Latest news with #Ikuna
SoraNews24
9 hours ago
- SoraNews24
Searching for Japan's 'river of the dead' in Tottori Prefecture【Photos】
Legends say Sai no Kawara exists on the border between the realms of the living and the dead, but the map says it's in Tottori. Our Japanese-language reporter Ikuna Kamezawa was born and grew up in Tottori Prefecture, so it's a part of the country she's very familiar with. And yet, until recently, Ikuna had no idea that Sai no Kawara, the river of the dead, is in Tottori. First, a little cultural background. According to Japanese Buddhist tradition, Sai no Kawara is a river/riverbank that divides the worlds of the living and the dead. It's sort of like Greek mythology's River Styx, but Sai no Kawara is especially associated with the souls of children who die before their parents. On the riverbank, the souls of the children gather and are tasked with building stone stupa towers to earn salvation, but demons regularly come to knock the structures down before they can be completed, and the children can only persevere with the merciful help of the Jizo Bodhisattva. Ikuna can't recall having ever seeing any of those things during her days in Tottori, but when an acquaintance told her that Sai no Kawara is in her home prefecture, she was intrigued. So Ikuna whipped out her phone and fired up the map app, and sure enough, there it was in the town of Daisen, Sai no Kawara. ▼ 賽の河原 = Sai no Kawara But this only made Ikuna more confused. Daisen is where you'll find Mt. Daisen, the tallest mountain in west Japan. Ikuna has hiked the mountain and also visited the town at its base multiple times, and never knew the river of the dead was in the area until now. So Ikuna knew what she had to do: go back to Tottori and investigate. You can drive partway up Mt. Daisen, and the part near Daisenji Temple is a popular sightseeing spot. But since the map showed Sai no Kawara isn't on the drivable street network, Ikuna was going to have to go the rest of the way on foot. The path started out easy enough, but as she got farther away from the town, the smooth walkway began to get bumpier, and the path started a steady incline. Eventually the road turned into cobblestones, and then irregularly shaped rocks which had Ikuna wishing she'd chosen more outdoorsy footwear than a pair of stylish sandals. On the other hand, the scenery was beautiful. Though she was ostensibly headed towards the river of the dead, she was surrounded by lush plant life, with the trees' leaves a bright shade of green in the early summer sunlight. But while she saw plenty of picturesque forestland, Ikuna hadn't seen a river, so she stopped to check the map once again, only to find that she'd apparently already passed Sai no Kawara. Spinning around and heading back in the direction she'd come from, Ikuna kept an eye out for any sort of indicator of where she was supposed to turn off to get to Sai no Kawara, but she never saw one. However, when she got to this sign, located about six minutes on foot from Daisenji Temple and roughly halfway between it and Ogamiyama Shrine, her map app said she was very close to the river, and now she noticed something she hadn't when she'd passed by here before. There was a trail leading off from the main path. Now Ikuna really wished she'd worn hiking boots, or at least sneakers. With each step, she could feel buzzing bugs, sticky spider webs, or scratchy underbrush on her exposed toes. But still, she bravely pushed onward, and soon she could hear the sound of running water, telling her that she was getting closer to her destination. And Ikuna's courage and determination were rewarded when she passed through the last line of trees… …and arrived at Sai no Kawara! With Ikuna's reserves of bravery already depleted, she was glad to see there were no ghosts of demons here, just some lovely, tranquil scenery. And yet, this really is Sai no Kawara. There's even a sign marking it as such. So how did this place come to be known by that name? At some point in the region's history, it became a custom for parents whose children had passed away to visit this river. As mentioned above, at the Sai no Kawara in the realm of the dead, the children's efforts to construct stupas are constantly undermined by demos, so here in the world of the living, parents who came to this shoreline in Daisen would make stacks of stones for their children's sake, in hopes of providing them with comfort in the afterlife. It's a tradition that carries on to this day, and Ikuna did indeed see stacks of stones along the river, though she decided not to photograph them. However, visitors aren't discouraged from visiting this place, and Sai no Kawara has its own page on the official Mt. Daisen Tourism Guide website here, where it's listed as a historical site. Ikuna herself is fortunate enough to have never had to experience the sadness of losing a child, but seeing the stone stacks built by parents as a sign of love from parents to their children who've passed on left her with a deep sense of gratitude to her own mom and dad, and while her first thought after arriving back in town was to be happy that her toes were no longer at risk, her second was that she should give her parents a call and see how they're doing. 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 ]
