Path through the forest of wild Pokémon could strain some visitors’ legs, ticket cost might be hard on their hearts. Pokémon fans have been buzzing with excitement following the surprise announcement earlier this week that Poképark Kanto, the brand-new Pokémon area coming to Tokyo theme park Yomiuriland, has moved up its grand opening from the originally slated “spring 2026” to February 5. Before you toss an entry into the lottery for the first batch of ticket purchase rights, though, you might want to check your wallet, and also the physical fitness levels and ages of anyone you’re traveling with. Starting with the fitness aspect, Poképark Kanto is composed of two sections. There’s Sedge Town, with rides, stage shows, and souvenir shops, and the Pokémon Forest. The idea is to give guests a taste of both aspects of the Pokémon Trainer journey, procuring supplies and experiencing events in town, and encountering wild Pokémon while wandering through the undeveloped parts of the world. In pursuit of that immersion, the Pokémon Forest is an approximately 500-meter (1,640-foot) long nature trail with grassy sections and tunnels to pass through, and also some pronounced elevation changes. Because of that, the Poképark Kanto admission policy says that anyone entering the Pokémon Forest must be able to climb a stairway of 110 steps, and those unable to do so will be denied admission to the woods. Children under five years old are also barred from the Pokémon Forest, for safety reasons. The park’s policy states that the age and physical fitness requirements will not be waived even if a parent or caregiver is in accompaniment, and this might be the reason why there are going to be three different types of Poképark Kanto tickets, one of which has a reduced price but only lets you into Sedge town. Speaking of tickets, we already knew that Poképark Kanto tickets are functionally a supplemental fee tacked on to a Yomiuriland ticket, as every type of Poképark Kanto ticket also admits you to the rest of Yomiuriland too. Because of that, it was a given that Poképark Kanto tickets were going to be more expensive than Yomiuriland tickets. What was less expected is just how much more they’re going to cost. Here’s how much one-day, all-you-can-ride tickets to Yomiuriland (i..e. not including Poképark Kanto) cost. ● Adults (aged 18-64): 5,900 yen (US$39) ● Children aged 12-17: 4,700 yen ● Children aged 6-11, seniors (aged 65 and up): 4,100 yen ● Children aged 3-5: 2,500 yen Initially, there are going to be two classes of Poképark Kanto tickets, both of which grant access to both the Pokémon Forest and Sedge Town sections. Prices for the less expensive ticket class, the Trainer Pass, are listed on the Poképark Kanto website as: ● Adults (aged 13 and up): starting at 7,900 yen ● Children (aged 3-12): starting at 4,700 yen ● Seniors (aged 65 and up): starting at 7,1000 yen While that works out to only a minor additional cost for kids between the ages of 6 to 11, and none at all for 12-year-olds, it’s a pretty steep increase for everyone else, especially teenagers between 13 and 17, whose Poképark Kanto passes will cost them 3,200 yen more than the normal Yomiuriland ticket, a 68-percent increase if they want to go into the Pokémon zone. The price increases get even more startling for the Ace Trainer Pass, also called the “Elite Trainer Pass” in Japanese, which grants priority line access for attractions in Sedge Town, free rides on its rides (regular Trainer Pass holders have to pay extra to ride), and a photo opportunity with Pikachu and Eevee, and special souvenirs. Prices for the Ace Trainer Pass are: ● Adults (aged 13 and up): starting at 14,000 yen ● Children (aged 3-12): starting at 11,000 yen ● Seniors (aged 65 and up): starting at 13,500 yen Those are more than double the prices of regular Yomiuriland tickets, and in the case of seniors, more than three times as much. Sure, the souvenirs that come with the Ace Trainer Pass are probably pretty sweet, but are they “Let’s pay over 10,000 yen a person”-level sweet? Things thankfully settle back down with the Town Pass, which is expected to go on sale sometime this summer. The Town Pass only lets holders into the Sedge Town area and lacks the special privileges of the Ace Trainer Pass, but it’s a lot cheaper. In fact, for some ages the price listed on the Poképark Kanto for Town Passes is actually lower than the current price for Yomiuriland tickets, though this may be a misprint or a sign that Yomiuriland tickets are going to be discounted before the Town Pass becomes available. ● Adults (aged 13 and up): starting at 4,700 yen ● Children (aged 3-12): starting at 2,800 yen ● Seniors (aged 65 and up): starting at 4,200 yen It’s also telling that the Poképark Kanto website is showing its ticket price as “starting at” the specified price points, which seems to imply that while we won’t be seeing ticket prices below those marks, higher ticket prices, say for weekends, holidays, and peak travel seasons, are something Pokémon fans might need to brace for. All that said, it’s likely Poképark Kanto will have no trouble selling out of tickets from its first purchase rights lottery, which will be accepting