Travelers give their picks for the best places to take a trip to see seasonal leaves and feel yesteryear vibes. We’re right on the cusp of peak fall color season in Japan. The leaves have already started turning to vivid hues of crimson and gold in northeastern Japan, and are now working their seasonal shade-changes down towards the rest of the country as well. Compared to the lively parties of cherry blossom season, the fall leaves tend to elicit a more tranquil, relaxed response. As such, they’re a great match for places with an old-school, laidback atmosphere, and Japanese travel portal Jalan has released the results of a recent user poll ranking the 10 best retro-atmosphere fall color viewing spots in Japan, so let’s run through the top 10. 10. Watarase Keikoku Line (Gunma and Tochigi Prefectures) Website Keikoku is the Japanese word for “gorge,” and this train line lives up to its name, running through a range of steep mountains on the border of Gunma and Tochigi Prefectures. The line connects the towns of Kiryu and Nikko, and the most photogenic section of all is said to be between Sori and Haramuko Stations. During the fall color season, a train called the Torokko Wasshi, pictured above, has special runs with its side windows open, so that passengers can see and snap photos of the trees without any glass glare getting in the way. 9. Kurobe Gorge Line (Toyama Prefecture) Website Another mountain train line, this one runs through Kurobe Gorge, one of the deepest in Japan. The Kurobe Keikoku Line also has special trains that run when the leaves are changing colors, with bench-style seating to offer better views of sights such as the bridges and lakes you’ll pass along the route, which is contained entirely within the expansive city of Kurobe. 8. Tadami Line (Fukushima Prefecture) Website The Oku Aizu region of Fukushima Prefecture is known for both its fall colors and its autumn fog. When the two mix together, it makes for a timeless atmosphere that visitors can savor while traveling along this train line that runs from Aizuwakamatsu to Uonuma and passes over the mirror-like waters of the Tadami River. 7. Meijimura (Aichi Prefecture) Website Coming down from the mountains, the next spot on the list is Meijimura, an open-air museum of preserved historical buildings from Japan’s Meiji era (1868-1912) that have been relocated to the town of Inuyama. In addition to its 67 structures, the museum’s grounds also has maple and dogwood trees that provide a beautiful scarlet backdrop to the architecture in the fall. 6. Shibu Onsen (Nagano Prefecture) Website One clear advantage that fall color season has over sakura season is that the former makes a better combination with a visit to a hot spring town. With Nagano’s mountainous geography, there’s no shortage of forests with fall colors in the prefecture, and Shibu Onsen is one of its most charming hot spring towns, with wooden inns and cobblestone streets providing picturesque paths at the beginning and end of your leaf-viewing day. 5. Mimasaka Takio Station (Okayama Prefecture) Website This one is probably of limited interest to international travelers, but this rural station on the Inbi Line in the town of Tsuyama served as a filming location in the Otoko wa Tsurai/”Tora-san” franchise, one of Japan’s longest-running movie series. As such, it gets visited by both rail fans and cinema buffs, and the quaint station building, constructed in 1928, has views of autumn leaves from its waiting room benches. 4. Otaru canal area (Hokkaido Prefecture) Website Here’s a surprising pick: a fall color spot on the coast. Instead of maples of gingko trees, the colors here come from the vines that climb up onto the sides of the historic canal district buildings, creating a unique way to enjoy the season. This is Japan’s northernmost, and coldest, prefecture, though, so be sure to bundle up extra-warmly if you’re planning to admire the view after sundown. 