation with Japanese pet food company Comif Deli, is made with ingredients and seasonings that are healthy for dogs to consume, so it’s not like you’re giving your pooch people food.

The Wanko Pizza first went on sale in 2021 but was available only in pet supply stores. A year later a limited number of select Pizza-La branches began offering it, and thanks to the positive reactions from pets and their owners, the for-dogs pizza is available at Pizza-La branches nationwide as of September 9. Be aware, though, that the Wanko Pizza ships frozen, and takes either six hours in the fridge or around two minutes in the microwave to dethaw (Pizza-La says to serve it at room temperature, not piping hot).

The Wanko Pizza is priced at 880 yen (US$6.10), measures 10 centimeters (3.9 inches) in diameter, and can be ordered online here. Oh, and if you’re wondering, yes, people can eat it too, and of course the SoraNews24 taste-testing team has tried it.

Source: PR Times
Top image: Pizza-La
Insert images: PR Times, Pizza-La
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Studio Ghibli releases new wooden stand clips featuring cute cast of anime characters

With different characters on the front and the back, these little stands 

Whether you’re at your desk for work or play, a little organisation can go a long way to keeping you in a good headspace, and now Studio Ghibli has come up with a neat solution that’s not just functional but cute as well, with a collection of wooden stand clips.

▼ These wooden stands look like signboards you might see outside a cafe, but they’re actually clips.

While you could use them in a variety of ways, the studio suggests keeping them in their upright position to hold photos and notes.

There are six designs to collect, covering five of the studio’s most popular movies, and with different designs on the front and the back, we get to enjoy a wide variety of characters.

▼ Front

▼ Back

▼ There’s The Baron and Moon from Whisper of the Heart…

▼ …Calcifer and Howl from Howl’s Moving Castle…

▼ …the Otori-sama and No Face from Spirited Away…

▼ …Jiji and Kiki from Kiki’s Delivery Service…

▼ …and finally, not one but two clips dedicated to the Totoro characters from My Neighbour Totoro.

With stands this cute, it’ll be easy to keep things nice and organised, and as they’re priced at a very affordable 715 yen (US%5.07) each, we’ll be able to collect them all! The stands are available now at Donguri Kyowakoku stores and online (links below) while stocks last.

Source: Donguri Kyowakoku
Top image: Donguri Kyowakoku
Insert images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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