SoraNews24
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- SoraNews24
An elegant and hefty cheeseburger bento awaits at the 'Japanese Costco' Lopia
It's so classy, you'll want to eat it with a knife and fork. There's a supermarket in Japan nicknamed the 'Japanese Costco' because much like its namesake, it sells very large quantities of food at bulk-discount prices. Its real name is Lopia, and our writer Ikuna Kamezawa often enjoys going there even though many of the things for sale are way too big for her to ever eat on her own. But this time, a certain cheeseburger bento caught her eye. It was large, but not too large, and only cost 1,078 yen (US$7.40), so she decided to take the meaty plunge. It was so big that she could barely fit it into her shopping bag and things only got worse as it started to rain while she walked home. She had to carry it very carefully too, for reasons we'll see in a moment. After getting home, she unveiled her Manpuku Burger Double Cheese and confirmed its size at about 25 centimeters (10 inches) in length. Popping the lid off we can see that the very fancy arrangement was why Ikuna had to carry it so carefully, and the sheer volume of it all was the reason it was priced a little more than a Big Mac combo. She felt kind of bad disturbing the elegant layout of her bento, but she had to take stock of what was inside before eating it. There was a double cheeseburger with two patties and two slices of cheese, some seasoned fries, and two breaded chicken filets. That photo might not do the size justice so she took some shots alongside a pack of matches for scale. Sure, a matchbox might not be the most universally understood comparison, but she was just so excited to eat this thing. ▼ Fries ▼ Chicken Filets ▼ Double Cheese Burger Ikuna turned her attention back to the cheeseburger and tried to reassemble it in a normal way. That's when she noticed something was off with the proportions of the bun and patties. She thought this must be some chic designer cheeseburger arrangement she'd never seen before. That might give the illusion Lopia is being chintzy with the meat, but rest assured they were good-sized beef patties. For a more understandable comparison, Ikuna placed a Yamazaki Bakery convenience store cheeseburger next to it. This store-bought burger selling for about 99 yen is slightly smaller than a McDonald's cheeseburger and the Lopia burger blows it out of the water. ▼ Lopia's burger ▼ Yamazaki's burger There were definitely some structural integrity issues with it though, so our writer opted to eat the whole thing with a knife and fork. A fancy burger like this deserves fancy eating utensils anyway. The hamburger patty wasn't juicy at all, but it was very dense and meaty. This texture might turn some burger aficionados off, but she felt kids would really go for it. There was also a sweet ketchup on it, but really the flavor of the beef stood out so much that she barely even remembers eating the cheese and bun. While it might not be for everyone, the taste of this burger bento was right up Ikuna's alley. Her only complaint — if you could call it that — was that it was too much for her to eat in one sitting. But for the price she paid, that's the kind of problem you'd want to have. In conclusion, she definitely recommends the Manpuku Burger Double Cheese for big eaters. Lopia can be a little random with their offerings, especially in the bento section, but Fridays are known as 'Fry Days' there which is when they usually go all out in that department so your best chance is to find it then. Happy hunting! 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 ]
SoraNews24
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- SoraNews24
Identity crises abound with the Okonomiyaki Burger from Lotteria and/or Zetteria in Osaka
