All Nippon Airways says it is the first airline in the world to offer in-flight draft beer from a keg.

A traditional beer keg uses a high-pressure carbon dioxide bottle which is prohibited by law on flights.

ANA sponsored development of a special beer keg dispenser that does not use a high-pressure gas cylinder.

The new device uses the pressure from carbon dioxide gas captured from dry ice. The dry ice also keeps the beer cool so a power-supply unit and refrigerator are not needed.

All Nippon Airways started offering this real draft beer on domestic flights for the first time on July 20.

The brand of the beer varies according to the route.

The price is JPY 1000 per 400 milliliter glass, including a dry snack.

Depending on the aircraft, 20-40 glasses of beer will be offered per flight.

Fast food hamburger chain Freshness Burger becomes the second big burger business to expand its delivery service.

Freshness Burger started delivering from one outlet in Saitama, Japan  in 2007.

Currently 54 Freshness Burger outlets in Japan deliver. There is a two-burger minimum order and delivery costs JPY 300. Orders can be placed via website or by calling a participating outlet.

MOS Burger began delivery service in 2006 and now 300 MOS outlets in Japan deliver. There is no minimum order and delivery costs JPY 200.

Tokyo burger time: Lotteria vs. MOS vs. Freshness vs. First Kitchen

The Big Six:

• DomDom
• First Kitchen
• Freshness Burger
• Lotteria
• McDonald’s
• MOS Burger

photos: (L) Freshness Burger delivery from outlet in Shibuya, Tokyo. (Center) Freshness menu. (Right) MOS rice burger.

The top ten booms in Japan now.

Forest girl boom. Fashion inspired by Anne of Green Gables. For your fashion life in the forest.

(9)
Tokai region local government mascot character boom. More than 30 municipalities in Tokai have mascot characters.

Calligraphy boom
Influenced by "Tomehane Suzuri High School Calligraphy Club" TV show on NHK-TV. Click here to try NHK calligraphy.

Running boom
A survey by Sasakawa Sports Foundation indicates the number of runners who ran two times or more during the week increased from 2.15 million in 2006 (the previous survey year) to 2.48 million according to the 2008 survey.

(6)
Eco boom
Japanese follow the green theme, from carbon offset mindfulness, recycling clothes, and shorter showers, to eco-cars and eco-bags.

(5)
Castle boom
Influenced by "Taiga" historical stories TV series on NHK-TV.

Sakamoto Ryouma boom
Includes TV programs, books, movies, tours, fairs, restaurant menus, and ramen. The ronin Sakamoto led movement to overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate during the Bakumatsu period.
 (3)
History boom
Inspired by television quiz programs featuring questions about Japan history.

(2)
Quiet life boom
Leading a slower-paced, low-stress life. Volunteerism, continuing education, personal growth, cultural pursuits, and contribution to society. Also includes leaving big cities to start a farm in rural Japan. (related:  Slow food life.)

(1)
Fried chicken boom
Started in Oita and is now spreading across Japan. More chicken is consumed in Oita Prefecture than any other prefecture in Japan.

A new Mcdonald’s TV commercial depicts a 1960’s American scenario that seems to be featuring the witch Samantha from the TV show Bewitched. In the ad, "Samantha" serves a single Quarter Pounder Bacon & BBQ burger to a birthday party consisting of 6 kids. Her husband "Darren" and another woman (possibly nosey neighbor Gladys Kravitz) watches the fun. Everyone claps when the burger is served.

1978 Mcdonald’s Japan TV Commercial

Bewitched in Japan(J) Wiki; Ochiochi wonderland. Bewitched around the world.

People who have lost their jobs and do not have money for food seem to be responsible for an increase in convenience store robberies in Tokyo.

The Metropolitan Police Department said food is being targeted instead of cash.

In September, a man armed with a knife stole onigiri (rice balls) and flavored carbonated alcoholic beverages (Chu-hai) valued at about JPY 2600 from a Tokyo convenience store. "I lost my job due to restructuring late last year. I was hungry," the 42-year-old man told the MPD.

In October, a man threatened a convenience store clerk with a box cutter and stole a cigarette lighter. The 26-year-old man told the MPD he wanted to get caught so he could have a bath and get food.

Police are calling food-snatching robberies "Life distress thefts".

According to the MPD official, there were 67 convenience store robberies in Tokyo as of the end of September. There were the 31 robberies during the same period in 2008.

 The MPD reports the number of convenience store robberies began to rise following the "Lehman shock" of October 2008 and the global recession. According to the MPD, in at least 4 robberies only food or drinks was stolen. The robbers only glanced at the cash. About 60 percent of the convenience store robbers were motivated by extreme hardship the MPD said.

photos: Chu hai; Onigiri; Hello Work; training white gloves, reporters; training blue shirt; training pink shirt; blackboard (Moka city); food handout Kansai, Tokyo. related: Homeless in Japan photo series.

