Driving test pass rates as low as two percent in some areas. For a long time, Japan had a very convenient system for licensed drivers from other countries to convert their permits to Japanese ones. For some, this involved a very, very, very simplified version of the written and practical tests to get a license on par with anyone else in Japan, and as a regular license, it could also be renewed independently, regardless of the status of their home country’s license. This is compared to the standard way to get a license in Japan from scratch, which either involves a moderately easy course in driving school that costs upwards of 200,000 yen (US$1,300) or attempting the very difficult test at a local police station. That way only cost me about 50,000 yen ($320) and a good chunk of my mental well-being. Still, if someone already proved they could adhere to the rules of the road in their home country, it seemed fair that they could get a pass in qualifying for a Japanese license, so this huge discrepancy has been overlooked for a long time. Then, last May, a horribly negligent hit-and-run by a Chinese national made headlines across the country, followed by a Peruvian national caught driving the wrong way on an expressway that same month. It was enough to give people pause and wonder if the foreign license conversion tests were effective enough. Subsequent pressure was put on the government to review this system, resulting in a vow to make testing stricter from 1 October. The previous written test involved 10 illustrated questions, such as identifying a stop sign, from which examinees needed to get seven correct to pass. Now, the test consists of 50 written questions, and in addition to the illustrated ones, there are also questions regarding traffic laws and driver responsibilities in cases such as accidents. Also, the passing threshold has been raised from 70 percent to 90 percent, making the test about the same as the first written test that regular Japanese examinees must take. ▼ Some argue that all Japanese license holders should be able to read these signs perfectly as well, but it’s not required for any of the tests. As for the driving test, it once basically involved driving around the block of a closed course, but now is basically the same — if not exactly the same — as the standard first driving test on a closed course. Having done this one myself, I can say it involved navigating extremely narrow paths, requires precision turning in the style they demand, stopping on a slope, rolling down your windows at a fake railway crossing, and is, quite frankly, insanely hard. But don’t take my word for it – since the changes took effect, average test scores took a nose dive. In Mie Prefecture, the driving test’s pass rate fell from about 20 percent to just 1.8 percent. Both Aichi and Shizuoka prefectures saw written test pass rates slide from an average of about 94 percent way down to around 35 percent. Despite the increased difficulty, this is still only what prospective drivers in Japan have to endure just to get a learner’s permit. After that, there’s an even more difficult written and practical test to take before a full license can be awarded. So, it’s still technically easier to get a foreign license conversion than obtain a Japanese license from scratch, unless you want to pay out the nose for it. Also, it should be noted that the cases of countries that have reciprocal agreements with Japan, such as most of Europe, Australia, Canada, and some U.S. states, which exempts them from the tests altogether, will remain unchanged and is an easy process. Still, the new requirements ought to be very effective at curbing the practice of tourists from some countries coming to Japan just to get a license. The high-profile traffic incidents last May put the spotlight on widespread cases of people from countries such as China and Vietnam coming to Japan in order to get their licenses converted. The reason for this was that their home countries’ licenses aren’t included in the Geneva Convention’s International Driving Permits, but Japan’s are, so they could use that to be able to drive in a large number of foreign countries. This trend was made easy not only by the simple tests, but also because a Japanese license could even be obtained by using a hotel’s address. That also ended on 1 October, and now a Juminhyo residence certificate is required for all applicants. It’s too early to see how this will affect the number of examinees, but it will probably be much lower than the nearly 76,000 license conversions conducted last year. While it’s a bit of a setback for some people trying to get their foreign licenses converted to Japanese ones from here on out, you can at least use our handy guide to getting a driver’s license in Japan to help you with this new test. Source: Best Car Web, Itai News Top image: Pakutaso Insert images: Pakutaso   ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Finally a store that understands that sometimes it’s you who needs refreshing, not just your clothes. Having lived in fairly modern apartments in Japan with decent amounts of space for a washing machine and drying racks, I have always been rather fortunate to not have to make a journey to the laundromat every week or