Latest news with #Ahiruneko
SoraNews24
a day ago
- Entertainment
- SoraNews24
Did we strike gold or strike out with this rooftop beer garden on top of a Tokyo parking garage?
It's not where you'd expect a summer beer garden to be, but we've been surprised before and couldn't pass up a chance to investigate. Our Japanese-language reporter Ahiruneko was passing through JR Tachikawa Station in Tokyo recently when an advertisement for a beer garden caught his eye. It was only a few minutes' walk from the station's South Exit, but the intriguing thing was that it was located on top of the Sanko Parking Garage. A beer garden on top of a parking garage?! That seemed almost sketchy in a way… He thought he might be imagining things, but once he got to the garage, there was indeed a giant banner advertising the 'Tachikawa in the Sky Beer Garden.' He also spotted a few signs on the ground level doubly confirming the fact that beer and yummy things were just an elevator ride away. The entrance to the garage was very unassuming… …and if you didn't know, it would be easy to think that this was just an ordinary place to park your car. However, Ahiruneko followed the signs until he found a somewhat retro-looking elevator and stepped inside. Next to the rooftop level button was a small visual for the beer garden. What exactly would be waiting for him when the door opened…? As it turned out, it was indeed a proper beer garden! The decorations were fairly minimalistic, but he appreciated the combination of J-pop streaming through the speakers punctuated by the timeless tinkling sound of wind chimes. It was such a clear, beautiful sound whenever the breeze picked up. This particular day happened to be on the weekend, when the beer garden opened in the early afternoon. Hardly anyone was there at around 2 p.m., likely due to the cloudy weather and possible chance of rain. Ahiruneko wouldn't let that stop him from enjoying a little bite, though, so he perused the menu to see the different course options. There was a particularly good-looking deal called the 'Cheers! All-you-can-eat and all-you-can-drink course.' For 90 minutes, you can have unlimited alcoholic drinks, soft drinks, and five kinds of food, all for only 2,580 yen (US$17) per person. That was too good to pass up, so he selected that plan and made his way to the central counter to order a draft beer for his first drink. Nothing taste better than that when it's a humid summer day with a temperature of 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit). He then turned his attention to the food that was part of his all-you-can-eat course. There was karaage… …French fries… …salted cabbage… …and yakisoba. They were all fairly typical Japanese street food offerings that you might find at a summer festival. There were plenty of additional sauces and seasonings that he could add, too. All were fairly basic menu items, but he figured that was probably how they kept the cost so low. By the way, curry was the fifth and final food item included in the deal. The pots containing the curry and rice were located on a self-service table. Interestingly, while a sign on the stand proclaimed that it was authentic curry rice made by a chef from Bangladesh, Ahiruneko couldn't help but think that it tasted like curry suited for the Japanese palate. There were also some finely chopped pieces of konnyaku (a food derived from the konjac yam) throughout the sauce. Regardless of whether it was indeed made by a Bangladeshi or Japanese chef, it was really good. Ahiruneko definitely wanted to take advantage of the all-you-can-eat nature of his plan, so he ordered more karaage and yakisoba. He was a little taken aback when the second servings arrived and the portions were even bigger than the first ones! It would be hard to finish, but he'd do his best in the usual SoraNews24 way. All in all, despite the dubious nature of a beer garden on the rooftop of a parking garage, Ahiruneko considers his find a win. The garden will remain open until September 16 this year, so please stop by if you'll be in the area. You might also want to check out Ahiruneko's other recent visit to a beer garden–in that case, on top of a mountain. Beer garden information Tachikawa Tenku Beer Garden / 立川天空ビアガーデン Address: Tokyo-to, Tachikawa-shi, Nishiki-cho 2-1-33, Sanko Parking Garage rooftop 東京都立川市錦町 2-1-33 屋上 三幸立体駐車場 Open: 5 p.m.-10 p.m. (Monday-Thursday), 4 p.m.-10 p.m. (Friday), 1 p.m.-10 p.m. (Saturday-Sunday) Website All images © SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! [ Read in Japanese ]
Japan Today
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Japan Today
Japan has new energy drink designed to pair with one of its favorite instant noodle brands
