Twentythree

Skipping the regular Family Mart buns for these substitutes transforms Famichiki into something even more magical.

Convenience is obviously a big part of why we find ourselves inside of Japan’s convenience stores as often as we do. But while they’re stocked with plenty of things that are perfectly tasty and completely ready to be eaten, sometimes foodies discover a way to put just a little more effort into a convenience store meal to make it even more delicious.

One of the latest trends in the Japanese convenience store fan community involves one Family Mart’s best sellers, the chain’s Famichiki boneless fried chicken. It’s so tasty that Family Mart even sells specialized buns for customers who want to turn their Famichiki into a fried chicken sandwich.

But rumor has it there’s a way to make an even better Family Mart fried chicken sandwich, which is to skip the for-Famichiki bun…

…and instead head over to the sandwich shelf to grab one of Family Mart’s egg sandwiches.

Like most Japanese convenience store sandwiches, Family Mart’s egg sandwich comes cut into two triangle-shaped pieces. Open one of those up, put your Famichiki inside…

…and now you’ve got what fans call an “oyako sandwich,” a sandwich version of oyakodon, the Japanese dish of chicken and egg served on a bowl of rice.

Trying it for ourselves for the first time, we can confirm that it does indeed taste very good. After all, it’s a combination of two things with complementary flavors that already tasted great on their own, so doubling up on the deliciousness your taste buds experience makes them that much better. We did have a surprise here too, though, in that the softness of the sandwich bread and the egg made the slight crispiness of the Famichiki stand out more, giving it a more upscale feel than when the chicken it eaten by itself straight from its paper wrapper.

So yeah, this is a case where the buzz is justified, as this Family Mart food hack is very satisfying…but could we make it even more decadent? Yes we could, and we did.

Returning to Family Mart, we got another piece of Famichiki, but this time we left both the specialized buns and egg sandwiches on the shelf, and instead selected a pack of Family Mart’s ready-to-eat French toast to make our second sandwich with.

Since Family Mart’s French toast is pre-sliced into two pieces, you don’t even need a knife to do this. There was, however, one finishing touch we wanted to add: maple syrup.

Maple syrup and French toast, of course, are an established recipe for deliciousness, and it turns out the condiment is great on fried chicken too. Our French toast maple Famichiki sandwich was sweet, salty, soft, and gooey. Some would say that’s not a very elegant-sounding meal, but we were going for flavor, not status here, and the flavor is incredibly enjoyable.

At 155 yen (US$1), Family Mart’s French toast is about twice the price of the specialized Famichiki bun, which is 88 yen. Still, that’s only a 67-yen difference, and with the Famichiki itself costing 230 yen, the do-it-yourself French toast upgrade is a pretty easy extra expense to absorb, especially when the results taste this good. The only issue is that Family Mart doesn’t provide packs of maple syrup, so you’ll need to procure a bottle separately, but on the plus side, having a whole container on hand means you’ll have plenty of syrup to make many, many more French toast maple fried chicken sandwiches when the craving for another inevitably hits.

Photos © SoraNews24
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Frozen home-style cooking with unbelievable tastes.

If you ever find yourself away from the bustling crowds of Kyoto’s cultural hotspots, wandering around the quiet industrial pockets of Fushimi Ward, you might just stumble across a culinary surprise that many travelers will miss, and it comes by way of a vending machine standing at the entrance of a food factory.

In most parts of the world, vending machines offer soda or snacks, but in Japan they are a conduit of creativity, with some even providing edible bugs or help finding a person to marry. This vending machine, though, is a window into the world of Kyoto cuisine: the Obanzai Gacha.

For 400 yen (US$2.50) you can enjoy a bundle of three frozen packages, but due to the “gacha” element, you’ll have no idea what they can contain until they clatter out of the machine. But what sort of obanzai dinners could you be getting…and just what is obanzai?

While Kyoto is famous for its kaiseki cuisine, which is an elaborate, multi-course fare, obanzai is its humble cousin, the traditional home-style cooking of Kyoto that is rooted in the philosophy of not wasting anything and using seasonal, local ingredients. It’s the kind of nostalgia-seasoned cooking one might have during childhood visits to their grandparents’ house, with dishes like simmered radish or grilled eggplant in broth.

This vending machine on the doorstep of the Nomura Foods factory, about a 30-minute walk from Fushimi Station on the Kintetsu-Kyoto Line, offers a curated selection of these traditional treats for a limited time. When we heard about the Obanzai Gacha and how delicious the food being sold is, we couldn’t resist and went to investigate the veracity of this claim.

