KristinaSwissCD posted a photo:

The whole Set and Video is out now on my Fan Sites -> Link in Bio 😘

Pikachu and Gyarados invite you to come by for a relaxing soak as Noto town recovers from disaster.

A lot of storylines in the Pokémon anime and video games follow the journeys of Pokémon Trainers as they roam far and wide in search of rare Pocket Monsters as part of their training to become Pokémon Masters. No matter how strong your resolve is to be the very best, though, eventually you’re going to need to take some time to stop and rest along the way. Likewise, if your real-life travels take you to Japan’s Ishikawa Prefecture, there’s now a Pokémon-themed hot spring where you can rejuvenate yourself.

You’ll find this place in the town of Nanao, on the Noto Peninsula. This part of the prefecture is part of the collection of communities called Wakura Onsen, which has a number of onsen (hot spring) inns. Many of these facilities were damaged during a powerful earthquake that struck the peninsula in 2024, but the latest sign of the region’s recovery comes with the completion of renovations to the ashiyu foot bath in Yuttari Park. Earlier this month, the foot bath reopened following renovations, and visitors can now enjoy a soak in the company of several different Pokémon, including Pikachu, Gyarados, Vaporeon, and Psyduck!

The photos of the now-open facility show that the designers have done a fantastic job delivering on the promises of the concept renders. The footbath uses legitimate hot spring water, but unlike with a full-fledged onsen, visitors don’t have to be nude to make use of it. Just slip off your shoes and socks, the slide your feet in. Since you’re not completely submerged, you won’t need anything more than a hand towel or handkerchief to dry yourself off afterwards either, making this equally appealing to those looking for a long soak or sightseers who just want a quick Poké-relaxation session before moving on to the rest of their itinerary (such as tracking down the area’s Pokémon manhole covers). Aside from the obvious appeal of the Pokémon statues and murals, the foot bath also faces out onto the waters of the bay adjacent to the park, so you get some beautiful natural scenery to admire as well.

And as cool as the place is, it won’t cost you a single yen to use. Wakura Pokémon Footbath is completely free, and is open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Location information
Wakura Pokémon Footbath / わくらポケモン足湯
Address: Ishikawa-ken, Nanao-shi, Wakuramachi Hibari 1-1
石川県七尾市和倉町ひばり1丁目1番地
Open 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

Source, images: PR Times
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Our resident sticker-collecting writer shares why she’s saying “enough is enough” and is extricating herself from a sticky situation.

Sticker collecting and trading as a hobby has been sweeping Japan among kids and adults alike for a while now, to the point that puffy stickers were sold out last year and people were shelling out ridiculous amounts of money to get their hands on them. Our Japanese-language reporter Haruka Takagi also got all in on the fun herself, even making new friends through this shared interest…until recently, that is. She suddenly stopped collecting them last month for one simple reason–she got tired of the hassle.

Now, there are still plenty of stickers that she hasn’t gotten her hands on yet, such as those from the 3-D Bon Bon Drops brand, anything featuring her beloved pandas, Sanrio’s Pompompurin, and more that she’s seen on social media. The company behind Bon Bon Drops recently announced that it increased its production by 2.5 times due to popular demand…which sounds like she should be able to easily get her hands on them, no? The truth isn’t quite so simple.

▼ Keep calm and stick on

As a homebody, Haruka prefers purchasing most of her stickers online on places like Amazon and Rakuten through the official manufacturers’ pages. Until not that long ago, she was able to purchase stickers by occasionally browsing these sites and placing an order. Even if some of them sold out in five minutes, that still gave her enough time to look through the options and use her loyalty points. However, that practice changed completely with the advent of “breaking news” sticker social media sites, where certain accounts give notifications at the exact moment popular stickers go on sale, causing tens of thousands of fans to flood the shopping sites all at once. She can barely even buy stickers online at all now as a result.

She could try proactively patrolling her usual pages before these kinds of announcements are made, but that practice is unsustainable. Although she’s a freelance writer, that doesn’t mean she has the time to obsessively check these sites every hour, especially when she’s wearing her “mom hat.” The situation is also unrealistic for physical store locations, where stickers might sell out in five minutes and then customers have to either store-hop from place to place or wait for hours on-site for workers to restock them. It doesn’t make any sense to go to these extreme lengths for what’s supposed to be a simple hobby.

A further concern is that the stickers Haruka orders might not arrive–if she even manages to buy them in the first place. She’s been hearing more and more about such cases recently, and has even personally experienced not getting a set that she went through a lot of trouble to order that never came and the ensuing emotional letdown. She’s realized that when a site lists things like “reserve now” or “estimated restock time,” sometimes the stickers don’t materialize for months, or the store might even cancel the order after a certain amount of time.

