Attention Dallas/Fort Worth area anime fans! We’re offering a special limited time discount on Animated Spring 2019 - just for you! Sign up by July 11, 2018 and get the entire trip INCLUDING flights to Tokyo from Dallas via Los Angeles (LAX) for $4,195! REALLY!
The details:
Sign up for Animated Spring 2019 here by July 11, 2018 and select the “Akon 29 Line Special” package. YOU WILL GET:
**- The entire trip as advertised PLUS
All airfare to and from Japan from Dallas via LA. You’ll leave the evening of March 15 - and yes, the hotel in LA is COVERED!**
Why are you guys doing this?
We went to A-Kon over the weekend to host a panel. It was amazing - we had a full house for the show, and we got lots of questions and comments about our trips. During the show we also put this on Twitter:
ATTENTION #Akon29 - Do you have a friend at the con who could REALLY use a trip to Japan? Tweet your tale to us, and you just might win some free stuff in the process! #akon #akon2018 pic.twitter.com/LtJWe94bu7
At the same time this was happening, A-Kon was having a huge registration issue, resulting in a bunch of their staff putting in extra hours to fix it. That also led this line:
and this reply:
I’d like to tell the tale of the extensive and stupidly dragged out line #AKON29 seems to enjoy putting it’s con goers through. The sight of starving, dazed cosplayers is never a sight I plan to see on a nice summer weekend. JUST MAIL THE BADGES!
SO: We asked the twitterverse if we should just give a prize to everyone in line, to which we got an emphatic yes. Go figure.
BUT: because we can’t possibly give away that much (we’re a small company!), we settled on another idea: we hit the phones, arranged some flights, and came up with a special that also happens to be the first anime trip to Japan from Dallas EVER. Cool!
I HAVE QUESTIONS.
Good! E-mail or call us and we’ll do all we can to make your dream trip to Japan a reality!
For serious matcha lovers only! Ever since I read about Asakusa’s legendary Suzukien, the only place to get seven different grades of matcha gelato, I knew I had to go give it a try.
Green tea desserts have been around in many Asian cultures for a quite a while. I remember seeing green tea ice cream for sale as a young child whenever my parents took me grocery shopping in our local Chinatown. But now, it has become quite a thing. Specifically, this very particular powdered green tea called “matcha” has become a ubiquitous flavor in Japanese desserts. Matcha refers specifically to powdered green tea, and the very best matcha tea leaves are grown carefully under shade. Fresh matcha is almost blue-green and has a very fresh flavor. It is bitter but does not taste roasted like many fermented teas (including oolong).
This tiny little gelato shop in Asakusa has taken already refined matcha to yet another level! They offer 7 increasingly concentrated grades of matcha gelato, along with other Japanese flavors such as black sesame and kinako (roasted soy bean powder). Of course, I had to go for the ultra-intense matcha #7! I wanted two scoops of that but due to high demand you had to choose another flavor along with #7 if you wanted a double, so I decided to see what half-intensity would be like and ordered a #4 on top.
Oh man, it was everything I wanted it to be, and more. If you love that bitter and sweet combination of matcha desserts, but have always wished it was more bitter, you’d love this. #4 was intense enough for me to go “wow!” but still enjoy the dessert-like quality of the gelato. Compared to, let’s say, a matcha Kit-Kat, it probably still had five times the amount of matcha. You could imagine how concentrated the #7 would be then (or could you!?). Eating a scoop of #7 was matcha overload. I barely tasted the sweetness, and got a mouthful of really fresh, creamy and bitter green tea flavor. To me, it was magical. To people who like their desserts sweet, this may not be your thing. If you want to experience what may be some of the freshest, true-to-flavor matcha ice cream you’ll ever have, check out Suzukien if you’re ever paying a visit to Sensoji Temple in Asakusa. It is less than a 5 minute walk from the temple grounds.
Do you drive hours just to check out a new trendy restaurant? Live to eat? Relish in the adventure of trying food you’ve never tried before? Do you look forward mostly to meal times when you travel?
Well...if you said yes to any of those questions, you gotta join a PacSet FOOD tour!
One of our favorite parts about traveling to Japan is trying all of the delicious meals, snacks, beverages, themed foods...pretty much everything edible that we come across! As a result, we’ve compiled all of our favorite food experiences into our food tours called TASTE OF JAPAN.
On a Taste of Japan tour, we handpick almost every single meal so that you can have a well-rounded, mind-blowing culinary experience that won’t break the bank. We try everything from street food to fancy multi-course kaiseki to food-making workshops like soba-making.
Not only that, but on a Taste of Japan tour, all meals are included in the price!!!* (except for free day). Which basically means it saves you the stress of budgeting for food, trying to learn how to order in Japanese, and gives you the wiggle room to plan more for your experience or shopping list, or both =)
“OK I’m sold!”, you say. So what Taste of Japan tours do we have coming up?
For July 2018, we have the fantastic, Taste of Japan North! This tour is not to be missed, as we travel through Hokkaido and Tohoku in it’s most beautiful temperate season during the summer. Not only are you getting some of the best food in the country, but you’re beating the otherwise sweltering Japanese summer heat. Win win!
In May 2019, we’re excited to be offering Taste of Shikoku Kyushu, featuring fantastic eats such as fresh pulled udon noodles, hot spring steamed lunch, and so much more. Imagine hiking some gorgeous nature paths, relaxing in a mineral hot spring bath, and then indulging in the best of southwestern Japanese cuisine...
Is your mouth watering yet? What are you waiting for!? Check out our website for more information on food tours, and get yourself signed up for Taste of Japan. Hope to see you soon!
Welcome to the FAQ for PacSet’s new business policies. If that sounds dry, that’s because it totally is.
We’re not going to lie; we’re mainly posting this FAQ for the handful of alumni who read it and are probably wondering why we changed stuff up. If you don’t know what we’re talking about, visit this page. Otherwise, for those of you who love details, read on.
Oh, and this post is LONG. You’ve been warned...
What has prompted all of these changes?
We’ve seen a slow decline in numbers over the past year – one that has not only affected us, but other companies in the industry. As far as PacSet goes, we continue to receive a lot of support from our dedicated alumni, and we are forever grateful to them for their love. It’s the whole reason we work as hard as we do!
