Foreigner-friendly maid cafe adds translation panels to Akihabara location

Technology hopes to help visitors from overseas more thoroughly enjoy a unique aspect of Akiba culture.

More so than the food and drink itself, it’s the aura of fun and whimsy that draws people to Japan’s maid cafes. As a matter of fact, at many maid cafes your food is served with a little performance where your maid, often with help from the members of your party, supposedly casts a spell to make your curry, rice omelet, or parfait more delicious.

However, maid cafe At-Home Cafe’s recent Pixy Dust addition isn’t a new mystical seasoning they’ve stocked their kitchens with, but a new piece of technology introduced to help more people enjoy the maid cafe experience. Pixy Dust here refers to Tokyo-based tech firm Pixie Dust Technologies, maker of the Vuevo Display translation device.

Vuevo converts voice to text which it displays on a transparent dual-sided tablet, and then, according to Pixy Dust, can use AI to translate the text between Japanese and other languages. The goal, Pixy Dust and At-Home Cafe say, is to remove language barriers and allow visitors from overseas to “more fully enjoy Japan’s maid cafe culture.” Some might be tempted to argue that “culture” is too lofty a word to use for maid cafes, but they’re definitely a uniquely Japanese form of entertainment dining, and At-Home Cafe having been in business for 20 years is proof that maid cafes haven’t ended up as a flash in the pan.

The promotional photo shows the cafe’s maids using Vuevo to translate between Japanese and English, but Pixie Dust says the device can handle translations for over 100 different languages, and At-Home Cafe made a point of having the technology in place for the start of China’s lunar New Year vacation/travel period. The companies say that the voice-to-text function of the panels will also be useful for native-Japanese speakers with hearing impairments, allowing yet another demographic to more easily enjoy the maid cafe experience.

As we’ve seen before, automated translation isn’t foolproof, and throwing it linguistic curveballs like moe, kyun kyun, and other maid cafe jargon might prove to be more than it can handle. For now, though, the Vuevo Displays are in service at At-Home Cafe’s Akiba Culture Zone branch in Tokyo’s Akihabara neighborhood and will be in use until March 31.

Related: At-Home Cafe website
Source, images: PR Times
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Our feline reporters test out Japan’s soup for cats to find if it makes for a purrfect treat

Would you share a meal with your cat? This soup might make you consider it.

These days, more and more companies are serving up extra-tasty treats for our beloved feline friends. Japan’s biggest soup restaurant chain, Soup Stock Tokyo, has taken it to the next level by creating a range of soups that look delicious enough that it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them on the menu at a restaurant.

Soup for Cat comes in three different flavors, each carefully designed to keep your cats coming back for seconds.

▼ Tuna and sweet potato

▼ Chicken and carrot

▼ Sea bream and pumpkin

The set we obtained contains two packs of each, costing 2,682 yen (US$17.67), or about 447 yen per pack. The moment that our cat-loving Japanese-language reporter K. Masami stumbled upon them, she had already clicked the “buy” button before she had even thought, “Wow! These look delicious!”

Examining the 50-gram (1.76-ounce) soup packs, Masami found that their shelf lives are impressively long, lasting between four and twelve months, and a close look at the ingredients showed that unnecessary additives were nowhere to be seen, making it a healthy choice for your pets. However, these soups are only designed to be treats, and not used in place of regular meals, so be sure to bear in mind that they should be given sparingly for balanced nutrition.

Excited to put the soup to the test, Masami prepared to serve her two cats the first of the three flavors: tuna and sweet potato. As the packaging stated it could be slightly warmed, she threw it into the microwave for a bit. Opening up the door to the microwave once the cycle was done, a mouth-watering dashi aroma filled the air, so tempting that Masami’s own stomach started to rumble. Unable to resist the appetizing meal, she couldn’t help but take a sip.

The broth was both rich and delicious. You could very well serve this up for dinner to humans and everyone would be none the wiser. However, it is unequivocally cat food, so it’s probably best to keep it in your pets’ bowls. Although, we at SoraNews24 are no strangers to eating pet food.

With such a luxurious meal in front of them, Masami was sure her two cats would love it. She first offered a taste to her most recent addition: a calico, which always seems to display a lack of interest when it comes to food. When she placed the dish in front of the cat, it barely reacted. Spoon-feeding worked a little better, as the cat took a few bites with an expression that could probably be read as “Huh… not bad.”

On the other hand, Masami’s white cat is on a never-ending quest for food, devouring everything in seconds. Sure enough, when given the opportunity to try the soup, large chunks had disappeared into its mouth in the blink of an eye.

When finished, the white cat looked into the bowl with a sad expression, as if saying, “That was gone too fast…”

Over several days, Masami tried giving the two of them the other two flavors.

▼ Chicken and carrot

▼ Sea bream and pumpkin

The white cat was just as enthusiastic as it was with the first. The size of the carrot and pumpkin chunks gave it a little bit of trouble, but the bowl was polished off clean.

▼ “No more?”

