Boy, have we ever got a treat coming up for all of you loyal Rocketeers!

To help ring in the new year, our staff is busy putting the finishing touches on a 2015 calendar featuring the classy men of our sister site, the Japanese language edition of RocketNews24. Not wanting to be outdone by all the other “eye candy calendars” out there, our team of Japanese writers have truly gone all out to show their appreciation for all the love and support they’ve received from our readers over the past year.

Get ready to feast your eyes on a sneak preview of what’s about to become the sexiest 2015 calendar ever to grace the internet!

Meg Sawai, the lone Japanese female editor of the Japanese team, had high hopes to produce a calendar that would cause maximum visual impact yet leave an endearing impression in our readers’ minds. But how exactly to accomplish that goal proved to be the trickiest part of the whole project, given that she had nothing to work with but a bunch of middle-aged men with fatty-tuna abs.

Eventually, Meg decided to soften the impact by having them wear traditional Japanese fundoshi (old-fashioned loincloths) and mankinis for the photo shoot. If you recall, the guys already had one opportunity to bare it all earlier this year, and they leapt at this second chance to wear underwear in the name of entertaining journalism. After all, there’s nothing wrong with being comfortable and sexy at the same time, right?

▼Meg, in the midst of plotting planning: “What else can I make them do to get payback for that one time…?”

Without further ado, let’s introduce you to the five charming men who were willing to strip down to their undies for the sake of their loyal readers!

First up, we have GO Hatori, our Japanese editor-in-chief. His luscious hair and smooth buttocks have proven to be quite popular with our readers…

Next is our most eligible bachelor and purveyor of all things weird. On the count of three, everyone–Mr. Sato!

At times he’s also known by his aliases “Slime” and “Satosshi,” but this versatile man is truly a heart-throb in any shape or form.

Now don’t be fooled by the innocent-looking face below–our ace reporter Yoshio has been known to play mischievous pranks on unsuspecting staff members. You may also remember him for covering San Diego’s Comic-Con this past summer dressed as Sailor Venus. And apparently, he doesn’t mind being “kabe-don-ed” to boot:

This next fellow is Yuuichiro Wasai, who takes pride in telling the best dirty jokes out of anyone in the office.

Rounding off the list is P.K. Sanjun, who never fails to show off his sculpted muscles given an opportunity.

▼And here’s all five of them, posing as a group!

We’ll now let you in on some exclusive behind-the-scenes shots from the calendar’s photo shoot. try to contain yourselves, OK?

▼The finished product should look something like this:

 ▼Hang on just a little bit longer, everybody…

…we’ll be ready to decorate your wall soon! ☆

The 2015 RocketNews24 calendar is set to be an A4, 16-page absolute drool-fest that will shortly be available for download on our site. Stay tuned for an update in the near future!

Original article by Meg Sawai
Images © RocketNews24

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Origin: Prepare yourself for the fundoshi-clad men of the upcoming 2015 RocketNews24 calendar!
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

Following his tradition of the past few years, RocketNews24’s ace reporter and calendar model Mr. Sato dutifully lined up outside the Apple Store in Tokyo’s Shibuya neighborhood to wait for the January 2 release of the its 2015 lucky bag (luckily, his experience waiting outside wasn’t nearly as traumatic as the poor folks’ up in Sapporo). Although he was hoping to score a MacBook Air for the second year running, this year our man had his eye on another item as well–the Apple Store lucky bag-exclusive t-shirt.

Will Mr. Sato find the coveted t-shirt in his bag again this year? See his haul after the jump!

Last year, Mr. Sato opened up his Apple Store lucky bag to discover an unusual limited edition t-shirt, but was subsequently shocked by how–for lack of a better word–LAME it looked:

▼Seriously, whoever designed this must have been desperate for a new pair of pajamas or something…

On the other hand, scoring a MacBook Air at a fraction of the price was super exciting. So exciting, in fact, that Mr. Sato made a video of himself celebrating his new toy by dancing to AKB48’s “Koi Suru Fortine Cookie” right outside the Shibuya Apple Store and famous scramble intersection:

▼Featuring cameos by other Japanese RocketNews24 staff members, too!

Mr. Sato definitely hit the jackpot last year, but did his luck continue into 2015? At a cost of 36,000 yen (US$298.79), those lucky bags certainly don’t come cheap, so we seriously hope that he got something worthwhile. 

Let’s see what he found in his Apple Store lucky bag this time around:

▼Item #1: iPod touch 16GB (20,800 yen/$172.64). Not a bad start.

▼Item #2: Apple TV (9,800 yen/$81.34)

▼Item #3: Powerbeats² wireless earphones (20,600 yen/$170.98). Nice.

▼Item #4: Mophie powerstation juice pack 4000mAh limited edition (8,800 yen/$73.04).

▼Item #5: Incase ICON slim pack limited edition (15,800 yen/$131.14).

▼Item #6: Unmarked iTunes gift card, a value of anywhere from 1,000-50,000 yen ($8.30-414.99).

There’s no way to know the monetary value of the iTunes gift card until you register the code with iTunes. If by chance you score the maximum possible value of 50,000 yen ($414.99), the value of your lucky bag could skyrocket to an impressive 76,800 yen ($637.42)! 

Unfortunately Mr. Sato didn’t win a MacBook Air, iPad, iPad mini, or perhaps most disappointingly, another lame t-shirt this year. To recap, here are all of the goodies in Mr. Sato’s 2015 Apple Store lucky bag:

▼Apparently, staff gave out bottled water and sweets to the people waiting in front of the Shibuya Apple Store. People at other stores received hot coffee.

▼Mr. Sato’s numbered ticket card for entry into the store

▼A Shibuya-exclusive tag

Cheer up, Mr. Sato–you’ve got only 363 days left until your next chance!

Original article by Mr. Sato
Images © RocketNews24
[ Read in Japanese ]

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Origin: Mr. Sato divulges the contents of a 2015 Apple Store Lucky Bag–will he get a lame t-shirt again?
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

Everyone has that one celebrity that we have been told we sort of look like if we squint our eyes and look into a foggy mirror. For our beloved RocketNews24 reporter Mr. Sato, that celebrity doppelganger is none other than former Apple CEO Steve Jobs. As a frequent participant at iPhone launches and Apple’s annual “luckybag” sale in Japan, Mr. Sato decided maybe it was time to see if a shorter haircut (and a black turtleneck) would indeed make him look like the tech icon. Armed with an iPad and a digital photo of Steve Jobs, Mr. Sato began his iMakeover.

While most people are pretty familiar with Steve Jobs, some barbers might not know exactly what a customer means when they ask for the hairstyle of the creator of the iPhone. Showing the barber his iPad with a digital photo of Steve Jobs, Mr. Sato asked to have his hair cut just like the picture. The barber replied back “gotcha!” with such confidence that Mr. Sato knew he was in the right hands.

▼ Steve Jobs would be proud to learn how his iPad is being used today

Fully expecting the barber to make liberal use of the clippers and just start buzzing away, Mr. Sato was surprised when he picked up his scissors and began slowly working his magic. The barber’s careful and methodical scissor work put Mr. Sato at ease. They talked a little bit about being a barber and it turns out that it had been a while since anyone came in asking to have their hair cut like a certain celebrity.

▼ The barber takes his time when styling Mr. Sato’s luscious locks

While Mr. Sato enjoyed talking back and forth with the barber, he had one problem that makes getting his hair cut always a bit nerve-wracking: his terrible eyesight. Without glasses, Mr. Sato had no idea what the barber was doing and had to put complete confidence in the barber to know exactly how short to cut it without unintentionally turning him into a monk.

▼ Take a deep breath and relax Mr. Sato, when the barber is done, you may…or may not look like Steve Jobs

The barber put down his scissors and told Mr. Sato he had completed the transformation. Mr. Sato put his glasses back on, anxiously awaiting what he would soon see in the mirror. Would he look like his tech hero Steve Jobs? Or would he be immediately buying a hat to cover up the hairdon’t? Mr. Sato faced the mirror, opened his eyes and saw…famed RocketNews24 reporter Mr. Sato.

Something was still missing. Maybe he needed a black turtleneck and a pair of round glasses to fully turn into Steve Jobs.

▼ Is that you, Mr. Jobs, in the corner?

▼Wait a second…

▼ Definitely still Mr. Sato

▼ Does putting Mr. Sato in black and white help?

▼What about posing with the new iPhone?

Well, what do you think? Have we found Apple’s new spokesperson or should Mr. Sato stick to being a calendar model?

Photos: RocketNews24
[ Read in Japanese ]

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Origin: iMakeover: Can a haircut turn Mr. Sato into Steve Jobs?
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

The world is full of musical instruments with varying degrees of notoriety. Many instruments, like the guitar and piano, have legions of followers, while others like the sheng only get picked up by a select few. The Udar falls into that latter category with Mr. Sato having just become one of the very few people who have ever picked one up.

Join us as we listen to the musical stylings of the Udar as played by its inventor Michinobu Uda and learn a little about how it works.

The Udar was created over ten years by guitarist Michinobu Uda (Uda + guitar = Udar). It has a cylindrical body which plugs into an amplifier. The cylinder has a rope coiled around it with a sensor that detects pressure applied to it. Where the rope is touched and how hard controls the pitch and volume.

▼ The wires sticking out of the side allow the player to hold it with their wrists while playing the notes

The musical scale is printed around the inside marking off the notes including flats and sharps. The left hand controls the bass octaves while the right hand manipulates the higher notes for a total of eight octaves.

▼ The amp also acts as a case for the Udar

Mr. Sato likened the Udar to an accordion but really the differences between the two instruments are many and there isn’t anything that’s played quite like the Udar. One advantage is that the circular arrangement of notes makes playing chords a little more intuitive to make with one’s fingers.

Nevertheless, Mr. Sato felt that like any instrument it would require considerably practice to become proficient. Here’s a couple of photos of him trying to work out “Mary Had a Little Lamb” (audio of the event was quickly disposed of and the hard drive smashed to pieces by Mr. Sato).

And now here’s Michinobu Uda doing a lovely rendition of “Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence” by Ryuichi Sakamoto from the movie of the same name.

The Udar got some buzz online after a demonstration of Uda playing the Final Fantasy theme music was posted on YouTube.

The Udar still faces something of an uphill battle before it can become a household name, but it certainly could get into that level of fame where the Theremin and spoons reside. Mr. Sato said that he could feel the appeal of the instrument especially when hearing video game music played on it. Despite the initial difficulty, he told us, he wouldn’t mind trying to learn some more.

