Latest news with #OsakaWorldExpo
Japan Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Japan Today
Beyond matcha sweets: Japan's favorite katsu sandwich maker releasing matcha pork cutlet sandwich
By Casey Baseel, SoraNews24 It might be hard to believe, but matcha sweets are, for the most part, actually a relatively recent addition to the Japanese culinary scene. Yes, green tea ice cream has been a thing for a long time, and a handful of traditional Japanese confectionaries used matcha, but for the most part matcha was a beverage, not a flavoring. Of course, modern Japanese society has now fully embraced all sorts of sweet matcha treats. But what about using matcha as a seasoning for something savory? Image: Maisen Maisen is a Tokyo pork cutlet restaurant that was founded in 1965, which also has pre-prepared takeout shops in some Japanese department stores' food sections. One of their biggest hits is their hire katsu (pork tenderloin cutlet) sandwich, pictured above. This summer they're offering a new version, created in partnership with tea-brand Iemon (part of the Suntory group): a katsu sandwich made with matcha. Image: PR Times The cutlet itself is the same deep-fried slice of tenderloin that Maisen fans know and love, but the soft, crustless bread is matcha infused, with Iemon green tea powder kneaded into the dough before baking. Maisen promises a refreshing green tea flavor and aroma as you bite into the bread, and even the sweet and savory katsu sauce that's poured on the cutlet slices is a special matcha version made just for this collaboration. Image: PR Times Maisen's Iemon Hire Katsu Sandwich goes on sale June 1, priced at 540 yen. In recognition of the Iemon brand's Uji/Kyoto Prefecture roots, it'll be available at the Maisen branches in the Kyoto Daimaru, JR Kyoto Isetan, Kyoto Porta department stores/shopping centers, and will also be coming to the Osaka World Expo via a Maisen food truck, though there's no exact date announced for that yet. Meanwhile, here in Tokyo we'll be keeping our fingers crossed and our stomachs growling that this special sandwich eventually makes its way to east Japan too. Source: Maisen, PR Times via Japaaan Read more stories from SoraNews24. -- Japan's favorite pork cutlet sandwich maker also has awesome katsudon restaurant in Tokyo Station -- Katsudon vs. tonkatsu vs. katsu sandwich – What's the best way to eat pork cutlet in Japan? -- What happens when a sweet bun maker teams up with a tonkatsu sandwich specialist? External Link © SoraNews24
LeMonde
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- LeMonde
The forgotten people of the Osaka ghetto: The dark side of the World Expo
When Marlene Dietrich took the stage at the Osaka World Expo on September 8, 1970, and began singing "Lili Marleen" in her silk dress, Jōtarō Shōji was in the crowd. He was moved, starstruck at his first music hall show, a kid from a poor background who had made it to the big city. Yet that day, he was not just there for Dietrich: "I had worked on the Expo site, at the Czech pavilion. It was behind schedule and we took big risks to finish on time. Friends of mine died there." Shōji was also there to say goodbye to his companions. After the concert, he returned to the world behind the stage, to Kamagasaki, the grimy ghetto of the Nishinari neighborhood, where he lived with his fellow workers, the builders of the Expo, 25,000 young workers crammed into seedy dormitories. There, he slipped into a box measuring 50 centimeters by 170 centimeters. His room was like a coffin. With "Lili Marleen" running through his head, he thought of his comrades who had died on the construction site. "Since they had neither money nor insurance," the now-septuagenarian recalled, "we pooled our money together to buy them funeral urns." Glamorous and futuristic, the Osaka World Expo, held from March 15 to September 13, 1970, remains a source of great pride for Japan, which presented a modern and optimistic face to the world. But 30 kilometers south of the site, Kamagasaki, the major market for day labor, remained a taboo subject, the hidden dark side of the event. Fifty-five years later, on April 13, the 2025 Expo opened in the same city, on an artificial island named Yumeshima ("Dream Island"). And Kamagasaki is still there, clinging to the southern edge of Osaka, one of the wealthiest cities in Japan.
