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Japan Today
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Japan Today
Japanese politician offers official apology for saying town's rice tastes bad
By Casey Baseel, SoraNews24 in early July, Kanta Nakagawa, mayor of the town of Joetsu, became embroiled in scandal following a controversial statement. Many would say it was obvious that Nakagawa's choice of words would incite anger, but sadly it's not unusual for a high-ranking politician to lose sight of how their comments could be considered inappropriate by those outside their immediate circle of people eager to agree with them. And so it was that on the morning of July 29, Nakagawa appeared at a press conference and offered an official apology for saying that the rice grown in the town of Sanda tastes bad. ▼ Video of Nakagawa making his apology at Sanda City Hall The scandal started on July 1. During a conversation Nakagawa was part of at Joetsu City Hall, the topic of sake came up, and by extension rice. At some point Nakagawa felt the need to make his opinion known, saying the rice from Sanda, where he'd lived during his high school years, tastes bad. He then doubled down on this declaration two days later when speaking to students at a trade school in Joetsu, saying of the rice from Sanda 'I shouldn't really say this, but it isn't very good.' There's actually quite a bit to digest here. First, agricultural work commands a position of respect in general in Japan, where societal memories of post-war food shortages and poverty still remain strong. Rice growing in particular is seen as a highly honorable endeavor, as it's famously the foundation of the traditional Japanese diet and is often seen as a symbol of Japanese culture itself. So while it's not uncommon for Japanese people to express dissatisfaction with the quality of overseas strains of white rice, it's very rare to hear someone make a disparaging comment about domestically grown rice. Then there's the fact that, as mentioned above, Nakagawa used to be a resident of Sanda, having lived there for a time in his teens, so his former neighbors didn't take kindly to him throwing their rice under the bus, and making the comments sting even more is that Sanda and Joetsu are in different prefectures. Sanda is in Hyogo Prefecture, but Joetsu is part of Niigata Prefecture, which is considered one of Japan's best rice-growing regions, so Nakagawa's scathing assessment of Sanda rice came with an air of looking down on another prefecture's agricultural abilities. Add it all up, and the farmers of Sanda weren't at all happy about Nakagawa's comments, and neither was Katsuya Tamura, Sanda's mayor. On July 10, Tamura held a press conference demanding Nakagawa apologize. Nakagawa then called Tamura on the phone to do so, but the Sanda mayor said that wasn't good enough and refused to accept the apology unless Nakagawa came to Sanda in person and delivered his statement of contrition directly to Sanda's rice farmers. So that's what Nakagawa did on the morning of July 29, first appearing at city hall where he said: 'I wish to deeply apologize for the distress caused to the people of Sanda, its farmers, and other related parties by my inappropriate remarks. My actions were inexcusable. I deeply regret causing distress to so many people from my childhood memories.' Nakagawa also paid a visit to rice fields in Sanda, and took part in a rice tasting in front of members of the local agricultural industry and press, saying that the rice he ate was 'delicious.' ▼ The Sanda rice tasting 'I want to do all I can to restore [any damage I may have caused to] the reputation of Sanda's rice,' said Nakagawa, adding that he intends to fold a promotion for Sanda-grown rice into an upcoming promotional event for Joetsu agricultural products to be held in Tokyo soon. Source: NHK News Web, Yahoo! Japan News/YTV, Yomiuri Shimbun Read more stories from SoraNews24. -- Japan's top agriculture politician resigns after backlash to saying he's never paid for rice -- 'I have never purchased rice' – Japan's agriculture head says he gets it for free, flip-flops -- Arrest proves a common Japanese saying about apologies and police External Link © SoraNews24
Japan Today
10 hours ago
- Business
- Japan Today
Why does Häagen-Dazs Japan have two different types of green tea ice cream, and do we need both?