Is it okonomiyaki or a burger and what is the name of this place? With the World Expo, a recent Pokémon Go Fest, and the overall surge in tourism to Japan, Osaka has become quite the bustling city recently. Many of our Tokyo-based writers have made the trip there, including Ikuna Kamezawa, who in addition to seeing the sights, also wanted to try some of the local cuisine. One particularly notable Osakan dish is okonomiyaki, which is a pile of cabbage and other ingredients like meat mixed in a batter and grilled into a pancake-like disk. It's such a classic meal that Ikuna is no stranger to it and wanted to try something different, which is when she found out that national fast food chain Lotteria was selling an Okonomiyaki Burger only in Osaka and only until October. She decided to check it out, but being a stranger in a strange land, the multi-level intertwining stations and shopping complexes of the downtown Namba area were very difficult to navigate, even with a smartphone map. Luckily, a kind security guard was able to send her the right way to… ▼ Ikuna: 'Zetteria?!' She double-checked the website on her phone which clearly said a Lotteria was in that location, but the sign in front of her also clearly said that this was Zetteria. The name 'Lotteria' is a combination of the parent company's name, Lotte, and the word 'cafeteria' whereas 'Zetteria' is 'cafeteria' plus the name of their main menu item, the Zeppin Burger. The logo and overall atmosphere of the restaurant was just like Lotteria, and the similar name would also suggest Zetteria is at least related to Lotteria somehow. But beyond that, Ikuna still wasn't sure what the difference between a Lotteria and Zetteria was. Apparently, this restaurant changed names sometime after the Okonomiyaki Burger was released last May, but as long as they were still serving it here, it would be fine by her. Inside, our reporter was relieved to see the limited-time item was available, so she bought it in a combo with a salad and Yuzu Lemon Soda for 860 yen (US$6). She opened the wrapper to her burger, which had a large 'OKONOMIYAKI' sticker that partially obscured the label indicating it was a hamburger, and found what appeared to be just okonomiyaki. She knew the buns were going to be actual okonomiyaki disks, but she expected them to be more mechanically produced into smooth, round shapes. These buns, however, had all the unevenness of actual okonomiyaki. Looking under the hood, she found a lightly fired egg, beef patty, some okonomiyaki sauce, and a little extra cabbage to go with the cabbage grilled into the buns. Biting into it, Ikuna realized there was also some pickled ginger to give it an added zing. The fried batter of the okonomiyaki buns felt softer and less full of cabbage than the real thing, but she liked it that way. She also wasn't sure if it was intentional, but the plumpness of the egg reminded her of shrimp, a very common okonomiyaki ingredient. Ikuna has certainly had her fair share of outlandish novelty burgers fast food chains often put out for promotion, but this one felt especially well crafted and really captured the authentic okonomiyaki feel. If there was one complaint, it would be that it was too much like actual okonomiyaki and hardly resembled a hamburger at all. It made her wonder why she shouldn't just get regular okonomiyaki instead. Still, there's something to be said for an okonomiyaki that you can eat with one hand. ▼ Ikuna noticed afterward that Zetteria had been following her… As filling as an okonomiyaki hamburger with egg sounds, our writer found herself still a little hungry afterward and also grabbed a Zeppin Chicken fried chicken breast for 290 yen. The breading was very crispy and nicely complemented the extremely tender meat inside. Overall, Ikuna felt that the Okonomiyaki Burger was good enough to be added to the regular menu, despite it barely registering as a hamburger. But unfortunately, it's only available for a limited period so next time you go to Osaka for one of its many events, be sure to stop by a Lotteria or Zetteria or whatever else they'll be calling themselves at that time. 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 ]
SoraNews24
30-05-2025
- General
- SoraNews24
The curious case of the pickled radish bread from Shiga Prefecture known as takuan pan
We sample the local specialty bread (or something like it?) that Shiga is famous for (and at least don't pan-ic in the process). Our Japanese-language writer Ikuna Kamezawa has always wanted to try Shiga Prefecture's famous local bread called sarada pan ('salad bread'). Unfortunately, when she visited the area last year, she wasn't able to buy any. She's even tried asking a friend from Shiga who sometimes visits Tokyo to bring her some, but it's just never quite worked out, especially when asking for a freshly baked loaf. It's somewhat ironic then that Ikuna's local market in Tokyo was having a 'breads from across Japan' campaign recently. She couldn't find sarada pan but she did find something called takuan pan ('pickled daikon radish break'), also from Shiga. Takuan refers to the bright yellow, tangy slices of pickled daikon that you'll often see as a side dish in a traditional Japanese meal. ▼ Takuan Sarada pan, by the way, is supposed to be a kind of bread roll with