Latest news with #AmazonJapan
SoraNews24
3 days ago
- General
- SoraNews24
7-Eleven selling 'Japan's longest roll of toilet paper' that's 7.11 times longer than normal
Outstanding mileage for the size. Toilet paper is often the unsung hero of everyday life, sometimes even unceremoniously thrown over the house of mean old Mr. Green up the street. Regardless of whether he had it coming or not for not giving me my ball back, the point is that toilet paper itself never gets the respect and reverence it deserves, at least until it's not there when needed and it suddenly becomes the most important substance in the universe. Perhaps sensing this paradigm, convenience store chain 7-Eleven has come up with possibly the grandest and most abundant toilet paper Japan has ever seen. Dubbed 'Japan's longest' roll of TP for home use, it boasts a length of 356 meters (1,168 feet), about 7.11 times longer than a normal roll, which they estimate to be 50 meters (164 feet). This roll of single ply is produced by Marutomi Seishi, who makes the previously longest roll of toilet paper, the Super Long Pulp 6x Roll 300m. With their special technique, Marutomi can create these rolls several times longer than conventional TP, but maintaining a diameter that's only slightly wider. ▼ This infographic shows that 7-Eleven is having lots of fun with numbers. Not only is the length, and therefore width, about seven times a normal roll, the diameter is about 1.1 times one. Marutomi said they developed the product based on a survey that suggests one in three married couples were dissatisfied with their toilet paper. One of the reasons being that it gets used up too fast and replacing it is a nuisance. That survey probably wasn't too enlightening since just having an empty tube next to the toilet is annoying to everyone, except maybe those really into arts and crafts. ▼ That should be just enough for a robot. Speaking of empty tubes, part of their space-saving technique is that these rolls have no cardboard tubes inside. Not only does this reduce added waste but it allows for easy storage that's great for disaster preparedness kits, reduces overall transportation emissions, and lets you buy a large amount of TP without having to carry one of those suitcase-sized packs all over the place. ▼ I don't usually also have an armful of loose rolls while shopping, but I guess the basic sentiment is the same. Considering how ultra-condensed it is, you might be wondering how well the paper holds up. Judging by the reviews for the Super Long Pulp 6x Roll 300m on Amazon Japan, all of the comments seem satisfied with the paper itself and the only complaint was that the roll can get warped as it gets near the end because there's no tube inside. So, we can probably expect the same level of quality from 7-Eleven's version too, and at a suggested retail price of 298 yen (US$2), it's even comparable to regular toilet paper, especially from a convenience store. Even if you only demand the finest in luxury for your bottom, it might be worth it to pick up a roll and squirrel it away in case of emergencies. You never know when people might start panic buying the stuff again. Source: PR Times, Amazon Japan Images: PR Times ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
Japan Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Japan Times
TikTok Shop to launch e-commerce service in Japan as soon as this month
TikTok is looking to enter the e-commerce market in Japan via the launch of its TikTok Shop — a service in which users can purchase promoted products directly from the social media app — as soon as this month. Japan would be the newest addition to a list of countries where the service is available, including the U.S. and the Philippines. How TikTok Shop will perform in the Japanese e-commerce market, which has been dominated by Amazon Japan and Rakuten, will be in focus once the service begins. TikTok Shop, which allows users to purchase products promoted in a video or livestream on one's feed or through the Shop tab directly in the app, has managed to become a powerhouse in the e-commerce market since it was first launched in 2021. In the U.K., one of the first regions where the service was introduced, there was a 131% annual increase in the number of shoppers at the end of 2024 along with a year-on-year rise of 180% in revenue. The service's unique feature allowing users to directly buy products on the app without having to jump to an external site makes shopping easier. TikTok receives handling charges from businesses selling their products on the platform. According to the Japan External Trade Organization, the