Tokyo Skytree to be lit up in Jujutsu Kaisen colors on Halloween in months-long art collaboration

The Sumida incident?

Just mentioning “Shibuya” brings all sorts of dramatic memories to mind for those familiar with Jujutsu Kaisen, but fans of the hit anime/manga series have a good reason to head to the other side of downtown Tokyo with the franchise’s first-ever collaboration with the Tokyo Skytree in Sumida Ward.

The event kicks off on September 25 and wastes no time wrapping visitors in the art of Jujutsu Kaisen, with characters greeting you on the elevator ride up to the Tembo Galleria observation area, 450 meters (1,476 feet) up in the sky.

The Tembo Galleria’s unique construction consists of a spiraling walkway, which will be decorated with “life-size” character artwork of the Jujutsu Kaisen cast.

▼ They actually look larger-than-life-size in this preview image, but maybe that’s so they’ll look like they’re standing right next to you in photos.

The 110-meter-long path eventually leads you to Sorakara Point, the highest visitor-accessible spot in the Skytree, and anther photo space, this one focused on the Shibuya Incident…

…and the Skytree Round Theater will be playing animated sequences accompanied by the anime’s opening and ending theme songs.

For an additional fee of 1,700 yen (US$12.15), fans can also have Skytree staff take a special commemorative photo of them with Jujutsu Kaisen characters, with a total of 29 different patterns to choose from.

You actually don’t even have to be up in the Skytree to get in on the fun, though. On select nights during the event, the Skytree will be lit up in a cycle of colors referencing Jujutsu Kaisen’s mystical lore.

▼ Black and white for Curtain, red, black and white for Black Flash, blue for Cursed Energy, and purple for Hollow Technique: Purple.

You will need to make your way to the Tembo Deck gift shop, though, to snag some of the limited-edition merch such as acrylic standees, key chains, and clear files featuring the cast and Skytree.

▼ There’s a free sticker set for shoppers who spend over 3,000 yen.

Some of those illustrations can also be found on the special Skytree Tembo Deck admission ticket and art card combo, which can be reserved online through ticketing service 7 Ticket here.

The Skytree/Jujutsu Kaisen collaboration event runs from September 25 to December 22, with the exterior light-up of the spire taking place on September 25, 28, and 29, October 5, 12, 19, 26, and 31, November 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30, and December 7, 14, and 21.

Source, images: PR Times
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Starbucks serves up a new afternoon tea set in Japan with a super high price tag

New Pasticcini Flight still likely to sell out regardless.

Starbucks loves to experiment with creative new menu offerings in Japan, and now the chain has set tongues wagging again, with the announcement that it’ll be offering a special afternoon tea exclusively at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery Tokyo.

Called the Roastery Pasticcini Flight, this afternoon tea will be served at the Roastery’s Teavana bar, and features sweet pastries (known as “pasticcini” in Italian) from the Princi bakery on the ground floor.

This Italian twist on a traditional afternoon tea includes bite-sized cakes and baked goods with autumnal flavours, three of which are totally new. The “Mele“, for example, is one new delight that catches the eye with its apple-like topping, made from caramelised jelly, that sits atop a delicate, noodle-like pastry made with finely shredded phyllo dough known as kadaif.

Another new sweet is the Rum Raisin Fromage, which consists of cream cheese, white chocolate mousse and a salty, crumbly dough. Topped with homemade rum-soaked raisins, which also sit inside the cream cheese mousse, this dessert has delicious notes of cinnamon and cloves that give it bagfuls of spicy sweet autumnal flavour.

The third new treat is the Vignolata, an Italian sweet containing choux pastry, or “bigne” as it’s known in Italian. With delicious swirls of caramel-flavoured buttercream and handmade praline in the filling, this little pastry lets you enjoy multilayered textures and nutty, creamy flavours in every bite.

In addition to the three new autumnal treats above, the afternoon tea set contains five bite-sized cakes and three savoury selections. On the side, Starbucks has prepared a variety of richly flavoured teas, with customers able to choose one from Kagabo Hojicha (a roasted green tea), Spice Apple Cider, Citrus Lavender Sage, and a Rwandan Black Tea.

Afternoon teas are generally pricey affairs, but this one is particularly expensive, as it’ll set you back 6,050 yen (US$42.73). However, judging by the immense popularity of the chain’s first afternoon tea, which sold out in an hour on the day it debuted in 2021, back when its then-4,620 yen price point was considered expensive, this is a set that’s likely to sell out fast.

