What's Trending in Japan?! Weekly Digest (9/10 - 9/14, 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's scoop focuses on the world's first take-home raindrop cake, adorable Japan-made phone cable accessories, and... an almighty frog statue in Akita Prefecture?
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1. Now You Can Buy Raindrop Cake to Eat at Home!
Do you remember when the raindrop cake* became an Internet sensation? Everyone wanted to taste it, but it was only available in Japan!
*Called "mizu maru-mochi" in Japanese. A type of mochi (Japanese rice cake) that disappears once it enters your mouth. It looks and feels almost like water.
One Japanese sweets shop in Kyoto set out to change this by tweaking the recipe to create the world's first take-away raindrop cake! Watch the video below to see it in action.
If you don't have time to sit down at a restaurant, you can now quickly purchase these cakes for take-away and eat them later. Live out your food fantasies by purchasing one of them!
If you're looking for other souvenirs that are a bit more long-lasting, we've got you covered. Check out the article below and thank us later!
2. Accessorize Your Phone Cables with Your Favorite Characters!
You've decked out your phone with a cute case and accessories, but your phone cable remains painfully bare. One Japanese company had the bright idea to change that with "Cable Bites"!
"Cable Bites" are basically cute character accessories for your iPhone cable. Cats, anime characters, Pokemon - anything you want, they probably have it!
This craze hasn't caught on outside of Japan yet, so if you want to get ahead, pick one up at the nearest shop that stocks it. We guarantee that all your friends and family will love it!
If you're looking to buy a whole bunch of cute and cheap things to give away to friends and family as souvenirs, we also recommend checking out some Japanese variety stores like the ones in the article below!
3. Admire the Confidence of This Frog Statue
Named "Momosada* Kaeru", this is perhaps the biggest (and most confident) frog statue you'll ever find in Japan. It stands at a whopping 2.7m in height, and was built in 1993.
*The former name for the Arayahama, the area that this bronze statue is situated in.
Although it looks quite funny upfront, you can see its full confidence with a backshot like the one in the photo above. However, nothing beats the video below...
To give a bit more background on the video: "Kaeru" can mean many things, including "frog" and "going home". If you think this frog deserves more attention and respect, pay it a visit!
You can also pay homage to the almighty frog statue by making some frog origami. If you don't know how to make it, check out the video in the article below!
Bonus: Things to Do on a Day Trip to Kamakura from Tokyo
Kamakura is a popular day trip destination from Tokyo, as it is not too far away and has plenty of things to do. If you're not sure how to fill out your travel itinerary, why not check out some of the options listed in this week's spotlight article?
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 (9/3 - 9/7, 2018)
What's Trending in Japan?! Weekly Digest (8/27 - 8/31, 2018)
What's Trending in Japan?! Weekly Digest (8/20 - 8/24, 2018)
What's Trending in Japan?! Weekly Digest (8/13 - 8/16, 2018)
What's Trending in Japan?! Weekly Digest (8/6 - 8/10, 2018)
Also, if you want to give feedback on any of our articles, you have an idea that you'd really like to see come to life, or you just have a question on Japan, hit us up on our Facebook, Twitter, or tell us through this Google Form!
The information in this article is accurate at the time of publication.
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