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domingo, 31 de diciembre de 2023

Happy New Year from SoraNews24!

https://ift.tt/RLk12zv SoraNews24

Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu!

After a hectic year of eating on the cheap, travelling on the cheap, and using what we saved to splurge on Frappuccinos, it’s time to finally unwind and look forward to what the new year has to offer.

We like to start the year right by taking part in some longstanding Japanese traditions, like eating auspicious foods and bell-ringing at the temple while enjoying some more modern practices, like buying lucky bags and sending messages with cute Studio Ghibli stamps.

Wherever you are and however you choose to celebrate, we hope the first day of January is wonderful for you, and filled with all your favourite things. We’d also like to take this opportunity to say a heartfelt thank you for all your support over this past year — your readership and comments inspire us to keep searching for all of Japan’s secret gems, from hidden staff cafeterias to the little-known catspotting neighbourhoods of Nagasaki.

So as we kick back and take a short break on this public holiday, we’d like to raise a glass of New Year’s sake to you and say あけましておめでとうございます (“Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu”), or “Happy New Year”, as we wish you all the best for 2024.

We’re sincerely grateful to have such a wonderful community of readers from around the world and we look forward to sharing more news from Japan with you in the coming year!

Top image: Pakutaso, Gahag (1, 2) edited by SoraNews24
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The 5 best Frappuccinos we tried at Starbucks in Japan this year

https://ift.tt/YAWpFMu Oona McGee

Looking back on the year that was with some of Japan’s best limited-edition beverages.

It’s been a great year of new limited-edition Frappuccinos at Starbucks in Japan, and our reporter K. Masami was fortunate enough to try all of them.

So when it came time to look back on the year that was, these icy beverages immediately came to mind, and out of all of them, five stood out as being the best.

So let’s take a look at the five she’s crowned the most delicious for 2023, along with the reasons why they were so outstanding.

5. Strawberry Merry Cream Frappuccino (released 1 November)

“This Frappuccino had a strong acidity due to the strawberry, but it was also sweet enough to create a great balance of flavours. It felt more like a sweet than a drink, yet it was extremely luxurious, thanks to the white chocolate flavoured mascarpone cheese whipped cream topping.”

4. Gaburi Peach Frappuccino (released 12 July)

“Peach Frappuccinos are a summer staple in Japan but this one takes the cake. It was simply delicious, with a clean finish and refreshing aftertaste of juicy peaches. I opted for a citrus pulp customisation, which turned out to be a great idea as it added a hint of bitterness while increasing the flavour. I really hope this one will appear again next year!”

3. Gaburi Watermelon Frappuccino (released 9 August)

“To be honest, when I first heard about this one, I didn’t have high expectations for it, but it surprised me in the greatest way. The dragon fruit and kiwi fruit worked really well with the watermelon to create an incredibly delicious beverage.”

2. Hojicha Mochitto Milk Frappuccino (released 26 December)

“Just released a few days ago, this beverage stands out for its chewy gyuhi rice cake bits and cream daifuku flavoured sauce, which makes it feel like you’re drinking a daifuku sweet. Perfectly timed for New Year, when it’s customary to eat lucky foods like daifuku, this is one drink I’ll be having at least a couple more times while it’s still available.”

1. Opera Frappuccino (released 3 February)

“This drink made a lasting impression on me as soon as I laid eyes on it. With chocolate glacage sauce and gold powder, this was the best out of all the Frappuccinos in terms of luxurious looks, and the flavour turned out to be superior as well, with almond milk and a dash of coffee creating a sense of refinement.”

In looking back at the year’s Frappuccinos, Masami noted that this year appeared to be all about technique over looks, with less flashy decorations compared to previous years. It was an interesting progression in the evolution of the chain, and now Masami can’t wait to see what the green mermaid has in store for us next year!

Photos © SoraNews24
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We uncover the dark and disturbing secret behind Mr. Sato’s happiness at 50

https://ift.tt/GqFz3yg Master Blaster

We all have our own ways of coping with life.

Writers must sometimes face the dilemma of whether or not to publish an article that they have written for fear of the repercussions of it. This happened to our reporter Ahiruneko recently with a shocking exposé of his senior co-worker Mr. Sato that may change the way we all think of him.

It all started when Ahiruneko noticed a sudden change in Mr. Sato’s behavior. Although he was always a respected and beloved coworker who brought joy into the office day after day, recently, he’s been a little… extra peppy.

That’s not to say it’s a bad thing. He’s been coming in early every day and keeping office morale at an all-time high with his gentle guidance and sage-like wisdom.

And his own work has been sharper and more efficiently done than ever. Even outside of work, he’s been dutifully keeping up with his pole dancing and enjoying his other hobbies to their fullest.