applications between November 21 and December 8. The real test will come once the initial hype dies down and prospective visitors start asking whether Poképark Kanto is really worth the price of admission. Related: Poképark Kanto official website Source: Poképark Kanto, PR Times (1, 2) via Oricon News via Hachima Kiko, Yomiuriland Top image: PR Times Insert images: PR Times (1, 2) ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Goth cops! If there’s one benefit to this excruciatingly long summer weather in Japan, it’s that people have a wider window to take summer vacations in. That’s just what our writer Saya Togashi did and headed down to the tropical shores of Miyakojima, a city consisting of a group of islands to the south of Okinawa Island. The weather was constantly drizzly, but still warmer than the rest of Japan, with the autumn leaves just starting to kick in. The way the browning leaves looked against the rest of the tropical vegetation was very exotic and made for some nice driving scenery. It was just too bad that Saya decided to splurge on a convertible as her rental car in this wet weather. Just as she was calculating how much cheaper a basic compact would have been, a man appeared that would change her life… Japan is well known for its regional mascots, and they come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, from soft and cuddly bears to super-powered crime fighters. But this truly was a mascot like no other. His skin was as white as a pearl, and his lips were a shade of a crimson so deep light could barely escape it. ▼ “Love… Love will tear us apart, again…” Thinking this enigmatic figure was just a fluke, Saya continued on her drive, only to come across the same figure. She started to wonder if this was some sort of Outer Limits or Blair Witch situation where even driving straight would lead her on an infinite loop of terror. This statue was a little different, though. His pupils weren’t quite as dilated, and he seemed to have a little more confidence in his gaze, possibly due to his poutier and rosier lips than his colleague. Driving a little more, she found other ones too. ▼ “You there, stop… or don’t… What does it matter if we all die in the end, anyway?” There seemed to be several of these figures, such as this one which exuded a feeling of both constant alert and utter hopelessness, as if he really had to use the restroom but then saw how long the line for it was. The first one Saya saw had “kotsuanzen taisakuzumi,” or “taking traffic safety precautions,” written on it. It wasn’t until later that she learned “zumi” was also a regional dialect meaning “awesome” or “the best.” Puzzled, Saya decided to ask a local about the statues and found out they’re of  a famous island character named Mamoru Miyakojima. She also learned that these statues were quite popular around the island. Multiple souvenir shops had a range of items for sale bearing his likeness. Snacks, alcoholic beverages, key chains, accessories, stationery, and clothing all Mamoru’s uniquely inhuman-yet-all-too-human face. The locals told Saya that the original Mamoru Miyakojima stood right outside the Miyakojima Police Department building. She never expected to be sightseeing at a police station, and yet here she was, staring at both Mamoru and his kid sister, Maruko Miyakojima. Maruko seemed to emit an air of confidence more than her brother. Her gaze was steadfast and true. ▼  “It’s Friday, I’m in love…” Both Mamoru and Maruko were given resident registration cards, making them full citizens of Miyakojima. Saya was impressed until learning that anyone can get one for 200 yen (US$1.30). Apparently, there are several members of the Miyakojima police family around the island, including Susumu, Koji, Hitoshi, and Masao. They’ve been around for a while, dating back to the ’90s, and some people even visit the island with a personal mission to find them all. ▼ Mamoru also has his own theme song. Saya is an avid collector in her spare time, and this kind of thing was right up her alley. She wasted no time picking up some Mamoru Miyakojima memorabilia, including snacks and figures. Although she was creeped out by these statues at first, their collectability appealed to the Zeigarnik effect in her, and she grew to like them. She gradually found their painfully contemplative expressions to be charming reflections of our own insecurities and ennui. In addition to some fridge magnets and figures, she bought a bag of Mamoru Miyakojima nuts. She expected them to be salty and good with beer, but found out later they were sweet and decided that she might as well go for a soda. That should have been expected from a traffic safety mascot. It’s hard for Saya to say Mamoru and his kinfolk are worth the trip to Miyakojima all by themselves, but if you make the journey to enjoy the pristine beaches, only to find them rained out, they do make for an intriguing distraction. Photos © SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Playful PlayStation team celebrates local Ryogoku culture and takes a PS5 to Kanda Shrine for a traditional autumn event. There are certain parts of Tokyo that, upon hearing their names, bring up an instant mental image of something the surrounding neighborhood is known for. You can’t hear “Akihabara” without thinking of anime and video games, or “Tsukiji” without thinking of sushi. Though it might not be quite as internationally famous as the two above examples, for the local population in Japan Ryogoku has just as strong and clear an image as it conjures: sumo. It’s where you’ll find Ryogoku Kokugikan, Japan’s most prestigious sumo arena, and dozens of sumo training stables as well as restaurants managed by retired sumo stars are located in the neighborhood too. Even walking through Ryogoku Station, you’ll see photos, statues, and illustrations of sumo wrestlers, and recently an especially eye-catching image was added: a giant sumo wrestler stopping a train with his bare hands. 