3. Former Iwasaki Residence Garden (Tokyo) Website The Iwasaki family might not be one that most people are familiar with by name, but the company they founded, Mitsubishi, is world-famous. This estate near Tokyo’s Yushima Station no longer belongs to the family, but is instead a garden and museum with a preserved mansion that’s an early example of classical Western architecture in Japan, and the surrounding grounds include maples and a gingko tree believed to be 400 years old. 2. Sagano Romantic Train (Kyoto) Website “Romantic” here is used not in an amorous context, but in the in the sense of grand, sweeping emotional impact. The Sagano Romantic Train travels along the Sagano Scenic Railway, a relatively short line on the west side of Kyoto City that follows the Hozu River. The scenery is beautiful in any season, but it’s at its best, many would say, in the fall. 1. Ginzan Onsen (Yamagata Prefecture) Website With its wooden architecture, pedestrian-only central district, and gaslight illumination, Ginzan Onsen has long been considered one of the most beautiful towns in Japan. The hot spring town is most famous for its snow-covered scenery, so much so that it now caps the number of day-trip visitors in winter, and it’s not too shabby on an early summer afternoon either. Sure enough, Jalan’s survey participants say the place is lovely in autumn too, making it their number-one pick for a retro-atmosphere fall color trip, and providing one more reason to visit Yamagata. Source: PR Times Top image: PR Times Insert images: PR Times, Jalan ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

With Halloween yet to come, Starbucks is already serving up festive cheer. There’s a lot of competition out there in the world of sweet dessert drinks, so one way to stay ahead of the curve is by beating everyone to the punch with seasonal releases. Nobody beats Starbucks at this game, because on 27 October, four full days ahead of Halloween, the chain revealed its limited-edition drinks for the holiday season.  The theme for this year is “Joyful Medley – Connected by Joy”, with the notion being that through Starbucks, joy is created, connecting people and feelings while spreading smiles throughout the holidays. As Starbucks’ signature winter tea, the Joyful Medley is a popular blend of strong black tea that many customers look forward to each year, and this time the refreshing oolong and fragrant jasmine and apricot components will be enhanced with mirabelle plum for a gorgeous yet deep and rich flavour. ▼ This year’s box of 12 Joyful Medley tea bags costs 1,680 yen (US$11.03). To celebrate the season of joy, Starbucks will be featuring the Joyful Medley in a limited-edition Frappuccino and Latte, with the addition of strawberry for a special red-hued treat. The Strawberry & Joyful Medley Tea Frappuccino is a vibrant drink that contains chunks of strawberry pulp in the base and a creamy milk tea blend on top, with the components served in a diagonally layered style that’s pleasing to the eye. The chunky texture of the sweet and tart strawberry pulp is said to pair perfectly with the gorgeous aroma of the Joyful Medley, filling the palate with a gentle sweetness. The mound of whipped cream is finished with freeze-dried strawberries to complete the festive look. As an extra special treat, four types of holiday-themed mini cookies, in the shape of a ribbon, snowman, bear, and doll, will be sold separately for customers to add a sweet dash of holiday flair to their Frappuccino, or any other cream-topped iced beverage on the menu. The cookies are selected randomly by the barista to give you the same sense of excitement as receiving a Christmas gift, albeit one you’ve paid for. While the Frappuccino is only available iced, and in a Tall size only, from 687 yen, the Strawberry Mousse & Joyful Medley Tea Latte is available iced or hot, and in a variety of sizes, from Short through to Venti, with prices ranging from 570-710 yen. The latte version combines smooth, tart strawberry mousse with a rich tea latte that showcases the robust flavours of a milky Joyful Medley. The holiday cheer isn’t over yet, though, as two other festive favourites are making their return to the menu. ▼ The Joyful Medley Tea Latte (from 520 yen)… ▼ …and the Gingerbread Latte, inspired by the spicy flavour of gingerbread cookies. The festivities kick off on 1 November, when all the items above will become available, replacing the Halloween Frappuccino and spooky black cat goods and drinkware for yet another year. Source, images: Press release ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

