Tokyo Dome Hotel fills rooms with all the My Melody and Kuromi adorableness they can hold. We’ve been checking out some of Tokyo’s coolest themed hotel rooms recently. Just the other day, we paid a visit to the Hotel Gracery in the Shinjuku neighborhood, which gives you an in-room kaiju fight between Godzilla and nemesis King Ghidorah, and back in the summer we checked out the Gundam mecha room at the Tokyo Bay Ariake Washington Hotel. Today, though, we’re taking a break from monster rampages and robot wars with a pair of hotel rooms with much more relaxed, and infinitely cuter, themes: Sanrio characters My Melody and Kuromi. 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of My Melody’s debut, and the 20th of Kuromi’s. As part of the celebration, the Tokyo Dome Hotel has created one themed room for each of them, and you’ll know you’re in the right place when you see the special room marker. Once we were standing there, we weren’t about to waste any time before opening up the door… …and stepping inside to be instantly surrounded by all sorts of adorable pink interior accents. Everywhere we looked we could see My Melody smiling back at us, from the window… …to the walls… …to the closets… …and even the bathroom. My Melody wasn’t the only one welcoming us, either, as she’s joined by her friends My Sweet Piano the sheep, Flat the mouse, and Risu the squirrel. The decorations are sure to make any Sanrio fan squeal with glee, but the most impressive is the artwork on the wall that’s not just decals or wallpapering, but actual wooden carvings of the characters and their fancy fairytale-style carriage. The illustration next to the tub is pretty clever too. The room was obviously designed with big-time My Melody fans in mind, the sort of travelers who aren’t going to suddenly become indifferent to the character when it’s time to go back home. Thankfully, waiting on the chairs in the room are My Melody plushies, which guests can take with them when they check out. Those aren’t the only souvenirs that come with the room either. The terrycloth bath headband that My Melody is wearing? You get one too, as well as a My Melody pouch. Ah, but we said there’s also a Kuromi room, right? So while we were at the hotel, we had to take a peek at it too. The dominant color might have switched from pink to pastel purple, but Kuromi’s room is no less charming, and her sidekick/minion Baku the tapir also makes an appearance. Reservations for the Sanrio rooms must be made through the Tokyo Dome Hotel website here. Prices vary by date, but start at 55,000 yen (US$365) for two people, which also includes breakfast. As for which room is better to stay in, that’s a matter of personal preference, but some serious Sanrio fans have booked two nights in a row at the hotel, staying in the My Melody room one night and the Kuromi one the other, which also means getting twice the plushies and other goodies. Related: Tokyo Dome Hotel Photos ©SoraNews24 Sanrio characters © 2025 SANRIO CO., LTD. APPROVAL NO. L660731 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

A beautiful blend of modern and traditional Japan.  Studio Ghibli loves to showcase Japanese culture in its movies… and its merchandise. Here to prove that fact is a new duo of lacquered trays that look like they belong in a traditional geisha teahouse, but look closely and you’ll find some beloved characters incorporated in the designs. ▼ The first tray features the three Totoros from the 1988 classic, My Neighbour Totoro. All three characters look as surprised as we are at their traditional surroundings and the accompanying blossoms. With the grey “Large Totoro” standing amongst blooms of wisteria and plum, we can see this is a seasonal display, with plum being a harbinger of spring and wisteria being associated with summer. The Medium and Small Totoro are pictured alongside maple leaves and camellia blossoms, motifs strongly associated with autumn and winter. ▼ The second tray in the lineup features No Face, from the 2001 film Spirited Away. This design features motifs from the movie that conjure up images of the magical bathhouse where a lot of the action takes place. Surrounding No Face are the Soot Sprites, carrying their beloved colourful star-shaped komeito candies, just as they do in the film. Both trays measure 27 × 19.8 × 2 centimetres (10.63 × 7.80 × 0.79 inches), making them perfect for serving tea and light snacks, or simply for holding precious items and small accessories. Made from melanin, the trays are light, easy to use and scratch-resistant, so you won’t have to worry about damaging the character designs. The only problem is choosing which one to purchase, but at 3,080 yen (US$20.04) each you could purchase both without breaking the bank. If you do have funds to spare, though, your foray into the world of lacquered Ghibli items is just beginning as Donguri Kyowakoku has a wider range of matching  goods in its merchandise collection. ▼ The new Totoro tray is a beautiful addition to the existing range of Totoro lacquerware. ▼ The new No Face tray adds an extra dash of red to the Spirited Away collection. The new trays can be purchased at Donguri Kyowakoku stores online (Totoro here and No Face here), and the wider range of lacquerware including the recently restocked Totoro bento box, can be found here. Source: Donguri Kyowakoku Top image: Donguri Kyowakoku Insert images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2) ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