11月14日（金）まで、JR両国駅構内にて「It Happens on PS5®」特別映像を放映中！大型デジタルサイネージに“魔人力士”が出現。圧巻の映像をお見逃しなく！#ItHappensOnPS5 pic.twitter.com/Nm7W3tBxMv— プレイステーション公式 (@PlayStation_jp) November 10, 2025 Judging from the E259-model train he goes up against, it seems that this top-knotted colossus has been hanging out on the Sobu Line platform. In the video above, the digital sumo wrestler is just minding his own business until he notices a train is pulling in. He then turns towards it and squares up his shoulders, drops his hips, and extends his hands out in front of him, catching the train with his palms and visually bringing it to a stop as he plants his feet and slides backwards from the impact. So why’d he go to all this trouble? Because it turns out that in addition to the digital sumo wrestler, there’s also a digital kitty on the platform, and he wanted to make sure it didn’t get hit when the train was pulling in. The clever mix of digital artistry and physical perspective is the work of Sony’s PlayStation team, though it’s meant as a general celebration of technological creativity instead of promoting any specific game series or character. This isn’t the only nod to traditional Japanese culture the PlayStation team has been up to recently either. Wednesday marked the five-year anniversary of the PlayStation 5, and with the console now five years old, Sony decided to take it to Tokyo’s Kanda Shrine to celebrate Shichi-Go-San. PlayStation®5、本日で5歳になりました。すこやかな成長を祈って、七五三のお詣りへ。これからもいっぱい遊んでいただけますように！#PS5 #PS5発売5周年 pic.twitter.com/3kf23MUyzj— プレイステーション公式 (@PlayStation_jp) November 11, 2025 Shichi-Go-San is a festival held every autumn in which parents bring their three, five, and seven-year-old children to Shinto shrines to pray for their continued health and prosperity. The family usually gets dressed up for the occasion and takes a few commemorative photos while at the shrine, and so Sony, like any proud parent, did too. ▼ They even picked an appropriate shrine for their visit, as Kanda Shrine (also known as Kanda Myojin) is the closest major shrine to Akihabara, and also hosted a special art event on the PS5’s original launch date. オフショットもどうぞ。#PS5 #PS5発売5周年 https://t.co/hvBEvFUgVB pic.twitter.com/iJyRasEubR— プレイステーション公式 (@PlayStation_jp) November 12, 2025 Getting back to the Ryogoku Station sumo wrestler, unfortunately, it’s a limited-time display, and will only be around until November 14. With the design sorted out, though, it seems like it’d be easy to install again the next time there’s a major sumo tournament or other big event going on in Ryogoku, and the digital format means updating it with new reasons for the wrestler to be stopping the train would be pretty simple too, so hopefully we’ll be seeing it again someday. Source, images: Twitter/PlayStation_jp ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Cleverly beautiful tiramisu sweets are only available three days a week. Coffee is the key ingredient in tiramisu. Even the dessert’s name, meaning “pick me up” in Italian, is a reference to the energizing caffeine kick that comes from some strong java. So if tiramisu is going to have the flavor of a cup of coffee, why not the appearance too? The obvious answer to that is “Because it would be really hard to make a cake look like a coffee cup,” but apparently it’s not beyond the talents of Tokyo sweets shop Kissaten ni Koi Shite, which has created this. Called the Kisa Tiramisu (kissa being a Japanese word for “coffee shop” or “cafe”), what looks like a mug is actually a carefully crafted mousse made with mascarpone cheese sourced from Hokkaido, Japan’s top dairy-producing prefecture. Poured into the divot at the top is a Brazilian coffee sauce with a gentle bitterness, and beneath that is a coffee syrup-soaked sponge cake with bits of crisp chocolate mixed in, and the whole thing sits atop a disc of crumble pie crust-style chocolate. The Kissa Tiramisu is sold in packs of two for 1,620 yen (US$10.80), so while it’s not an exorbitant luxury, it’s still meant as a special occasion kind of dessert. As a matter of fact, it can’t be an everyday indulgence, as it’s only sold on three days of the week, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, with the first batch of each day becoming available at around 11 in the morning and the second at 3 in the afternoon. Quantities are limited too, with each batch being a total of 30 boxes. ▼ The cakes are sold frozen, and take three to four hours to defrost in the refrigerator. Kissaten ni Koi Shite has only one location, and it’s located on basement level 1 of Tokyo Station’s Gransta Tokyo section, near the Marunouchi Chika Chuo gate. The shop is inside the station gates, so you’ll need a ticket to access it, but that also means you’ll be able to pick up some of Tokyo Station’s famously delicious ekiben bento boxed lunches while on your dessert run. Related: Kissaten ni Koi Shite Source, images: PR Times ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Anime characters you’ll want to snuggle up to.  