This month marks 30 years since the release of “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis.” You won’t find many better fits between an anime and its opening theme song than Evangelion and “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis.” It’s not one of those on-the-nose openers that directly references the characters or plot. Instead, it establishes a mysterious tone that’s at times plaintive, singing of gentle touches and knocking on the door of one’s heart, but also swings into rousing commands to become a legend and the realization that you have wings on your back to carry you to the future. The mix of imagery evokes the contrasting struggles the core cast of Eva pilots face, being thrust into scenarios in which the fate of the world rests on them even as they struggle with feelings of personal insignificance. With this month being the 30th anniversary of the TV broadcast premier of Evangelion in Japan, it’s also the 30th anniversary of “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis’” release, and the song’s lyricist, Neko Oikawa, recently took a moment to mark the occasion. However, fans curious to hear about Oikawa’s personal memories of what it felt like watching Evangelion as it aired are out of luck, as on October 25 the lyricist tweeted: “As of today, it’s 30 years since A Cruel Angel’s Release went on sale. I still haven’t ever watched Eva. Sorry.” 「残酷な天使のテーゼ」が発売されてから、今日で30年。相変わらずエヴァ観てない。ごめん。 https://t.co/kAX6wDbpdq— 及川眠子 (@oikawaneko) October 25, 2025 The “still” here is in reference to what seems to be an annual update from Oikawa on her Evangelion viewing status, as she made a similar announcement exactly one year earlier. “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis went on sale on October 25, 1995, so that would be 29 years ago as of today. Wow. I am thankful to everyone for listening to it, covering it, pushing it up in the karaoke rankings, and, of course, for loving Eva for all these years. However, I still haven’t ever watched Eva. Sorry.” #残酷な天使のテーゼ1995年10月25日に発売されて、今日で29年らしい。スゴいね。たくさんの人たちが聴いてくれて、カヴァーしてくれて、カラオケの上位にもいて、そしてもちろんエヴァンゲリオンはずっと愛され続けている。有り難いことだ。でも未だにエヴァ観てない。ごめん。— 及川眠子 (@oikawaneko) October 24, 2024 However, this doesn’t mean that Oikawa knew nothing about Evangelion when she was writing the song’s lyrics. As she previously recalled, after she was approached by her manager about the lyric-writing gig and accepted it, she “watched two episodes’ worth [of Evangelion] on fast-forward. Since “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis,” lyrics included, is present right from the first broadcast episode of the series, though, Oikawa seems to be referring to still in-production footage, and apparently, to this day, has never watched the anime in its completed form. Perhaps part of Oikawa’s lack of urgency in watching the show her lyrics were written for stems from the fact that, though it’s gone on to become one of the most recognized and popular anime songs of all time, Oikawa didn’t actually have to devote all that much time to the project. When the lyricist was brought onboard, the song’s arrangement was already finished, and not only had vocalist Yoko Takahashi been tapped to sing it, she’d laid down a “la la la” placeholder track as well. That allowed Oikawa to finish the lyrics in an astoundingly quick two hours of writing time. It’s also not like “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis” is the only high-profile entry on Oikawa’s resume, as she’s also penned lyrics for J-pop recording stars including Alisa Mizuki Rina Chinen, and Noriko Sakai. Still, the Eva theme is far and away her biggest hit, so maybe she’ll finally get around to watching the show before its 31st birthday, but odds are she’ll update us either way. Source: Twitter/@oikawaneko (1, 2, 3, 4) via Hachima Kiko Top image ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

The next best thing to carrying a sack full of magical acorns.  Studio Ghibli specialty chain Donguri Kyowakoku has its finger on the pulse when it comes to seasonal releases, and this autumn it’s serving up acorns. It’s an apt release, not only because acorns are a common autumn motif, but because the word for acorn is “donguri” in Japanese (“Kyowakoku” means “Republic”). There is, of course, one other reason for the appearance of acorns at the chain, and that’s due to their association with the studio’s 1988 film My Neighbour Totoro. In the movie, acorns are used to symbolise the link between nature, childhood curiosity, and the magical world of Totoro, and the sight of them often leads to an exciting discovery in the storyline. ▼ Like when Mei discovers the Small and Medium Totoros after following a trail of acorns into the forest. Image: Studio Ghibli Just as young character Mei goes on a journey with the Totoros, we can now enjoy that same sense of adventure, thanks to Donguri’s new Die-Cut Sealable Containers. Sold in a set of three, each container is shaped like an acorn, and features an adorable image on the lid that pays homage to all three Totoros, and their love of acorns. The 250-millilitre (8.5-ounce) capacity containers measure 12.2 x 9.2 × 4.7 centimetres (4.80 × 3.62 × 1.85 