app has over 33 million monthly users in Japan, with an average screen time of 96 minutes per day — higher than other social media platforms such as Instagram and YouTube. In Japan, TikTok has generated ¥237.5 billion ($1.64 billion) in estimated consumption, having contributed ¥485.5 billion to the country's nominal gross domestic product during 2024, it said. With around 60% of users on the app being between the ages of 18 and 34, TikTok Shops have a particularly strong reach when it comes to younger demographics. In countries where the service is already available, the platform is often used to sell products such as cosmetics, clothes and diet supplements. As anticipation for the Japan launch builds up, many advertisement companies are jumping on the bandwagon to provide support for businesses to sell on the new platform. Major Japanese ad agency Hakuhodo and Dentsu Group subsidiary Septeni Japan each launched a new service last month that helps clients in setting up shop on TikTok as well as marketing and increasing traction for their advertisements. MicroAd, another advertisement company, on Tuesday set up a new subsidiary called Universe Pulse, which will specialize in assisting businesses on TikTok Shop Japan. Artificial intelligence technology company Niusia launched a 24-hour AI call center service last month that utilizes AI agents to help businesses answer questions from clients regarding their TikTok Shop products and operations. TikTok has been working to expand its e-commerce presence in recent months, having also introduced its TikTok Shop in Mexico, Brazil and France, among other countries, so far this year.
SoraNews24
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- SoraNews24
Official Spirited Away cookbook teaches how to make food from the Ghibli anime classic
From Haku's rice ball to cursed chicken and charred newt cookies, this book will show you how to make Spirited Away's fantastic fantasy fare. Mouthwateringly detailed depictions of food have become as much a symbol of Studio Ghibli anime as fanciful flight sequences and plucky heroines. Food takes on the most narrative and thematic significance, though, in Spirited Away, where different dishes are used to symbolize greed, compassion, or sacrifice, serving as edible milestones on the characters' arcs. So it was a reasonable expectation that the official Ghibli anime cookbook series would eventually get around to Spirited Away , and now it finally has. Like the other books in the line, Ghibli's Table: Spirited Away is a collection of recipes that recreate food seen within the Hayao Miyazaki-directed classic, and also mix in a few new creations inspired by the setting and characters. Publisher Shufu no Tomo says that the 64-page volume contains instructions for how to make the onigiri rice ball Haku gives to Chihiro, the tempura rice ball devoured by the spider-like Kamaji, a non-bitter version of the bitter dumpling Chihiro receives as a sign of thanks from the river god, charred newt-shaped cookies, and 'the chicken eaten by Chihiro's mother.' ▼ You can spot Zeniba's cake on the book's cover too, so it feels like a safe bet that there'll be a recipe for it too. Like all of the Ghibli cookbooks, the Spirited Away volume is meant to be simple enough for adults or kids to follow along with. The ingredients used are all things that can be found in a typical Japanese grocery store, so even if you're outside of Japan, odds are you'll be able to source what you need as long as you've got an Asian market nearby or an online ingredient source. The series also tends to have detailed photos of the cooking process, and the descriptions, though in Japanese, are written to be easy for kids and inexperienced home chefs to understand, so they shouldn't be too hard to decipher for non-natives with some basic Japanese language proficiency. ▼ For example, here's a page from Shufu no Tomo's Castle in the Sky cookbook, showing photos for the recipe steps and including phonetic readings for the kanji characters. Ghibli's Table: Spirited Away is priced at 1,760 yen (US$12) and goes on sale July 31, but can be preordered now through Amazon Japan here. Source: Shufu no Tomo via Ghibli no Sekai Top image: Studio Ghibli Insert images: Amazon Japan, Studio Ghibli, PR Times ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
SoraNews24
09-06-2025
- General
- SoraNews24
Trying to keep our cool with Amazon Japan's lowest-rated fan and lucky amulet set