Anticipating demand for the set, the chain will be serving it in 90-minute time slots, at 1, 3, and 5 p.m. every day, with advance reservations online highly recommended. Available from 1-31 October, sets will only be made in limited numbers so you’ll want to make a reservation early to avoid missing out, otherwise you might wind up drowning your sorrows with an autumnal cocktail at the bar.

Cafe information
Starbucks Reserve Roastery Tokyo / スターバックス リザーブ ロースタリー東京
Address: Tokyo-to, Meguro-ku, Aobadai 2-19-23
東京都目黒区青葉台2丁目19-23
Open 7 a.m.-11 p.m.
Website

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How to use the self-serve dispensers for green tea at conveyor bel sushi restaurants in Japan

A key part of the complete kaitenzushi experience.

The technological star of the show at Japan’s kaitenzushi (revolving sushi) restaurants are the conveyor belts on which plates of food are delivered to your table. However, there’s another clever piece of tech that’s often found at kaitenzushi restaurants.

Officially called “drink fillers,” these are spigots built into the counter or table. In Japan, green tea is free at kaitzenzushi restaurants, and these handy self-service devices allow you to get a cup of tea without having to ask the staff or get up and go to a centralized drink bar.

While drink fillers are a very common part of the kaitenzushi experience, our Japanese-language reporter Tasuku Egawa somehow managed to go his whole life until now without ever using one. Chalk it up to Tasuku’s statistically unusual predilection for drinking ice water with his sushi. The other day, though, he decided it was finally time to fill this gap in his life experiences.

Looking at how the device is built into the counter, Tasuku wondered where the liquid itself was coming from. So he poked his head under the counter…

…and saw a length of rubber hosing goes into the metal base of the drink filler, while the other goes back further to some sort of central tap/water supply.

Coming back topside, Tasuku took another look at the rubber pad that you’re supposed to press forward to dispense the liquid, and felt a bit of apprehension.

You’re supposed to hold your teacup in your hand, and then push the cup forward against the pad. The hose Tasuku had seen beneath the counter was fairly narrow, but still, hot liquid was going to be coming out of the spigot very near his hand. If he pressed the pad with too much force, might that wide-open the tap, resulting in scalding splashes of cascading liquid?

So for safety’s sake, Tasuku pressed his cup gently against the pad, and…

…absolutely nothing happened.

As Tasuku learned, it actually takes a pretty good amount of force to open the tap. In retrospect, this makes a lot of sense. If you’re dispensing hot liquids, you don’t want hair-trigger taps that customers might hit by accident, especially since families with small kids a pretty big katenzushi customer demographic.

So yes, you really do need to give the pad a pretty strong push, and it’s basically an on/off setting, so there’s no need to regulate the pressure for an optimal flow. That’s why the below-counter hose isn’t so thick – even at full flow, it won’t splash outside your cup.

At this point Tasuku learned something else about kaitenzushi drink fillers. Even though they’re for people who want to drink tea, the drink fillers just dispense hot water, not green tea itself. So you’ll need to look for a canister or box next to the drink filler that’s stocked with either green tea powder or tea bags, which you’re supposed to put in your cup first and then add the hot water from the drink filler.

▼ The kaitenzushi restaurant Tasuku went to had its green tea powder in a shaker, but some places instead have a little dispenser spoon to scoop the powder into your cup with.

With intense summertime-style heat sticking around in Japan through September, Tasuku will probably be sticking with his usual ice water for the near future, but once we get deeper into fall he now knows how easy it is to whip up a cup of green tea, and it’s something we recommend everyone try at least once to get the full kaitenzushi experience when you’re in Japan.

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One of Tokyo’s most beautiful gardens gets its own moon for moon-viewing season

Hotel Chinzanso’s Sea of Clouds mist installation gets even more enchanting.

Tokyo’s Hotel Chinzanso has one of the most beautiful gardens in the city, with its carefully cultivated flowers and other plant life making it worth a visit in any season. There’s a special sight to see in the garden, though, now that it’s moon-viewing season.

That might seem like sort of a contradiction. After all, the moon is up in the sky, not inside any single garden, right? But as of September 13, Chinzanso has a very clever art installation in its garden, giving it a moon of its own.