so to wash my clothes. That being said, I do find myself using one now and again to wash my futon or larger rugs that simply don’t fit into my washing machine. After filling up the machine in the laundromat and setting it to wash, and since I don’t use a dryer as I air-dry at home, I find myself with between 30 to 60 minutes to fill before coming to pick my wet futon up. Do I stay and read a book on an uncomfortable seat? Or do I go back home, do something for a short while, before returning again? Or do I find a shop to browse around? Nowadays, there are more and more laundromats branching out into other services, like cafes and shops, in the hopes of drawing more customers, and there’s one store in Osaka that has decided that it’s not just clothes that need a wash, but the people themselves need a refresh too, although not in a high-tech wash pod sort of way. Neverending is a facility run by Toraya Cleaning that combines a laundromat with a fully-equipped private sauna, only a ten-minute walk from either Awaza Station on the Osaka Chuo and Sennichimae Lines or Nakanoshima on the Keihan Line. The sauna is reservation-only, intended for small groups, and features a high-performance sauna stove, a specially designed cold bath, and an indoor cooling/rest area, creating a place where you can relax completely. Reservations for the sauna can be completed online and paid via credit card, costing 2,000 yen (US$12.87) for 60 minutes or 2,800 yen for 120 minutes. While it is also possible to reserve on the phone, as well as pay in cash on the day, both options come with a 300-yen premium. If you are coming with friends, reservations are only for one person, so each person will need to make their own reservation, and there is a hard limit of a maximum six guests in the sauna at any one time. However, the store prefers that larger groups opt for the 120-minute private rental for 20,000 yen to avoid inconveniencing other customers. There are a lot of saunas out there that cater mostly to men, but Neverending sets aside two days a week for women-only use of the sauna at the same prices, being Wednesdays and either Saturday or Sunday. Upon arrival at the sauna, you will be given three free rental towels for use inside the facility. You should aim to arrive about five minutes prior to your reservation for a smooth check-in on the first floor, before proceeding up to the sauna on the second floor, where you can get changed and enjoy the carefully formulated aromatic steam that is matched to the season and time of day. However, what if you get so relaxed after your sauna that you end up forgetting to get your laundry out on time? Neverending has thought of that too, and if you request it, they offer a special service where the staff will remove your finished laundry and store it in a locker, so there is no need to worry or wait around. So, feel free to take your time enjoying some after-sauna tea from the on-site tea stand, or peruse the art gallery (although it is still under preparation), before you collect your laundry from the locker or from the dry cleaning service. In the future, I would love to see more laundromats allowing people to make more efficient use of their time, be it for relaxation or entertainment, so that washing laundry feels like less of a chore and more of an enjoyable day out. Store information Neverending / ネバーエンディング Address: Osaka-fu, Osaka-shi, Nishi-ku, Edobori 3-chome 3-27 Grandpia Edobori 大阪府大阪市西区江戸堀３丁目3-27 グランピア江戸堀 Open: Sauna 9:00 a.m.–11:00 p.m. (last entry 9:00 p.m.), Laundry 9:00 a.m.–11:00 p.m., Dry Cleaning 9:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m., Tea stand 9:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m. Website Images: PR Times ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Marugame Family Night is for the Marugame families, not the customers. Japanese noodle restaurant chain Marugame Seimen, also known as Marugame Udon, has announced that later this month it’ll be having a Marugame Family Night. From the name, you might expect this to be a one-night promotion with special deals for families dining out together, like a kids-eat-free service or a discount for groups that order three or four bowls of noodles at a time. However, while the goal of Marugame Family Night is indeed to put a smile on families’ faces, they’re not trying to entice customers to come eat dinner at their local Marugame branch. As a matter of fact, there’s not going to be anyone at the restaurant on Marugame Family Night, because the company is giving workers that night off to spend with their families and loved ones. Marugame Family Night falls on a date with a different, more widely known name: Christmas Eve. On December 24, Marugame branches will be open for lunch as usual, but will close at 3:30. While Christmas Eve has long been a major date night in Japan, celebrating Christmas with family and friends has become increasingly popular too, and rather than have employees working away over hot noodle pots, Marugame figures they’ll be much happier exchanging presents, eating Christmas cake, or just having some extra time to relax. ▼ A piping hot bowl of udon can be very satisfying on a cold winter night, and Marugame’s limited-time udon with duck does look like a