There’s even a place to sit while you eat that resembles the Spanish Steps in the famous film scene. Even if you’ve never seen the 1953 classic film Roman Holiday starring Audrey Hepburn, you may be familiar with the scene of Audrey’s character Princess Ann eating gelato on Rome’s Spanish Steps. ▼ The Spanish Steps in Italy, where it’s actually prohibited to eat gelato today While that scene was filmed almost 75 years ago, you can still eat the same gelato that was featured in the movie…all while being half a world apart! Italian cafe and pastry shop Giolitti was founded way back in 1890. It currently operates three locations in Japan, thanks in part to cooperation from the Italian Embassy in Japan. The branch in Tokyo’s trendy Harajuku neighborhood is located inside of the Tokyu Plaza Harakado “Harajuku Corner” shopping complex that opened last year. ▼ Harakado Specifically, you can find it in the food court area on the sixth floor. Here’s a peek at the menu. It has the standard gelato flavors, plus some slightly more expensive premium ones. You can also mix and match different flavors–including regular with premium–and the price will change accordingly. When we visited, we opted for one scoop each of blackberry, coconut, and gianduja (chocolate with hazelnut paste), the premium flavor exclusive to the Harakado location. It came to 1,038 yen (US$6.73). There’s a spacious dining area on the same floor, but there’s an even more fitting place for eating Giolitti’s gelato. Standing with your back to the store, find the door on the far right and go outside into the terrace area. Almost magically, you’ll see the Harajuku version of Rome’s Spanish Steps right before your eyes! This spot was perfect for replicating the feeling of Princess Ann eating gelato on the Steps. Despite being October, it was a hot day and the gelato was melting very quickly. It tasted absolutely delicious, though. In particular, the premium gianduja flavor was super rich. It was almost as if high-grade chocolate had been directly transformed into gelato. The other flavors also had a delightful depth without a heavy aftertaste. We never thought that we’d recreate a gelato-eating scene from a beloved movie with the same exact gelato over half a century later. Then again, perhaps it’s more believable than some of the other things that we’ve tried to recreate recently. Store information Giolitti Tokyu Plaza Harajuku Harakado / ジョリッティ 東急プラザ原宿ハラカド Address: Tokyo-to, Shibuya-ku, Jingu-mae 6-31-21, 6th floor 東京都渋谷区神宮前 6-31-21 6F Open: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. (last order at 10 p.m.) Website All images © SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Tomica dreams of sushi now too. Since 1970, Japanese toymaker Takara Tomy’s Tomica line of diecast cars has been bringing compact but detailed replicas of the world’s coolest cars into fans’ homes. But recently, Tomica’s designers have started dreaming of things beyond the real-life automotive world with their Dream Tomica project. We’ve seen those dreams materialize in the form of Tomica cars inspired by the films of Studio Ghibli and the Dragon Ball franchise, and now comes something else just as representative of Japan as those beloved anime with the reveal of Sushi Tomica. Six cars are in the lineup, each an automotive reimagining of a piece of nigiri-style sushi. The car’s body is imagined as a block of pressed rice, but still has ricey representations of head and taillights, plus a rear license plate panel, if you look closely. Each sushi car has a different “neta,” as sushi toppings are called in Japanese. There’s sushi mainstay maguro (tuna)… …its upscale variant otoro (extra-fatty tuna)… …tamago (egg) and ebi (shrimp), friends to sushi neophytes… …and ika (squid) and anago (conger eel), for those with more adventurous palates. Adding to the sense of immersion, the Sushi Tomica cars are sized the same as an actual sushi piece… …and the display stands they’re bundled with are inspired by the plates used at sushi restaurants too. The lineup goes on sale in late December, priced at 1,100 yen (US$7.35) each. However, in an omakase-order parallel, you don’t get to directly choose what kind of sushi you want, as individual purchases will be done in a blind buy/gacha format. Completionists, though, can opt for a complete box set that guarantees one of each