You might remember Chinzanso from when we talked about their Sea of Clouds, a summer seasonal event in which mist nozzles installed throughout the hotel’s sunken garden created a later of dense fog, producing a visual effect reminiscent of the “sea of clouds” phenomenon when you’re up on a mountaintop with the cloud layer below you.

By adjusting some of these nozzles for a more upward angle, the hotel is able to create a taller wall of mist above the garden’s pond, which serves as a screen for a large, detailed projection of an image of the moon, measuring roughly three meters (9.8 feet) across.

Because the screen is made of mist, differences in wind and humidity mean that no two nights’ projections are exactly the same, lending an organic feel to the installation and making each visit special.

The Tokyo Moon display, as Chinzanso is calling it, takes place nightly until November 11 at 6:40, 7:40, 8:40, and 9:40 p.m., with the moon appearing for approximately 7 minutes each time. The Sea of Clouds effect will be in place even when the “moon” isn’t out, though, so even if you arrive a little late, the atmosphere should still be quite lovely as you wait for it to come out again.

Related: Hotel Chinzanso official website
Source: PR Times
Top image: PR Times
Insert images: PR Times (1, 2)
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Kyoto’s breathtaking, mouthwatering matcha parfait bars get new autumn-only flavor

The colors and tastes of fall arrive at 92-year-old tea merchant Itohkyuemon.

With matcha having secured a permanent place in the pantheon of desert flavors in Japan, the line between tea merchant and confectioner is becoming increasingly blurred for some companies. One of the most delicious, and beautiful, examples of this is Itohkyuemon, a Kyoto tea company founded in 1832 which is now also famous for their breathtaking, mouthwatering matcha parfait ice cream bars.

▼ The matcha parfait bars have even earned a spot on Itohkyuemon’s sign.

Of course, being a successful confectioner in Japan means you have to be mindful of the seasons, and Itohkyuemon has been doing that with special hydrangea-themed matcha ice cream bars this past summer. Now it’s time for a new autumn-only version, the Momiji Matcha Parfait Ice Cream Bar.

Momiji is the Japanese word for maple trees, and this matcha ice cream bar is dressed for the season with a gelatin maple leaf, candied chestnut, and swirl of sweet potato Mont Blanc (sweet chestnut puree), as well as a chocolate disc with Itohkyuemon’s name written in kanji characters, so that when you look back fondly on the photos you took before devouring this edible work of art, you can be reminded of where you got it, and where you can get another when the craving for another hits.

▼ The Momiji Matcha Parfait Ice Cream Bar is Itohkyuemon’s portable take on its in-cafe Momiji Matcha Parfait, seen on the left in this photo.

The Momiji Matcha bar is priced at 740 yen (US$5.30) and goes on sale October 1 at Itohkyuemon’s Uji, Byodoin, Uji Station, Kyoto Station, Gion Yonjo, Sanjo Teramachi, and Kiyomizuzaka branches in Uji and Kyoto City, and arrives on November 1 at Itohkyuemon’s Kiyomizu Sanneizaka and Fushimi Inari branches in Kyoto City.

Related: Itohkyuemon location list
Source: @Press via Japaaan
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Using red sushi rice makes a real difference, if it’s paired with the right fish【Taste test】

Conveyor belt sushi chains Sushiro and Misaki spontaneously create an akashari season with unexpected results.

This month, conveyor belt sushi chains Sushiro and Misaki both kicked off exciting events featuring a twist on conventional sushi: using red rice instead of the usual white. This rice, known as akashari, is made with akazu, a red rice vinegar that gives it a distinctive hue.

So, what’s the deal with akazu? It’s a red rice vinegar derived from sake lees. This process takes a lot longer—about two years for the sake lees to mature and an additional three to four years for the vinegar to develop, compared to the 11 to 14 months for the vinegar used in regular white sushi rice. That’s why akazu is a bit pricier and often found in high-end sushi restaurants. While Sushiro was offering akashari sushi as part of a limited-time event before, Misaki has it on their regular menu, but also has a special promotion going in which the chain says it’s increased the quality of its red sushi rice just for this promotion.

With both chains offering akashari around the same time, we couldn’t resist the chance to compare their offerings. We’d never tried akashari before and wondered if swapping out the vinegar would make a noticeable difference but we had out doubts. If it was soy sauce or wasabi, perhaps the average person could distinguish a difference but… vinegar? We weren’t sure.