particularly tasty example, but we’ll survive having to find something else to eat for dinner one time. The decision has been met with a very positive reaction from the public, with comments on Japanese Twitter including: “It’s wonderful that they’re taking the time to think about their workers’ families!” “This is a wonderful idea. Even if you have vacation time built up, it can be hard to ask for the night off if you know everyone else is going to be busy and working hard, so I hope more companies will start giving the entire staff the night off like this.” “So good to see a company taking care of its workers like this.” “To everyone who works at Marugame, I hope you enjoy a restful night with your family.” “It’s like the company is full of Santas!” Marugame Family Night is part of the Happiness Capital Management initiative started earlier this year by Marugame’s parent company Toridoll Holdings. The program’s aim is to find ways to promote mental wellbeing and emotional health amongst its workers. A few cynical, or perhaps simply comprehensively observant, online commenters also pointed out that most Marugame branches probably don’t do all that much business on Christmas Eve, given that most Japanese people opt for either fancy Western cuisine or fried chicken for dinner on December 24, and so the Marugame Family Night will probably benefit the company too through reduced food waste and utility costs. Workers still get the night off, though, regardless of the win-win nature of the situation. One commenter also took issue, in a tongue-and-cheek way, of Marugame Family Night wrecking his plans to, as a lonely guy with no Christmas Eve plans, go to Marugame and eat a bowl of udon in stoic solitude. The chain has said, though, that a handful of restaurants may remain open on December 24, so he might still be able to stick to his original plan by expanding his dining radius if his local branch isn’t open, but for most people, they’ll need to find someplace other than Marugame to eat at that night. Source: Marugame Seimen, Twitter/@UdonMarugame Top image: PR Times Insert image: PR Times ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Mario is also taking over the Sonic train as part of collaboration with JR. Mt. Fuji may be the most recognizable natural symbol of Japan, but if we’re throwing man-made ones into the mix, the Shinkansen has to be pretty high on the list, right? The crown jewel of Japan’s rail network represents not only technological innovation, but also the culture’s sense of hospitality towards travelers and how there are cool places to explore at all corners of the country. Just about the only way the Shinkansen could be more Japanese is if it had Nintendo’s Super Mario plastered all over it…which is just what’s happening soon. As part of rail operator JR Kyushu’s Let’s Go Kyushu collaboration with the video game franchise, the Kamome Shinkansen is getting a special wrapping in Mario’s red and blue image colors, plus a whole lot of graphics depicting the heroic plumber. ▼ There’s even a Fire Flower-powered-up Mario on Car 5! But with Mario being one of the most prolific stars of the video game world, one bullet train isn’t enough, and he’ll also be appearing on JR Kyushu’s Tsubame Shinkansen, joined by a gathering of friends and foes that show just how huge the Super Mario cast of characters has grown over its decades as Nintendo’s flagship franchise. A near-rainbow of Yoshis, the three princesses, and both Donkey and Diddy Kong are along for the ride, and the extended Koopa family has their own car too. And though they may not be quite as speedy as the Shinkansen, a number of JR Kyushu’s special limited express trains are also getting Mario makeovers: the Relay Kamome, Kasasagi, Kirameki, Midori, and Sonic, the last of which, coincidentally, shares its name with Mario’s one-time rival from Sega. The artwork for these trains has an especially clever aspect to it, as it’s designed to look like a side-scrolling Super Mario level, complete with Mario making a jump towards the finish flagpole at the end. You won’t spot these trains along the so-called Tokyo-to-Kyoto “golden route” of the Shinkansen, though. Since this is a JR Kyushu collaboration, the trains’ routes are all contained within Japan’s southwestern island of Kyushu (which is also where you’ll find Japan’s newest Nintendo specialty shop). The red-and-blue Kamome will be run between Nagasaki and Takeo Onsen Stations on the Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen Line, and the Super Mario Tsubame between Hakata (Fukuoka) and Kumamoto or Kagoshima Chuo. The non-Shinkansen limited express trains follow a variety of routes connecting Hakata with Oita, Saiki, Takeo Onsen, Mojiku, Bizen Kashima, Kokura, and Sesebo. The Super Mario limited express trains are running as of November 29, while the Kamome Shinkansen debuts February 7 and the Tsubame Shinkansen one month later, March 7. Shinkansen schedules have yet to be announced, but specific by-date timetables for the limited express trains are already available on the JR Kyushu website here, from which reservations can also be made. The collaboration is scheduled to last until June 30. Related: Super Mario x JR Kyushu Let’s Go Kyushu official website