However: the number of new customers joining us has been dropping, and we had to cut a number of salaries and expenses as a result. That cannot continue. I know that some of our alumni may not like or be upset by some of these changes, but please understand that we are making these changes so that we can continue to bring you the trips you love.
We do understand that we are changing a great deal of our business model with these changes, and trust us – these are not changes we took lightly. That being said, we’re going to give the new system a shot and see where things go.
Why aren’t they called “tours” anymore?
From a marketing standpoint, the word has never really described what we do that well. Plus, the word is poison with people who aren’t familiar with PacSet. We can’t change our business name (we’re still PacSet Tours Inc.), but we can at least change our focus.
Wait… the flights aren’t included anymore?!?! WHY?
There are a few reasons for this change…
Airfares have dived across the industry, but remain in flux and could soar in certain seasons. Furthermore, flying from many other cities has become a lot cheaper than it was - reducing the appeal of flying to Los Angeles (LAX) to meet the group. Because of this, more and more customers have been opting to purchase our trips without the flight – or not travel with us at all. To put it bluntly: after more than a year of hearing “I would have traveled with you, buuuuuuuuuut” statements from people, we decided that the group flight concept needed to be retired.
Since flight departures to Japan from LAX continue to move earlier in the day, the number of customers who had to travel to LA and stay overnight before leaving has continued to grow. While we are grateful that people don’t mind doing that, we realize this is a huge time investment for people – and the only way to ditch that was to get rid of the group flight.
All major carriers have stopped allowing people to upgrade bookings on group trips. It used to be that you just said, “Hey, I’d like to upgrade to Economy Comfort!” and the airline would say, “Yay, sure! We’ll be happy to take your money!” However, now they require people to decide their seat class when they book – which means we can’t switch it later. We’ve had five major issues with two airlines over this issue during the past year, and most of the anger got directed right at us even though it’s something we couldn’t control. If the airlines really want group bookings, they wouldn’t do this, but they do – so we’re through. On that note…
The benefits of a group booking are long gone. The airlines got rid of free seats for large groups years ago, and the benefit to holding group space is pretty much dead since the airlines regularly charge more for groups than they do for the typical tickets sold online. Making Japan travel affordable is our mission; billing people for a more expensive ticket doesn’t really fit with that.
Holding group bookings poses a significant risk for PacSet, since if people cancel, we’re on the hook for any empty seats. Considering that our attendance numbers vary a lot from year to year, that wasn’t something we could afford any more.
So all trips are “Land Only” now?
Not exactly; School Tours and trips for a specific region or group (like the Anime De-Tour) will continue to include the flight, since in those cases a group booking is the best option.
More importantly: previously, Land Only meant you would get to the hotel in Japan on your own. Now, we’re going to meet people at the airport when they land. In the case of a smaller trip, the guide will meet people only at the airport where most people are flying.
If a trip requires a domestic flight within Japan, is that still included?
Of course!
What if we don’t want to fly to Japan by ourselves? What about the trips for 2018 with the flight included?
We will continue to operate group flights/flight included trips for all trips in 2018. They will include the flight as they always have, but we will also meet people from other flights at the airport (as stated above).
From then on, we will arrange group flights with a guide on a request basis. Please note that this may result in extra charges in some rare cases.
What if my trip only has one guide and they’re not meeting guests at the airport I fly to?
We will provide you with detailed point-to-point directions on how to get to the hotel to meet up with us.
Why can’t you pay two guides to meet people at both airports for all trips?
If we insisted on doing this, we’d only be able to run the trips that get 20 people or more. That’s not exactly feasible, since most of our trips have about 10-15. Rest assured, if we aren’t at your airport, we will provide you with detailed directions to the hotel.
How come we can’t know the confirmed price as early as we used to?
We used to announce the final prices for trips up to 15 months early. This was great, until the credit card processing companies told us to stop. Travel, you see, is considered “high risk” to credit card companies (the only higher risk industries are porn and online dating – look it up). One of the reasons is that we accept a lot of money, in advance, for a non-tangible product. This is a LOT to ask.
Even though we have a fantastic track record, Visa and Mastercard don’t give exceptions to anyone – nor do any of the other payment solutions out there (don’t suggest any, guys – trust me, we looked for months). In the “15 months” case, we’d occasionally be holding money through three tax seasons, which also made our accountant want to murder us. So: unless all of you want to give up Credit and Debit, we’ve got to play their game. Fortunately…
…we have decided to turn lemons into lemonade on this one. We’ll be able to iron out a lot of prices more firmly before a trip price goes public now. As for the “I want to sign up early!” crowd, we created a special program just for you: read on.
What is this SpotHolder thing?
The e-mail and question we get the most is, “When are you announcing trips for (enter year in the very distant future here)?” We have wanted to cater to these people for YEARS without incurring the wrath of our banks and Credit Card Processor. The solution? This.
SpotHolder is just that – a small deposit that holds your spot on a trip for the future. It represents that you’re reserving a place on the trip you purchase it for. Here’s how it works:
You purchase a “SpotHolder” for the trip you want. It’s $250.
Once the tour price is confirmed 11-12 months before the date of departure, the “SpotHolder” serves as your deposit for the trip. From there, you can pay for the balance at the trip deadline OR make the rest in monthly payments.
SpotHolder users get an additional $50 off the trip they select – so it’s like getting the $300 deposit for $250!
If you decide when the final price is announced that you don’t want your spot anymore, you can switch to another trip or simply get a refund.
SpotHolders are NON REFUNDABLE after a year due to tax reasons, or a week after the final price is announced – whichever comes last. The exception: if a deadline for a trip has passed, that takes precedence and the payment is non-refundable as it always has been.
For more info, read the SpotHolder page.
If the trip is more than a year out, can I e-mail you to get a better idea of how much a trip will be, besides the estimated price on the website?
No. Please don’t do this. We will upload pricing when we confirm all the prices won’t change. We can only do this 11-12 months before the date of departure. Asking us to promise the trip will be one price or some other price is not something we can do – so please don’t ask us to do it.
But I’m an alumni and I love you guys and we’re best friends and –
If you want us to remain sane, please don’t email us about this. I’m literally begging here, folks.
Any other changes behind the scenes you want us to know about?