As the weather gets colder, accessories get fluffier, and the cutest ones around right now are a range of purses from Studio Ghibli specialty chain Donguri Kyowakoku. Starting with the “Fluffy Purse“, there are three to choose from, featuring characters from the 1988 classic My Neighbour Totoro. The first character in the lineup is the “Large Totoro“, as the gentle grey giant is officially known. Distinguished by its triangular nose, whiskers and grey belly markings, this Totoro is the largest of the three that appear in the movie. In its guise as purse, though, this Totoro has a pouch and clasp on its rear, which is large enough to hold coins or small accessories. Measuring 13.5 × 12 × 11 centimetres (5.31 × 4.72 × 4.33 inches), this Totoro is perfectly sized to fit snugly in your palms, warming your hands and your heart while you use it. Moving down a size in the Totoro family is the Medium Totoro, distinguished by its small nose, blue fur, and blue belly markings. Like the grey Totoro, this one also has a cleverly concealed back pouch, but in terms of size the disparity isn’t as pronounced as it is in the movie, with the measurements being 13.5 × 11.5 × 11 centimetres. Finally, we have the Small Totoro, which differs from the others by not having any nose at all. It’s no less adorable, though, and although its monochrome hue makes it look deceptively larger than all three, it remains the smallest, at 15 × 10 × 11 centimetres. The price tag for this one is the smallest, at 3,300 yen (US$21.43) compared to 3,630 yen for the Medium and Large Totoros. ▼ The trio are beautifully designed to look like fluffy soft toys from the front… ▼ …while concealing their functional purpose from behind. As an added bonus, the retail chain has also revealed a new collection of Fluffy Mini Purses, featuring a wider array of characters from a variety of films. Measuring in at roughly 8.5 × 6 × 6 centimetres, these are slightly smaller than the regular fluffy purses, and they’re all identically priced, at 2,068 yen each. ▼ First up, we have a trio of Totoros to match the larger purses. Joining them for this adventure is the Catbus, with its bright yellow eyes and adorable grin. Each purse comes with a detachable chain so you can attach it to your bag and show it off to passersby. ▼ Representing the 2001 hit Spirited Away, we have the Otori–sama… ▼…the mysterious No Face… ▼…and Boh Mouse. ▼ Though the Soot Sprites appear in both Spirited Away and My Neighbour Totoro, this one is from the latter, as it has no arms. ▼ Rounding out the collection, we have Jiji from Kiki’s Delivery Service… ▼…and San’s Mask from Princess Mononoke. With so many pouches to choose from, it’ll be hard to decide which ones to welcome into our home. Right now, though, the choices are limited to the Fluffy Purses and the first six Mini Purses, as Jiji, San’s Mask, Boh Mouse, and the Soot Sprite are yet to be officially released. The ones that are currently available can be purchased at Donguri Kyowakoku stores and online, while the other four (all linked below) will hopefully be joining the others shortly! Source: Donguri Kyowakoku Top image: Donguri Kyowakoku Insert images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13) ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

We can never resist the temptation of buying produce that’s hard to come by in Japan. Our Japanese-language reporter Ikuna Kamezawa recently took a trip to Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture. One of the first things she did upon arrival was to stop at a local farmer’s market since Ibaraki is a leading center of agricultural production in Japan and she thought she might score some good deals. While she was there, she spotted a vegetable that she had never seen before: maxixe (mashishi in Japanese; maroon cucumber, West Indian gherkin, or burr cucumber in English). ▼ It even had a sign next to it proclaiming its rarity in Japan. Though indigenous to Africa, maxixe is also grown in North and South America. The sign at the farmer’s market mentioned that it’s often used in Brazilian-style minestrone soup, and even boldly claimed that the vegetable has “a taste that you’ve never experienced before.” ▼ The store also recommended using it in tempura and stir-fried dishes. Welp, there was simply no other choice for Ikuna–her curiosity demanded that she bring home the new vegetable to try it for herself! ▼ These ones were grown just to the east in Tsuchiura, Ibaraki. She took one out of the bag and inspected it from all angles. It gave off goya (bitter melon) and durian vibes with its green, oval-like shape and