Starbucks Japan launches new Chillax Soda drinks for summer

Starbucks and chill.

Starbucks Japan is shaking up summer this year with a new range of effervescent beverages designed to deliver “relaxation in every sip“. Called Chillax Soda, these drinks contain a base blend of fruit pulp and soda, with a special “green citrus” syrup containing lemon, lime, grapefruit, pear and herbs for a beverage that’s equal parts fizzy, fragrant, and fruity.

Crafted around the concept of “lightening your mood with aromatic soda“, there are two flavours to choose from in the first drop — Strawberry and Yuzu Citrus.

The Chillax Soda Strawberry contains a sweet-and-tart strawberry pulp sauce and jelly, which contrasts well with the green citrus syrup to create sparkly, fruity refreshment. The Chillax Soda Yuzu Citrus uses yuzu peel, grapefruit and orange to highlight the freshness of the citrus base for a bubbly, zingy hit.

▼ Both beverages are topped with semi-dried lemon slices for extra juicy refreshment.

Chillax Soda aims to fill the niche between sugary sodas and plain sparkling water as the summer heats up, and its emphasis is on aroma above sweetness as a key ingredient. This makes it well-suited to a variety of situations, as shown by formal idol member and current Japanese television personality and actress Neru Nagahama, who will be appearing in videos on social media to promote the new range of sodas.

▼ The drink will help you maintain focus while working or studying…

▼ …keep you hydrated during hot days out…

▼ …and help you re-energise after a long day.

The new sodas will be sold in two sizes, Tall, priced at 579 yen (US$4.07) for takeout and 590 yen for dine-in, and Grande, priced at 624 yen for takeout and 635 yen for dine-in, with official sales commencing on 25 April.

▼ Starbucks Rewards members can enjoy early access by ordering it on the mobile app on 23-24 April, when it will be sold in the Tall size only.

The Strawberry variety will be on the menu until 27 May while the Yuzu Citrus will be around a while longer, until 2 September. The clear look of the drinks will make you feel refreshed just by looking at them, but if you’re looking for a more decadent type of refreshment, you can always opt for the creamy, fruity forget-the-world Frappuccino, which is also on the menu until 27 May.

Source, images: Press release
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Totoro and Catbus sukajan is two iconic Japanese looks blended by a U.S. fashion brand【Photos】

BoxLunch shows springtime flare with its Studio Ghibli collection.

Studio Ghibli’s anime films are widely considered to be among the high-water marks of the Japanese animation world, but they’ve proven popular far beyond their country of origin. Likewise the sukajan, a type of jacket originating in the Kanagawa Prefecture town of Yokosuka, has earned worldwide recognition for its fashionable mix of contrasting-color satiny fabrics and embroidered imagery of soaring dragons, leaping koi, and other romantic symbols of Japan and the Far East.

And as further proof of their international popularity, there’s now a Totoro/Catbus sukajan created by a U.S. fashion brand.

BoxLunch isn’t exclusively an anime fashion label, but rather a provider of pop-culture themed apparel, accessories, and housewares in general. With anime having now firmly solidified itself in the American entertainment landscape, though, BoxLunch has plenty of items for fans of Japanese animation, including some new springtime items. The most eye-catching addition to the lineup is the My Neighbor Totoro Catbus Sakura Jacket, which mixes images of the Ghibli stars with a cherry blossom motif.

▼ The back of the jacket has the Catbus’ name written in Japanese script plus the year of My Neighbor Totoro’s Japanese theatrical release.

Depending on the material, sukajan can be very expensive, but the satin polyester shell BoxLunch uses keeps it at a relatively affordable US$79.90, and makes it machine washable to boot, according to the company’s website.

If you’re looking for a more snuggly jacket, BoxLunch also has a My Neighbor Totoro Cherry Blossom Zip Hoodie with all three Totoros (Big, Medium, and Small) for US$64.90 with a cool cherry blossom zip pull.

The Totoro trio also appears on the My Neighbor Totoro Cherry Blossom Totoro Women’s Cardigan (also US$64.90), with some Soot Sprites keeping them company at their cherry blossom-viewing ocarina concert.

Finally, if you’re more of a Spirited Away fan, BoxLunch is also offering a Haku Cherry Blossoms Embroidered Crewneck pullover (US$54.90) with Haku in his dragon form on both the front and back, along with flocks of Yubaba’s pursuing Shikigami servants and the movie’s title written in Japanese.