Aside from organizational changes that are mainly geared towards giving our overworked staff more sleep, the last big change is this: If a trip doesn’t sell, it won’t come back. Period.
At this point, we’re going to be giving every trip a two-year head start. If it doesn’t sell, we need to get something that will sell in that scheduled spot. We’ll continue to push the envelope and do interesting, challenging itineraries, but the hardest lesson we’ve had to learn running this passion project is this:
We owe it to our staff and ourselves to provide a stable income. That’s pretty hard in a business where the time between announcing and working on a product and actually benefitting from it can be two years – and you don’t have a big company behind you to cover for you if the project does poorly.
So if you like a trip, please sign up and spread the word. If you can’t afford it, even with a two year head start, just spread the word. We appreciate it, we promise. ^_^
As we start the new year and are quickly approaching another exciting rendition of our Fire & Ice tour, I like to reflect on the opportunities we are given when we travel to a country such as Japan, and how to best enjoy the experience.
When we go on vacation, we often have a list of things we want to see, things we want to eat, places we want to go. It’s so easy to get up in trying to check all the boxes on the checklist, and so easy to actually live in the moment of what we’re in the middle of.
The real magic of traveling to me are these two unique opportunities we don’t give ourselves in our every day lives.
The first opportunity is the opportunity to observe and appreciate the nuances, details, and idiosyncrasies of the foreign environment we walk through. See that snowman chillin’ up there? Lots of these little snowmen dot the landscape of northern Japan in the snowy months, the creations of thousands of snow enthusiasts young and old. Notice how they have only two tiers rather than the three we typically have in the West?
Walking around Japan at any time of the year, I love taking the time to marvel at how things are decorated, how people move, how people navigate their surroundings. Everything is so unique, yet also familiar in the way things are done. I love being able to go see the festivals and witness the dedication that locals give to their seasonal ceremonies and celebrations. Or going to festivals to taste the local food and delicacies crafted over generations to flavorful perfection.
The second opportunity is the opportunity to participate in a culture and society that is not our own. To take the time to get to know the not only the history and customs of a place, but to be invited to be a part of it, even if only for a couple of hours or days. At the Kamakura Festival we were given the opportunity to join locals drinking sake and having snacks inside giant snowy igloos. At another festival we joined locals and visitors in flinging giant burning bales of hay around our heads to celebrate good harvest. If we really open our minds and our hearts, we can learn a lot about the lives of the people we meet halfway across the world, and maybe make some new friends in the process!
Travel can really help us appreciate our every day lives as well! What if we paid as much attention to what goes on in our own worlds the way we do when we are observing them from the outside? Everything we do, every thing we eat also has its own history and culture.
The next time you travel, I challenge you to ditch the checklist and see what you can discover when you wade a little bit deeper into the water.
While I’d love to devote the first column of the new year to the usual assortment of articles on the news (which you can read here), I’ve decided to do something we don’t usually do here: wade into an internet controversy. In doing so, I’m going to do something I thought I would never do: get on a “high horse” of sorts as a Japan expert.
Yeah, I know. I’m afraid too. Buckle in, folks.
As you are most likely aware, a very tragic story broke last week about a YouTube personality who found a video of a dead body in the Aokigahara Jukai and, in a moment of sheer brilliance, decided to upload a video of it to YouTube. [NY Times] He later apologized, but it mostly rang hollow. Now, I won’t comment on the kind of judgement (or lack thereof) that prompted this person to post this (or the ensuing firestorm), but hey - heck with that guy, right? Logan something?
I mean, it was just this guy doing idiotic things, correct?
I mean, surely the forest has become a tourist destination because of it’s beauty and just that, right? Surely the internet hasn’t been full of mis-informed, poorly-researched content about the Aokigahara Jukai for years, right? Surely it hasn’t inspired thousands of posts speculating about it, like fake horror stories? Surely it wasn’t used as the inspiration for a bunch of films seeking to make a profit off the area? [NY Times]
Surely the forest wasn’t tossed into a Thundercat song about Tokyo?
Let me get off my high horse and to my point: We need to have a talk about this moment not because some guy was an idiot. We need to talk about this because, frankly, this was inevitable. What YouTube Grade A SuperGenius did was, in my opinion, just a conclusion - a final chapter, I hope - in the generation of BS content online about a place in Japan that represents the suffering of a nation.
The internet has dubbed Aokigahara the “suicide forest” to the point that it is better known by its nickname and not its actual name - Aokigahara - and in my humble opinion, that’s what the real story is here.
I’m not trying to guilt trip you guys; far from it. What I am hoping is that we as a community of people finally face the fact that Facebook is literally drowning in inaccurate, poorly-researched, clickbait-ey articles and videos that showcase a very specific side of Japan. It’s a land where all the cafes have a funny theme, panty vending machines are everywhere, and the suicide forest is where people go to die. Some people have chosen to consume this content, retweet it, joke about it - and yet we are shocked, just shocked, that something like this would happen.
On our trips, we have had a number of people ask us about the forest, ask us to take them there, and so forth. I usually ask if people intend to actually hike, or if they are going to gawk, just to be sure. Quite frankly, you wouldn’t go to a place where people kill themselves in your home country in the hopes of finding something creepy.
Suicide is a really big issue in Japan. We actually talk about it a lot on our trips, usually when a train is delayed because of a “passenger injury” - which often means someone’s jumped in front of a train. Suicide is the number one cause of death for people age 15-39 in Japan, which should concern everyone who loves and cares about Japan and its people.
So instead of calling Aokigahara the “Suicide Forest”, visit it and appreciate it for its hypnotic beauty. Educate yourself on the problem. Support services for mental health awareness in Japan.
And please - let us let this moment be an opportunity for us to discuss these things and resist the urge to give into the hype, hyperbole, and clickbait that got us to this moment in the first place.
Japan is an amazing place to travel – we all know that. The country is rich with cultural tradition, history, delicious food, cute animals, anime, you name it. It is also the perfect place to get lost. Some of the most curious spots you’ll ever find are the ones that you found when you took a wrong turn, or when you decided just to wander off on your own.