If you’d like to see a Udar in action, performances are held at the Open Source Café in the Shimokitazawa area of Tokyo. Anyone who wants to see is invited!

Information
Open Source Café
6-11-14-G1 Shirota, Setagaya, Tokyo
10:00 to 20:00
Open every day except Friday

Source: Electric Instrument Udar
Original Article by Mr. Sato
Photos: RocketNews24
Video: YouTube – Michinobu Uda, TokyoTek

▼ A brief explanatory video of the Udar in Japanese

▼ We toyed with Udar number 48 version 4.5

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Origin: We play little-known instrument the Udar, which does a killer Final Fantasy Prelude
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

Tired of being called “uncultured” by those around them, our reporters Mr. Sato and Yoshio made a road trip to Iwate Prefecture and all of its historical sites such as the Chusonji Golden Hall and Kenji Miyazawa Fairy Tale Village. It was the perfect place to learn more about Japan’s rich cultural heritage.

However, as they drove along Route 4 heading for the over-900-year-old Morioka Hachiman Shrine, something unusual caught Mr. Sato’s eye. “It’s a big red Ferris wheel!” he shouted, immediately forgetting about the site where Emperor Ojin’s spirit is enshrined.

Grabbing Yoshio’s arm, he forced the car to an off ramp and closer to the Ferris wheel, which they would soon learn was not just any old wheel, it was the American World Ferris wheel!

■ It’s a commercial complex! Yay…

Pulling into the large parking lot of American World, Yoshio and Mr. Sato found themselves surrounded by all things American. There was the American Wave CD and DVD rental shop, the American Paradise toy store, Books American, print shop Lab American, and American Sports where you can enjoy a game of baseball, basketball, or lacrosse.

Our pair of reporters were confused that these all appeared to be regular shops and no other rides could be found in American World except the Ferris wheel. Yoshio pulled out his smartphone and checked American World’s website.

According to it, American World was Japan’s first “theme commercial complex.” The website didn’t specifically say what the theme was, but the guys could guess.

■ Always some wet blankets

Although it was a little strange, it was also kind of nice to see these individual businesses all give themselves an “American” moniker. It gave the place a sense of unity. However, like when asking everyone to wear a costume to a party, you know there are going to be some who flake out thinking no one else will do it.

American World is no exception, with Japanese hamburger chain Mos Burger, Ban Bino Italian restaurant, Onitsurugimai local performance bar, and Karen Chinese restaurant to name of few of the hold-outs. Baskin Robbins was also included in this list. Even though they are American, would it have killed them to call themselves “American Baskin Robbins” just this one time?

Mos Burger gets some extra credit though as they put a little extra “American” into their decor

■  Be sure to ride the wheel!

It goes without saying that the centerpiece of American World is the big Ferris wheel painted in the American colors: red, yellow, and blue. Most red-blooded Japanese visitors would jump at the chance to ride the big red wheel, but to Yoshio and Mr. Sato, who were both terrified of heights, it looked like a flaming red death trap.

Nevertheless, they were reporters at heart and not experiencing the Ferris wheel for their report would have been unprofessional, so they made their way over. Mr. Sato asked the operator: “How big is this thing anyway?”
“About 30 meters (98ft) tall and 27m (88ft) wide,” the operator answered.
“Whelp, I think we got all the info we needed for our story,” Mr. Sato remarked. “Let’s get out of here.”

But as he was walking away, he noticed a sign that read “Adults 200 yen (US$1.70), Children 100 yen ($0.85).” How could they not ride for that price? It was a bargain, and both men’s inability to refuse a bargain far outweighed their primal fears.

And so Mr. Sato and Yoshio sat in the gondola and trembled as it slowly rose revealing more of the Kitakami city scape around them. Not too long after, they could even see the Ou mountain range in the distance. It was simply breathtaking.

Forgetting their fears Mr. Sato took out his smartphone and took some snaps while Yoshio pulled out his beloved Ricoh Theta 360 degree camera. Thanks to it, you the reader may now experience what it’s like to sit with Mr. Sato and Yoshio inside a Ferris wheel. Get ready…

Something about this American World Ferris wheel had soothed the men’s acrophobia by the time they reached the top. However, their joyride was short-lived when a small gust of wind caused the gondola to sway ever so slightly.

The movement caused panic to grip Yoshio and Mr. Sato with the force of 20 ice cream headaches and the two clung to their benches as they slowly went over the Ferris wheel’s apex. Because it was a weekday they were the only two people on the ride. Yoshio thought, “If it happened to break during this time who would report our deaths? We’re the reporters!”

The combination of fear and irony was almost too much for their minds to bear and as the wheel gently lulled to a stop at the bottom their rubbery knees could barely carry them off to terra firma.

Overall, they’d recommend the American World Ferris wheel people into high places and other crap like that, just don’t invite them. Satisfied with their American adventure Yoshio and Mr. Sato drove back to Tokyo, completely forgetting why the had come out here in the first place.

Information
Theme Commercial Complex “American World”
36 Chiwari, 32 Kitaoniyanagi, Kitakami, Iwate
Hours: 11:00am to 9:00pm
Website

Original article by Mr. Sato
Photos & Video: RocketNews24

▼The Ferris wheel ride was also captured on video so you can enjoy six minutes of their fear-fueled idle chatter

▼ Here’s the American Wave CD & DVD rental shop

▼ American signs

▼ Everything was as American as three guys with electric guitars in a floppy top hat

▼ American Paradise has Ghibli and Disney themed toys

▼ American Sports looked fun

▼ The sports available include: Badminton, Basketball, Trampoline, Batting Cages, Pitching Games, Table Tennis, and Skateboarding. No mention of lacrosse which leads us to believe those are just two guys fighting to the death with shovels on the sign.

▼ After passing by the Party House we come the American World sushi restaurant

▼ Although not American in name, many buildings had traditional American clay tile roofs

[ Read in Japanese ]

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Origin: RocketNews24 reporting from America…n World shopping complex in Iwate Prefecture
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

If you’ve had the pleasure of shopping at Daiso, you know Japan’s biggest chain of 100-yen stores sells just about everything. An array of kitchenware, school and office supplies, and even basic articles of clothing such as underwear, neckties, and belts can all be yours for just 100 yen (US$0.84) each.

Daiso even sells food and beverages, with seasonings, snacks, and soft drinks lining the shelves. This is common knowledge among thrifty shoppers looking for a cheap place to stock up on snacks, but if you’re searching for something stiffer than a bottle of tea or cola, a trip to the convenience or liquor store is still in order, right?

Not necessarily, as we recently discovered that some Daiso branches now sell wine. As big of a surprise as that was, we were in for an even bigger one once we poured ourselves a glass, because it’s actually pretty good.

Not every Daiso location carries wine, but we were able to track the budget-priced spirits down at the chain’s Oizumi Gakuen branch in Tokyo’s Nerima Ward. Despite the term, you may have noticed that 100-yen stores occasionally mark up certain premium items to 200 or even 500 yen, but we can confirm that’s definitely not the case with Daiso’s wine, which sells for just 100 yen a bottle.

There are a few tradeoffs that come with that price point, however. First, the bottles have screw caps. While modern science has shown that this format, when properly implemented, gives up nothing in its ability to lock in a wine’s flavor, this does mean that you won’t be able to look forward to that satisfying, sophisticated sound of popping the cork with Daiso’s lineup.

Second, at just 250 milliliters (8,5 ounces), the 100-yen containers are only a third of the size of a standard-sized wine bottle. Still, there’s enough vino inside for two generous pours, and at these prices, you can always grab three off the store shelf if you need that kind of inventory for your cellar.

Daiso has a total of seven wines on offer, and we decided to pick up a bottle of each to bring back to the office, where our very own Mr. Sato was standing by to lead our team of taste tasters.

▼ Not because he knew we were planning this article, though, but just because Mr. Sato is always sitting in the office waiting for someone to come by and pour him a glass of booze.

We decided to start with the whites, which were a Chardonnay and a Viognier.

Neither one was bad, although if you asked us if they were great, we’d have to say no. The flavors aren’t quite as well-defined as they could be, and if you over-chilled them to dull the effects on your taste buds, we don’t think the drinking experience would suffer that much. On the other hand, either Daiso white would make a good candidate for an economical batch of fruit-enhanced sangria to serve to guests at a get-together.

Next up were the four reds, a Merlot, a Cabernet, a Pinot Noir, and a Syrah (which you might know as Shiraz, particularly if you drink examples produced by Australian vineyards).

All of these far outperformed the whites, and considering their prices, tasted far better than they have any right to. The real standout, though, was the Syrah.

As a matter of fact, with its amethyst-like hue and refined aroma, it was so delicious that it got Mr. Sato waxing poetic, giving his impression as:

“When you take the first step, it’s like stepping into a forbidden paradise. The regal, sensual taste alights on your tongue, and the wine feels like a single night of passion as it slides down your throat.”

We’re not sure if it was the preceding and multiple glasses of wine that had given Mr. Sato the gift of glorious gab, but we realized we were no match for him in words, so instead we turned to numbers. Taking a quick poll of our taste-testing team, we asked how much they’d expect to pay at a restaurant for a glass of wine that tasted like the Daiso Syrah. The most common response was 500 yen, and with at least two glasses in each 100-yen bottle, our taste buds tell us we’re getting 10 times our money’s worth.

As a matter of fact, we were so impressed with the Syrah that we completely forgot about our bottle of the last variety of Daiso wine, the Syrah Rosé. We guess we’ll just have to wait until the next suitably special occasion gives us an excuse to crack it open.

▼ Which, thanks to its laughably low price, will be “the very next time we’re thirsty.”

Photos © RocketNews24
[ Read in Japanese ]

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Origin: Daiso wine, the super cheap vino from Japan’s largest chain of 100-yen stores 【Taste test】
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

Like much of the world, Japan is home to dozens of fashion brands like Uniqlo, GAP, and H&M, which offer high-quality clothes at low prices. It has come to the point that some refer to Uniqlo items as the “nation’s uniform” because of their ubiquity.

With all these big-name retailers saturating the market with their similar brands, how is a true individual supposed to express themselves? Of course there are one-of-a-kind boutiques, but those are way out of the average guy’s price range.

This is where our resident money expert Mr. Sato comes in. He’s known as “Cost Performer Sato,” or as he prefers “Cospa Sato,” because it’s a far more efficient name. He’s here to teach us about a secret shop which can be found in any one of your neighbourhoods and offers unique fashions at highly affordable prices, and look fabulous while doing so.

