Back in August 2016, Japanese comedian and television personality Kazuhito Kosaka released his hit song PPAP (Pen Pineapple Apple Pen) his stage name Pikotaro which took the world by storm, earning headlines in international news media like CNN and BBC and receiving mentions by celebrities around the world including Justin Bieber.   To date, the PPAP music video has over 327 million views on YouTube (as of May 11, 2020). It was the number one most viewed video in the world on YouTube for three consecutive weeks. Pikotaro hailed as the first person in Japan to earn such a feat. The viral track also made Pikotaro the first Japanese artist to clock in the Billboard US's Hot 100 at No. 77 as well the shortest song to feature on the chart for which he receives a Guinness World Record.   Last month, Pikotaro released a 2020 version of PPAP, and has now dropped a brand new song entitled Hoppin' Flappin'.   On his YouTube channel, Pikotaro commented: "The #stayhome situation is ongoing so I made another new track!! Hop like a rabbit! Fly like a bird! Get your lazy body movin' with these jumps! Have fun with Hoppin' Flappin'! Can you complete the Hop and Flap? PIKOTARO was too old to do it! Let’s Hoppin' Flappin' with the new "PPAP"!!"   "Hoppin' Flappin'" / PIKOTARO

Back in August 2016, Japanese comedian and television personality Kazuhito Kosaka released his hit song PPAP (Pen Pineapple Apple Pen) his stage name Pikotaro which took the world by storm, earning headlines in international news media like CNN and BBC and receiving mentions by celebrities around the world including Justin Bieber.   To date, the PPAP music video has nearly 320 million views on YouTube (as of April 7, 2020). It was the number one most viewed video in the world on YouTube for three consecutive weeks. Pikotaro hailed as the first person in Japan to earn such a feat.   And now, the leopard print and sunglasses-wearing legend is back with a new 2020 version of PPAP, which encourages the people of the world to keep their hands clean during the ongoing coronavirus situation. Pikotaro conceived the song in response to the pandemic, wondering if there was anything he could do as Pikotaro. The he shot and produced the video home.  

PIKOTARO - PPAP-2020-

The original PPAP melody is kept the same, but the words are replaced with instructions to wash your hands, as well as to "Pray For People And Peace" (PPAP).

Singer-songwriter Pikotaro, known for the viral hit song Pen Pineapple Apple Pen, released his first album I have a PPAP digitally across 150 countries on July 13. The album features a total of 31 tracks including Pikataro's big hits throughout 2017-2018 such as PPAP as well as his newest song Can you see? I'm SUSHI. This record is the ultimate Pikotaro experience. Pikotaro has the following to say about his new song: "When I went to Belgium and spoke with the Belgian staff about making a song about something Japan is known for, I improvised while singing, and they found it really funny. I'm really happy to have been able to make a song in this way. Although Japan is a sushi country there's not a lot of songs about sushi, so I want both the people of the world and  of Japan to use this opportunity to sing about it!"  

  Pikotaro may be about to cause a sushi boom across the world, so be sure to check out the music video.    

Oh you fancy, huh?

Normally the meal of choice for hard-up college students, salarymen who’ve blown through their weekly food allowance, and late night boozers with poor impulse control, the original high-salt, low-cost instant noodle phenomenon Cup Noodle launched a new line of “luxury” flavors last year to appeal to—presumably—more discerning palates.

We scoffed a bit at the time, but the new flavors proved to be a spectacular hit, selling about 14 million cups to date. Unsurprisingly, the company has decided to expand the series, and this week, they announced the latest flavor: rich abalone and oyster stew.

Available nationwide on April 24, the new flavor boasts the freeze-dried noodles you know and love in a “thick, rich oyster sauce-based soup flavored with abalone soy sauce, topped with abalone-seasoned bok choy, king oyster mushrooms, cloud ear mushrooms and red bell peppers.”

Japan’s biggest Korean barbecue chain adds two set meals for Muslim meat fans.

Gyu-Kaku is one of Japan’s most popular yakiniku (Korean barbecue) chains, with locations all across the country. However, Gyu-Kaku is also an internationally minded company, having expanded to the U.S., Canada and other parts of Asia as well.

While Gyu-Kaku is yet to reach the Middle East, it is ready to start accommodating Muslim diners at its new branch in Tokyo’s Akasaka neighborhood. When it opens on April 17, the Akasaka Gyu-Kaku will be the first to offer halal course meals, in accordance with Islamic dietary customs.

Appearing on the menu are the 4,500-yen (US$41) Muslim-Friendly Gyukaku Course, and the more upscale 6,500-yen Muslim-Friendly Wagyu Course. Both feature a variety of vegetable and meat dishes, but neither contain nor are prepared with any sort of pork products/extracts or alcohol.

In keeping with halal principles, the cooking and eating utensils involved are used exclusively for the Muslim-friendly course meals, and bear a mark of certification from Islamic Center Japan.

▼ Even the dipping sauce containers and drinking vessels are halal-certified.

▼ The dishes, glasses, and cookware for the halal meal are also hand-washed separately from those used for Gyu-Kaku’s non-halal meals.

We stopped by the restaurant for a pre-opening taste test of the Muslim-Friendly Wagyu Course, which includes beef, chicken, and seafood.

The first order of business was to compare the flavor of Gyu-Kaku’s standard dipping sauce, made with mirin (a sweet cooking rice wine that’s extremely common in Japanese cooking), to the halal sauce which uses sugar instead.

▼ Standard sauce on left, halal sauce on right

We’re extremely familiar with Gyu-Kaku’s sauce, having eating at the chain dozens of times. And yet, we honestly couldn’t tell the difference, as the halal version tastes just like the original.

Next up: kimchi.

▼ Standard on left, halal on right

Again, the two versions’ flavors were remarkably similar. If we had to make a distinction, we’d say the halal version was just a touch spicier, but we only noticed that because we we’re eating them at the same time. Had we just walked into a Japanese yakiniku restaurant and been given Gyu-Kaku’s halal kimchi without knowing about its special status, we would have simply thought we were eating ordinary, extremely tasty kimchi.

It’s back and is looking better than ever!

No one does cheesecakes quite like Osaka-based “fresh-baked cheese tart” chain PABLO. Part of what makes their cheesecakes so special is that they are baked to your desired level of firmness. PABLO founder Masamitsu Sakimoto wanted to produce a cheesecake that could be served with different textures, much like a steak, and from there, the original recipe was created and perfected.

Now, what could make a perfect cheesecake even better? The one thing that makes everything better – matcha green tea. PABLO released their matcha cheese tart for a limited time last year, and now it’s back to grace our taste buds yet again.

The matcha cheesecake will be available from this Saturday, April 15 at PABLO locations across the country, for 1,111 yen (US$10.20) per 15-centimeter (six-inch) tart.

The batter is thoroughly infused with just the right amount of aromatic Uji matcha powder, from the Uji area of Kyoto. Inside is plenty of tsubuan red bean paste and shiratama rice flour dumplings. The combination of slightly sweet red beans and rice flour dumplings with the bitterness of matcha gives the tart a uniquely Japanese flavor.