Twentythree

Rub shoulders with government officials at this cheap eatery that feeds the ministry.

We’ve been eating off the beaten path recently, enjoying a taste of staff food at cafeterias that serve employees but are also open to the public.

These hidden gems are usually only known by people who work and eat there, but we’ve been sharing our secret finds with you and now we have another great discovery, over at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in Tokyo.

As the administrative agency that oversees everything food-related in Japan, we had high hopes that this staff cafeteria would be one of our best finds yet, so we sent our reporter Mr Sato over to the ministry in Kasumigaseki to check it out.

Restraining the urge to scream “Give me all your delicious food!” as he walked through the entrance to the building, Mr Sato put on his best manners, quietly telling the security guard “Shokudo ni ikitain desu kedo” (“I’d like to go to the cafeteria“).

The guard told him to head over to the reception desk, where Mr Sato filled out a form with his name and contact information and showed staff his license as a form of photo I.D.

He was then handed a pass (pictured below), which reads: “Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Temporary Pass (Cafeteria)“, with instructions in small print to only use the staff cafeteria and return the pass in the returns box in the foyer when leaving.

The cafeteria, named “Afu Shokudo” is located on the first basement floor of the building, so Mr Sato headed downstairs, where he was greeted by this humble entrance.

▼ Looking at the signboard, Mr Sato could hear his stomach begin to rumble at all the fantastic meal options.

According to the restaurant’s official website, the meals here use domestically sourced ingredients as much as possible, with a focus on produce from Fukushima Prefecture. Two kinds of daily set meals are offered throughout the working week, from Monday to Friday, and the menu includes noodles, rice bowls, curries, and specials that change weekly.

▼ The rice currently used in the meals has been freshly harvested from Fukushima Prefecture.

As always with staff cafeterias, it’s best to visit outside of peak lunchtime hours to avoid long queues of employees, so Mr Sato suggests stopping by either before 12 p.m. or after 1 p.m. Mr Sato visited before midday and didn’t have to wait to be served the Special Afu Set Meal that he selected and paid for at the vending machine.

▼ Once you choose and pay for your meal at the machine, you’ll receive this meal ticket, which you’ll need to hand to staff at the kitchen counter.

Mr Sato’s Special Afu Set Meal was priced at 1,200 yen and limited to only 30 servings per day. When he visited, the set meal was the Fukushima Hayama Plateau Butadon, which comes with butadon (pork rice bowl), along with two small sides of your choice and soup.

Hayama Plateau Pork is a Fukushima brand of pork produced exclusively by designated farms within the prefecture. Raised with carefully selected, purely plant-based feed, which is said to suppress the odour of the meat, this is a premium brand that’s gaining a reputation for being particularly delicious.

When Mr Sato tried the meat, he was impressed by its soft texture, and amazed at the complete absence of any pork odour. Despite being odourless, it had a strong and delicious flavour, and was nicely complemented by the sweet soy-based sauce and mild seasoning.

The entire meal was well-balanced and left Mr Sato feeling recharged in a healthy way. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries certainly has a reputation to uphold as the protectors and promoters of local produce, and Mr Sato could feel that sense of pride and dedication in the carefully designed meals offered at the staff cafeteria.

After finishing his meal, Mr Sato stumbled across a store near the cafeteria, and he couldn’t resist buying a T-Shirt for 2,900 yen as a souvenir of his visit to the ministry.

▼ “No rice no life” was printed on the front of the T-Shirt, and on the back …

▼ …the kanji for “rice”!

It’s a fun and unusual shirt that’ll certainly turn heads on the street, but Mr Sato plans to wear it when he next visits the cafeteria to add an extra dash of fun to his meal. With lunch sets starting at just 650 yen, Mr Sato would eat here every day if he was in the neighbourhood, but for now he’ll have to make do with the school cafeteria for adults in Shinjuku.

Cafeteria Information

Afu Shokudo / あふ食堂
Address: Tokyo-to, Chiyoda-ku, Kasumigaseki 1-2-1, Tokyo Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Main Building B1F
東京都千代田区霞が関1-2-1 農林水産省本館B1F
Hours: 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Closed: Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays
Website (Instagram)

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

Let’s take a moment to digest the year’s top stories about what went in our bellies.

Between Japan’s rich indigenous food culture and its enthusiastic interest in both gourmet cuisine and simple comfort food from abroad, it’s almost hard to have a bad meal here, so here are our top tales of eating, finding, and preparing food in 2022.