All of the items can be ordered through BoxLunch’s online store (sukajan here, hoodie here, cardigan here, and crewneck here).

Source: BoxLunch
Top image: BoxLunch
Insert images: BoxLunch (1, 2, 3, 4)
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Pageant in Gifu Prefecture allows all races, genders, species, and levels of existence to enter

You don’t get much more inclusive than that.

Beauty pageants aren’t quite as big as they used to be, with a lot of major organizers moving on to other things like becoming president of the USA. But they still go on, especially in more rural areas such as Gifu Prefecture, where the annual Nohime Gran Prix is held.

“Nohime” means “Lady of No” referring to a historical region of No, where she is said to have come from. Little is known about her for certain other than she was married to the famed daimyo Oda Nobunaga around the time that he gave the area of Gifu its current name.

▼ This famous print shows Nohime (among the background crowd, dressed in white) fighting alongside her husband prior to his death in the Honno-ji Incident, but there is no evidence she was actually there.

The Nohime Festival was established in 2019 as a feminine answer to the Gifu Nobunaga Festival and Dosan Festival, both of which were in honor of men. The idea was to make a festival where women could shine, but along the way it was decided to open it up to celebrate everyone and everything.

One of the main events of the Nohime Festival is the Nohime Gran Prix, which isn’t a beauty pageant in the strictest sense of the term, but very similar in that the winners become spokespeople for the event during that year. The rules for entry state that it is open to “anyone who wants to promote Gifu Prefecture regardless of age, gender, or nationality (biological status is not an issue).”

That parenthesized part seems to just point out that biological sex is irrelevant, but it actually goes a lot further than that judging by this year’s winners. In first place, we have Yui Takenaka. Her runners-up are Shion Sakuragi, Hanako Nawa, and a pair of corgies Mira and Ramu. The winners can all be seen in a photo tweeted by festival committee chairperson Rui Kawakami, who also points out that a parrot had won in a previous year.

濃姫グランプリがバズってる

濃姫グランプリを企画している #濃姫まつり は
濃姫生誕500年の2035年まで毎年開催しますので
ご興味をもった方は次回ぜひご応募ください！

＼“年齢･性別･生体種不問”です／
過去にはオウムさんの入賞も
どなたでもご応募頂けます

by濃姫まつり2025実行委員長 https://t.co/Wuw3At3X7S pic.twitter.com/A9hpG4ECSB

— 川上るい【濃姫まつり2025実行委員長】 (@rui_hitohito) April 17, 2025

The inclusion of not only other genders but even animals got a lot of attention on social media, with several people asking where the Nohime Gran Prix drew a line and Chairperson Rui Kawakami was more than happy to answer.

Question: “Since it’s not a living thing, a stuffed toy can’t enter, right?”
Kawakami: “As long as they have a love for Gifu, it’s OK!”

Question: “Can a strawberry run too?”
Kawakami: “Of course they can apply! It doesn’t matter what kind of organism it is.”

Question: “Even VTubers can do it?”
Kawakami: “Of course, that’s OK! We haven’t received applications from any yet, but we’d be happy to hear from you someday.”

Question: “These are wonderful qualifications to apply. By the way… might AI be OK?”
Kawakami: “AI!!! Of course, it’s OK! We welcome AI contestants, but none have applied yet. We look forward to seeing you next time.”

It certainly appears that anything goes when it comes to the Nohime Gran Prix as long as entrants are all about promoting the festival and Gifu Prefecture in general. The response in online comments has been largely positive, saying that this is the way pageants should be.

“It’s diversity but it doesn’t feel heavy-handed. It seems so peaceful.”
“That group photo of the winners has a great atmosphere.”
“It’s like an open weight class beauty pageant.”
“This is all over the place and I love it.”
“It’s a pageant of cute things, whatever they may be.”
“This is what diversity should be, not forcing it but embracing it.”
“With all the negative news, this is really nice to hear.”
“I don’t really get it, but I think it’s really good.”

This year’s winners were already declared in March, so we’ll have to wait until next year to see who or what enters the next Nohime Gran Prix. On the bright side, this gives everyone a chance to come up with interesting entries alongside humans. I’m actually not a fan of eating them so much but always found strawberries to be rather aesthetically pleasing fruits and well overdue to win one of these things.

Source: Twitter/@rui_hitohito, Noruhime Matsuri, My Game News Flash
Top image: Nohime Matsuri
Insert image: Wikipedia/Nobukazu Yosai
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On-site coverage of the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo from our reporter’s mother

Seiji’s mom gives us her firsthand account.