On a recent visit to Tokyo, I ended up following my friend J around for a day and we visited some of his favorite hidden places. In a city as vast and eclectic as Tokyo, and where most properties are just a fraction of the size of those in the States, there are what seems like infinite possibilities for small businesses, galleries, events, and everything else to pop up at every turn.
After a relaxing lunch, we headed over to Nakano area and J told me he wanted to take me to this really cool café. He didn’t say too much about it, only that he thought I would like it. The thing is he didn’t remember exactly where it was so we had to do a bit of wandering. If you’ve ever been to Nakano Broadway to buy vintage anime goods, it’s somewhere on a side street in that area. After a bit of searching, we came across a very un-assuming sign that directed us to go upstairs. Had I just been walking on my own, I wouldn’t have even thought there was anything to see.
We walked into the café and I felt as if I had walked into a deserted cottage in the forest. The interior was made of wood and had a vintage feel to it, and there were trees and plants covering the small space. Between the plants and trees were sets of single and two-seater desks. The back wall was a library full of different books – art books, story books, and other literature to get lost in. A single barista manned the entire space at her bar to the side.
You could tell the moment that you walk in the door that the space is meant to be absolutely silent. Every patron was sitting at their own desk, reading a book, studying, or merely quietly pondering life and taking the silence in. At each desk there was a small notepad and some writing utensils. If you wanted to write in the book, you could, but I instead chose to browse through to see what other visitors had written. Many people had come not knowing what to expect, but surprisingly enjoying the silent time that is so rare in a big, bustling city like Tokyo. Others confessed about heartbreaks, or troubles that they were going through in their life. It was all so very relatable and the openness in which they wrote in this book was touching. It was enough to remind me that in this world, we’re not alone in our experiences.
After silently enjoying a cup of amaretto coffee in a dainty glass teacup and flipping through a book of Magritte paintings, we were ready to go on our way back into the real world. We rode the train to busy Harajuku before parting ways. Before saying good-bye, J told me to go check out his favorite Starbucks on the rooftop of one of the Harajuku malls, so after we parted, I headed up there for quick glance.
It was such a beautiful view! I arrived just after sunset, so friends, travelers, couples were all gathered on the beautiful rooftop plaza enjoying their coffee, sharing videos, taking pictures, and relaxing. I was really thankful for the day’s unique adventure and for the time to really enjoy the life going on around me.
I really hope that when you travel Japan, you find a few hours just to go get lost and find your own hidden treasure. The thing is every individual who has been to a certain place has his or her own favorites. I don’t believe that there is ever just the one best place you can get okonomiyaki, or that there is the best shrine or temple to visit. Every person is drawn to certain things or places for different reasons, and it’s cool to get to see what each person chooses as their favorites, because it reflects who they are. If you ever find anything, please share it with us too!
One of the quintessential experiences when going to Japan, especially if you’re interested in learning about culture and tradition, is to drink matcha green tea and nibble artfully crafted Japanese sweets, or wagashi.
What better place to do this then in the country’s cultural capital Kyoto? On hidden side streets away from the immediate hustle and bustle of the souvenir shops and tourist traps, you can often find elegant tea houses that offer this simple, classic confectionery duo.
Matcha and wagashi is a grown-up affair. It took me a while to grow into it. After all, the fresh powdered green tea gives the drink a powerful smooth but bitter flavor. The sweets are often made from sugar, beans, agar (seaweed gelatin), and other ingredients that we over in the States don’t usually find in dessert. But once you acquire a taste for it, it is hard not to love the ceremonial elegance that goes with enjoying this delicate treat.
In cities like Kyoto and Kanazawa, there are also wagashi-making workshops where you can learn how to shape your own sweets. When I was a tween my mom took me to one of these workshops, where we learned how to shape different color bean pastes into beautiful flowers and other shapes. At the time, eating sweet bean paste wasn’t too appealing to me, so I just enjoyed making the shapes. A couple of decades later, my tastes have changed and I can’t wait to bring a tour to one of these workshops!
The bitter tea and the sweetness of the confection go hand-in-hand. In the tea houses, they will usually serve you the sweet first and tell you to eat it, and then to drink the matcha tea. That way, the sweetness will balance out the bitterness of the tea. Like many Japanese flavors, the way to enjoy tea and sweets is a subtle process. It’s a great way to calm the mind and take a slow moment in our busy lives to focus on enjoying the moment.
I encourage you to try out matcha and traditional sweets if you ever get the chance! Of course, you can also incorporate this ritual into your daily life with your own local tea and sweets. Thanks for tuning in to Valerie Eats =) Have a nice, relaxing day!
I love sushi. Since I'm not a baller, I don't spend much time at regular sushi joints, but instead, quite often go to conveyer belt sushi places, called “kaiten zushi.”
My favorite kaiten zushi chain when I lived in Osaka was Sakae-sushi. Every plate is 130 yen. My favorite menu was the Aburi-salmon. The fatty salmon was seared just right and topped with Japanese Mayo and sliced sweet onion. PERFECTION.
Kura Sushi is a major chain in Japan, and they now have many locations in the US. A whopping 9 locations just in CA, 4 in Texas, and 1 in Georgia.
Today, I'm reporting on my recent Kura experience here in LA, quite close to the PacSet office!
This location gets quite busy, and the wait can be 30min-1 hour depending on the time you go. The location has recently undergone renovation so they have the latest technology, each table is equipped with a touch panel screen to place fresh/special orders. Those orders then arrive on a separate conveyer belt and simultaneously, the screen will make an announcement.
They also have a "BIKKURA PON."
You're probably wondering what a "Bikkura Pon" is. It's an original game designed to make the dining experience even more entertaining. For every 5 empty plates that are inserted into the designated slot in the wall at each table, a short animated video is played on the screen and you then get a chance to win a prize. Our machine wasn't working properly since a prize didn't come rolling down when we had won at the 15th plate. We had to flag down the waitress who acknowledged that the machine could be faulty and said that she'd bring us a prize. She eventually got busy and forgot, so we had to remind her again. She finally came back with a box of plastic containers (just like in the gashapons) and she told me to pick 2 containers because of the inconvenience and for forgetting.
I’m kind of a snob, so I don't usually pick plates off the conveyer belt, and instead, place orders so I can eat freshly made sushi. I ended up eating a few plates of Salmon (not quite the same yummy aburi-salmon of Osaka), some eel, a toro (fatty tuna), salmon skin hand roll.