Sushi Tomica car for 6,600 yen, and which can be preordered through the Takara Tomy Mall online store here. Source: Takara Tomy via Japaaan Top image: Takara Tomy Insert images: Takara Tomy (1, 2) ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Plus, we share more lore on the Kita Kanto Brothers’ origin story. Our Japanese-language reporters Masanuki Sunakoma and Takamichi Furusawa both live in the northern part of the Kanto region of Japan. While not related by blood, they’ve decided to use this commonality to dub themselves the Kita Kanto Brothers (kita means “north”) to showcase the many charms of the off-the-beaten-path areas of the region while using their singular warping powers that bend time and space. As you may recall in the last installment, the Brothers meant to visit Ashikaga, Tochigi Prefecture but ended up in Ota, Gunma Prefecture, by a fluke instead. However, when they were finally ready to move on to their intended destination, Masanuki was the only one who warped correctly to the front of Ashikaga Station. We left him in a bit of a bind, not knowing where his brother had been stranded in the vacuum of space and time…or if he were even still alive. ▼ [Cue dramatic music] “TAAAKAAAMIIICHIII!!!” This scenario had never yet occurred in the Kita Kanto Brothers’ warping journeys, so Masanuki was beside himself with worry. Clutching Takamichi’s treasured Kita Kanto notebook, he began to do the only sane thing he could think of in such a situation–to run around like crazy while screeching for his lost companion. His desperate running took him to the edge of the Watarase River, where dormant memories began to be revived in the glow of the setting sun. He stopped next to the Watarase Bridge Monument, dedicated to Japanese singer-songwriter Chisato Moritaka’s 1993 song of the same name. ▼ The monument even has a speaker that starts playing the song when you press a button. FLASHBCK to many years ago… ▼ “You loved watching the sunset from Watarase Bridge. ‘You grew up in such a beautiful place. I want to live here,’ you said.” Takamichi: “The song ‘Watarase Bridge’ is really nice, isn’t it?” Masanuki: “I know what you mean.” Takamichi: “The sunset in Ashikaga is also amazing.” Masanuki: “I know what you mean.” Takamichi: “I’ve been wanting to give back to the Kita Kanto area where I was born and raised someday.” Masanuki: “I know what you mean.” It was approximately two seconds after that exchange that the notion for the Kita Kanto Brothers was born. They sat there on the river bank, tears streaming down their faces, while singing “Watarase Bridge.” Yet, back in the present, Fate was playing cruel tricks by stranding Takamichi somewhere while he was finally achieving his dream. Masanuki was trying to think logically at this point. Perhaps it was that Takamichi, who lives in Gunma, had been unable to cross the invisible “Gunma Wall” in his jump from Ota to Ashikaga. Either way, Masanuki felt like he was now responsible for carrying the destiny of the Kita Kanto Brothers moving forward. He would never let Takamichi’s sacrifice go unforgotten. MEANWHILE, in another part of town… ▼ Warp …he lives!! ▼ Takamichi: “Huh? Where is this place?!” ▼ Glancing around ▼ “Wait a minute…” ▼ “This is Kameyama OB-GYN in Ashikaga–where I was born!” It turns out that this clinic was the anchor that had saved him from being sucked in to the Gunma Wall for all of eternity. It was almost poetic in how much it all felt like being reborn again. Clearly, Fate still had some kind of purpose for him. With this newfound determination, Takamichi turned on his heel and started sprinting towards Bannaji Temple, located within the National Historic Site of the Ashikaga Clan Residence. It’s nicknamed Dainichisama after the Dainichi Nyorai Buddha that it enshrines. It was almost as if the main temple gate was pulling him inside the grounds. At the same time, Masanuki also found himself being pulled by some mysterious force towards the east gate of Bannaji Temple. He couldn’t explain it, but a sixth sense told him that he might be able to see Takamichi again if he went there. As the setting sun cast long shadows on the cobblestones, Masanuki stepped foot into the silent temple grounds. He spotted a shadowy figure drawing closer from the main gate area, almost as if it were emerging from beyond another dimension. Compelled by the mysterious force, he called out. Masanuki: “Excuse me! Haven’t we…have I…met you somewhere?” Shadowy figure: “I thought so, too!” The world stilled for a moment as both of their voices overlapped, transcending time and space. Both: “Could I ask you…your name?” This cosmic moment that somehow felt familiar in a strange, anime-like way was punctuated in both of their minds by a cut scene set to the song “Sparkle” by Radwimps, one of the featured songs of the 2016 film Your Name. ▼ “It seems like this world still wants to tame me…I’ll do as it wishes and will struggle