What's Trending in Japan?! Weekly Digest (8/20 - 8/24, 2018)
Are you sick of getting late news on the newest hot topics in Japan? Here's a quick and easy weekly digest that'll give you the scoop on the top 3 trends making waves on Japan's social media platforms! This week, we're covering Japan's first pizza vending machine, uplifting news of people helping each other get through the West Japan floods, and a limited-time chicken-faced manju (yeast bun with filling).
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1. Japan's First Pizza Vending Machine Has Landed!
No, this isn't a dream! In July 2018, Japan's first pizza vending machines landed in Hiroshima Prefecture!
Imported from Italy, these machines work like an oven, heating up frozen pizzas so that they're nice and cheesy in just 3 minutes. The pizzas are spat out in boxes without lids and can be eaten using the free pizza cutters and napkins from the vending machine.
Not a fan of Japanese-style or frozen pizzas? Don't worry! The pizzas in these vending machines were made to taste exactly like something you'd find in Italy.
2. Visiting Okayama? You, Too, Can Help the Flood Victims!
Many shops in Kurashiki and Okayama suffered significant losses in the 2018 West Japan Flood. Today's focus is on Emaya, a model/figurine store that lost over 100 million yen (nearly USD$1 million) in damages! The above picture is a small sample of how many products were ruined in the flood.
In order to support the elderly shop owner, who had been running the store for many years, people from all across Japan rushed to the store in order to buy whatever stock he had left. Although many asked him to reopen the store, he refused, citing the turn of events and his age as reasons for shutting the store down.
In order to recuperate even just a tiny portion of the damages, the store is now running a 90% off sale until the end of August, which is when it will close down. If you're in Okayama Prefecture or you're looking to help out victims of the flood, why not pay a visit? The packaging might be covered in mud, but you can find goodies like the motorbike in the picture above!
3. We Dare You to Bite Off a Chicken's Face!
So, we don't mean a literal chicken. We're referring to Lawson's limited-time Hiyoko-chan-man, which is their newest collaboration product with the chicken ramen brand, Hiyoko-chan.
Expecting chicken inside? Unfortunately, it's a deliciously sweet manju! It contains white and yellow bean paste, which have been folded together to look like an egg.
This chicken-faced manju is a super limited-time product that will disappear from Lawson stores by August 28, 2018. If you're in Japan or will be in Japan soon, definitely give this a try before it disappears! Better yet, shove it in your friend's faces by uploading pictures of it on Instagram!
Bonus: Celebrate the Last of Summer at a Beer Garden!
Can you believe that the hot and humid summer is almost over? Beer gardens in Japan are only open for a limited time during the summer months, so this is your last chance to pay one a visit! If you're in Tokyo or you plan to visit before the summer is over, why not take a look at our top 3 beer garden recommendations?
And that's that! The trends are always quickly changing, so there will always be something new from week to week. Check back in once a week and see if anything catches your eye!
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Check out the weekly trends from the past 5 weeks!
What's Trending in Japan?! Weekly Digest (8/13 - 8/16, 2018)
What's Trending in Japan?! Weekly Digest (8/6 - 8/10, 2018)
What's Trending in Japan?! Weekly Digest (7/30 - 8/3, 2018)
What's Trending in Japan?! Weekly Digest (7/23 - 7/27, 2018)
What's Trending in Japan?! Weekly Digest (7/16 - 7/20, 2018)
The information in this article is accurate at the time of publication.
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