Ghibli Park puts up Christmas trees and decorations, invites fans to “come search for Christmas”

Three sections of the Ghibli theme park get extra Christmas cheer as the park also gets extra Christmas sweets to munch on.

Ghibli Park, the Studio Ghibli anime-themed theme park near Nagoya, has a unique design. Instead of a single facility, Ghibli Park is actually composed of a number of separate zones that dot Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park. Strolling from one section to another (or riding the real-world Cat Bus) definitely fits with the “get out there and explore the world” mentality that’s baked into many of Ghibli’s anime movies, but it might also have you second-guessing whether winter is the best season for a visit, since you will be spending time outdoors in chilly temperatures.

But as a counterpoint, you could say that right now is, in fact, a great time to head to Ghibli Park, since they’ve just put up new Christmas decorations! Christmas trees, wreaths, and other decorations went up last Saturday in three sections of Ghibli Park: Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse (sort of a satellite version of Tokyo’s Ghibli Museum), Hill of Youth (inspired by Whisper of the Heart), and Valley of Witches (taking cues from Kiki’s Delivery Service, Howl’s Moving Castle, and Earwig and the Witch).

▼ Decorations outside Whisper of the Heart’s Chikyuya/World Emporium

▼ Christmas cake and garland inside The Cat Returns’ Cat Bureau

▼ Setting the table for a Christmas party inside the House of Witches from Earwig and the Witch, with poinsettias to add to the mood

While Ghibli Park has shared a handful of preview photos, this is only a portion of the decorations, and the park invites visitors to “come search for Christmas” throughout the areas. And if all that walking around has you building up an appetite, there are also new Christmas treats to munch on, with Kiki’s Delivery Service’s Guchokipanya Bakery baking batches of stollen, a traditional German Christmas pastry with dried fruits, nuts, spices, and powdered sugar…

…and both the Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse Transcontinental Flight Cafe and Valley of Witches’ Flying Oven whipping up Christmas cupcakes.

Ghibli Park’s Christmas decorations will be up until December 28, so they overlap with the park’s Howl’s Moving Castle Christmas light display, and also with the availability of the new The Boy and the Heron man-eating parakeet snacks.

Source, images: Ghibli Park
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Take a toothbrush with you to Butakin for this daring mixed noodles with chives dish

It’s just as we’ve always said–with great pungency comes great deliciousness.

While our team of writers is always down for ramen of any kind, that’s not to say that we don’t also enjoy other kinds of noodles such as mazesoba (also called aburasoba), a dry noodle dish with a soy sauce and lard-based sauce. In fact, just recently one particular kind of mazesoba has been catching our eye: nira mazesoba.

Nira mazesoba translates to “mixed noodles with garlic chives,” but perhaps we should call it “garlic chives with mixed noodles” because the proportion of chives to noodles is often, well, not exactly even. Take this variation of the dish that we found at the Hyakunen Honpo restaurant in Tokyo’s Akihabara neighborhood for reference.

▼ An absolute avalanche of raw chives in Hyakunen Honpo’s “Reiwa no nirasoba” dish

Despite the intimidating amount of chives, the combination was so good that we vowed to keep our eyes out for nira mazesoba at other eateries. Luckily, we didn’t have to wait long before spotting the dish on the menu at Butakin, a tonkotsu ramen restaurant in Tokyo that opened its first location in Roppongi followed by its second in Ochanomizu this past August. Apparently the nira mazesoba was supposed to be an October-only special, but it proved so popular that the branch has continued offering it on the menu. We were determined to find out if it would live up to our expectations, so we paid it a visit at the earliest opportunity.

▼ The exterior of Butakin Ochanomizu

When the food arrived, we took a moment to take in all of its visuals–the gleaming, oil-covered green chives, glistening raw egg yolk centerpiece, and bed of tender chashu pork cloaking the noodles underneath. It was practically a work of art.

▼ Butakin’s nira mazesoba (1,300 yen [US$8.44])

Before long, however, our noses took over for our eyes because the smell emanating from the dish was strong. In fact, it was so maxed out as we began mixing the ingredients together that we became convinced it would seep into our dreams that night.

