Japanese manufacturer Myojo is well known for selling their popular and super convenient 'Ippei-chan' yakisoba noodles. They apparently thought that their marketing needed something completely wild and crazy and jumped on the Valentine's bandwagon, by adding...chocolate sauce, what?
As soon as I saw the promo for this on the internet I decided on the spot that I HAD to eat this. Who the hell thinks of chocolate and noodles together? Typically yakisoba is ramen noodles fried in a slightly salty soy, Worchestershire kind of sauce. Some flavour combinations just naturally don't work together. You aren't going to add whipped cream to your squid and you won't put baked beans on a chocolate cake. So how anyone decided to make this combo is beyond me. But I remained faithful, after all, adding chocolate to a curry is a great way to add some bitterness to it, maybe this would work?
My local supermarket had an ample stack that was larger yesterday.
Sites like RocketNews have gone for the 'sensational' OMG it's so gross, so unique, rare and hard to find reporting approach. Whilst it will certainly disappear quickly like all limited edition flavours here, within a week or two max, I could find them in pretty much every convenience store and supermarket. Interestingly, it is a good 50 yen cheaper than the standard flavour, I guess even the most adventurous need a little cash incentive...!
So you buy a packet, what do you get inside?
You get the standard packet with the cool drainage lid and 3 packets that you simply need to add after boiling the noodles and draining them, then just mix the hell out of it. Adding the furikake packet last, which is kind of the crunchy topping. Even if you don't know Japanese, the instructions are crazy simple.
So you mix it all up, wait with anticipation and you see this...oh. I'm sure the obvious comparison is very clear...I tasted a quick sample of the sauce before putting it on an it did indeed taste like legitimate chocolate sauce!
Appetizing?
However, if you go beyond the visuals and mix it up, the taste is pretty surprising. The texture is very much the same as your standard yakisoba but with a little added crunch from the topping. The starchyness of the noodles actually helps to mellow out the chocolate taste into something a bit more natural. My immediate comparison would be a standard chocolate mister donut's donut. What I hadn't realized until I had began eating is that it is noodles plus chocolate AND cinnamon. This was a real deal breaker. The cinnamon, for me actually added a nice after taste and complimented the natural noodle taste. You could even say it was pretty good!
Mix, mix...!
That's a bit more natural looking...!
It became one of those dishes where the more you eat it, the more you begin to like it. I found myself saying "Hey...I could actually eat this again!" and not just to be edgy. I have had worse tasting regular yakisoba's. Perhaps I have a more forgiving palate but for that combination and for so cheap, it was a nice surprise!
If you want to try this novelty noodle dish I really recommend you go out and grab one within a week or so otherwise you will have to hunt hard. It has been released for valentines but often it seems that Japan removes these items way before the event has actually finished, marketing is weird.
Universal Studios Japan has once again created some new and revamped versions of attractions based upon some of the very best and most popular areas of pop culture, manga and video games as part of it's 'Cool Japan 2016' campaign. The much anticipated 164 day limited event launched last Friday and has added cutting-edge technology including virtual reality headsets. This year five attractions are featured, a revamped Evangelion ride that continues the story, Monster Hunter, Attack on Titan and Resident Evil. The most exciting new addition is a modified version of 'Space Fantasy' that has been fitted with virtual reality headsets to help you explore the weird and wonderful kawaii pop world inspired by Kyary Pyamu Pyamu.
I was lucky enough to go to Universal Studios last Saturday with the intention of trying out the Attack on Titan and Kyary Pyamu Pyamu rides, unfortunately the Attack on Titan attraction had ended at 2pm, to be switched to the Evangelion attraction instead. The Kyary ride however had a whopping SIX hour wait and they even refused further additions to the line, not that I would want to wait six hours anyway. I should have suspected this considering it was the opening weekend! Japanese people love to wait for something new!
Instead we chose to wait for the 'Evangelion The Real 4D: 2.0' experience, the queue was roughly 3 hours long which was pretty brutal in the recent freezing weather but it gave us plenty of time to catch up on the Evangelion lore which I must admit, I had mostly forgotten since I haven't seen the anime for many years!
Check out the commercial for the attraction below, to get hyped for my report! Universal always have fantastic marketing campaigns for each new ride. "かつてない死闘を体感せよ" 'Experience the unprecedented struggle to the death!'
The Evangelion and Attack on Titan attractions take over the original Sesame Street theatre and therefore there is not a lot of external promotion beyond the odd poster and associated merchandise stands, it would have been cooler if there was some form of TV screen or promotional statues etc. alongside the line to make it a little less tedious.
MINOR ATTRACTION SPOILERS BELOW:
I will assume that you have some base knowledge of what Evangelion is and the characters involved while describing, if you haven't seen the series yet, I highly recommend it!