That frustration led her to consider making purchases from third-party sellers on auction sites. Initially she was enthusiastic about the idea because the prices weren’t that far off from the manufacturers’ prices, and she should be able to find her favorites more easily. However, she then learned that the tradeoff is that counterfeits abound. Take the Tamagotchi sets pictured below, for instance, which appear to be almost indistinguishable at a glance. However, she received the fake version from a third-party seller, which made her lose trust in such sites.

▼ Genuine set (left) versus counterfeit set (right)

However, the final straw that broke the camel’s back for Haruka’s sticker collecting was the official manufacturers announcing that they would be releasing dozens of new sticker sets, seemingly all at once, too.

While the prospect of new stickers may sound exciting, Haruka had a completely different natural reaction to the news along the lines of the following:

“That probably means they’ll be discontinuing the ones I want and have been waiting for forever.”
“It’s not like I’ll be able to get my hands on any of the new ones anyway…”
“I’m so tired of this.”

Since then, all of the fiery passion that she once had for growing her collection dimmed until it was nothing more than a whiff of smoke. Now she feels strangely sad when she hears about newly released sticker sets, which is why she’s decided to take a break from stickers altogether.

That doesn’t mean Haruka’s given up all hope, though. She has faith that someday she’ll be able to pick her hobby back up again, whenever she can leisurely browse through the options and not have to jump through all kinds of hoops to get them. In the meantime, we hope she’ll consider starting a new collection–ideally something that won’t become just as complicated.

All images © SoraNews24
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Gelato Pique’s spinoff cafes pique our interest with adorable ice cream and mochi treats.

From its name, you might assume that Gelato Pique is an ice cream brand, but it’s actually a Japanese apparel company that specializes in cute and cozy roomwear (including Pokémon designs). The company describes its aesthetic as being “inspired by sweet indulgences,” hence the “Gelato” part of its name.

However, there’s a lot of crossover between fans of comfy pajamas and relaxing cafes, so while it wasn’t Gelato Pique’s original plan, the brand has also been spun off into a Gelato Pique Cafe chain. This is where the brand’s linguistic atmosphere starts wrapping back on itself. Gelato Pique’s clothing has to be extra-cute in order to match the sweetness of its name, but that then means Gelato Pique Cafe’s customers are going to expect food and drinks on a higher level of photogenic cuteness than at other restaurants.

That’s a bar Gelato Pique Cafe is easily clearing, though with its Sea Animals sweets series.

Leading the way in this fresh wave of adorable eats is Gelato Pique’s original marine mammal crepe, the Mochimochi (“Chewy”) Seal Crepe, returning following its initial stint on the menu last summer. Wrapped inside the crepe are whipped cream, tiramisu cream, sliced mango, sliced almonds, and caramel sauce, and sitting atop it is a scoop of black sesame ice cream wrapped in mochi, with chocolate pieces to make the adorable seal’s facial features.

Joining the seal is the new Pukapuka (“Floating”) Otter Gelato, looking like a sea otter happily drifting about in the waves. Here too you get black sesame ice cream with chocolate pieces, and the critter’s hands are formed from black sesame-infused whipped cream.

There’s also the new Hinyari (“Chilly”) Walrus Crepe. Instead of black sesame, the ice cream topping here is a chocolate banana flavor, with chocolate for the eyes, nose and whiskers, and marshmallows serving as the tusks. Inside the crepe are tiramisu cream, sliced bananas, and caramel sauce.

And last, if you’re thirsty but still want something sweet, there’s the Purupuru (“Jiggly”) Penguin Soda Float. The base here is Ramune (an apple/citrus cider that’s a perennial summertime favorite in Japan) with fish-shaped pineapple gelatin pieces added. Floating atop the drink is a scoop of milk gelato, and standing on top of that is a penguin-shaped monaka wafer.

The Pukapuka Otter gelato cone is priced at 840 yen (US$5.40), the Purupuru Penguin soda at 890, and the crepes 1,290 yen each. They’ll all be available at Gelato Pique Cafe branches between now and July 1.

Related: Gelato Pique Cafe location list
Source, images: PR Times
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Critical Hit-flavor ice cream and Mimic containers among the sweet adventures waiting at Baskin-Robbins.

Generally speaking, customers wouldn’t be happy to see slimes at the restaurants and sweets shops they visit. But just like your kindergarten teacher told you, capitalization is important, and so the appearance of Slimes at Baskin-Robbins Japan is a cause for joy across the nation.

Yes, the mascot monsters of the Dragon Quest video game franchise have drawn near to Thirty-One, as Baskin-Robbins is known to fans in Japan. Among the treats that made their debut on June 1 is the Slimes Draw Near Ice Cream Cake.