By SoraNews24 It could be said that there is no finer dining than a can of energy drink and plastic tub of instant yakisoba noodles. I mean, I just said it right now, and it was easy. I might do it again someday. Whether you agree or not is another matter, but the makers of Japanese energy drink brand ZONe conducted research that found many consumers bought such drinks and Nissin's U.F.O. instant yakisoba together. So they decided to join forces and develop U.F.O. ZONe Energy, which was released in Japan on 24 June. This energy drink is tailored to perfectly complement the taste of U.F.O.'s rich sauce while also keeping the core taste of ZONe intact. To find out if they succeeded, we peeled our resident energy drink reviewer Ahiruneko off the ceiling to try some out. After buying a 400-milliliter bottle for 208 yen , he examined the design. It combined elements of regular ZONe and distinct features from U.F.O., such as the slogan 'Crazy Rich, Stimulating Energy Flavor,' which is a reference to the 'Crazy Rich, Thick Sauce' written on some tubs of U.F.O. Under the hood, we're looking at 150 milligrams of caffeine, the most ever used in a ZONe product, and 800 milligrams of arginine for a bolder taste. Ahiruneko poured out a glass of U.F.O. ZONe Energy and found that it even has a deeper, darker color reminiscent of yakisoba sauce. Here's what standard ZONe looks like for comparison. He then took a sip and found it to have a rather typical energy drink flavor. However, just as he wondered where the Crazy Rich, Stimulating Energy Flavor was, it hit him like a ton of bricks in the form of an intense sourness. It certainly woke him up, so he couldn't complain. But according to the promotional material for this product, the combination of U.F.O. ZONe Energy and U.F.O. instant yakisoba together will make you 'feel like you were slapped in the face.' In the spirit of confirming this, Ahiruneko started heating up a tub of U.F.O., but as he stared at this pairing, he wondered if it was safe for a man his age to be eating. In the end, he determined he wasn't getting any younger and dug in. First, he scooped up a wad of noodles with that unmistakably bold, tangy, and spicy zip that U.F.O. is known for. It made our writer think that just tea or water would be fine, because no drink could play well with a flavor this intense. He then washed it down with a sip of U.F.O. ZONe Energy and was amazed by how balanced it was with the noodles. The drink on its own was peculiarly sour-tasting, but that same sourness entwined mysteriously well with the flavor profile of the yakisoba. And with this pattern of alternating between eating and drinking, Ahiruneko felt the energizing effects take hold more gradually. It certainly wasn't the strongest energy drink he'd ever had, but this unique combination of food and drink was really interesting. Photos ©SoraNews24 Read more stories from SoraNews24. -- We make Red Bull chicken wings -- Seven new rice ball flavors, including some Nissin collabs, coming to Family Mart this spring -- Survey finds top 10 instant noodle brands and flavors, and Cup Noodle isn't number one?! External Link © SoraNews24
SoraNews24
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- SoraNews24
Japan has a new energy drink designed to pair with one of its favorite instant noodle brands
Get in the U.F.O. ZONe and brace yourself. It could be said that there is no finer dining than a can of energy drink and plastic tub of instant yakisoba noodles. I mean, I just said it right now, and it was easy. I might do it again someday. Whether you agree or not is another matter, but the makers of Japanese energy drink brand ZONe conducted research that found many consumers bought such drinks and Nissin's U.F.O. instant yakisoba together. So they decided to join forces and develop U.F.O. ZONe Energy, which was released in Japan on 24 June. This energy drink is tailored to perfectly complement the taste of U.F.O.'s rich sauce while also keeping the core taste of ZONe intact. To find out if they succeeded, we peeled our resident energy drink reviewer Ahiruneko off the ceiling to try some out. After buying a 400-milliliter (13.5-ounce) bottle for 208 yen (US$1.40), he examined the design. It combined elements of regular ZONe and distinct features from U.F.O., such as the slogan 'Crazy Rich, Stimulating Energy Flavor,' which is a reference to the 'Crazy Rich, Thick Sauce' written on some tubs of U.F.O. Under the hood, we're looking at 150 milligrams of caffeine, the most ever used in a ZONe product, and 800 milligrams of arginine for a bolder taste. Ahiruneko poured out a glass of U.F.O. ZONe Energy and found that it even has a deeper, darker color reminiscent of yakisoba sauce. Here's what standard ZONe looks like for comparison. He then took a sip and found it to have a rather typical energy drink flavor. However, just as he wondered where the Crazy Rich, Stimulating Energy Flavor was, it hit him like a ton of bricks in the form of an intense sourness. It certainly woke him up, so he couldn't complain. But according to the promotional material for this product, the combination of U.F.O. ZONe Energy and U.F.O. instant yakisoba together will make you 'feel like you were slapped in the face.' In the spirit of confirming this, Ahiruneko started heating up a tub of U.F.O., but as he stared at this pairing, he wondered if it was safe for a man his age to be eating. In the end, he determined he wasn't getting any younger and dug in. First, he scooped up a wad of noodles with that unmistakably bold, tangy, and spicy zip that U.F.O. is known for. It made our writer think that just tea or water would be fine, because no drink could play well with a flavor this intense. He then washed it down with a sip of U.F.O. ZONe Energy and was amazed by how balanced it was with the noodles. The drink on its own was peculiarly sour-tasting, but that same sourness entwined mysteriously well with the flavor profile of the yakisoba. And with this pattern of alternating between eating and drinking, Ahiruneko felt the energizing effects take hold more gradually. It certainly wasn't the strongest energy drink he'd ever had, but this unique combination of food and drink was really interesting. So, if you're looking for a new energy drink experience, this would be the one to try. 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