I also saw that there was a new menu of Tantanmen. I LOVE tantanmen-spicy chinese bean sauce soup broth with ground pork, and I recalled the time my Japanese friend told me that the ramen at Kura was not bad. As it was a kind of chilly night, I tapped in the order on the touch panel and waited anxiously. What appeared before me in 5 minutes or so what NOT tantanmen. The soup of tantanmen is usually a reddish color because of all the wonderful chili spices, but the color that appeared before me was....BROWN....and bland looking.
Despite that, I took a sip, and thought to myself, "Definitely NOT tantanmen," but I kept eating. Not because it was delicious (because it wasn't) but because I didn't want to trouble the kitchen and the servers were busy. The soup seemed to be soy sauce-based, and there wasn't even steam coming off. I was disappointed--but I should have known-This is a casual sushi joint, NOT a ramen place!
All in all, the sushi is OK, at $2.50/plate. There were a few hiccups here and there, but it's nice to have this kind of experience locally, though it's way better in Japan!
(PS-I should add what was inside the Bikkura pon containers: Rolls of Halloween stickers...I went in November.)
Hello everyone! Welcome to the first edition of “What’s Happenin’?” a blog that covers events and happenings of all shapes and sizes in Japan…and trust me there are many! From festivals to pop-up cafes to underground dance battles, there are tons of things to experience while traveling. Some of the coolest ones are ones you find on tour, and others you can only really find by stumbling upon them!
As our sign-up deadline for Fire & Ice 2018 comes to a close on December 1st, I wanted to draw attention to one of the coolest big festivals that happen in Japan every year, Sapporo Snow Festival!
Sapporo Snow Festival is one of the most epic parts of our Fire & Ice Tour, and draws millions of people from all over Japan and the world. From the gigantic, immaculately detailed mega-snow statues in Odori Park to the awe-inspiring snow tube slides in Tsudome, Sapporo Snow Festival has something for anyone at any age.
The festival was actually started by six high school students in 1950 that built six snow statues in Odori Park. A couple of years later the first giant snow sculptures were built and it all snowballed from there =). On the past Fire and Ice, we really enjoyed our time at the Sapporo Snow Festival. Here are some of our favorite highlights:
Carving shot glasses out of ice – yes, this is a thing. You can then pour yourself a soft drink or Smirnoff Ice and cheers to your comrades, all of whom probably have frozen fingers from all that ice picking. I think I would have preferred something stronger, perhaps a shot of brandy, to light that fire back into my now frozen limbs, but the Smirnoff Ice wasn’t bad either.
Revisiting childhood by sliding down all of the snow slides – nothing beats sliding down a giant slope in a tube. And there was no shame in grabbing a giant tire and joining all the kids on the line for the epic snow slides that they built for the festival in Tsudome. Luckily on this tour there was no shortage of cold things to slide on.
Seeing the larger-than-life mega snow statues at Odori Park. This year, they had a Final Fantasy VII themed mega statue complete with funky light show, a Star Wars themed mega statue and even one of the Arc de Triomphe. Ooh lala.
Eating all of the delicious food at the food stalls – Grilled oysters, hot ramen, bacon-wrapped rice balls, hot wine, fresh Hokkaido milk…you name it! Hokkaido is one of the best places for food, and festival food is no exception. You can purchase bite-sized portions of pretty much anything, so that there’s a chance to try everything!
That ridiculously comfy free hand bath – Yes, there was a hand bath! You walk into a tent and they give you a towel and hot coffee, and then you can stick your hands into nice toasty hot water and chat it up with your neighbors. Perfect after walking around all day in the snow.
And there was tons more along with that. Mind you, that was only one of the festivals we visited on Fire and Ice. There are more and each of them have their own unique charm. Hope you can join us on the next Fire & Ice!!!
Every city in the world has its own way of facilitating (or not) transit for its residents and visitors. Japan’s cities have some of the most efficient but also most complex systems in the world. Tokyo’s system is perhaps the most notorious, but there are many others as well.
This is not meant to be a comprehensive guide to the Japanese railway and bus system, but rather a quick guide for anyone who wants simple ways to plan how to get from Point A to Point B. PacSet’s Director Evan is much more of an expert on the transit system than I will ever be, so if you ever need to know why there are so many different railway lines run by so many different companies and all of the secret passageways in Tokyo and beyond…it’s better to ask him.
HOWEVER, if all you wanted is a way to get from, let’s say, Tokyo Disneyland to Ghibli Museum in the most cost effective way possible on a Saturday afternoon, there are several simple ways to do this, thanks to the wonders of technology.
First Option – plan your trip on Hyperdia.com. Personally, this has been the most reliable way to find exactly what fare you are going to pay on which trains/planes/bullet trains you can take. The downside is that you can only search by station, not by landmark or address. You also have to pay for the app if you want it on your phone. Also, it doesn’t cover bus routes. I still find it useful because you can choose to omit certain types of trains in your search that aren’t covered by your particular ticket or JR Pass.
Simple, clear, straightforward.
Which brings us to our Second Option – Google Maps! These days the super search engine is just getting more and more powerful each day. Google Maps can get you pretty much anywhere, is free, and is instant. It includes bus routes, bus options, walking directions, you name it. Just beware that if you do not have data in Japan, using the GPS can be frustratingly unreliable. I strongly suggest mapping out your main walking routes in advance, rather than walking around with your phone trying to navigate through GPS.
Painstaking detail, all the different bus options, mapped out.
I usually find it sufficient just to cross-reference my route using the above two options. Different rail lines might also provide their own navigation apps, if you are bent on using only one particular system rather than spreading your trip over several.
Keep in mind that because there are so many different rail lines and bus systems, not every line is accessible with a JR Pass, not every line (although most are) is accessible with your IC Card (like a tap transit card). My advice is to pay close attention to what railway(s) are operating your route, especially if there is more than one. For those of us who come from a place where the mass transit system is basically run by one company or by the city, Japan’s transit system can be daunting at first. But all it really takes is some vigilance and planning. While on a PacSet tour, we’re happy to help point you in the right direction if you ever have any questions on how to get to a specific location =)
If you’re reading this and wish to know other tips about how to get around in Japan, please leave a comment below! Would you like a guide to how to read station signs? Train etiquette? How to get an IC transit card? What is an IC card? Let us know!
