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Japan Today
3 days ago
- Japan Today
Japanese hotel offering sports car 'touge' tours, no Japanese-language ability required
By Casey Baseel, SoraNews24 A pretty clear indication that some aspect of Japanese culture has started captivating people overseas is when the Japanese-language term for it starts getting used by fans and aficionados in other parts of the world too. We've seen it happen in entertainment media with words such as anime and cosplay, in culinary circles with concepts like umami and omakase, and among automotive enthusiasts with the term touge. Touge translates as 'mountain pass,' and as such is a word that's been part of the Japanese language for centuries. In the modern era, though, touge is strongly associated with winding mountain roads in Japan that attract sports car drivers, not so much as a way to get to the other side of the mountain, but for the fun and excitement of driving the road and admiring the views. With touge gaining traction as a word used among the international Japanese sports car fan community, it's probably a safe bet that a lot of foreign travelers staying at Japan's Fuji Speedway Hotel in the tow of Oyama, Shizuoka Prefecture, have heard the word and have dreamt of one day doing a touge drive in Japan, so that's exactly what the hotel is offering with a special driving tour, and they'll even provide a suitable JDM car. The four-hour experience offers drivers two routes, each approximately 130 kilometers in length. The first takes you over to border to Kanagawa Prefecture's Hakone Turnpike, regarded as one of the premier touge holy grounds. In addition to the Hakone Turnpike, the Lake Yamanakako and Anest Iwata Turnpike Hakone route takes you through the Myojin Pass, past the Mount Taikanzan Observatory, and around Mount Mikuni. You'll also have a chance to see stunning views of nearby Mount Fuji and Lake Yamanakako. The other route, Fuji Five Lakes and Oshino Hakkai, takes you from the hotel around the north side of Mount Fuji and into the lake region, plus makes a stop to stretch your legs at either the Fugaku Wind Cave or Narusawa Ice Cave. For the drive, you'll be provided with a Toyota GRMN Yaris. A high-tuned limited-production variant of the already high-tuned limited-production GR Yaris hot hatch, only 500 GRMN Yarises were built, and none of them were sold in the U.S. Though it may not have muscle car-level torque, the GRMN Yaris is a light, nimble, rev-happy rally-style car for the street, which should make it extremely fun for a touge run. Of course, it can be confusing and unnerving to drive in a country where you haven't spent much time behind the wheel before, to say nothing of the unpleasant possibility of getting lost in the Japanese countryside. But the Fuji Speedway Hotel's touge tours address these concerns with an experienced guide who's trilingual in Japanese, English, and French who drives in a lead car, with tour participants caravanning behind him. The guide also provides information about local sights when the group stops at scenic lookout points along the route. ▼ Fuji Speedway Hotel Naturally, you will need a valid driver's license (either a Japanese or international license) in order to participate in the tour, and must also be 21 years old or older. Eligibility is further limited to Fuji Speedway Hotel guests who have booked a stay in a suite or villa or who are staying in another type of room but have booked a spa treatment of 90 minutes or more. The touge tours carry a cost of 65,000 yen, which includes all highway tolls and parking/facility usage fees. Reservations for the tours can be made online here. Related: Fuji Speedway Hotel Source, images: PR Times Read more stories from SoraNews24. -- Biking around Tama Lake: A super-easy, super-relaxing afternoon getaway from downtown Tokyo【Pics】 -- Pre-dawn photo of Mt. Fuji looks almost too beautiful to be real -- Japanese hotel offering 183-night stay plan for an incredibly low price External Link © SoraNews24
Japan Today
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Japan Today
Landmark Akihabara arcade, opened by Sega over 30 years ago, announces sudden closure
