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Heinz Japan finds its perfect pitchman: Pokémon’s Pikachu!

There’s no question that this is a case where the celebrity endorser really is a fan of the product.There’s often quite a bit of suspension of disbelief that goes into celebrity endorsements. It’s hard to imagine, for example, Tommy Lee Jones whipping out a SoftBank cell phone when he needs to call his agent, or Leonardo DiCaprio hopping into a for-poor-people Suzuki to drive to his next A-lister party in Beverly Hills, but the Hollywood stars have indeed appeared in ads for those products in Ja

Häagen-Dazs Japan releases new ASMR ice cream called “Rocky Crunchy!”

Meet the new stars of your next viral ASMR video.In Japan, Häagen-Dazs is constantly looking for ways to thrill ice cream lovers, and now the brand has outdone itself with a new series of ice creams designed to deliver the pleasure of ASMR.Those who experience ASMR, or autonomous sensory meridian response to use its full name, describe it as a pleasant tingling sensation triggered by stimuli such as certain sounds, and that’s what Häagen-Dazs is hoping to achieve with this new range. Dubbe

Real-life Professor Oak? Pokémon Company recruiting PhD holders in science and agriculture

Doctorate degree, bilingual communication skills, and research regarding plants and animals are only requirement for mysterious position with Pokémon Company.Professor Oak has a pretty good job, doesn’t he? As the Kanto Region’s leading Pokémon scholar, he spends his days using his intellect to deepen mankind’s understanding of, and affinity for, all sorts of Pocket Monster species.Of course, Oak isn’t the only great mind in his field, as other regions have their own Pokémon Professors, and that

15 years after Tohoku tsunami, Japan’s free disaster phone message number is important to remember

Free-to-use system helps disaster victims connect with loved ones in times of crisis, and is worth remembering for anyone traveling or living in Japan.This week marks 15 years since the March 11, 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami that devastated coastal communities in northeastern Japan’s Fukushima, Miyagi, and Iwate Prefectures. Even a decade and a half later, the suddenness with which the tragedy occurred serves as a solemn reminder of the necessity of disaster preparedness, and while many pe

Yu-Gi-Oh rights holders address use of anime clip in White House post on attack on Iran

Yugi’s English dub voice actor also speaks out regarding meme-style video.On February 28, the United States and Israel launched a series of airstrikes on Iran, with targets including the compound of Iranian leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed. Iran then responded with missile attacks of its own on a number of countries within the Middle East, creating chaos in a part of the world not exactly known for stability in the first place.With many American citizens calling for their government to explai

Cowboy Bebop creator’s Samurai Champloo anime to become live-action series from Hollywood studio

Studio that made Netflix’s live-action Cowboy Bebop convinces Shinichiro Watanabe to work with them again.In 2021, Netflix released a Western-made live-action adaptation of landmark anime series Cowboy Bebop. It did not go well. Preexisting fans found little of the charm, depth, and stylishness that had attracted them to the franchise in the first place, and new audiences were left unimpressed.Less than a month after its release, Netflix announced that there would be no second season. That doesn

Is Daiso’s microwave Japanese rolled omelet maker worth your time and money? [Taste test]

Dashimaki tamago in three minutes sounds awesome, but if it tastes bad, it won’t be worth even 100 yen.Despite being a delicious part of Japanese cuisine, dashimaki tamago is a dish that you might not have many opportunities to eat. A type of rolled omelet, dashimaki tamago isn’t something you’ll find all that often on restaurant menus, as it’s more commonly purchased at specialty shops in Japanese department stores or made in the home.This creates a problem if you don’t have a Japanese departme

Starbucks Japan opens new cafe and art gallery in top Tokyo tourist neighbourhood

Blending coffee culture with art in a historic district of Tokyo. If you’re searching for a Tokyo neighbourhood that retains a sense of old-world Japanese charm, then Yanaka in Taito Ward near Nippori Station has exactly what you’re looking for. Having survived the 1923 earthquake and the bombings of WWII, the area boasts numerous temples and shrines, as well as an old-town shopping district called Yanaka Ginza, where you’ll find narrow backstreets and old stores that make it a

Studio Ghibli releases Catbus pullback keychain that runs like the anime character

This replica is tiny but its action is mighty.We’re always in the market for a good keychain, but add in a fun interactive element and we’re totally sold. So when Studio Ghibli unveiled a new line of “Pullback Keychains“, which puts some of its most famous characters and vehicles on tiny pullback wheels to give them automated forward motion, we immediately became fans of the series. Now, though, they’ve added a new character to the lineup which has us reaching into

Exclusive Super Mario Yoshi figure to be given away at Dodgers Stadium [Video]

Yoshi meets Yoshi for a special Nintendo bobblehead.There’s excitement in the air for Nintendo fans, as we’re now less than one month away from the opening of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. With 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie turning out to be a smash hit that exorcised the specter of Nintendo’s original 1993 live-action cinematic adaptation of its flagship video game franchise, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is looking to ambitiously expand its storytelling scope, with Mario’s beloved dinosaur

Asia-Pacific community highlighted at meeting

Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on Tuesday for closer regional cooperation amid rising unilateralism, growing protectionism and worsening economic fragmentation in the world, in order to build a prosperous, stable, open and interconnected Asia-Pacific community.