prickles. Despite its unusualness, the whole bag of eight egg-sized maxixe cost only 150 yen (US$0.98). Ikuna wanted to try the the maxixe’s flavor as unadulterated as possible, so she opted to make a simple vegetable stir-fry with it. The packaging provided cooking-prep advice to cut off the spiky parts and then slice it. She wasn’t sure if that meant she should still keep the skin on as a whole or not, but she elected to keep it on and just remove the spikes. ▼ As the spikes came off, she caught whiffs of something that smelled like bamboo. After slicing one lengthwise, here was the resulting cross-section. She thought the insides resembled a delinquent cucumber. It even smelled like one at this point. ▼ The maxixe is, in fact, a member of the cucumber family. Would it really taste like nothing she’d ever eaten before…? Ikuna was skeptical at this point. She also had no idea how much time the maxixe would take to cook. She had read though that they’re also used in salads, so she supposed that eating them raw wouldn’t be an issue. She stir-fried the slices alongside some other vegetables, and voila! The dish looked great from a visual standpoint. However, the important thing was the taste. She lifted one piece up to her mouth… Thank GOODNESS. It really was a flavor that she had never tasted before. She had been preparing herself for disappointment, so this was a wonderful ending. In summary, while the maxixe’s appearance, smell, and high water content resembled that of a cucumber, its texture was unmistakably different. It was hard to put into words, but Ikuna might describe it as similar to a lightly grilled eggplant. It also had elements of other gourds like zucchini and melon mixed in. Perhaps it was her imagination, but was there also a hint of sourness in there…? If so, her final description would be “cucumber + eggplant + indistinct gourd + slight acidity.” In any case, it was a flavor that she liked. At that price, she could see herself buying it regularly if only the stores near her home sold it, and she’s happy to have had another successful cooking adventure with unique vegetables she’d never tried before. Photos © SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Big Angel has grown even bigger since the last time we saw them. Even by Japanese standards, idol singers tend to be on the slim and petite size. It is, after all, a music genre that’s largely built around projecting an aura of youthful energy, and a group of slender teens or twentysomethings dancing around the stage works as a quickly understandable visual shorthand for that. However, Big Angel is one idol group that unabashedly exists at the complete opposite end of the scale, in both a figurative and literal sense. The group has periodically trumpeted the fact that more than half of its members weigh more than 100 kilograms (220.5 pounds), and while there was definitely a bit of a novelty-factor when Big Angel formed in 2018, they’re still here seven years later, and have even expanded from five members to seven, each of whom has not only her own personal image color, but also acts as Big Angel’s representative for her favored type of food, such as fried chicken representative Michiko (image color brown) or mayonnaise rep Eripiyo (image color yellow). Big Angel has been keeping busy, and is currently in the middle of a national tour. They still managed to find time, though, to release a new music video, titled “Baibai Weight.” The bai in the title means “double,” and doubling it up as baibai implies a rapidly increasing or multiplying amount of something. As you can probably guess, “Baibai Weight’s” lyrics are a smorgasbord of references to the joy, and consequences, of big eating, starting off with “Unless we really slim down, our weight is going to be increasing by the minute!!” followed be each idol counting off her current weight. Later they sing about being honestly loyal to satisfying their hunger, “moving from an idealism to reality,” encourage listeners with “Don’t feel sad when you look at [your weight on] the scale. It’s OK, it’s just a number,” and enthusiastically shout “Let’s go to more all-you-can eat yakiniku buffets!” If the melody of “Baibai Weight” sounds familiar, it might be because it’s actually a cover of idol group Candy Tune’s “Baibai Fight,” which was released back in the spring, with new lyrics. “We received many requests from fans to cover ‘Baibai Fight,’” Big Angel says in the description for their new video. “The tempo is fast and the dancing was difficult. The lyrics were a tough challenge too, and we spent many days talking everything over with each other and working hard, bit by bit, until the video was finished. We hope that this will be an opportunity for more people to find out about Big Angel.” Reactions to the “Baibai Weight” video have included: “They’re all good dancers and singers, so this would be a really high-quality cover even without the new lyrics.” “Every time I watch Big Angel’s videos, it’s amazing how their dance moves are so sharp but also a softness to them.” “It’s cute how they really give it their all as they run to change formations.” “The girl in the red has such a cute idol singing voice.” “Somehow listening to this song gives me a ton of energy.” “Even with those generous proportions, they dance more intensely than an average-build person but still have an aura of cuteness. It’s got to be the result of both talent and hard work.” Big Angel has concerts coming up next weekend in Osaka and Nagoya, with the last Tokyo date for their tour scheduled for January 26 at Zepp Shinjuku, and their complete calendar posted on the group’s official website here. Related: Big Angel official website Source: YouTube/びっくえんじぇる　BIG ANGEL via Hachima Kiko Top image: YouTube/びっくえんじぇる　BIG ANGEL ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