While both Masami and her white cat felt that Soup for Cat was delicious, it’s not going to make every cat crazy to eat more, as seen with her calico. Still, not only is it a healthy treat, it’s even got the added benefit of extra hydration. With February 22 being Cat Day in Japan, named for the Japanese of 2/22 (“Ni Ni Ni”) sounding similar to the sound a cat makes (nyan nyan nyan), makes now the perfect time to spoil your cats to something special. Why not try a bowl of soup?

Related: Online Store

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Japanese motor home is like a time machine to a bubble era Tokyo private bar, on sale now【Photos】

It’s like someone opened a 1980s Ginza lounge in the back of a motor home.

In Japan, a motor home is called a “camping car.” That’s not a translation, either. The in-Japanese vocabulary is literally “kyanpingu kaa.”

You could argue it’s kind of weird to toss out the already-in-English “motor home” just to replace it with a different Japanese-made English term, but it makes a certain kind of sense. Even the larger models of cars sold in Japan tend to be smaller than those in many other markets, so you could say it’s a bit of a stretch to call even the more spacious camping cars a “home.” Plus calling them camping cars leaves enough linguistic wiggle room for the one we’re looking at today, which isn’t so much a drivable residence as it is a mobile bubble era-Japan bar.

The vehicle, a converted Toyota HiAce van that was exhibited at this year’s recent Japan Camping Car Show, already has an eye-catching exterior, with its pink metallic paint, shiny wheels, and fiery graphics. The real show starts, though, when you lift open the rear gate and see this.

Stepping into the van, dubbed the Fusion by its designers at Nagano Prefecture customization company Car Interior Takahashi, feels like stepping back in time to the heady times of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, when the Japanese economy was booming and those riding high on the wave of prosperity had cash to splash in fancy private lounges after clocking out of work.

Naturally there’s a sparkly chandelier providing luxurious illumination, and the walls and sofa seating are covered in wine-red moquette, lustrous to look at and velvety soft to the touch.

Interior pillars between the driver and passenger spaces further create the atmosphere of having ascended the stairs to an exclusive high-rise bar, and the checkboard-pattern flooring looks like something young couples with shoulder-padded fashions might have danced the night away on while listening to the latest city pop chart-toppers.

The galley’s sink and refrigerator, as well as the large central table, have a marble-look surface, also in keeping with aspirational aesthetics of the bubbliest period of the bubble era.

Despite the old-school looks, though, the mechanical bits underneath all that moquette are thoroughly up to date, with proper modern electrical and water systems. The sofa can be reconfigured into a bed that’ll sleep two adults with room to spare, and the Fusion is even equipped with solar panels and a rooftop air conditioning setup.

The big-city opulence is a far cry from the rustic style of many motor homes, which often seek to retain a bit of an outdoorsy vibe even on the inside. That uniqueness just makes the Fusion all the more compelling, though, especially as bubble-era retro pop culture is experiencing a revival in popularity these days.

Unlike many car show displays, the Fusion isn’t a mere concept. They’re actually being offered for sale by Car Interior Takahashi, with the model as-shown priced at 13.2 million yen (around US$87,500), which doesn’t seem like a bad price for a little pocket dimension of the bubble era that you can take wherever you want to.

Related: Car Interior Takahashi website
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Studio Ghibli gives anime lovers a happy ending with new Whisper of the Heart music box

Stray cat Moon also visits our world as a cuddly plush toy.

The animated world of Studio Ghibli is populated by more than a few cats, but for many fans, it’s the felines from Whisper of the Heart that steal the show.

This 1995 movie introduces us to the love story between the Baron and Louise, two magical feline figurines who were found in a cafe in Germany by Nishi, an older gentleman in the movie. Nishi recounts how he became enamoured by the Baron upon seeing its melancholy face and asked the cafe owner if he could purchase it. The owner refused to sell it, though, saying it came as a set with a female cat figurine who was out for repairs with a doll-maker. After Nishi’s girlfriend promised to buy the female figurine when it returned, the owner gave in, but after Nishi departed Germany with the Baron, war broke out, separating him from his girlfriend and the Baron from Louise. Though Nishi later returned to Germany, he could find no trace of his girlfriend or Louise, leaving both him and the Baron alone.

▼ The Baron and Louise, in happier times.

This heartbreaking tale of love lost has imprinted itself on the hearts of fans to such an extent that when Studio Ghibli released a Baron music box through its Donguri Kyowakoku retail chain, it became a sell-out hit.

▼ The stand acts as the music box, playing an instrumental version of “Country Road”, the theme song from the film.

Sadly, the Baron remains a sought-after sold-out item, but fans now have the chance to purchase an equally exquisite product.

▼ The Louise Music Box.

Standing at 27 centimetres (10.6 inches) in height, and measuring 9.8 x 9.3 centimetres in width and depth, this beautiful music box captures all the beautiful details of the feline who captured the Baron’s heart.

▼ Along with her red tiered dress, Louise appears with her bouquet of flowers, her feather-plumed hat…

▼ …and her captivating eyes.

Given the magical backstory behind the character, the joy of this product is twofold — not only does it allow us to feel as if Louise has been retrieved, safe and sound, after the war, it also serves to reunite the characters, so they can finally have their happily-ever-after.