Our reporter Nakano interviewed Cospa Sato to get his thoughts on the state of clothing in Japan. However, the moment Cospa Sato said “back in my day” Nakano immediately noticed an interesting cloud in the sky and wandered off. Luckily, he kept a tape recorder running.

“Uniqlo? GAP? It’s kids’ play! Oh sure, they’ll sell ya good clothes for low prices. But is everyone willing to pay the price of their individuality? In looking for cheap clothes that simply match, people have forgotten what real style is.
Why, back in my day – you know, the 70s – there weren’t any shops like these, so we’d all have to search for some dy-no-mite duds, and thus define our own style. Can you dig it? Back then people had a lot more confidence because they knew they were wearing the clothes that were just right for them. And thus we became the greatest generation who bolstered Japan’s finest economic era.
Nowadays, real men like me who place an emphasis on cost performance go to Workman for clothes. Let’s face it, independent clothing shops as we know it are on the verge of extinction. The only place to get serious clothes that are also seriously cost effective is Workman… [whispers that last word and then stares off into space until the tape runs out]”
(Cospa Sato)

Workman is the name of a chain of workwear shops in Japan. To be fair, in this country the name is much more exotic. According to Cospa Sato’s diatribe it is also the last bastion for both fashion and price-conscious consumers during these style-strapped times of major brand outlets.

“Now come! I’ll show you,” Cospa Sato bellowed, grabbing Nakano forcefully by the arm and whisking him away to the nearest Workman shop.

Once inside, Cospa Sato grabbed a yellow plastic shopping basket and zipped from shelf to shelf as if he had the store memorized. Nakano watched as he furiously tossed shirts and slacks into the basket. “Is it alright to buy all this stuff?” he mused.

As if reading Nakano’s mind Cospa Sato eerily muttered, “It’s okay… Nooooo problem,” then marched towards the checkout. Although his basket was overflowing with clothing, the total came out to under 5,000 yen (US$42).

And so, with the shopping done, it was time to go back to the office and see what fashions Cospa Sato and Workman had forged together.

#1 City Bike Shop Guy Look
– Kinashi Cycle Chic –

“When your bike gets a flat on the mean streets of Tokyo, who do you turn to for help but the local bike shop? In this way, dressing like a bicycle shop employee projects an image of reliability and a kind heart. It’s an easy enough ensemble for men to put together and it drives the girls crazy. Note the “United” cap, which really drives home the fact that I’m not afraid of commitment. Be sure to wear it loosely as well for the complete bike shop guy look.”
(Cospa Sato)

#2 Mahjong Parlor Bouncer Look
– Direct-to-Video Style –

“Clothes that make you look like a mahjong parlor bouncer give you a strongman’s attitude but with a hint of hospitality that is very endearing to younger people. Wearing these clothes fills your heart with such power that you feel like you can repel even the most degenerate of gamblers that you might find in a direct-to-video movie series like Janki.”
(Cospa Sato)

#3 Tokyo Tribal Look
– The D.A.D. Collab –

“For this ensemble I borrowed the luxury brand D.A.D. cap that made me a chick-magnet at the Tokyo Auto Salon and paired it with a fashionable camouflage workman’s windbreaker, which itself only cost 2,000 yen ($17). Throwing on a pair of 100 yen ($0.85) sunglasses from Daiso completes the look. Normally, the jacket and glasses wouldn’t look great but the D.A.D. cap is a highly cost effective way to enhance the entire outfit.”
(Cospa Sato)

#4 Workman Look
– American Sexy Guy –

“Wearing overalls without a shirt is a money-saving privilege only men like me who train rigorously earn. Slap on a hat and aviator sunglasses from Daiso and congratulations! You’ll have become an American Sexy Guy.”
(Cospa Sato)

Cost Performer Sato would also like to point out that to fashion novices, these outfits might look ridiculous. If that’s the case for you then he has no time for you: “Continue to be a fashion slave to the chain stores if you will,” he said. “People who really understand style will understand the true value of these outfits and thus know who amazingly their cost performance is. Thank you, and peace out.”

Original article by Nakano
Model: Cost Performer Sato
Photos © RocketNews24
Video: YouTube – 桜井章一のすべて

▼ Behold: the Cospa Sato Spring 2015 Collection

▼ Better wear a helmet while you’re swinging around that five-pound mallet, you sexy American you.

▼ Now you know where to go.

[ Read in Japanese ]

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Origin: Cost Performance Specialist Sato shows us how to get high fashion at low, low prices
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

Prolific Japanese actor Ken Watanabe may have achieved stardom both domestically and internationally, but to the residents of a small city in northern Japan, he’s also known for his heart of gold.

Kesennuma (気仙沼), Miyagi Prefecture is one of several coastal cities that was ravaged by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. In the aftermath of the disaster, Watanabe helped build (and now manages) a combined cafe-shop in Kesennuma in an effort to provide economic relief to the locals. Most inspiring, however, is his unwavering dedication to the venture–somehow, despite his busy filming and PR schedule in both Japan and Hollywood, he still finds the time to fax a handwritten letter to the cafe every single day!

Join our ace Japanese reporters Mr. Sato and Yoshio on their recent trip up north to visit this hidden gem of northern Japan.

Ken Watanabe may be one of the most sought-after actors of today, but for loyal readers of our site, he’s also got another claim to fame–he was important enough to have met our own in-house celebrity, Mr. Sato, not just once, but twice! On his journey from Tokyo to Kesennuma with Yoshio, Mr. Sato recalled just how impressed he was after seeing Watanabe’s gracious demeanor and genuinely humble presence in person.

Perhaps it was this selfless attitude that led Watanabe to team up with locals and build a cafe in Kesennuma following the devastating tsunami of 2011. The building was completed in October of 2013 with the help of friends, and it opened for business the following month. The cafe’s name (“K-PORT“) incorporates the English word for “port” in it, illustrating the special significance of the ocean to Kesennuma.

When Mr. Sato and Yoshio arrived in the still-recovering town, they were struck by K-PORT’s decidedly modest and unassuming exterior. Mr. Sato remarked that from a distance, it has the appearance of a polygonal tent, like the kind you might see at an outdoor theater. However, they were greeted by a tall ceiling and inviting atmosphere once they stepped inside. In an unusual twist, they also had to take their shoes off upon entry (the norm in Japanese homes, but not usually at public establishments like a cafe). It might seem strange, but Mr. Sato almost felt like calling out “I’m home!” as he entered the room–that’s how soothing the atmosphere was.

▼The unassuming outside

▼A panoramic view of the interior

The two of them sat down for a meal and immediately noticed the uniqueness of K-PORT’s menu. Many of the food items are prepared through collaboration with local businesses, lending a strong sense of community to the cafe. For example, one of the donburi (rice bowl with toppings) dishes is prepared using fish that’s caught right in Kesennuma and supplied by the fish market right next door to the cafe:

In addition, one of the dessert items, a cream puff-type confectionery called “Shuu-PORT,” is offered on the menu thanks to a joint effort between K-PORT and the local bakery Patisserie Koyama:

After our reporters settled on a few dishes to order, they turned their attention to a stack of plastic binders bursting with letters by none other than Ken Watanabe, who faxes a letter to the establishment every day. And they’re not just generic, typed letters, either–they’re always handwritten messages overflowing with Watanabe’s heartfelt emotion. It’s truly impressive that someone with as busy a schedule as Watanabe’s would loyally send the letters day after day.

▼Binders full of Watanabe’s faxed messages. Look for his signature, 渡辺 謙, in the bottom left-hand corner of each letter.

▼His handwriting is absolutely gorgeous. Maybe he was influenced by his calligraphy-teacher father?

As Mr. Sato and Yoshio perused the letters at leisure, they realized just how much Ken Watanabe truly loves the cafe, its staff, its customers, and Kesennuma itself. Watanabe didn’t just help build K-PORT; he’s an integral part of the town and community, even when not physically present.

Here’s a video of our two reporters sampling a selection of the food at K-PORT. You can hear the surprise in Yoshio’s voice after the waiter tells them what’s on the Kesennuma specialty pizza.

▼Eye candy for your viewing pleasure (we mean the food, not Mr. Sato)

▼”Kesennuma specialty pizza”: That may look like marinara sauce, but it’s actually made from sardines and salted fish!

▼Also on the menu: “Cape Town pizza”

▼The story of how the cafe came into existence after the tsunami, with photographs of Ken Watanabe

▼Yoshio holding some of the letters

▼Some of the goods for sale in the cafe’s shop area

If you’re traveling in northern Japan and happen to be near Keseunuma, be sure to stop by K-PORT to experience this amazing cafe and its resilient people. Even if you’re not familiar with Ken Watanabe the actor, you’ll be more than touched by Ken Watanabe the caring, selfless person.

Information
K-PORT (ケーポート)
1-3 Minato-machi, Kesennuma-shi, Miyagi-ken
宮城県気仙沼市港町1-3
Mondays/Thursdays/Sundays: 1oam – 6pm
Fridays/Saturdays/Days before national holidays: 10am-9pm

Original article by Mr. Sato
Insert image: Google Maps
All other images © RocketNews24
[ Read in Japanese ]

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Origin: Mr. Sato and Yoshio visit a cafe that receives a daily letter from actor Ken Watanabe
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

Obviously, if you love sushi, Tokyo is probably your number one foodie vacation destination, but Tokyo is a big place! There are plenty of excellent sushi restaurants–and plenty of great ones at that. But for seriously fresh sushi, there might be no better place than right off the boat.

And if you want sushi right off the boat, you’ll want to head to Tsukiji-shijo, also known as Tsukiji Fish Market, the “biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world.” While that might sound a bit daunting, worry not! Today, we’re going to visit four Tsukiji-shijo sushi restaurants with none other than our very own Mr. Sato!

As you can probably guess from the photo below, Mr. Sato is quite the sushi-lover, which means we can (probably) trust his taste in raw fish, even if we’re not always sure about his fashion choices. Check out the culinary adventure that Mr. Sato and Nakano, another RocketNews24 writer, embarked on early one morning to find the best sushi in Tsukiji-shijo.