The 2025 Osaka-Kansai World Expo is now underway, and with an event of this magnitude, you can be sure we’re here to bring you coverage that you won’t find anywhere else. Naturally, we sent our ace reporter Mr. Sato on the very first day to tell us all about it. However, in the grip of expo fever, he was so excited that he accidentally took all his video with his camera set to inward.

▼ Mr. Sato checking out the Panasonic Pavilion

▼ Mr. Sato spotting a statue of Myaku-Myaku

▼ Mr. Sato looking up in awe at both the Australian and Swiss Pavilions

However, in the few correctly oriented shots he took, we could see that there was a huge crowd there on opening day despite the nagging rain and a two-hour line-up that stretched all the way to the nearest station.

That was actually a little surprising because a lot of buzz on social media has been describing the event as a disappointment and unable to draw flies. And just as Mr. Sato’s Osaka-born colleague Seiji Nakazawa was pondering the situation back in Tokyo, his phone vibrated, notifying him of a text from his mother.

▼ Seiji’s Mom (the kanji character for “mother” covering her face): “I came to the Expo!”

It turned out Seiji’s mother was also eager to see the international exposition early and headed there only a few days after the opening. Her message was accompanied by a photo of her standing in front of the Grand Ring, a wooden structure with a circumference of two kilometers that stands as the symbol of the event.

As Seiji looked at the photo of his happy mom, he noticed something peculiar. There was only a sparse scattering of people both on top of the Grand Ring and along the path beneath it, lending credit to the Internet rumors.

Seiji showed Mr. Sato, who said that the place she took the photo was a little far from the entrance so it was hard to say if the whole venue was devoid of people. Seiji started to worry that if it really was as crowded as Mr. Sato experienced, his mom’s aging body might not be able to navigate the seas of people. He decided to ask her for more details.

▼ Seiji: “Are there not many people? I heard the lines were crazy.”
Seiji’s Mom: “Only the places that take reservations.”

Not only did his mother not answer his pressing question of whether the place was crowded or not, the answer she gave seemed to defy logic. Why would only the places that take reservations have crazy lines?

Seiji told her about Mr. Sato’s experience and showed her the picture he took there, to which she replied, “About 30 minutes.”

She was clearly a woman of few words, but it was enough to start giving Seiji a grasp of the situation. While 30 minutes is still a long time to wait, it’s only a fraction of the two hours that Mr. Sato stood there for, so the Expo was likely still a big draw but not enough to be a burden on her.

Since Seiji’s mom was no J.R.R. Tolkien, he asked her to instead use the 1,000 words pictures are known to say. She showed him images of bustling pavilion interiors and line-ups for the escalator to the top of the ring. On the other hand, there were also scenes with unoccupied benches and generally enough room to move about freely.

He cross-referenced them with Mr. Sato, who said it looked significantly less crowded than four days earlier when he was there. The fact that Mr. Sato went on a day with miserable weather whereas Seiji’s mom was enjoying a sunny day is also relevant when comparing the attendances.

Afterward, Seiji was able to learn that his mother could get into the Mitsubishi Pavilion as well as the national pavilions of the Netherlands, Canada, and Poland all by reservation. Some other places she wanted to see like the USA Pavilion were too crowded and had wait times of 90 minutes even on a weekday, but pavilions that didn’t require reservations were rather easy to get into.

At least it seemed like there was enough to see and do with enough space that Seiji’s mom could have a really good time. And when all is said and done, isn’t that what the Expo is all about?

Photos ©SoraNews24
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Yakuza member arrested for renting a car once in 2022

Crime does pay but gets arrested for it.

These days it seems like we’re asked to make an account or subscribe for everything in daily life from Baskin Robbins to public television. This makes things hard for members of Japan’s many yakuza clans as the Organized Crime Exclusion Ordinances have made it illegal for any company to enter into a contract with a known member of an organized crime group.

Whenever you sign up for some service in Japan, the application usually has some sort of fine-print clause wherein by signing you are declaring that you do not belong to any criminal groups. This creates a catch-22 for those who are members of such groups because signing the document would be clear evidence of fraud with their name written all over it.

As a result, police have been nabbing key members while doing seemingly innocuous things like buying mobile phones or watching baseball games. And on 15 April, the latest such occurrence happened when a high-ranking member of the Sumiyoshi-kai was arrested simply for renting a car.

