Latest news with #Glico
India.com
21-05-2025
- India.com
7 Must-Visit Places In Japan
Zee Media Bureau May 21, 2025 Fushimi Inari-taisha is a famous Shinto shrine located in Kyoto, Japan. It is dedicated to Inari, the deity of rice, prosperity, and business. The shrine is best known for its thousands of bright red torii gates that form scenic trails up Mount Inari. Founded in 711 AD, it serves as the head shrine for over 30,000 Inari shrines across Japan. Arashiyama is a scenic district on the western outskirts of Kyoto, Japan, known for its natural beauty, historic sites, and cultural charm. It is especially famous for the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, where tall bamboo stalks create a serene and otherworldly atmosphere. Meiji Jingu is a major Shinto shrine located in Tokyo, dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken, who played key roles in the modernization of Japan during the Meiji Restoration. Kiyomizu-dera is a historic and iconic Buddhist temple located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded in 778 AD, it is dedicated to Kannon, the goddess of mercy, and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto." Senso-ji is Tokyo's oldest and most famous Buddhist temple, located in the historic Asakusa district. It was founded in 628 AD and is dedicated to Kannon, the goddess of mercy. Dotonbori is a lively entertainment and nightlife district located in Osaka, Japan, along the Dotonbori Canal. Known for its bright neon lights, animated signboards (like the famous Glico running man), and street food, it's a must-visit destination for tourists Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden is a serene urban oasis nestled in the heart of Tokyo, Japan. Spanning 58.3 hectares, it harmoniously blends three distinct garden styles: Japanese traditional, French formal, and English landscape gardens. This fusion creates a tranquil retreat amidst the bustling cityscape Kinkaku-ji, also known as the Golden Pavilion, is a famous Zen Buddhist temple located in Kyoto, Japan. Officially named Rokuon-ji, it was originally built in 1397 as a retirement villa for the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, and later converted into a temple by his son. Read Next Story
Tokyo Reported
11-05-2025
- Tokyo Reported
Osaka City cordons off popular gathering spot for youths, delinquents amid opening of Expo
OSAKA (TR) – The area known as 'Gurishita' in the Minami entertainment district of Osaka City had been a popular gathering spot for young people, runaways and delinquents. That was until just before April 13, the day of the opening of the Osaka-Kansai Expo, which is now taking place Yumeshima, about 10 kilometers away. Just before the opening, Osaka City erected a 16.5-meter-long fence at a cost of approximately 16 million yen. It now cordons off the area under ( shita ) the Glico advertisement, from which Gurishita gets its name. Hundreds of foreign tourists often fill the Ebisubashi Bridge over the Dotonbori canal nearby, which was one reason for the erection of the fence. 'During the Osaka-Kansai Expo, many people from both inside and outside the country are expected to visit Minami,' the city said. 'As part of strengthening and raising awareness of environmental improvement efforts, we will prevent littering caused by people sitting under the bridge.' According to TBS News (May 10), the move highlights the fact that the troubled lives of some young people in the Kansai area are going unnoticed. Osaka City cordoned off Gurishita with a wall before the opening of Osaka-Kansai Expo on April 13 (X) Incidents When the network visited the area for an interview in August 2022, when there were few tourists in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, many young people had gathered, complaining that they had no place to stay at home or school. 'I get beaten when I go back to my parents' house,' one person said. 'That's why I ran away from home and stayed at my friend's house. But I've never been reported missing.' Many incidents involving these young people take place. Last month, Osaka Prefectural Police announced the arrest of three men for allegedly recruiting an underage girl from Gurishita and forcing her into prostitution. Two months before that, police arrested a 59-year-old man for allegedly kidnapping a runaway high school boy and taking him to his home. 'I wish adults wouldn't get involved with Gurishita anymore,' one young persons says. 'We all know it's wrong to gather here. But this is the only place we can gather. It's really a place to belong.' 'Floating on the water' Three years later, things are different. Since the installation of the wall, the scenery of Gurishita has changed completely. There are hardly any young people to be seen. One young person tells the network that they have moved about 400 meters away, to a place called 'Floating Garden.' 'Probably because it seems to be floating on the water,' one young person says regarding origin of its name. There are no foreign tourists in the area. It is quiet and still. For the young people here, each of them has their own complicated circumstances for what brought them to wander the streets. 'They've been abused, they have no place to go, they can't go to school, they're socially awkward and can't get along with the other kids, they can't study so they get bullied,' one young person says. 'I wish [the city] would made a place for them to go instead of building a wall.' After the reporter asks if the young people here will look for another place if a wall is also erected here, the young person says, 'That's probably it. Because they don't have a place to go and they're here looking for help, aren't they? They're not here just to make noise and cause trouble, they're here looking for help.' 'If my drugs are confiscated, I'll jump off a building' The reporter notes that young people, both male and female, come to the Floating Garden one after another. The scene is the same as what the network saw three years ago at Gurishita. The reporter notes that the police are already aware of the existence of the Floating Garden. However, no matter how many times the young people are taken into protective custody, they keep coming back. It's a game of cat and mouse. The reporter finds that several people are taking sleeping pills prescribed for insomniacs, which poses the risk of addiction. 'Aren't your parents worried?' the reporter asks one person. 'No. They've given up,' the person says. 'I say things like, 'If my drugs are confiscated, I'll jump off a building.'' The questioning continues: Reporter: 'Why did you come here?' Young person: 'Escaping reality. Overdosing is also escaping reality.' Reporter: 'Is there a reality you want to escape from?' Young person: 'Yes.' Reporter: 'What do you want to escape from?' Young person: 'I can't live with normal people. I can't live with the kids who go to middle school or activity clubs like normal.'
