Twentythree

But what this means for the pandemic is yet to be determined.

Try as it might, Japan can’t get a handle on the coronavirus pandemic. Though the country’s vaccination campaign has picked up recently–with 46.5 percent of the population double-vaccinated as of this writing–the number of cases has been rising rapidly in the last month.

Part of that appears to be due to the highly contagious Delta variant that has spread across the world. Japan has been grappling with this variant as well, but now it’s now developed its own mutation of the Delta variant, which was confirmed by researchers this week.

The new N501S variant was discovered in patients at the Tokyo Medical and Dental University when a research team examined the genes of the Delta variant that the patients had contracted. Based on its genetic makeup, the team believes it’s highly likely that the variant must have developed domestically, and was not imported from abroad.

Since the N501S mutation is still brand new, it’s not yet known how contagious it is or how seriously it affects patients. Hiroaki Takeuchi, assistant professor at the Tokyo Medical and Dental University, stressed the importance of expanding observation of the virus’ mutation patterns. Without studying how the virus mutates, it will be hard to continue to treat, prevent, and cure it.

He also added, “As long as the virus continues to spread within the country, there’s always a risk of the virus creating mutations, so it’s important to stop the spread of the virus as best as we can.” Prevention remains more important than ever.

With just about everything open and major events back on, things almost feel like they’re back to normal in Tokyo, but it’s important to note that there is still a high risk of infection, and caution is still necessary. According to The Japan Times, the Delta variant is believed to be the dominant strain in Japan at the moment, which means there is a greater chance of getting infected and becoming seriously ill.

Some places are even starting to close up shop again, so the need to get vaccinated, keep wearing a mask, wash your hands, and avoid enclosed, crowded places is imperative if we want to keep people safe from this deadly virus.

Source: Chuo Nippou via Yahoo! News via My Game News Flash, The Japan Times
Top image: Pakutaso
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How will your favorite leading lady from Studio Ghibli’s library stack up?

If there’s one thing we can count on Studio Ghibli for, it’s a strong leading heroine. The girls of Ghibli films are determined, flawed, and all the more interesting for their funny quirks and adorable expressions. Whether your favorite is the somber Kiki, the resourceful Arrietty, or the wild wolf child San, you’ve got to appreciate just how many great girls populate the Studio Ghibli roster.

▼ Witch Kiki is an obvious standout.

But forget about favorites for a moment—which Ghibli heroine do you feel best reflects you, as a person? Take a moment to think it over. Then see how your results compare to those of a recent online survey held by streaming-guide service 1Screen, where 300 men and women aged from their teens to their sixties were quizzed on which heroine they relate to the most.

Let’s count down!

11. Naoko from The Wind Rises and Umi from Up on Poppy Hill (tie)
10. Marnie from When Marnie Was There
9. Haru from The Cat Returns
7. Sheeta from Castle in the Sky and Arrietty from The Secret World of Arrietty (tie)
6. San from Princess Mononoke
5. Sophie from Howl’s Moving Castle
4. Shizuku Tsukishima from Whisper of the Heart

Moving on to the top three, the first girl to make the cut is Chihiro from Spirited Away.

▼ Congratulations on third place, Chihiro!

Those who filled in the survey could leave comments, and here are a few from the people who picked Chihiro as the most relatable of the lot.

“I felt like I had lots in common with her since I’m not especially perfect; I’m not always strong and I cry a lot, too.”
“I’ve thought that Chihiro had a lot in common with me—a lanky, fraidy-cat beanpole of a kid—ever since I first saw her in the movie theater on opening day. I really admire how she gained a dignified strength through her adventure, and practically became a different person.”

Next, in second place, is Kiki from Kiki’s Delivery Service!

The hardworking witch girl got her share of gushing comments too:

“I felt like the way she persevered through her first time out in the city, her first job, her first encounters with people, and how she strove to do her best even while getting her feelings hurt resonated a lot with my own life.”
“I really related to seeing her strike out on her own, struggling to work hard and make a living for herself. I remember thinking that I’d also believe I’d lost all my worth if I lost my ability to fly.”

So who is the most relatable Ghibli heroine of all?

Here she is…

Satsuki from My Neighbor Totoro!

Plucky Satsuki is always trying to keep her little sister Mei out of trouble, and apparently she struck a chord with elder siblings throughout Japan. Take a look at some of these reasons for picking her:

“I was the eldest daughter so I also had to be firm and put up a stern front, but whenever I did want to spoil [my younger siblings] I felt an affinity with Satsuki’s way [of spoiling Mei].”
“Everything. From when I discovered Totoro with my little sister back when I lived in the countryside, to when I got lost and my parents scolded me.”
“When I went to see My Neighbor Totoro, my own mother was sick in the hospital. I really felt a kinship with Satsuki for being in the same situation as me. I also thought it was really admirable how she did everything to protect Mei, despite being afraid!”