Our first stop on the Mr. Sato Mouth Fun Sushi Ride in Tsukiji-shijo is Daiwa-sushi, the second most popular, if you judge by the number of people lining up to eat. In fact, if you want to get in when they open at 5:30 am, you’ll want to join the other folks who start waiting around 5 am. While that’s a few hours before anyone should be awake in our book, it certainly would be a delicious way to start your day. A meal, which consists of seven pieces of sushi and a bowl of rice, will put you back 3,500 yen (about US$29 plus tax).

While Sushi Dai might be considered the best sushi restaurant by many travelers, Mr. Sato seems to think Daiwa-sushi is equally excellent. “This is delicious! It’s just as good, and if you hate waiting in line [Nakano had to wait for two hours at Sushi Dai], why not just come here?”

Here are a few photos of the sushi you can find at Daiwa-sushi.

After that delicious-looking meal, you might think there wouldn’t be enough room for more sushi, but you’d be wrong! Here’s our next restaurant, Iwasa-zushi.

Iwasa-zushi, which has apparently seen even the CEO of Amazon.com stop by as a customer, is quite popular with foreign tourists, like all of the other establishments in Tsukiji-shijo. The price is the same as Daiwa Sushi at 3,500 yen, but you’ll get 12 pieces of sushi and a bowl of rice instead of seven.

Each piece is apparently a little small, so if you’re not a voracious eater, this would be a good place for you. However, unlike some sushi places, Iwasa-zushi doesn’t give you one piece at a time. Nakano noted that the restaurant hands you three at a time, which might not be ideal if you like to sit and savor your sushi on by one.

Even served three-at-a-time, Iwasz-zushi looks like it has some tasty food!

Now it’s time to head to our next stop on the tour: Okame!

Okame is known to fans of Tsukiji-shijo sushi as a bit of a hidden gem–and Mr. Sato definitely agrees that the restaurant serves some delicious food. Here, the price is a slightly higher at 3,900 yen (about $33) for 12 pieces. For the final two pieces, you can choose whatever you’d like to eat.

Nakano described Okame as having a very traditional taste, and Mr. Sato heaped praise on the establishment’s chuu-toro (medium-fatty tuna). “This chuu-toro is truly delicious! It might be very best right now,” our favorite gourmand said, though apparently Nakano was a much bigger fan of Daiwa Sushi.

Check out a selection of Okame’s sushi below!

And now for our final stop on this Tsukiji-shijio sushi tour: Yamazaki!

LikeIwasa-zushi, the sushi atYamazaki is a little on the small side, but here you’ll get 12 pieces for 3,900 yen (about $33) with the “Kiku” (chrysanthemum) set. The sushi was up to Tsukiji-shijo standards, with the bluefin tuna apparently being the stand-out item.

Check out some photos of Yamazaki’s sushi below!

So, of the four places Mr. Sato showed us today, which was his favorite? Well, here’s his ranking! Of course, this is the Mr. Sato ranking–it’s not an official or objective list by any means.

1. Okame
2. Sushi Dai
3. Iwasa-zushi
4. Yamazaki

In the end though, all of them are excellent–you can’t go wrong stopping at any of these establishments. And just heading down to Tsukiji-shijo is an experience in itself, so you’ll hardly be losing out no matter what you choose.

But these are only a part of the sushi restaurants that Nakano and Mr. Sato visited. Keep an eye out for the follow-up with even more tantalizing photos soon!

All images © RocketNews24

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Origin: Let’s take a tour of the best sushi in Tokyo’s Tsukiji Fish Market with Mr. Sato! (Part 1)
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

Although Japan lacks ethnic diversity, it seems to more than make up for it in diversity of cuisine. Although the overarching recipes of Japanese foods can be found everywhere, you’d be surprised and how diverse the differences can be from region to region. Having your New Year’s soup in Okayama Prefecture may be quite different from Akita Prefecture’s offering. Even purchasing oden from a chain like 7-Eleven will produce different results if it’s from Osaka or Tokyo.

This is also true of another of Japan’s standard foods: rice balls also known as onigiri or musubi. To taste all the unique variations Japan has to offer, one must be a seasoned traveler, or they could just go to Momochi, a shop which offers a taste of all 47 prefectures straight from the counter. Our own Mr. Sato, eager to taste of these deliciously distinct snacks, visited Momochi to sample one of each.

The following are Momochi’s 47 Prefecture rice balls with a very brief description. Note that the word “pickle” is often used but the various methods of pickling and vegetables used in different parts of Japan is extremely vast so consider each one unique. We also have photos of Mr. Sato posing with each rice ball presented in slide shows for each of Japan’s major regions. If you’d like to get a better idea of what they’re like or if you can get enough of Mr. Sato’s face, please check them out.

▼ Hokkaido & Tohoku area prefectures

NOT PICTURED

Fukushima – Tara Kanroni
Cod stewed in soy sauce and sugar

▼ Kanto area prefectures

NOT PICTURED

Gunma – Shimonita Negi Miso
Green onions and miso (fermented soy paste)

▼ Chubu area prefectures

NOT PICTURED

Yamanashi – Ninjin Meshi
Carrots

▼ Kansai area prefectures

▼ Chugoku area prefectures

NOT PICTURED

Okayama – Sawara
Japanese Spanish mackerel

▼ Shikoku area prefectures

▼ Kyushu & Okinawa

■ Couldn’t catch’em all!
Although Mr. Sato set out for nationwide domination of rice balls, his visit to the Momochi had a few setbacks. The store was completely out of Yamanashi’s Ninjin Meshi flavor, and the racks for Gunma’s Shimonita Negi Miso and Fukushima’s Tara Kanroni were both empty at the time of his visit. He could just barely get Fukui’s Sauce Katsu and Okayama’s Sawara. This left his final tally at 44 of the 47 prefectural rice balls. Not a bad haul, but sadly not all of them.

■ Best in show: Salad Pan Omusubi
After happily tasting all of the rice balls, Mr. Sato struggled to determine the best three. In the end he declared Shiga Prefecture’s Salad Pan flavor to be the best. It’s based on a brand of snack bread with mayonnaise and thinly chopped pickled daikon. Although the bread was substituted with rice it still had an excellent blending of tastes and was a neat concept overall. In second place was Aomori’s Tsugarudzuke followed by the Sawara rice ball from Okayama Prefecture. Really though, everyone’s a winner. Well, everyone except…

■ You doing okay over in Ishikawa?
For those who actually read through the entire list, you might have noticed the rice ball of Ishikawa being a little odd. Named Dakidashi Omusubi (or “Soup Kitchen Rice Ball” in English), it is an equally depressing recipe of simply rice and salt. Despite being a bit of a downer, Mr. Sato still thought it was tasty. So, if you want to broaden your culinary horizons in a fast and easy way, Momochi is well worth checking out.

Shop Information
Momochi
Odakyu Hyakkaten Shinjuku B2F, 1-1-3 Nishi, Shijuku, Tokyo
Weekdays: 10:00am to 8:30pm
Sundays/Holidays: 10:00am to 8:00pm

Original report by Mr. Sato
Photos: RocketNews24

The full list

Hokkaido – Potato Butter

Aomori – Tsugarudzuke
Local brand of herring roe pickled in soy sauce

Iwate – Sabagohan
Mackerel and vegetables

Miyagi – Aburafu
Fried wheat gluten

Akita – Iburigakko
Smoked vegetables such as daikon or carrots

Yamagata – Dashi
Minced and seasoned vegetables (not to be confused with the widely used Japanese soup “dashi”)

Fukushima – Tara Kanroni
Cod stewed in soy sauce and sugar

Ibaraki – Natto Takuan
Fermented soy beans and pickles

Tochigi – Age Gyoza
Fried gyoza

Gunma – Shimonita Negi Miso
Green onions and miso (fermented soy paste)

Saitama – Katemeshi
Grains, vegetables, and seaweed

Chiba – Mezashi
Small fish dried and baked

Tokyo – Asari Tsukudani
Clams boiled in soy sauce

Kanagawa – Shirasu Gohan
Really small and young fish (aka whitebait)

Niigata – Kenkiyaki
Miso grilled with yuzu peels and green onion

Yamanashi – Ninjin Meshi
Carrots

Nagano – Shinshu Nozawa Nadzuke
Pickles from Nozawa, Nagano

Toyama – Tororo Konbu
Grated yam and kelp

Ishikawa – Dakidashi Omusubi
“Soup Kitchen Musubi” (rice and salt only)

Fukui – Sauce Katsu
Breaded meat cutlet and sauce

Gifu – Akakabudzuke
Pickled red turnip

Shizuoka – Sakuraebi Kakiage
Fried sakura shrimp

Aichi – Ebiten Musu
Shrimp tempura

Mie – Shiso Hijiki

Shiga – Salad Pan
Mayo and finely chopped pickled daikon

Kyoto – Shibadzuke
Pickled eggplant and shiso

Osaka – Aji Nori Konbu Iri
“Filled with seaweed and kelp taste!”

Hyogo – Ikanago no Kugini
Small fish boiled in soy sauce and sugar until they look like nails

Nara – Naradzuke
Nara style pickles

Wakayama – Kishu Nanko Ume
A regional type of plum

Tottori – Rakkyo
A type of green onion

Shimane – Wakame
Seaweed

Okayama – Sawara
Japanese Spanish mackerel

Hiroshima – Hiroshimana
A leafy green vegetable

Yamaguchi – Kinako
Roasted and powdered soy beans

Tokushima – Fish Katsu Ten
Fish fillet tempura

Kagawa – Iwanori Wasabi
Seaweed and wasabi

Ehime – Jakoten
Fried fish paste

Kochi – Kastuo Shoyudzuke
Dried bonito picked in soy sauce

Fukuoka – Mentaiko
Seasoned cod roe

Saga – Renkon
Lotus root

Nagasaki – Kakuni
Simmered pork

Kumamoto – Takana Itame
Fried mustard leaves

Oita – Tori Karaage
Fried chicken

Miyazaki – Toukibi
Corn

Kagoshima – Niwatori Gobo
Chicken and burdock root

Okinawa – Andansu
Miso fried in pork fat

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Origin: Around Japan in 47 rice balls: Mr. Sato buys each prefecture’s musubi all from one Tokyo shop
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

Would you be willing to wait two hours in line just for a cup of coffee? That’s how long it’d be if you went to the grand opening of Tokyo’s Blue Bottle Coffee, a fancy cafe that prides itself on only using the freshest roast coffee which they make themselves.

For some, like RocketNews24’s own Mr. Sato, that’s just too long a wait for a glorified cup of joe, so after being impressed with how long the lines were, he just went somewhere else for coffee instead.