Upon entering you are funnelled into a briefing room just outside of the theatre and are greeted by three large monitors featuring the clasped hands and glasses of Gendo Ikari. We listen in as he has a voice only meeting with the other members of the Seele organization. Each member's role is lit up upon the walls of the area as if it was one giant communication panel.
It turns out that the people in the room, us, are researchers from the government interested in what the NERV project is currently working on and what that entails, we listen to Seele and Gendo discuss what to do with us and how to proceed with giving us a tour. After the discussion finishes we are giving a briefing by the Operations Major Misato Katsuragi, she gives us an overview of the Evangelion battle units as well as their pilots, there is an amusing fan service point during her explanation but I won't ruin it for you. This gives you a great overview of the general concept of the NERV project and therefore those who haven't watched the series can get the gist.
It turns out that we will be accompanying pilot Mari Makinami Illustrious in her Eva 04 Unit, complete with new 'rapid borer' equipment designed to inflict brutal damage in battle. It is meant to be a rudimentary tour of how the Unit is piloted and how it functions but of course it wouldn't be an attraction if it ended up so simple...!
A brief overview of the Eva - 04 as a TV commercial.
The doors then open and we get seated, along with our 4D glasses that are surprisingly lightweight and comfortable, they don't obstruct your vision in any way. For those of you that are familiar with the series, the events of this 2.0 attraction closely resemble the battle against Angel 10 Zeruel in the 2.0 movie. The story is fascinating, especially if you’re a fan of the series, but what stands out is the multi sensory effects that come at you from all corners of the room. It truly is a 4D experience, complete with visceral spraying blood (water), explosions, vibrations, shocks and other effects –– coming from under your seat. With each movement and impact of the Eva unit alongside being hit by debris and attacks, the seat shifts and the cool air of the sky can be felt against your face. It's a pretty intense and absorbing simulation.
We see everything from the perspective of Maki, within the cock-pit of the Unit, it is a totally first person experience so we can see our arms move in front of our face, reminiscent of an FPS game. Our tour quickly goes awry as we receive a briefing from NERV command that an angel enemy has breached the area, the extremely strong 10th Angel - Zeruel from the movie/climax of the series.
The hollow face of Zeruel, who attacks with ribbon like appendages.
It is a code red attack and we immediately launch into action, obtaining an air dropped rifle and begin to shoot at our new foe. It is hard to recall as the battle is very intense, very fast and very dynamic. You are constantly moving, both on screen and physically in your seat. They had me hyped from the start. Asuka jumps into the fray with her progressive knife yelling that she can handle it herself and leaps ahead to assault Zeruel while we give support fire. She struggles to break it's incredibly strong AT field (shield) and is thrown off but not before a ribbon like limb severs her entire damn leg off, covering the screen in visceral red blood - which you feel spray across your face. At that point I was sold, this is amazing.
Shinji and Rei now jump in, Shinji leaping upon Zeruel and attempting to punch through while we give support rifle fire alongside Rei. It is no use and Shinji gets viciously impaled, spraying more blood, his limp body being cast aside. We go in for a close assault, smashing at the angels face but to no avail and are whacked aside, sent sprawling alongside Shinji's motionless and most likely dead unit. We look up and see Zeruel hurling towards us but Rei jumps in and vows to protect us using her own AT field, she puts up a valiant fight but it is no use...
Rei is gripped by the Angel's limbs and we can do nothing but look up and see her arms torn off graphically one by one, once again covering us in gore. The angel then sprouts a disgusting and huge mouth that consumes Rei, before spitting out her torn Unit head right into our visor causing massive damage (and shock! Way more intense than I was expecting!)
Maki (and us) spur into action, equipping our new 'Rapid Borer' arms and eagerly assault the Angel, relentlessly pummelling and boring against the AT Field but it just isn't enough. Our borers sustain massive damage and malfunction. In desperation, as in the original anime, Maki enters 'beast' mode becoming a more feral version of her original self, transforming her unit in unison as we can note with our now claw like hands. We take to the sky and can see in the water's reflection that we have now been equipped with beast like wings, feeling the air and the splash of water against our skin as we rush in for an aerial assault. So. Intense. Everything happens so quick and seamlessly.
We get wrecked nonetheless and all seems helpless. Once again hit to the ground. We smack Shinji's lifeless wreck across the face cursing at him for being a weak guy unable to do anything. This somehow reaches him and edges him into life, he awakens and goes absolutely berserk, forming a new arm with his AT field energy and goes completely nuts against Zeruel as we look on. He completely smashes apart the At field and despite the crew and NERV HQ's warnings he continues the assault, leading into one epic punch in mid air that makes Zeruels body EXPLODE into gore and blood that fills the entire screen. The scenery is full of beautiful yet scarred imagery as if the world is going to end.
