In Photos: Theme park immerses in Showa retro during Japan's Golden Week holidays
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Japanese entertainer Ken Matsudaira, top center, performs his song "Matsuken Samba II" wearing a gold outfit at the "Golden Matsuken Matsuri (Samba)" event at Seibuen Amusement Park in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, on April 26, 2025. (Mainichi/Koichiro Tezuka)
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SoraNews24
4 hours ago
- SoraNews24
Japan's mint chocolate season hits Family Mart with 14 new choco mint treats (and five superstars)
We taste-test the entire lineup of joy-inducing summertime blue-green sweets. We're at a special spot in Japan's seasonal sweets schedule right now: mint chocolate season. Unlike some supply-triggered flavors, like the abundance of sweet potato confectionaries in the fall, mint chocolate season is a demand-driven phenomena, as cravings for sweet treats overlap with the appeal of refreshingly cooling sensations (hence the mint) during Japan's hot and humid summer. Japanese convenience store chain Family Mart has gotten into the spirit of the season in a big way, releasing more than a baker's dozen of new mint chocolate sweets this week, which we, as dedicated dessert journalists, taste-tested ASAP. Let's take a look at all 14 as we lead up to our picks for the top five of the bunch. ● Mint Chocolate Roll Cake (180 yen [US$1.25]) Roll cakes, with a long strip of sponge cake is used to roll up a creamy filling, are a sweets staple in Japan, and here you get soft chocolate sponge around mint cream. ● Chocolate Mint-flavor Melon Bread (168 yen) Japan's melon bread doesn't actually have a fruity flavor, and instead gets its name from how its bumpy surface resembles a musk melon rind. Instead, melon bread is a half-sphere bun with a slightly crunchy cookie-like crust, and this one has mint whipped cream and chocolate chips at its core. ● Mint Chocolate Tart (190 yen) This one is for the mint chocolate experts out there, as the sharp mint notes contrast dramatically with the bitter chocolate crust, but if you can handle the combination, there's a lot to like here. ● Mint Chocolate Cookies (150 yen) In Japanese, these are called the Torokeru Choco Mint Cookies, with torokeru meaning 'melty.' While they don't exactly liquify, when you bite into them there's an initial touch of crispness which then gives way to a light airiness, so maybe a less literal translation like 'captivatingly crumby cookies' paints a better picture. ● Country Ma'am Mini Choco Mint (156 yen) Country Ma'am is a brand of bite-sized cookies made by Yokohama-based confectioner Fujiya, who knows a thing or two about making great cookies. Though Country Ma'am itself isn't exclusive to Family Mart, this special mint chocolate version is. ● Choco Mint Drink (258 yen) Family Mart's customary sweets lineup includes a chocolatey dessert beverage, and now they've added a splash of mint flavor to the recipe for a rich yet refreshing result ● Choco Mint Waffle Cone (338 yen) Mint chocolate ice cream is already something to get excited about, but when you put a scoop in a cocoa chocolate waffle cone and pour on chocolate sauce, it gets even better. ● Taberu Bokujo Choco Mint (278 yen) Taberu Bokujo, which translates to 'edible dairy farm,' straddles the line between ice cream and a milk shake, with Hokkaido-sourced milk, slushy cream base, and whipped cream on top. This is the brand's first time to do a mint chocolate flavor, and it's a stellar success, with the chocolate chips and cocoa cookie bits giving it some extra texture too. ● Gisshiri Manzoku Choco Mint (270) They aren't trying to be clever here, but this large-sized cup of mint chocolate ice definitely is both gisshiri ('stuffed full') and leaves us feeling manzoku ('satisfied'), showing that sometimes there's nothing wrong with taking the orthodox approach to sweets-based happiness. All of the items we've looked at so far tasted great, but now we come to the mint chocolate crème de la mint chocolate crème, with our taste-tester Yayoi Saginomiya's picks for the top five Family Mart mint chocolate sweets. 5. Chocolate Mint Crunch (198 yen) This one was a big, and happy, surprise. The cookie bits have a stimulating crunch that it feels great to chomp through, and combined with the sharp burst of strong mint, they're an excellent eye-opening pick-me-up to munch on if you feel your energy levels starting to sag at work in the late afternoon. 4. Chocolate Mint Flavor Steamed Cake (145 yen) Moist without being mushy, and with an excellent balance of mint and chocolate notes, this is everything a choco mint fan could want in a steamed cake, especially if you chill it in your fridge for a bit before eating. 3. Mint Chocolate Cream Puff (228 yen) Yes, there are flakes of chocolate mixed into the mint cream filling, but what really makes this work is the mint-streaked chocolate coating on the top half of the cream puff, which basically turns this into a delicious circular éclair. 2. Chocolate Mint Frappe (360 yen) Family Mart's Frappes are unique dessert beverages where you grab a cup that's partially filled with a frozen cream base from the freezer section, then bring it to a self-service machine near the register to add the milk that turns it into a drink. In the past they've offered matcha and Pokémon Frappes, and this new flavor is made with early-harvest peppermint, plucked before any flowers start to bloom among the plants' leaves and sully the purity of their flavor. Slushy, milky, sweet, and, of course, very minty, this one almost made it to the top of Yayoi's list, but that honor goes to… 1. Chocolate and Mint Chocolate Whip Cream Sandwich (375 yen) Yep, Family Mart made a mint chocolate sandwich! It's not quite as crazy a concept as it sounds, though. Fruit sandwiches, in which sliced fruit and whipped cream are used as sandwich fillings, are already a thing in Japan, so Family Mart has simply ditched the fruit to make room for more cream with mint and chocolate mixed in. Since they're using soft pieces of white bread with the crusts sliced off, there's no wheaty bitterness to get in the way, but with bread also being less sweet than cake, there's no other-source sugariness to obscure the pure deliciousness of the mint and chocolate, and Yayoi wholeheartedly recommends this dessert sandwich to all fellow members of the Mint Chococratic Party. The entire lineup is on sale at Family Mart now as part of the chain's Mint Chocolate Fair for an unspecified limited time, so you totally have our blessing to buy each and every one of them in a single shopping run like we did. Photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! [ Read in Japanese ]