▼ Whether it’s traveling on a budget or not getting arrested, Japan’s public transportation really can’t be beat.

The 43-year-old man is accused of renting a car in Wako, Saitama Prefecture for two days and one night to get a little R&R back in September 2022. He then returned the car, paid the fee of roughly 10,000 yen (US$70), and went on his way.

Given the length of time from offense to arrest, it would seem that the police were looking for a reason to pick this suspect up and went digging for any kind of streaming subscription or point club offer they could nab him on. These types of arrests on charges of fraud are very useful for police as they allow them to launch investigations into yakuza business dealings and find other criminal activity. The suspect is currently refusing to speak with police.

The reaction in online comments was a mix of surprise and confusion about why someone would be arrested for renting a car and paying for it properly, even if that person is a gangster. Others were left wondering what a yakuza boss was doing renting a car in the first place.

“They can’t buy anything in their own name.”
“Yakuza don’t seem to have human rights.”
“He rented a car?! That fiend!”
“How did the police even find that out?”
“5,000 yen a day is pretty cheap. Did he get a compact?”
“He’s a yakuza boss and he doesn’t even have a car?”
“Is renting a car bad? What about buying one?”
“Can they renew their driver’s licenses?”

For the record, yakuza members can renew their driver’s license since no commercial contract is made there.

As for buying cars, it’s possible but very tricky. The key point of the Organized Crime Exclusion Ordinances is that contract can’t be made that involve members of a criminal organization, so most dealership purchases would be out of the question. Yakuza members also wouldn’t be able to get bank loans to finance a car purchase and insurance would be a major hurdle because even if they got policies before the ordinance was enacted in 2011, those would be subject to review periodically and whenever cars were changed.

Organized crime members would generally have to get a car in someone else’s name or in the name of a company that acts as a front, but this still makes them vulnerable to fraud charges. The bottom line is that yakuza members in Japan have a hard time doing most everyday things we take for granted.

Source: Saitama Shimbun, Itai News
Top image: Pakutaso
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Japan starts selling smart salads in its new AI vending machine

You could even get a bargain, if you get your timing right.

Japan is famous for its vending machines. It could easily be dubbed the “Land of the Vending Machines.” While most countries stick to selection of drinks and snacks, Japan’s line-up also includes cute knick knacks and shocking discoveries. From origami to potential spouses: the country is littered with quirky and unusual vending machines. The latest example, unveiled in Tokyo, steers away from the shock value, but instead highlights smart technology and healthy eating, which are also things Japan does really well.

Salad Stand is a vending machine service that allows passers-by to enjoy a healthy snack or drink on-the-go. This is a new plan introduced by Japanese wellness company Kompeito’s Office De Yasai (“Vegetables at the Office”) service, which started over ten years ago with the goal of helping office workers to eat a healthier, more balanced meal while they work. Kompeito felt that the lack of convenience was a major factor in people’s choice to forego the greens and instead indulge in quick and unhealthy foods. The service gained traction over time, and now Kompeito is expanding beyond office walls to reach the general public.

▼ Grilled chicken Cobb salad, imitation snow crab and dried young sardines salad, luxurious smoked salmon and cheese salad

Getting to enjoy a salad when you’re out and about is nice, but nothing revolutionary. However, this is no ordinary vending machine: Kompeito have seen fit to incorporate AI into it. Built-in cameras track foot traffic and expiration dates, allowing the machine to dynamically adjust prices. So, the same salad you saw at lunch might cost less at dinner. Kompeito is on track to lift the curse of throwing away unwanted, short shelf-life salads once and for all.

Combatting food loss is a noble cause, but are the products themselves worth buying? Let’s take a look.

Their main line-up consists of salads, juices and “fruit granola.” Going by the name of the machine, there’s no doubt that the salads are the stars. With eight different varieties, made with farm-fresh vegetables, you’re bound to find something you like. Combined with meat, fish, fruits, and nuts, the salads are finished with a specially selected dressing to give it that final dash of perfection.

The cold-pressed juices are made to preserve as much of the vitamins, minerals, and enzymes, to keep the nutritional content high. They come in two different sizes, 250 and 400 milliliters, and can store up to one and a half kilograms (just over three pounds) of squeezed fresh produce within their bottles. These juices are sure to be a great way to get a boost of nutrition during a busy morning.

Sad to see the amount of vegetable leaves and peels that get discarded, Kompeito have turned these nutrient-rich parts into tasty, crunchy fruit granola snacks. Each pack provides the daily recommended intake of fiber (based on men and women in their 30s and 40s), and are a tasty little way to enjoy vegetables anytime, anywhere.