Just for a bit more background on Blue Bottle Coffee, they’re often referred to as “the Apple of coffee,” and it’s not hard to see why: their cafe fronts that have no printed name – just a blue bottle mark, they value aesthetic and experience over everything (such as price, for example), and they even get the same kind of hordes of people lining up on opening day.

Mr. Sato arrived at Blue Bottle at about 10:00 a.m. on February 6, opening day, just two hours after the doors opened. He was shocked to see over 200 people already waiting in line, and was told that it would be over two hours before he’d actually be able to get inside.

▼ Wow that’s quite a long line! At least I can see the end tho-

▼ Oh. I guess this is the end? Maybe?

▼ Nope. No way. Not happening. Bye!

What was even more flabbergasting was that this was a weekday. Didn’t all these people have school or work? Just imagining how crowded it would be on the weekend when all the hipster students and salarymen could get their fix too was downright terrifying.

Unfortunately Mr. Sato is a busy man and had other appointments, so he couldn’t stand around all day waiting in line for a cup of coffee (unlike other times when he’s willing to wait literal days in line). As luck would have it there was another coffee shop right nearby called ARISE COFFEE ROASTERS, full of other disgruntled people who had seen the line at Blue Bottle, given up, and come here instead.

▼ Every Disney needs its Universal right next door.

▼ They even have one of these things! I’ll bet Blue Bottle doesn’t have one of… these things!

Among the crowd was one man who had been lucky enough to get into Blue Bottle earlier that morning. Apparently he’d arrived early at 7:00 a.m., an hour before opening, when there were only about 30 other people waiting. After the doors had opened the line started growing faster by the minute, reaching nearly 100 people by the time he got his own drink.

The man also divulged that he’d come all the way from Osaka just to try Blue Bottle’s coffee. He left before Mr. Sato could ask him if he’d actually taken off work just to come here, or if he was some sort of professional coffee-taster of sorts.

If you live in the Tokyo area and you’re excited to try out Blue Bottle, Mr. Sato urges you not to visit on the weekend. Huge lines are expected, most likely resulting in waiting times far longer than two hours. Instead, he recommends that you try ARISE COFFEE instead. You only have to wait a few minutes, and the guy who owns the place is a super friendly brewing master who will regale you with tales about far more than you ever thought you could possibly know about coffee.

Cafe Information:

Blue Bottle Coffee Kiyosumi-shirakawa
Address: Tokyo-to, Toko-ku, Hirano 1-4-8
東京都江東区平野1-4-8
Hours: 8:00a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Open: Every day

ARISE COFFEE ROASTERS
Address: Tokyo-to, Toko-ku, Hirano 1-13-8
東京都江東区平野1-13-8
Hours: 9:30a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Close: Mondays

Photos: RocketNews24
[ Read in Japanese ]

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Origin: Blue Bottle Coffee opens in Japan to two-hour lines; Mr. Sato gets impatient, goes somewhere else
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

Previously on RocketNewsZ, tensions flared between our reporters Yuichiro Wasai and Mr. Sato after Wasai used Mr. Sato’s mankini and returned it without washing. The two were just beginning to levitate off the ground and fight when the chief editor told them to take it outside so as not to damage the office’s complete collection of sushi cat figurines.

Knowing who pays the bills around here, both complied and went down to Shibuya Parco in Tokyo where an event was being held inviting fighters such as these two to compete by hurling kamehameha energy blasts at each other. Will these two settle their differences before it’s too late? We’ll soon find out after they manage to flag down a cab.

It was a drizzling day in front of the Parco building but the mood was electric. Dozens of would-be fighters came out to test their might. The event was held from 5 to 8 February to celebrate the release of the PS4 game Dragon Ball Xenoverse.

Before fighting, each challenger gets a power level reading with a face scanner. Mr. Sato was instructed to make the meanest face he could for the best results. As he snarled, Mr. Sato saw his level rise to a hefty 19,957. Furthermore his rival Wasai only got 13,219.

▼ Let’s forget that it says Mr. Sato is “62 years old” for now.

Things were looking good for Mr. Sato. “I’m gonna crush that mankini-soiling worm,” he said as they took the stage. Power levels alone wouldn’t win the day, however. The fighters were both instructed to shout “KaaaaMeeeeHaaaaMeeeeHaaaaaaaaaa!” as powerfully as they could for a stronger wave attack. Also, the fighter who could lower their center of gravity the best would get an advantage.

It was a surprisingly sophisticated set-up and that was valuable information, but the time for talk was over.

Despite his lower power level, Wasai managed to hunker down enough to pull a draw in this struggle. Mr. Sato was not pleased. It was time to take things to the next level. It was time to become Super Saiyan Sato.

The yellow-haired reporter could feel his power levels surging straight out of his pants. He thought it must have been in the millions if not tens of millions by this point. With revenge burning in his eyes Super Saiyan Sato dragged Wasai – who was sipping on a milk tea at the time – back to the stage by his collar.

“Let’s settle this now, MAGGOT!” boomed Super Saiyan Sato.

With the might of a thousand suns, he stared down the power meter for his updated level…only to find it had dropped to a mere 10,004. Not only that his age was now appraised at 70.

That still wasn’t even the worst of it. Wasai, apparently angered by his tea session getting interrupted, had revealed his true form: Funky Wasai. Super Saiyan Sato gazed at the reader and shouted in disbelief “It’s over ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY THREE THOUSAAAAAAAANNND!!!!”

He considered his vast arsenal of excuses for a way out of this situation but it was too late. The staff ushered Super Saiyan Sato and Funky Wasai in his second form to the stage for their second bout.

When the dust settled, Super Saiyan Sato had gone down just like Yamcha before him.

Although satisfied with his victory, Wasai felt empty having crushed Super Saiyan Sato like a bug and regretted letting something so trivial as a dirty mankini get between their friendship.

So, he decided to assemble a team of other top fighters at the event to search for the legendary Dragon Balls and wish for Mr. Sato’s resurrection. His first choice was a high school girl they saw earlier who clocked in at a hefty 800,000 on the scouter.

Will Funky Wasai collect all of the balls in time to save Mr. Sato? Or, will the high school girl betray him at the last minute and wish for Arashi tickets instead? Find out on the next episode of…RocketNewsZ!

Source:Kamehameha Dragon Ball Xenoverse (Japanese)
Photos: RocketNews24

▼ The stage was set at Shibuya – literally.

▼ “Ossu! I’m Sato, the strongest fighter at RocketNews24!”

▼ “Beli’dat.”

▼ “This here machine measures power levels.”

▼ “If you make an intense face it will give you a better level.”

▼ “DoRyaaaaaa! See, power level: 19,957. Not too shabby.”

▼ “You also get a ticket that has a QR code. With it you can watch a video of yourself later on YouTube.”

▼ “That’s Wasai. He’s a chump so he only got a 13,219 power level.”

▼ “Time to face my opponent.”

▼ “KAAAAAAAMEEEEEEEEEEE”

▼ “HAAAAAAAMEEEEEEE”

▼ “HAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaa…”

▼ “It’s also possible to get a red beam. I don’t know how though.”

▼ “Oh, I almost forgot Wasai’s there too.”

▼ “Gha!? How can this be? He’s only 13,000!”

▼ “NOOOOOooooo…”

▼ “Krrrrriiiiiillllllliiiiiiiiiiin!”

▼ “Wasai!!! You’re through this time!”

▼ “What?! He’s become stronger than a Super Saiyan Sato!”

▼ “Gyyyaaaaahhhh…”

▼ “Hooooowwwwww…”

↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
▼……

▼ Wasai: “Worm.”

▼ With the QR code you could get a little manga image of yourself and watch the video.

[ Read in Japanese ]

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Origin: Our writers trade kamehamehas at Dragon Ball event in Tokyo, Sato goes Super Saiyan!
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

After the first part of our Mr. Sato-lead tour of Tokyo’s Tsukiji fish market, we’re sure a lot of our readers are excited to see what else our resident gourmand had for us. And now the wait is over! Here are the last four sushi establishments as visited by Mr. Sato and his daring accomplice in raw fish consumption Nakano.

Whether you’re preparing for your first trip to Tokyo or just looking for some great places you might have missed, this is one article you’ll definitely want to read!

Our first stop in part two is Sushi-bun, which, sadly, does not allow photography inside. So, we can’t show you what their sushi looks like, but we can let Mr. Sato and Nakano tell you about it!

First, as you may have surmised from the no pictures rule, Sushi-bun may not be the most friendly place for tourists, but the food is first class. After eating here, Mr. Sato told Nakano, “This is going to totally change the ranking! It was so good!” As for Nakano, he singled out the broiled conger eel as being particularly good, saying that they were so soft and fluffy, you almost couldn’t pick it up with chopsticks.

Sushi-bun costs about as much as the places we saw in the first part of Mr. Sato’s sushi crawl. The omakase course is 3,675 yen (about US$30), though they have less expensive courses as well.

Moving on, the pair found themselves at Ichiba-zushi, an establishment that is apparently very particular about their raw, natural ingredients.

Unfortunately, despite their attention to detail, it seems that Ichiba-zushi wasn’t quite the right match for Mr. Sato. Nakano also said that while there was some good sushi there, it just didn’t stand up in comparison with the previous places. It might just be a case of bad timing, but it looks like Ichiba-zushi wasn’t as delicious as their other stops. Of course, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try it! Everyone has different tastes after all.

Here are a few snapshots of the sushi available at Ichiba-zushi, where the omakase course is also 3,675 yen (roughly $30).

We’re almost done with our tour! And our second-to-last stop is Ryu-zushi!

Like Ichiba-zushi, Ryu-zushi is very picky about their ingredients. They even have a poster outside the shop of all the fish being served with information about where they were caught!

However, it looks as if Ryu-zushi wasn’t quite pass muster for our dashing reporter, though in it’s defense this was based on its “cost performance.” At 4,200 yen (about $35), Ryu-zushi is the most expensive place the duo ate at. As for Nakano, he found the food tasty, but, like Mr. Sato, pretty expensive comparatively speaking.

But maybe these photos of their sushi will convince you to go anyway!

And our final stop on this two-part tour is Iso-sushi!

Located near the Tsukiji-shijo (“marketplace”) entrance, Iso-sushi also stands next to Chinese and Western restaurants, which are operated by the same owner. But how is their sushi?

“It’s pretty good!” Mr. Sato told Nakano, adding, “It’s a bit above average!” Which seems like praise…we think? Well, based on his smile, it seems like he’s a fan of Iso-sushi.