To top it off, the taste was equally strong, with a deep umami saltiness. The garlic and chive flavors truly weren’t holding anything back–the gulps of water that we took between bites had never tasted so good before.

Despite the impact of well, pretty much all of the ingredients, a unique aromatic edge also permeated the whole dish, particularly within the melt-in-your-mouth slices of chashu.

Even after finishing the meat and noodles, the dish still had another surprise waiting for us when we learned that it was possible to dilute the remaining sauce into broth. Sure enough, by doing so it turned into a rich tonkotsu broth peppered by remaining pieces of the chives.

While we thoroughly enjoyed Butakin’s nira mazesoba, we’d seriously recommend bringing a toothbrush or mouthwash with you to the restaurant for after eating (if not, you may want to distance yourself from others on your way home). Case in point: we left not just smelling like garlic or chives, but like we’d become them ourselves. Unfortunately, the pungency is at a level that not even your favorite anime character-themed perfume can fully mask, so just plan your visit accordingly so that you can fully enjoy your day post-meal as well.

Restaurant information
Butakin Ochanomizu / BUTAKIN 御茶ノ水店
Address: Tokyo-to, Chiyoda-ku, Kanda Ogawamachi 3-22
東京都千代田区神田小川町 3-22
Open: 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m.
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Miniature keychain versions of Japan’s Death Spray are coming to capsule toy machines soon

Take home one of five little versions of the popular salt purification spray to cleanse your life of anything bad.

Need some help keeping that toxic coworker away from you? How about a boost for your love life? If so, you may want to check out Japanese brand Oisesan‘s range of products that function as both bringers of positive outcomes and air fresheners.

If you don’t want to spring for a whole spray bottle, luckily, the company’s super popular line of salt purification sprays are about to get the miniature keychain treatment. Popularly dubbed “death sprays” for their effectiveness in cleansing users’ lives of negative energy, they’re set to be released in capsule toy machines throughout Japan at the end of this month. While the keychain models are faithful replicas of the actual product, right down to a pushable spray release button, the one major difference is that they don’t actually contain any liquid. Instead, each toy contains a scented sheet with the fragrance in question which can be smelled through small holes on its bottom.

▼ Each keychain toy measures 27 x 43 millimeters (1.06 x 1.7 inches).

 

There are five versions of the mini keychains, all intended for different purposes and including a rare design sold only at one of Japan’s most important Shinto shrines.

Purification salt spray

The classic version of Oisesan’s purification sprays features a delicate and gentle scent made using a mixture of essential oils such as frankincense and rosemary combined with mineral-rich, sun-dried salt.

Purification love spray

This flowery scent meant to evoke love contains hints of jasmine, rose geranium, and lavender, among others.

Purification energy spray

The energy version houses an invigorating fragrance composed of cedarwood, ylang-ylang, rosemary, tea tree, and sun-dried salt.

Purification severing ties spray

This fresh scent contains clean-smelling spicebush, sage, eucalytpus, lemongrass, peppermint, and sun-dried salt in order to sever any kind of negative energy in your life.

Purification salt spray (Ise Grand Shrine Outer Shrine limited-edition version)

Lastly, this red, limited-edition design of the classic salt purification spray can be found only at Ise Grand Shrine, which is Japan’s most sacred Shinto shrine in Mie Prefecture dedicated to the sun goddess Amaterasu. Look for a shop selling the mini keychains outside of Ise Grand Shrine’s Outer Shrine.

One spin of the capsule toy machine for these keychain toys will cost you 300 yen (US$1.95), which is ultimately a small price to pay for the huge benefits that a little purification can work for you. Of course, you might prefer to intake your good luck in a slightly more gastronomic way, in which case Mister Donut’s new donuts should provide all of the happiness that life can provide.

Source: PR Times via Japaaan
Images: PR Times
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Our Japanese writers dress up as Winter Shogun

What better way to wait out the cold than with some interpretive cosplay?