First up was Sushiro.

Since we were doing a taste comparison, we chose Sushiro items as close to possible as the ones on Misaki’s event menu: lean tuna (akami), medium-fatty tuna (chutoro), fatty tuna (otoro), seared tuna (aburi), tuna gunkan, shrimp, bonito, and squid.

Starting with the akami, we were surprised by how red the rice was—much more vibrant than we expected.

Delicious, as always. You really can’t go wrong with Sushiro’s tuna, but we found it hard to pinpoint the difference in flavor compared to the usual white sushi rice. First came the taste of the soy sauce, followed with the taste of the tuna and then… that was it. As we had expected. Picking up on the difference in vinegar is simply not what an average person can do.

It might be different, though, if we tried eating the sushi rice by itself. We decided to give it a try using the shrimp sushi, since the shrimp was less likely to have transferred its flavor to the rice than the cuts of fish, so we lifted the shrimp off and, sans soy sauce, ate the red rice.

The subtle sour note in the aftertaste, much like the taste of sake lees, of the akazu was now noticeable. There was also a faint hint of sweetness, but it was the sourness that stood out most predominantly. With such a light flavor, we felt it would be better paired with a mild-flavored topping so as not to be overpowered, which was unfortunately the case with the rest of the tuna we tried.

The bonito was overflowing with the flavor of both the onion and the ginger, and the sushi was as delicious as it always is, but the taste of the akashari was nowhere to be found.

When we ate the squid, however, we noticed something. There was a distinct akazu flavor. So we determined that it’s not the taste itself that is weak, it’s just affected by what it’s eaten with. If we wanted to enjoy the unique qualities of akashari, it seemed like we really would have to try it with a topping that had a lighter flavor.

With that in mind, we ordered a few more types of sushi to see how they fared with red rice.

First was sea bream seasoned with sesame oil and ponzu sauce. Those forceful flavors, along with the nori (seaweed), completely suppressed the taste of the akashari.

The shiso (Japanese basil) on the flounder fin was also overpowering.

Not a lot changed until we came to the unseasoned red sea bream and what a development it was. The chewy texture and its subtly sweet and mild flavor paired fantastically with the sake lees-like flavor of the akashari. This was probably the best sea bream that we’ve ever had at Sushiro. The compatibility of the two was simply remarkable. When we thought about it some more, we realized that red sea bream is also used in sakamushi (sake-steamed) dishes, so fish that go well with sake might shine when combined with akashari. If you’re trying akashari, red sea bream is the way to go!

After our Sushiro adventure, we headed to Kaiten Sushi Misaki to try their akashari in a set featuring one each of various types of tuna.

The color of Misaki’s lean tuna was not that much different to that of Sushiro’s, and while the tuna was tasty, we still couldn’t detect much difference in the rice’s flavor. We did feel that the fatty tuna had an edge over Sushiro’s in terms of deliciousness, though.

We also tried bonito at Misaki, but again the strong flavors of the ginger overpowered the akashari.

On closer inspection, we feel like this is to be expected. Misaki uses less rice per piece than Sushiro does, so with the relatively larger size of Misaki’s toppings, it can be especially hard for the flavor of the akashari to stand out.

There was one final item on our taste-testing list: longtooth grouper with kelp (konbu). Even though Sushiro did not offer it, we had a feeling that it would go great with akashari, much like it did with the red sea bream. We put it in our mouth and—it was so delicious! The texture was chewy and deliciousness seeped out without any particular flavor. This is what delicious white fish should be like! However, unlike Sushiro’s red sea bream, we couldn’t sense the distinctive akazu taste. It was strange. Surely there should be a sake lees-like aftertaste with a white fish like this.

We tried the akashari by itself and noticed that it was a lot milder in flavor than Sushiro’s. The main characteristic of Sushiro’s was its sake lees flavor, followed by its sweetness, whereas Misaki’s akashari was almost the reverse with the sweetness being the main factor and a weak hint of sake lees. However, the level of sweetness of both was about the same, meaning that Misaki’s akashari didn’t trigger the same synergy with the white fish. Without comparing the akashari at Misaki to its regular sushi rice, it’s likely you won’t be able to see what makes it special.