▼ The once-betrothed characters can now enjoy a life of married bliss.

As a background to the nuptials, Louise’s music box also plays an instrumental version of “Country Road”.

If the happy couple is looking to enlist someone to officiate their wedding, perhaps castmate Moon could be roped in to oblige.

The famously nonchalant cat who likes to stray from place to place is now stepping out into the real world as a plush toy.

Measuring 22 centimetres in height, and 27 x 56 centimetres in width and depth, Moon has been carefully replicated with attention given to the character’s cat-like fur and plump physique.

▼ The plushie also comes with adorable pink paw pads on all four feet.

The character is instantly recognisable from the front and the back, just as we see him during one of the train rides in the film.

Both the plushie above and the Louise music box became available at Donguri Kyowakoku’s bricks-and-mortar stores and online on 15 February, priced at 9,240 yen (US$60.84) and 14,300 yen respectively. It appears that the store wasn’t prepared for overwhelming amount of love fans have for these two characters, though, as both products sold out on release day. Sadly, Moon won’t be restocked until April, but Louise was restocked on 18 February, and can currently be purchased online here, while stocks last.

Source: Donguri Kyowakoku
Top image: Donguri Kyowakoku
Insert images: Studio Ghibli (1, 2, 3), Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2, 3)
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Sanrio Pompompurin purin custard pudding sweets sound doubly delicious, look like pooch bottoms

There’s no better Sanrio star for this job than the golden retriever who’s named after custard.

At a quick glance, a Sanrio and Pastel collaboration might not seem so noteworthy, given that the majority of Sanrio’s cute characters have bright and cherry colors as a major part of their visual design. But we’re talking about capital-P Pastel, one of Japan’s favorite makers of custard pudding.

Of course, as Japanese dessert fans know, custard pudding is more commonly called purin in Japan, and so for this team-up with Pastel’s purin masters there’s no one more qualified to represent the Sanrio side of the partnership than Pompompurin.

▼ Pompompurin’s name is no coincidence, because even though he’s actually a golden retriever who wears a brown beret, he bears a very strong resemblance to a custard pudding topped with caramel sauce.

“We love ‘purin’” might seem like it should go without saying for Pastel, Sanrio, and their fans, but it doesn’t make the collaboration’s theme any less true, nor its lineup of coming-soon special Pompompurin purin sweets any less adorable-looking and delicious-sounding. And on the subject of adorableness, let’s now all take a look at Pompompurin’s butt.

Pompompurin’s behind is often referred to as his most charming physical feature, but it’s not so much the contours of his hindquarters as their, well, let’s say “cavity,” that gets depicted. In the case of the Purin Purin Purin-Pompompurin’s Bottom puddings, said cavity is rendered in chocolate, creating a scene of the Sanrio pooch diving headfirst into a cup of pudding.

▼ As for why it’s called the “Purin Purin Purin,” the third purin is a Japanese onomatopoeia for “jiggly,” so yes, this is a jiggly Pompompurin’s Bottom.

Now, on the off chance that “doggy tush” isn’t your preferred dessert motif, there’s also the Mogu Mogu Purin-Pompompurin’s Face pudding, identically priced at 680 yen (US$4.50)

Mogu mogu is also Japanese onomatopoeia, this time for the sound of someone happily munching or chewing a tasty treat, and the Pompompurin’s Face puddings come with little decorative flourishes that show him gleefully holding a spoon. A real version of that spoon can be yours as part of the Pompompurin Loves Purin Set (2,480 yen) which gets you two puddings, one of each end, and the utensil.

▼ As an added bonus, selling a set of two puddings and one spoon seems to be Pastel providing explicit permission to eat both of them yourself.

If you want to get even fancier, Pastel is also offering the Pompompurin Loves Purin à la Mode (700 yen), a cup of sponge caked topped with swirled whipped cream, fruit, and a mini custard pudding, with Pompompurin and his pals encircling it on the wrapper.

Or you can pare things back with the simple appeal of the Pompompurin Mini Purin (460 yen), which puts the caramel sauce at the bottom to make room for cocoa powder illustrations up top.

And if you’re of the opinion that true goodness comes from what’s on the inside, the Pompompurin Fluffy Roll Cake has a purin core surrounded by cream which is then surrounded by cake, with artistic touches that make it look like Pompompurin is leaping through the center.

▼ Somewhat confusingly, the Pompompurin Fluffy Roll Cake comes as either a “slice” (500 yen) or a “half” (1,280 yen), suggesting that there’s a purely hypothetical version that’s twice as big as the largest actually available one.

All of these go on sale at Pastel branches across Japan on March 1, and are slated to be around until April 30 with the important caveat of “while supplies last.” In addition, starting March 1 at Pastel branches and March 3 at supermarkets, you’ll be able to find Pompompurin’s Bottom Tarts (300 yen).

Pastel describes these as “custard-flavor brownies with caramel syrup” baked to a tart-like consistency. You’ll notice that they’re the only sweets in the lineup to not include purin itself, but they did make sure to include Pompompurin’s cavity.

Related: Pastel location list
Source, images: PR Times
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