By Casey Baseel, SoraNews24 Like many of Japan's sweets suppliers, Häagen-Dazs Japan is continually rotating special limited-time flavors into its lineup. Their newest, which went on sale July 22, is Gyokuro, named after the green tea of the same name. Now if you're thinking 'Wait a second, I could have sworn I'd seen green tea Häagen-Dazs in Japan before this,' don't worry, you haven't been having dessert delusions. Not only does Häagen-Dazs Japan already have a green tea flavor, Green Tea (or 'Guriin Tii,' as it's pronounced in its official in-Japanese rendering) is one of their permanent flavors. In other words, the new Gyokuro flavor hasn't pushed Green Tea out of convenience store/supermarket freezer cases. Right now, Häagen-Dazs Japan has two different green tea flavors on sale, and that made us curious as to just how different they actually are. First, though, just what is gyokuro? As defined by the Japan Tea Central Association, gyokuro is a green tea made using leaves harvested from plants grown under covers to shade it from the sun for roughly 20 days, with the covers made of materials such as reeds or cloth and put in place when the ichibancha (first-harvest) buds begin to show. As you can probably guess, this delicate cultivation adds time and expense to the production process, but the smaller, pricier yields are worth it to green tea enthusiasts, who hold gyokuro's extra-deep flavor in high esteem. ▼ A cup of gyokuro tea Gyokuro's premium status is reflected in Häagen-Dazs' ice cream version. Whereas our local 7-Eleven branch was selling the brand's regular Green Tea flavor for 325 yen, the Gyokuro set us back 370 yen, and that's actually less than the suggested retail price of 400 yen. Oh, and the Gyokuro Häagen-Dazs is slightly smaller too, with its tub containing 100 milliliters of ice cream, 10 fewer than the Standard Green Tea's. We started with a visual check. It's a little hard to see in camera-captured images, but when viewed with the naked, tea-loving eye, the Gyokuro Häagen-Dazs is a brighter shade of green than the Green Tea. Since neither ice cream uses any artificial coloring or aromas, we think it's safe to credit the difference to the quality of the powdered gyokuro leaves and gyokuro extract that Häagen-Dazs puts into the new flavor. ▼ Green Tea on the left, Gyokuro on the right Sliding a spoon into each, we didn't notice any contrast in consistency between the too, suggesting that they contain similar ratios of cream as well, so this was feeling like it really was going to come down to a matter of the two types of tea themselves in terms of any differences in flavor. We stared with the Green Tea to establish a baseline, and it tasted like ordinary, average matcha ice cream. To be clear, that's not a criticism. Japan has high standards for sweets across the board, and especially so for green tea desserts, so an ordinary, middle-of-the-pack green tea ice cream is still very, very tasty. However, we wouldn't say that the Häagen-Dazs Green Tea dramatically distinguishes itself from most other authentic matcha ice creams in Japan. But the Häagen-Dazs Gyokuro? Ah, now this was something special! While the difference in flavor is noticeable when drinking a cup of gyokuro compared to standard green tea, we weren't sure if that would carry over to their ice cream forms. It definitely does, though, and the Gyokuro Häagen-Dazs has much stronger tea notes. With the Green Tea, there's an element of sweetness that sticks with you all the way through the flavor profile and lingers into the aftertaste. The Gyokuro, though, gives you just a quick initial sensation of sweetness on the tongue, but by the time you swallow, it's just the rich tea notes that are lighting up your taste buds, with even a touch of umami, we wrote while in our taste-testing notes while nodding in satisfaction. So yes, it turns out there's a reason for the Häagen-Dazs Green Tea and Gyokuro to both exist, since they're both delicious, but in different ways. However, we should note that if green tea desserts don't make up as major a part of your diet as they do ours, the flavor of the Gyokuro isn't going to beat you over the head with its characteristic charms, so you might want to arrange a little green tea ice cream ceremony for yourself and try them both in the same sitting to really appreciate their differences. After all, double desserts are perfectly acceptable if they're part of a cultural experience, right? Photos ©SoraNews24 Read more stories from SoraNews24. -- Häagen-Dazs Japan's 35th anniversary Green Deep Tea ice cream is no ordinary matcha dessert -- Does Häagen-Dazs' Matcha Green Tea Crumble deliver on its high-class name's promise? 【Taste test】 -- Häagen-Dazs Japan brings out new limited-edition Hojicha Latte roasted green tea ice cream External Link © SoraNews24
