Twentythree

Meet the partner of your digital dreams.

Much like social media and streaming, dating apps have really revolutionized the way we live our lives. Treating people like a long list of disposable commodities didn’t really sound all that great as a concept to me, but they’re all the rage, so who am I to get in their way?

But even though these apps streamline a lot that goes into the dating ritual, there are still bound to be awkward exchanges and even the occasional disaster or five. Perhaps, that’s why middle-aged men in Japan are getting into a whole other realm of dating with Loverse, a dating app where everyone you encounter is generated by AI.

Signing up is free, but a 2,500-yen (US$17) per-month plan is also available, in which people can swipe through profiles of as many potential partners the AI can generate and click like on the ones they want to pursue a relationship with.

▼ They’re all waiting (i.e. dormant) to meet you!

However, that doesn’t guarantee things go any further. The virtual denizens of Loverse are given free will, or at least the illusion of it, and can turn you down right off the bat if they aren’t feeling you. Don’t let it get you down, though. There’s still plenty of fish in the sea, and more can be generated if need be.

These men and women are specifically designed to have human-like behavior too. The jobs and hobbies in their profile dictate how busy they are, meaning they won’t have time for your chit-chat if the Takeda account needs to be closed by six o’clock sharp.

According to Loverse, they also don’t perform superhuman feats like talking to thousands of other real people at the same time. What that means is a little ambiguous, though. They didn’t specifically say it was one woman per man and vice versa, so maybe some of the AI people even play the field a little bit before committing to someone?

According to a company survey, a majority of users are male, in their 40s, and married, and as a 40-something married male, I can kind of get that. I, and probably most my age, got married before dating apps existed and never got to experience them. This is kind of a way to just see how it all works and satisfy curiosity about this new social phenomenon in a safe and controlled environment.

▼ According to Loverse’s chart, romance is typically only available in your teens and 20s, before marriage, kids, and old age murder it. But with Loverse, the romance and emojis can go on forever!

That doesn’t quite explain why it’s mostly men though, so I’m sure there’s lot of other reasons too. Perhaps that’s why Loverse is taking measures to ensure people don’t get too mired in synthetic relationships. Every message comes with a disclaimer that reads, “This is fictitious.” Also, should anyone bring up the topic of self-harm, they’ll be redirected to government-run consultation services.

Many online comments, however, seemed to feel it’s a lot of time, effort, and money to invest in a fictitious relationship.

“Just talk to ChatGPT.”
“What’s the point of going to the trouble of falling in love with an AI?”
“So, it’s a virtual cheating app then?”
“They already have dating sims.”
“This is like Seaman, isn’t it?”
“What a strange world we live in.”
“I wonder if this would be considered cheating in a divorce proceeding.”
“It would be really cool if there were like 99 AI people but one real one randomly mixed in.”
“Doesn’t it feel empty?”

I suppose whether this is a truly empty endeavor is up to the individual. I get pleasure in virtually taking part in the Super Bowl on my PlayStation, and wouldn’t say it feels empty even though it’s completely fake too, no matter how good the graphics get.

Source: Asahi Shimbun, Itai News, PR Times
Images: PR Times
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Artists invited to put their own interpretive spin on Ghibli’s classic anime theme songs.

There’s a perception that while director and Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki is one of the most celebrated hand-drawn animation artists of all time, his son, Goro Miyazaki, isn’t all that into illustrating. Goro’s educational background is in garden and landscape design, and his biggest career successes are the design of the Ghibli Museum in Tokyo and Ghibli Park in Aichi Prefecture. Meanwhile, the audience responses have been lukewarm at best for the anime he’s directed for Studio Ghibli, the most recent of which, Earwig and the Witch, was the studio’s first-ever all-CG production.

But while he doesn’t have any character design or animator credits on his resume, anyone who’s been under the assumption that the younger Miyazaki can’t draw well is very much mistaken, and he’s illustrated not just one, but two amazing-looking covers for a new Studio Ghibli music project.