By Casey Baseel, SoraNews24 It's been a tumultuous couple of years for the arcade industry in Japan. Not even the otaku mecca of the Akihabara neighborhood is completely buffered, as it's been announced that one of the Tokyo neighborhood's oldest 'game centers,' as arcades are called in Japanese, will be closing and very soon. Back in the early '90s, Sega was riding high, as a developer of not just video game software, but hardware too, producing home consoles, handheld systems, and arcade machines. In 1992, it opened High-tech Land Sega Shintoku on a corner of Chuo-dori, the main street of Akihabara. The entire multi-story building was one huge arcade, eventually changing its name to Club Sega Akihabara and then Sega Akihabara Building 1. Sega's fortunes later faded and the company made the decision to pare back its operations and focus on software production and publishing, stepping out of the home hardware arena in 2001 and finally selling off its arcade management business at the end of 2021. That didn't result in the shuttering of all of its arcades, however, as new owner Genda has continued operating many of them under its GiGO brand, including the former Sega Akihabara Building 1, now called GiGO Akihabara Building 1, which had the distinction of being Sega's longest-operating whole-building sized arcade at the time of its sale. But now the end is coming for GiGO Akihabara Building 1, and it's coming very quickly. On Tuesday, Genda announced that the landmark arcade will be closing down permanently at the end of August. In its press release, Genda says the reason for the arcade's closure is that its lease is expiring. No details have been given over whether negotiating for a new lease was an option or not, but the company says that after GiGO vacates the building the company Matahari Entertainment will be coming in to set up an 'amusement facility.' Matahari is also involved in arcade management, but its chain, called Silk Hat, closed one of its most well-known arcades not too long ago. Taking that into consideration, Matahari might be moving in with its Baa@se brand of karaoke/darts bar/Internet cafe facilities instead, or perhaps is developing a new concept specifically for the Akihabara location. Regardless of what comes next, though, GiGO Akihabara Building 1's last day will be August 31. Source: PR Times, Matahari Entertainment Read more stories from SoraNews24. -- Sega's old arcades are making money again as new owners announce 3.175-billion yen profit -- Sega's old arcade right outside Akihabara Station is closing, taking takeout cafe stand with it -- Sega successor opens new arcade with a regional craft beer bar inside it External Link © SoraNews24
Japan Today
4 days ago
- Business
- Japan Today
Japanese-style strawberry sandwiches win mainstream fans in UK, but aren't quite like the originals
By Casey Baseel, SoraNews24 Japanese food has made some impressive international inroads in recent years. Turning up your nose at sushi because you're uncomfortable with the idea of eating raw fish is now likely to get your foody credentials questioned in most countries around the globe, as is still thinking that ramen is limited to instant-variety noodles. So what's the latest incredible edible wonder from Japan to become a big hit overseas? Fruit sandwiches, which have now reached a major milestone in the UK. Fruit sandwiches, filled with cream and colorful slices of fruit, have been a thing at Japanese sweets shops and convenience stores for many years (the above photo is one we took at a cafe in Japan). It's only in the past few years, though, that they've really started attracting attention from visiting foreign tourists, whose cravings for the treats remain strong after returning to their home countries, and whose social media photos of the fruit sandwiches they ate in Japan have even non-travelers curious to try them too. Seeing the surge in interest, UK retailer Marks & Spencer has made an addition to its M & S Food line, and is now offering its own Japanese-inspired fruit sandwiches, as shown in the video below. The Red Diamond Strawberry and Creme Sandwich went on sale in late June, and the chain says that they've already sold more than 83,000 of them, with individual branches often selling out before the day is done. Priced at 2.9 pounds, which converts to roughly 570 yen, they're a little more expensive than fruit sandwiches have usually been at Japanese convenience stores, but within the realm of what specialty shops in Japan charge for them. Marks & Spencer's fruit sandwiches may not be the first of their type available in the UK, but previous examples have been at Japanese or Asian specialty stores. The Red Diamond Strawberry and Creme Sandwich appears to be the first fruit sandwich offered by a major mainstream retailer with no focus on Asian foodstuffs in particular, showing that the concept is catching on even with shoppers outside the