Source: JR Kyushu Images: JR Kyushu ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Even at the cheapest option, you’re getting a fantastic deal. With its hearty pork bone broth noodles and unique dining experience, whereby customers are able to order, dine, and interact with staff all without saying a single word, Ichiran’s popularity is not surprising. It’s not uncommon at all for lines to sprawl out of the door and around the building. Our Ichiran-loving Japanese language reporter K. Masami makes it a yearly tradition to check out what the restaurant has in store for fans each year when fukubukuro (“lucky bag”) season comes around. Lucky bags are a way for Japanese companies to celebrate the new year by filling up a bag with random goods and selling them at a discounted price, often without revealing exactly what is inside. Ichiran usually sells three types of lucky bags, with this year’s prices being: ● The smallest, Ume (“plum”), at 9,000 yen (US$57.87) ● The medium size, Take (“bamboo”), at 12,000 yen ● And the largest, Matsu (“pine”), at 19,000 yen Last year, they also included a slightly cheaper “Hana” (“Flower”) size, but it seems that Ichiran has decided to return to its original three this year. Masami had been thinking she’d want to pick up the Hana lucky bag this year, but since it was unavailable, her quest for more original goods overrode her concerns about a higher price tag, and she opted for the Ume size. Upon receiving the Ume lucky bag, the first thing that stuck out to her was the box’s original design, which incorporated elements from the “Ramen Focus Booth” in which individual customers sit to enjoy their meals. ▼ On the top left is an image of the chain’s ordering sheet, and on the right, the button to call staff. Looking into the box, Masami was greeted by an impressive assortment of goods. First came the food. ▼ Five servings of both Kamadare Tonkotsu and Hakata-style Thin Straight Noodles (usually 2,300 yen each) ▼ Five servings of Curly Noodles (2,150 yen) ▼ Two packs of Fried Tonkotsu Ramen, each containing two servings (a total of 1,160 yen) With the normal cost of the food reaching 7,910 yen, that leaves only 1,090 yen left until it reaches the value of the Ume lucky bag. So, what other goodies were included in the box? ▼ A small Ichiran-themed Japanese sake cup, perfect for sipping some alcohol. Masami was a little bit disappointed on receiving this, since she received one as part of the 2024 lucky bag. However, upon closer inspection, the design was a little bit different. The original cup was designed to be a miniature version of Ichiran’s iconic bowl, however this one uses a horse motif, alluding to 2026 being the Year of the Horse. So, in the end, Masami was pretty pleased with her new adorable variation of the sake cup. ▼ Alongside the original Japanese sake cup After buying Ichiran’s lucky bags for so many years, Masami has amassed quite the collection of goods, to the extent that she felt that she might just have everything that Ichiran has to offer… until she took the next objects out of the box. ▼ Ichiran chopsticks and a renge spoon Masami had yet to get a renge spoon, so she immediately tried it out with a bowl of ramen, and it added an extra layer of enjoyment to the experience. Her at-home Ichiran set has quite possibly reached its ultimate form, with the ramen noodles tasting even better than usual. Rounding off the box, there is also a calendar in the shape of the Ramen Focus Booth, and a message card. With a lucky bag that is filled to the brim with food that can satisfy your stomach and goods that can make you happy, Ichiran’s lucky bags are truly not to be missed. ▼ The full contents of the lucky bag They went on sale to the general public on December 2 through the online store, but as of writing this article, only the Take size is left. If you happen to miss out, you can still pick up most of the items through their online store, and perhaps start to create your own at-home Ichiran experience. Related: Ichiran 2026 Lucky Bag, Online Store Photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Usually you have to head to the store to see your options for this win-win-win Japanese shopping custom, but Starbucks has made it extra-easy. In Japan, there’s a common practice of supermarkets and takeout places discounting leftover items as they get close to closing time. It’s a win-win-win policy, as consumers get to save a little cash, the store gets to make some extra sales, and the reduction in food waste is a plus for the environment too. Since these discounts are for leftover items, though, you can’t necessarily count on them happening every day, especially if there’s a particular item you’re looking for. You actually have to go to the store to see what, if anything, is marked down that night…unless, that is, you’re looking for close-to-closing discounts at Starbucks Japan. Because these kinds of discounts are limited to pre-made items with short shelf lives that wouldn’t be able to be sold the following day, Starbucks doesn’t mark down, say, coffee or S’mores Frappuccinos. They do, however, discount things like their sweets, snacks, and sandwiches, something they started doing in 2021 through their Save Food Program. Until now, the