It seems that Sushiro’s akashari is designed to stand out with its bold sake lees flavor, making it a perfect match for certain types of fish. This is probably due to it only being used during special promotions, so they want the presence of the akazu to be noticed by everyone. Misaki’s version, being part of their regular menu, is milder and more versatile, being able to be paired with any fish, at the cost of weaker flavor impact.

Sushiro’s akashari event wrapped up on September 16, but if you missed out, don’t worry—it’s bound to come again. In the meantime, Misaki’s akashari is still worth a try. It might not have the same punch, but it is undeniably delicious.

Related: Sushiro location list, Misaki location list
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McDonald’s Japan’s new apple caramel black tea and Kyoho frappes are creatively cool autumn treats

New fall frappes on the way in time for when the leaves fall.

Just because summer’s done doesn’t mean that Japan’s craving for frozen treats has gone away. Still, foodies’ taste buds are telling them it’s time to start transitioning to autumn treats, and so here comes McDonald’s Japan with two extremely tempting fall flavors.

新作フラッペで秋しない？#アップルキャラメルフラッペ#巨峰フラッペ#マカロン塩バターキャラメル

9/25(水)から期間限定で販売開始！
詳しくは→ https://t.co/nqIFZoF6eS pic.twitter.com/uQmWNxgML6

— マクドナルド (@McDonaldsJapan) September 19, 2024

Up first is the Apple Caramel Frappe, which actually has one more special ingredient than its name tells you about. Apple is already a pretty unique frozen dessert drink ingredient, but for extra classy complexity McDonald’s blends in black tea extract, then tops the drink with whipped cream drizzled with caramel sauce.

Arriving alongside the Apple Caramel is the Kyoho Frappe, featuring the flavor of Japan’s famous Kyoho grapes, loved for their strong sweetness. There’s still a touch of tartness to them, though, and this drink also gets you a sprinkling of grape-flavored pearl chocolate in its whipped cream for extra flavor and texture.

And if your sweet tooth is instead asking for something to eat instead of drink, McDonald’s is also bringing out a Salty Butter Caramel Macaron.

And they look even tastier in video form than still images.

The frappes are priced at 490 yen (US$3.50) and the macaron 190 yen, and they all go on sale at McDonald’s branches across Japan on September 25, making them very affordable indulgences to sip and munch as you curl up in a cozy spot and watch the leaves start to change color.

Source: McDonald’s Japan via Livedoor News via Otakomu
Images: McDonald’s Japan
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Super-cheap, super-convenient rice-cooking mug is a new kitchen gadget all-star from 3 Coins

A perfectly cooked single-serving of rice with just this mug and a microwave, no rice cooker needed.

Japanese lifestyle brand 3 Coins gets its name from the fact that most of its items are priced at just 300 yen (US$2.15), meaning that you can pay for them with three 100-yen coins. Just like with 100 yen stores, though, some of 3 Coins’ wares carry a slightly higher price. We were willing to drop a few more coins, though, when we found out about a very convenient handy kitchen gadget that 3 Coins is selling for 550 yen (US$3.95).

It’s called the Kitinto One-Person Rice-cooking Mug, and though it looks like a lidded coffee cup at first glance, what it’s really for is making rice, and it lets you make a single-person serving in the microwave, with no dedicated rice-cooking appliance required.

The mug can be used to cook 150 grams (5.3 ounces) of rice, and after adding the uncooked grains you first attach the outer lid only.

▼ The outer lid

The outer lid’s slats let you pour in water to wash the rice, and also let you drain the water off without worrying about accidentally pouring out any rice. Once the rice is washed, remove the outer lid, add water up to the making on the inside of the cup, and then attach the inner lid first, and the outer lid on top of it.

▼ Diagrammed steps showing the outer lid (外蓋) and inner lid (内蓋)

3 Coins then says to let the rice soak in the water for 20 to 30 minutes (20 minutes in summer and 30 in winter), then put the mug in the microwave to cook for 10 minutes. Once that time is up, take the mug out and let it sit for 20 minutes to finish steaming, and when you open up the lid, you’ll have a cup full of freshly cooked rice!

The rice is soft, fluffy, and flavorful, on-par with what the results we get from making rice in a rice cooker.