Though some firm female fixtures like Princess Nausicaa are absent here, you can still feel the strong emotions tied into these choices. Something about Ghibli heroines just makes you want to see them succeed, and hopefully everyone who responded to the survey managed to succeed in their own pursuits as well!

Related: 1Screen
Source: PR Times
Top image: Studio Ghibli
Insert images: Studio Ghibli (1,2,3)
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Don’t let anyone invade your CAN!

Last July, news broke about a man who was arrested for driving a stolen Lexus to steal another Lexus, which triggered a lot of talk about how often these types of luxury cars seem to be the targets of thieves in Japan. Personally, the one thing that bothered me about video of that incident was what the suspect was doing down near the wheel.

▼ In the security camera video we see the thief peel back the fender but then they cover up the camera to hide the rest of their work

Now a recent arrest which is said to be among the first of its kind in Japan, might shed some light on why the not-so-humble Lexus seems so theft-prone. The two suspects, a man from Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture, and Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture, are accused of using a “CAN invader” to steal a Lexus RX from a parking lot in Chiba Prefecture on 2 February.

“CAN invader” is the Japanese term for a device car thieves use to hack into a car’s controller area network (CAN) bus, which is the internal network that connects all of its components, from its ignition to its AC. We often don’t think about how computerized the average car has become, but it runs on volumes of coding comparable to that of a desktop operating system. Luxury cars, with all their comfort features, are even more integrated.

However, many automobiles tend to lack the same level of cybersecurity that personal computers enjoy. Even worse, the CAN sends data through the car’s regular wiring, which means it can be accessed simply by patching a CAN invader into any wire a thief can get their hands on. In the case of the those arrested, the headlights were a relatively easy access point from under the front bumper or through the wheel well.

▼ As we can see in this news report about the arrests, CAN invaders also come in stylish pink models

From there the CAN invader simply overrides the car’s security and gains access to everything, especially its locks and ignition, both within minutes and without causing any suspicious damage to the vehicle in the process. If the spate of thefts over the last year or so is anything to go by, it looks as if thieves have figured out the setup for the Lexus CAN bus in particular, and are having a field day stealing them.

▼ Think of it like that scene in Terminator 2 where young John Conner hacks into an ATM, elucidates the plot, and then rocks out to some GNR

The fact that it can be done fairly quickly and without a fuss is also making it very hard for the police to catch thieves who use CAN Invaders. The Hyogo Prefectural Police say that over 192 luxury cars have been stolen in this way all over Japan, amounting to 950 million yen (US$8.6M) in damages.

There are ways to protect against this, however. A trusty steering wheel lock might do the trick if a particular thief’s manual skills don’t live up to their digital ones. Third party engine immobilizers, that shut down the car when a theft attempt is made, are likely not affected by the CAN invader and also protect against the second most common method of relay thefts. This is where thieves boost the remote signal from the owner’s keys to make it seem like they are near the vehicle, thus allowing the doors to open and engine to start.

▼ Demonstration of an immobilizer on a cousin of the Lexus, the Toyota Highlander

But most importantly, it will be up to the manufactures to develop more securely encrypted internal networks for their vehicles in order to keep up with their ever-increasing sophistication. After all, it’s their cars’ reputations that are on the line.

Source: Yomiuri Shimbun, Asahi Shimbun, Chunichi Shimbun
Top image: Pakutaso
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You’ll find a wide range of ages at this Japanese branch of the Golden Arches. 

McDonald’s has roughly 2,900 branches throughout Japan, and thousands of employees flipping burgers and delivering smiles for fast food lovers around the nation.

Out of all the workers on the books, however, there’s one who stands out as a shining beacon of inspiration for people everywhere. His name is Yoshimitsu Yabuta, and he can be found working at the Takaoka Ekinan branch in Takaoka City, Toyama Prefecture.

What makes Yabuta so special is the fact that he’s the oldest McDonald’s worker in Japan. So how old is he? Well, he’s 93 years old.

Yabuta recently came to everyone’s attention when McDonald’s set up a special site acknowledging some of their most notable locations for the chain’s 50th anniversary in Japan. In amongst mentions for the store with the highest altitude — Karuizawa in Nagano, at 912 metres (2,992 feet) — and the branch with the most beautiful ocean view — Miura Kaigan in Kanagawa — was a hat-tip to the store with the oldest crew member, which thrust Yabuta into the spotlight overnight.

▼ The McDonald’s branch where Yabuta works is also the store with the widest age range of employees in Japan.