beautifully…” They also made a pact to wish to be reborn in their next lives as cool Tokyo guys. However, for now, they’re still…Kita Kanto Brothers!! With the miraculous reunion now complete, it was time for the Brothers to get back to their reason for existing: to showcase sightseeing-worthy spots in Kita Kanto. Posing in front of this statue of Ashikaga Takauji, the founder and first shogun of the Ashikaga/Muromachi Shogunate, seemed like a brilliant way to kick off their mission. Unfortunately, the nearby reconstruction of Ashikaga Gakko, the oldest school in Japan, had already closed for the day. While the school’s origins are a bit murky, the Jesuit missionary to Japan Francis Xavier (1506-1552) had once called it “the greatest and most famous university in Japan.” With their historical tour now complete, it was time to dine like the locals at a favorite spot: yakitori specialty restaurant Torikatsu. The atmosphere felt so nostalgic when the Brothers stepped inside that they almost wanted to call out “We’re home.” They decided to kick things off with an appetizer of oden, which seemed like it would be an especially comforting dish for visitors who had traveled through time and space. ▼ Cheers to the reunited siblings! All of the skewers they ordered were also delicious. From the umami-packed first bite to crispy chicken gristle, everything paired well with a glass of refreshing draft beer. Neither of the Brothers had any complaints. One standout dish was the deep-fried squid rings on top of onion salad. The crispy batter and crunchy vegetables were a match made in heaven. They left the restaurant satisfied and went to seek out a post-dinner digestive. They soon found an unusual outdoor coffee stand that seemed to beckon them over. Named Cafe Aragin, it had opened in 1971 and gave off wonderful retro vibes in the night atmosphere. The menu was exceedingly simple, with only one option: hot coffee for 500 yen (US$3.25). Their drinks were carefully prepared using a cloth filter. The coffee itself had a depth of flavor with a clean aftertaste. Sipping their cups silently, they took a moment to simply exist in the gentle breeze and the glow of lanterns. It was the perfect closing note for the evening. And so, the Kita Kanto Brothers’ time in Ashikaga came to a happy conclusion. Thanks to Takamichi’s harrowing ordeal, however, this trip had felt like it had taken longer than usual. They prepared to warp, crossing their fingers and toes that this jump would go smoothly for both of them. Will the jump go as planned, or will the Kita Kanto Brothers face an even greater danger next time? We can’t spill the beans quite yet, but in the meantime, perhaps you’d like to read more about the special shumai sold on the grounds of Bannaji Temple. All images © SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Hundreds of people must walk right past this “vending machine” every day without ever suspecting what it really is. Japan is often called the vending machine capital of the world, and so the drink dispensers tend to blend into the urban landscape of Japan’s capital, Tokyo. And yet, this one caught our eye while we were out and about in the Ameya Yokocho, a.k.a. Ameyoko, section of Tokyo’s Ueno neighborhood. At first glance, it looks like a million other Coca-Cola vending machines you might come across in Japan. Step up for a closer look, though, and you’ll start to notice some unusual elements, and not just that the machine’s casing is covered in stickers. For starters, the products might look like legitimate drinks brands, but none of them are. Think those are bottles of Coca-Cola? Nope. The labels actually say “Ueno Yariki.” Other bizzarre beverages in the show case include Hagetake (“Baldness”) tea instead of Coca-Cola Japan’s Ayataka, and instead of Emerald Mountain canned coffee, there’s Kyonyuu (“Giant Boobs”) Mountain. Being the intrepid/self-sacrificing food and beverage journalists we are, you might have expected us to buy some of these suspicious drinks for taste-testing. However, when we looked for the coin slot… …what we found instead was a handle, and when we pulled on it, instead of anything to drink… …we found a stairway. It took a second for our brains to register and accept what had just happened, and even once they did, we were still plenty confused. Where did this stairway go? Not knowing what was waiting for us at the top, we climbed the steps and came to this translucent curtain. Had we stumbled upon the secret hideout of a criminal enterprise? The headquarters of a cult? The truth, it turned out, was much less sinister and much more delicious, because we’d just passed through the hidden entrance to an American-style diner. Called The God Diner, this retro-style eatery is actually fairly new, having opened just barely one year ago. It’s actually a sister restaurant to local motsuyaki (grilled organ meat) chain Yariki, which is why that name shows