We’re having a huge sale today, so please go check that out! Seriously guys, this is the biggest one we’ve ever done. Go get it! :D Alrighty, on to this week’s main story...
MUCH ADO ABOUT DOGEN
I’d like to talk about balls. No, not the sports ones. The kind that are metaphorical, the kind that you have when you stand up for what’s right in the face of intense opposition. I mean, think about it: there’s stuff that takes courage, and there’s stuff that takes balls. Asking someone out to prom? Courage. Telling a Firefly fan to let it go, since Fox canceled their show fifteen years ago? That’s courage with a little bit of balls. Standing up to the bully ten times your size? That’s balls.
Bringing your baby to work with you when you’re a politician in one of the most male-dominated societies in the world? That’s more balls than you’ll find at a basketball tournament. [Washington Post]
Image courtesy Asahi Shimbun/Getty Images
Just look at this picture. Words fail me. Here, check out the video:
This is Kumamoto City Representative and certified bad ass mama Ogata Yuka and her son Dogen, who has a very nice hairstyle going for someone who’s only seven months old. She made the “mistake” of bringing her son to work with her, which resulted in many male members of the chamber crowding around her and demanding she leave - with some of them even demanding she apologize for doing so (even though Dogen was being a good boy and not making any noise).
According to her official bio, Ogata is a graduate of the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies and holds a graduate degree from George Mason University in Virginia. She’s also worked as a program officer with the UN’s Development Program in Yemen, which I imagine is not the UN’s easiest mission. After moving back to her hometown, Ogata became interested in local politics and ran on a campaign emphasizing support for working mothers, traffic/pedestrian safety, public health and welfare, and promoting tourism to Kumamoto. [Editor’s note: we’re working on a tour pitch or two, Ogata-shigi!- Team PacSet]
Fun fact: Ogata was elected when her first child was just 1 year old, and the day she brought Dogen to work was her first day back from maternity leave. Now personally, I would have appreciated a “Welcome Back” cake, a balloon bouquet... maybe some of Kumamoto’s famous Ikinari Dango* with a nice message written on it? Like this?
But hey, I guess a bunch of old dudes being rude is kind of like a welcome. I mean, isn’t that how the bullies welcome the nerds back to class in all of those teen movies? Sorry, I digress.
Although child care is provided in municipal assemblies in Kyoto and Akita (as the WaPo points out), Kumamoto’s model male citizens decided to get their pantsu in a bunch over this, eventually forcing Ogata to leave Dogen in the care of a friend before returning to the chamber.
In a statement, Ogata said that she wanted to bring attention to the tough conditions facing working women in Japan. She’s not wrong; numerous [Bloomberg/Benchmark] articles [Japan Times] have been written about Japan’s shortage in adequate day care facilities and how hard it is for women in the workforce. In fact, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has cited making the working world more friendly to women a priority, since Japan’s birthrate is declining and the benefits of being a mother are not all that attractive if you want to have a career/support a family in Japan. However, apparently Abe forgot to mention this to fellow LDP member and “guy at the pachinko parlor” Haraguchi Ryoji, who said that Ogata could be “subject to punishment for disturbing the chamber over a personal reason.” [Mainichi Shimbun] Which I guess I understand... I mean, I bet no one in the LDP has ever been in a scandal for personal reasons, right? (Fun game: Google “LDP Scandals” and see how many you can find in 10 minutes!)
The truth is that there is still a cultural stigma against working mothers in many social circles in Japan. Not too long ago, having a baby meant a women would leave work altogether and focus their entire lives on child rearing. Even today, mothers that go against the grain are often harassed by other mothers and people who aren’t parents at all but have so many opinions. Which is probably one of the reasons why Japan’s fleet of online trolls have since invaded Ogata’s Facebook page and are tweeting nasty replies to English language stories about her. Nice of them, isn’t it?
Regardless, we hope that Ogata-shigi keeps fighting for working women, that we are able to create the best Kumamoto tour EVER, and that Dogen can keep that clean, awesome looking hair forever. <3 Speaking of clean...
I’LL HAVE A WASH AND DRY WITH THAT YAKITORI
If you have traveled with us, you know how tough it can be to find coin laundromats in Japan sometimes. Fortunately, the effort to make them more common just got a massive (and I mean massive) push from a somewhat surprising source: convenience store (conbini) chain Family Mart. (LINE NEWS)
That’s right - one of Japan’s biggest conbini chains, the place where you get a meat bun when you’re hungry, a manga volume when you’re bored, and a Pocari Sweat when you’re drunk, is installing coin laundry! According to an official statement, the company is planning on rolling out the service quickly, with laundry popping up in at least 500 locations by the end of 2019. [Family Mart]
I’ll level with you guys: I’m trying to think of a negative angle to this story, and you know... there just isn’t one. The thought of being able to wash my clothes during FanFest while eating a lemon ice, buying breakfast onigiri for the next morning, and browsing the latest Shonen Sunday? What did I do to deserve this kind of joy?!?!?!?!
The best part? Because the competition between conbini chains in Japan is such a bloodbath, it probably won’t be too long before Lawson or Seven Eleven decides to try out Coin Laundry as well. Japan in the summer is all kinds of humid - keeping it clean is a concept I can definitely get behind.
TAKA IS NOT [ONE] OK [ROCK] WITH SMAP... KINDA
One guy isn’t keeping it clean this week in the world of gossip; ONE OK ROCK front man Taka sent shockwaves across the Japanese interwebs this weekend when he dissed recently disbanded J-Pop royalty SMAP during an appearance on Super Beaver singer Shibuya Ryuuta’s radio show late Thursday night. Although both of their bands specialize in rock and not the kind of J-Pop sound SMAP embodies, the two were discussing which song from the band they like most. Taka’s selection? SMAP’s 1993 single “Ten Dollars”:
This is a somewhat deep cut from the SMAP catalogue; it’s from when the group still had six members, and it wasn’t nearly as popular as SMAP’s turn-of-the-millenia hits Lionheart and Sekai ni Hitotsu Dake no Everyone in Japan has heard this song twenty million times oh god please make it stop**.