takuan inside of it. So what exactly is the difference…? ▼ Here's the takuan pan that she bought for 350 yen (US$2.46). The brand's name was Seiyoken, which has its headquarters in Otsu, Shiga (just to the east of Kyoto). Ikuna did a little Googling and learned that the company is over 100 years old. The old-style font on the packaging used for 'Seiyoken' contrasted with the curvy and more modern-looking font used for 'takuan,' which was the largest and most prominently displayed word on the wrapper. She had also bought two other Seiyoken breads, but these ones looked overall more retro in their appearance. Ikuna was curious if one kind of styling was more authentic to the Seiyoken image than the other. As luck would have it, her friend from Shiga just happened to be visiting at that time. After saying hi to each other, Ikuna cut right to the chase and asked her friend if she had grown up eating Seiyoken bread. Friend: 'Huh? Do you mean that Seiyoken…? They're famous for New Year's osechi meals, so I often see that name around the start of the new year. I had no idea they also sold bread. I think they usually focus on delivery bento.' Ikuna: 'Look at this bread carefully. Isn't this takuan pan super memorable? You've really never seen it? Try hard to remember.' Friend: 'Sorry…I really have no idea. Shiga's bread has gotta be sarada pan and that's it. Oh, besides that, Seiyoken often has job openings, so it might be famous among people in Shiga who are looking for part-time work, haha. But when it comes to the bread I unfortunately don't know anything.' Ikuna was slightly crushed, but she figured that there was nothing she could do if even a local wasn't familiar with it. However, she did a little more googling and stumbled upon a shocking realization. There was actually another company called Nanyoken (南洋軒)–only one kanji different from Seiyoken (西洋軒)–that is based in Kusatsu, Shiga Prefecture. Nanyoken specializes in bento, while Seiyoken specializes in bread. It was all a basic misunderstanding with her friend. Thank goodness Ikuna didn't share the incorrect information with the world! All of these emotional highs and lows had made her hungry, so she decided it was time to do a little taste-testing. She started with the bread that was simply called 'Triangle' (350 yen). It was hard to say if it had the consistency of bread or cake. There was some cream cheese sandwiched inside and the outer coating was like that of castella–not too sweet, but kind of like melon bread. There wasn't anything earthshattering about it but it was definitely the kind of thing that Ikuna craves every now and then. It also seemed like something that you should be able to find anywhere but at the same time wouldn't be able to find anything exactly like it. Next she moved onto the bread that looked kind of like a Vienna roll. But actually… …it was chikuwa pan ('fish cake bread') (350 yen)! A sign near it in the store had proclaimed that it was a super popular local savory bread. Ikuna's first impression was that this would be a weird one, but she ended up loving it. A little bit of tuna filled the hollow in the chikuwa, but if you didn't know, you might think it was a regular sausage. The bread itself was also sweet and fluffy. Finally, it was time to try the original object of Ikuna's intrigue–takuan pan. She was surprised to be hit by the smell of natto, fermented soybeans, as soon as she opened the packaging. That's far from what she had expected, and it was also off-putting since she's not a huge fan of natto. It definitely seemed like something fermented was inside. Perhaps the takuan, which wouldn't usually give off this kind of smell, was smoked. In fact, something–most likely the takuan–was dressed with mayonnaise in the center of the bread. Ikuna mentally prepared herself to take a small bite. Huh? Thankfully, it wasn't actually natto. The roll was on the sweet side and the filling was a mix of mayo and very finely chopped takuan, which made for a great balance of salty-sweetness. It wasn't anything that she would call insanely delicious, but she happily ate the whole roll. She could see though how people who have eaten it for a long time must really like it. While Ikuna still doesn't quite understand if sarada pan and takuan pan are the same thing, she can confidently recommend trying the local breads if you ever find yourself in Shiga. A trip to see the colors around Lake Biwa in autumn might just be the perfect excuse. All images © SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! [ Read in Japanese ]
SoraNews24
14-05-2025
- Business
- SoraNews24
Did you know? Japan's Freshness Burger chain sells crepes and gelato at very limited locations
