Exploring the Future of Food

Feb 16, 2024 | News On Japan

TOKYO - The latest gourmet offerings set to hit supermarkets and convenience stores have been showcased at the 58th "Supermarket Trade Show."

Han River Ramen: A Staple Among Korean Youth

Ayako Uemura, the presenter, highlights the 58th "Supermarket Trade Show," where 2,000 domestic and 93 international companies and organizations have gathered. The first trend spotted is the "Han River Ramen," increasingly becoming a staple among Korean youth. The Han River flows through the heart of Seoul and is a popular spot for picnics and dates. Ramen eaten by the river has gained attention through dramas and has become a food trend among the youth.

The popularity of Han River Ramen is partly due to the presence of "instant noodle automatic cooking machines" at convenience stores around the Han River. These machines are almost always found in the stores. Customers choose a bag of noodles, purchase it at the register, and then put the contents into a provided container. The machine then adds hot water and counts down to completion. While there are eat-in spaces in convenience stores, eating ramen outside in the cold is particularly popular.

In Korea, "ramen convenience stores" that operate 24/7 have also emerged. These unmanned stores feature automatic cooking machines and offer around 50 varieties of instant ramen, with free toppings like green onions, kimchi, cheese, and bean sprouts. The demand for contactless options during the pandemic has led to the installation of these machines in cafeterias and employee dining halls, with around 2,000 locations now in operation and about 30,000 machines in use.

K-Pasta: Instant Italian from Korea

Another trend candidate is "K-Pasta." Since July 2023, "Tengle" has been launched in Korea and North America, available in Bulgogi Cream and Kimchi Rosé flavors. The restaurant-quality, chewy pasta has become popular for its convenience. The cooking process involves adding water to a frying pan, letting the noodles absorb it, and boiling for about 5 minutes.

Source: TBS

Typhoons No. 28 and 29 Bring High Waves to Japan's Pacific Coast

Two typhoons moving across the Pacific southeast of Japan are expected to remain well away from the Japanese mainland, but powerful swells could bring rough seas to a wide stretch of the country's Pacific coastline throughout the three-day holiday weekend, according to forecasts updated at 3 a.m. on October 10.

Cyberattacks Spread Across Japan

A series of cyberattacks has disrupted business operations and exposed millions of customer records across Japan, with a ransomware attack on a cloud service provider affecting 495 companies and local governments nationwide, while convenience store operator Lawson has disclosed a separate breach involving more than 2.15 million personal information records.

Japan's First 360-Degree Projection Mapping Opens in Osaka

Japan's first 360-degree projection mapping show will open at the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts on October 10, transforming the historic building into an immersive world of light, music, and seasonal imagery, with organizers hoping the attraction will also help stimulate the city's nighttime economy.

Tokyo University Professor Wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Tokyo University of Science professor emeritus Kenzo Soai has been awarded this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry together with French chemist Henri B. Kagan for discoveries that transformed scientists' understanding of how chemical reactions can favor one of two mirror-image forms of a molecule.

US Military Halts All Okinawa Operations for 48 Hours

The US military suspended activities by all forces stationed in Okinawa for 48 hours from noon on October 7, an unusual measure following the arrest of a US Marine in connection with a robbery and murder case that has renewed scrutiny of crimes involving American service members.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Food NEWS

Nagoya's 1.5-Kilogram Noodle Challenge

A long-established noodle shop in Nagoya has become known for extraordinarily large servings, including its signature "Pitcher Koro," a 1.5-kilogram dish combining kishimen, soba and udon in a giant pitcher.

Taste of Hida Draws Food Lovers to Takayama

The Hida Taste Festival, a long-running event that began in 1986, is held twice a year in spring and autumn and has become a popular attraction in Takayama. This autumn's festival features 22 vendors offering a wide variety of regional dishes, including grilled Hida beef skewers, mitarashi dango rice dumplings coated in a savory soy-based sauce, and salt-grilled ayu sweetfish.

Japan's Salmon Farming Industry Moves Inland

A massive land-based Atlantic salmon farming facility is taking shape in a mountainous industrial district of Tsu City, Mie Prefecture, where foreign-owned Pure Salmon Japan has begun raising approximately one million young fish as part of an 80 billion yen project that is expected to become one of the world's largest operations of its kind, with plans to ship 10,000 tons of salmon annually from February 2028.

Lettuce Prices Quadruple as Farmers Warn of Winter Shortages

Prices of leafy vegetables are rising sharply across Japan as prolonged rainfall and reduced sunlight in September damage crops and disrupt harvesting, with farmers warning that shortages could continue into winter and push prices even higher during the peak season for hot pot dishes.

Heavy Rain Sends Vegetable Prices Soaring

Prolonged rainfall in Tokyo lasting more than 20 days, combined with heavy rain from Typhoon No. 25 during the Silver Week holidays, has disrupted vegetable supplies and driven up prices, with some retailers facing the possibility of suspending sales of popular seasonal products such as roasted sweet potatoes.

Cheese Eaten Since the Asuka Period?

Nara Prefecture is home to a remarkable variety of traditional dishes, including an ancient cheese-like food dating back some 1,300 years, a wild mountain vegetable enjoyed for generations and a homemade crepe once served on special occasions, offering a glimpse into the region's long culinary history.

Sweet Chestnuts Ripe for the Picking

Families and visitors are flocking to a farm in Minoh, Osaka Prefecture, to enjoy autumn chestnut picking, with this year's harvest producing smaller but particularly sweet chestnuts due to a lack of rainfall.

Tokyo Chinese Restaurant Keeps Woks Flying After 62 Years

For more than six decades, Sanyuken Fukasawa Branch in Tokyo's Setagaya Ward has served generations of customers with familiar Chinese dishes, as its 72-year-old second-generation owner and his wife continue to run the 14-seat neighborhood restaurant largely by themselves.

< 2 3 4 5 >