Ghibli wo Utau Sono 2 (“Let’s Sing Ghibli-Volume 2”) is the second release in the Ghibli Tribute Album series, in which popular Japanese recording artists are invited to cover the iconic theme songs of Ghibli’s anime film library. Though not officially designated as such, the pigtailed girl in the drawing bears a resemblance to Earwig and the Witch’s titular protagonist, and the woman seated next to her looks a lot like Earwig’s mom.

A total of 13 individual artists and groups will be contributing to the album, presenting their own interpretations on some of the most widely recognized and fondly remembered anime music for multiple generations of fans. The list of performers consists of:
● Aina the End
● Yudai Ono and Sota Hanamura (from Da-iCE)
● Sakurako Ohara
● Aya Ogawa and Iroha Okuda (Nogizaka 46)
● Kalafina
● Shigeru Kishida (Kururi) and Shiori Tamai (Moroiro Clover Z)
● Glim Spanky
● Ninjin (from Rokudenashi)
● Non x Soil & Pimp Sessions
● Taro Hakase and Satoshi Takebe
● Penthouse
● Win Morisaki
● Hiroko Yakushimaru

The album’s track list is yet to be revealed, but with the studio only having around 20 or so films total, if there’s a Ghibli anime theme song that you’re particularly fond of, there’s a better-than-even chance it’ll be featured. The featured artists represent a wide range of musical styles, with collective careers spanning several decades, which should make for interesting results.

▼ A preview for the first Ghibli wo Utau album, which came out in 2023.

As for why there are two covers for the new album, the one with the girl and the pigs is the general-release version, while the illustration of the girl and older woman is an exclusive cover for copies of the album sold through official Ghibli-affiliated retailers, such as Ghibli specialty store Donguri Kyowakoku. Aside from their covers, the two release are identical, but Donguri Kyowakoku is offering both for preorder (standard cover here, Ghibli-affiliated store here), identically priced at 3,630 yen (US$25) and with shipping slated for late November.

Source: Donguri Kyowakoku
Top image: Donguri Kwoyakoku
Insert images: Donguri Kyowakoku
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

A speedy way to get tickets for Japan’s bullet trains.

It’s not just the high speeds that Japan’s bullet trains travel at that makes Shinkansen travel such a joy. Unlike with flying to your destination, there’s no lengthy check-in or security procedure to go through, so as long as you’ve got your ticket, you can be onboard just minutes after arriving at your departure station.

Even the process of getting your Shinkansen tickets is about to become easier and more convenient, as Japan Railway Company’s JR Central, JR West, and JR Kyushu have all announced that starting this autumn, you’ll be able to purchase Shinkansen tickets via text messages sent from your phone.

The system works with Line, the most popular messaging app among Japanese smartphone users. There will be no need to register your email address with JR or create a customer account (both of which are requirements for ordinary online Shinkansen reservations). Instead, you merely have to register the official JR Line account as a friend within the app, and then you’ll be able to reserve tickets on the Tokaido, Sanyo, and Kyushu Shinkansen lines. These three lines connectively stretch from Tokyo Station all the way west across the country to Kagoshima Chuo Station in Kagoshima Prefecture, passing through top travel destinations such as Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, and Fukuoka along the way.

Payment for Line-reserved tickets is rendered through PayPay, one of Japan’s largest cashless payment apps, and upon payment you receive a QR or bar code which acts as a digital ticket that you can scan at the station gate. There’s also a 100-yen (approximately US$0.70) discount for tickets reserved through Line, which isn’t going to be a make-or-break factor in anyone’s travel plans, but it’s at least a little something that you can put towards buying some of that famous super-hard Shinkansen ice cream, or maybe a cold drink if you’re sitting in one of the Shinkansen’s weak-air conditioning cars.

The Line ticket purchase system launches on October 4, and allows for reservations to be made up to one month ahead of your travel date.

Source: JR Central via Nitele News via Livedoor News via Hachima Kiko
Top image ©SoraNews24
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

But is the fridge to blame?

At about 7:00 a.m. on 24 August, firefighters were called in to a hotel in Rumoi, Hokkaido, after an employee noticed smoke coming from one of the rooms. When they arrived, the smoke had already dissipated and the man in his 40s, who was staying in the room at the time but unharmed, explained that it was his mobile battery that had overheated.