Japan Today
a day ago
- Business
- Japan Today
Japanese train station building set up in just two hours with the help of 3D printing
By SoraNews24 Earlier this year, we reported on rial operator JR West's plans to create the world's first 3D-printed train station building. In a fitting tribute to the speed this technology affords us, the building is already completely set up at Hatsushima Station on the JR Kisei Main Line in the town of Arida, Wakayama Prefecture, as of July 22. First, to get semantics out of the way, the building itself wasn't 3D printed; rather, a mold to pour reinforced concrete was printed. However, this technique allows more complex shapes using curves and reliefs to be formed in a small fraction of the time of conventional concrete pouring methods. Although the result is a somewhat simple-looking building, Hatsushima Station takes elegant advantage of this with a rounded roof and classical-looking trims. A slice of mikan orange made of concrete can be seen on the front, and a concrete relief of a beltfish is on the side, these being two famous foods of the region. JR West hopes to use this technology to replace a number of its aging buildings, particularly unmanned ones in rural areas such as Hatsushima Station. However, construction projects near train tracks are very difficult, and work can only be done during a six-hour window between the last and first trains of the day. Had the new station building been set up by conventional methods, it would have taken one or two months to complete. But with the help of 3D printing, the pouring could be done offsite in pieces over the course of seven days. These pieces could then be transported on four trucks to the station for assembly, which only took two hours to complete. Not only that, but about 45 minutes of that time was spent swapping out trucks, so the actual construction work was about one hour and 15 minutes in total. The new station building is 9.9 square meters and has a ticket machine, ticket gate, and a bench that seats two. Osaka-based company Serendix was behind the concrete formation and is also known for its 3D printed houses. The successful creation of the new Hatsushima Station building with the help of 3D printing would suggest JR West will continue to replace its deteriorating infrastructure this way. Not only is this new method considerably cheaper and faster, but the buildings look rather nice too. Source, images: PR Times Read more stories from SoraNews24. -- Winner of NASA's Mars residence design contest releases Japan's first 3D-printed house prototypes -- 3-D printing a house in less than 24 hours — Japanese company meets its goal -- World's first 3D-printed train station building planned by JR West External Link © SoraNews24
SoraNews24
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- SoraNews24
Immerse yourself in all things Heisei era at the Neo Heisei Retro exhibition now open in Shibuya
'I didn't choose the Heisei retro life–the Heisei retro life chose me.' While modern Japan primarily uses the Gregorian calendar for most things, a complementary system of Japanese era names known nengo is also in use. These era names correspond to the reign of each emperor, with each year within an era receiving its own number as well. For instance, 2025 can also be referred to as Reiwa 7, as it's the seventh year since Emperor Naruhito ascended to the throne on May 1, 2019. The three most recent Japanese eras are the Reiwa era (2019-present), the Heisei era (1989-2019), and the Showa era (1926-1989). A concept called 'Showa retro' has been around for a while, referring to an appreciation for the nostalgic artifacts, music, lifestyles, and other cultural embodiments of the Showa era. In more recent years, however, the term 'Heisei retro' has also begun popping up for a similar appreciation of all things Heisei. ▼ As a millennial whose formative