But as Ahironeko watched this ball of energy electrify the workplace, he could only think to himself…

Ahiruneko: “This is all a little much.”

He and Mr. Sato go back a long time, so watching his esteemed colleague behave in such a way set off alarm bells that something else was going on here… possibly something dark and twisted.

When Ahiruneko saw Mr. Sato gear up to go outside for a bit, he decided to trail him and find out what he’d been up to.

Mr. Sato never announced where he was going and Ahiruneko wondered if it was a possible interview, hoping it was nothing shady like a clandestine drug deal or underground cockfighting ring.

Wherever he was going, he seemed to be heading there with a purpose, stopping for nothing and keeping his gaze locked on the road that lay before him.

Suddenly, Ahiruneko saw a small item fall from Mr. Sato’s person and land on the street. He didn’t seem to notice, however, and continued on his laser-focused march.

Ahiruneko took a closer look and saw it was Mr. Sato’s wallet. It had fallen out and the guy had no idea.

Although it meant blowing his cover, Ahiruneko decided to alert Mr. Sato about his lost item.

Ahiruneko: “Mr. Sato! I think you dropped your wallet!”

Ahiruneko: “Mr. Sato!”

Ahiruneko: “Mr. Sa…”

Ahiruneko: “tohhhhhhhh…”

Ahiruneko: “…”

Ahiruneko: “…”

Ahiruneko: “Um, hey… W-What’s going on?”

Ahiruneko had mentally prepared himself for a number of shocking outcomes, like Mr. Sato having gotten embroiled in organized crime or a cult, but finding a carrot hanging from his coworker’s baseball cap was not one of them. Luckily, Mr. Sato sensed his friend’s confusion and decided to explain.

Mr. Sato: “You’re probably wondering about the carrot. You see, I turned 50 this year, but I still feel I haven’t matured enough as a writer and as a person. I’ve been feeling acutely aware of this recently and am trying to push myself harder.”

Ahiruneko: “So, you’re dangling a carrot to motivate yourself? I don’t think they even do that with horses anymore.”
Mr. Sato: “See? Even my metaphors are outdated! I have to get with the times… I have to move forward!”

From Ahiruneko’s viewpoint, it looked like a carrot was talking to him. This unsettled him quite a bit so he decided to end the conversation then and there by reminding Mr. Sato about his wallet.

Mr. Sato: “Oh yeah, thanks! I’ll just go get it…”

Ahiruneko: “Uh, but it’s back there…”

Mr. Sato: “Gotta keep moving forward…”

Ahiruneko: “Where are you going?”

Mr. Sato continued on the path ahead of him without a single glance back at his lost item and disappeared around a corner. Ahiruneko wasn’t sure what to make of it but decided to stay near the wallet to keep it safe.

Five minutes later, a carrot peeked out from a corner behind him.

It was Mr. Sato, who seemed to have walked around the block.

Mr. Sato: “Gotta keep moving forward…”

Mr. Sato: “There we go.”

Ahiruneko: “Did you just walk about the entire block rather than turn around?”
Mr. Sato: “That’s right. That’s how I keep pushing myself to move forward.”

Ahiruneko: “But you went in a big circle. That’s technically not…”
Mr. Sato: “Anyway, thanks for the wallet! I have an interview to get to.”

Ahiruneko decided to shadow Mr. Sato the rest of the way to make sure he was OK.

He did come across the police, and since he’s been stopped by them for doing less suspicious things than wearing a carrot, this had the potential to go wrong.

Luckily, he made it to his destination safely, so Ahiruneko returned to the office to write up his story.

As he sat at the computer and stared at the words on the screen, he considered scrapping it. After all, bringing attention to this behavior might land him on a late-night variety show where they tease him mercilessly and call him the “Shinjuku Carrot Commander” or something equally lame.

Ahiruneko: “Sigh…”

But then Ahiruneko thought about what the carrot represents. Maybe he too needed to stop being so wishy-washy and just focus on moving forward like Mr. Sato. With that in mind, he submitted the story and looked forward to a new year of growth for both him and his fellow writer.

Photos ©SoraNews24
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sábado, 30 de diciembre de 2023

We eat at an Ishigaki Island hotel breakfast buffet that has incredible value for the money

https://ift.tt/9Wa2rZv Dale Roll

But the trade-off is that it’s rather hard to get in!

Our Japanese-language reporter Kouhey loves visiting the remote island of Ishigaki, which is part of Okinawa prefecture. In fact, he goes there at least once per year. But even after numerous trips there, he’s never once eaten breakfast at a hotel. He’s not much of a breakfast eater anyway, but even if he was he’d much prefer to eat locally.

