Latest news with #SoraNews24
SoraNews24
7 hours ago
- Health
- SoraNews24
Plant extract that may grow hair discovered by Japan's Rohto Pharmaceutical
Plants, you gotta love 'em. My whole life has felt like a race between medical science and my hair's desire to flee my head. Every few years there seems to be a 'breakthrough,' but so far nothing Earth-shattering, and on the Bruce Willis filmography scale of hair loss, I'm currently around Armageddon , which means there's not much time left. So, a recent discovery announced by Japan's Rohto Pharmaceutical may be my last chance until I hit the Moonrise Kingdom point of no return. According to Rohto, their research has confirmed that extracts from the Amur cork tree and chenpi (sun-dried orange peel) doubled the amount of placental growth factor (PlGF) in human hair papilla cells. PlGF is a protein that plays an important role in hair growth by making hairs grow longer, faster, and remain in the active growth period for a longer time. This is a somewhat unique approach that works on the cellular level rather than targeting hormones, blood vessels, or other levels that many popular treatments do. In other words, PlGF can be generated by a person's own body and more universally utilized by women as well as men and even be used to promote eyelash growth. ▼ It might even help our own Seiji Nakazawa get out of the top Google Search result for 'baldie.' Online comments show that not everyone is convinced, however, and seem to resemble the seven stages of grief, possibly indicating each poster's level of experience with hair growth treatments. 'The time has come.' 'Here we go with the hair again.' 'Is there any hope for people who are already bald?' 'How many times have we done this? Kinako… Kelp… It just keeps going on.' 'It's too late for me…' 'This is a victory not only for science but for humanity.' 'I wonder what would happen if someone who isn't bald used it.' 'It's a lie! It's a lie! It's a lie! I will not be fooled again.' 'Please hurry! I was going well into my 50s until my thyroid was removed and it all fell out.' Rohto's announcement marks the end of the testing phase and the company is currently working on developing hair growth products that utilize these extracts. As some of the comments pondered, although PlGF clearly promotes hair growth, it's not certain to reactivate dormant hair follicles. This means Rohto's upcoming products could be a good preventative treatment for those still in the Die Hard With a Vengeance realm but possibly not the savior of those who have already crossed over into A Good Day to Die Hard . Oh, well. If I can hang on to The Kid hair, that'll do. Source: Nikkei, PR Times, My Game News Flash Featured image: Pakutaso Insert image ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
Japan Today
11 hours ago
- Japan Today
Fewer Japanese people traveling domestically; gov't blames birthrate, others blame foreign crowds, costs
By Casey Baseel, SoraNews24 On May 27, the cabinet of Japan released its annual tourism white paper, based on data for the 2024 administrative year. The report found that roughly 36.87 million foreign tourists visited Japan last year, a record-setting number. But while Japan's travel destinations are proving more attractive than ever to visitors from overseas, the local population is traveling less. 540 million Japanese residents traveled domestically last year, which is an 8.2-percent drop compared to 2019, the last year before the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The report points to Japan's declining birthrate and contracting population as key reasons for the lowered number, and says that efforts should be made to increase the number of times Japanese people travel domestically and the length of their stays. Among the initiatives aiming to do that is one in the town of Kotohira, Kagawa Prefecture, in which coordinators arrange for travelers spend a portion of their time working in local restaurants or inns to offset the cost of their trip. Another program matches travelers with locals in rural parts of Niigata and Nagano Prefectures for agricultural experiences, giving them a chance to meet locals and work alongside them at their farms, creating interpersonal connections and hopefully encouraging repeat visits to the area once it starts to feel like a second hometown. However, online reactions to the report aren't quite so sure that lowered domestic travel numbers are something that can be pinned entirely on Japan's low birthrate. After all, it's not like the population has shrunk by 8.2 percent since 2019. Instead, online commenters have been pointing to two other reasons they haven't been traveling as much: crowds and costs. Starting with the crowds, the sudden surge in inbound overseas tourists has been dampening domestic travel demand, especially in the country's most famous sightseeing spots. Not that places like Kyoto and Shibuya weren't already crowded with domestic travelers before, but the influx of overseas visitors has raised the congestion to unprecedented levels, and with a growing public perception that some of them have very poor manners, the atmosphere isn't exactly attractive to many Japanese residents. As for costs, a major factor for the inbound tourism boom is the weak yen. Seeing waves of foreign travelers with fat stacks of yen converted from their home-country currencies, hotels have dramatically raised their prices, and so have restaurants and other tourism-related businesses. But while the weak yen means the increased prices are still very palatable to foreign tourists, locals find themselves in the opposite situation. The weak yen and inflationary trends mean that the cost of just about everything (groceries, utilities, clothing, commuter train fares, etc.) has gone up in Japan considerably over the past few years, but without corresponding wage increases for the vast majority of workers. With most Japanese people trying to figure out how to tighten their belts and adjust to having less disposable income, many are balking at the high prices hotels and other travel providers are charging. Add it all up, and it's not surprising that, when faced with the prospect of carving more money out of a shrinking household budget to have a less enjoyable vacation, many Japanese people are deciding it's not worth it, as shown by online reactions to the cabinet's white paper such as: 'Stuff's too expensive, and hotels are way too expensive. Simple as that.' 'I feel like I'm getting ripped off when I travel domestically these days.' 