From within the body, Rei's core manifests itself into a glowing red image of her before she is consumed by Shinji's unit, thus initiating the 'Third Impact' and thus the end of the world and all life on it...
A few other details happen that I won't mention but at the end we are left with a 'to be continued...' message so I assume there will be another iteration next year, lets hope!
I was really impressed by it and would recommend it to anyone, fan or not. Three hours is a bit long to wait if you are not a fan but I can't imagine the line will get any shorter than 2 hours for the time being, definitely worth it if you have a year pass though! It is entirely in Japanese but I am sure you would enjoy the experience even if you don't understand the dialogue.
Outside of the experience itself is an ABUNDANCE of merchandise, I took a few shots of the various goods below, the popcorn helmet steals the show though!
USJ must make so much money...
Not going to lie, I thought this was pretty damn cool...the price? Not so cool.
Very similar to the figures you could win in the 7/11 prize raffle..
Popcorn bucket WITH GLOWING EYES and LCL Drink.
Popcorn buckets are quite pricy at 3,980 but definitely are a unique item!
More advertising...
These stores are cool to check out even if you don't ride.
Overall a very good start to my experience of the 'Cool Japan 2016' campaign! I definitely aim to ride the rest. I was able to check out the Monster Hunter attraction too so stay tuned for another post later this week! Thanks for reading!
Progress, but small progress.
Osaka has passed its first ruling by a major city against hateful speech last Friday.
A more indepth ordinance failed to pass last year due to the LPD and Komeito parties opposing the idea of giving the city authority to loan money to victims who would want to take their case to court.
Osaka drew international focus for hate speech in February 2013 when an anti Korean group 'Zaitokukai' held a rally in the Tsuruhashi district where many ethnic Koreans reside. During the rally a YouTube video was taken showing a 14 year old hurling abusive slurs and death threats towards Koreans while the Zaitokukai members cheered on. This led to then-Mayor Toru Hashimoto and his 'Osaka Ishin no Kai' (One Osaka) party beginning to attempt to crack down on hate speech. Eventually leading to a heated debate against the head Zaitokukai member, taking place in October 2014.
An example of one of their rallies.
The ruling that passed on Friday simply allows a committee to be formed, consisting of 5 legal and academic experts who will investigate any allegations of hate speech filed by Osaka residents. Unfortunately, no 'real' action can be taken against the perpetrators. If the committee agrees that a hate speech case has taken place then the offender and their affiliated group will have their names posted on the city's website. It's effectively an official name and shame ruling.
During the early stages of the assembly it was even disrupted by a man throwing two orange paint balls to the ground and then yelling "Protect the self-esteem of Japanese people" as he was subdued by security, Kyodo News reported.
Korean activists have welcomed the decision but says more needs to be done. Current existing rules regarding public welfare allows public facilities to refuse groups who participate in discriminatory or violent behaviour, as well as revoke rally permits. However, this is full of exceptions and is generally down to subjective views of what is discriminatory so it is hard to enforce.
There are also a lot of concerns about the interpretation of 'free speech' regarding this new ruling but I feel that there is a huge difference between voicing an opinion and having a gang screaming abuse and wishing someone to die based purely on their ethnic background. It can cause emotional distress, destroy reputations as well as their income and future prospects. Not to mention the chance of inciting violence against them.
While Japan has definitely come along way regarding international communication and understanding, some citizens still feel there is something 'unique' about being Japanese and thus look down upon others who are not.
But don't get me wrong, I personally have had only positive experiences here and absolutely love the Japanese community and their hospitality. I wouldn't be living here otherwise. Despite this, it is easy to see the many micro aggressions that permeate Japanese society against outsiders, whether intentional or not.
The obnoxious Uyoku dantai in action, note how the police do nothing about their numerous obstructions and traffic law breaking either.
I'm sure many foreigners in Japan have uncomfortably witnessed the 'Uyoku dantai', the loud obnoxious right wing black vans, fitted with loud speakers and imperial propaganda. These often preach hostile messages against foreign groups at irritating volumes and can be pretty intimidating to some. Whenever I see these it reminds me of the problems back home regarding the BNP or EDL (English Defence League) groups in the UK who also rally for independence while acting extremely hostile to particular groups.
...I'm not really sure where I'm going with this post but I'm glad that some first steps have been taken to highlight hate speech as an issue that requires action rather than just ignoring it. I somewhat doubt whether this committee will be effective but some progress is better than none!
This should apply not just to Japan, but the world as a whole.
Hey everyone, long time no see!
Like most people at the beginning of the year you may have decided to make some lifestyle changes for 2016. However most people, myself included, often find themselves with an initial huge burst of motivation that gradually dwindles away due to various distractions and laziness, we lose track.