Looking at the machine in question, we were astounded by the aura of an extraordinary bargain: considering it’s 400 yen for three bags, it’s just a bit over 100 yen for each.

With many standard gacha machines, you insert the necessary coins, turn the handle, and out pops a capsule, but with this vending machine, things were a little different.

For a start it was a vending machine, with no handles to turn, but more surprisingly, it was entirely cashless. For a country that’s still very cash-heavy, it’s a remarkable choice the operators have opted for. No cash and no credit cards; people can only use one of the many forms of cashless payments, like PayPay and transportation IC cards.

After payment, we received a container with a beautiful Kyoto-esque design, and a large “obanzai” (おばんざい) on the front, but the contents were still a little difficult to see.

Returning home, we thawed the bags in the refrigerator, as recommended, before checking them out.

The three dishes we got were Mibuna and Kyorage, a simmered dish of local Kyoto greens and thin strips of fried tofu…

…Beef with Kujo Green Onions: a savory mix seasoned with yuzu citrus fruit and sansho (a peppery spice)…

… and Kyoto Namasu: a vinegar-based salad often served at celebrations, topped with bonito flakes.

Each dish provided a delectable mix of flavors that lacked any of that “frozen” taste we had been expecting. They were all incredibly delicious.

Since these items are frozen, you’ll be wanting to take a cooler bag with you to preserve the food quality. If you happen to be staying in a place with a kitchenette, then you’ll feel like you’ve hit the jackpot with the amazing value for money this vending machine offers, just don’t forget the Obanzai Gacha is only for a limited time. No matter where you go in Japan, don’t forget to check any and all vending machines you pass, because you might find some fantastic surprises in the most unlikely of places.

Vending machine location
Nomura Foods / ノムラフーズ
Address: Kyoto-fu, Fushimi-ku Shimotoba, Nishiserikawa-cho 66-banchi
京都市伏見区下鳥羽西芹川町66番地
Website

Photos ©SoraNews24
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There is a way to try them all.

On 2 August, 1996, Starbucks opened its first-ever Japanese branch in Tokyo’s Ginza district, making 2026 its 30th birthday year. To celebrate, the chain has a huge three-part anniversary project in the works, scheduled to be released in three stages across April, mid-June and August, and today they pulled the curtain back on its first big surprise: The Star Frappuccino.

Starbucks says it’s served over 2 billion Frappuccinos in Japan over the past 30 years – a whopping figure that works out to roughly 67 million Frappuccinos a year – and this first celebratory release honours that history with the theme of “Returning to our roots, and surpassing our roots“. In keeping with this theme, the new release sees five classic Frappuccinos returning from the past with modern updates to the ingredients, texture and aroma to achieve what the chain describes as their “evolved and perfected” form.

They won’t be that easy to find, though, as Starbucks is turning the release into something of a gift hunt, with every branch selling only one of the five Frappuccinos. According to the chain, this is so customers can “search, discover, and enjoy all five classic Frappuccinos” in the Star Frappuccino range.

The flavours selected for this release were based on popularity, so let’s take a look at which ones were chosen, and what makes each one so special.

▼ Melon (736 yen [US$4.62] takeout; 750 yen dine-in)

Said to be “the most anticipated Frappuccino, which generated the most excitement before its release”, this beverage originally contained the fragrant pulp of domestically grown red-fleshed muskmelon, with a melon base and melon-flavored whipped cream to make you feel like you’re savouring only the best parts of a perfectly ripe melon.

For this 30th anniversary version, the amount of pulp has been increased, to such an extent it’s being described as “the largest amount of melon pulp in any product ever released by Starbucks Japan”. Different melon flavours intermingle in each layer, delivering a “melon experience that goes beyond melon”.

▼ Fruit Yogurt (717 yen takeout; 730 yen dine-in)

Described as “the number-one Frappuccino that people want to drink right now, especially in this era”, this drink contains a blend of yoghurt, milk, and fruit syrup to create a smooth and pleasant “yoghurt sensation“. That sensation has been dialled up to 11 for this release, with a yoghurt layer that now extends all the way to the bottom of the cup. The top layer of mixed fruit jelly now contains four types of fruit – strawberry, yellow peach, orange, and white peach – adding more tartness and sweetness for enhanced refreshment, while crushed almonds, deep-roasted specifically for this Frappuccino, provide a fragrant texture and nutty richness.

▼ Next, up we have Coffee Jelly (687 yen takeout; 700 yen dine-in).