The lucky amulet will ensure luck in online shopping, starting after this purchase. Summer is just around the corner and keeping cool isn't just a good idea, it's a matter of staying healthy in these ever-increasing temperatures, so our writer Masanuki Sunakoma set out to invest in a new fan. This was also another chance to test the waters of the items sold on Amazon Japan with the lowest ratings around. This is usually destined for failure, but when you think about it, fan technology has never been better. Fans sold at the 100-yen store or as toys have significant air output, so even the lowliest of fans sold online should do a decent job of providing a cool breeze for Masanuki. As a general rule, low-rated items on Amazon have names that run up to 20 words for shameless search engine optimization, and this fan — called the 'Tabletop Mist Fan: Functional Fan with 3 Functions: Humidification, Ventilation, and Cooling. Comes with an Original Amulet Card to Ensure You Don't Fail when Shopping Online (Black)' — was no exception. That all sounded good, and the addition of a Japanese lucky amulet known as an 'omamori' really helped to set it apart from other fans. On the other hand, it had a unanimous one-star rating, the lowest possible, along with comments complaining about weak wind, not turning on, and possibly being made on a 3-D printer. Even the lucky amulet couldn't escape the scathing reviews, with one calling it 'pointless.' Reviews have been wrong in the past though, so Masanuki went ahead and placed an order for this fan and lucky amulet, which was priced at 1,980 yen (US$14). It arrived a few days later and included the fan, charging cable, instruction manual, and lucky amulet card. Normally omamori are made of fabric, but this was just a small postcard that read 'Omamori so You Don't Fail at Online Shopping.' Also unlike other omamori, this had a set of rules on the back as follows: 1) The benefits only work for the next three purchases after receiving this card. 2) Write your name in black ink in the space below. 3) Wear this while shopping online. 4) After your third purchase, be sure to dispose of this as 'burnable trash.' 5) This only works with online shopping and not shopping at brick-and-mortar stores. 6) This is merely an 'omamori' and there is no guarantee of its effectiveness. Masanuki wasn't sure how he should 'wear' his paper card and there was a bit of grim foreshadowing in the fact that the lucky amulet to prevent failing at online shopping doesn't claim to work on this purchase. Considering his past shopping record, he was looking forward to really putting this amulet to the test for his next three questionable purchases, but today's challenge was the fan. Looking at the main unit, as some of the reviews said, it did look rather shoddily made for its price. But a fan was only as good as its wind, so it was time to take it for a spin. He decided on a dry run first, without putting any mist-generating water in the tank. The fan has three settings which he visualized with the help of a tissue. ▼ Setting 1: Sleep-Friendly Gentle Wind ▼ Setting 2: Comfortably Natural Wind ▼ Setting 3: Powerful Wind We assure you those animated gifs are not a mistake and all three power settings had the same effect on the tissue, which is to say almost none. Despite the evocative names for each of the settings, none of them could make the tissue move more than a few millimeters. It was almost impressive how the fan blades seemed to defy physics by moving faster without generating any additional wind. On the bright side, the misting function did work and generated a cool fog at three different strengths properly. It also had some lights built-in to make the water tank glow different colors, which was nice. Unfortunately, it was too bright out to show the full effect of the lights. Those aspects made Masanuki rate this fan two stars out of five. That being said, few online shoppers have seen the horrors he has, so he tends to be more forgiving to pieces of junk. At the end of the day, a fan that doesn't blow simply blows and no one should buy this item unless for the lucky amulet card. Photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! [ Read in Japanese ]
SoraNews24
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- SoraNews24
Does Chiikawa's cuteness have a breaking point? Testing anime character's edible stickers【Photos】