After yet another record-breakingly hot summer the chilly grip of winter has finally taken hold of Japan, where it is often given the nickname Winter Shogun (Fuyu Shogun). This is a reference to “General Winter” the term used to describe the harsh Russian winters that played a role in the losses of both Napoleon’s and Hitler’s invading forces, but in Japan is more plainly used as a poetic reference to the season, not unlike “Jack Frost” of “Old Man Winter.”

But like these personifications of winter, there isn’t a clear consensus as to what Winter Shogun looks like. So, we got 10 of our writers to put on their thinking caps, then take them right off so they could dress up as their personal depictions of Winter Shogun, starting with…

▼ 1
Mr. Sato: Armored Winter Shogun

Mr. Sato: “When I hear ‘Winter Shogun,’ the first thing that pops into my head is armor, so I made my own suit of armor from cardboard. I’m really pleased with how well the arm and shin guards turned out. You too should try making this at home with your children during the winter break.”

Our star reporter took the “shogun” label quite literally and kept things old school with a suit crafted out of cardboard from Amazon of Japan. Mr. Sato is experienced in making things out of cardboard but just in case people didn’t get what he was going for, he wrote “Winter” and “Shogun” in magic marker, which also gives the outfit a shogi-chic feel.

▼ 2
Takashi Harada: Winter Shogun Inspired by a Fear of Snow and Cold

Takashi: “When I thought about the Winter Shogun, icy cold and snow came to mind. First, I covered myself in white to be like snow and threw in a little Japanese taste in the face based on the ‘Shogun’ part of the name. I also tried to add a touch of fear to express the harsh cold of winter.
Finally, I completed the outfit with a sword, as is the style of a shogun. Looking at it a certain way I might just look like a pervert, but I think this style somehow conveys the harshness of the season…”

It lacks the stoic dignity of a shogun, but to his credit, it does have an eerie sort of spine-chilling terror and that’s what the season is all about.

▼ 3
P.K. Sanjun: The Naked Shogun

P.K.: “It’s easy to understand if you think about it. The Winter Shogun doesn’t feel cold. If he did there would be no need to make the world any colder. Clearly, the guy is too hot and wants to bring the temperature down.
So, that’s why Winter Shogun would be practically naked, or lightly dressed at best. For this project, I wore a T-shirt and pants for legal reasons but I should really be naked for this to work.
Though come to think of it, living in such a prudish world, his expression would naturally become hard and unflinching. I saw a Winter Shogun with hot packs all over him out there. I wish people would take this more seriously.”

His logic holds up. Everyone was scrambling for the coldest things they could find this summer, so it would make sense that Winter Shogun is just looking for some relief himself.

▼ 4
Yuichiro Wasai: Psychopath Shogun

Yuichiro: “I figured whoever would bring cold like this must be a psychopath… so I tried to make myself look as insane as possible. I think I pulled off a look of someone whom you can’t tell what they’ll do next. Still, it’s hard to get people to understand unless I preface by saying that the Winter Shogun is a total psycho.”

That’s one way to go with it. He certainly seems prepared for some sleet or blood with that raincoat and those Shiba Inu briefs really bring out his eyes.

▼ 5
Takamichi Furusawa: Kylo Ren Equipped with Kairo

Takamichi: “Even the dark shogun of Star Wars, Kylo Ren, can’t beat the cold. When fighting Jedi on snowy planets it is imperative to be equipped with kairo chemical hand-warming packs. It may be lame, but I was going for Kylo Ren because he’s unrelenting like winter.”

We apologize, the “Kylo-kairo” pun plays a lot better in Japanese.

▼ 6
Seiji Nakazawa: Lightly Dressed Winter Shogun

Seiji: “The Winter Shogun wouldn’t need layers, even in the middle of winter, because he’s not cold. He’s a warlord who always goes full-throttle and doesn’t understand the feelings of people who shiver in the cold. He’s like a gym teacher from the ’80s who just tells you to rub your skin when you get cold and gets really mad when you don’t show enough grit. That’s why his face is red.
That’s why my kimono is taken off my upper body. I’m a sad demon who is so angry even his kimono turns red… That’s what the Winter Shogun is to me.”

