Maid Made Omurice

Now you can apply to have omurice delivered to your door with a side of “moe moe chin”.

There are a lot of hearty comfort foods in Japan that don’t always get the same level of fame and attention as internationally renowned staples like ramen and sushi. However, one beloved Japanese dish is now getting its time in the limelight, thanks to a new campaign by Japanese food processing conglomerate Nippon Ham.

The dish is omurice, which is named after its two main ingredients: omelette and rice. Usually served with a thin layer of omelette covering the rice beneath, wrapped up like a tasty parcel, omurice is a comfort food often cooked at home, but another place where it’s famously served is at Japanese maid cafes.

Not only does its comforting flavour fit in with the whole cutesy, soothing “moe” vibe at these cafes, it’s usually topped with a condiment that allows for some fun interactive play between the maid and their “master” or “mistress”.

Source: Japanese maid delivery service brings omurice to your door 【Video】 | SoraNews24 -Japan News-

Japanese student creates Traditional Japan Bicycle

Lattice work seen in tea ceremony rooms finally gets to see the city streets.

Japan is often viewed as a glorious amalgamation of the old and the new, where hoodies are designed to look like traditional kimono and ukiyo-e prints feature Star Wars characters.

This restyling of old traditions is something that recently inspired one talented Japanese student to realise his own take on “Modern Japan” by building the bicycle of his dreams.

Setting it as an end-goal for his graduation project, Enji, who goes by @enjiblossomlily online, says he has now fulfilled his task of “melding a bicycle with a traditional craft”, and the result is this spectacular two-wheeler below.

Source: Japanese student creates Traditional Japan Bicycle, brings new life to centuries-old craft | SoraNews24 -Japan News-

Cashless Gashapon capsule toy vending machines

the new Pipit Gacha line will utilize an internal QR code reader and a 4G net connection to scan a QR code on your smart phone for payment. Once the transaction is approved, you can turn the handle just as with a regular machine to receive your prize. Developers state that this technologically enhanced system combines the traditional thrill of gachapon with the convenience of not needing to have coins on hand to play.Furthermore, Pipit Gacha has the potential to be used for a variety of applications as the price for one play can be freely set by individual businesses as well as customization of the glass case itself and its bodily design. Businesses could also utilize the machines as tools for sales promotions given their function to distribute QR codes for prizes to online shoppers which can only be redeemed at machines in physical store locations. This function could also be used for new product campaigns or for limited-time rewards for store members, or to collect marketing data to help businesses track what types of customers use the machines and at what times.

Source: No coins? Not a problem for Japan’s new cashless gachapon capsule toy vending machines | SoraNews24 -Japan News-

 

Also from the team at the Tech Gacha Institute, is a Gashapon that you can activate by smiling!

Graphic Designer Masashi Murakami Pushes the Possibilities of Paper | Spoon & Tamago

On a semi-annual basis, Japanese paper company Takeo curates solo exhibitions by Japanese graphic designers, inviting them to experiment with the company’s paper and printing technologies. The results are often inspiring in ways that you didn’t think paper could inspire, and their latest exhibition was no exception. Their 15th “Aoyama Creators Stock” feautred graphic designer Masashi Murakami.

Source: Graphic Designer Masashi Murakami Pushes the Possibilities of Paper | Spoon & Tamago

Seijinshiki 2020: Kitakyushu’s Coming of Age Ceremony dazzles in the Year of the 

Turning 20 marks the societal threshold for adulthood in Japan. Every year on the second Monday of January, known as Seijin no Hi (Coming of Age Day), crowds of Japanese youths who turned 20 the previous year or who will turn 20 by the coming April take part in a ceremony known as Seijinshiki, the Coming of Age Ceremony, in their hometowns. These ceremonies are quite formal in nature and participants are supposed to don their most elegant suits and kimono–most of the time, that is.The city of Kitakyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture has been turning heads for quite some time now thanks to many of their 20-year-olds decking themselves out in the most garish outfits imaginable to mark their entry into adulthood. It’s become something of a tradition for us as well to send one of our reporters to the city to document each year’s most outlandish get-ups. The kinds of outfits that this particular group of young adults tends to wear would likely give their obaachan a heart attack (unless they were part of this idol group from Osaka).

Source: Seijinshiki 2020: Kitakyushu’s Coming of Age Ceremony dazzles in the Year of the Rat【Photos】 | SoraNews24 -Japan News-

Studio Ghibli produces commercial for Japanese convenience store chain Lawson

Academy award winning animator and a Ghibli artist who works at Lawson part-time join forces to pay homage to the konbini.Studio Ghibli is one of Japan’s most well-known anime studios, famous around the world for producing beloved feature films with memorable storylines and characters.In Japan, however, the animation studio produces works on a much smaller scale as well, with original shorts shown exclusively at the Ghibli Museum in Tokyo’s Mitaka, and commercials for brands aired on national television.Now, Studio Ghibli is kicking off the New Year with a brand new commercial for local audiences, and it’s in honour of an equally well-known and beloved franchise: Japanese convenience store chain Lawson.

Source: Studio Ghibli produces commercial for Japanese convenience store chain Lawson 【Video】 | SoraNews24 -Japan News-