SoraNews24
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- SoraNews24
Fatal flop or fun? What is the 2025 World Expo in Osaka really like?
Let's compare what's being said on the Internet to what's really going on. In the weeks leading up to the 2025 Osaka-Kansai World Expo, a lot has been said about the event being poorly planned, over budget, and even hazardous. Osaka Mayor Osaka Governor Hideyuki Yokoyama alluded to a concerted effort to bash the event for either financial or political gain. Meanwhile, Osaka Governor Toru Hashimoto has been spending his online time confronting the chorus of complaints about the event, most notably from Mayor Fusaho Izumi of Akashi City in neighboring Hyogo Prefecture, who called the Expo and its signature Grand Ring 'the waste of the century.' Reading all this from the comfort of my home made me wonder who to believe. Negative press aside, I wasn't really motivated to go to the Expo myself, mainly because there wasn't any especially big draw. The flying car seemed destined to be the centerpiece for a while but got scaled way down to a simple viewing and occasional test flight demonstration. Left without an aim there, I couldn't really justify the 7,500 yen (US$52) admission. ▼ Sure, flying cars are essentially just helicopters or large drones, but I wanted to go up in one damnit… As luck would have it, an opportunity came when I covered Japanese candy maker Glico's exhibits and announcements there recently and I also had some time to go around and really take in what the Expo is and how well it lives up to the negative hype going around online. So, let's look at some of the common complaints. ● No One is Going Leading up to the opening, there was some speculation over whether the 2025 Expo could meet its goal of 28.2 million visitors, which would boil down to about 150,000 visitors per day. Since the organizers reported their one-millionth visitor on the 13th day after the expo opened, that would put them at a little under 80,000 per day, and even with that, there was some speculation that the numbers were being inflated. It's hard to estimate numbers from being there, but it was definitely a busy place. I arrived early in the morning and the train was packed. The crowd streaming out of the station was pretty similar to what Mr. Sato saw on the opening day as well. ▼ When Mr. Sato went on 13 April ▼ When I went on 30 April Because of this, the lineups to a lot of the bigger pavilions were substantial, and without a reservation anyone's chances of getting in are slim to none. On the other hand, the circular layout made it so people never bottlenecked anywhere and it was pretty easy to get around despite the large number of people. Most places had a rather spacious feeling. One thing worth noting is that World Expo attendance historically increases as time goes on, with the final weeks being the busiest as FOMO kicks in. For example, the record-breaking attendance of the Shanghai Expo didn't peak until mid-October, more than five months after it opened. So, even if Osaka is underperforming now, that could easily change in the future. Unfortunately, that might also change the not-so-crowded feeling I just mentioned. ● The Grand Ring is the Waste of the Century I might as well address Mayor Izumi's famous comment too. Initially, I wasn't blown away by the whole ring idea. Despite it being a world-record-breaking architectural accomplishment (recognized by the Guinness organization as the world's largest wooden architectural structure), traditionally built wooden structure, it is, at its core, just a big ring made out of wood. Upon seeing it firsthand, my suspicions were correct. It is indeed a big ring made of wood. That's really about it. ▼ Wood underneath… ▼ More wood on top… There's some grass on top too, and it offers a nice view of the ocean on one side along with a not-so-nice view of Osaka on the other side. I'm not trashing the Osaka skyline and think it's actually quite nice. It's just that from the ring's angle and distance it doesn't look all that hot. The ring is about two kilometers (1.2 miles) around so it would take about 10 to 20 minutes to walk a full lap. Because of this, I think they really should have put more thought into the designs of the tops of the pavilions. From most angles, the inside of the ring just looks like a cluster of nondescript buildings. ▼ Most angles are not especially great. The Italy pavilion looks way better from the ground. ▼ But there are a few sweet spots where you can get a nice shot, thanks to the Turkmenistan, Austria, and Switzerland pavilions looking nice from above. On the other hand, it does get really pretty when the sun sets. When I was there, a large crowd gathered on the ocean side to watch it. ▼ The sun setting from the far side of the ring ▼ If you zoom in, you can even see the dots of people gathering around it. The size of the ring could make for some really good forced perspective shots with a nice enough camera. Another big benefit of the Grand Ring is that when I went underneath it, the temperature must have dropped around five to 10 degrees thanks to the shade and