inches), making them ideal for storing small items or using as a bento lunch box. Made in Japan, and priced at 1,210 yen (US$7.92) for the set, the containers stack neatly for cupboard storage, although they’re so pretty you won’t want to hide them away. Whether you use them to store small accessories or transport snacks and lunches, the containers’ acorn shapes will put a smile on the face of anyone who sees them. In Totoro’s world, acorns are treasured items with magical powers just waiting to be unlocked, so lifting the lid on these special boxes will create a sense of mystical intrigue, especially when used for picnics in the great outdoors. Now all we need is for the chain to reinstate its special Acorn Bank, which rewarded points for clean acorns, and we’ll truly feel like we’re living in Totoro’s Forest. Source, images: Donguri Kyowakoku unless otherwise stated ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Rest in peace, Clemens. For all its pros and cons, social media remains an extremely powerful force in the world. It’s a way to tap into the public consciousness unlike any other medium before, and while many companies, celebrities, and politicians have tried to harness this power, few have managed to reach social media’s full potential. But sometimes it reveals itself in unlikely places, like a tweet from beyond the grave. At exactly 8:00 p.m. on 14 October, 22-year-old Kanaru Nakayama tweeted the following: ▼ “Gwegh, I’m deadngo” グエー死んだンゴ— なかやま (@nkym7856) October 14, 2025 The English translation is an approximation since the original Japanese is laced with classic Internet slang going back to the heyday of the 2channel message board. The initial “gue” is a cartoonish onomatopoeia of someone’s death rattle. The middle point is a straightforward Japanese “shinda” which means “died.” The final suffix of “-ngo” comes from Domingo Guzman, a former pitcher for the Rakuten Eagles who once closed a game in such a disastrous fashion that his name, particularly the “-ngo” part, became a meme that has a very loose meaning, but embodies a certain sense of incompetence or lackadaisical attitude for something. In a way, “I’m deadngo” might equate to “I’m ded, lulz.” The phrase is a somewhat common retort to online abuse. A very common way to say “F you” in Japanese is simply to tell them to “Die!” So, a way to show their verbal abuse had no impact would be to reply, “Gwegh, I’m deadngo!” But what caught people’s attention about this tweet was that Nakayama really was dead. The day before, a friend logged onto his account to announce that he lost his battle to epithelioid sarcoma, a rare form of cancer, on 12 October. It was assumed from the precise time of Nakayama’s final tweet that he had scheduled it in advance in the event of his actual death. The university student blogged and posted in a frank but positive way about his experiences ever since he was diagnosed with cancer in 2023. His Twitter profile even reads, “I like cute girls. I also have cancer.” 25 October, 2023 I was diagnosed with cancer. It looks like the surgery will involve removing my entire rib. There’s a chance they’ll use skin grafts from my thigh, so I’ll probably be in pain afterward and need to stay in the hospital for several months. I heard the side effects of the surgery are really severe, and I’ll need to do chemotherapy to prevent a recurrence, so I’ll be in the hospital for two weeks and then home for one week until March or April. My hospital stay starts the day after tomorrow, and it’s my first time being hospitalized, so I’m a little excited. 26 October, 2023 I didn’t have any reason to go to the hospital today, but I didn’t feel like going to class either, so I played Monster Strike all day. My biology and Ainu literature profs told me they can make arrangements so I can still get credits even if I can’t attend. I really appreciate that. I’ll be going to the hospital tomorrow, so I’m really excited. Nearly two years later, Nakayama understood things weren’t going well and on 10 October, tweeted “I’ll probably die soon.” It was later reported that he would schedule the “Gwegh” tweet every day, and if he lived to see the next day, he would reschedule it for two more days in advance. While his plan worked, I don’t think Nakayama would have ever imagined the impact it would have on the entire country and beyond. His final tweet was viewed over 300 million times and received over 9,000 replies, many of which wrote, “Rest in peace, Clemens!” This is another bit of Internet baseball meme-speak in which “Clemens” refers to former MLB