That’s a pretty in-depth character analysis of who the Winter Shogun might be. Much like P.K.’s depiction, he’s someone who doesn’t feel the cold and is a general jerk.

▼ 7
Go Hatori: Japanese Frozen Winter Shogun

Go: “There’s no better representation of the Winter Shogun than Elsa from Frozen, but I tried to make a Japanese version of her. It makes sense since she can control snow, northern winds, and cold fronts at will.”

Go brings up a good point that many people might be guilty of gender bias in assuming the Winter Shogun is a man when there’s no indication that they necessarily are. Takashi should have said that too and his costume would have seemed smarter.

▼ 8
Masanuki Sunakoma: The Cold North Wind

Masanuki: “Everyone mistakes the Winter Shogun for a human, but his true identity is the cold northern wind. So, I dressed in black like the puppeteers and stagehands of yore and became the wind. Quite frankly, I amazed myself at how well I did.”

Masanuki brings up a good point that many of us are guilty of species bias in assuming the Winter Shogun is human when there’s no indication that it necessarily is. But considering the whole concept of “Winter Shogun” is a humanized form of winter, this might be missing the point.

▼ 9
Ahiruneko: Winter Hiroyuki Sanada

Ahiruneko: “I think when any of us hear “Shogun” these days, we can’t help but think of Hiroyuki Sanada. So for this project, I tried to transform into Hiroyuki Sanada when he won the Emmy Award for Best Actor. Because this is a winter thing, I made him bundle up too.”

Someone had to do this and Ahiruneko is probably the best writer here to pull off a Hiroyuki Sanada impersonation. This just leaves us with one more Winter Shogun…

▼ 10
Yoshio: Winter Shogun is Synonymous with Toshihiko Takamizawa

Yoshio: “When I think of Winter Shogun, I think of The Alfee’s song by the same name. And when I think of The Alfee, I think of Toshihiko Takamizawa. I love that guy.”

▼ Yoshio showing the cover for the “Winter Shogun” single by The Alfee

Well, Yoshio certainly seems to win for the highest-quality costume, and word around the office is that it took about two hours to perm his wig. In fact, this whole thing was his idea and I’m starting to wonder if this was all just an elaborate excuse for him to dress up as Takamizawa.

But that doesn’t mean Yoshio’s costume was the best representation of the Winter Shogun. In fact, we’re asking you to vote for your favorite. Just head over to the Japanese language version of this article and click on the poll at the very end. Even if you can’t read the Japanese, everyone is listed in the same order they appeared in the article, so it’s easy to do. Let your voice be heard and brighten one of our writers’ day.

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Starbucks Japan just released a new matcha green tea latte, but is it any good?

The green mermaid’s green tea beverage undergoes a transformation.

It’s been a bumper year for Starbucks fans, with limited-edition drinks being released all year long, from opera cake-inspired Frappuccinos on Valentine’s Day, through to not one but two special beverages for the holidays.

Now, the chain has unveiled its final gift for the year — a special Matcha Classic Green Tea Latte. Released on 13 December, this tea-based beverage immediately catches the eye with its vivid green hues, making us curious to find out if this brightness in colour would deliver an equally bright flavour.

Our resident Starbucks expert K. Masami was on hand to try the new drink on release day, and after hearing whispers about an ideal customisation, she decided to request it.

▼ Masami’s request: Have the drink served in a glass, with less ice and a pump of mousse foam.

The foam cost an extra 50 yen (US$0.33) in addition to the 500-yen cost of the drink, bringing her total to 550 yen, plus tax. Other customisation recommendations include opting for less or no white mocha syrup, as that comes included in the drink and can sometimes make things overly sweet, but Masami feared that might change the makeup of the core ingredients too dramatically so she decided to skip it this time.

However, she did follow the barista’s advice to add chocolate powder to the mix at no extra cost, and when she received her drink, she was glad to have made that choice.

Not only did the chocolate topping add a delightful contrast to the mousse foam, it helped to create extra depth of flavour throughout the entire drink. As expected, the white mocha syrup was very sweet, so the dark chocolate helped to reign that sweetness in, allowing the grassy notes of matcha to shine through more boldly against the bitterness of the chocolate.

