Random Japan

Taco Bell to tackle Japanese market–but should we cheer or groan? Our foreign writers reflect
ANDRES OLIVER
With perennial favorites such as Mos Burger, CoCo Ichibanya, Hotto Motto, and more, Japan has no shortage of tasty casual dining establishments to satisfy any craving. Yet many a foreign resident has surely at one time found himself longing for something more–the kind of guilty satisfaction that can only result from a visit to our favorite not-quite-Mexican joint, the peerless Taco Bell.

According to recent reports, the American fast food chain will soon be reentering the Japanese market, following up on its previous, disastrous, attempt almost three decades ago. Is this the beginning of a Mexican food renaissance in Japan, or simply the beginning of the end? We asked our foreign writers currently residing in Japan for their opinions, which proved to be mixed, to say the least.

STATS
6
Percent of respondents to a news-service poll who feel that Abenomics has benefitted rural areas


70
Percent who say the gap between rich and poor is widening


16,094
Cases of foreign objects found in food products in Japan since fiscal 2009, according to the National Consumer Affairs Center

YOU DON’T SAY
According to Japan Railway officials, tickets for this weekend’s inaugural running of the Hokuriku shinkansen sold out in just 25 seconds.

The Consumer Affairs Agency has ordered four companies to stop saying their insect repellents are, you know, actually effective at repelling insects.

Authorities with the Chiba police and the Japan Racing Association have completed an investigation into a horse’s failed post-race doping test in December—the first such case in 21 years. They say the animal had high levels of caffeine in its system because it ate feed imported from the U.S.

Headline of the Week: “Hiroshima Torn Over Oyster Restaurant Near A-Bomb Dome” (via Jiji)

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In Japan

University releases interactive map of Japanese food radiation levels


A software design lab at Tokyo Polytechnic University has released an interactive online map of radiation levels in Japanese foods by production area, based on measurements taken since the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant disaster.

Different colors are used to separate areas based on the proportion of foods from those areas that have exceeded radiation safety standards during screenings.