Starbucks says this is the Frappuccino that best captures its signature coffee taste, offering “the ultimate coffee experience” through its coffee-blended base, bittersweet coffee jelly layer and whipped cream topping. The coffee jelly, made from Starbucks’ original espresso roast, has a smooth, jiggly texture and slightly bitter taste that perfectly complements the sweetness of the Frappuccino, allowing the coffee flavour to unfold as you drink it. This updated version upgrades the whipped cream to coffee whipped cream, resulting in an even richer flavour and a luxurious, all-enveloping coffee experience.

▼ Kaga Bo Hojicha (717 yen takeout; 730 yen dine-in)

A Frappuccino that “truly embodies the spirit of Japan, in true Starbucks style“, this cult classic showcases a special stem-only roasted green tea that originated in the Kaga Domain (modern-day Ishikawa and Toyama Prefectures). By lightly roasting the tea stems, a tea with a beautiful golden colour and toasty aroma is produced, making it a hit with tea lovers.

For this new version, the original jelly pieces have been replaced with hojicha-flavoured warabi mochi (a jelly-like traditional bracken starch confection) and a new white mocha-flavoured whipped cream has been added for a mellow sweetness. Up top is a sprinkling of “Kaga Bo Hojicha Powder”, which utilizes first-flush tea leaves for added fragrance and texture.

▼ Finally, we have Chunky Cookie (687 yen takeout; 700 yen dine-in).

This Frappuccino, said to be the number one choice amongst teenage customers, offers a “real cookie experience” with its crunchy texture and rich milky flavour. A whole chocolate chunk cookie is blended into the vanilla-flavored base, releasing the cookie’s texture and fragrant chocolate flavour with every sip. Now, the drink is even more exciting, with the development of an all-new cookie that complements the Frappuccino more perfectly, and a topping of baked chocolate and cookie pieces for extra crunch and flavour.

As an added anniversary special, the chain will be running a special “Star Frappuccino Quest” campaign, where 100 lucky customers who purchase three of the new drinks will win a year’s supply of Frappuccinos. Winners will be awarded the title of “Frappuccino Master” and receive an Original Digital Starbucks Card, topped up with four 700-yen e-tickets each month for 12 months.

Those who purchase all five drinks will be entered into a draw to win a special “Golden Frappuccino Statue”, a commemorative piece made for the 30th anniversary.

▼ This statue has been meticulously handcrafted by skilled artisans at a renowned Arita ware kiln.

The chance to win prizes adds even more fun to the hunt for these new Frappuccinos, and to help you find them all, the chain has set up a special site where you can easily search for the drink of your choice and locate it on a map. As for the Frappuccinos, they’ll only be available for a limited time from 8 April, so you’ll want to act fast to find them before they disappear again into the annals of Starbucks history.

Related: Star Frappuccino Store Finder
Source, images: Press release
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Keychains feature beautiful pixel art from an all-time classic.

For as critically acclaimed as Chrono Trigger is, publisher Square Enix doesn’t produce a whole lot of merchandise for it. But the 1995 RPG came about as a rare one-time collaboration between Hironobu Sakaguchi, Yuji Horii, and Akira Toriyama, the creators of Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Dragon Ball, respectively, so maybe a reluctance to tamper with the legacy of those luminaries is why Chrono Trigger never got a direct sequel, and odds are there’s not much space in the promotional schedule to revisit a single game from 30-plus years ago if it’s not part of an active franchise.

However, every now and again the spotlight does shined again on what’s widely considered one of the true classics of the 16-bit video game era, and right now in Japan fans can get their hands on Chrono Trigger pixel art keychains.

The 500-yen (US$3.25) pins are being offered as gacha capsule toys, and with 15 different versions, that might seem like a merciless degree of randomization. However, 14 of the designs are actually spread among seven characters, with stand-by and action poses for Crono, Marle, Lucca, Frog, Robo, Ayla, and Magus (or Chorno, Marl, Lucca, Kaeru, Eira, and Maoh, if you’re using their Japanese names/renderings). That still leaves one mysterious secret design, but that still means the keychain you get will randomly be one of eight, or possibly even only seven, possible characters, raising the chances of getting one of your favorites of the bunch.

And while scouring the realm for coveted treasures is fun within an RPG setting, Square Enix acknowledges that in this case, fans would appreciate a less arduously puzzling journey. To that end, they’ve posted the locations of roughly 200 shops where the Chrono Trigger pins have been stocked here.

Source: Square Enix via Otakomu
Images: Square Enix
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Unique cherry blossom dessert conceals a surprising filling of traditional flavours.

If you’re looking to explore an area of Tokyo that retains an air of traditional Japanese charm, then Kagurazaka in Shinjuku needs to be on your itinerary. As one of Tokyo’s few remaining geisha districts, this quiet corner of the city is dotted with cobblestone-style backstreets, longstanding stores, and numerous ryotei (traditional Japanese restaurants) where geisha still perform to this day.

