One Piece Red T-shirt line from Uniqlo will make fellow fans green with envy【Photos】

https://ift.tt/2LnizSP Casey Baseel

Luffy and Shanks share a heartwarming moment in collection celebrating upcoming One Piece anime movie.

The One Piece manga is currently on hiatus as creator Eiichiro Oda gears up for the long-awaited finale arc of the series. But the franchise is still giving fans something to get excited about while they wait for the Straw Hat Pirates to resume their voyage, and it’s doing that by partnering with Uniqlo for a new line of One Piece T-shirts.

Technically, the collection isn’t meant as consolation for the manga’s hiatus, but as a celebration for the upcoming One Piece Film: Red, the franchise’s 15th theatrical-feature anime. There’s a total of four short-sleeved shirts in the lineup, starting with a fired-up Luffy throwing a fiery punch.

There’s art on both the front and back, giving you two perspectives on the self-proclaimed future king of the pirates.

▼ Though this does sort of make it look like Luffy has rammed his fist clean through your chest.

The title of One Piece Film: Red is ostensibly a reference to Red-Haired Shanks, Luffy’s boyhood idol/mentor, and so one of the shirts shows the older pirate gently gifting the kid his iconic straw hat.

▼ Only the front of this shirt has artwork.

Should you have the understandable desire for a One Piece Film: Red shirt that’s, well, red, Uniqlo has got you covered too.

You get the name and insignia of the Red-Haired Pirates on the chest, but this time it’s the back that’s the main focus, where you’ll find portraits of Shanks and his crew.

And last, if your loyalty is to the Straw Hat Pirates above any other faction, there’s a shirt with the core cast wearing their fancy new costumes for the upcoming film.

▼ No design on the back for this shirt either.

All of the shirts are priced at 1,500 yen (US11.20) and can be ordered through the Uniqlo website here when they go on sale June 11, just under a month before One Piece Film: Red debuts in theaters and right in the middle of the free-to-read period for over 20 years’ worth of One Piece manga online.

Source: Uniqlo
Top image: Uniqlo
Insert images: Uniqlo (1, 2, 3, 4)
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Tokyo Police apprehend the “Lego Kid” and accomplices

https://ift.tt/4xyO0oM Master Blaster

Train photography may have been the motive for alleged Legomaniacs.

Aside from their intrinsic value as entertaining and educational toys, there has been a growing interest in Lego brand blocks as a lucrative investment, given sets’ relatively low fungibility. Unfortunately this has also made them targets for thieves.

That recently became a problem for one toy store inside a mall in Tokyo’s Adachi Ward. The store had was repeatedly the victim of a shoplifter who took several toys but mainly focused on the world-famous blocks, thus earning him the nickname “Lego Kid” among the staff.

But as with any repeat offender, it’s only a matter of time before they get caught. On 24 June, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police took the alleged Lego Kid, 24-year-old Naoto Daitoku, into custody for the theft of 12 toys on the evening of 16 December, 2021. It’s unclear how law enforcement was able to finally track down the Lego Kid, but they also arrested two accomplices aged 19 and 17.

▼ A news report on the arrest

Daitoku and the 17-year-old suspect have denied the charges of shoplifting the 55,000 yen (US$400) worth of toys, saying they “don’t remember.” However, the 19-year-old is said to be cooperating with police and reportedly admitted that all three of them stole the goods and sold everything afterwards.

One of the suspects also told investigators that the three of them became acquainted through being fellow “toritetsu” a subset of train otaku who enjoy taking photographs of rolling stock. This revelation no doubt comes as another blow to the much maligned toritetsu community, members of which appear to be regularly implicated in acts of violence, trespassing, and generally rude behavior.

In fact, a majority of the comments online seemed to focus on the suspect’s involvement in train photography, which is surprising since we’re talking about the LEGO KID here!