Top food stories of 2022

● The hidden meaning of the U.S. Air Force’s “shake and fries” patch in Japan

One of the first things these new arrivals learn to look for in Japan is a “shake and fries,” but not because they’re homesick for American food.

● It looks like Costco, it sounds like Costco, but it’s actually Dodosuco — we visit look-alike store

Would a Costco by any other name be as sweet as the mega warehouse we know and love?

● We visit izakaya in Thailand billed as “Middle Aged Man’s Paradise”, try food that’s illegal in Japan

With a Japanese food you can’t get in Japan anymore, this place is a hit with a certain demographic.

● World’s first Ice Whopper now on the menu at Burger King Japan

Flame-broiled, but topped with ice?!?

● Mandarin orange peels aren’t trash, they’re treasure! Three chimpi tips to reuse your mikan skins

You can’t eat mikan peels, so there’s no need to hang on to them, right? Think again, grannie teaches us.

Top cooking stories of 2022

● Hotel guest who boiled crabs in room’s kettle angry to have to pay for damages

Sure, it’s fun to think about what you’re going to cook and how you’re going to do it. Just don’t forget to also think about where you’re going to cook something, and then ask yourself one more time if it sounds like a good idea.

● So what’s with that thin sheet of white paper on top of Japanese miso?

Finding yourself tempted to throw out that annoying strip of paper every time you need to get a scoop of miso for a recipe? Leave it there, because it’s got a job to do.

● Milk Tea Maker from Japan is a life-changer

Fancy cafe-style drinks at home? We may never leave the house again.

● Japanese woman finds better way to make potato salad, we may not be able to go back to old style

We’re honestly feeling silly for ever doing it any other way.

● Move over grilled cheese — we’ve discovered the tastiest toasted sandwich yet【Recipe】

Sure, you can cook anything with a hot sandwich maker, but we say the first should be this beef croquette sandwich.

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

This is one of the best value-for-money bags you can buy in Japan at New Year! 

With Christmas now over and New Year’s looming up on the horizon, it’s time to start splurging on lucky grab bags known as “fukubukuro“. These bags are a New Year’s tradition in Japan, and though they often contain mystery contents that are worth more than what you pay for, local doughnut chain Mister Donut prefers to spill the beans on what their fukubukuro contain, and with good reason, because their bags are filled with Pokémon goods.

▼ The Mister Donut x Pokémon bags went on sale on 26 December, and they were so hotly anticipated that crowds lined up for them before stores opened.

One of the people in line for a bag was our reporter Tasuku Egawa, who found there were three types to choose from, priced at either 2,400 yen (US$18.11), 3,600 yen, or 5,900 yen.

Egawa went for the most expensive bag, which was the best value for money as it gives you 9,350 yen worth of doughnuts for 5,900 yen, plus a bundle of goods. So let’s take a look and see what Egawa received in his Mister Donut x Pokémon lucky bag, starting with the cute voucher that nets him 50 free doughnuts, priced up to 187 yen each, to be used by 31 May.

▼ That’s 9,350 yen worth of doughnuts right there

Just the voucher alone makes this a fantastic deal, but the free goods included in the bag make things even sweeter.

▼ There’s a bath towel…

▼ …a hand towel…

▼ …a tote bag…

▼ …a clear file…

▼ …a notepad…

▼…a 2023 calendar…

▼ …and, last but not least, a schedule book.

The schedule book is the only random element in these lucky bags, so Egawa was thrilled to see he received the one with Pikachu on the cover — that really was lucky!

▼ The five designs can be seen on the bottom right of this promotional display.

The cheapest bag nets you 20 doughnuts and a tote bag, calendar, memo pad, and hand towel, while the 3,600-yen lucky bag includes all that plus a clear file, schedule book, and an extra 10 doughnuts. The 5,900-yen bag is the only one to include everything plus even more doughnuts and the bath towel, so that was the one most people were purchasing when Egawa visited the store on release day.

Whichever bag you choose, you certainly won’t be disappointed as you get more than your money’s worth with just the doughnut voucher alone. And if you get in before the end of the year, you can use that voucher to purchase a Jigglypuff doughnut while they’re on sale as well!

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

It was a year of great flavours, but which ones were the best?

As we look back on the year that was, one thing that stood out for our reporter K. Masami was…all the Starbucks Frappuccinos. As our resident Starbucks expert, Masami has tried every new Frappuccino release from the coffeehouse chain, so as she reflected upon 2022, she couldn’t help but recall some of the top flavours that graced her lips over the past 12 months.

