Twentythree

Rural convenience store at anime holy site offers canned coffee and bittersweet romance from same machine.

The thing that makes Japanese convenience stores great is how they’re really like a compact grocery store, take-out restaurant, and general store all rolled into one. Particularly in rural communities where they might be the only shop in the neighborhood, they need to be stocked with everything someone could need, like food, toiletries, and in the case of one Nagano convenience store, even love.

On a visit to Lake Kizaki in the town of Omachi, Japanese Twitter user @matsujun5213 stopped at the local branch of the Y Shop convenience store chain. The store has a short row of vending machines in its parking lot, for customers who don’t want to bother coming in or arrive after the store is closed for the day. In addition to canned coffees, soups, and sodas, though, the machine also sells love letters.

▼ The button for love letters (LOVE レター) is on the top row, third from the right.

While this isn’t the only vending machine in Japan that offers love letters, it does have a unique distinction in that the letters are offered in the same machine alongside other more mundane products. The previous love letter vending machines we’ve seen have been capsule toy machines that sell love letters only, usually as part of a bank of other machines selling novelty goods. The Lake Kizaki Y Shop, though, just has them mixed in with the rest of its vending machine lineup, in case someone is craving both a lemon squash soda and a love letter.

The letters come rolled up with a sticker seal, making them look authentically like something someone might leave on your school desk or cafe table. They’re handwritten too, and unrolling his, @matsujun5213 found a surprisingly emotional message.

“How are you doing these days?

I never do anything for you, but you always give me all the selfish things I ask for. It feels like you’re always right by me, watching over me.

I’ve finally begun to feel happy where I am now, but I still think that I was happiest when we were together.

You did so much to make me happy, so I hope I can make you happy in the next life.

I hope we can both be happy until that time comes, and when it does, I hope you’ll be with me again.

So, for now, I’ll just say I’ll see you again someday.”

おねがい☆ティーチャーの聖地でもある長野県大町市にある木崎湖の、湖畔のコンビニ『Yショップニシ』では、手書きラブレターが自動販売機で売られている。一通300円。

メッセージも凝っていて、僕が手に入れたラブレターの内容は、少し悲しくなっちゃう内容だった。
お店の方、とても親切だった。 pic.twitter.com/lG1Yse5PD3

— まつじ (@matsujun5213) August 23, 2021

“They really put a lot of effort into this,” @matsujun5213 tweets about the bittersweet story he purchased for 300 yen (US$2.70)

▼ By the way, the view from the parking lot is quite nice.

While the concept of a love letter vending machine might seem like something you’d only find in Tokyo’s Akihabara or another otaku-oriented neighborhood, Omachi does have a sentimental anime connection, as the Lake Kizaki area served as the model for the setting of romantic comedy Please Teacher/Onegai Teacher. Though the anime TV series ended all the way back in 2002, the Lake Kizaki Y Shop still remembers the town’s five minutes of anime fame, and a corner of the store remains dedicated to Please Teacher and its sequel spin-off Please Twins.

謎のラブレターを何年も自販機で売っていることも面白いけど、おねてぃを20年間推し続けているコンビニも、いまだに訪問しているファンもすげえなと思った。 pic.twitter.com/S4HW65eHBn

— まつじ (@matsujun5213) August 23, 2021

The impetus for the love letter vending machine, though, isn’t necessarily anime-related. The store’s owner simply thought “Getting a love letter makes people happy, and I thought it’d be nice if we could give people that feeling,” and mentions that a workshop of writers composes them.

The Lake Kizaki Y Shop started selling the letters three years ago, and @matsujun5213 stopped by the store specifically to buy one. Unfortunately, on the day he arrived the machine was being repaired. When he went inside to ask about the letters, though, he was able to purchase one directly from the staff, showing that even when things look bleak, you should always believe in love.

Shop information
Y Shop / Yショップニシ
Address: Nagano-ken, Omachi-shi, Uminokuchi 12076
長野県大町市平海ノ口12076

Source: Twitter/@matsujun5213, J-Town Net via Livedoor News via Otakomu
Images: Twitter/@matsujun5213
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Nagoya politician’s troubles continue.

August was not a good month for Nagoya mayor Takashi Kawamura, although he can’t really blame most of it on bad luck. On August 4, Nagoya resident and Olympic softball gold medalist Miu Goto met with Kawamura so he could offer his congratulations, and during the photo session the mayor unilaterally decided to stick her medal in his mouth and bite it.