discounts were only offered to customers making regular in-store purchases, but beginning this month Starbucks Japan is expanding the program to include close-to-closing discounts on orders made through its Mobile Order and Pay app, letting customers purchase marked-down items before arriving at the branch to pick them up. When selecting a Starbucks branch to place an order with, a Save Food mark will appear on items with reduced prices. Exact availability and discount timing will vary by branch and day, but Save Food items usually start showing up around three hours before closing time. A portion of Save Food sales is donated to a children’s hunger charity program too, adding one more group to the list of beneficiaries. Save Food items were added to the Mobile Order and Pay system on December 1 and are in the process of being implemented for Starbucks Japan branches nationwide. Source: Impress Watch 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 Ninniku Garlic the One-Pounder is a burger so pungent they garlic-named it twice. It’s often said that the most popular day on which to start a diet is “tomorrow,” and I suppose we could stretch that concept out to say that “next year” is an appealing choice of timing as well. So if you’ve given yourself a pass to eat whatever you want in the remaining days of 2025, Burger King Japan has an offer for you: all-you-can-eat one-pound burgers. The chain has announced the third round of its One Pounder Challenge 2025 promotion, which gives participants 45 minutes to eat as many of its four-patty jumbo burgers as you want. Unlimited refills of soft drinks and French fries are also included, in case you want to keep your meal well-balanced (by fast food burger joint criteria) even as it becomes gigantic. For this event, the specific burger that participants will be dining on is the Ninniku Garlic the One Pounder. Ninniku is already the Japanese word for “garlic,” so you could argue that the Ninniku Garlic the One-Pounder’s name is redundant. However, the counterargument to that is that simply mentioning the marque ingredient once isn’t sufficient to fully convey how much garlic is in this thing, as the four all-beef patties are accompanied by fried garlic chips, garlic powder, garlic paste, and a “Special Garlic Sauce” accented with black pepper and chili pepper. You also get four slices of melty cheddar cheese, pickles, ketchup, and mustard. The all-you-can-eat deal is being offered at 60 branches of Burger King Japan daily between December 12 and 18, with seatings at 2:30, 4, 5:30, and 7 p.m. With tickets costing 3,900 yen and the à la carte Ninniku Garlic the One-Pounder ordinarily priced at 2,290 yen, the break-even point is eating 1.7 burgers, or 6.8 patties. However, in addition to unlimited burgers within the time limit, all participants also receive a T-shirt and two stickers. ▼ Though really, you probably won’t need to present these to anyone as proof that you just did an all-you-can-eat challenge for burgers with four kinds of garlic, cheese, and pickles, as the aroma you’ll radiate afterwards will probably be just as effective at telling your story. Each seating has a limited number of slots available, with reservations currently being taken through the Burger King Japan website here. Oh. It looks like there are a lot of people who’re eager to take on this challenge, and just one day after reservations opened, they’ve all been snatched up. However, Burger King Japan says that if anyone cancels their reservation between now and its date, tickets will be offered once again, so keep your eyes on the reservation site and your stomach ready. Source: PR Times Top image: Burger King Insert images: Burger King, PR Times, Burger King (2) ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Shhh…don’t let anyone know we told you about the secrets you can find inside New Days. Whenever anyone talks about Japanese convenience store chains, they’re usually referring to one of the nation’s top three, Lawson, 7-Eleven and Family Mart. However, locals know there are hidden gems to be found at other convenience stores, and over at New Days, the chain run by East Japan Railways (JR East), you’ll find some branches that have beer and sake servers inside of them. ▼ One such branch is located outside the east exit ticket gates of Tokyo’s JR Iidabashi Station. This location flies under the radar for most tourists, and even a lot of locals are unaware of the hidden wonders that await beer and sake lovers inside. If you’re after a freshly poured beer, all you have to do is request your drink at the register by saying “nama biiru wo onegaishimasu” (“draft beer please”) and as soon as you pay for it you’ll get a cup, which you should take it over to the beer server at the counter. After placing your cup on the tray and pressing the button with the beer icon on it, the beer server will automatically hold the plastic cup at an angle and pour the beer for you. ▼ This professionally poured beer only costs 330 yen (US$2.12), which is as cheap as a can of beer from the fridge. Before requesting your beer at the counter, you’ll want to pick up some snacks to enjoy with it, because once you’ve poured your drink you can take it up to the next floor, where you’ll find an