pitcher Roger Clemens. Clemens is alive and well, but his name is used as a distortion of “kudasai” which is Japanese for “please.” While some who were unaware of this slang felt that it was an inappropriate sentiment, others explained that it was the perfect thing to say, akin to answering “See you later alligator,” with “In a while crocodile.” However, the influence of Nakayama and his “Gwegh, I’m deadngo” tweet went far beyond online “thoughts and prayers.” It also triggered a massive outpouring of support for cancer research in Japan. When making a donation to the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, a number is displayed that indicates how many other donations have been made. Based on reports from those who have donated, the total number of contributions has been in the range of 30,000 to 40,000 and counting, many with comments of “Condolencesngo.” Others who don’t have much money also vowed to donate hair for wigs and bone marrow. The sheer scale of this support even amazed prominent cancer specialist Satoru Osauka. ▼ “I have worked in cancer research for a long time, but have never seen anything like this movement. I’m blown away by it. A promising young person schedules a post from their hospital bed: ‘Gwegh, I’m deadngo.’ It’s heartbreaking to think of his situation. We cancer researchers have to work hard to develop life-saving treatments. Rest in peace, Clemens.” がん研究の世界で長く働いてますが、こんなムーブメントは見たことなく、大変驚きました未来ある若者が病床で予約投稿した 「グエー死んだンゴ」その状況を考えるとやりきれません我々がん研究者が頑張って、命を救える治療を開発しなければ「成仏してクレメンス」https://t.co/EGPWb0NPyd— 大須賀 覚 (@SatoruO) October 23, 2025 Nakayama isn’t the first person whose death had been reported on social media, especially due to cancer. But there was something special about his tweet that really resonated with people everywhere. Perhaps it was the fact that he left life on his own terms with a joke, refusing to let his condition dictate what he should do and how he should act. It’s the kind of attitude that tends to not only make people feel sympathy but also inspire them to take action as well. It’s probably cold comfort to his parents, but at least they can be proud that their son not only reached so many people but made a significant impact on cancer research. If you’d like to honor his life too, you can support cancer research and treatments, or simply say, “Rest in peace, Clemens.” Source: Asahi Shimbun, IT Media, Twitter/@nkym7856, Note/Nakayama Top image: Pakutaso ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Ridiculously easy and amazingly tasty come together in this takikomigohan rice cooker idea. It’s chestnut season, which is a time of year that always puts our Japanese-language reporter Takuya Inaba in a good mood. In Japan, you can find all sorts of cafe desserts and supermarket sweets that make use of chestnuts in the fall, but Takuya is such a big fan that he also recently bought a whole pack of dried chestnuts to have at home. The ordinary way to eat these is to soak them in water first, but Takuya, being the chestnut lover that he is, decided to try popping one into his mouth as-is… …which was a decision he immediately regretted. Without any sort of rehydrating, they have a consistency similar to hard plastic, and it felt like trying to eat a Lego. Still, as the dried chestnut gradually softened in his mouth, Takuya could start to feel the sensation of a strong, chestnut-y sweetness, and so he figured that not only should he actually rehydrate them, he should try using them to cook something special. So he let the chestnuts soak in water for half a day, and then… …he tossed them into his rice cooker, along with uncooked white rice. After adding the necessary amount of water for the quantity of rice, he added a dash of salt, closed the lid, and started the cooking cycle. All he had to do after that was wait about 30 minutes, at which point he had a whole pot of chestnut rice ready to be eaten! Cooking like this, where you add other ingredients into the rice cooker and cook them together with the rice, is called takikomigohan in Japanese. Usually it involves vegetables like carrot or burdock root or proteins such as chicken or fish, but takikomigohan with chestnuts, kuri gohan in Japanese, is a classy fall variant. Since the dried chestnuts were already peeled, the actual amount of time Takuya had needed to invest in cooking his kurigohan was about one minute, as he didn’t haver to do anything other than wait while the chestnuts were rehydrating and the rice cooker was doing its thing. In contrast to how easy it had been to make, the results were amazing. The