From start to finish, it takes about an hour to make rice with 3 Coins’ mug, so you’re not really saving a whole lot of time. If you’re just making a single serving, though, there’s a lot less to wash, since the mug is compact and has just three parts, and while we decided to be classy and transfer our rice into a bowl before eating, you could actually just eat right out of the mug, giving you even one fewer thing to wash. The Kitinto One-Person Rice-cooking Mug is also a fraction of the price of a dedicated rice cooker, which can easily cost over 10,000 yen, so if you’re looking to set up a home kitchen on a budget or without a lot of counter space, this lets you opt for just a microwave. It’s a great portable option too, since it allows you to cook rice anywhere you’ve got access to a microwave, and the single-person portion means that you’ll won’t have to worry about storing leftovers.

▼ You can also use the mug to cook takikomigohan, rice dishes where additional ingredients and seasonings are cooked together with the rice.

So while the 550 yen price tag means the Kitinto can’t be bought for 3 Coins’ regular price, we think it’s definitely worth the five and a half coins they’re asking for it, and it can be ordered online here.

Photos ©SoraNews24
Diagram: 3 Coins
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“Pokémon with guns” game Palworld’s developer gets sued by Nintendo/Pokémon Company

Nintendo and The Pokémon Company’s legal teams used Infringement of Patent Rights claims! Will they be effective?

Almost as soon as video game Palworld was released in January of this year, people started calling it “Pokémon with guns.” Whether that’s an accurate description is something gamers have been debating since, and it looks like it’s now a question that the Japanese courts are going to have to consider too, as Nintendo and The Pokémon Company are suing Pocketpair, Palworld’s Tokyo-based developer.

Nintendo and The Pokémon Company contend that Palworld constitutes an infringement on their intellectual property rights and are seeking both an injunction against Pocketpair as well as compensation for damages. Nintendo has posted a brief statement regarding the lawsuit to its official Japanese website, in both Japanese and English, which reads:

Filing Lawsuit for Infringement of Patent Rights against Pocketpair, Inc.

Nintendo Co., Ltd. (HQ: Kyoto, Minami-ku, Japan; Representative Director and President: Shuntaro Furukawa, “Nintendo” hereafter), together with The Pokémon Company, filed a patent infringement lawsuit in the Tokyo District Court against Pocketpair, Inc. (HQ: 2-10-2 Higashigotanda, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, “Defendant” hereafter) on September 18, 2024.

This lawsuit seeks an injunction against infringement and compensation for damages on the grounds that Palworld, a game developed and released by the Defendant, infringes multiple patent rights.

Nintendo will continue to take necessary actions against any infringement of its intellectual property rights including the Nintendo brand itself, to protect the intellectual properties it has worked hard to establish over the years.

Should the lawsuit make it all the way to trial without a settlement being reached, Pocketpair’s defense will have to hinge on establishing that Palworld is sufficiently different from Pokémon. In terms of gameplay, Palworld and the mainline Pokémon games don’t have all that much overlap. Whereas the main Pokémon games are rearig RPGs with turn-based combat, Palworld is an multiplayer open-world sandbox game with real-time first-person shooter-style combat and survival/crafting elements.

The fact that Palworld’s gameplay description sounds like an aggregate of game design buzzwords from the last 10 years doesn’t exactly help establish it as an innovative title, but it does at least set it apart from Pokémon’s game mechanics. However, it’s more likely that Nintendo/The Pokémon Company’s angle of attack in the lawsuit will be how closely Palworld appropriates the visual design of the Pokémon franchise, with multiple “Pals” looking like deliberate imitations of preexisting Pokémon species.

▼ Palworld launch trailer

The timing of the lawsuit also suggests that Nintendo/The Pokémon Company’s IP infringement claim may go beyond the Palworld game itself. It’s been eight months since Palworld’s release for Xbox and PC, but during the summer Pocketpair announced that it would be forming a new entity, Palworld Entertainment, Inc., in association with Sony Music Entertainment “to promote the licensing business of Palworld, both domestically and internationally.”

Though the lawsuit only mentions Pocketpair, not Palworld Entertainment, it could be that Nintendo/The Pokémon Company see the potential licensing of merchandise based off of Palworld’s creatures to be an upcoming additional layer of IP inveiglement, and one where gameplay differences between Palworld and Pokémon are irrelevant. The Palworld Entertainment official website contains a July 10 announcement that the company has been established “for developing the reach of the intellectual property and for expanding commercial business endeavors, including the global licensing and merchandising activities associated with Palworld, outside of the interactive game,” but also says that the company is “in the works” and has posted no updates since.