“Just when you thought the reputation of toritetsu couldn’t get any worse.”
“He stole to fund his…train photography addiction?”
“‘The Lego Kid (24)’ LOL!!!”
“It’s embarrassing enough being a 24-year-old who steals Lego, but he’s a toritetsu on top of it all?”
“What’s wrong with you if you’re compelled to steal in order to take pictures of trains?”
“At least that’s three more toritetsu off the platforms.”
“‘Lego Kid’ sounds like a super rare collectable.”
“Just being given that nickname is punishment enough.”

It’s sad that it’s come to this, but as a parent myself I’m urging all the other moms and dads out there to look for any signs that your kids might be getting into train photography. Train schedules laying about the house or casual mentions of “composition” are some definite red flags. If you happen to see them, be sure to seek help before it’s too late and your kid becomes the Lego Kid.

Source: TV Asahi News, Mainichi Shimbun, Hachima Kiko
Top image: ©SoraNews24
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Burger King Japan offering all-you-can-eat quadruple cheeseburgers

https://ift.tt/4FYdM8X Casey Baseel

The Maximum Cho One-Pound Beef Burger challenge wants you to make the absolute most of your appetite.

The whole point of a two-patty hamburger is to give you the joy of eating two burgers in the amount of time it would ordinarily take to eat one. But why limit yourself to such a modest multiplication of dining decadence, asks Burger King Japan?

Next month the chain is rolling out its newest menu item, the Maximum Cho One-Pound Beef Burger (cho being the Japanese word for “super”), with four beef patties that actually weigh more than a pound, as their collective pre-cooked mass is 499 grams (1.1 pounds). But if even that quadruple-class burger isn’t enough for you, for four days in July Burger King Japan is offering all-you-can-eat Maximum Cho One-Pound Beef Burger, in an event dubbed the Cho One-Pound Beef Burger Challenge.

▼ It’s kind of ironic that the all-you-can-eat event drops the “Maximum” part of the burger’s name, since there’s nothing at all minimalistic about the sandwich itself.

The promotion gives you 45 minutes to eat as many of the monstrous hamburgers as you can…oh, sorry, that really should be monstrous cheeseburgers, as the list of toppings, fillings, and fixings consists of:

● Four all-beef patties
● Four slices of cheddar cheese (double-layered in two sections of the burger)
● Four strips of smokey bacon
● Lettuce
● Onions
● Tomato
● Pickles
● Mayonnaise
●　Salt and pepper
● Sesame buns

Upon starting your meal/gorging, you’re given a set of a Maximum Cho One-Pound Beef Burger, medium order of French fries, and medium drink. Once you’ve finished all of those, you can then have as many refills of each as you want, with your last chance for refills coming 30 minutes after you start. We suppose that means you could finish your burger and then spend the rest of your time refilling your fries or soft drink if you want, but the real appeal here, of course, are the unlimited burger privileges.

Participating in the Cho One-Pound Beef Burger Challenge costs 2,900 yen (US$21.60), a slight premium over the normal cost, 2,400 yen, of a Maximum Cho One-Pound Beef Burger fries/drink set or the 2,100 yen for the sandwich alone. Of course, the more burgers you eat, the more you save, and all participants also get a commemorative Cho One-Pound Beef Burger Challenge T-shirt, which Burger King thoughtfully provides in a one-size-fits-all size, perhaps because it’s hard to tell how big you’ll be on the other side of an all-you-can-eat quadruple cheeseburger session.

▼ It’s the kind of fashion statement that says “I love hamburgers!” and also “You probably don’t want to offer to buy lunch for me.”

The Cho One-Pound Beef Burger Challenge will be held at six Burger King Japan branches: Roppongi and Machida Jorna in Tokyo, Kawasaki Zero Gate in Kanagawa, Funabashi in Chiba, Omiya Nishiguchi in Saitama, and Funaba Minamikyuhoji in Osaka. Each branch will hold its challenges on July 9, 10, 16, and 17, with seatings at 2, 3:30, 5, and 6:30 p.m. Reservations must be made in advance through Burger King Japan’s website here, since slots are limited.