Following a swift backlash from a disgusted public, Kawamura announced he would forfeit three months’ pay as an act of contrition, but at least a portion of the goodwill he may have earned from that gesture was eroded by the terse chicken-scratch apology note he issued to Nagoya’s municipal employees.

▼ The bite

So Kawamura was no doubt eager to turn the calendar over for a fresh start in September. Unfortunately, the new month isn’t starting off too well for him, as he’s now tested positive for coronavirus infection.

Concerns arose on Sunday when Kawamura’s personal aide, a male city employee in his 30s, was diagnosed with the virus. As a precaution, the mayor did not go to city hall on Monday and instead remained in his home, where he underwent a PCR test on Tuesday which confirmed his infection, with the test results being made public on September 1.

It doesn’t appear that Kawamura was infected at the time of the medal-biting incident, though his willingness to put non-food objects in his mouth would suggest that he perhaps wasn’t the most cautious individual regarding anti-infection protocols. Nevertheless, Tokai TV reports that he had already had both of his coronavirus vaccination shots prior to the discovery of his infection.

Luckily, Kawamura is asymptomatic, with no fever or other current ill effects from his condition. He is remaining in his home as a precaution against speeding the virus to others, though, working remotely in coordination with Nagoya’s deputy mayor and other city staff, while no doubt longing for the days when he was making headlines for something as benign as his One Piece anime cosplay.

Sources: FNN Prime Online via Hachima Kiko, Yahoo! Japan News/Tokai TV, NHK News Web
Top image ©SoraNews24
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Savor a syrupy signature Japanese flavor with this new frappe — before they’re all gone!

Matcha is one of the most distinctive flavors Japan has to offer—a rich, grassy tea with a deep and alluring emerald hue. Bitter and rich, once tempered with enough sugar it can serve as a base for all manner of delectable desserts. Many family restaurants will offer up a matcha latte as a staple beverage, and now McDonald’s Japan is taking that one step beyond for its comparatively swanky McCafé by Barista properties by adding their Uji Matcha Frappe to their regular menu.

▼ 440 yen (US$4) for a medium, 490 yen (US$4.45) for a large.

That’s enough cause for celebration on its own, but participating McCafés have even more matcha planned for the menu. Stores are currently promoting their newest concoction, the Kuromitsu Uji Matcha Frappe. Though this one comes with a caveat—patrons will only be able to gorge themselves on its gorgeous green glamor until mid-October, when it will vanish into the ether like a youkai spirit on a chilly autumn night.

▼ 490 yen (US$4.45) for a medium, 560 yen (US$5.09) for a large.

Not only is this temporal treat crafted with Uji matcha, the veritable cream of the crop when it comes to this specific brand of tea, but it’s drizzled thoroughly with kuromitsu (literally black honey). Kuromitsu syrup is made with rich brown sugar and has a distinct, toasted sweetness that adds a layer of elegance to any dessert. The parfait is also loaded with thick jelly cubes at the base made from that same rich brown sugar, and the creamy whipped topping is infused with that same treacly goodness.

Just like the matcha is sourced from Uji in Kyoto, the brown sugar used for the kuromitsu syrup and jellies is cited as being imported from Okinawa—the birthplace of many brown sugar desserts. It seems that this new drink is well on its way to being another delicious luxury drink without a luxury price tag!

Source: McDonald’s Japan via Japaaan Magazine
Images: McDonald’s Japan
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The only thing better than fried chicken is free fried chicken.

As a customer, free Wi-Fi in a restaurant is now one of those things that’s nice to have, but not absolutely necessary. Odds are if you’re walking around with some sort of Internet-connecting device, you’ve also got a service plan where you won’t rack up all that much in data charges over the course of a meal.

Again, though, free Wi-Fi is nice to have. And you know what’s also nice to have? Free fried chicken.

▼ For the record, it’s specifically free fried chicken that falls into the “nice but not absolutely necessary” category. Fried chicken itself, as we all know, is an absolute necessity.

And so when we heard of a doubly nice deal at one Tokyo branch of Japanese casual restaurant chain Yayoi-ken, in which using their free Wi-Fi earns you free fried chicken, we were there with lightning speed.

At first, we thought that we might have to download some sort of Yayoi-ken smartphone app in order to get our free bird, but that turned out to not be the case. Yes, the chain does have an app, and downloading it gets you a free mini side order of salmon or mackerel, but the free-Wi-Fi-into-free-fried chicken thing is a separate deal, and your free chicken can be claimed without installing the app.