up on a number of the fake drink brands in the restaurant’s disguised-as-a-vending machine door. If motsuyaki isn’t your thing, don’t worry, as The God Diner has a totally separate menu from Yariki. The focus here is on premium hamburgers, and they all looked so tasty that we had more than a little trouble picking just one. Eventually, though, we narrowed our choice down to the Chili Cheeseburger for 1,870 yen (US$12.50). This is actually pretty expensive even for a non-fast food burger in Japan, and would have cost us even more if we’d come in the evening, since The God Diner charges an addition service fee of 200 yen per person after 3 p.m. But hey, they say you get what you pay for, and in this case paying that price got us something very nice. The Chili Cheeseburger was absolutely packed. The large bun was overflowing with cheese-drizzled chili meat, and the hamburger patty itself was luxuriously thick too. As is the norm at burger cafes in Japan, The God Diner provides customers with paper wrappers to put their burgers in and make them easier to eat without making a mess. However, their Chili Cheeseburger is so packed that we decided to start off using a knife and fork instead. The quality was outstanding. Despite the presence of sliced jalapenos, the focus here is more on “spices” than “spiciness,” so instead of pummeling your mouth with heat, the piquancy is kept to a manageable level to keep your taste buds receptive as the flavors of the chili seasoning dance over them. As for why The God Diner chose to disguise its door as a vending machine, we can’t say. It definitely speaks to an understandable “Eating out should be a fun experience!” philosophy, but we can’t help wondering how many people have walked right past the “vending machine” without realizing there’s incredibly tasty food on the other side of it, even if, once you know what to look for, you can see the restaurant’s name written above and on the machine/door. But we’re just happy that now we know this place exists. Restaurant information The God Diner Address: Tokyo-tom Taito-ku, Ueno 6-10-22, 2nd floor 東京都台東区上野6-10-22 2F Open noon-3 p.m., 5-9:30 p.m. (weekdays), noon-9:30 p.m. (Saturdays, Sundays) Photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Taste-testing the Joyful Medley Tea Frappuccino and its companion latte. With last Friday being October 31, the time came to say goodbye to Starbucks Japan’s Halloween black cat Frappuccino. But the coffeehouse chain wasted no time bringing out a new seasonal dessert drink, as the Strawberry and Joyful Medley Tea Frappuccino went on sale the very next day, November 1. Joyful Medley is Starbucks’ special winter tea, a mixture of black, oolong, and jasmine teas flavored with apricot and, in this year’s version, mirabelle plum. Though we’re still in late autumn, the Christmas mood starts getting stirred up early in Japan, and so this is technically the kickoff for Starbucks Japan’s holiday season Frappuccinos, with the new drink’s red-and-white color scheme evoking thoughts of Christmas decorations. The blended ice base is a mixture of Joyful Medley and milk, and sitting at the bottom of the cup are large strawberry slices. Up top you get a swirl of whipped cream dusted with freeze-dried strawberries, and for an extra 55 yen (US$0.35) on top of the 700-yen base price you also get a cute holiday-themed cookie, either a ribbon, snowman, teddy bear, or doll. Obviously we splurged for the cookie, and the randomly granted design we got was the ribbon, making this drink feel even more like a present we were buying for ourselves. Taste-testing duties fell to our resident Frappuccino expert K. Masami, who quickly learned that all that fruit at the base of the glass provides a foundation of sweet and tart juicy flavor. The flavors of the Joyful Medley are all still given room to shine too, from the sophisticated mix of the three varieties of tea to their two fruit enhancements. Masami wondered if mixing everything together with a spoon might upset the flavor balance, but it did nothing of the sort. Whether sipped as-is or after stirring, all of the components really do come together in a “joyful medley” in which they all work wonderfully with one another, leading to a clean finish of tea notes. When Starbucks releases a new Frappuccino, they often bring out a new latte with similar flavors. That’s happened once again here, as on the same day as the Strawberry and Joyful Medley Tea Frappuccino went on sale they also began offering the Strawberry Mousse and Joyful Medley Tea Latte. This 580-yen latte can be ordered either hot or cold, and with a chill in the air finally appearing in Japan, Masami opted for a hot. Like with the Frappuccino, the drink’s base is a mix of Joyful Medley tea and milk, but the latte allows you to make milk substitutions if you’d like, so Masami asked for hers with soy milk (which is a free substitution). The extra-special