Looking for the limits of Chiikawa and friends. Since Japan has an insatiable appetite for cuteness, it's only natural that the country is always searching for ways to make food cute. That search recently brought us to a way to incorporate the cast of anime/manga Chiikawa into our meals and snacks of, well, essentially anything. While poking around the official Chiikawa online store, we came across the Chiikawa Edible Stickers set, which gets you a sheet of illustrations of Chiikawa and friends made of thin strips of starch and agar. While they don't add any noticeable flavor or substantial texture, they do give food a sizable cuteness boost, and so we were eager to try them out ourselves. Though they're currently sold out on the official shop, we managed to find some on Amazon Japan here, priced at 270 yen (US$1.85) per sheet of 13 stickers. Sliding out the sheet, we were greeted by several stars of the main cast, including Chiikawa, Hachiware, Usagi, Momonga, and Kuri-Manju. With so many options to choose from, we decided to try using the Chiikawa Edible Stickers with a variety of different foods in order to test the limits of their cuteness-enhancing powers. We settled on a top-down approach, starting with foods that are already inherently cute, then working our way down to less-cute foods until they stopped making us go 'Awwwww!' when Chiikawa stickers are applied to them. ● Round 1: Sanshoku dango This traditional Japanese sweet of a trio of mochi dumplings doesn't really need any help being cute, as the bright colors and playful atmosphere of eating them straight from the skewer is enough to put a smile on our faces already. But would applying the Chiikawa stickers send their cuteness soaring to an even higher level? Yes. Yes it would. We're honestly amazed at how professional the results look. You'll want to make sure your hands are clean and dry when placing the stickers, and use a delicate touch, but get it right and they'll transform a pack of ordinary from-the-supermarket dango into something amusement park snack bars would probably charge you three or four hundred yen a stick for. ● Round 2: Warabimochi Next up, the jiggliest of traditional Japanese desserts, warabimochi. For our test, we picked out a pack of bite-sized spherical mochi pieces. Since warabimochi doesn't have much flavor by itself, the pack included kinako (roasted soybean powder) and kuromitsu (brown sugar syrup) to dip/cover them in, but we added the stickers first. Once again, there was a major addition of adorability, with the stickers looking like they were quivering in joyous excitement. Applying the extras seasonings does dampen the visual contrast, though, so you'll want to use them sparingly, or at least be strategic as to which angle you dip from. ● Round 3: Tamagoyaki Shifting from sweet to savory, we come to tamagoyaki, the Japanese-style fried egg omelet. This gave us our first broad, flat canvas to work with, but applying the facial-feature-only stickers worked great, making it look like Chiikawa and the others had morphed into egg form. ▼ Seriously, if they made plushie keychains/straps that looked like this, they'd probably sell a ton of them. ● Round 4: Konnyaku OK, now it's time to really start challenging Chiikawa as we introduce konnyaku to the test. A type of yam-based gelatin, konnyaku is healthy and low-calorie, but as a gray/beige block, it's not exactly cute… …or at least it's not exactly cute until you put some Chiikawa stickers on it. With konnyaku having a drabber hue than the more vivid tamagoyaki, there's sort of a humorous undercurrent to the cuteness here, with your brain telling you this probably shouldn't be cute, but somehow still is. Simmilar to warabimochi, konnyaku doesn't have much flavor on its own. One way to eat it is with miso, so we slathered some on, which turned out to be a very wise plan because it made it look like we'd covered our Chiikawa konnyaku up with a cozy blanket. ● Round 5: Shishamo OK, now it's time for the final trial, shishamo, or as they're called in English… …smelt. Yep, these are straight-up small fish that are served with the heads still on. Even by Japanese standards, it's an old-school dish, something particularly popular with older generations. So how well will it mesh with Chiikawa aesthetics? Hmm… OK, Chiikawa, that's enough for today. It looks like we've reached the limit of foods that you can make cute. Between the undulating nature of the fish's flesh and the visual unevenness of the scaly pattern and color imparted during grilling, it's hard for the character artwork to stand out. Since the linework doesn't pop, it seems to fade in and out depending on if you're directly looking at it, which kind of makes it look like the fish is haunted. For everything with more inherent cuteness than a grilled fish, though, Chiikawa Edible Stickers definitely create a cute dining experience, and one you don't even have to go to McDonald's for. Photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! [ Read in Japanese ]