As such, it could be that Nintendo/The Pokémon Company were resigned to letting the Palworld game itself slide, but now that Pocketpair has its sights set on Palworld becoming a wider entertainment franchise with more purely visual elements, they’ve been convinced that now is the time to take legal action.

Exact motivations aside, Pocketpair now finds itself with a gauntlet thrown down by two companies whose legal teams have a very strong record in IP infringement disputes.

Source: Nintendo, Pocketpair, Palworld Entertainment (1, 2)
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Cafe Mountain, Ocean & Sun opens its second location in Japan, the first in Tokyo

Let’s just say that the burger we ate at this sub-brand of Mos Burger made us want to start a petition immediately.

Did you know? Popular Japanese burger chain Mos Burger (“MOS” standing for “Mountain, Ocean, Sun”) has several sub-brands to its name such as drink specialty shop Stand by Mos or cheeseburger specialty shop Mosh Grab’n Go. Most of these shops can be found, or in some cases exist only, within the Greater Tokyo Area.

Up until September 12, one sub-brand called Cafe Mountain, Ocean & Sun was located exclusively in Shizuoka Prefecture. That’s all changed now that its second location is officially open in Tokyo’s eastern Kameido district, and you bet that we had to check it out for ourselves. The restaurant is part of the Atre Kameido shopping and dining complex, which also just newly reopened after extensive renovations. When we visited the day after this grand opening, there was still a sense of excitement in the air, and facility staff were handing out promotional uchiwa fans in order to lure shoppers inside.

We found the restaurant a short walk inside from the entrance on the first floor in area with plenty of sweets, coffee, and tea.

We then took a moment to mull over its mouthful of a name, which sounds a bit longwinded in either Japanese or English. Perhaps the inclusion of “Cafe” and the illustrated logo were trying to convey a laidback vibe, but all we could think was that it sounded like the title of a minor rock band’s album.

Looking at the menu, it was clear that there were fewer options for burgers than at a typical Mos Burger–but that seemed to make sense based on its smaller size. In terms of menu items that don’t appear at a regular shop, the “Pinsana” pizza-style bread and hot dogs were definitely unique.

The featured drinks were a line of Colorful Sodas and the spotlighted dessert was Milky Soft-Serve Ice Cream.

The Pinsana was definitely tempting, but we eventually settled on the Mos Chicken Burger (990 yen [US$7] for a set with fries, a side salad, a piece of fried chicken, and juice or soup). While regular Mos Burger stores sell fried Mos Chicken as a side order, it doesn’t currently exist in burger form (there’s a different Mos Chicken Burger that’s made using a chicken patty). We also ordered an additional small-sized Homemade Lemonade Soda for 389 yen, which resulted in a 100-yen meal/drink combination discount.

The drink arrived first. It was sweet, sour, and incredibly refreshing, with slices of lemon floating near the top. It definitely helped to beat the lingering summer heat.

The meal set soon arrived on a circular plate and looking very colorful as a whole.

There are two choices for a liquid when ordering the meal set–vegetable juice or a mini soup–and we sprung for the juice this time. Its size wouldn’t have been large enough for a drink on its own, but as part of this set, it was a perfect accompaniment.

The other side was a bean and sweet potato mini salad. Rounding off the plate were a small handful of fries and a slice of bone-in Mos chicken to eat separately.

Now, onto the burger itself. Practically spilling out of the buns were a thick slice of tomato and chunk of Mos Chicken, all resting on a bed of fresh lettuce. The tomato was also covered in a tartar sauce that definitely contained a splash of lemon juice.

Needless to say, the crispiness of the chicken paired exquisitely with the softness of the vegetables. What a simple but delicious concept it was–and made using ingredients that should all already be lying around at any Mos retail location. We’re going to put a plea out to the cosmos now that the Mos Chicken Burger needs to become a standard menu item at regular Mos Burger locations. Yes, it’s just that good. Of course, it may be hard getting over to the Mos Cafe in Kameido again in the near future when regular stores have just begun offering tantalizing sweet potato-themed desserts as well.

Restaurant information
Cafe Mountain, Ocean & Sun / カフェ 山と海と太陽
Address: Tokyo-to, Koto-ku, Kameido 5-1-1 Atre Kameido
東京都江東区亀戸5丁目1-1　アトレ亀戸1階
Open: 8 a.m.-9 p.m. (last order at 8:30 p.m.)

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