kurigohan looked nice, with the chestnuts all having retained their shape during cooking. It smelled great, with a sweet, nutty aroma drifting up from the rice. And most importantly, it tasted incredible, with a captivating sweetness that’s not so strong as to cross over into the realm of an out-and-out dessert, so that the kurigohan can still be enjoyed as an accompaniment to other dishes. With one chestnut cooking success in the books, and it having come so easily, Takuya decided to get a little more creative. Putting a bit of butter in a frying pan, he sauteed some sliced onion and sausage… …and then added a serving of chestnut rice, as well as a dash of consommé powder. We’re not sure if the resulting dish should be called kuri gohan pilaf or kuri gohan fried rice. What we do know is that, despite being something that Takuya made up on the spot, it’s fantastic. The nuttiness of the chestnuts plays very nicely with the meat sausage and rich butter notes, making this a great recipe to keep in your repertoire for when you want to whip up something stylish that’ll wow guests to your home or friends at a potluck party with minimal effort. Now feeling even more confident, Takuya decided to see if he could make some chestnut sweets. Once again grabbing a frying pan, this time he put in equal amounts (20 grams [0.7 ounces] each) of butter and sugar. After cooking them on low heat until they blended together into a sweet sauce, Takuya tossed in a few chestnuts that he’d let soak for a full day and let them cook until the sauce took on a brown color. Then he removed his caramel chestnuts from the pan and placed them on a paper towel to cool down enough for taste-testing. The results were awesome. The rich sweetness was immensely satisfying, and while they’re not substantial enough to be a full dessert on their own, they’re an excellent sweet snack. So in the end, Takuya went three for three with his chestnut cooking project, with the only mistake being that he probably should have bought more chestnuts so he could make even more of these recipes. Photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Pokémon/Mister Donut collaboration continues to evolve. Pokémon donuts are among Japan’s most eagerly anticipated seasonal sweets, and they’re just about to make their customary late-autumn return to donut chain Mister Donut. But while Pokémon sweets have become an annual tradition, Mister Donut still looks for ways to innovated every year, and for 2025 they’ll be baking up their cutest Pikachu donuts yet. While previous years’ Pikachu donuts have had a smooth chocolate glaze, the new version, the Fluffy Pikachu Donut (“Mofumofu Pikachu Donut” in Japanese), captures the cuddliness of the Pokémon mascot with a covering of custard-flavor flakes and bits of crunchy chocolate. The donut itself is made with an especially soft dough with whipped cream mixed in, promising a sweet, soft sensation with every bite. Looking at the image at the start of this article, you might have come to the conclusion that the Pikachu treats are going to be accompanied by Poké Ball donuts. However, while those red-and-white baked good might look like Poké Balls from above, they’re actually the debut donut for Foongus! The first appearance for the mushroom-like Pokémon in the Mister Donut collaboration is a two-for-one dessert, with a donut featuring white chocolate and strawberry chocolate coatings stacked atop a chocolate coated cream puff. There’ll also be a Pikachu Tail Donut, with a white chocolate coating and then covered with Mister Donut’s unique “golden topping” (a mixture of sugar, flour and egg yolk) with two stripes of chocolate to mimic the stripes on Pikachu’s back. Two other Pokémon donuts are also part of the lineup, though they aren’t as high-concept in design. Instead, they come with wrappers bearing the illustrations of their respective Pocket Monster species: Mimikyu’s Chocolate Donut and Voltorb’s White Donut, both with chocolate coatings and fillings of custard and whipped cream. Prices range from 334 yen (US$2.25) take-out/341 yen eat-in for the Fluffy Pikachu and Foongus donuts, to 259/264 yen for the Pikachu Tail and 226/231 yen for the Mimikyu and Voltorb sweets. Pokémon fans who want something more than sweet memories after they finish eating their treats can also opt for bundles that include limited-edition Pokémon/Mister Donut merch. Two blankets are on offer, one featuring Pikachu and Mimikyu… …and the other Foongus, Voltorb, and Poké Balls. The blankets are available as part of a set with your choice of two of the Pokémon donuts, plus one of Mister Donut’s flagship Pon de Ring donuts, and your choice of blanket pattern for 2,100 yen take-out/2.114 yen eat-in. There’s also a combo of one Pokémon donut, one Pon de Ring, and a Pokémon glass for 1,100/1,109 yen, but it’s designated as a “children’s set,” so unaccompanied adults might be out of luck. The lineup goes on sale November 5, with the donuts slated to be on the menu until late December, though the blankets and glasses are expected to be sold out sooner. Source, images: PR Times ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