According to a police investigation, the man was charging his battery in the room when it began to get very hot. He decided to place it in the refrigerator to cool it down, but smoke started to seep out from it. By the time the fire department arrived, a part of the battery had melted.

In online comments, readers of the news seemed in disagreement whether putting the overheating battery into the fridge made things better or worse.

“That’s why I started using a battery with a cooler.”
“I always keep a fan blowing on my battery.”
“If it already started heating up internally, would a fridge even help?”
“The fridge stopped the fire from spreading, so it was at least good for that.”
“Did the fridge make it burn up?”
“What is the correct thing to do when that happens?”
“You should put it in a sink filled with water or the toilet.”
“Putting it in the refrigerator doesn’t matter.”
“You have to be careful with those. My friend said he bought an Anker, but when I looked at it, it was an Auker.”
“It’s certainly hot enough for a battery to catch fire.”

The key in judging the man’s action is knowing when what appears to have been a thermal runaway occurred. This is when something causes the battery to get so hot it makes the cells rupture, and the chemical reaction from that generates more heat, which creates a chain reaction that is very difficult to stop and can result in a fire or explosion.

You could argue that if the battery was already in a state of thermal runaway, putting it in the fridge would at least keep it away from flammable things like wooden tables or sheets. The ideal place would be anywhere outdoors so the gases can vent safely, but in a hotel room, that’s often not an option.

The bathtub, provided it’s dry, would be good too because bathrooms usually have separate vents to suck out the smoke and gases. At this point, the choice between the fridge and the bathtub would be whichever the hotel charges you more to replace.

▼ Completely submerging it in a toilet or sink, as some suggested, would also result in a chemical sludge that would likely lead to a costly cleanup. There are also shock and explosive hazards involved, so it is not recommended.

So, if the battery were already in a thermal runaway, then he made a pretty good choice by tossing it in the fridge to reduce the chances of wider damage or even a full blown fire.

However, if the battery was just hot but stable, he might have inadvertently triggered a thermal runaway by putting it in the fridge. The danger here is that putting a hot battery into a cold fridge might cause condensation to form inside it. This moisture could cause the cells inside to short and trigger a thermal runaway.

Ways to tell if thermal runaway is occurring include very rapid heating, as well as strange sounds, smells, or bulging from the device, but that isn’t always easy to notice in the literal heat of the moment.

All things considered, putting it in the bathtub, or a dry spot on the tile floor if the tub is wet, would have been the best choice because it would have covered his butt whether a thermal runaway was happening or not. If not stuck in a hotel room, you’d be best to find a patch of concrete or metal outdoors and away from anyone or anything flammable and stand back until it either cools down or blows up.

Let’s stay safe out there with all these explosive devices in our pockets!

Source: STV News, Itai News
Featured image: Pakutaso
Insert image: ©SoraNews24
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

This year brings new twists on the autumn culinary tradition.

For centuries, autumn has been tsukimi (moon-viewing) season in Japan, but in the modern era, it’s also the time for tsukimi burgers. These seasonal sandwiches get their name from the resemblance of a beautifully round fried egg to a full moon, and while the one iron-clad rule of tsukimi burgers is that they must contain a fried egg, there’s a lot of room to get creative with other ingredients too, as McDonald’s Japan is getting set to show with its “Tsukimi Family” menu lineup.

For example, in addition to the requisite egg, McDonald’s most basic Tsukimi Burger (price starting from 440 yen [US$3], depending on branch location) features smoked bacon and a special creamy tomato sauce. This autumn, McDonald’s is adjusting the recipe of their tsukimi burger sauce for the first time in eight years, adding butter to it to make it extra creamy.

Then there’s the Cheese Tsukimi (470 yen), which adds a slice of cheddar.

New for 2025 is the Torouma Sukiyaki Tsukimi (540 yen), a double abbreviation from torotoro (melty) and umai (delicious). Really, though, it’s the sukiyaki part that deserves the most attention, as this burger is an upgraded version of the Cheese Tsukimi with a layer of sukiyaki-style beef underneath the patty.