▼ Not that we wouldn’t appreciate some free fish too, though.

Posted inside the restaurant are signs with the branch’s Wi-Fi network name and password (both “yayoiken”), so we whipped out our phone to sign-in.

Finalizing the sign-in does require you to register an age, gender, email address, and phone number, though no sort of real or screen name. Once you’re done, just show an employee that you’re signed in to the restaurant’s Wi-Fi network, and they’ll bring you two mouthwatering pieces of karaage, Japanese-stye fried chicken, completely free of charge.

The free fried chicken deal is being offered only at Yayoi-ken’s Asakusa Tawaramachi branch in downtown Tokyo, but unlike the chain-wide app-download/free fish arrangement, you can enjoy two pieces of fried chicken each and every time you eat at the branch, as long as you sign in to their Wi-Fi each time. The offer is going on between now September 17, so you know where to find us at lunchtime every day until then.

Restaurant information
Yayoi-ken (Asakusa Tawaramachi branch) / やよい軒 浅草田原町店
Address: Tokyo-to, Taito-ku, Kotobuki 4-7-7
東京都台東区寿4-7-7
Open 7 a.m.– 8 p.m.
Website

Top image: SoraNews24
Insert images: Yayoi-ken, SoraNews24
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Sometimes the ultimate treasure isn’t gold and diamonds, but the one you love.

Japanese jeweler U-Treasure is known for its amazing collaborations with popular franchises such as Pokémon and Neon Genesis Evangelion. From necklaces to wedding rings, folks can glam out fashionably while repping their manga and/or anime interests, and now luckily for One Piece fans, U-Treasure has launched a new set of jewelry based off the famous pirate series.

U-Treasure’s special One Piece line-up consists of necklaces with two interlocking rings. Each necklace refers to a specific One Piece duo, particularly characters who canonically share a strong bond with one another. Furthermore, inscribed on the surface of the rings are quotes from the represented characters, which adds a nice, subtle touch especially if you’re shy about repping anime merch at work or outside.

The first duo in this one-of-a-kind series features the manga’s protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy, and his adopted older brother, Portgas D. Ace. Whereas one ring has emblazoned on its surface a pressing question from Ace, “Can you still fight, Luffy?!”, the other ring amusingly contains Luffy’s energetic response: “Of course!”

▼ All necklaces are available in three versions: silver, gold, and rose gold.

Of course, for those who are in a bromance, there’s no better necklace than the one representing the gruff but amicable relationship Zorro and Sanji share. Zorro’s attributed quote is “Hey…Cook? Lend me a hand for ten seconds.” while Sanji’s is “That should be enough time.”

Last but not least, we have a final necklace in the series featuring Shanks and Whitebeard. Compared to rings with quotes from Luffy and Ace as well as Zorro and Sanji, the exchange on the rings between Shanks and Whitebeard is on a more somber note, though perhaps anyone who’s had experience sacrificing something for a relationship can empathize. Shanks’s quote is “I gave it up for the sake of the new era.” and Whitebeard’s response is “… If you don’t have any regrets, then that’s fine.”

All necklaces will be available on U-Treasure’s online store here for purchase until September 16. Pricing for the necklaces is 15,400 yen (US$139.93) for silver while both the gold and pink gold can be bought for 41,800 yen (US$379.82). And in case you want to glam out even more with One Piece gear, the franchise has you covered with everything from makeup to even wedding dresses.

Source, images: PR Times
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Chaotic cursed cast of classic anime/manga are here to help keep your belongings in order.

Manga creator Rumiko Takahashi’s Ranma 1/2, and its anime adaptation, fall in that sweet spot of looking retro but not necessarily old. Yes, character design trends have changed since Ranma’s salad days of the early and mid-‘90s, but that time frame puts it in an era that’s aged more gracefully than the more heavily stylized aesthetic of both earlier and later periods in anime history.

There’s a timeless appeal to Takahashi’s soft, inviting linework, and so it’s now the basis for a new line of Ranma-themed bags, pouches and wallets.

The pastel-colored collection comes from Japanese design house Mudie, and the snazziest piece is the Kinchaku Shoulder Bag, which adds a removable strap to a Japanese-style drawstring pouch evocative of the bags carried by women wearing kimono.

Embroidered into the cloth are Ranma (in both male and female versions), rivals Ryoga and Mousse, self-professed fiancé, Shampoo, and contender for title of least responsible dad in all of anime, Genma, in his panda form.