"Locally grown for local consumption" is a common practice in many cities in Japan. Small plots of urban land dedicated to farming can be found in cities of all sizes. Kunio Tsubota of the Kyushu University Asia Centre writes in Urban Agriculture in Asia: Lessons from Japanese Experience "The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) estimates that about 1.1 million hectares of farmland exist in "urban-like areas" and are producing ¥2.6 trillion worth of products."

Tsubota states that municipalities desire some farmland in urbanized areas because the land provides open areas necessary for emergencies, residents don’t want buildings constructed on green spaces, and that it’s more cost effective to grow crops than to convert urban farm plots into parks, and then maintain the parks. 

Tsubota’s report  cites the efforts of Nerima ward, Tokyo as a typical example. Nerima’s Agricultural Promotion Plan consists of about 55 activities to promote agriculture. The plan includes using locally produced vegetables for school lunches, providing small subsidies and office space to citizen-farmers, and promotion of locally grown produce.

Kawasaki City began its "Reborn Agriculture Plan" in 2005. The campaign promotes the sale , freshness, and safety of city farm products. Kawasaki also organizes distribution of produce to schools for use in school lunches.

Some other cities and prefectures with "Locally grown for local consumption" efforts: Sagamihara; Himeji City; Kushiro; Nagoya; Nobeoka City; Hiroshima; Yokohama.

related: Kitchen gardens enjoy a comeback in Japan
photos: Hiroshima; Kanagawa; Kawasaki crops; Kawasaki sign; Nerima; Setagaya-ku.

Now natto lovers can access their fermented beans without having to pull off the usual troublesome plastic film that always sticks to the food. Mitsukan’s Kin No Tsubu brand of natto is in nonstick packaging that eliminates the need for a film layer separating the natto from the inside of the lid. The pouch of tare sauce that is usually included with the natto has been replaced with a a blob of jellied sauce.

Diners no longer have to struggle to tear open a sauce packet. The polystyrene tray package is divided into two compartments – one for the natto and the other for the jellied sauce. The sauce can be picked up with chopsticks and dissolves when mixed into the natto. Mitsukan says the new package was created in response to complaints about the difficulty of opening the sauce pouch without spilling the contents, and that the process of removing the film spreads long sticky streaks of natto onto one’s hands and the table. How to eat natto video.

McDonald’s new Salad Marinade Muffin consists of a slice of bacon, American cheese, lettuce, marinated red peppers, onions and Caesar salad dressing sandwiched between an English muffin. (It’s a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich. A BLT. ) The Salad Marinade Muffin (^_~) is an effort to expand the selection of "healthy menu" (^_^ ) choices from McDonald’s Japan. Available on the breakfast menu until 10:30 a.m. Price: JPY 210. (The Freshness Burger chain offered a BLT sandwich for a limited time in September 2007.)
photos: Open wrapper; "M" logo; BLT.

A cold water phenomenon froze fish in the sea on the coast of Miyakojima island of Okinawa. Fish frozen solid washed ashore on Yonaha beach on Jan. 10. Water temperatures in the upper levels of the sea around the island dropped by 10 degrees, to 14.6 degrees Celsius. Combined with strong northerly winds the ocean occurrence was deadly for the fish. Some residents picked up the free fish. "I want to collect a lot of the fish and cook them for side dishes with supper," said one woman.

Drink-In New Year With Cabbage-In
Anticipating a long night of drinking and eating but afraid an upset stomach will cut your night short? A little packet of powder from Japan might maximize your enjoyment.

Shin Kyabe 2 is one of three gastrointestinal products in the "Kyabe" lineup from  KOWA Pharmaceuticals. Shin Kyabe 2 (Shin Cabba 2) is a powdered OTC stomach antacid and its instructions indicate it is to be taken prior to eating.

KOWA marketing material includes information stating that Shin Kyabe 2 allows women to enjoy dining out with friends and be able to enjoy delicious meals without the stress caused by an upset stomach.

KOWA says its research shows that because of the trends of women delaying marriage and a reliance on takeout food since the bubble economy, the number of women in their twenties and thirties drinking alcohol more often has dramatically increased. It’s data indicates an unbalanced diet combined with increased alcohol consumption causes women to experience unpleasant stomach symptoms more often.

Cabagin-S for upset stomach debuted in Japan in 1960. KOWA’s Cabagin products contain the natural ingredient cabagin, which is found in cabbages. Shin Kyabe 2: 20 packets, about JPY 1100; 32 packets about JPY 1600.