However, lately, he’s been hearing about a hotel on the island that has a luxury breakfast buffet, and has been wanting to try it out. The hotel itself is called “The Breakfast Hotel Porto Ishigaki Island“, so obviously they feel pretty confident about their breakfast game. That’s why during his latest visit to the island, Kouhey finally decided to go there and see what kind of stuff they had to offer.

The Breakfast Hotel Porto Ishigaki Island is located about five minutes on foot from a central shopping area known as Euglena Mall. The hotel’s concept is “specializing entirely in breakfast”, so there was no doubt about whether it takes pride in its breakfast offerings. When Kouhey checked popular review sites, he saw that the breakfast buffet had very high reviews, so he allowed himself to have high expectations.

The buffet is open to everyone, not just those staying in the hotel, but since it’s so popular, it’s hard to get in if you’re not a guest. Kouhey was staying at a guest house during his time in Ishigaki, so he wasn’t guaranteed to get in easily. But when he arrived at 9 a.m., just before the restaurant stopped putting out new food, he managed to just get in.

We bet you’re wondering about how much such a popular, well-regarded, high-quality buffet costs. Well, you’d be surprised to know it’s just 2,000 yen (US$14)! In Kouhey’s opinion, that’s ridiculously cheap.

So what does a 2,000-yen, “breakfast-specialty hotel” buffet breakfast include? The first thing that caught Kouhey’s eye was the kaisendon, a raw seafood and rice bowl, with the option of adding fresh fish local to Ishigaki waters.

▼ “How to enjoy kaisendon 1. Scoop in Ishigaki-local rice. 2. Pile on as much fresh fish as you like. 3. Add on your desired toppings.”

While you could have standard fare like tuna, salmon, and squid, they also had specialty fish like deepwater longtailed red snapper and leopard coral grouper, similar to what Kouhey ate at Japan’s southernmost rotating sushi restaurant.

The rice was cooked in big iron kettles, and in addition to regular white rice, they also had Okinawan fried rice. Naturally, it was a buffet, so you can have both if you want.

Okinawa’s famous taco rice, a Tex-Mex style dish of taco meat over rice, was also on offer, and it was fully customizable with all the rice, meat, lettuce, and cheese you desire.

They also had mapo tofu, champloo (Okinawan stir-fry)….

And two kinds of Yaeyama soba, Ishigaki’s soul food of flour-based noodles in a ramen-like broth.

They even had a sign up explaining exactly how to make it.

▼ “1. Choose your noodles. 2 Pile on toppings. 3. Pour over your preferred broth.”

They even had roast beef made from Ishigaki cows!

As part of the drink bar they had a lineup of different flavors of an Ishigaki drink called Genki Cool.

On the side, there were various kinds of bread, fruit, yogurt, and even warabi-mochi (mochi dusted with roasted soybean flour).

And, also for dessert, they had Okinawa’s famous Blue Seal Ice Cream (in this case, mango flavored).

Kouhey had never encountered a buffet with so many Ishigaki- and Okinawa-local foods, so he was beyond excited to pile up his plates.

He started with Yaeyama soba. Kouhey snagged both kinds of noodles, but started with the regular noodles.

He’d never been able to customize his own Yaeyama soba before, so it felt like something new.

Next he tried the green noodles.

These were an entirely new flavor too! The broth was the same, but the noodles had a very different feel and flavor.

It was time for some meaty goodness, so Kouhey tried his customized taco rice next.

He’d never had it at a buffet before, and he really enjoyed putting on as much or as little of each ingredient as he liked. It resulted in a unique type of deliciousness he couldn’t get over.

Then he sampled his personal kaisendon, which he made with Ishigaki-local fish.

It was really good! Naturally, Kouhey has eaten kaisendon many times in his life, but it was very different eating one that he put together himself with delicious local ingredients you can’t get anywhere else.

Finally, he finished off his breakfast with a hefty serving of Ishigaki Roast Beef.

It was insanely good!

There was no denying that the Breakfast Hotel Porto Ishigaki Island’s breakfast buffet was an excellent value. Even if roast beef was all that was on offer, that 2,000-yen price tag would be well worth it. But being able to eat that plus local food and all the other things he loves, and as much as he liked, all for such a low price, was awesome.

If you happen to visit Ishigaki Island, in between making friends with the locals while sampling jelly made from Okinawan liquor be sure to visit this buffet at least once, if you can! If you book a night’s stay at the hotel that includes breakfast, you’ll be guaranteed to get in. Otherwise, Kouhey recommends calling the hotel ahead of time to see if you have a chance before you go in.

Related: The Breakfast Hotel Porto Ishigakijima
Images © SoraNews24

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