Japanophile and international traveler demographics. However, like we mentioned above, Marks & Spencer's strawberry sandwich is inspired by the ones in Japan, which is to say that it's not exactly the same. For one thing, though it's cut into two triangular pieces, as is the style in Japan, Marks & Spencer leaves the crusts on, instead of slicing them off like stores in Japan do. The Red Diamond Strawberry and Creme Sandwich is made with a sweetened bread, and while it's not as sugary as sponge cake, it's still a departure from the ordinary white sandwich bread used to make fruit sandwiches in Japan. Finally, while more fruit sandwiches in Japan have whipped cream as a filling, Marks & Spencer uses a whipped cream cheese, which would explain why one UK local in the video above says the flavor reminds her of cheesecake. So maybe we could say that the Red Diamond Strawberry and Creme Sandwich is sort of like a dessert analogy for the California Roll or Tempura Crunch Roll, a variation on a Japanese idea that's finding fans overseas, and might have found enough to stick around for a long time. Source: TBS News Dig via Hachima Kiko, BBC Read more stories from SoraNews24. -- Japanese cafe serves up fruit sandwiches like nowhere else -- U.K. Pavilion at Japan World Expo responds to complaints about shabby afternoon tea quality【Videos】 -- Our Japanese language reporter visits a U.K. sushi chain, is blown away by its original 'sushi' External Link © SoraNews24
Japan Today
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Japan Today
TeamLab opening amazing outdoor art exhibit at one of Japan's more uniquely beautiful gardens
By Casey Baseel, SoraNews24 Mifuneyama Rakuen is a fascinating place. 180 years ago, the local samurai lord commissioned a garden to be created near the foot of Mt Mifuneyama in the town of Takeo, Saga Prefecture, but rather than being a closed-off green space, the garden's borders blend seamlessly into the surrounding forest and mountain trails, resulting in the natural and man-made beauty mixing and complementing each other. As such, it's hard to think of a more fitting venue for the artists of TeamLab, who use digital techniques and colorful illumination to craft installations that speak to visitors on a primordial, emotional level. Opening later this month is A Forest Where Gods Live, TeamLab's annual nighttime exhibition held at Mifuneyama Rakuen. Now in its 11th year, the event invites visitors to stroll though the grounds after sundown and experience a number of innovative and breathtaking works of art. Drawing on the Water Surface Created by the Dance of Koi and Boats, for example, turns the surface of Mifuneyama Rakuen Pond into an interactive canvas, projecting koi made of light onto the water. These digital fish have no predetermined paths, but instead react to each other and the boats the skim across the lake, leaving trails of color behind them to create an ever-changing design. Mifuneyama Rakuen's azalea field dates back to the garden's opening in 1845. For the Life is Continuous Light installation, each bush has its own source of light that shines and fades, as though the plants are taking deep breaths. As visitors walk by, their colors change and spread out to other azaleas in the array. The light from the azaleas also resonates with Mt Mifuneyama itself, which stands beyond them and responds visually to what's happening in Life is Continuous Light. The forest's cherry and maple groves will also have reactive illuminations, which are sure to be enchanting whether you're walking beneath the branches or viewing the woods from above. And while this might look like a waterfall… …it's actually a digital projection of light doing an amazing job of recreating the flow of cascading liquid. This is just a portion of what TeamLab has planned for A Forest Where Gods Live, and it's sure to be an unforgettable way to spend a night. Tickets are priced at 1,800 yen for adults and can be reserved online through the TeamLab website here. The event opens on July 18 and runs until November 3, so even if you can't make it this summer, you can double up with two TeamLab events this fall. Source: TeamLab, PR Times Insert images: TeamLab, PR Times Read more stories from SoraNews24. -- Japan's beautiful TeamLab art group opening its first permanent immersive museum in Kyoto【Video】 -- Japanese hotel's amazingly beautiful lobby is interactive art that changes with the seasons【Pics】 -- Amazing new exhibits from Japanese art team TeamLab coming to life in the U.S.A. External Link © SoraNews24