There are a large number of apps and services out there to help you get organized but one in particular stood out for me - Habitica.
I freaking LOVE video games and Habitica offers you a way to 'gamify' your lifestyle, offering progressive challenges and rewards as you complete quests and tasks as you aim towards your life goals.
Previously known as 'HabitRPG', it is a free website service as well as a phone app. Anyone who has played an RPG before will feel immediately at home as you begin creating your avatar and as you level you can choose a class specialization such as a Warrior or Healer. You can defeat monsters, collect materials and earn equipment, skills and pets along the way!
Sounds good...but how in the hell does that help your productivity?
The key is in how you do damage to enemies and gain experience. In order to make progress you need to complete 'daily quests' as well as short term and long term missions. Above all, these are not provided by the game itself, they are created entirely by the character, you. Following the basic yet sufficient tutorial you can entirely customize your quests aka your 'to do' list in order to suit your personal needs.
A glimpse at my personal quest lines
Quests are split into 3 main categories:
1) Habits
These are good or bad habits that you passively want to encourage or discourage. Completing a positive task such as 'Wash up immediately after cooking' will reward you with experience and maybe an item. A negative habit such as 'Eat take away pizza' would cause damage to your character. With each 'consequential' completion the rewards/punishments will scale off in order to not be overpowered as it becomes an actual habit.
2) Dailies
These are the main focus of Habitica. These are habits and tasks that you actively want to complete on a regular basis. If these quests are not completed by the end of the day it will result in both you and your party taking damage for each individual task. It varies per person but it my case it includes tasks such as 'Review 3 kanji and its compounds', 'Exercise', 'Get out of bed immediately', 'Organize my work for the next day' etc. These can be as specific or as vague as you like.
3) To do's
These are your bigger, long term goals. Or those type of tasks that you won't get round to immediately but need doing. On my list right now I have 'Clean the inside of my PC' because it is WAY overdue. Other examples could be 'Pass license examination' or 'Lose 5 kg' and so on. These types of quests offer larger rewards depending the difficulty and if left to stagnate, gradually become more red compared to your fresher green tasks.
Each quest can be modified for difficulty or you can add time limits and specific days for them to appear. For example, '5 km Jogging' could be made to appear in your 'dailies' for Mon, Weds and Fri only.
Your character is displayed on the left, your party members on the right
Habitica has a very active community like any other good RPG. You can join parties and guilds and these allow you to challenge story quest lines together and defeat bosses with your accumulated damage. Other the other hand, if your party members fail a task, you will also suffer damage, therefore being in a party is a good motivator to complete each daily list!
The main positive aspect is that many groups are targeted to various lifestyles ranging from office workers to fitness buffs or language students. You can help motivate each other and share tips for optimizing your goals, maybe make a real friend or two in the process! My current group contains an engineer, a law student and a tri-athlete!
The interface is relatively clear with cute pixel art, and the layout is constantly being tweaked to be more efficient. The party and social screens are a bit messy in my opinion but once you get used to it the navigation becomes second nature. Habitica could benefit from adding a separate chat tab as it currently displays party chat amongst the battle data and it feels a little disjointed.
But...does it work!?
Yes...and no.
Habitica offers a lot of incentives to help you stay motivated, equipment, special pets, exclusive pets and the damage system to name a few. The main drawback though is that there is NOTHING preventing you from cheating the system - whether by checking off uncompleted tasks to prevent party damage or creating trash tasks in order to boost your equipment and experience gains. Therefore Habitica's success strongly relies on the user's integrity, honesty and pure willpower to reach their goals.
Various monsters can be defeated with your group
I have been using Habitica for over 6 months now and while I started off really well, when my motivation began to slide I slowly fell into the trap of checking off a few uncompleted tasks just to prevent my party dying, DO NOT DO THIS as it totally ruins the purpose of Habitica.
There is a large wiki and forum that offers advice for optimizing your lists as well as various other tricks. You can also set yourself 'Rewards' that you can purchase with accumulated gold. For example if you lost 5kg then perhaps you could treat yourself to that take-away pizza...for 500 gold. Pass an exam? Treat yourself to a weekend spa...for 7777 gold and so on.
There is a mobile app to coincide with the website and it helps your to keep track and check things off as you complete them. It is nothing mind blowing but it gets the job done.
So many pets to collect! Each pet can also be turned into a mount with food, hence the progress bars.
I have revamped my list again for 2016 and have vowed to be more strict with myself, the deaths of myself and my party members be damned! One of my new tasks? CREATE BLOG CONTENT!!
2016 will be a year of change!
Give Habitica a try, its a fun new way to help improve yourself!