ingredient here is the strawberry mousse topping, which is enhanced with a sprinkling of freeze-dried strawberries. The balance is tipped a little more towards sweetness here, but that’s not a complaint, as the gentle tart sensation comes across as an especially cozy and comforting accent, especially when it’s part of a warm, creamy package. Masami thinks the new Frappuccino and Latte are tasty enough to be deserving of permanent-menu status, but also realizes that, given their connection to the seasonal Joyful Medley Tea, that’s not going to happen. But while Christmas comes but once a year, thankfully she’ll have time to go back for seconds on these before their limited-but-unspecified availability ends. Photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Six balls and they’re out. There’s certainly been a lot going on to keep Japanese baseball fans on their toes, with the Nippon Professional Baseball’s Japan Series going on and the likes of Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki appearing in the MLB’s World Series. So, there’s perhaps no better time to bring the takoyaki served at Dodger Stadium by Japanese chain Gindaco back to Japan. They’ve been here before, but only for painfully limited times, making it really hard to get one’s hands on them. First, they were sold at Gindaco locations in Japan, and then at 7-Eleven stores in a microwaveable version. But even the pre-cooked ones sold out fast, leaving our reporter Takashi Harada without his official Dodger’s octopus balls. But with baseball fever in full effect, it looks like they’re making another fleeting appearance at 7-Elevens, where you can pounce on a pack for 646 yen (US$4.20) and finally try them out. They’re called “Umami Takoyaki” because they have the rich umami taste of various kinds of seafood, which sets them apart from other takoyaki. Despite these battered balls’ core ingredient being octopus, they tend not to have much of a seafood flavor to them, so Takashi was intrigued. He opened the package and found a tray of the takoyaki balls, some sauce, seasoned squid tempura flakes, and green onions. All he had to do was heat the balls up in a microwave and then throw all the toppings on. It only took about five minutes in total. During the initial microwaving, Takashi thought he smelled something burning, but after he put on all the toppings, it had a pleasant seafood scent. Taking his first bite, he experienced the same taste of seafood waft in his mouth, but at the same time, he was taken aback by the texture. Gindaco takoyaki tends to have contrasting textures, with a gooey center and an outer surface that’s gently crisped, but these were very soft all over. He could barely even pick one up with a toothpick, which they are usually eaten with. The medley of seafood flavors, like squid, flying fish, and bonito, really brought the flavor to another level and showed Takashi that seafood and takoyaki really do go well together. There was also a touch of chili pepper that was a nice accent and made our writer’s tongue tingle just a bit. The flavors seemed to gently sway like the tides of the ocean, and he felt it would go really well with beer, which makes sense for ballpark food. The balls were also nicely-sized, with plentiful green onion and generous cuts of octopus inside. The pack of six turned out to be very satisfying overall. Takashi would put it among the best packs of pre-cooked takoyaki he ever had, and felt that this take on takoyaki could easily be a big hit in Japan as well as Dodger Stadium. If you want to try some too, you’d better act fast, because they tend not to stay in stores for too long. Photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Director, writer, and visual effects director of Academy Award-winning Godzilla Minus One returns for next step in Toho kaiju franchise. The Godzilla movie franchise seems to have figured out an effective split between its two branches. On the one hand, the Hollywood-produced entries from Legendary Entertainment are unabashed bombastic action spectacles which have now fused with the King Kong series. Meanwhile, Toho’s Japanese-made Godzilla movies depict Godzilla as a terrifying force of destruction that presents humanity with painful decisions to make in order to survive. Both have their not-necessarily mutually exclusive fans, but many cinephiles will argue that the Japanese entries are the more emotionally resonant, and also closer in spirit to the original 1954 Godzilla film that started the series. So for those who like their kaiju stories to be not only heart-pounding but thought-provoking too, there’s good news as the newest Japanese Godzilla movie has just been announced, and it looks to be a continuation of its critically acclaimed predecessor. The teaser video doesn’t provide many details, but what it does give us is plenty to be excited about. Takashi Yamazaki, director, screenwriter, and visual effects director for 2023’s Godzilla Minus One, will be returning to those roles for the new movie. Then there’s the title, which the teaser video reveals by first showing the Godzilla Minus One logo… …and then, accompanied by the sounds of some thundering kaiju footsteps, updates it to… …Godzilla Minus Zero. Between the next-step title and identical font, it seems clear that Godzilla Minus Zero is being positioned as a sequel to Godzilla Minus One. This is a big deal, since despite there being dozens of films in the franchise, it’s been a long time since there was a direct sequel for a live-action Japanese-made Godzilla movie. 