Meanwhile, for everyone who thinks their modest appetite would be satisfied by a single Maximum Cho One-Pound Beef Burger, it’ll be available for regular purchase at all Burger King Japan branches between July 8 and 28 daily from 2 p.m.

Source, images: PR Times
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Japanese travel agency reveals summer 2022’s most popular destinations domestically and abroad

https://ift.tt/6lkycxw Krista Rogers

Company also shares which departure dates are the most popular throughout the months of July and August so you can plan accordingly.

As the first summer since the start of the pandemic when more countries are beginning to relax their border policies and encourage tourism again, summer 2022 is shaping up to be a big season for the travel industry. To give travelers a sense of what exactly this summer has in store for them, Japanese travel agency HIS recently shared a report titled 2022 Summer Vacation Travel Reservation Trends. The report reveals information about the most popular travel destinations (both domestic and overseas) booked through its firm for this summer, how certain places stack up compared to last year’s bookings, and even what the most popular departure dates for travel are. The dates of the report correspond to July 21 through August 31, which is the typical timeframe for summer vacation among schoolchildren.

▼ Buckle up and try to predict where the bulk of Japanese travelers will be headed in just a few weeks–especially to escape the big city!

Overseas travel

First, a stat: Reservations for overseas travel are up a staggering 2,191.1 percent compared to last summer. Despite increased opportunities for leisure travel, international travel from Japan is still only at 10 percent of what it was pre-pandemic levels due to limited flights and other reduced services.

Top ten overseas destinations for Japanese travelers
10. Los Angeles
9. Vancouver
8. Guam
7. Singapore
6. Paris
5. Manila
4. London
3. Seoul
2. Bangkok
1. Honolulu

Honolulu remains the top international spot since last year, continuing its longstanding status as a popular overseas destination for families where they can get by speaking largely Japanese. South Korea also began accepting tourists from overseas this month and the country is expecting a large influx in the coming months. Finally, it’s interesting to note that demand for overseas travel to North America and western Europe has also increased to close to 90 percent of its 2019 levels, at 83.2 percent and 89.2 percent respectively.

▼ We see no reason why anyone would ever want to wake up to this in Hawaii. Nope, no reason.

Top five departure dates for overseas travel
5. Friday, August 5
4. Wednesday, August 10
3. Tuesday, August 2
2. Saturday, August 6
1. Thursday, August 11 (which is also Mountain Day a public holiday)

The most popular departure dates for overseas travel are clustered around early August, in particular prior to the Obon festival period (August 13-16, 2022) when many workers take some time off. You may want to avoid these specific dates if you’ll be heading to the airport around then.

Domestic travel

Meanwhile, domestic travel within Japan is up 486.4 percent compared to this time last year. It’s also slowly returning to just under 90 percent of what it was pre-pandemic.

Top five domestic destinations for Japanese travelers
5. Fukuoka Prefecture
4. Osaka Prefecture
3. Nagasaki Prefecture
2. Hokkaido Prefecture
1. Okinawa Prefecture

In the case of domestic destinations, HIS has only released the top five. Perhaps it comes as no surprise that Okinawa and Hokkaido, voted the prefectures with residents who have the best personalities, reign supreme. Reservations for Osaka have also jumped by 2,002.9 percent compared to last year, perhaps of pent-up demand to visit Universal Studios Japan’s Super Nintendo World, since this will be the first summer for the expansion since the widespread rollout of COVID vaccines in Japan.

▼ When it comes to Okinawa reservations, 75 percent are for the main Okinawa Island, 15 percent for Miyako Island, and 8 percent for Ishigaki Island. Okinawa’s popular Eisa Festival will be held for the first time in three years in late August.

Top five departure dates for domestic travel
5. Sunday, July 31
4. Sunday, August 21
3. Wednesday, August 17
2. Sunday, July 24
1. Thursday, July 21

Compared to the international departure dates, starting dates for domestic travel are more scattered. It seems like many families plan to fly off shortly after school summer vacation begins, though.

If you’re in the Tokyo area with no plans to hop on a plane quite yet, maybe your family will find enjoyment in something a little closer to home by visiting a giant moving robot or plummeting down a massive slide with views of Mt. Fuji.