Costing 3,670 yen (around $30) for their most expensive set, Iso-sushi is priced around the middle of the pack for Tsukiji sushi restaurants. Check out some photos below!

Now that we’ve gotten through all eight of the sushi restaurants on the Mr. Sato Mouth Fun Sushi Ride in Tsukiji-shijo, let’s see how our favorite gourmand ranked all of them! We also have some additional comments on the restaurants to help you better decide where to eat at the fish market.

1. Sushi-bun
For Mr. Sato, this was like the dream team. Other places might have one or two specialties, but at Sushi-bun, everything is top class. But, if he had to pick one stand-out, he’d go with the broiled conger eel. “It’s like eating super high-quality sweets.”

2. Okame

In particular, Mr. Sato loved the medium-fatty tuna (chu-toro) here. Even with all the tuna they ate over the day, this was by far the best individual dish of all eight establishments. “None of the other restaurants can compare.”

3. Daiwa-sushi

While Sushi Dai may be more popular, for Mr. Sato’s money, Daiwa-sushi is just as good. He especially praised the balance between the fish quality and the shari (sushi rice), saying it created a great overall effect. While others are waiting in thr huge line for Sushi Dai, you can sit back and happily enjoy your sushi here.

4. Iwasa-sushi

Mr. Sato seemed pretty happy with the three-pieces-at-a-time pace of this restaurant, though he wasn’t such a big fan of the shari. However, this could be chalked up to personal taste, so if you like your shari a bit drier, you should check out Iwasa-sushi.

5. Iso-sushi

The sushi chef was quite friendly here, but it seems that Mr. Sato was a bit disappointed with his own order. He ordered the most expensive set, but after looking at what other customers got, he realized that the 2,500 yen limited set was probably a better deal. Keep that in mind if you go to Iso-sushi!

6. Yamazaki

“To be honest, I don’t have much of an impression of what this place was like. It was very orthodox sushi, without anything to really complain about.”

7. Ryu-zushi

Of all the places they ate at, this was the only one where they didn’t put out chopsticks for the customers. Probably the owners thought that the sushi was best eaten by hand, but that could be a bit of a sticking point for some. The sushi was very orthodox, but, again, there was nothing to complain about taste-wise. However, considering the cost and the fact that the restaurant also didn’t offer any soup, Mr. Sato had to give it a low ranking.

8. Ichiba-zushi

For Mr. Sato, this felt more like a neighborhood sushi restaurant, just some place that you might visit occasionally if it were nearby.

We also have a ranking from Nakano! See, you don’t have to take everything Mr. Sato says as law…but it probably wouldn’t hurt if you did.

1. Daiwa-sushi

Nakano chose Daiwa-sushi for the number one spot for its excellent sushi and its “Tsujikiji-shijo” vibe-a great place to really get the full effect of eating in one of the world’s largest fish markets. He also added that explanations are provided in English for tourists!

2. Sushi Dai

While Sushi Dai and Daiwa-sushi are roughly of the same quality, you can expect to wait a lot longer here, dropping it down to second place.

3. Iso-sushi

Third place goes to Iso-sushi thanks to its inexpensive menu and specialty items. Nakano recommended it for anyone on a budget who’s also looking for the Tsujikiji-shijo atmosphere.

4. Sushi-bun

“This place is really good. In terms of price, there’s not much to complain about either,” Nakano said, though in terms of “cost performance,” he said it was average.

5. Yamazaki

Though Mr. Sato wasn’t a big fan of Yamazaki, Nakano thought they were pretty good. It was the cost (and poor cost performance) that had him placing the establishment in the number five spot.

6. Okame

“It was good but average, and there’s not much to say beyond that.”

7. Iwasa-zushi

“This place was also pretty good, but very orthodox. There’s not much to add.”

8. Ryu-zushi

Nakano liked the sushi here and said that it was pretty good, but also added that the high cost and the fact that they didn’t get soup really lowered its ranking.

9. Ichiba-zushi

“It was about the same level as any standard sushi place where you pay 100 yen (about $0.83) per piece. It was good, but not something you’d go all the way to Tsukiji-shijo for.”

Finally, we have a bit of advice from Mr. Sato himself for tourists coming to Japan from overseas!

● While menus that have English are pretty helpful, places that have English menus aren’t usually that great. This is because they’re just trying to make money off of tourists and often their sushi isn’t usually that good.

● In particular, Ichiba-zushi is full of foreign tourists, but their sushi isn’t very good, so you should avoid it.

● You’ll probably want to skip places that offer rice bowls, since if the sushi is good, you shouldn’t need any extra rice.

And that’s it for our tour of Tsukiji-shijo sushi restaurants with Mr. Sato! Be sure to share your favorite if you’ve had a chance to stop by the fish market!

All images © RocketNews24
[ Read in Japanese ]

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Origin: Continuing our tour of the best sushi in Tokyo’s Tsukiji Fish Market with Mr. Sato! (Part 2)
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

In these days of social networks many of us have come up on the problem of which profile picture to use. Scrolling through all the photos you’ve reluctantly let people take of you, it’s hard to find one that relates your true inner beauty. It would be nice if we all had one of those mid-interview shots where people look really interesting.

Sadly though, chances are you haven’t been professionally interviewed and so don’t have one. Don’t worry though, because our crack team of photogenic writers and editors has found a way to easily simulate a photograph that can make anyone look like a truly interesting person. All you need is the magic word: Mokkore! Let’s try.

How to pose for an intellectual looking photo

• Begin by facing the camera.

• Then turn your body about 20 degrees to the left or the right.

• Tilt your head slightly to the left if you’re facing right or vice-versa. Then, position your hands as if you are working a potter’s wheel (you know, that thing they were making out on in the movie Ghost).

• Finally, say “mokkore.” The person taking the photo should be instructed that when you pronounce the “re” is the best moment to hit the shutter.

And you’re done! Now, you look like someone who people are actually interested in listening to when actually you’re just blurting out a word that means “raggedy” in the Aizu (western Fukushima) dialect, but for much of Japan is probably just gibberish.

Unfortunately, properly pronouncing “mokkore” might be a little tricky for some non-native Japanese speakers. You have to make sure you hit that half-syllable double-K sound (mok-ko) and get that little tongue flick in the “re” for best results.

In true scientific fashion we tested this method on three other writers (pictured below) to make sure it wasn’t just a fluke with Mr. Sato. Sure enough, they nearly all mokkored themselves from slack-jawed yokels to captains of industry with a single word. We have to assume there are other words which produce similar or possibly even better results, but as of now only “mokkore” has been properly verified through rigorous testing.

If you happen to know a word in your own language that can make people look like a fascinating person let us know and we might try further experiments.

Original article by Mr. Sato
Photos: RocketNews24

▼ Yoshio: “So I told the actuary, ‘Sir, please take a T-4 form fill it out and take it to window 3.'”

▼ MOKKORE! “So I told Ms. Jolie, ‘Look. We all have African children here so don’t expect me to cut you any slack.'”

▼ Harada: “I fumigated ten houses in the last three days.”

▼ MOKKORE! “My company is hoping to revolutionize how we see kittens in video games with this exciting new product.”

 ▼ MOKKORE! “I think they put more lettuce than usual on my burger today.”

We didn’t say it was 100% effective.

[ Read in Japanese ]

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Origin: How to take a photo looking like someone important, it’s all in the “mokkore”
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

While visiting the city of Sapporo, our adventurous reporter Mr. Sato stumbled upon this bizarre looking complex called the Retro Space Saka Hall. The whole place looked incredibly sketchy, but that was right up his alley.

Little did he know, however, that this dingy-looking industrial complex nestled in snow would almost move him to tears.

The facility is located just a few minutes from Nijuyon-Ken Station on the Sapporo subway line. Just walking past it you’d be forgiven for not noticing its existence. The building is clearly used as a Saka Biscuit factory – the company known for their Salt Fry A Letter alphabet-shaped biscuits, among other treats.

It would seem that less space was needed to make these crackers because a large portion of the building had been converted into the Retro Space Saka Hall as you can barely see spray-painted in between the original sign poking out from behind the tree.

However, rounding the corner Mr. Sato was greeted by a rather ominous looking entryway and line-up of mannequins in underwear on the second floor window. It would seem that the signs wore clocks so that he may know the time.

Inside was like the home of an anal-retentive hoarder. Items were everywhere and sometimes they seemed to have been neatly arranged into sections and yet at the same time there appeared to be no sense of order at all. Apparently these items were collected by the Saka Biscuit company’s president over many, many years.

Mr. Sato wouldn’t really call this a museum or even a gallery, because these items didn’t seem to have any particular meaning or value. In one box lay a few dozen syringes and in another were 20 or so matchbooks. Although they were probably worthless each one had a unique design.

Bit by bit though, it all started to reveal itself to Mr. Sato. The more he walked through this mess of organized nostalgic chaos the more the cultural fabric of Japan’s past seemed to come to life. The syringes themselves didn’t have meaning but they were a part of a bigger experience giving Mr. Sato all the sights and smells of another era.

The most shocking part of Retro Space for our reporter was the vast array of magazines. Actually there were only two kinds: a monthly comic called Boken O (Adventure King) and an entertainment magazine called Heibon (Mediocrity). Seeing all those hand painted starlets on the covers of Mediocrity staring right at him in unison became increasingly jarring. One issue of the entertainment rag even boasted “100 famous people’s addresses.”

You probably couldn’t get away with that nowadays, but Mr. Sato realized that back then mail was the only way for fans to contact their favorite stars.

The most touching part of Retro Space Saka Hall was the collection of old aluminum lunch boxes and pencil cases. Mr. Sato looked over them, all featuring cartoon characters, athletes and children’s entertainers who have long since gone.

Suddenly, he felt a tightening in his chest and a lump began to form in his throat. He couldn’t even understand why but he began to have to fight back tears. It was as if the lunch boxes were raising some long forgotten emotions or memory that he had repressed and still couldn’t bear to recall.

It was intense and Mr. Sato wasn’t quite ready to face whatever it was at that time. Instead, he perused the countless other items on display and took plenty of photos which you can enjoy in the slideshows below.

For anyone visiting Hokkaido and of course for those who live there, Retro Space Saka Hall is well worth a visit. Mr. Sato isn’t quite sure why it exists, but it struck a chord with him and for that he’s really glad that it does.