▼ Carrot and black pepper

So, where can you go if you want to be part of this futuristic salad experience? Sitting at the base of Tokyo Skytree is the shopping mall Tokyo Solamachi, which is also home to Sumida Aquarium. Within Tokyo Solamachi, on the second floor of the West Yard in Zone Three, you will find the Salad Stand vending machine just waiting for you to discover if you can get a good bargain on the delicious goods inside. However, if you were hoping for 24-hour access, you might be a little disappointed, as it follows the operating hours of the mall, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Or, if you happen to be in Kyoto, there’s also one at Kyoto Shiyakusho-mae Station on the Tozai subway line.

Whether you’re after a healthy snack, or curious about the evolution of vending machine culture in Japan, this machine is certainly worth checking out. If you can’t make it to Tokyo, perhaps you’ll be inspired to rethink your own lunch routine, and keep food waste to the minimum.

Location information
Salad Stand
Address: Tokyo-to, Sumida-ku, Oshiage, 1-chome 1-2, Tokyo Solamachi, West Yard, 2-kai, 3-banchi
東京都墨田区押上１丁目１−２東京ソラマチ ウエストヤード 2階3番地
Open 10:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.
Website

Related: Tokyo Solamachi website
Source, images: PR Times
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What’s the story behind the running boy mascot in Japan?

“Emotional parking boy that can be used every day” is missing one vital thing.

One of the great things about taking a stroll in Japan is all the cute street art you’ll encounter, with storefronts, buildings and signboards filled with colourful messages, and in many cases, some cute manga-style characters as well.

What you see will vary depending on what part of the country you’re in, and if you find yourself in Tokushima, on the island of Shikoku in southwestern Japan, chances are you’ll come across a mascot that looks like a running boy.

Often accompanied by a big “P“, this character can be found at “Minute Park” parking lots around the city, with his red cap and blue outfit drawing the eye.

In some areas, the running boy mascot is so prevalent it looks like he might actually be running after you. Just when you think you’ve escaped his vision by turning a corner, chances are he’ll be there again, dashing towards you with raised eyebrows.

▼ No escape…

▼ …from…

▼ …the running boy!

While the mascot is omnipresent on the streets, surprisingly it isn’t always running, because at this spot he’s standing still, mouth agape as if he’s either happily surprised by the cheap price of parking or announcing it to drivers.

At this sign near Tokushima Awaodori Airport, the character appears in a variety of outfits, including the traditional costume of the region’s famous Awa Odori dance festival.

▼ Is the running boy now dancing boy?

So what’s the story behind the mascot? A closer look at the fine print on this sign reveals no results, as it only details guidelines for using the parking lot.

In order to get to the bottom of the mystery and discover the name of the running boy, we contacted the Tokushima-based operator of Minute Park, and asked them about it directly.

According to the company, the running boy mascot came into being around 1998, the same year when Minute Park was born. Surprisingly, though, the mascot has no official name.

The closest the character came to an official name is when it appeared in a stamp collection on the Line messaging app, where it was named “Emotional Parking Boy That Can be Used Every Day“.

That’s a mouthful of a name, likely to describe the character’s ability to express a variety of emotions in the Line stamps which can be used every day, but the caption below the title indicates that it is in fact a boy, as it reads: “The character boy from Minute Park / Day Park appears on stamps!”

In speaking to the company, we learned that the nameless running boy isn’t only found in Tokushima, as the mascot is also the face of about 3,000 “Day Park” lots in the Kanto region in and around Tokyo.

▼ The boy for “Day Park” (one-day parking lots) wears a yellow jacket instead of blue.

There are about 300 to 400 Day Parks in Nerima, Adachi, and Itabashi wards in Tokyo, so if you keep an eye out in those areas, you may just spot the running boy.

▼ If you want to see the character in a blue jacket, though, you’ll have to be in Tokushima.

Once you spot the running boy, you’ll start seeing him everywhere — so much so that we reckon he should have his own Instagram account.

▼ If running boy had an Insta account, this is what his grid would look like.

Japan has a huge array of mascot characters, but for us, there’s something intrinsically charming about the running boy with no name. It just goes to show that you don’t always need a name to attract attention, especially if the character design is on point, so we hope he continues running well into the future, unlike the Kyoto Tower character, whose contract was suddenly terminated last year.

Related: Minute Park
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