Source: PR Times
Top image: Pakutaso
Insert images: Pakutaso (1, 2, 3)
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Over 20 years’ worth of One Piece manga is free to read right now

https://ift.tt/nGwiPpj Casey Baseel

Two of Shueisha’s Japanese digital manga apps are offering free access to 931 chapters of One Piece while the series is on hiatus.

Having kept the series going for 25 years and counting, it’d be hard to argue that One Piece manga creator Eiichiro Oda and his staff don’t deserve a break now and again. The timing of the series’ current hiatus, though, is a bit unfortunate for fans. Summer vacation is starting soon and reading manga is a great option when you’re looking for a way to keep yourself entertained without having to head out into the blazing rays of the midday sun.

However, while there won’t be any new One Piece chapters for the next few weeks, the upside is that the series has one of the most extensive back catalogs of content in the history of comics, and right now it’s almost all entirely free to read on publisher Shueisha’s Japanese Shonen Jump + and Zebrack digital manga platforms.

The vault was thrown open on June 27 for One Piece Volumes 1 through 92, or Chapters 1 through 931. That swath of the series accounts for more than 21 years’ worth of adventures for Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hat Pirates, as Volumes 1 and 92 were originally released in December of 1997 and March of 2019, respectively.

With the most recently released One Piece collected volume being Volume 102 the free-to-read portion isn’t quite the entire One Piece manga so far, but two decades of favorite moments to relive, or experience for the first time if you’re a newcomer, is a pretty sweet deal. Subscribers to the Japanese digital edition of Shonen Jump also have access to a “catch-up pack” with the last 10 chapters leading up to One Piece’s current hiatus.

Volume 1 through 92 will be free to read through the end of July, while new One Piece chapters will start appearing in Shonen Jump again from July 25.

Source, top image: Twitter/@Eiichiro_Staff
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Pocky on the Rocks: A new (but also old) way to beat the heat with Pocky sticks at home【Recipe】

https://ift.tt/EYQS54R Casey Baseel

We may not have been around for this clever drink idea the first time around, but we are totally here for it now.

There’s never really a bad time for Pocky, as it’s firmly entrenched itself in the hearts of all lovers of Japanese sweets. With the sweltering summer weather here, though, right now is an especially good time to enjoy Pocky in a fresh new way: Pocky on the Rocks.

Except, depending on when you were born and how far back your Japanese foodie credentials go, you might have already heard of this. In the 1970s there was a boom of cafes in Japan serving fancy soft drinks with Pocky in the glass instead of a stirrer stick. These drinks, which became known as Pocky on the Rocks, weren’t as sweet or heavy as a parfait, but were more special and substantial than a plain glass of soda or iced tea.

As Japan’s rainy season winds down, Pocky manufacturer Glico has posted six new Pocky on the Rocks recipes on its official website, which it’s calling the Reiwa Pocky on the Rocks lineup (“Reiwa” being the name of the new imperial calendar era that started in 2019).

We decided to try our hand at making the Almond Milk Coffee Pocky on the Rocks, which requires only these three ingredients:

● Almond Crush Pocky
● Black coffee
● Almond milk

Making the drink is a snap. First, brew you coffee, then pour it into an ice cube tray and stick it in the freezer until it hardens. That’s right, the recipe calls for frozen blocks of coffee, in order to keep your drink cold but prevent the flavor from getting watered down, like it would with ordinary cubes of frozen water. Once you’ve got your coffee ice cubes ready, place them in a glass, pour in the almond milk, add the almond Pocky, and you’re all set.

But while the process is incredibly simple, choosing the right drinkware proved a little tricky. Our first glass was too tall and pinched, making it hard to arrange our Pocky sticks in an inviting fan-shaped pattern.

This next one was better, but the depth of the glass meant a lot of the enticing chocolate was hidden underneath the surface of our beverage.

Finally, we got the best aesthetic results with this glass…

…especially when we added a swirl of whipped cream.