Information
Retro Space Saka Kaikan
3-22-7, 3 Nijuyon-Ken, Nishi-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido
Hours: 11:00am to 6:30pm
Closed holidays and some Saturdays

Original report by Mr. Sato
Photos © RocketNews24

▼ Slideshow #1: Syringes, monocles, and tonics

▼ Slideshow #2: Cigarette packs without health warnings, racist figurines, and pencil cases

▼ Slideshow #3: Rotary telephones, liquor bottles dressed up like people, and creepy magazines

Click to view slideshow.
[ Read in Japanese ]

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Origin: Mr. Sato visits the Retro Space Saka Hall, full of syringes, Mediocrity, and bittersweet memories
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

February: the time when most of us in the northern hemisphere look at the calendar in despair as spring takes its sweet time to arrive. It’s also the perfect month to get away to a warmer locale, soak up some sun and recharge yourself to be able to get through the last (hopefully) weeks of winter.

But instead of packing a swimsuit and sunscreen for that trip to the beach, our beloved reporter Mr. Sato instead decided to fully embrace winter and booked a stay at an ice hotel in Hokkaido for a vacation he’ll never forget or let (it) go.

Operated by a famous Japanese chocolate company, Royce’ Ice Hills Hotel is a (very) temporary hotel in Tobetsu, just north of Sapporo, made entirely out of ice and snow. Before the spring thaw, Mr. Sato wanted to give this literally cool hotel a try since it is only open until March 15.

There are a couple of booking options, but Mr. Sato decided to go with a travel package that includes one night’s stay as well as the cab ride to and from Tobetsu. Usually this package requires at least two people paying 23,000 yen (US$193) each, so Mr. Sato had to pay in total 46,000 yen to be able to have the room to himself. (On the bright side, he was given a 3,000-yen discount for only eating one breakfast.)

Despite the terrible weather the day before, Mr. Sato got lucky and had a smooth flight from Tokyo to Sapporo and arrived right on time. But despite arriving on time, he still had to wait around before leaving Sapporo because guests are only allowed to stay a total of 15 hours in the hotel. Mr. Sato’s hired ride was scheduled to meet him near the Sapporo train station at 8pm. He worried a little bit about who this driver would be and if there would be any problems with his reservations, but there were no issues and he was on his way to the ice hotel.

▼ Mr. Sato’s plane ready to leave from Tokyo snow-less Narita International Airport

▼ The snow-covered land of Hokkaido as Mr. Sato gets ready to land at New Chitose International Airport

▼Mr. Sato takes a selfie with the hired cab that will take him to the ice hotel

The drive to the ice hotel from Sapporo was supposed to take about an hour, which allowed for plenty of small talk between the driver and Mr. Sato. As they got further from the city, Mr. Sato was surprised to see the sudden appearance of snow on all sides of the car. There was practically no snow in Sapporo, but it was everywhere once they got out of the city limits. The driver told Mr. Sato that the area around the ice hotel has lots of snow that gets blown in from the Sea of Japan.

▼ The snowy roads on the way to Tobetsu

Finally, Mr. Sato arrived at the ice hotel. He felt at ease seeing that the hotel was not very far from the management office, just in case there was any issue. And he could see plenty of hotel staff making him feel good that he wasn’t being dumped in the middle of a snowy field.

▼ Mr. Sato’s cab makes contact with Royce’ Ice Hills Hotel

There are three rooms in the ice hotel and since Mr. Sato ended up being the only guest that night, he decided to stay in room C. The entrance to that room made it seem like a cave, but once you got in, you could see the high ceilings that made it seem very spacious. There was also some impressive spiral ice art to greet you. When he walked it, Mr. Sato noticed the contrast between the jet-black of the night outside and the white snow made it seem like he had just woken up in a dream.

▼ The three ice chambers, aka hotel rooms

▼ The fluffy door to the rooms

▼ The cave-like entrance to room C

▼ Some of the ice art in room C

▼ A tall piece of spiral ice art in room C

The three rooms were each laid out a little differently, but all had the same amount of space inside. There is a bed in the middle of the room with a thick, polar bear rug on top. The rug is so incredibly soft and looks very inviting to sleep on. But don’t be fooled, Mr. Sato says the rug is not very warm but merely acts as a barrier between you and the cold around you. The light switches are located very conveniently on the side of the bed, but other than that, there is not much else in the room. Also, eating and drinking is not permitted in the room. After all, no one wants to spill apple juice on the floor and leave a suspicious yellow stain for the next guest, do they?

▼ Room A from the outside

▼ The beds in room B

▼The, ahem, artwork in room B

▼ Guys, stop giggling. It’s perfectly innocent ice art

▼ Mr. Sato’s bed for the night in Room C

▼ The light switches near the bed

▼ There’s no light outside, so if you need to use the facilities, be sure to take this lamp

Apart from the hotel, there is another building made of ice that houses a bar. As part of Mr. Sato’s travel package, he had two complimentary drinks, so he made his way to the bar quickly after arriving. Unsurprisingly, everything in the bar is made out of ice, even the bar itself. And it is lit with blue light, giving the whole room a very “luxurious feel,” according to our man.

▼ An ice display in the middle of the bar

▼ Some rather chilly seating options

▼ The bar

Luckily for Mr. Sato as the only guest that night, he was given superb service by a very attentive staff. And Mr. Sato admits that the friendliness might have caused him to drink a little more than he should… Besides drinks served out of gigantic chunks of ice, the bar also had an ice slide where you could drink very chilled shots.

▼ The ice shot slide: where deliciously cold and dangerous decisions get made

▼ Mr. Sato giving our readers a demonstration of the ice slide

▼ The bartender serving up some cool drinks in ice blocks

▼ An ice “glass”

▼ One of the yummy and colorful drinks available at the bar

▼ Our wine connoisseur samples the drinks

▼ Mr. Sato’s gives his evaluation of the ice bar

Thanks to the many drinks at the bar, Mr. Sato was all warmed up and ready for bed. The hotel has very high-end sleeping bags available to guests that can keep you warm until morning. Mr. Sato could definitely feel the cold air at times during the night, but remarked that it wasn’t unbearable by any means, and he slept through the night.

▼ Tucked in a ready for bed

Breakfast was served the next morning and consisted of bread, corn soup and coffee. Everything was delicious, but tasted even better since it was served warm after a pretty cold night.

▼ Breakfast at the ice hotel

If Mr. Sato’s trip up north inspires you, make sure you book quickly because, again, the hotel will only be around until March 15. Then you will have to wait until next year to pay good money to sleep on a block of ice. Check out the two videos below to get a further look at the ice hotel, and let us know what you think! Would you want to stay in a room surrounded by ice and snow?

▼ Mr. Sato’s adventures at a Hokkaido ice hotel

▼ Mr. Sato at the ice bar

All photos & videos ©RocketNews24

[ Read in Japanese ]

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Origin: Mr. Sato channels his inner Elsa, books a night at a Hokkaido ice hotel 【Photos】
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

While the advent of social media and the 24-hour news cycle has certainly made us more connected and increased our awareness of…stuff, it also seems to have resulted in a bit of an epidemic of shade-throwing. Whether it’s celebrities putting each other on blast or random Twitter eggs flaming each other, it can often feel like the Internet has drunk deep from the well of haterade.

For the most part, we here at RocketNews24 have stayed out of the fray, but it looks like all that’s about to change. While you may think that our ace reporter Mr. Sato is the coolest, sexist guy in the world, Nakano, another writer for the Japanese side, is going public with why our hero is a total jerk. But the real question is: Should we believe Nakano or is he just jealous? Read on and decide for yourself!

Nakano, one of our tireless Japanese writers, is also the original author of our recent mini-series on Tsukijishijo sushi joints and a frequent companion to Mr. Sato on our beloved hero’s outings. You would think Nakano would be thanking his lucky stars everyday that he has such an awesome coworker, but apparently that’s not the case. It turns out he’s been harboring a bit of a grudge and now he’s coming public with all reasons he thinks Mr. Sato is trash.

We’re sure most of you are incredulous at this point (we were too), but here are his five reasons.

1. Mr. Sato is a disgusting glutton

First, Nakano claims that Mr. Sato loves all-you-can-eat places and enormous servings, but that he suffers from a particular weakness–not being able to eat that much. However, despite this weakness, our hero in spectacles won’t go home until he’s eaten his money’s worth. According to Nakano, this results in Mr. Sato overeating to the point that he’ll often end up in the bathroom puking.

Hey, we all have had instances where our eyes took on a task our stomachs couldn’t finish, so we don’t think this is such a big de–oh, wait, Nakano isn’t done. “Also, if Mr. Sato decides he hasn’t gotten his money’s worth, he’ll just disappear leaving me to pay the bill! I always say I’m never going out to eat with him again, but if I don’t go, he’ll just invite someone else and cause problems for them, so I end up having to go.”

Hmmmm…what we’re taking away from this is that if you want a free meal, Nakano is the chump, sorry, the kind gentleman you should call.

2. Mr. Sato is always delivering information about seedy parts of town

Next, Nakano says that Mr. Sato has quite the manly appetite for love establishments where he gets to talk to lots of women. For example, sometimes they will split up a certain area and spend all night looking for interesting places to write about, but apparently Mr. Sato never finds anything they can actually use. Instead, he just comes up with information about bars with lots of female staff.

“Of course no one tells him this, since he’d get really pissed off, but we call this his ‘Free Walking Guide'” (“free walking guides” are places to get information about certain legal sexual services). We might be mistaken, but we suspect a few of our readers might be interested in this guide…

3. Mr. Sato hates standing in line…unless its for sweets or there are lots of ladies

You might be surprised to learn this, but Mr. Sato hates standing in line. Yes, the guy who has waited days to buy a new iPhone twice hates waiting in line. Seriously?

Nakano has an explanation.

“Mr. Sato usually hates waiting in line, but for some reason, he becomes frantic about being first in line at Docomo when he finds out that [actress and spokesperson] Maki Horikita is going to be appearing. And he’s always the first to get information about sweets and pancake shops where there are long lines of women, and he joins them waiting in line as if he were just another one of their buddies.”

Nakano goes on to say that Mr. Sato loves ice cream and other sweets, so shops that supply him with delicious food where there are lots of female customers are like paradise for him. It turns out that Nakano’s real complaint here is that he’s not getting invited to go along.

4. Mr. Sato loves his booze

According to Nakano, Mr. Sato is always pushing people to drink at parties and putting a damper on the fun. He also apparently spends many hours explaining stuff to junior writers…though we can’t imagine who would complain about having that much wisdom given to them!