eat-in area for customers. ▼ Like a bar inside a convenience store. To use the eat-in service, a receipt of 300 yen or more per person is required. Simply scan the QR code on your receipt at the entrance to enter. The eat-in space is incredibly clean and spacious, with a cafe-like space and a separate workspace area. There are even beautifully clean restrooms, making this a great place to sip on a beer while exploring the city or after a long day at work. Some customers choose to work in the workspace, though, so you’ll want to be sure to keep quiet while using the area. ▼ A great spot for solo customers to unwind with a beer and a book. After enjoying a draft beer at the Iidabashi store, sake lovers will want to head over to the branch outside the ticket gates of Ecute Ueno Park. because here, in addition to a draft beer server, they also have… ▼ … a sake server! As the sign says, you can drink from one cup, and there’s a lineup of four different brands to choose from. To use the service, simply head over to the cashier and say “Nihonshuu wo onegaishimasu” (“Sake please”) and they’ll pour your desired tipple into the cup for you. We ordered a cup of Asahiyama, a pure rice ginjo from Niigata, one of the country’s premier sake-producing regions, and it was utterly delicious and incredibly easy to drink. ▼ At 300 yen, this was another great deal. The only downside to this location is the fact that there’s nowhere for you to sit and enjoy your delicious sake, but you’re fine to stand near the server and enjoy your tipple, which is a good option if you’re looking for a quick drink on your own or with a colleague after work. With both the Iidabashi and Ueno branches located a 10-second walk from the ticket gates, they’re a great spot to stop by for a quick drink while riding the rails. Now is the best time to try them out too, while they remain a hidden secret amongst the world of Japanese convenience stores. Photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Studio Ghibli-themed bakery puts a tasty spin on Japan’s Christmas cake tradition. With December here, it’s time to not only get serious about Christmas shopping, but also Christmas cakes. In Japan, the typical Christmas Eve/party dessert is a strawberry shortcake, but if you want something that keeps that tradition going while still feeling a little more special than the ultra-orthodox versions, a Totoro Christmas cake might be just what you need this holiday season. Pictured above is this year’s Christmas Strawberry Shortcake from Shiro Hige’s Cream Puff Factory, a two-branch Tokyo bakery. Shiro Hige, as we’ll call it for short, is run by relatives of Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki, and so it regularly bakes up sweet treats themed after the studio’s anime films, with Totoro-shaped cream puffs being their most popular creation. So yes, while their Strawberry Shortcake would be a beautifully prepared dessert even without the forest spirit’s presence, the fact that it’s topped with a Totoro cream puff makes it even more visually, and gastronomically, appealing. Ah, but what if you’re of the very sensible mindset that all the best cakes should include chocolate? If so, Shiro Hige also has a Chocolate Banana Shortcake in this year’s Christmas lineup. From the outside, this might look like a simple swapping of chocolate cream for plain whipped cream in the Strawberry Shortcake recipe, since you still do get strawberries on top. However, inside, between the layers of sponge cake are ones of chocolate cream with banana slices, as shown in the charming cross-section illustration. Want even more chocolate? Then how about the Totoro Buche de Noel, a Yule log/Swiss roll cake that also creates a scene of a pair of Totoros frolicking in the forest. The tree’s “bark” is actually almond-flavored butter cream, and inside are two swirling layers each of soft chocolate sponge cake and chocolate cream with almond and hazelnut accents. Another petite Totoro, and a Soot Sprite too, show up on the Mango Mountain Christmas cake. This one is a mix of sweet, sour, and rich sensations, starting with a brownie base made with couverture chocolate. Spread atop that is a thin covering of mango and passionfruit gelée, followed by a layer of passionfruit chocolate mousse and another of mango mousse. A sheet of clear gelatin with mango slices completes the stack, and you also get a few more mango pieces on top of that tropical topography. ▼ There’s a lot going on with this cake, but that also means there’s a lot to love if these are among your favorite flavors. The biggest variety of fruit flavors, though, is found in the Berry Tart. The Totoro cream puff sits in the center of a ring of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, with whipped cream, custard, and almond cream below. And last, though certainly not least, if you just want some of Shiro Hige’s Cream Puff Factory cream puffs, those are being offered in special Christmas versions too, for either custard or strawberry cream-filled versions, with little chocolate holly leaves on their heads. Prices for the cakes range from 2,000 yen (US$13.35) for the Mango Mountain to 4,800 yen for the Buche de Noel, 5,800 yen for the Berry Tart, and 6,500 yen each for the Strawberry and