11-07-2025
- SoraNews24
We both do and do not recommend hiking to Tokyo's beautiful mountain beer garden in midsummer
The experience isn't all mountain views and cold drinks. Located towards the western tip of Tokyo, Mt. Takao is a beautiful destination for those who love the outdoors…but it's also a beautiful destination for those who love beer. That's because every summer, just as beer gardens are popping up on the roofs of shopping centers and department stores in the big cities, Mt. Takao's very own beer garden, called Beer Mount, starts pouring cold ones from its perch at an elevation of 488 meters (1,601 feet), which offers some fantastic views looking back towards central Tokyo. You might remember the Mt. Takao beer garden from our Japanese-language reporter Ahiruneko's trip out there last year, but he has a few regrets about that excursion. First, July and August are the high season for beer gardens in Japan, when the contrast between the summer heat and the cold beer is supposed to be the most sublime. Other pressing obligations, though, meant that Ahiruneko was unable to make his way out to Mt. Takao until September. Also, at that time Ahiruneko took the easy way out and rode the chairlift that whisks you up almost all the way from the foot of Mt. Takao to Beer Mount. Because of that, he didn't feel like he'd really earned his beer, and that it would have been even more delicious if he'd done things the old-school way and hiked up the mountain instead. So this year, Ahiruneko was determined to make a hard-mode visit. No using the chairlift — instead, he'd be walking up Trail 1 (the mountain has multiple trails), and he'd be doing it at the hottest time of the year. And as he stepped off the train at Takasosanguchi Station, about an hour west of downtown Tokyo, a glance at the weather report told him that this was going to be a very hot day. It wasn't even noon yet, and it was already 33 degrees Celsius (91.4 degrees Fahrenheit). It was going to get even hotter as he hiked, with the projected high all the way up at 35 degrees, and with only scattered clouds in the forecast, the sunshine was going to be scorching him whenever he wasn't underneath some source of shade. He appeared to be having second thoughts about his plan while standing in front of the entrance to the chairlift. But since he'd already written about taking the lift up to the beer garden, our boss wasn't going to pay him to produce the same article again, so it was either hike up or give up his beer expense account, so he got walking. ▼ Beer Mount is located within the Kasumidai observation deck building. Staring with the good things, Mt. Takao's forests are quite lovely at this time of year, full of verdant vitality that put a spring in Ahiruneko's step too. Trail 1 is also very nicely maintained. We wouldn't recommend walking it in flipflops or high heels, but you don't need dedicated hiking boots either. A pair of sneakers in good condition will do the job. Ahiruneko's steps started becoming less springy, though, as the angle of incline gradually increased. And while there's pavement at the start of the route and once again once you get close to the beer garden, in between you've got a dirt trail with wooden steps in the steep sections. That's not to say that it's a treacherous trail that only experienced mountaineers should attempt, but it's not a walk in the park either. It's a legitimate hike, and with Ahiruneko, by his own admission, being pretty out of shape these days, it wasn't long until he started feeling his legs start to burn. As for the other parts of his body, he felt like those were melting. It was already hot and steamy when he'd gotten off the train, and the atmospheric conditions hadn't gotten any milder while he was hiking up the mountain. He was drenched in sweat, and he wasn't the only one struggling, as he passed a couple who'd stopped to rest and recuperate part-way up the trail. Sopping wet, Ahiruneko's spirits improved when he saw the pavement return, signaling that he was getting close to his destination. Next came the familiar sight of the upper station for the chairlift, where he'd gotten off last year… …and finally, 40 minutes or so after Ahiruneko had started walking, there it was, the beer garden! ▼ The set of steps that lead into the building is sort of like the hike's final boss battle. Beer Mount, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, operates on an all-you-can-drink/all-you-can-eat system, with a charge of 5,000 yen (US$34) for two hours. The place is set up sort of like a summer festival, with different stalls and stations where you can get food and drinks, as opposed to ordering and then waiting for a server to bring them to you. This suited Ahiruneko just fine, because it meant that he could