After the song played, Taka voiced a sentiment that many indie rockers, rappers, and artists in Japan have long thought but always been scared to say. SMAP is... eh. From the man’s own mouth: [Model Press]
“Actually, I hate them, really. I hate SMAP. They’re like Japan’s national group,” said Taka. He’s not exactly wrong; SMAP’s TV show was one of the view where western stars appeared regularly, and even Eric Clapton wrote a song for them. Yes, ERIC CLAPTON. Taka, probably realizing that the internet could twist such a comment out of control quickly, added: “No matter which group you’re in, whether you’re an idol, a superstar... we’re all just human... Being in a group like that shouldn’t be your WHOLE life - that’s tiring. So when I heard SMAP was disbanding, I was thinking, ‘Wow, they really worked hard to come this far...’” I can’t help but agree with Taka myself; to have a group be your entire life until you’re alone again - that’s truly a Mighty Long Fall.
Taka’s comments were also a reflection of the public’s sadness when SMAP disbanded - so much so that many thought the group should keep going. Indeed, artists in Japan that are popular are expected to devote their lives to their work to a degree that many in the west would consider horrifying (just ask any former idol star... ugh). For what it’s worth, many on Twitter and message boards in Japan agreed with Taka on this point.
Now if some of those nice, sympathetic folks would go help support Ogata Yuka... that would be awesome.
NOTE: I’m off on Japan Holiday next week, so this column will be on hiatus. We’ll be back in a few weeks with more goodies. Until then, be lovely to each other!
*About the Dango: The popular YouTube series Cooking With Dog (RIP, Francis ;_;) actually did a segment on how to make Ikinari Dango; check it out! We miss you, Francis the Dog... <3
From all of us at PacSet, happy happy holidays =) We want to express our deep gratitude for all of your support, love, and spirit that you’ve blessed us with on tour and beyond. You guys are what make each and every experience so special. Hope you are all happy, healthy, and surrounded by loving company. Happy Thanksgiving!!
Hello again guys! One more day until Thanksgiving! It's 92 degrees today in good 'ol SoCal! ^^ If it’s feeling a bit like the holidays where you’re at, I hope you’re keeping warm!
Living in Osaka, I heard and absorbed all kinds of slang. Today, I'm going to keep it rated-G and go with clean slang.
I often heard, "Omoroi." In standard Japanese, "funny" is "Omoshiroi." but people in Osaka say, "Omoroi."
A-san: (Insert joke here)
B-san: Omoroi!
Try it next time Evan says a funny (or not) joke! :P
Take it one step further and follow "Omoroi" with "Ukeru." (pronounced ooh-ke-ru)" Ukeru" translated is "That's so funny." (Note: Ukeru is universal, not Osaka-ben)
This photo below is definitely Omoroi-worthy, because we were on a ship in Aomori, and Evan was our Captain, but people’s expressions are...Priceless.
I said, “Omoroi, ukeru!” when I took this shot ↑of Evan back during Anime Expo. (Yes, I’m easily amused...)
One of my pet peeves-In any language, is when people say, "That's so funny!" but they're not laughing. Their eyes aren't even smiling. haha Maybe it's because I'm not as funny as I think myself to be. :P
One more lil trivia before I go-There's actually a difference in the way Mickey-D's is called between Kanto and Kansai: McDonald's in Kanto is referred to as "Macku"but in Kansai, it's "Macudo."
Hope you all have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving!
Hi guys! The holidays are creeping upon us! PacSet's Japan Holiday Tour is about to take off! How exciting! ^^
Just when I thought it was Halloween around the corner, that's done and over with and in a few days, it's Thanksgiving and then Christmas and then 2017 will be over!
Did you know KFC is a popular meal on Xmas in Japan?! On the Japan website, they're already accepting online reservations for special holiday meals.
They're even offering Early Bird discounts of the "Party Barrel" at the going rate of a whopping 4000yen! The description cracks me up, "Party Barrel. Because it's a special day to be spent with that important person in your life. There is no such thing as too early. Xmas starts the moment you reserve."
So what's included in this hefty price tag?
8 pieces of Original Fried Chicken in a festive bucket with the good Ol' Colonel wearing a Santa cap, "Christmas" salad, chocolate mousse cake, with a seasonally decorated dish.
There's more to the menu if you’re at all curious here.
So you're probably wondering why KFC is such a big thing for Christmas, so much so, people will actually stand in long lines if they're stuck without reservations. It's all thanks to a clever ad campaign back in the 70s, which still sticks with the Japanese people. "Christmas wa Kentucky!" (KFC for Christmas!) (It apparently filled a void as there really wasn't a Christmas tradition in Japan until then.)
Whoa, wait a minute, this is supposed to be a Japanese lesson! I'm way off track! Sorry!
SO...how do Japanese people greet each other during the holidays?
"Merry Christmas" is: "meri- kuri-su-ma-su!" in Katakana English. :P
To wish people a happy new year, people say: "Yoi o toshi wo." 良いお年を。
Once the calendar changes to January 1st, "Happy new year" is: Ake mashite omedeto gozaimasu! 明けましておめでとうございます。
Casually, young people say, "A ke o me!" あけおめ！
Thanks for reading this rambling entry, while it may seem like an ad for KFC (it's not), I guess I wanted to illustrate the interesting tradition in Japan as well as offer a few phrases.
WELL HELLO EVERYONE! Welcome to your official (as official as this can be) Thanksgiving edition of Headlinin'. We're a day late this week since we were returning from a conference in Nashville, which reminds me...
We hit the Pinewood Social on Friday night for an Alumni Reunion! Thanks/shout outs to Sarah (Third Impact '14) and Andrew (Animated Spring '17) for coming by for a discussion of desserts, magical onsens, and the intricacies of Nashville beer. <3 If you're a tour alum, we'll be doing a lot more of these in the months to come because we like to travel and see you guys. Come through! :D
We start this week with the **biggest entertainment news **in Japan's year...
KOUHAKU UTAGASSEN LINEUP ANNOUNCED!