▼ The layers allowed her to enjoy the taste of each element before mixing it all together.

After mixing, the drink took on a harmonious flavour, with the non-fat milk in the mousse foam working to neutralise the sweetness even further, creating a sublime combination that helped to coax the matcha into the foreground, delivering satisfying green tea flavours with a refreshing aftertaste.

Holding back on the ice was a nice idea too, as it made for an easy drinking experience, especially in the chill of winter. It’s a great drink that green tea lovers will fall head-over-heels for, but it’ll only be on the menu for roughly a month, with sales ending on 14 January.

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“Not paying any dating expenses at all” listed as domestic violence by Japanese government agency

Beyond embarrassingly cheap and infuriatingly cheap, is it possible to be abusively cheap?

The Gender Equality Bureau is an agency withing the Japanese government’s Cabinet Office. As you’d probably expect, one of the issues the burau is concerned with is domestic violence, and as part of the public awareness materials on the organization’s official website asserts that the definition of “violence” is broader than just the physical variety.

“These are all violence” states a chart on the website which contains four categories. Examples for “psychological violence” include yelling, disrespecting, or ignoring a romantic partner. “Physical violence,” obviously, covers things like punching, hair-pulling, and throwing objects with the intent to harm. The section for “sexual violence” lists scenarios such as coerced intercourse, refusal to cooperate with birth control methods, and forcing a partner to view pornography. Finally, “economic violence” is defined as actions such as using a partner’s money without their permission, or borrowing money but refusing to pay it back.

However, one example of economic violence that the Gender Equality Bureau lists is raising eyebrows and questions online in Japan right now: “Not paying any dating expenses at all.”

▼ Is this scene about to erupt into economic violence?

While the chart itself doesn’t make any mention of gender, slightly farther down on the same page the Gender Equality Bureau cites statistics that “One in five women has been the victim [of domestic violence] from a romantic partner,” which could give one the impression that the chart is implying that men who don’t pay for dates are perpetrating domestic violence. On the other hand, recent Japanese Twitter reactions such as the ones below show that the chart could also be interpreted as saying that it’s domestic violence for a woman to have a guy she goes out with pay for everything.

“Wait, so does this mean that all woman who say ‘You’re the guy, so you should pay for everything?’ are domestic abusers?”
“There really are a lot of women committing acts of domestic violence then, aren’t there?”
“I know you don’t want to be thought of as a domestic abuser by the Cabinet Office, so please pay half the bill.”
“Does this mean that a girl saying ‘You’re the guy, so you’re supposed to pay for everything’ is the same as a guy saying ‘If you agreed to go on a date, that means you agreed to go to a hotel’?”

The chart itself has actually been on the agency’s website since March of 2018, but this is the second time this year for this particular Gender Equality Bureau example of domestic violence to cause a stir, following another uptick in attention back in the spring. At that time, a representative for the burau spoke with media outlet J-Cast News to clarify the organization’s position, saying:

“Both men and women can be victims of this kind of violence. Someone not paying for a date doesn’t immediately qualify as domestic violence. Unilaterally forcing the other person to pay is what can be thought of as domestic violence. So depending on the relationship between the two people, it’s a case-by-case sort of situation.”

The representative added “If both sides are OK with it [one person not paying], it’s not domestic violence.” The representative also pointed out that the bureau’s mage of economic violence does include such retroactive financial coercion as “If we’re going to break up, then you have to pay me back for the expensive sushi restaurant I treated you at!”

▼ Once the love is gone, so too is the chance to get paid back for that high-end fish.

So in the end, cheapness alone isn’t enough to make someone an abuser in the eyes of the Gender Equality Bureau, and the litmus test isn’t so much an unwillingness to open one’s own wallet as it is trying to force someone else to open theirs. With the chart’s current phrasing having already caused some confusion multiple times, though, it seems like a rewrite of that part might be in order.

Source: Gender Equality Bureau Cabinet Office, Twitter/@sumomodane via Hachima Kiko, J-Cast News
Top image: Pakutaso
Insert images: Pakutaso (1, 2)
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