channeled ocean breeze. There are also a lot of benches and some free water dispensers. I'm not sure how well this will hold up when the full force of summer hits, but it definitely helps. It also acts as a symbol for the event. Gov. Hashimoto described it as containing so many different countries, some of whom are currently at war with each other, all in the same confined space and working together peacefully. In that sense too, the Grand Ring can be seen as a good representation of the event itself. So, I wouldn't go nearly as far as saying the Grand Ring is the 'waste of the century', but as the centerpiece of the event, they could have put a little more into the experience of being on it. ● It's Going to Explode! Hmmm… There's not much I can say about that since I didn't blow up personally, nor have their been any explosions reported aside from that one that happened long before the expo opened. The landfill underneath the Expo emitting methane gas has been the cause for some visitor cancelations, but I have to think they are taking that matter as seriously as possible for the simple fact that a deadly explosion would be really bad for business. ▼ Water does periodically erupt from fountains inside the ring that are projection mapped on at night. Then again, Governor Hashimoto does remind me a little of that mayor in Jaws who refused to close the beaches despite the threat of a giant shark. If they really want to put these worries to rest, full transparency about what they are doing to channel the methane gas away from the venue safely would be a really good idea. ● They're Hanging Boulders over the Restrooms! I must say that is a complete fabrication. The boulders are hanging over an information center and some vending machines. The restrooms are located safely next to it. There were also some complaints that the restrooms lacked privacy, with configurations like child toilets with no stalls. I did notice a few facilities that seemed a little lax on privacy, and it did feel a little out of place at an event meant to showcase cutting edge culture and technology. But there were also many options for restrooms and I was never too far from one with more sufficient privacy if it bothered me. ● Stuff there is too expensive! Yup, that one is absolutely correct. I'd wager that everything I saw from food to souvenirs was about three to five times their price outside the venue. Acrylic keychains sold for about 850 yen ($6) and one food court was advertising a small plate of octopus balls for 900 yen as if someone would walk past that and say, 'Wow! What a deal!' ▼ For comparison, you could easily get octopus balls for around 300 yen in various places around Osaka. The one positive I noticed was that bottled water and other drinks from vending machines we not horrifically overpriced. I saw bottled water for only 130 yen, which is higher than the average Osaka vending machine but not as bad as places like Universal Studios Japan. However, that could be because they're competing with free water from the dispensers. Overall, I don't think the 2025 Osaka-Kansai World Expo deserves a lot of the flack it's getting for its attendance and construction. It does, however, deserve the flack for being overpriced. Sure, these premium prices are common for such events, but to truly represent Osaka, respect for the sacred bargain that the city is known for ought to be upheld too. Regarding whether it's worth buying a ticket for, that would also depend how interesting you'd find the things to see and do there, which I'll also cover in an article coming very soon. Photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
SoraNews24
02-05-2025
- Health
- SoraNews24
Pocky maker Glico talk about their cellular regeneration breakthrough and new candy at Expo 2025
Keep your cells healthy and young so you can eat more candy. There is perhaps no more iconic Osakan company than Ezaki Glico. Even if you've never heard of the name, it's almost certain you've heard of their globally famous snack Pocky, and if you've seen any image of Osaka it probably contains their giant illuminated sign towering over the Dotonbori River. So, it's only natural that they too would take part in the Osaka-Kanasi World Expo, and I was able to head over and see what they were cooking up for the future of food and candy. Glico doesn't have their own pavilion there but have teamed up with several other companies for the Osaka Healthcare Pavilion: Nest for Reborn and Earth Mart Pavilion. The Osaka Healthcare Pavilion is certainly worth making a reservation for if you head out to the Expo. It has a neat concept where you get a personal health report from sensors which also generate a look at yourself 50 years in the future. The specific exhibits change over time and when I went there was a collab with The Game of Life where your 50-years-older self can become a player in the game. ▼ The Osaka Healthcare Pavilion One such exhibit you'll see along the way was set up by Glico to announce their recently patented ingredient that they believe can curb the aging process better than any before it. To accomplish this, they looked at