▼ Because when has the addition of whipped cream ever not made sweets better?

With our drink complete, we gave it a swirl stir with a stick of Pocky, and took a sip. It was as delicious as we’d hoped it would be, sweet, refreshing, and invigorating, with the added bonus of being able to munch on Pocky sticks with the coffee and almond milk soaked into them, with the extra surface area of the crushed almond coating making for an extra flavorful effect.

The other Reiwa Pocky on the Rock recipes are for Pineapple Tea (made with original chocolate Pocky, crushed ice, pineapple juice, straight iced tea, and fruits of your choice)…

…Fresh Cider (Gokuboso/Thin Pocky, ice cubes, cider, blueberries, sliced lemon, and mint)…

…Banana Milk (Tasty Pocky, crushed ice, purin custard pudding, milk, banana, and whipped cream)…

…Triple Strawberry au Lait (Crushed Strawberry Pocky, crushed ice, strawberry au lait, sliced strawberry, mint)…

…and Kuromitsu Soy Milk Latte (Gokuboso Matcha Pocky, crushed ice, kuromitsu brown sugar syrup, soy milk, midarashi dango dumplings, whipped cream, anko sweet red beans).

In other words, we think we’ll be having Pocky on the Rocks every night this week.

Source: Glico
Top image: SoraNews24
Insert images: Glico, SoraNews24
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Japan Meteorological Agency suspects rainy season may end earlier than ever this year

https://ift.tt/uvJzx3r Master Blaster

Who stopped the rain?

People living in Japan might have noticed that the rainy season, which usually occurs sometime between May and July depending on the area, hasn’t been all that rainy these days. In fact, this week for the most part has been a onslaught of relentless heat and scorching sunlight. This type of weather is expected to continue in much of the country, despite the fact that Japan is more or less in the middle of what’s normally the rainy season.

An average rainy season isn’t much better really. It’s just a different kind of suffering in the form of inescapable humidity that sticks to you everywhere and all the time. Basically, it’s like comparing rotten apples and rotten oranges.

▼ And let’s not forget wet socks.

Image: Pakutaso

But it’s the bright, intense kind of heat that is expected to continue at least until the end of June, in most cases with the temperature soaring even higher, and it’s causing the Japan Meteorological Agency to wonder if the rainy season might already be finished. If that’s the case, it could be a strong contender for the shortest rainy season on record.

At the moment the baiu front, which brings the rainy season to Japan each year, is being held back to the north by the La Niña phenomenon. La Niña is characterized by a large-scale movement of warm water from equatorial South America across the Pacific Ocean, towards the eastern parts of Asia.

▼ To learn more about La Niña, consult your local YouTube channel.

This has implications on the weather all over the world in different ways, but for the time being it is making things extra hot and uncharacteristically dry in Japan. It’s too early to say what kind of knock on effects this will have on the food supply, but past events have shown that it’s sure to take its toll one way or another.

It’s already causing a severe drought in optimism, if online comments are anything to go by.

“Are we going to be OK for water?”
“Get ready for power and water shortages this summer.”
“Vegetable prices are going to soar…again.”
“I really hope it rains, because it is too hot now.”
“And I just bought a new umbrella…”
“I remember one year it rained almost every day in July, so let’s wait and see.”
“I think I only remember it raining for one day?”
“With all the AI and satellites around, we still can’t know for sure if it’s the end of the rainy season?”
“Good riddance. I hate the rainy season anyway. It’s disgusting.”
“Heat stroke is going to be a problem.”

It worth noting that unpredictability is one of the weather’s most famous characteristics, so it’s not completely out of the question for things to take a complete 180 in the coming months. Still, the way things are looking, it’s probably prudent to take the necessary precautions for an especially grueling summer in Japan.

▼ Again…

Image: ©SoraNews24

Be sure to be well stocked on water, keep a parasol handy, know the early signs of heat stroke, and if you have any eggs hand, street frying season has officially begun.

Source: TBS New Dig, Itai News
Top image: Pakutaso
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