Yabuta started working as a part-time employee at the store in 2019, when he was 90 years old. He says he applied for the job when he happened to see an ad for part-time work at the store, as he wanted to do something to make use of his spare time.

The job attracted him as this branch of McDonald’s is open 24 hours a day, meaning he could work night shifts, which he was used to, given his previous experience as a late-night staff member at an arcade, a job he took up after retiring as an electrician.

Yabuta now works five-hour shifts four nights a week, and while he was in charge of cleaning tables at first, he’s now also responsible for making side-menu meals like salads. Even when he’s not working, he often comes in during the day to buy drinks and fries, and enjoys chatting to other “silver generation” crew members when they have their breaks.

▼ Yabuta’s story made news in Japan.

ツイッターでもトレンドに入っていたけど、良い記事でした。
93歳の高齢でも姿勢の良さ、マスクの正しい着用、若いスタッフは15歳もいる中で意見が食い違っても理解しようとする意識が素晴らしいと思います pic.twitter.com/KsGPCMUbFO

— サラ (@Chuchnsdboy) August 30, 2021

The 36-year-old manager of the branch, Kyohei Imoto, publicly praised Yabuta for his work, saying he helps to maintain a high level of cleanliness at the store, and ensures that preparations for the morning shift run smoothly.

Yabuta is said to be an inspiration to his fellow colleagues, the youngest of whom is just 15, with one co-worker saying he now feels people can take on any challenge at any age.

The spritely 93-year-old says he likes working, and his secret to good health is “hydration and physical activity”. He says he wants to continue working while his body is still able, and McDonald’s customers around the country, whose hearts have been warmed by his story, also hope he can continue working for many more years to come.

Perhaps next time the company sits down to create their next heartwarming ad for the chain starring a senior citizen, Yabuta will be able to make an appearance…without any digital effects to make him look younger than usual.

Source: McDonald’s Japan via Hachima Kikou
Featured image © SoraNews24
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Aromatherapy…a free eye mask…soothing music…a relaxing drink. This could be the best way to get home!

Let’s face it: life can be exhausting, and based on the number of people who nod off on the train on the way home, we’re not the only ones who need a good rest at the end of the day. Luckily, there’s now a service for that in Japan! Why not end your day with a ride in a “Neochiru Taxi”–the “Nap Taxi”? It’s fully outfitted to make for a comfortable snooze spot, and will even take you home for free!

The Neochiru Taxi is running around Tokyo for a short time, only until September 3, which has been deemed by the Japanese pun gods as “Sleep Day”, seeing as 9 sounds like “Gu” and 3 is pronounced “suri”, creating the words “Good Sleep”.

Produced by the company behind Chill Out, a drink that has four different calming ingredients to aid in relaxation, the special taxi runs from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. to help you get ready for bed on your way home after a long day.

All passengers will be provided with an ice-cold can of Chill Out, but inside you’ll also get to enjoy the effects of relaxing aromatherapy, selected and developed by AI technology. A calming movie and gentle music will make you nice and sleepy, while a free disposable eye mask will help soothe your tired eyes.

All that, combined with the lull of the car driving down the street, are sure to put you into a nice sleep. There’s even a charging port for your smartphone, so you don’t have to worry about losing power. Take a stress-free commute home with the Neochiru Taxi, and be ready to tumble into bed after.

You can find the Noechiru Taxi at the taxi stand in front of the Ginza Line at Shibuya Station, and it will take you anywhere within the 23 wards of Tokyo, absolutely for free! If you’re working overtime late into the night, it’s kind of nice to think you could just hop in a car and take a nap, waking up only when you arrive at your front door.

If you’re not in the Shibuya area you can also call the taxi to wherever you are, but that’s only available between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m., and you may not always get one depending on car availability and traffic conditions. Still, it’s a great service that you should absolutely take advantage of while it’s available!

For really stressful days, we also recommend this hand gesture that’s supposed to automatically make you relax. Every little bit helps when you’ve been working long into the night!

Source, images: PR Times
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Sometimes the simplest reaction can feel like the hardest.

Despite having a huge number of social media followers, Utada Hikaru doesn’t post all that frequently on Twitter. Utada did have something to say recently, though, sharing a conversation with the J-pop megastar’s five-year-old son.

息子が急に「Handsome(ハンサム)って言われるのすきじゃないよ」って言うから「恥ずかしいの？そういう時はね、ありがとう、って言えばいいんだよ」って返したら「なんだ〜！なんでもっと早く教えてくれなかったの！」って怒られたので、褒められるのが苦手っていう人みんなに教えたい。

— 宇多田ヒカル (@utadahikaru) August 31, 2021

“My son suddenly said to me ‘I don’t like being called ‘handsome,’’ so I told him ‘Does it make you feel embarrassed? If someone says that to you, all you have to do is say thank you.’