Out of the many, many limited-edition Starbucks beverages she consumed from January through to December, some instantly came to mind as her favourites. So which ones were they? Let’s take a look at her top five picks below, in no particular order, and the reasons that made them so unforgettable.

1. Melon of Melon Frappuccino

When Masami tried this drink back in June, she described it as “one of the most memorable drinks in recent history”. It’s a statement she still stands by to this day, as the melon-flavoured drink, along with its melon-flavoured whipped cream topping, is a rare flavour you don’t often get at Starbucks. It was the perfect refreshment for summer, and Masami has her fingers croseed that she might get to try it again one day.

2. Fruit Gyu New Frappuccino

Another unique release was this retro drink, which takes its flavour inspiration from mixed juice, a fruit-flavoured milk that’s famous in Osaka. Not only did it look and taste like mixed juice, it also incorporated a punny name, twisting the Japanese word for milk, “gyunyu” to describe the “new” take on the retro drink. The hot version of this beverage, the Fuwa Fuwa Mousse Coffee Gyu New, was equally delicious, and Masami would definitely drink both of these again in a heartbeat if she could.

3. Bananana Banana Frappuccino

Starbucks has made several banana-flavoured Frappuccinos in the past, but according to Masami, these were the best by far. The fresh banana pulp made them a standout hit, and the story behind them, being inspired by chocolate-coated bananas sold at summer festival stalls, has Masami remembering them fondly to this day.

4. Purple Halloween Frappuccino

As a fan of sweet potato, Masami fell head over heels for this beverage, which was packed with sweetness from the root vegetable that’s synonymous with autumn in Japan. While it tasted delicious, the visual impact of the bright purple drink made it one of the most memorable Halloween Frappuccinos of all time.

5. Sakura Cassis Strawberry Shiratama Frappuccino

When it comes to springtime beverages, sakura is often paired with white chocolate or strawberry for the hanami flower-viewing season in Japan. Blending sakura with cassis was a totally left-field idea for Masami, and it turned out to be a fantastic combination, conjuring up images of cherry blossoms at night with its sharp flavour and deep pink hues.

Of course, there are many limited-edition Starbucks Frappuccinos Masami would gladly sip again, but as far as this year’s releases go, the five above make her heart skip a beat just remembering them. What wonderful new releases does Starbucks have lined up for us in 2023? Masami cant wait to find out!

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

Butt-wiping struggles, the difference between Nicole Fujita and Nicole Fujita, and how Totoro can help you make it through the winter.

On a cold winter’s day like today, there’s nothing like grabbing a warm blanket, a comfy spot on the couch, and a whole bunch of snacks so that you can spend the whole day in anime-watching bliss. Actually, a day-long anime binge watch, or manga binge read, sounds pretty appealing in any season, and below are SoraNews24’s most-read anime and manga-related stories from 2022, in both general and Studio Ghibli categories.

Top anime stories of 2022

● “I couldn’t…wipe my own butt” – Hunter x Hunter manga creator discusses medical issues

Hunter x Hunter creator Yoshihiro Togashi has frequently been the butt of joke because of the series’ frequent hiatuses, but it turns out his butt was no laughing matter.

● The 10 best manga to read in 2022, as recommend by Japanese bookstores

Don’t worry – if you still haven’t finished them all, or even started yet, you won’t lose otaku points for reading them in 2023 instead.

● Pokémon Center apologizes for writing model Nicole Fujita’s name as Nicole Fujita

Yes, the difference was so slight that even most Japanese people couldn’t tell the difference, but it’s there if you know where, or how, to look for it.

● One Piece’s Luffy spent years of manga’s publication without saying a word to one of his nakama

The leader of the Straw Hat Pirates isn’t exactly a shy or reticent guy, so it’s weird to see him apparently not have anything to say to a member of his crew for hundreds of chapters.

● One Punch Man manga artist’s amazing “practice” drawing is so good we think he might not be human

At this point we’re thinking it’s time to start joking that Yusuke Murata is a god and just seriously stop believing he’s human.

Top Ghibli stories of 2022

● Perfectly made snow Totoro spotted by anime director in Japan’s frozen north

One of anime’s greatest action directors encounters one of the medium’s ctest characters in an unexpected place.

● Studio Ghibli offering reprints of posters from all its anime films made from original plates

If you came late to the Ghibli fandom party, here’s an awesome way to catch up while making your home look beautiful at the same time.