years were spent in the Heisei era, I was equal parts delighted and shocked to start seeing displays like this collection of Heisei-era music hits popping up in stores (are the things I like really old enough to be considered 'retro' now??). © SoraNews24 For anyone who's feeling like taking a little stroll down the Heisei-era lane, there's no better place to visit than the special Neo Heisei Retro Exhibition currently running from July 24 to August 31 at the Seibu Shibuya Store in Tokyo's Shibuya district, a fitting location as the mecca of youth culture and trends back in the Heisei day. The exhibition is the brainchild of one Mero Yamashita, a Heisei-era enthusiast and self-appointed guardian of all things Heisei. ▼ Mero Yamashita was born in 1981 and spent his formative years in the onset of the Heisei era. View this post on Instagram A post shared by NEO平成レトロ展 (@neoheisei_retro) The exhibition's opening day was attended by official ambassadors and musical unit Chi⭐︎Q. The duo, composed of Ippei Kyuma and Mamoru Daichi, debuted as 'psychic idols' on April 1, 1989, the official first day of the Heisei era. They enjoyed a ribbon-cutting ceremony and playing around with some of the 300 Heisei-era items on display. Diving more into the contents of the event, the exhibition is comprised of nine different sections centered on common themes. The walls are also decorated with 'neo Heisei retro' designs–illustrations meant to evoke the feeling of Heisei from a modern Reiwa lens–which are befitting of the exhibition's main slogan: 'Towards a 'Heisei' that's nostalgic but new somewhere in your memories.' For instance, there are areas dedicated to digital cameras and the garakei mobile flip-phones that were unique to Japan at the time. You can even hold one of the phones in your hand and see if your muscle memory takes over. Other featured gadgets include pagers, music players, and transparent goods that were all the rage back then. The entertainment section is sure to be a big hit by bringing you right back to the hottest gaming systems, CDs, and toys (like Tamagotchi!) of the time. There's even a section devoted to Heisei fashion trends such as kogyaru style and more. Contemporary fashion magazines are also on display. Finally, some of the more interactive elements of the exhibition include a quiz area to test your knowledge on whether something is from the Heisei era or the Showa era, as well as a community journal where you can share your favorite Heisei memories with others. Of course, in true Japanese exhibition fashion, there's also event-exclusive merchandise for purchase, including goods like stickers with common Heisei-era slang and buzzwords. Tickets for the Neo Heisei Retro Exhibition cost 1,800 yen (US$12.12) for general admission and can be purchased at Lawson Ticket or TBS Tickets in advance. On weekends and other days expected to have high traffic, tickets may be valid on a timed-entry system at the start of every hour. For more on how some brands such as Sanrio has also leaned into the Heisei era, check out this piece as well. Exhibition information Neo Heisei Retro Exhibition / NEO平成レトロ展 Address: Tokyo-to, Shibuya-ku, Udagawa-cho 21-1, Seibu Shibuya Store, A Building, 2nd floor event space 東京都渋谷区宇田川町 21-1 西武渋谷店 A館2F イベントスペース Duration: July 24-August 31, 2025 Open: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. (last entry at 7:30 p.m.) Website Source: Shibuya Keizai Shimbun Images: SoraNews24, PR Times ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
SoraNews24
2 days ago
- SoraNews24
Here are all of the reasons why you should go to Kumano, Mie Prefecture, for summer sightseeing
Spectacular fireworks, ancient pilgrimage routes, water excursions, and local cuisine are all definitive reasons to visit Kumano this summer season. Our team of SoraNews24 writers love visiting off-the-beaten-path locales in Japan. We've journeyed to the north, the south, and plenty of places in between, but there will always be more hidden gems waiting to explore. While we wouldn't exactly call the UNESCO World Heritage Site 'The Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range' under the radar, we would venture to say that it can be overshadowed by the popular cities of Kyoto, Nara, and Osaka that are in close proximity. Given the unprecedented numbers of foreign tourists in those cities