Japan has a cute Pokémon menu you probably don’t know about yet

Under-the-radar Japanese cafe chain serves a delicious salute to Ditto in celebration of Pokémon Pokopia.When overseas tourists want a relaxed cafe experience in Japan, they tend to flock to familiar chains like Starbucks, but for locals, there’s an iconic Japanese-born chain that some might say is even better.The name of that chain is Komeda Coffee, and not only does it serve up great coffee in comfortable surroundings, it also has sizeable meals and impressive desserts, and now, for a li

Pizza Hut Japan teams up with creator of one of the country’s best kinds of ramen for ramen pizza

Yokohama ramen continues to bring differently delicious tastes together with ie-kei pizza.Pizza and ramen have a lot of things in common. For both of them, the first image that springs to mind is of a simple but tasty comfort food, but they have enough history and room for variation that creative chefs have created their own unique versions of the dishes that cater to specific fans’ palates with pinpoint precision.Of course, in terms of ingredients, ramen and pizza are completely different&#8230

Pikachu and Eevee become handmade Lladró porcelain sculptures to celebrate Pokémon’s 30th birthday

Pokémon franchise celebrates its 30th anniversary with a partnership with the Spanish luxury ceramics craftsmen.When looking for a Pokémon to grace your home, the usual choice is between a cuddly plushie or a stylish plastic figure. With the franchise celebrating its 30th anniversary right now, though, there’s another option: a beautiful porcelain figurine.While the Pokémon franchise’s multimedia mix is diverse enough to include video games, collectible cards, anime, fashion, and food, high-end

Nine great places to see spring flowers in Japan, as chosen by travelers (with almost no sakura)

Nanohana, fuji, and more reasons to get out and see Japan’s springtime flowers.All of the seasons are celebrated in Japanese culture, but there’s a special mix of liberation and fun that comes with the arrival of spring. As the snow thaws and flowers start to bloom, many people are in the mood for their first extended outdoor excursions in weeks, if not months, and ready with suggestions is Japanese travel portal Jalan.Jalan conducted a survey, collecting 1,054 responses from its users between t

Is this Tokyo government office still one of the best places in the city for a curry rice lunch?

Shinjuku Ward Office has a restaurant that’s open to anyone, but have they kept up their quality and value since our last visit?With Tokyo being as big as it is, it isn’t really practical to have all of its 14 million-plus residents use the same single city hall. Because of that, each ward of the city has its own ward office where you can take care of official paperwork and procedures, such as updating ID cards, registering marriages, and make health insurance payments.Oh, and in the case of the

Tokyo bus line praised for handling of driver’s mental health

Driver driven to not drive by customer complaint.Late last month, someone posted online about an incident that occurred on a Toei Bus line departing from Tokyo Big Sight. At the time the driver of the bus closed the doors just as a passenger was approaching. The passenger got angry and shouted at the driver, “You saw me there! Why did you close the doors?”At that point, the driver contacted Toei Bus, told them he wasn’t in the right mental state to drive, and requested for his bus to be suspende

Is Japan’s Crab-shaped Cup Ramen Timer worth the hype?

This crustacean does more than just keep time on your three-minute instant noodles.Back in October, ramen lovers in Japan began scrambling for a hot new noodle accessory called the Crab-shaped Cup Ramen Timer. As the name suggests, this little crustacean keeps time so you can know when your three-minute noodles are ready, and it does it in such a cute way that it instantly became a sell-out hit.So when we were at a branch of drugstore chain Welcia the other day, we did a double take when we saw

Starbucks Japan offers special sakura picnics at Reserve Roastery Tokyo beside Meguro River

Enjoy a special experience at one of the best cherry blossom viewing spots in Tokyo.If you’re looking for a place where you can sip on Starbucks while admiring the cherry blossoms in Japan, the Reserve Roastery Tokyo is an ideal destination. Set beside the Meguro River, one of Tokyo’s most popular hanami flower-viewing sites, this multi-storey building has expansive views from which to view the rows of cherry blossom trees that line the waterway, and this year it’ll be holding

Spring pollen may be damaging your skin, so what’s Japan’s best moisturizing anti-hay fever spray?

Tell the plants “No, thank you!” to stinging skin with these five popular sprays. The shift into spring brings warmer weather, beautiful flowers, and the unwelcome addition of insanely high levels of pollen. I know of many people who have claimed to have not suffered from any sort of hay fever back in their own countries, but after spending any length of time in Japan, they join the rest of us with itchy eyes and running noses.▼ No one is safe from the pollen-ocalypse.Even if you’re