get his first beer ASAP. And how was that beer? FAN-TAS-TIC! Ice-cold and refreshing, Ahiruneko couldn't imagine a more satisfying beer than the one he had in his hand just then. Looking out over the railing and seeing just how far up he'd climbed gave him a sense of accomplishment, and he almost forgot about the sweltering heat…which is to say that he didn't actually forget about it. Sure, sitting down with some partial shade had him feeling slightly cooler than when he'd been on the trail, but he was still out in the open, very hot air. Beer Mount does have an indoor air-conditioned seating area too, though, so Ahiruneko decided to take refuge in there for a while. Many of the seats were set aside for other customers who'd made advance reservations, though, and it does feel like kind of a waste to hike all the way up a mountain just to spend all your time after that indoors, so Ahiruneko thinks the best thing to do is step inside if it gets too unbearable outside, but then head back out once you've cooled off. In addition to beer, he also had plenty to eat, with options including yakitori (grilled chicken skewers), karaage (Japanese-style fried chicken), and ramen. It all tasted good, but to his surprise, the most delicious-feeling of all on that day was the salad, which he credits to his body crying out for something light and crisp to counter the fiercely hot weather. And if you're worried that Beer Mount tries to bloat its profit margins by being extremely slow serving your beers, that's not the case at all. Though he had to look back at his notes afterward to confirm it, during his two hours at the beer garden Ahiruneko knocked back a total of seven beers, so he feels like he definitely got his/our boss' money worth. In the end, is hiking to Beer Mount better than taking the chairlift? That depends. On the one hand, Ahiruneko absolutely thinks that the beer is more delicious, almost like a life-saving elixir, if you hike up there. On the other hand, you'll be a lot more comfortable if you take the chairlift, and considerably drier too. ▼ Behold Ahiruneko's T-shirt after his hike, so drenched with sweat that there's a clear outline of the tank top he has on under it. There's also the matter of extra supplies you should carry with you if you're doing the hike in midsummer: bottles of water to rehydrate, sunscreen, a towel to wipe yourself off with, etc. Regardless of how well-equipped you are, though, you will be very sweaty when you arrive at Beer Mount, which could be a deal-breaker, depending on how comfortable you are with profuse perspiration. Still, if you're up for it, the hike up to Beer Mount is a fun challenge, so ultimately the best way to make the ascent is up to you. On the other hand, there is a clear-cut answer for the best way to come back down from the beer garden, which is to use the cable car. ▼ After you've knocked back several beers, walking downhill on a dirt trail isn't a good idea, and sitting on an unenclosed chairlift isn't advisable either. Oh, and if you're wondering, yes, both the cable car can be ridden up from the bottom of the mountain too, which means that while Ahiruneko has now hiked and ridden the chairlift to Beer Mount, there's still one method of ascent he hasn't tried, so maybe he'll need to go back one more time for more research next summer. Related: Beer Mount official website 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
27-05-2025
- SoraNews24
The adventure of skipping Tokyo's crazy crowded commuter trains by biking home to the suburbs
Fresh air, meat, and so, so much darkness. Tokyo's rush-hour trains feel shockingly crowded to tourists and other new arrivals in the city, but eventually most locals get used to them…but not all of them. Even after 15 years of living in Tokyo, the train ride to/from the office is still a source of daily dread for our Hokkaido-born Japanese-language reporter Ahiruneko. Ahiruneko lives in Hachioji, one of the outer-ring residential areas of Tokyo, but SoraNews24 HQ is in the city-center Shinjuku neighborhood. So every work day Ahiruneko's shift is sandwiched by two slices of hell as he rides a packed train on the 45-minute trip between the two neighborhoods. But one recent day was an exception, because after Ahiruneko clocked out… …he didn't head to Shinjuku Station to get on a train home. Instead, he walked over to an automated bike depot operated by bicycle rental service Hello Cycling. If you've been following Ahiruneko's pedal-powered adventures on our site, you can probably guess what he was up to. On this pleasant late-spring evening, rather than stuffing himself into a packed train where he'd have to stand pressed against a half-dozen strangers for the entire ride, he was opting to bike home from the office. After signing in to the service's app and scanning the QR code to unlock a bike, he was ready to get going. Breezily pedaling past the congestion of Shinjuku Station, Ahiruneko continued heading west along the Koshu Kaido road, which goes all the way to Yamanashi Prefecture. Ahiruneko didn't need to travel that far, but a road sign he passed under reminded him that he had some 38 kilometers (23.6 miles) of pedaling to do before he'd be home. ▼ Google Maps' Shinjuku-to-Hahioji bike route Still, this experiment was more about