On one of the narrow side streets you’ll find a beautiful teahouse cafe called Kagurazaka Saryo, and at this time of year it serves up one of the best sakura sweets in Tokyo.

▼ Plus, some delicious extras.

All these items look gorgeous, but there’s a lot more to them than meets the eye, as they contain extremely high-quality ingredients that make them taste sublime.

▼ The star dessert is Haruka, which means “Spring Breeze“.

This poetically named dessert is a seasonal, limited-edition cherry blossom Mont Blanc, with strands of thin “sakura an” (cherry blossom bean paste) making it feel as delicate as a spring breeze.

Scattered around the dessert is a sprinkling of sakura-flavoured chocolate shavings, mixed with matcha-flavoured feuilletine (crispy, crumbled crepe pieces).

The feuilletine and chocolate shavings add a delicate sweetness and crunchy texture to the dessert, while also resembling fallen sakura petals on green grass.

On top is a rare, luxury Japanese strawberry variety known as Awayuki, which has very low acidity and a sakura pink hue.

At first glance, you might think this is a one-note dessert that consists only of sakura paste, but slice into it and you’ll find it has delicious complexity.

Beneath the strands of sakura is a layer of handmade ice cream containing sencha (steamed green tea) sourced from Shizuoka Prefecture, an area famous for green tea.

Beneath that is a crunchy meringue, followed by Crème Épaisse (a popular French cream made by fermenting fresh cream with lactic acid bacteria), a tart griotte (sour cherry) jam, and a thin layer of sponge to finish.

Scooping a serving of everything onto a plate adds even more flavour to the this six-layered dessert, with another strawberry to be found in the mix as well.

Each mouthful delivers perfect measures of flavour to the taste buds for an absolutely sublime eating experience. Unlike a lot of other sakura treats, this one doesn’t punch you in the mouth with sweetness or intense floral aromas, which is a testament to the high quality ingredients and the level of care in its creation.

▼ The sweet and tart taste of sour cherry adds a nice accent to the mellow cherry blossom flavours.

The heavy outer layer of sakura might look like a lot, but its airy smoothness melts on the tongue, imparting just the right amount of blossom flavour to enhance the other ingredients.

Hidden within it all are pieces of sakura-flavoured warabi mochi (a traditional jelly-like bracken starch confection), which provides a nice surprise with its smooth mouthfeel.

Looking closely at the warabi mochi reveals it has a gorgeous light pink colour, and a speckling of ground sakura leaves, the hallmark of a good cherry blossom dessert.

We’ve tried a lot of sakura treats in our time, and this freshly made Mont Blanc was one of the best we’ve ever tasted. The interplay between sakura, matcha, meringue, cherry, cream and sponge created subtle nuances of flavour you’d normally find at a high-class restaurant, making this dessert a memorable one.

▼ Plus, it comes with a choice of tea, and we recommend ordering the matcha, which is deliciously deep green and incredibly flavourful.

Kagurazaka Saryo has two other locations in Tokyo, at Ikebukuro Sunshine City and Shibuya Scramble Square, as well as one branch each in Italy, Canada and Thailand. As the place where the teahouse started, though, Kagurazaka is home to the main branch, and this is the only location where you’ll be able to order the special Haruka Mont Blanc.

▼ At the two other Tokyo locations, as well as the head branch, you can enjoy another cherry blossom special: the Sakura Warabi Mochi Matcha Latte.

This original drink uses Kyoto matcha as the star ingredient, and tops it all off with a mound of sakura cream and a pickled cherry blossom.

The gorgeous combination of pink and green makes this a total showstopper, and it impresses the palate too.

▼ How green is this matcha?

The body of the drink contains a layer of cream to mellow out the intensity of the matcha, and at the bottom is a mound of sakura warabi mochi. The thick pieces of warabi mochi travel up the straw to wow your taste buds with a hit of jelly-like smoothness, delivering subtle spurts of sakura to complement the green tea.

These limited-edition treats are levels above regular cafe offerings, and the high quality is reflected in the price. The Haruka Mont Blanc retails for 2,860 yen (US$18.03) for a set with Japanese tea, or 2,970 yen for a set with matcha or gyokuro, while the Sakura Warabi Mochi Matcha Latte is on the menu at 990 yen.

The high price is worth it for a sakura experience to remember, though, and they’re only on the menu for a limited time until early-to-mid April, so now’s the time to explore Kagurazaka, and all its hidden charms.