Japan Today
6 days ago
- Business
- Japan Today
Restaurant payment app starts its second attempt to make tipping a thing in Japan
By Casey Baseel, SoraNews24 Many would say that along with delicious food and great service, no tipping is right up there among the best parts about restaurant dining in Japan. However, one cashless payment provider wants to play a role in changing that last part, and now includes a prompt encouraging customers to leave a tip. Tokyo-based Dinii actually has two different tipping systems, with the second being added this past May. It introduced its first take on tipping, called 'Oshi Support,' in 2020, but that works a little differently than the sort of tipping conventionally seen in American restaurants. Taking a cue from Japanese idol culture in which ardent fans support their favorite performer (oshi) through extra spending, Dinii's Oshi Support allows customers to look at a list of profiles for the restaurant's waitstaff and use it to select an extra payment to be given to the server of their choice. Dinii's new system, simply called 'tipping,' instead prompts users to select a percentage-based addition to their bill, which goes to the restaurant. ▼ Dinii's tip selection screen, with options ranging up to 25 percent Image: PR Times Dinii is usable at about 3,000 restaurants in Japan, and the company says that around 13 percent of those make use of the service's new tip payment option. Though tipping is largely recognized in Japan as originating in foreign dining cultures, Dinii says that its data shows a fairly even split between Japanese and non-Japanese users of its new tip function, based on user language settings, with an overall 56 percent Japanese/43 percent foreigner breakdown (though 61 percent of tippers in the Kansai area, around Osaka and Kyoto, are non-Japanese). That doesn't mean, though, that Japanese customers are as eager to start tipping as their overseas counterparts. Dinii's statistics about the tipper nationalities don't mean very much without comparing them to the nationalities of the service's total users. As a Japan-based service without much recognition internationally, it's likely a safe bet that the majority of Dinii's users are Japanese, and so roughly half of tippers being foreigners likely means that far less than 50 percent of the total number of Japanese users are leaving tips. As for the Oshi Support system, through which one waitress says she was given 70,000 yen in a single month, by co-opting fan jargon and working through perusable profiles, one could make the argument that it's actually closer to the parasocial transactions of host/hostess bars or online influencer donations, where the extra payment has less to do with skillful service and more a desire to support a presumed personal connection. There are a few other factors to also take into consideration regarding the decision to tip or not in Japan. First, many restaurants in Japan already include a tip substitute in the form of something called otoshi, a small appetizer that is served to customers without them ordering it and must be paid for. Otoshi portions are small and their ingredients usually inexpensive, and they're priced to boost the restaurant's profit margin a little extra beyond the food and drinks that customers actually order. It's also not unusual for bars and fancy restaurants in Japan to have a seating/table charge built into the bill. Finally, with tipping not being a common practice at restaurants in Japan, concepts such as the waitstaff pooling and splitting their tips, or a portion of the tips also going to the kitchen staff, may or may not be in place, depending on the establishment. It's also worth pointing out that part of the way Dinii presents its tip option runs counter to a belief in Japanese society. The text above the tip percentage options reads 'Let's show appreciation with a tip. A special thank you for special service.' To diners in Japan, though, good service isn't supposed to be 'special,' it's the norm, and something the restaurant should provide as a matter of course, so hopefully attempts to wedge tipping into dining out in Japan won't erode that part of its culture. Source: PR Times, Mainichi Shimbun via Yahoo! Japan News via Jin Read more stories from SoraNews24. -- All you need to know about Japan's unasked-for restaurant appetizers that you have to pay for -- Japanese restaurant chain installs tip boxes in response to foreign tourists leaving tips, sparks debate -- Tipping in Japan: Yes, It Exists and It's Confusing External Link © SoraNews24