the psychological benefits of skipping the train and biking home, not finding the absolute quickest point-to-point method of commuting. And so far, Ahiruneko was feeling fine. He even decided to take a slightly less direct route by hanging a left at the intersection with Kannnana-dori, since that road has less car traffic than the Koshu Kaido, making it a little more relaxing to navigate on bike. This route also meant he'd be going through part of Setagaya Ward, a downtown-adjacent part of Tokyo with a relaxed vibe and even a picturesque streetcar line. Now on the street named Setagaya-dori, Ahiruneko noticed the sun was starting to come down as he crossed into the next part of Tokyo, Komae City. Komae doesn't have a lot of major sightseeing attractions, so unless they live or work there, most people don't have much occasion to go there. This was Ahiruneko's first time in his decade and a half of living in Tokyo to find himself in Komae, and the scenery was completely unfamiliar to him…until, about one hour after he'd started riding… …he spotted a sign for Yakinuku King. Yakiniku King is a chain of yakiniku restaurants, known for its tasty grill-it-yourself meat. They're usually found in the suburbs, but, to Ahiruneko's great sadness, there aren't any branches near his home. There is one that's sort of accessible if he rents a car, but that makes it more of a special-occasion meal, which means he and his wife will take their young daughter along, and since customers at yakiniku restaurants cook their own food at in-table grills, Ahiruneko ends up spending most of his time cooking and making sure his kid doesn't burn her fingers, grab the uncooked meat, or do any of the other ill-advised things a curious little tyke is apt to do. And so, even though Ahiruneko was still in the middle of his ride home… …he couldn't resist the siren song of a solo yakiniku dinner. Ordering the King Course, Ahiruneko truly felt like royalty as he enjoyed the decadent meaty luxury. As one of the most enthusiastically unabashed tipplers on our staff, ordinarily Ahiruneko would have paired his feast with a nice cold beer, but since he still had a lot of bicycling left to do, he had to settle for a pretty nice cold soda. Ahiruneko spent about an hour and a half on his unplanned yakiniku pit stop, but emerging from the restaurant with his stomach full and the taste of yakiniku still lingering on his lips, he had no regrets (at least not yet). Back on the bike, Ahiruneko continued on his way, until he came to this set of steps. He walked his bike up the ramp in the center, and when he got to the top, he say that he'd reached the Tamagawa River. With the soft glow of the setting sun reflecting off the waterway, Ahirunko felt more sure than ever that he'd made the right call in deciding to bike home today. However, that certainty began to fade along with the daylight. As Ahiruneko continued down the path, it got darker and darker, and since the riverbank area isn't particularly developed… …once the sun is completely down, there aren't many other sources of nearby light. Occasionally he'd pass by pools of illumination, but hardly any of them stretched to the path he was riding on itself, meaning that he had often had to rely entirely on the rental bicycle's light. ▼ Without the bike's light, he might have ridden right into the river. This was, however, a solution with a ticking clock, because he now noticed that the battery for his bike, which also powers its electric assist function, was running low, according to the indicator on the handlebar. ▼ Hmm…maybe stopping for yakiniku wasn't a perfect idea after all? Luckily, when Ahiruneko whipped out his phone and fired up the Hello Cycling app again, he saw that there was another depot not too far from his current position, and that it had both an empty slot to drop off his bike and available replacements with charged batteries. Feeling like an anime hero who gets a new mecha at the series' mid-point, Ahiruneko hopped on his second bike with a renewed sense of confidence. Yep, nothing was gonna stop him now! Oh. OK, this low-bride was going to stop him, since there wasn't enough room for Ahirunko, let alone his bike, to pass through. Luckily, though, using the bike's light, he was able to spot a path down to a lower road… …which did have enough clearance. From there it was almost entirely smooth sailing back to Ahiruneko's home, though he admits to feeling pretty freaked out in one final very dark section of his route with forested areas on either side of the road pitch black beyond the range of his bike light. But he managed to make it all the way home safe and sound. So how long did his trip take? He'd left the office at 3:30 p.m., and arrived in Hachioji at 9:20. Subtract the time he spent chowing down on yakiniku, and his riding time works out to approximately four and a half hours. So yeah, time-wise it was quite a bit longer than taking the train. On the other hand, he'd had a great meal, enjoyed some beautiful scenery, and even had a few darkness-induced suspenseful thrills along the way, so he can't complain too much… …and when he did get home, he was absolutely certain that he'd earned himself a beer. Related: Hello Cycling, Yakiniku King 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 ]