2016’s Shin Godzilla was a stand-alone reboot, so for the last link of narrative continuity in the Japanese live-action movies you have to go all the way back to Godzilla: Final Wars in 2004, a follow-up to Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. from the year prior. Godzilla Minus Zero will also be the first time for the same director to helm back-to-back live-action Japanese Godzilla movies since Takao Okawara directed Godzilla vs. Destoroyah and Godzilla 2000: Millennium in 1995 and 1999. The title of Godzilla Minus One was meant as a reference to its setting, with the story taking place soon after the end of World War II and Japan, already feeling like it had been reduced to nothing/zero, now had to face the devastation of attacks from Godzilla. Godzilla Minus Zero is a title that makes it clear that things still aren’t going to be in the plus category, so it’s probably going to have a similarly gritty tone. No release date is mentioned in the trailer, but the gap between Godzilla Minus One’s announcement and theatrical release was short (only about three months). Toho and Legendary have also, so far, avoided releasing Godzilla films in the same year as each other, and with Legendary’s upcoming Godzilla Minus One slated for 2027, a 2026 release for Godzilla Minus Zero seems like the most likely bet, and would also coincide with the King of the Monster’s takeover of Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. Source: YouTube/東宝MOVIEチャンネル、Godzilla Channel ゴジラ（東宝特撮）チャンネル, Godzilla Minus Zero official website Top image: Godzilla Minus Zero official website Insert images: YouTube/東宝MOVIEチャンネル、Godzilla Channel ゴジラ（東宝特撮）チャンネル ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Starbucks gets a jump on Japan’s fukubukuro New Year’s tradition. With Halloween over, many companies in Japan are now getting ready to kick off their Christmas promotions. Always-prepared Starbucks Japan, though, is thinking even one step farther ahead, as they’re already in the lucky bag mood. Lucky bags, or fukubukuro, as they’re called in Japanese, are a New Year’s tradition in Japan, in which stores and brands sell mystery grab bags of their popular items at discounted prices on the first few days of the new year in January. But because Starbucks Japan’s lucky bags are in such high demand, they’re offered as pre-orders, which are set to open at 10 a.m. on November 4. As is the norm, Starbucks isn’t revealing everything that’ll be in the bag, but they are already showing off the bag itself. While most fukubukuro are just simple disposable paper bags, the 2026 Starbucks Japan lucky bag is a stylish cloth tote bag that deftly straddles the line between casual coziness and relaxed stylishness, essentially the same atmosphere Starbucks creates for its coffeehouses. Inside the bag is a lucky bag limited-edition stainless steel drink bottle and a 250-gram (8.8-ounce) pack of Pike Place Roast ground coffee. You also get an assortment of gift certificates to be used in Starbucks branches, one for a pack of Starbucks coffee beans up to 2,000 yen (US$13.30) in value, seven drink gift certificates, and six “food trial” certificates, presumably for sample-sized food items. Each lucky bag also contains three other pieces of Starbucks merch, randomly selected from lucky bag-limited and previously sold items, but the exact mix seems to vary from bag to bag, as Starbucks says that 1,000 lucky bags will include its new gray rhinestone stainless steel tumbler. As for the design of the drink bottle, that’s still under wraps, though judging from Starbucks’ impressive track record in producing snazzy drinkware, it’s hard to imagine it being anything less than charming-looking. The 2026 Starbucks lucky bag is priced at 8,800 yen, and not only do you not need to go to a physical Starbucks location to buy the lucky bag, you won’t need to pick it up in-person either, as home delivery in the first week of January is included in the price. Rather than a first-virtually-come first-served basis, the bundle is being offered through a lottery system, with purchase privileges being awarded randomly to applicants who put in their entry between November 4 and 14, with full entry details available here. Source, images: Starbucks Japan ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!