Want even more beef? The Triple Beef Torouma Sukiyaki Tsukuimi (780 yen) is a three-patty version of the sukiyaki moon-viewing burger. It’s only available after 5 p.m., making it arguably the most lunar-aligned member of the Tsukimi Family.

On the other hand, if you’re ready for figurative moon-viewing first thing in the morning, the McDonald’s Japan breakfast menu will have a Tsukimi Muffin (400 yen).

While the criteria for tsukimi burgers is firmly established (fried eggs), things are a little more loosey-goosey when it comes to “tsukimi” sweets. For its An Butter Omochi Tsukimi Pie (190 yen), McDonald’s taps into Japanese folktales about rabbits living on the moon who make mochi, and so there’s mochi in the pie filling, along with an (sweet red beans) and a salty butter cream.

As for the Tsukimi Yamanashi Shine Muscat Flavor McShake (190 yen for a small-size), it doesn’t seem to have any apparent connection to moon-viewing, but Yamanashi Prefecture’s prized Shine Muscat grapes do come into season in the fall, at least.

And last, there’s no particular association with the famed citrus produce of Japan’s Seto Inland Sea region and moon-viewing or autumn, but McDonald’s Japan’s new Setouchi Lemon Pepper McNugget sauce, which has been adopted into the Tsukimi Family lineup, does sound really tasty.

The entire lineup goes on sale September 3.

Source: Digital PR Platform, McDonald’s Japan
Images: Digital PR Platform
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Japan-exclusive Starbucks drink will transport you to Kyoto… then Seattle, if you’re lucky.

In September 2005, Starbucks launched its chilled cup series in Japan, pioneering the world market in pre-made Starbucks drinks, with Suntory on board as manufacturer. The series quickly grew in popularity, and in 2008 the “Kyoto Matcha Latte” made its debut, becoming the first dessert drink without coffee in the chilled cup range.

Now, to mark the 20th anniversary of the series, the Kyoto Matcha Latte will be renewed and re-released as a special “revival product”. With 17 years between appearances, the latte is ready to seduce an entirely new generation with its green tea goodness, while enticing older drinkers back with its sense of nostalgia.

According to Starbucks, the mellow taste from carefully selected milk remains unchanged since the drink’s original release, with an increased amount of matcha to achieve a deeper, richer flavour. The richness of the milk and the depth of the matcha are enhanced with a well-balanced sweetness that lets you fully enjoy the high-quality ingredients in a luxurious manner.

The cup design stays true to the original with illustrations of a five-storey pagoda and traditional gardens, presented in a contemporary style. The bright green hues of Starbucks are offset by layers of darker green to evoke the deepened flavour of matcha in this new release while metallic colours like gold are used to evoke a premium feel.

While the rich flavour of deepened matcha and mellow milk weave a luxurious taste in this matcha latte, making it delicious to drink on its own, the combination is also said to pair well with food. Starbucks recommends trying it with a tuna mayonnaise rice ball, due to the way the savoury flavours of nori seaweed and tuna enhance the deep taste of Kyoto matcha, while the mayonnaise accentuates the creamy richness of the milk. The chain also recommends trying the latte with a steamed cheesecake, as the creamy milk flavour and rich aroma of matcha is said to pair well with the deep umami of cheese.

To amp up excitement for the 20th-anniversary commemorative revival product, Starbucks is holding a special campaign for residents in Japan, where one person will win a three-night, five-day trip to Seattle, the birthplace of Starbucks, for two people. 100 others will receive a limited-edition original charm set commemorating 20 years of chilled cups.

Entries will be accepted on either Twitter or Instagram from 10 a.m. on 2 September to 11:59 p.m. on 30 September. To enter via Twitter, follow the official Starbucks Consumer Packaged Goods account, then select the desired option on the campaign post and post your favorite “moment with chilled cup”. For Instagram entries, follow the official Starbucks Consumer Packaged Goods account and post a photo with the designated hashtag “#スターバックスチルドカップ20周年” (“Starbucks Chilled Cup 20th”) showing your favorite “moment with chilled cup”.