'It's clear that places are raising their prices because they're aiming for foreign tourists.' 'This was inevitable. It's gotten hard to find a place to stay that isn't being affected by inbound overtourism.' 'I already have to ride a crowded train to work every day, so no way am I going to spend my vacation somewhere crowded too.' 'There are a lot of places I'd go if they weren't so jam-packed with foreign tourists.' 'I mean, it's gotten hard to find available hotel rooms, and even when you can, they're so expensive, and the sightseeing spots are so crowded…I only take day trips now.' 'I got no money.' Unfortunately for anyone bothered by inbound tourism-triggered price increases and congestion, the situation has the potential makings of a self-accelerating cycle. If domestic travelers avoid certain hotels or destinations because they're too expensive and crowded with foreign tourists, those businesses will naturally become more reliant on inbound foreign tourists leveraging their currency exchange advantages, which will in turn lead to larger crowds and higher prices, making those places even less attractive to domestic travelers. Finally, it's worth noting that despite the decreased number of domestic Japanese travelers, last year those who did travel domestically spent over 25 trillion yen, the largest amount on record. With fewer total domestic travelers, though, that means that those who are traveling domestically are spending more per person, suggesting that even domestic travel currently feels like a luxury to many Japanese people, with a growing gap between those in a position to splurge and those whose finances are compelling them to stay home. Source: NHK News Web via Jin, Twitter/@nhk_news Read more stories from SoraNews24. -- 'Foreign travelers are Japan's guests' – Governor against charging tourists more than locals -- Japanese government wants to build luxury resorts in all national parks for foreign tourists -- As more foreign visitors visit Kyoto's top sights, Japanese travelers increasingly staying away External Link © SoraNews24
Japan Today
11 hours 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
SoraNews24
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- SoraNews24
Donuts beyond mochi mochi: Mister Donut's new donuts are so soft they're almost drinkable
Japan's favorite donut chain rolls out Micchurin donuts to celebrate its 55th anniversary. 'Mochi mochi' is a Japanese word that can be kind of difficult to explain, but is easy to feel. It refers to a consistency that's soft and chewy, but also has a certain satisfying weightiness to it. As you can probably guess, mochi mochi is often used to describe the texture of mochi rice cakes and dumplings, but it's also an apt description for the style of donuts made by Japan's favorite donut chain, Mister Donut. With Mister Donut celebrating its 55th anniversary this year, though, they wanted to do something special, and they've created some new treats that they promise 'go beyond mochi mochi.' Called Micchurin, these new baked goods took two years to develop, and Mister Donut says the result is a texture unlike anything else they've ever offered in the half-century plus of being in business, and that it'll leave people amazed that donuts can feel like this. Looking at their slightly amorphous shape, you might be tempted to think these extra-soft and chewy donuts are just donuts that are baked for an unusually short time. That's not the case, though, as Mister Donut says the Micchurin are still fried donuts, but that their texture comes from a special coating that softens them up. And just how soft are they? Well, when we picked one up at a press preview, our fingers immediately sunk into the dough! Mind you, we weren't trying to squeeze the Micchurin. We'd picked it up with the same gentle grip we always do when handling something as precious as a donut, but even that modicum of force caused it to indent. These new donuts are so soft that it almost feels like you could drink them. There's clearly potential here for all sorts of limited-time and seasonal Micchurin flavors, but to start Mister Donut is rolling out four kinds: kinako (cinnamon-like roasted soybean powder), mitarashi (a sweet soy sauce glaze traditionally poured on mochi dumplings), azuki (sweet red bean paste), and brown sugar with warabimochi, with prices ranging from 205 to 226 yen (approximately US$1.40-US$1.55). The Micchurin donuts go on sale at Mister Donut branches across Japan on June 4. Top image: SoraNews24 Insert images: Mister Donut, 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
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- SoraNews24
Studio Ghibli releases Japanese sake flask and cup set for anime lovers
Porco Rosso steals the spotlight with a tokkuri and ochoko you won't find anywhere else. Out of all the animated movies Studio Ghibli has ever produced, Porco Rosso remains one of the most underrated. The tale of a pig who flies planes sadly missed its mark with some audience-goers, but for director Hayao Miyazaki, whose been known to depict himself as a pig, it remains a firm favourite — so much so that we can imagine a smile fluttering over his face if he were to see this sweet sake set that honours the film. Called the 'Porco Rosso Tokkuri Ochoko Set Kanpai with Porco', this two-piece set includes a sake flask, known as 'tokkuri' in Japanese, and an ochoko ('sake cup'), which are like no others you'll find in Japan. ▼ The tokkuri is designed to look like the wine bottle seen in the film… ▼ …while the sake cup is shaped like Porco, complete with the character's distinctive moustache and sunglasses. ▼ The set lets you 'kanpai with Porco' ('cheers with Porco'). The wine bottle's label features a motif of the Savoia S.21 Prototype Fighter Seaplane that Porco flies, along with an Italian phrase that translates as 'This is what it means to be cool', and the year of the movie's release. The flask measures 16.5 centimetres (6.5 inches) in height and 5.8 centimetres in width and holds 200 millilitres (6.8 ounces) of liquid. The sake cup masures 3.5 centimetres in height and 5.2 centimetres in diameter and holds 35 millilitres of liquid. Both the flask and cup are made from porcelain and are microwave and dishwasher safe. Initially released in 2018, the set has been out of stock for around seven years but is now available to purchase at Donguri Kyowakoku stores and online, priced at 4,950 yen (US$34.64). Source, images: Donguri Kyowakoku ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