Chocolate Banana Shortcakes. The Totoro cream puffs are 640 yen for custard cream filling or 680 for strawberry. As Christmas desserts, you’ve probably already guessed that these are limited-time items, but they’re especially limited, as they’ll only be available for purchase on December 20, 21, 22, 24, and 25 (Shiro Hige is closed on December 23). Advance reservations are highly recommended and can be made by contacting the bakery’s Daita branch in Tokyo’s Setagaya Ward, with a cutoff date of 6 p.m. on December 18. Cafe information Shirohige’s Cream Puff Factory (Daita branch) / 白髭のシュークリーム工房（代田店） Address: Tokyo-to, Setagaya-ku, Daita 5-3-1 東京都世田谷区代田５-３-１ Open 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Closed Tuesdays (or Wednesday if Tuesday is a holiday) Website Source, images: Shiro Hige’s Cream Puff Factory ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Let’s find out if a cute thing for one woman is still cute for another from a different country. From Sanrio characters to starry-eyed idol singers, it’s no secret that kawaii (“cute”) culture is huge in Japan. Whole museums and theme parks have been dedicated to the concept of kawaii. Heck, it’s hard to even enter a convenience store without seeing the latest kawaii character to lend a hand at marketing some random product. Japanese entertainment company FuRyu, known for developing kawaii games, photo booths, and more, recently conducted a survey through its Girls Research Institute to try to get at the core essence of what makes something kawaii. Not only that, however, but the researchers wanted to compare cross-cultural perceptions of kawaii things–so they surveyed 1oo women between the ages of 15-35 in Japan, China, and South Korea each about what and why they consider something cute, their engagement in fandom activities, and their picks for the cutest characters. Let’s take a look at the survey results below. ▼ “In the name of kawaii, I will punish you with my cuteness!” Question: What impressions do you have of something that you think is cute? There were 24 multiple-choice responses to choose from, including “none apply.” Survey takers could select more than one response. While Japanese and Korean women both identified “I want to cherish it” as the most common response, that response didn’t even crack the top ten for Chinese women. However, interestingly, all three countries had the same pick for the second most common response: “I feel a sense of joy.” In general, responses that focused on cuteness being something that raises your spirits were more represented among Chinese women. Meanwhile, Korean women focused more on wanting to physically touch or possess something that’s cute to them, whereas Japanese women wanted to be able to look at it. Question: How often have you participated in oshi activities within the past year? Your oshi is your favorite character, idol, singer, etc. that you personally stan. Oshi activities (oshikatsu) are a top way for many women to spend their free time (and paychecks) in Japan. ▼ In the world of Japanese idol singers, someone’s oshi is often associated with “kawaii.” Question: What is your degree of satisfaction with your oshi activities? Despite the strong pull of oshi activities in Japan, Chinese women, followed by Korean and then Japanese women, were the top participants in terms of oshi activities over the past year among the survey takers. Furthermore, one hundred-percent of Chinese women also responded that they were “very satisfied” with their oshi activities. Also of note is that zero women from any of the three countries responded that they were “completely unsatisfied” with their oshi experiences. In light of Japanese women’s lower response rate in the first survey question about kawaii impressions and this question about oshi activities, FuRyu suggests that Japanese women may be slightly more passive when it comes to judging what makes something cute and/or participating in activities traditionally correlated with cuteness. Question: What character do you think is the cutest? All three East Asian countries represented in the survey have produced characters with common kawaii characteristics, but which ones will come out on top? ▼ Somehow we predict that Hello Kitty is going to crack the list no matter what. It turns out that women from each country identified both domestic and international characters as among the cutest. Characters originating from Japan such as those from the Chiikawa franchise, blue-robot-cat-from-the-future Doraemon, and Pikachu made it into the rankings in all three countries. Sanrio characters were especially popular among Japanese and South Korean women. In addition, Chinese and South Korean women picked characters known for their mischievousness–Ne Zha and Crayon Shin-chan respectively–as the cutest. FuRyu hopes to utilize the above results in tandem with its new Kawaii Research Institute to be able to bring a new kind of “cuteness” to the world in terms of creative product development. We’ll look forward to what they eventually come up with, but in the meantime, at least there will be plenty of kawaii to go around. Source: PR Times Top image: Pakutaso Insert images: Pakutaso (1, 2, 3) ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!