25 years after the Suica Penguin helped revolutionize how Japan buys train ticket and shops, JR’s plans for the future don’t include the character. Back in 2001, East Japan Railway Company/JR East revolutionized train travel in Japan when they launched the Suica system. Instead of having to hunt for your destination on a map posted on the wall in order to determine the fare, feed coins into a ticket machine, and fiddle around with a paper ticket, you simply tapped your pre-paid Suica card on a terminal mounted at the side of the ticket gate at the first and last station of your journey, and the automated cashless payment system deducted the necessary funds. It’s an extremely useful system, and in the years since, Suica has grown to become one of Japan’s most frequently used cashless payment systems, accepted not only for train tickets but for purchases in retail shops and at vending machines, restaurants, and a long list of other facilities. Still, when Suica was first being introduced, JR East knew some people would be reluctant to use it, especially with how prevalent the use of cash was (and in many ways still is) in Japanese society. So to help make this new technology less intimidating, JR East also introduced a mascot for the Suica System, the Suica Penguin. Japan wasn’t quite as filled with mascot characters in those days as it is now, but the Suica Penguin (who has no name other than that) was an instant hit. He appeared not only on the cards themselves, but also in advertisements and explanatory signage, and the underlying message, that the Suica system was so easy to use that even a penguin could manage it, got quietly communicated while people were oohing and aahing over how adorable the critter was. In the two and a half decades since the character’s debut, the Suica Penguin has appeared on countless pieces of merchandise, been the motif for all sorts of snacks and sweets, and even now has its own chain of specialty shops, called Pensta, inside select JR East stations. So it came as a shock on Tuesday when JR East said that they’ll be retiring the Suica Penguin and replacing him with a new character. “We appreciate the kind, warm treatment everyone has given the Suica Penguin, but on the occasion of the 25th anniversary, the character will be graduating and passing the baton [to a new mascot],” said JR East president Yoichi Kise at a press conference, borrowing the language of the idol/entertainment industry in Japan in which performers are said to be “graduating” when leaving or aging out of their current show business gig without another lined up. Despite the sugarcoated jargon, fans of the Suica Penguin were heartbroken to hear the news, posting reactions online such as: “The Suica Penguin is going to disappear…this is so sad…” “Is the Suica Penguin statue [near JR East headquarters] in Shinjuku going to get torn down like the statues of Lenin [during the fall of the Soviet Union]?” “This is a total shock. Everything about the Suica Penguin is awesome.” “Shocked. The first Christmas cake my husband and I ever shared was a Suica Penguin cake…Thank you for all the memories…” “I hope they keep Pensta [the Suica Penguin merch shop] open even after they stop using the character as a mascot.” “This is more than I can bear. I have an original painting of the Suica Penguin from the creator Chiharu Sakazaki, and it’s our family’s treasure.” ▼ Yes, there have been Suica Peguin cakes, and also Suica Penguin bread. Then there was this Suica Penguin fan who was in no mood to mince words whatsoever. “JR East is just using the word ‘graduate’ because it suits their purposes and makes them look nice. What they’re doing is just laying off the Suica Penguin, isn’t it? Suica is great because of the Suica Penguin. I mean, why do they think they need to change the character anyway? I hope they end up doing like Don Quijote did and cancel their plan to change the mascot. I think the Suica Penguin is a source of emotional comfort for a lot of people. The character is such a huge presence.” The Suica Penguin’s creator, artist Chiharu Sakazaki, took a more positive, even-keeled approach in her statements, which were included in JR East’s press release regarding the mascot changeover. “I remember feeling so happy and honored when my work was chosen as the Suica mascot character in 2001. The character appeared on posters and in commercials, becoming loved by so many people that JR even created the Pensta shops.” “I am very happy to have been able to spend the last 25 years together with the Suica Penguin. I’ll