In Japan, one of the year's most watched programs is broadcast live on New Year's Eve, on public television. It's called the **Year-End Song Festival, **or "Kohaku Uta Gassen." The concept, for the uninitiated: two "teams" of musical artists, the "Red" team (Ladies) and the "White" team (Gents) compete to see who can give the best performances during a four-hour year end live show. While called a "competition," it's pretty friendly in nature and is more or less a chance to see a bunch of famous artists singing in one place at the same time. Nevertheless, getting an invite to this is a big deal in the music world, and you're guaranteed to have a lot of people watching since the new year in Japan is like Christmas in the USA: Nothing is open and everyone is home with their family, so all you can do is be social with your relatives or watch TV. I'm sure some of us can relate on Thanksgiving week, right? ^_~
NHK announced the lineup last week [NHK]. Some of the big names making repeat appearances (with YouTube links when available*): Shiina Ringo, AKB 48, Hirai Ken, Hoshino Gen, and Perfume. Getting their first invites to the competition this year: K-Pop sensation TWICE, rock outfit SHISHAMO, boy band Hey! Say! JUMP!, and alt-rock outfit/band with awesome name Elephant Kashimashi. The buzziest addition by far is TWICE, who will be the first K-Pop group to hit Kohaku since 2011 [All K-Pop/Mantan Web/Every K-Pop blog on the internet]; that year, KARA, TVXQ (also known as DBSK/Tohoshinki/so many names omg) and Girls Generation all performed.
Now I'm happy for the performers and the announcements as usual, but the real reason I'm pumped for Kohaku this year? The host: **Uchimura Teruyoshi, **also known as Ucchan.
This man, my friends, is a national treasure. He got his start as part of manzai (japanese vaudeville-esque comedy) duo Ucchan Nacchan. You may have seen him online as part of the Warau Inu series of variety shows, which most famously produced the song Yatta! that took the internet by storm in 2001. Uchimura was not one of the people who donned leaf underwear and sung, but he WAS a part of some of the show's funniest sketches, including a series of skits about an actor so into himself that he creates a film in which he plays every part, sings the theme song, and tries to incorporate every film genre into a six minute short:
Seriously, skip to the 4 minutes in and listen to the song. MAGIC. I want him to sing like that at Kohaku. Please god, oh please. Evan needs this. If he doesn't sing, can we at least get him to dress in one of his old costumes from Warau Inu? Maybe this one?
I know NHK can be kind of pushy about formality, but I really hope they let Ucchan kick back and get his silly on. Back in politics...
POLITICS AND ANIME DO NOT MIX (USUALLY)
While our politicians are busy harassing women and finally (FINALLY) getting in trouble for it, in Japan harassing women [Japan Times] is still totally okay! Anime fans, however? That'll get you in trouble.
LDP Politician/Neighbor who spies at you through his window Yamamoto Ichita apologized for saying that liking Anime leads you to a life of crime [Anime News Network] last week on his blog. His apology, which was written in a less formal/more friendly tone, stated that as a representative of "the party supporting Cool Japan", to criticize fans was a "complete mistake." No word on whether anime fan, LDP veteran and ex-Prime Minister Taro Aso sent him a bunch of mean texts on LINE about his comments. And if he did, man oh man, I wish I could see those...
SHARKS IN OHIO: SAMEZU CREATOR GOING TO OHAYOCON!
Speaking of LINE stickers: one of my favorite graphic designers and character designers is coming to America! From Arimura Moha's Twitter:
Samezu creator Arimura Moha will be making his first US appearance in Columbus, Ohio at Ohayocon in January. For those not in the know: Arimura has been doing character work for years now, but really caught fire when his series of silly sharks doing silly things, Samezu, got a lot of attention online. He's also doing a series of comics about what demon dog Kereberos would be like if he were a cute puppy. It's hilarious.
I'm hoping that more graphic designers doing this sort of thing in Japan get more attention in the states. We certainly tried to help when ChibiTora designer and awesome person Kagezi joined us at Anime Expo last year.
I had the opportunity to meet Arimura-sensei this summer and he is a really fantastic, humorous creator who clearly loves doing the work he does. I have a humble request for somoene in Ohio: someone please, please help this dude get some Buckeye Ice Cream. Please.
Okay guys, that's all for us! Enjoy your turkey week!
Osaka is a funky town. Renown for it's vibrant people, comedy, middle-aged women in animal print, nightlife, and yes, FOOD. The most representative of Osaka cuisine is Okonomiyaki (Japanese savory pancake) and Takoyaki (fried octopus balls.) Okonomiyaki and Takoyaki shop options are ENDLESS.
Okonomiyaki-"Okonomi" literally means "to your liking" and "yaki" is "grilled".
Latter half of Animated Spring 2017 was spent in Kansai, and since we were back in Osaka, my old stomping grounds, I really wanted to go back to the Okonomiyaki chain that I really enjoyed going to back in the day.
I went to Fugetsu with a few of the tour goers to find that some of the other people from our group had decided to dine there as well. Very coincidental! :)
I was at a table with non-fussy eaters, and we decided to order the "Fugetsu Special" and tonpeiyaki. “Fugetsu Special” is a mouthwatering combination of squid, pork, beef, and shrimp. Tonpeiyaki? It's a plate of egg yumminess. We didn't just get a regular tonpeiyaki. We upgraded and ordered the Mochi-Cheese Tonpeiyaki. Imagine an egg omelette, oozing with cheese and chewy mochi, and thin pork slices, topped off with mayo and green onions and bonito flakes. It was so immaculate, we had to order a second serving.
Lovely couple from our tour coincidentally seated at the table next to ours.
Mochi Cheese Tonpeiyaki!
Some places will allow you to cook the Okonomiyaki on your own, but I appreciate it when they servers whip it up in front of you, because it's cooked to perfection.
When I was in the middle of writing this blog, I learned that there actually is a Fugetsu in CA, but in Northern CA. They should totally make one in LA!!!!
At a recent grocery shopping trip to the local Japanese market, I was pleasantly surprised to find that they sell Fugetsu Brand Okonomiyaki Mix. I had a sudden craving for Okonomiyaki and added the mix into my shopping cart.
Using pork and shrimp and the Fugetsu Mix, I tried recreating the Osaka goodness in the comfort of my home...It was good, but not quite as good as the real thing. Guess it’s being IN Osaka that makes the difference.
Can’t wait for the next chance I get to eat the real deal...