You’ll likely need to include an image of a chilled cup to be in the running to win, and the Kyoto Matcha Latte is primed and ready to help you do just that, as it goes on sale at convenience stores and supermarkets nationwide from 2 September, priced at 219 yen (US$1.49).

Related: Starbucks Chilled Cup Celebration Event Page (available from 2 September)
Source, images: Press release  
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Mystery toy chocolate eggs leave us with a surprisingly delicious dessert.

Japan has a love for mystery purchases that’s perhaps unmatched in this universe. The thrill of the unknown, the joy of a new discovery, the disappointment at a duplicate, and the satisfaction of completing a collection: the simple act of picking up and purchasing a product and not knowing what is inside can become intoxicating to the point of throwing hundreds of dollars into the proverbial drain. Even some of our reporters have been known to dabble, be it capsule machines or the annual lucky bag extravaganza for New Year’s. Our Japanese language reporter Takuya Inaba has a fondness for indulging in shokugan, which are snacks with a random accompanying toy.

Recently, when Takuya was out investigating the snack aisle at the supermarket, he happened to stumble across a chocolate egg starring the popular character Kirby.

Choco Egg is an egg-shaped chocolate that has bonus figures inside, often partnering with major franchises like Animal Crossing and Pokémon.

Being a big fan of Kirby’s cuteness, Takuya couldn’t resist and splurged on five boxes of them, which cost 330 yen each (US$2.23).

A total of 15 different figures make up the complete set, 14 of which can be seen on the packaging, and one mystery figure for that increased element of surprise.

Cracking open his first egg…

…out popped a pink capsule, which was very reminiscent of Kirby himself.

Heart pounding with excitement, he pried open the capsule to find…

▼ ...Waddle Doo, one of the common enemy characters found in the games.

The quality of Choco Egg’s figurines is amazing–just look at that incredible level of detail.

Unable to contain his excitement, he opened the rest of them in one go, leading to a result of…

▼ …Two Kirbys and two Waddle Dees

They’re all so ridiculously cute! Takuya felt he could stare at them forever. Kirby’s soft and bouncy quality seemed to be perfectly represented in the figure’s design.

Being this well-made, Takuya’s thoughts turned to that mystery character…

The idea of wanting to see it pervaded his every thought. So…

▼ …He bought five more!

▼ “Come on… please be the mystery figure…”

First was Kirby on a Warp Star (lying down). Such a classic scene.

Next, Parasol Kirby, with a beautifully captured floating sensation.

Then came Takuya’s first duplicate, another Waddle Doo.

Fourth was Bumping Kirby, which happens to be Takuya’s favorite pick of the lot due to how funny Kirby’s flattened look is.

And finally, the last one is…

▼ …Inhaling Kirby!

Showing off Kirby’s iconic inhale ability, it was an exciting addition to Takuya’s haul.

But alas! No mystery figure this time.

Even so, every one he got was insanely cute, so Takuya was more than satisfied with what he got.

After admiring them for some time, he really came to appreciate the sense of motion that was conveyed through them, seeming as if they had just jumped straight from one of the games.

While the quality of the figures was surprisingly high, and arguably worth the cost of purchasing the product, Takuya felt it would be such a shame to waste all of that chocolate he now found himself with.

He could have eaten it as is, but he recalled reading somewhere on the Internet that you could use them to make an unbelievably delicious chocolate tart. So, taking the opportunity, he decided to try it out.

All he needed were three simple things: store-bought tart shells, fresh cream, and chocolate eggs.

The first step was to crush the Choco Eggs into small pieces.

Next, heat the cream just until it’s about to boil. Takuya used one pack, which typically come in around 200-milliliter (6.75-fluid ounce) portions in Japan.

Mix the two together well.

Then pour the mixture into the tart shell.

Chill it in the fridge until it’s set, and then you’re done. Surprisingly simple!

The taste was amazing: very smooth and rich.

The milky sweetness of the Choco Eggs matches the tart crust perfectly, and honestly tasted like something you’d expect to find at a cafe.

Takuya thoroughly enjoyed his dessert, on top of some great additions to his house decorations. However, seeing as he still hasn’t seen that mystery figure, his hunt hasn’t finished just quite yet.

Photos ©SoraNews24
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!