● Studio Ghibli releases new line of rings designed to be both jewellery and figurines

Are they rings? Are they figures? Either way, we want them all.

● Haku is…Chihiro’s dead brother? Studio Ghibli fans blown away by Spirited Away theory

Even now, so many years after its theatrical release, there’s still so much to ponder and discuss in Hayao Miyazaki’s masterpiece.

● New Studio Ghibli humidifiers breathe anime magic into your home

Can’t bear the cold, dry winter air and the scratchy throats it creates? Don’t worry, Totoro and a few of his pals are here to help.

Top image: Studio Ghibli
Insert images: SoraNews24, Ghibli Museum Online Shop, Studio Ghibli
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

With four useful cosmetics valued at 6,600 yen, you can’t go wrong with this bag!

When it comes to lucky bags, timing is key. Many of them require preorders ahead of time–if not a lottery application–and for those that don’t, you have to get there early enough on the release date to secure one or you’ll miss out. But for some reason, for drug-store brand makeup lucky bags, which run in the 1,000-2,000 yen range (US$7.44 to $14.88), it’s kind of hard to get it right. You could think you’ve got plenty of time to buy them on the release date, but show up too late when they’ll all be gone.

That’s why our Japanese-language reporter Ikuna Kamezawa adds a stop by her local drugstore to her daily routine when December comes around. Sadly, this year a lot of makeup brands decided not to offer lucky bags, but there is one brand that has made theirs super easy to get. Revlon’s lucky bags were available starting at the end of November and have stayed in stock ever since, so Ikuna was satisfied with hers even before opening it.

The bags are priced at 1,980 yen and contain 4 items worth about 6,600 yen. Since last year’s bag cost 2,200 yen and contained items worth 8,470 yen, Ikuna couldn’t help feeling like they’ve scaled it down a bit this year.

Every 2023 Revlon lucky bag contains a ColorStay Looks Book eyeshadow palette, which was the only guaranteed item. In addition to that, the bag includes a random item from each of three categories: A, which included five kinds of blush, concealer, and foundation; C, which included four kinds of eyeshadow palettes, a brow liner, and an eyeshadow stick; and D, which would be either a lip gloss or a lip oil.

It was a familiar system for Ikuna, who buys the Revlon lucky bag every year. Here’s what she got:

・Photoready Candid Water Essence Compact Foundation (foundation)
・ColorStay Looks Book Palette (eyeshadow)
・ColorStay Glaze Stick (eyeshadow)
・Super Lustrous The Gloss (lip gloss)

Last year’s lucky bag contained five items, but one was a face powder and another a primer, which are items that could be hit or miss, depending on if you actually use them or not. This means that there was a risk that you wouldn’t get much value out of the bag.

▼ Last year’s lucky bag

This year’s bag, however, seemed to err on the side of caution with items that were likely to please more people. Ikuna was really happy with hers!

The inclusion of the ColorStay Looks Book Palette alone made it well worth it. The ColorStay Looks Book Palette she received in Revlon’s 2021 lucky bag has been a favorite over the last two years, so Ikuna was really happy to continue to use the same brand, especially since her preferred colors on the old palette were starting to run low.

The PhotoReady Candid Water Essence Compact Foundation boasted to be a foundation with a glossy luster to it.

When Ikuna tried it, she was really surprised by how dewy it made her skin look. It would be probably great to use around this time of year when a lot of people are suffering from dry skin. Plus, it had warmer shades that weren’t too white, so it could be great for use as a highlighter too.

The selling point of the ColorStay Glaze Stick is its metallic color.

Since both the eyeshadow pallete and the eyeshadow stick have reddish hues to them, it was easy to use them together in the same look.

Lastly, Ikuna applied the gloss…

And ta-da! Her look was finished.

Ikuna only applied the new makeup to the left half of her face and left the right side in the same makeup she’d come in with, but the end product wasn’t that different from her everyday makeup. In other words, Revlon had absolutely hit the nail on the head with their lucky bag, at least for Ikuna’s tastes. This adds to Ikuna’s success so far with this year’s lucky bags, even including Thanko’s unpredictable lucky crate. She can’t wait to see what she’ll get next!

As far as we could tell, there are still plenty of Revlon lucky bags in drug stores throughout the city of Shinjuku, so if you’re a makeup fan and looking for a nice, inexpensive lucky bag to buy, you’ll definitely want to check them out!

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