be doing my very best for this final year. To everyone who has supported the character for so long, thank you very much.” As for why JR East wants to push the Suica Penguin out of the spotlight, next year in the fall changes to the Mobile Suica app will allow, via a user code, purchases up to 300,000 yen (US$2,000), far beyond the current limit of 20,000 yen, and JR East is also looking into the possibility of allowing users to transfer funds directly from their bank accounts into their Suica accounts. This has the potential to greatly expand the scope and scale of Suica purchases that can be made, and JR East wants a new mascot to mark what it hopes will be the start of a new era for the system. None of that is doing anything to soothe the sadness of the Suica Penguin’s many fans, however. As alluded to by the particularly irate commenter, a few years ago discount retailer Don Quijote insinuated that it would be getting rid of its mascot character, Donpen, but following the swift gale-force blowback from fans, the character is still prominently featured in Don Quijote’s advertisements and on its signage, even if he’s not on their store-brand item packaging. ▼ Coincidentally, Donpen is also a penguin. Taking into account that the Suica Penguin’s resume already includes experience helping normalize changes in how people spend money in Japan, it really does seem kind of short-sighted, or at least short-memory, of JR East to think the character wouldn’t be up to the task of promoting an expansion of the system with which he shares his name. Especially considering how recently we just saw another Japanese company regretting not taking better care of its legacy-level creations, maybe JR wants to reconsider the whole “baton touch” thing, which is currently planned to take place sometime in 2026. Source: JR East, Jiji via Yahoo! Japan News via Jin, Twitter Top image: JR East Insert images: JR East, SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

“Congratulations, teenage me!” says Perfume member. In September, Japanese pop trio Perfume announced that they were going on hiatus. The decision seems to be an amicable one, not born out of any internal drama or disenchantment with the music industry. The members simply said that, 25 years after Perfume first formed as an idol unit, they wanted a break, and that the plan is to come back together after the hiatus as “a better, cooler Perfume.” With the pop star lifestyle as busy as it is, the three vocalists now have time for things other than performing and recording, and Ayaka Nishiwaki, also known to fans by her stage name A-chan, made the surprise announcement on Tuesday that she’s gotten married. View this post on Instagram Nishiwaki broke the news through her Instagram account, revealing that she’s now married to an “ordinary man.” Within the Japanese entertainment industry, “ordinary” in this sense doesn’t necessarily refer to someone being mediocre in terms of looks, personality, professional success, or other common measures of attractiveness, but rather someone who doesn’t work in show business and also isn’t otherwise someone in the public eye. However, that doesn’t mean that Nishiwaki’s husband isn’t interested in pop music, since, as a matter of fact, he was a fan of Nishiwaki’s before they tied the knot. There are more than a few idol fans with daydreams of somehow becoming personally acquainted with their favorite singer and having the relationship blossom into romance. In this case, though, the singer herself had that fantasy, as Nishiwaki revealed in her post that it’s long been her dream to one day marry a fan. “I have recently gotten married to an ordinary man. We have been friends since a very long time ago, becoming best friends who know many things about each other, and he cheers for me and Perfume with all of his heart. He’s one of our fans! LOL It was my dream to marry a fan. Congratulations, teenage me! You did it!” ▼ Perfume’s most recent music video, for the song “Meguri Loop” The 36-year-old Nishiwaki went on to muse about some of the things she’s looking forward to in married life. “If I were going to express who I am with hashtags, there are a lot I could use, like #Perfume, #vocalist, #singer, #dancer, #three-person idol unit, #Hiroshima, #A-chan, #talkative, #cheerful, #travel, #sweets, #health and beauty, #woman, and #family. I’ve always thought that #mother, #mama, #child, #baby would naturally become part of what describes aspects my life someday.” View this post on Instagram Nishiwaki’s most recent photos show her in Barcelona, but she hasn’t mentioned whether or not the trip to Spain was part of her honeymoon or not, and detailed tidbits about her love life probably aren’t likely to feature regularly in her posts, as she’s asked that media outlets refrain from prying into the identity of her husband or his family, in deference to their non-celebrity status. She also asks that Perfume’s fans keep watching over her, implying that getting married hasn’t changed her plans to return to performing once the group reunites following their hiatus. Source: Instagram/a_chan.prfm_p000001 Top image: Pakutaso ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Nintendo