The northeastern Japanese prefecture is the only one selected in Japan. American publishing giant National Geographic revealed its annual “Best of the World” travel destinations last week, and this year’s list includes only one location in Japan. While readers may initially assume that the selection was somewhere internationally famous for its history and traditional culture such as Kyoto or Nara, the choice is far more unassuming: Yamagata Prefecture, in Japan’s northeastern Tohoku region. ▼ Yamagata Prefecture, which is often said to resemble the profile of a face with an open mouth. Yamagata, whose name is written with kanji meaning “mountain shape” (山形), was also only one of three locations chosen in Asia–the other two being Beijing and Manila. One of the reasons it was selected was because while other areas of Japan are currently grappling with overtourism by international visitors in the wake of a weak yen, Yamagata remains an off-the-beaten-path destination largely untouched by both domestic and global tourists, despite being chock-full of breathtaking natural scenery in particular. ▼ True to its name, you can see mountains from pretty much anywhere within the prefecture–including the capital, Yamagata City. One of the prefecture’s most popular localities is the Yamadera mountain temple complex, where you’ll be greeted by panoramic vistas if you can make it up the 1,000+ stone steps in the midst of an ancient cedar forest. Mt. Zao’s ski resorts, which are home to an unusual meteorological phenomenon that results in “snow monsters,” are also often cited along with its natural hot springs. While already quite famous, Ginzan Onsen experienced some added recognition when it was pointed out that the Swordsmith Village of popular anime Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba bears quite some resemblance to it. The hot springs town, with its surviving Taisho era (1912-1926) architecture, makes it ethereal at any time of the year. The prefecture is also known for attracting practitioners of the Shugendo Buddhist folk religion characterized by mountain ascetic practices at the Dewa Sanzan three sacred mountains, which includes Mt. Haguro’s elegant five-storied pagoda. That’s still only the tip of the iceberg, because there are plenty more reasons to visit the prefecture as well. Representatives from Yamagata Prefecture have officially responded to National Geographic‘s selection by stating that they look forward to more international tourists visiting as a result of the listing. As longtime fans of Yamagata Prefecture ourselves, we’re happy to see the increase in long-overdue recognition–as long as there continues to be enough of the local specialty dish imoni to go around. Source: YBC Yamagata Hoso via Yahoo! Japan News All images © SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building joins iconic skyline spires in Star-Spangled Banner-style welcome. Though it’s no longer the tallest structure in the city, Tokyo Tower still stands out in the Tokyo skyline, thanks in no small part to its distinct orange-and-white color scheme. However, on Monday the spire was looking a little different, with a special red-white-and-blue illumination. The colors matching those of the United States flag is no coincidence, as Tokyo Tower was one of three prominent buildings lit up in those hues to coincide with the arrival of U.S. president Donald Trump, who landed in Japan on Monday for his first official visit to the country since beginning his second term in office. 10月27日及び28日、トランプ米国大統領の公式実務訪問賓客としての訪日に歓迎の意を示すために、東京スカイツリー、東京タワー、東京都庁が星条旗の色にライトアップされます。 