ways to deal with senescent cells, which are cells that have damaged DNA by factors like stress, poor lifestyle, or UV rays and can't reproduce. When we're younger, our immune systems are able to completely destroy senescent cells and make room for healthier ones. However, as we age our immune systems weaken and senescent cells are produced at a higher rate, which is why I always go 'oooourgh…' when I stand up now. To put it more simply, the effects of aging such as poor memory, eyesight, strength, and just about everything else are caused by an increasing excess of senescent cells, so researchers with Glico set out to find substances that would assist our immune system in destroying these cells to slow down, and potentially even reverse, the aging process. They tested some 6,000 ingredients on senescent cells and found the Persian silk tree ( Albizia julibrissin ), a plant sometimes used in Japanese and Chinese teas, as the most effective. In testing, they found that extract of the Persian silk tree flower caused an additional 20-percent decrease in a sample of senescent cells over 52 hours while having no adverse effects on normal cells. ▼ A sample of Persian silk tree powder was on display at a press conference held by Glico at the Expo. ▼ The exhibit showcases some of the ingredients tested, the process of extracting active compounds, and an animated simulation of their effect on senescent cells. From here, human trials will be conducted to confirm its effectiveness and further understand the mechanisms at play. If successful, development of this substance as a food ingredient will begin and hopefully will be introduced as a part of commercial products before too long. By the way, these results are expected to apply to all kinds of cells from brain to skin and muscles, you name it. The Earth Mart Pavilion takes guests on a tour of food and its connection with our lives with a lot of multimedia exhibits like an eerily lifelike 3D CGI sushi chef that's almost holographic and serves up digital nigiri. In Glico's area, there's a display of foods they gave official mock-ups of based on the imaginations of 5th and 6th graders. It's a very Wonka-esque experiment in pure imagination, but unfortunately, many of these concepts will never come to fruition because they rely heavily on magic, such as Angel Chocolate that has wings and makes people who eat it do good things like pick up trash on the street. I do rather like the Watermelon of the Future which has candy instead of seeds and is fortified with nutrients. Right next to this is the Earth Foods 25 exhibit, which showcases the same number of quintessential Japanese foods that could be used to improve the future of food worldwide. Go ahead and challenge your knowledge of Japanese food by seeing if you can name them all. We'll put the answers at the end of this article. All along the walls surrounding this dinner-table-like display is more information about these 25 ingredients and how they can be used in delicious, healthy, and convenient foods. And in the theme of Earth Foods 25, Glico took it upon themselves to craft a soft candy made almost entirely from Earth Food #1: Rice. It's about as perfect an example of 'easier said than done' as you can find though, since creating that same texture and sweetness of a chewy candy using only rice-based ingredients is a gigantic handicap. In the end, they came up with a candy made of only five ingredients: rice syrup, sugar, rice flour, rice protein, and rice bran oil. At the moment, these candies are only on display but are planned to be handed out at Earth Mart around the middle of May. However, I was lucky enough to have gotten a sneak taste of these things courtesy of Glico. In Japanese, it's called a 'caramel' but that's more in comparison to the soft and chewy texture of typical caramel candies rather than the flavor. In English, they will be called 'soft candies' to avoid any confusion. That being said, it does taste a lot like a caramel, only with a milder sweetness that's also a little cleaner tasting. The texture is almost exactly the same but it doesn't have the slight sharp flavor that caramel has. I'd probably describe it as a cereal-flavored caramel, and there's certainly nothing wrong with that. Unfortunately, it seems that this is a concept candy with no plans for a commercial release as of this writing. This means that the only way you'll be able to try it is by going to the Earth Mart pavilion at Expo 2025 from late May and while supplies last. Luckily, because this is a relatively smaller pavilion, it doesn't have any of the crazy lineups that other places at the expo do, making it a great quick stop with some free candy to boot. Photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! Answers to the 25 foods: Rice flour, mochi, soy milk, Koya-dofu (freeze-dried tofu), anko, daikon, wasabi, Japanese pepper, kanpyo, konnyaku, matcha, citrus (yuzu, daidai, kabosu, sudachi), umeboshi, shiitake & dried shiitake, kombu (kelp), seaweed, agar, fugu (pufferfish), surimi (fish paste), dried bonito, koji, sake & mirin, soy sauce & miso, tsukemono (pickled vegetables)