‘What? Why didn’t anyone tell me that earlier?’ he angrily responded, so now I want to tell everyone who doesn’t enjoy being complimented.”

Saying thank you when someone pays you a compliment might sound like something so obvious it shouldn’t require any explanation. In Japanese culture, though, classical manners dictate that when praise is given, the recipient should always deflect, if not outright deny, it.

▼ Video for Utada Hikaru’s “One Last Kiss”

With Utada’s son being raised in the U.K. by a parent with an internationalized lifestyle, he’s not bound by quite the same conventions as someone growing up in Japan, and even in Japan not everyone in modern times agrees that it’s bad form to accept a compliment.

Still, feeling flustered by praise because you feel like it’d be impolite to just accept the positive observation about you as a fact isn’t something that’s exclusive to people living in Japan, and it’s nice to see Utada teaching her son that he’s not under any obligation to try to change someone’s favorable impression of him. Hopefully it’ll come in handy the next time someone says he’s handsome, or that he’s done a great job filming a music video.

Source: Twitter/@utadahikaru via Hachima Kiko
Top image: YouTube/Hikaru Utada
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The flavor of the Light and Dark Crystals pairs great with a bottle of Moogle tea from Lawson.

In a Japanese city, you’re never very far away from a convenience store, and you can expect said convenience store to be stocked with all sorts of tasty temptations. When one of those happens to be Final Fantasy fried chicken, though, a trip to the convenience store goes from optional side quest to mandatory main story content.

And so it was that I found myself outside my local branch of convenience store chain Lawson on Tuesday night. Next to its entrance the store was proudly flying a banner of its fried chicken mascot character, Karaage-kun (who shares its name with the store-brand fried chicken itself), dressed as Final Fantasy’s warrior of light.

For those who haven’t acquired many Japanese convenience store experience points yet, “convenience store fried chicken” might sound about as appealing as “gas station steak,” but rest assured, Karaage-kun is delicious stuff, and a best-seller for decades in a country where sub-par fare quickly gets ignored by the nation’s many foodies. For its tie-up with the Final Fantasy franchise, Lawson has created a brand-new Karaage-kun flavor: Light and Dark Crystal.

That’s not the only treasure waiting inside Lawson for Final Fantasy fans, though. Head over to the drink section, and you’ll find cold bottles of Moogle Pon Pon Tea, each with one of four cute creature pals. Two of them are Namazu and Korpokkur…

…but let’s be real, the ones we’re here for are Chocobo and Moogle!

After making it back home with no random monster encounters, I couldn’t help but notice how nice the color design is on the Karaage-kun box, with high-contrast hues that seem appropriate for a team-up with a video game series known for its impressive visuals.

▼ It’s also clever how the slot for the included toothpick is positioned to make it look like the Karaage-kun of Light’s Moogle ally is carrying it to him.

Curious to see what Light and Dark Crystal-flavor fried chicken looks like, I opened up the lid, and found out it’s suitably surprising.

Each piece of chicken looks like it’s swirling with some sort of dark energy…but only on one side. Turn it over, and you’ve got a “Light” side, which is much more normal in appearance.

▼ Naturally, this called for some Plates of Light and Darkness.

The reason for this dual nature is because the Light and Dark Karaage-kun is a combination of two flavors: black pepper and tarter sauce. Believe it or not, there’s even more of a battle between Light and Dark going on inside, as its cross section looks like no other fried chicken I’ve ever seen.

If you didn’t know what it was ahead of time, it might actually be kind of disturbing to look at. But while it might not be the most appetizing thing to look at, it tastes great! Instead of the two flavors blending into a single hodgepodge, they alternate rolling over your taste buds, sort of like a turn-based battle system. The pepper, which is the strongest sensation overall, comes first, followed by the tartar sauce. Then the sequence repeats, but with gentler effects.

There is, however, something very unusual that happens. As the flavor profile trails off into a subtle tartness from the tartar sauce part, the sensation has a split-second resemblance to mild pickles. Mixed in with the meaty chicken and starch from the breading, for the briefest moment it almost feels like you’re eating a fast-food hamburger and fries.

There’re fewer surprises with the Moogle Pon Pon Tea. Regardless of which label you have, the contents are the same: oolong tea.

▼ Yes, the only clear glass I own is a sake cup.

As far as oolong teas go, this one is more on the bitter side than the fragrant one, but still makes a nice chilled thirst-quencher.

Priced at 216 yen (US$1.95) and 168 yen, respectively, Lawson’s Final Fantasy fried chicken and Moogle tea are on sale now, for a limited-time, and are both worthy entries in the ever-expanding Final Fantasy food group.

Photos ©SoraNews24
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