Cafe information
Kagurazaka Saryo Main Store /神楽坂 茶寮 本店
Address: Tokyo-to, Shinjuku-ku, Kagurazaka 3-1
東京都新宿区神楽坂3-1
Open 11:30 a.m.-10:00 p.m.
Website

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Ikea is all about creating cozy living spaces, and ditto for Pokémon Pokopia.

In Pokémon Pokopia, the goal shifts from capturing Pocket Monsters to creating a home. Taking on the role of a determined Ditto, the player builds a town and fills its structures with creature comforts through various crafting and construction mechanics.

But while Ditto might be new to this whole interior design thing, Ikea has been at it for a while now, and so as a joint celebration of the release of Pokémon Pokopia and the 20th anniversary of Ikea’s first store opening in Japan, they’re teaming up for a collaboration that’s bringing some Ikea fun to the game world, and also some of the game’s style to the real world.

Within Pokémon Pokopia, Ikea has created an Ikea Island that players can visit. While there, you can check out homes created by Ikea’s designers that boast interiors inspired by Pikachu and Snorlax. Pikachu’s is focused on playful socializing, while Snorlax’s, naturally, is more about cozy, slumber-inviting relaxation.

These rooms have also been recreated at Ikea Japan stores using the chain’s furnishings, so that you can get the feel of really visiting the game’s world. The in-store rooms also have posted codes that grant access to the in-game Ikea Island

Visitors to Ikea stores can also take part in a Pokémon stamp rally activity, collecting stamps to put on an adorably illustrated paper at seven stamp stations hidden within each store (with the exception of the Okayama branch, which isn’t part of the collaboration).

Puzzlingly, Ikea hasn’t mentioned anything about a prize for those who collect all seven stamps, but members of the Ikea Family reward program who make a purchase of 5,000 yen (US$32) or more on their visit will get an Ikea Pokémon sticker sheet.

▼ There are a total of six sheets, with two given out randomly during any single week.

Part of what’s made Ikea a success in Japan is how popular it is as a place to spend the better part of a day, with fans sometimes as excited about eating in the store’s attached cafe as they are shopping for home furnishings. For such-motivated visitors, the collaboration also includes Pokémon-themed decorations for desserts (though in addition to Okayama, Ikea’s Kyoto, Hiroshima, and Yokohama Bay Quarter cafes are sitting this out).

The in-store Pokémon/Ikea collaboration is currently underway, and will be going on until May 10, while Pokémon Pokopia’s Ikea Island will be visitable through June 30.

Source, images: PR Times
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Leaders of world powers strike energy blast pose.

There’s an interesting cultural question that pops up during international meetings in Japan: Should the participants shake hands at the end of their conversation? Japan isn’t ordinarily a hand-shaking society, with bowing instead being the gesture by which respect, gratitude, and similar earnest sentiments are conveyed. However, most Japanese people know that handshaking is common in much of the rest of the world, especially western countries…but then again, so too are many people from other nations aware that bowing is the norm in Japan.

There’s not a clear consensus, and it’s a question that only gets more complicated when both parties are prominent figures who frequently interact with each other’s culture, such as, say, Japanese prime minister Sanae Takaichi and French president Emmanuel Macron. As the pair wrapped up a joint press conference in Tokyo on Wednesday, it appeared that they’d subconsciously settled on a handshake…until Takaichi followed it with a third option.

Yes, that’s Dragon Ball’s kamehameha pose that the two world leaders exchanged. The gesture itself is more or less the same as Street Fighter’s hadouken, but it’s clearly Dragon Ball’s energy blast that Takaichi and Macron are emulating, as Takaichi can be faintly heard saying “kamehameha” through the audience’s applause. Macron himself, as a professed anime/manga fan, is also likely more familiar with the kamehameha than the hadouken.

▼ A clip of Macron at France’s Japan Expo event in 2025, where he met with Kazuhiko Torishima, Dragon Ball’s initial editor

Avec la légende Kazuhiko Torishima qui nous fait l’honneur de sa présence à la Japan Expo. Vive la culture qui nous rapproche ! pic.twitter.com/xi2aH9HWAf

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) July 3, 2025

Following the press conference, Macron posted the kamehameha video to his Twitter account along with “Fusion” written in Japanese.

フュージョン！ pic.twitter.com/8rz95S8Yzl

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) April 1, 2026

Of course, the French president didn’t come all the way to Japan for anime fandom, and the main purpose of his visit is to discuss cooperation between the French and Japanese governments regarding rare earth and energy procurement. Still, the sudden kamehameha shows that their worldwide recognition and popularity grow, anime and manga continue to be prominent goodwill cultural ambassadors for Japan.

Source: Yomiuri Shimbun
Top image: Pakutaso
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