star’s latest transformation is into Tabemasu sweets. Earlier this week, we had out hearts warmed and our stomachs filled as Japanese convenience store chain Family Mart kicked off its Kirby Super Satisfied Fest, with a new line of food and drink inspired by the star-riding Nintendo star. However, there was one item missing from our Kirby feast. If there’s one lesson that Kirby has made very clear in his decades-long video game franchise, it’s that you should always eat everything you can. In accordance with this sage advice, a follow-up was going to have to be done in order to taste-test the final foodstuff in the Kirby Super Satisfied Fest: the Kirby and Waddle Dee Tabemasu Mocchi. Tabemasu Mocchi is part of the Tabemasu sweets line. While tabemasu is ordinarily the Japanese word for “to eat,” in this case it’s short for taberareru masukotto, or “edible mascots,” as the treats are soft mochi dumplings shaped like famous anime or video game characters. As is often the case with limited-time Kirby items, the Kirby and Waddle Dee Tabemasu Mocchi quickly sold out at many locations. Luckily, friend of the site Marcus Lai of video game/tech website Punch Jump, who previously helped us destroy Metal Gear, managed to snag a few packs, and graciously offered to let us share in his Kirby wealth. While the ingredients and filling are the same for each, there are four different possible expressions for the Kirby mochi, and four different Waddle Dee faces too. They’re not linked, either, meaning that there are 16 possible combinations per pack. Given Kirby’s rotund physique, he’s an easier character to render in mochi than, say, Spy x Family’s Anya or Dragon Ball’s Shenron. That said, the lower degree of difficulty doesn’t in any way diminish how incredibly cute mochi Kirby and mochi Waddle Dee are. As you may have noticed in the earlier photos, the Kirby and Waddle Dee Tabemasu Mocchi are sold refrigerated, and while they won’t turn into puddles of liquified mochi on you, they will get a little melty if they’re out at room temperature for too long. If you’re not headed straight home from the convenience store, you’ll probably want to try to keep the package as flat as you can in your bag, lest Kirby and Waddle Dee’s feet start to get misshapen like they did for us. Although you could also argue that the way Kirby kept smiling even in the face of this unexpected adversity is a testament to the positive energy he’s always ready to transmit to his fans. ▼ Okay, mochi Kirby! We won’t give up either, no matter how tough things get! Though the Tabemasu series has been around for quite a while now, this was actually my first time to personally taste-test one, and I wasn’t 100-sure what to expect. On the one hand, I’ve been living in Japan long enough to know that betting against mochi desserts being delicious is generally a foolish choice. On the other hand, Tabemasu is produced by Bandai Candy, the candy/snack division of Bandai, a company that’s first and foremost a toy maker. With all of Bandai Candy’s products either looking like a popular character themselves or coming with some kind of toy, a big part of the intended appeal is clearly the character tie-in, so might that mean they don’t really put much effort into how their sweets taste? There was only one way to find out. ▼ Hey, Kirby, wake up. You’re about to be eaten. It took about half a second to get the answer I was looking for: the Kirby Tabemasu Mocchi tastes great! The outside is a very soft, very stretchy mochi that’s moist and sweet, and the inside is anko (sweet bean paste) enhanced with custard flavoring. If you like purin (Japanese-style custard pudding), you’ll love this too. What you might not be quite as crazy about, though, is that the mochi will stick to your fingers as you eat it. The dumplings aren’t big enough to eat with a regular-sized knife and fork, but a compact dessert fork or even a toothpick to skewer it with, or at the very least moist toilette, might come in handy. Also, while it’s a given that character desserts are going to look strange in their half-eaten states, it really was startling how much Kirby looked like a thumb after the first bite. Don’t worry, Waddle Dee, I haven’t forgotten about you. Even with the newfound knowledge that Bandai knows what it’s doing making desserts, there’s still some room for potential uncertainty with the Waddle Dee, since its anko filling is caramel-flavored, a rather unorthodox taste to mix into Japan’s traditional sweet bean paste. Once again, though, the combination ends up working really well, with the caramel coming on as a gentle aftertaste that doesn’t cover up the anko notes nor saturate your taste buds and prevent you from fully enjoying the second bite. Waddle Dee also looks pretty weird half-eaten… …but like they say, appearance is only skin-deep, and it’s what’s on the inside (caramel anko) that counts. At 378 yen (US$2.50), the Kirby and Waddle Dee Tabemasu Mocchi are easily within the impulse-buy price range, and their high quality makes them not just a fun memory, but a tasty one too. Photos ©SoraNews24 Kirby ©Nintendo/HAL Laboratory, Inc. ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!