The Mainichi
7 hours ago
- The Mainichi
BTS's 2nd chapter: What the future holds for the global phenomenon and their fans (Pt.1)
SEOUL (Mainichi) -- K-pop sensation BTS is making a comeback. The members, who had suspended group activities due to mandatory military service, have begun to be discharged from the military one by one. RM and V were discharged June 10, followed by Jung Kook and Jimin on June 11, while Suga's conscription is scheduled to end June 21. While it is said to take a few months of preparation for all seven members to resume activities together, fans worldwide are already eagerly anticipating the "second chapter" of their complete return. How will BTS's style, which has gained widespread empathy through its stories of growing up in adolescence, change from here? How will the global BTS fandom, known as the "army," respond? The group's agency has not announced future activity plans, leaving fans eager for more information. Ahead of this discharge rush, this Mainichi Shimbun reporter visited the research office of Hong Seok-kyeong, a leading expert on BTS and author of "BTS on the Road," at the Seoul National University's Center for Hallyu (Korean culture) Studies to discuss BTS's future. This interview will be published in two parts. Graduating from the growth story Question: BTS has sung about anxieties toward society and conflicts harbored during adolescence, garnering fervent support from fans worldwide. How will they change post-discharge? Answer: BTS's growth story, together with their agency Hybe Co., ended when they achieved global success. In South Korea, once someone returns from the military, they are treated as a full-fledged adult. They will graduate from the "story of adolescent growth" that pushed their immaturity to the fore and move toward an "independent adult world." Q: What does the narrative mean for the group? A: As I explain in my book, BTS excelled compared to other contemporary K-pop idols by showcasing their narrative in a multifaceted way across various media platforms. First, there is the fiction-filled world of BTS's songs and music videos. Second, there are the members' daily lives as seen on fan community platforms such as apps, which can be described as "the story of the team's growth." Third are the "real-life stories" of each member. Fans have traversed these layers, connecting the musical world with the personal stories of the members, identifying with them as if they were partners. Post-military service, they will probably still express their conflicts with society, but the storyline will likely shift from adolescent anxieties to independent adult narratives. Q: Will the personal stories of the members change as well? A: The emphasis will shift to solo activities, with team activities taking place in between, and individual independence and personality will be highlighted more than brotherly unity. I was surprised by J-Hope's transformation after his discharge. During a concert in Seoul in May as part of a world tour, he performed for two and a half hours with only three BTS songs and no guest appearances. I felt that he successfully established his own style. From being protected to freedom Q: As the BTS narrative changes, will the relationship with the "army" also change? A: One characteristic of K-pop culture is fans' desire to protect their artists. In the Korean entertainment industry, idols are often criticized for their comments on social media, and sometimes driven to suicide because they cannot bear such condemnation. The reason behind this is that the road to stardom is quite challenging. The "army" in particular wanted BTS to keep distance from political messages to avoid entanglement in the conservative-liberal conflict in South Korean politics. While aware the members aren't conservative, the fans had set limits to protect them from potential harm. The attitude has been, "Fans pave the way, so we want the members to fully engage in their activities and achieve success within it." This suggests a kind of contractual relationship between artists and fans. Q: Will BTS, as mature adults, graduate from being protected by fans? A: They will likely gain some freedom from their relationship with fans. While they may not make political statements against authoritarianism or engage in specific activities supporting LGBTQ rights, they might increasingly speak out on peace and environmental issues, especially as influencers living in South Korea, a divided nation. In particular, senior members like RM are expected to express their thoughts in their own voices. Meanwhile, the "army" might also change. The core demographic, similar in age to the members, will grow older while exploring styles with the artists. The key to BTS's future lies in how many new teenage fans they can attract in this "second chapter." It will be interesting to see how Jung Kook, the youngest, can expand his fan base to those younger than himself. (Japanese original by Akiko Horiyama, Foreign News Department) Profile: Hong Seok-kyeong was born in 1963. She specializes in communication studies. After completing her doctorate at Seoul National University (SNU), she earned a Ph.D. from Stendhal University (now University Grenoble Alpes). She served as an associate professor at the University of Bordeaux from 2000 to 2013 before becoming a professor at SNU in 2013. She was appointed the first director of the Center for Hallyu Studies in 2022. Between 2018 and 2019, she accompanied BTS on five legs of their world tour and interviewed 92 "army" fans, and has published the book "BTS on the Road."
Nikkei Asia
7 hours ago
- Nikkei Asia
Pokemon Go's Scopely on the hunt in Japan for gaming M&As
KAZUYUKI OKUDAIRA TOKYO -- Fresh off its acquisition of Pokemon Go's Niantic, U.S. gaming giant Scopely is looking to grow its relations with Japanese peers with lucrative intellectual property (IP) franchises. In an interview with Nikkei, Scopely co-CEOs Walter Driver and Javier Ferreira described their plans to increase investment in Pokemon Go and other games and to expand the company's presence in Japan, possibly through additional mergers and acquisitions.