SoraNews24
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- SoraNews24
Beyond matcha sweets: Japan's favorite katsu sandwich maker releasing matcha pork cutlet sandwich
Masters of their crafts in Tokyo and Kyoto team-up for a very unusual, but very appealing, innovation. It might be hard to believe, but matcha sweets are, for the most part, actually a relatively recent addition to the Japanese culinary scene. Yes, green tea ice cream has been a thing for a long time, and a handful of traditional Japanese confectionaries used matcha, but for the most part matcha was a beverage, not a flavoring. Of course, modern Japanese society has now fully embraced all sorts of sweet matcha treats. But what about using matcha as a seasoning for something savory? Maisen is a Tokyo pork cutlet restaurant that was founded in 1965, which also has pre-prepared takeout shops in some Japanese department stores' food sections. One of their biggest hits is their hire katsu (pork tenderloin cutlet) sandwich, pictured above. This summer they're offering a new version, created in partnership with tea-brand Iemon (part of the Suntory group): a katsu sandwich made with matcha!?! The cutlet itself is the same deep-fried slice of tenderloin that Maisen fans know and love, but the soft, crustless bread is matcha infused, with Iemon green tea powder kneaded into the dough before baking. Maisen promises a refreshing green tea flavor and aroma as you bite into the bread, and even the sweet and savory katsu sauce that's poured on the cutlet slices is a special matcha version made just for this collaboration. Maisen's Iemon Hire Katsu Sandwich goes on sale June 1, priced at 540 yen (US$3.70). In recognition of the Iemon brand's Uji/Kyoto Prefecture roots, it'll be available at the Maisen branches in the Kyoto Daimaru, JR Kyoto Isetan, Kyoto Porta department stores/shopping centers, and will also be coming to the Osaka World Expo via a Maisen food truck, though there's no exact date announced for that yet. Meanwhile, here in Tokyo we'll be keeping our fingers crossed and our stomachs growling that this special sandwich eventually makes its way to east Japan too. Source: Maisen, PR Times via Japaaan Top image: Maisen Insert images: PR Times ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
Straits Times
25-05-2025
- Health
- Straits Times
Swarming insects causing distress at Osaka World Expo
While they pose no threat, dead midges can cause asthma and other allergic reactions if inhaled. PHOTO: EPA-EFE OSAKA - Swarms of midges have become a headache at the Osaka World Expo, causing visitors to cringe and raising concerns about possible health issues. The small flies have been found on walls and the pillars of the wooden Grand Ring encircling many of the pavilions, with people forced to fight them off to avoid swallowing them. 'It shocked me when they landed on the bread I was eating. There are so many of them around and it's disgusting,' said Mr Toma Masatani, a 23-year-old graduate school student visiting the expo with friends from Saitama, near Tokyo. While the midges at the expo do not bite, dead ones can cause asthma and other allergic reactions if inhaled. 'Wearing a face mask is advisable for those with asthma,' said Professor Koichiro Kawai, a professor emeritus at Hiroshima University specialising in the species. He added that electronic insect killers and insecticides are effective in getting rid of them. The insects are believed to be emerging from the Water Plaza in the southern part of the venue, where seawater is stored. Noting they are possibly of marine origin, Prof Kawai said they could persist until the end of autumn. The expo organiser is taking action, spraying insecticide in locations where the midges are spotted, treating areas where rainwater tends to accumulate with a growth inhibitor and installing insect repellent lights. Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura has also sought cooperation from insecticide maker Earth Corp to counter the midges. KYODO NEWS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Kyodo News
21-05-2025
- Business
- Kyodo News
Tokyo to waive basic water fees to help beat extreme summer heat
KYODO NEWS - 13 hours ago - 15:46 | All, Japan Basic water utility charges will be waived for households in Tokyo for four months this summer, as the metropolitan government hopes offsetting water costs will encourage residents not to hold back on using their air conditioning to stay cool amid increasingly extreme heat. A supplementary budget bill that includes 36.8 billion yen ($256 million) to cover the costs will be submitted to a Tokyo metropolitan assembly session in June. "Real wages continue to be on the decline due to surging prices and given the predictions of an extremely hot summer, we want to protect Tokyo residents' lives and daily living," Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike told reporters on Tuesday. About 8.2 million households are expected to benefit from the plan, according to the metropolitan government. Basic water charges in Tokyo generally vary from 860 yen to 1,460 yen, depending on the diameter of the household's water pipe. Households using a water pipe of 2 centimeters in diameter, the most common type, are expected to be able to save about 5,000 yen from their water bills over the four months, Tokyo officials said. Metered water usage to be paid on top of the base fee will be charged as usual. Tokyo has been experiencing scorching summer heat in recent years due to climate change and has seen an increasing number of people being taken to hospitals -- and even deaths -- due to heatstroke. Related coverage: Organizers, visitors bracing for hot weather at Osaka World Expo Global warming may stop summertime school sports in Japan from 2060s Japan weather agency looks to improve forecasting with AI