as of late, if you're looking for a combination of ancient and modern wonders without the crowds, we'd highly recommend heading a bit farther south to the Kii Peninsula. Today, we'll be introducing a variety of highlights from the area centered on Kumano, Mie Prefecture, a city nestled snugly between the mountains and the ocean. First things first–Kumano is home to the Kumano Fireworks Festival (熊野大花火大会), one of the premier displays of fireworks in all of Japan. Held annually, 10,000 fireworks explode 600 meters (656 yards) in the sky over the ocean at Shichirimihama Beach. This year's festival is slated for August 17 from 7-9 p.m., with backup dates of August 19, 21, 26, and 28 in case of inclement weather or unruly waves. Similarly, a bit to the north in the town of Kihoku, the Kihoku Lantern Festival (きほく燈籠祭) is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the town's establishment after two smaller towns were merged. The festival was held on July 26 at Kiinagashima Port with a special decorative lantern float of local mascot characters Kiihokun and Kussun fishing alongside a fireworks display designed to mimic the plumage of a peacock over the ocean. Those who wish to see the decorative lantern are still in luck because it will be displayed at the World Expo that's currently taking place in Osaka. ▼ Posters for this year's Kumano Fireworks Festival and Kihoku Lantern Festival The name 'Kumano' may ring a bell if you've ever heard of the Kumano Kodo, a series of ancient pilgrimage routes that connect important shrines and temples secluded in the mountains of the Kii Peninsula. Traversed by spiritual pilgrims for over 1,000 years, the old-growth forests practically feel like they're buzzing with mystical energy. We'll introduce two recommendations for must-see stretches of the routes. First, the Matsumoto Pass (松本峠) is located between Kumano's Odomari and Kinomoto localities and is only about a 30-minute hike from the popular Onigajo (鬼ヶ城) natural rock formations/caves sightseeing attraction. You'll be rewarded for your uphill climb with sweeping views of the coast and mountains. You should also be on the lookout for a Jizo statue at the summit of the pass riddled with bullet marks from when a hunter mistook it for a monster in centuries past. ▼ A section of the Matsumoto Pass © SoraNews24 ▼ The Jizo statue at the top of the Matsumoto Pass ▼ The Onigajo ('Demon Castle') rocks along the water are well worth a visit before or after visiting Matsumoto Pass. © SoraNews24 Second, the Magose Pass (馬越峠) is located between Kihoku and Owase and is fantastic for anyone who wants to be swept up in the tranquility of nature. This stretch of the route is marked by abundant hinoki cypress trees and cobblestone paths, but be careful not to slip as the area receives some of the highest annual rainfall in the country. ▼ A section of the Magose Pass Meanwhile, if a stroll on the beach is more your style, you'll have plenty of walking to do at Shichirimihama Beach (七里御浜海岸)–yes, the same place where the Kumano Fireworks Festival takes place. Spanning 22 kilometers (13.7 miles) from Kumano to the town of Kiho to the south, it's Japan's longest sand and gravel beach that's filled with colorful pebbles shaped by the waves. It's also a landing spot for loggerhead turtles. ▼ Shichirimihama Beach ▼ People who plan to attend the Kumano Fireworks Festival stake out prime sections of the beach for their blankets weeks in advance. © SoraNews24 This next spot holds incredible significance in the mythical history of Japan. Hananoiwaya Shrine (花の窟神社) is said to be one of the oldest (some say the oldest) Shinto shrine in all of Japan. It's even mentioned in the Nihon Shoki , the second-oldest collection of Japanese historical writings dating to 720 AD. The reason for its importance is that it enshrines Izanami no Mikoto, the mother/creation goddess of Japanese mythology, and the grounds contain a cave that is believed to be Izanami's grave as well as the entrance to the underworld. ▼ The entrance to the underworld at Hananoiwaya Shrine…? © SoraNews24 The shrine is also famous for a ritual held twice per year–on February 2 and October 2–called the otsunakakejinji (御綱掛け神事). During these occasions, dances are offered to the gods and then a 170-meter-long shimenawa rope, the longest in all of Japan, is stretched across the