pic.twitter.com/mfEkgciAk4— 外務省 (@MofaJapan_jp) October 24, 2025 Joining Tokyo Tower in taking on the colors of the Star-Spangled Banner were the Tokyo Skytree and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (also known as Tocho), as shown in the above tweet from Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Though obviously an attempt to provide a warm welcome to the visiting delegation, the special illuminations aren’t necessarily a case of kowtowing to the infamously image-conscious Trump. Tokyo Tower was also lit up in red, white, and blue when then-president Barack Obama came to Japan in 2014, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building has figuratively flown the colors of other nations before as well, such as in a show of solidarity with Ukraine shortly after it was invaded by Russia in 2022. Tokyo Skytree also frequently mixes up its color palette, for example when it was holding collaborative events with the Pokémon, Demon Slayer, and Jujutsu Kaisen anime franchises. The three structures will be lit up in the colors of the American flag again on Tuesday. At Tocho, going on at all three at 5:30 p.m. and staying on until midnight at Tokyo Tower and the Skytree, and from 5:30 to 7 and then again from 9:45 to 11 at Tocho. Trump is scheduled to leave Japan on Wednesday, on which Tokyo Tower reverts back to its standard orange and white and the Skytree will start its Moonlight Halloween/Smile Pumpkin pattern. Source: Oricon News, Tokyo Tower, Tokyo Skytree Top image: Tokyo Tower official website ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Mini clasp pouches double as adorable bag accessories. Japanese is a beautiful language, but when it comes to gamaguchi, you could make a strong argument that the English equivalent, kiss-lock, is much more eloquent-sounding. That’s because gamaguchi literally translates to “toad’s mouth,” and while that’s not an inaccurate description of the shape of the open-wide pouch clasps, the reference to the croaking amphibians does bring a certain amount of ooze-adjacent imagery to mind. But today we’re swapping images of swampy sliminess for soft fuzziness, thanks to a new line of Studio Ghibli character gamaguchi pouches. Obviously you can’t call a Ghibli gathering and not include Totoro. Rather than opening up his jaws, you access the pouch’s interior through a clasp at the nape of his neck. Officially, Donguri Kyowakoku, the Ghibli specialty shop offering these items, calls them Funwari (“soft and fluffy”) Mini Gamaguchi, as they’re all between 7 and 9.5 centimeters (2.8 to 3.7 inches) in height/length. That petit size and their attached ball chains mean that they can easily double as bag straps/accessories, and they’re also a nice size for carrying around loose change during your Japan travels. All three Totoros are accounted for, big (gray), medium (blue), and small (white). Ironically, the relative dimensions of the pouches are the reverse of their in-anime depictions, with the “big Totoro” the smallest of the bunch at 8 centimeters, the medium still in the middle at 8.5, and the small Totoro pouch 9 centimeters. Through some clever proportioning and positioning of their facial features, though, the designers have managed to still make the small Totoro visually feel like the tiniest. Also showing that other animals can get in on the gamaguchi style is the Catbus… …and rounding out the My Neighbor Totoro contingent is a Soot Sprite. Yes, Soot Sprites show up in Spirited Away too, but this one is designated as a My Neighbor Totoro example. Fans of the studio’s only Oscar-winning anime haven’t been forgotten, though, as the No Face gamaguchi pouch is perhaps the most character-appropriate of all. No Face’s ravenously covetous nature is his defining personality trait in the early part of the anime movie, and we soon find out that his mask isn’t really his face, as his mouth is located somewhere else in the indistinct mass that makes up his body. So when you open up the pouch’s clasp, it really does look like No Face is ready to devour whatever you’re putting in reach of the rim. Also appearing from Spirited Away is mouse-form Boh. Surprisingly, the actual frog character from Spirited Away, Aogaeru, isn’t getting his own gamaguchi pouch… …but that leaves room in the lineup for two other Ghibli classics to be represented, starting with Princess Mononoke’s San, whose battle mask looks just a bit less intimidating in its fluffy pouch reimagining. And finally, there’s a pouch for Kiki’s Delivery Service’s Jiji, who, as fans will recall, knows a thing or two about pretending to be a stuffed animal. The pouches are identically priced at 2,068 yen (US$13.80) and can be ordered through the Donguri Kowakoku online store here. Source: Donguri Kowakoku Top image: Donguri Kowakoku Insert images: Dongui Kyowakoku (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7), Studio Ghibli, Donguri Kyowakoku (8, 9) ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!