As fans will recognize, that specific group of characters has something in common: they’ve all fallen into the cursed springs of the Jusenkyo training grounds, causing them to transform when they come into contact with hot or cold water, and many of these transformed states show up in the rest of the collection.

These tote bags in these tote/pouch sets, for example, feature not only male and female Ranma, but both the human and animal versions of Ryoga (pig), Shampoo (cat), and Mousse (duck), as well as cameos by Jusenkyo’s tour guide and Shampoo’s great-grandmother Cologne.

▼ Genma, who’s comfortable enough with his panda curse to regularly lounge around the house transformed, doesn’t appear in his human form anywhere.

In contrast to the entire Jusenkyo curse club, the synthetic leather wallets split them into Ranma for one design, and everyone else for the other.

▼ Though considering the countless times Genma and Ranma are (accurately) called “freeloaders” throughout the series, you wonder if they themselves would have much use for a wallet.

Rounding out the collection are a laptop case and zipper pouch, both with cute ramen Naruto fishcake draw tabs…

…and two different acrylic keyholders, the only items without any sort of internal carrying capacity.

The entire lineup can be pre-ordered between now and September 17 here through Muddie’s online store, with delivery projected for late October. Prices range from 2,090 yen (US$19) for the key holders and top out at 7,920 yen for the wallets, which seems pretty affordable by limited-edition anime lifestyle merch standards, especially when compared to that 36,000-yen Ranma Yokosuka jacket.

Sources: Muddie, PR Times
Top image: Muddie
Insert images: PR Times, Muddie
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New cafe is a literal hole-in-the-wall, where you’ll be served by fluffy bears.

Japan was famous for its tiny ‘hole-in-the-wall’ bars and eateries long before the pandemic, but now that people are more concerned about protecting their personal spaces while eating out, literal ‘hole-in-the-wall’ places are becoming even more popular.

As it turns out, this style of service, where customers collect their orders from a hole in the wall, is ideal for staff as well. And for those wanting to work but unable to, due to mental health challenges and sensitivities connected to face-to-face contact, contactless services like these can open up all sorts of new opportunities for employment.

That’s the aim of the new “Kuma no Te” (“Bear Paw“) cafe set to open in Osaka this month. Run by Mental Support, an academy that’s been providing support and counselling to individuals for the past 12 years, the new cafe is designed to be a safe space where those undergoing therapy can overcome their fears of reintegrating into society due to mental health challenges.

With face-to-face contact being a stress trigger for a number of their clients, Mental Health came up with the brilliant idea of setting up a cafe where staff don’t have to see or be seen by customers. And the problem of skin-to-skin contact was also solved with fluffy bear gloves, which staff use to hand out drinks and sweets through the small opening in the wall.

▼ The storefront may not have any doors or windows, but its cave-like appearance is still eye-catching.

Six staff members will be on the roster at the Bear Paw Cafe when it opens, and all are graduates or current students at the Mental Support Academy. The company has shared the following background details for their current employees:

1. Depression for about five years, currently undergoing therapy
2. HSP (Highly Sensitive Person) and childhood trauma due to domestic violence
3. Adjustment disorder, currently undergoing therapy
4. HSP (Highly Sensitive Person)
5. Hikikomori (social withdrawal), currently looking for a job
6. A mother with a personality disorder who has a son with a learning disability

Mental Support describes the cafe as a healing place that contributes to society and acts as a stepping stone towards rehabilitation for those who need it. While the new cafe is certainly staff-focused, customers are also a priority, as the store aims to bring smiles to the faces of visitors with its fun delivery system and menu of delicious drinks and parfaits.

▼ You can’t help but smile when you’re being served by a furry bear in a cave!

While payment and ordering methods are yet to be revealed, it’s likely there’ll be a machine out the front, similar to the ones used at ramen restaurants, or some type of cashless payment system allowing customers to pre-pay online before picking up their order.

With the help of customers, Mental Support hopes the initiative will become popular so they can start more cafes and help other people in different locations in future. The Bear Paw Cafe is set to open in Osaka, a short two-minute walk from Osaka-Uehonmachinishi Station, on 11 September.

Cafe Information

Kuma no Te Cafe / クマの手カフェ
Address: Osaka-fu, Osaka-shi, Chuo-ku, Uehonmachinishi 5-3-11, 1F
大阪府中央区上本町西 5-3-11 ・ １F
Hours: 10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. (Irregular holidays)
Website

Source, images: PR Times
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