5. Mr. Sato has a unique way of eating steak

The final reason Nakano says Mr. Sato is trash is a bit bizarre. Apparently our favorite heartthrob has a unique way of eating steak. Whenever he orders it at a restaurant, he tells the staff that he wants “only salt” on it. Now, you may be thinking, “Hey, maybe he just likes the taste of the meat. What’s the big deal?”

It turns out that Mr. Sato prefers to supply extra flavor on his own–by smoking with the meat in his mouth! That’s right, he’ll take a big bite of steak and follow it up with a puff on a cigarette. He claims the flavor is delicious and “smokey,” but Nakano just thinks he’s a freak and is embarrassed to be seen eating with Mr. Sato.

Well, now we’ve finished this damning list by Nakano, but I have to speak up in defense of Mr. Sato! I’ve spent a little bit of time with the dashing gentlemen, and he has proven to be one of the best people to go drinking with. Or to lead you around Comiket! In fact, I’m starting to suspect that all this is actually just Nakano being jealous of Mr. Sato’s good looks, witty writing, and dashing smile…

Don’t worry, Mr. Sato, I got your back! Nakano won’t get away with this slander!

All images © RocketNews24

Origin: Haters gonna hate: Japanese RN24 writer claims Mr. Sato is trash, but we’re not buying it
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

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Having lived in Yokohama for the past decade, I try to grab as many assignments as I can that are related to the city, as well as Kanagawa, the prefecture it’s located in. Also, as someone who gets hungry at least three times a day, I try to volunteer for as many RocketNews24 taste tests as my schedule will allow.

However, I graciously let one of my coworkers handle today’s project: heading to a cafe in Yokohama to chow down on a frog burger.

Japan has a pretty wide palate, what with seaweed, cod roe, and other things not commonly consumed in Western countries regularly showing up at mealtimes. However, the country usually doesn’t put frogs on the menu, making the Orbi Yokohama Cafe’s new sandwich a culinary oddity even by Japanese standards.

The Orbi complex in Yokohama’s Minato Mirai district is an ecologically themed museum/indoor amusement park that educates visitors on the wonders of the animal kingdom. Right now Orbi is in the middle of a special event called the Doku Doku Doku Doku Doku Doku Doku Doku Doku Exhibition. What kind of animals does it focus on? Well, doku is the Japanese word for “poison,” so the supplementary displays are all focused on animals that can kill you.

Some of nature’s deadliest poisons are found in frogs, so as a tip of the hat to them, from now until May 17 the Orbi Cafe is serving up deep-fried frog burgers. But don’t worry, even though Japan likes to dabble in potentially poisonous entrees, the frog used for Orbi’s burger is a non-venomous variety.

So really, the frog burger isn’t as scary as it could be, despite its intimidating black buns. Still, I’ve been trying to limit my frog intake these days. Thankfully, our fearless Japanese-language reporter Mr. Sato is always down to eat some [insert literally any digestible substance here], so off to Orbi he went!

The cafe itself is located outside the entrance gate, so you don’t need to buy a ticket to get in. The frog burger is sold for 1,000 yen (US$8.40) in a set that includes a drink, making it a pretty reasonable value for such rare fare.

▼ Alternatively, if you’re too grossed out to actually eat the burger, 1,000 yen is a really steep price for a soft drink.

Before ordering, Mr. Sato had already braced himself for the possibility that, given their length, the frog’s legs would be sticking out from the bun. But even he wasn’t totally prepared to see so much of the frog’s body also bursting out from the bread.

▼ But again, great value! You really do get a lot of frog for your money.

Some people say it’s important to face your fears, but we say, why not eat your fears instead? So it was down the hatch with Kermit.

And thus came Mr. Sato’s second shock of the taste test: the frog burger is actually pretty good! The texture is a lot like chicken, and the flavor is similar too, albeit a tad milder.

▼ Seriously, how many of you would eat that without a second thought if we told you it was a KFC drumstick?

Surprisingly, dissecting the sandwich revealed a pretty significant secret ingredient. While there’s not much in terms of veggie accompaniment, with just a few leaves of lettuce filling that role, you’ll also find a fried chicken fillet tucked between the buns.

The fillet is also pretty tasty, so go ahead and order the frog burger with confidence. Even if you lose your nerve once you’ve got the real thing in front of you, you can always remove the amphibian and enjoy your consolation prize: a perfectly serviceable chicken sandwich.

Restaurant information
Orbi Yokohama Cafe / オービィ横浜 カフェ
Address: Kanagawa-ken, Yokohama-shi, Nishi-ku, Minato Mirai 3-5-1, Mark Is 5th floor
神奈川県横浜市西区みなとみらい3-5-1マークイズみなとみらい5F
Open 10 a.m.-11 p.m.
Mark Is website

Photos: RocketNews24

Origin: How do deep-fried frog burgers taste? We find out at Yokohama cafe 【Taste test】
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

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Japan’s convenience store- (conbini) littered landscape is a breeding ground for competition, and with that comes increasingly more delicious food and drink in an increasingly wider variety.

This shouldn’t be news to anyone who lives in Japan, but our self-confessed conbini connoisseur Mr. Sato says he has developed a way to make one of their snacks 100 more delicious than its regularly sold.

“Normally I wouldn’t waste my time with a conbini amateur like you, but I’m going to show you the method I developed for making convenience store snacks 100 times more delicious. COME WITH ME NOW!”

Upon hearing those words, fellow writer Nakano was filled with utter disinterest and had no desire whatsoever to go with Mr. Sato. On the other hand, he also knew that failure to accompany the seasoned reporter would result in continued texts of complaint well into the night.

Yes, going to FamilyMart with Mr. Sato would be the least painful choice on this occasion.

After walking about half a block to the nearest FamilyMart, Mr. Sato darted into the shop and quickly emerged with his booty: a pack of cigarettes, a cup of sake, and a package of smoked cow tongue.

Normally the holy trinity of middle-aged Japanese men out for a quick evening drink, Nakano couldn’t imagine what Mr. Sato had in mind with these items.

Taking a seat on the FamilyMart bench, Mr. Sato lit up a smoke and then opened the package of tongue meat ever so slightly. He then took a sizable haul off the cigarette and proceeded to blow his exhaust into the meat container.

Nakano wanted to ask Mr. Sato what the hell he was doing, but if he had opened his mouth, vomit certainly would have started to fly. However, as Nakano stood there stunned and speechless, Mr. Sato soon volunteered his reasoning.

“You see…Aghem! [spits into a corner] Convenience store smoked food is a little bland compared to that which you would find at a restaurant or as part of a home-cooked meal. But if you inject it with some cigarette smoke, you give it that extra smoky kick it needs.

Any brand is fine, but I prefer the added flavor and health bene…Aghem…fits of additive-free American Spirits. Sometimes I like to experiment with other flavors too such as Gram for a sweet taste or some menthols for an added zing.”

Nakano continued to stare blankly while forcing the contents of his stomach back down from his throat. He gradually took steps backwards from Mr. Sato who chewed happily on his cigarette-smoke-filled cuts of tongue meat and sipped at his tangy alcohol.

Clearly we have all learned a valuable tip for visiting convenience stores in Japan today: If a strange middle-aged man says he has something amazing to show you there, don’t go.

Original article by Nakano
Photos: RocketNews24

Origin: Conbini-talk with Mr. Sato: How to make a convenience store snack 100 times more delicious
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

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As he’s shown in the past, RocketNews24’s intrepid Japanese-language reporter Mr. Sato is a stylish guy. As a matter of fact, he’s got such a flair for fashion that when clothing brand Uniqlo brought back its service where you can design your own T-shirts, which can then be purchased by other shoppers, he leapt into action and created the most seductively sensual look possible: a black short-sleeve plastered with his own handsome mug.

Unfortunately, Uniqlo rejected the design, and not just because Mr. Sato’s visage is so steamy its borderline illegal, but because of a lack of confirmation that he owns it.

This isn’t the first time Uniqlo has offered the service, excitedly called UTme! Just like it did last year, UTme! Market lets you add text, photos, or other graphics to a single-color Uniqlo T-shirt by using its free smartphone app, downloadable here.

Eager to share his unique aesthetic sensibilities with the world, Mr. Sato quickly got to work. His first attempt culminated in the sleekly futuristic “Robo-Satou” design.

Still, all those metallic colors just seemed too cold for such a hotly passionate man. So Robo-Satou was scrapped and our reporter really brought the heat with his second T-shirt.

▼ Translation: I love curry!

Having crafted obviously the world’s coolest T-shirt, Mr. Sato submitted the design, after which it would be available for anyone to purchase through the UTme! Market website. However, Uniqlo says it may take up to two weeks for submissions to become available, and 13 days later, Mr. Sato’s mug still wasn’t accounted for on the site. Instead, he received an email from Uniqlo which informed him his design had been rejected due to the possibility he did not own the rights to the likeness of the person on the shirt.

In other words, the legal ownership of Mr. Sato’s face was in question.

This actually isn’t the first time Uniqlo, intellectual property regulations, and Mr. Sato’s face haven’t been able to get their ducks in a row. When the UTme! Service was offered last year, Mr. Sato also submitted a shirt with his face on it, which was similarly flagged, perhaps because the picture also appeared on the RockwtNews24 website. This time, the problem seems to be that Mr. Sato used the picture where he’s rocking that sweet combination of headband and shades in one of his tweets back in January, and its preexistence on the Internet seems to have given Uniqlo qualms about printing and selling it.

While we’re touched that someone at Uniqlo is working diligently to protect our man’s likeness, we’re also a little sad not to have a closet full of Mr. Sato T-shirts. There’s also the question of what good at all having a face is if you can’t put it on clothing.

In light of that, we’re considering auctioning off Mr. Sato’s face to the highest bidder. Leave your bid in the comments, and tell us whether you’d like to own it for an identity-changing surgical procedure à la 1997 action movie Face/Off, or if you’d just like to stroke his whiskers while you drink a glass of fine cognac as a bracer after a tough day at the office.

Note: Given the nebulous status of its legal ownership, RocketNews24 makes no guarantee of actually supplying the winning bidder with Mr. Sato’s face.

Related: UTme! website
Top image: RocketNews24
Insert images: Uniqlo, RocketNews24

Origin: Do you own your face? If Uniqlo can’t tell, they might not let you put it on a T-shirt
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

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• Mr. Sato shows us how a real man opens his snacks 【Video】