shrine grounds and hung between the 45-meter-high sacred rock face marking the entrance to the underworld and a sacred pine tree. It's a sign of good luck if the rope remains intact until the next otsunakakejinji. ▼ The rope being prepared for the otsunakakejinji ▼ The rope-hanging ritual is depicted in beautiful fashion on Hananoiwaya Shrine's goshuincho shrine/temple seal record book. © SoraNews24 By the way, we'd be remiss not to mention the famous Shishiiwa (獅子岩) 'Lion's Head Rock' located on Shichirimihama Beach just a short walk down the road from the entrance to Hananoiwaya Shrine. It makes for an awesome photo op in the background. ▼ The Shishiiwa looks out over the ocean as a protective guardian © SoraNews24 If you've had your fill of culture and are eager to get your feet wet–literally–in some kind of leisure activity, Kumano's got you covered several times over. First, at the Yume Kodo Owase (夢古道おわせ) bathing facility in Owase, you can relax in a tub with deep sea water pumped from 400 meters below. It's the only deep-sea water bathing facility and mist sauna on the Kii Peninsula and is renounced for its water's heat and moisture retention qualities. When you've worked up an appetite, there's an on-site food court with ramen and fried foods made using the deep sea water, as well as locally caught fish on the weekends. ▼ Yume Kodo Owase You might also like to dip your toes into the cool basin at the bottom of the 30-meter-tall Hisetsunotaki waterfall in Kiho's Hisetsunotaki Camping Ground (飛雪の滝キャンプ場). There are also three kinds of tent saunas on the grounds. ▼ Hisetsunotaki Camping Ground There are also more active options in the form of sea kayak guided night tours at Owase's Mikisato Beach from June through October. The highlight of these tours is the chance to see large swaths of noctiluca scintillans, a species of bioluminescent marine eukaryotes nicknamed 'sea sparkles' that make the sparkling waters appear to blur together with the twinkling of starry skies. June to August tours last from 7:30-9 p.m., while September to October tours last from 7-8:30 p.m. ▼ Sea kayak night tours Finally, the Sandanbo Sightseeing Experience (三反帆遊覧体験) is an hour-long cruise down the Kumano River in a traditional boat with three sails. Besides enjoying the beautiful scenery from a unique vantage point, it's also a chance to follow in the wake of aristocrats of old who visited the Kumano Kodo by water. ▼ Sandanbo Sightseeing Experience Foodies can now rejoice because we've saved your favorite for last. Every region of Japan boasts its own unique local cuisine, and we've got four top recommendations for you to sample the gastronomic delights of the Kumano area. The Michi no Eki Kii-Nagashima Manbo (道の駅 紀伊長島マンボウ) roadside stop in Kihoku has some unique seafood offerings for you to try, including Pacific saury sushi, fried ocean sunfish skewers, shark skewers, and fried moray eel. Mehari sushi (めはり寿司) is a famous local specialty of the region found in various places. It consists of a rice ball wrapped in pickled leaf mustard (takana) greens that packs a flavorful punch. The town of Mihama, located on the coast between Kumano and Kiho, is famous for being Japan's biggest producer of mikan by growing 200,000 kilograms (220 tons) of them per year. However, the area also produces lots of Meyer lemons (マイヤーレモン), a natural hybrid fruit that's juicy and well-suited for use in sweets. Better pucker up! Finally, you may be tempted to think that Kumano's most famous for seafood, but that's certainly not all. There are several brand meats that are well-known to the area as well. Pictured below clockwise from the upper-left corner are: ● Mikumano beef (美熊野牛)–The cows are raised on high land overlooking the ocean. ● Kumanojidori chicken (熊野地鶏)–This chicken is a cross between the Mie shamo yagido, Iseakadori, and Nagoya Cochin varieties of fowl. ● Iwashimizu pork (石清水豚)–The pork is named after the pure spring water that flows from the local mountains. There you have it–plenty of reasons to make the Kumano region your go-to destination for your next Japan travels. With summer festivals in full swing across all of Japan at the moment, we encourage you to get out there, explore, and experience everything that this season has to offer. Source: PR Times Images: PR Times, SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