We stumble upon a sweet surprise while shopping and naturally have to try out the new finds for ourselves. At the end of April, our Japanese-language reporter Ikuna Kamezawa was visiting IKEA in Tachikawa, Tokyo when she decided to also swing by the LaLaport Tachikawa Tachihi shopping mall for the first time since it's only a short walk down the road. It was during the Golden Week holidays, so she mentally prepared herself for the complex to be bustling with people and their families. However, that wasn't the case at all. In fact, it was the level of empty that she might see at a shopping mall on a weekday in her home prefecture of Tottori. The overall atmosphere was a bit gloomy, to be honest. As she walked around, she caught sight of Japanese burger chain Freshness Burger. She had almost walked completely by it when she realized that something felt off. ▼ Can you spot anything out of the ordinary here? You wouldn't be alone if you zoomed in on the crepes and had a sudden, temporary memory lapse like Ikuna did. ▼ 'Huh. Did Freshness Burger always have crepes…?' To make matters worse, Ikuna noticed one more detail that left her feeling less confident than ever in her sanity. ▼ 'There's gelato, too?!' She took a moment to collect herself and to think as rationally as possible. First off, Freshness Burger doesn't have as many locations as many other burger chains in Japan, so it's only natural that she would be a little foggier about the menu there. Ikuna turned to Google for answers and was shocked to discover, though, that in all of Japan, only seven Freshness Burger locations offer crepes on the menu. In fact, this branch that she was standing right in front of is the only one to sell them in Tokyo! In addition, she gleaned that only 11 locations offer gelato, including two in Tokyo. It was crazy to think that she had just randomly stumbled upon this incredibly unusual spot–the only one in all of Tokyo to sell both crepes AND gelato–without even looking for it. Of course, that meant that she had to seize the opportunity to sample both. The crepes ranged in price from 420 yen (US$2.90) for classic flavors like butter brown sugar or cinnamon brown sugar to 700 yen for specialty flavors like Amaou strawberry or tiramisu. The standard ones, comprising the bulk of the menu, fell somewhere in the middle range. Ikuna ordered a strawberry chocolate custard cream crepe for 570 yen and two scoops of gelato–bitter (dark) chocolate and royal bourbon (vanilla) flavors–for 490 yen. It was kind of funny–perhaps because they were rare offerings at a burger specialty chain, Ikuna had been half-expecting something to be slightly weird or off-putting about the pair. However, her first bite of the crepe informed her that it tasted just like your standard crepe. There was nothing spectacularly decadent about it, but it was on solid gastronomic ground. ▼ Nope–just your ordinary crepe ▼A nice shot with the Freshness Burger sign in the background However, the more she ate, she realized that this crepe was considerably moist. Compared to crepes that she might buy at specialty cafes that always had crispy edges to hold everything in place, this one seemed to be almost melting in on itself the more time passed. She could only guess that perhaps the crepe dough is the kind that's made in advance, but she apologies if she's wrong. As for the taste, it was actually amazing how much of the strawberry sweetness still came through despite being loaded up with whipped cream and chocolate. She also appreciated that the cream wasn't overly sweet. Everything about the crepe was fluffy, from its dough to its fillings, and she honestly thought that she could eat five of them without a problem. Its relativeness lightness made it a perfect choice for a post-hamburger sweet treat. Thankfully, however, she didn't have to order another one because she still had gelato. The dark chocolate flavor was incredibly rich to the point that it tasted like eating chocolate liquor. Conversely, the royal bourbon (vanilla) flavor was simple and light. She had selected two complementary flavors very naturally. To view a full list of Freshness Burger locations that serve crepes and gelato, please click here and here respectively. While Ikuna enjoyed her unexpected dessert discoveries, she wouldn't necessarily go out of her way to seek them out–which is why she thinks they'll be the perfect accompanying treat to look forward to whenever she visits the Tachikawa location of IKEA in the future. While she's at it, she might as well spring for some delicious and reasonably priced sushi in the area, too. Restaurant information Freshness Burger LaLaport Tachikawa Tachihi / フレッシュネスバーガーららぽーと立川立飛 Address: Tokyo-to, Tachikawa-shi, Izumi-cho 935-1 東京都立川市泉町 935-1 Open 10 a.m.-8 p.m. (weekdays), 10 a.m.-9 p.m. (weekends) Website All images © SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! [ Read in Japanese ]