This 11.5-centimeter (4.5-inch) diameter cake features a two-tiered Slime Island with edible frosting Slimes, decorative paper ones, and a command window-style chocolate plate with a message of your choice written on it (the one in the above photo announces “Papa has reached level 31!”). The cake’s interior is made up of four different flavors of ice cream: Double Chocolate, Caramel Ribbon, Strawberry, and Popping Shower, the last of which is so deeply loved in Japan that Baskin-Robbins had to remove it from the voting in their popularity polls.

Arriving at the same time as the Slime cake is a new ice cream flavor called Critical Hit Golden Pineapple Lemonade (or Kaishin no Ichigeki Golden Pine Lemonade in Japanese) that tips its hat to Dragon Quest’s RPG gameplay mechanics.

The looks here are a little deceiving, as the sky-blue sorbet here isn’t the Ramune/Blue Hawaii flavor usually associated with this color in Japan, but instead is a lemonade-flavor sorbet, while the yellow is golden pineapple sorbet. The “critical hit” comes from the red ribbons of sour lemon flavor and the mixed-in pieces of Baskin-Robbins Japan’s newly crafted pachishuwa/“fizzy popping” candies, giving this refreshing new ice cream flavor a stimulating kick too.

▼ The introductory video even features the Dragon Quest critical hit sound effect, plus pop-up damage scores of 31, 310, and 3,131.

Of course, Baskin-Robbins’ whole deal is that they have a bunch of different flavors, and if you’re in the mood for far more than just one, there’s a Dragon Quest 40th Set (since this year is Dragon Quest’s 40th anniversary) that puts eight ice cream flavors of your choice inside a Mimic. Each flavor comes in a special cup with Dragon Quest overworld map pixel artwork, and the bundle also includes a Popping Shower Slime keychain.

▼ In order to lure in gold-seeking adventurers, Mimics usually disguise themselves as treasure chests, but here in the real world is there any container more tempting than a box filled with ice cream?

And finally, for those focused enough to only need one scoop of ice cream, or perhaps those cultured enough to always want whipped cream and sprinkles, there’s the A Slime Draws Near Battle Sundae, which includes one of 10 random decorative character illustrations.

The Battle Sundae is priced at 580 yen (US$3.75), the Slime cake 4,300 yen, and the Mimic box 3,000 or 3,500 yen, depending on whether you choose small or regular-sized scoops of ice cream. The Dragon Quest collaboration is scheduled to run until June 30.

Source: Baskin-Robbins Japan via Otakomu
Top image: Baskin-Robbins Japan
Insert images: Baskin-Robbins Japan (1, 2, 3)
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One of Japan’s most popular dessert mascots is set to go with you as you tap through ticket gates.

Last year, one of Japan’s many railway companies, JR East, announced that they would be retiring their iconic mascot character featured on their rechargeable prepaid transit card, Suica, much to the dismay of many of its fans. Meanwhile, JR Central, another rail company, has decided to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Nagoya’s beloved dessert Piyorin with a special release of its Toica card.

Despite the similar sounding names, the massive JR (Japan Railways) network is split into independent regional companies that operate within their own territories. For example, JR East handles Tokyo and northern Japan, while JR Central manages the lines surrounding Nagoya and the central Tokai region. Unlike several countries where trains are state-run, Japan’s rail networks are entirely privately owned by companies such as these (though the JR network was previously the government-run Japanese National Railways from 1949 until 1987).

As a result of this regional division, each JR company issues its own transit card, commonly referred to as an IC card, for daily travel. Travelers arriving into Tokyo are usually introduced to the Suica (JR East) or Pasmo (Tokyo Metro and many other non-JR lines around Tokyo) cards that let them tap through ticket gates seamlessly. In the Central Japan region around Nagoya, the local equivalents are the Toica (JR Central) and Manaca (Nagoya Subway, Meitetsu, and other non-JR lines around Nagoya) cards.

While these cards are issued separately within their own regions and feature different mascots, which can lead some to travel around Japan collecting them, many of the cards are completely interoperable.

▼ I have a long way to go.

A Toica card purchased in Nagoya, for example, can be used on Tokyo subways, Kyoto buses, and at thousands of convenience stores nationwide.

The commemorative Piyorin Toica card has the standard Toica chick mascots alongside Piyorin on the face of the card.

Piyorin itself is a famous Nagoya fresh dessert made from locally sourced eggs, consisting of pudding wrapped in vanilla bavarois and covered in crumbly sponge cake.

People looking to grab the new Piyorin Toica card will need to make their way to the region operated by JR Central (Nagoya and its surroundings) where it will begin being dispensed in late May 2026 from automatic ticket vending machines and customer service windows at major train stations. For those further away, sales will start at JR Tokai ticket windows at major Shinkansen stations along the Tokaido line from September 1, 2026. Smaller stations within the coverage area will also get access to the Piyorin card supply at this time. Each card will cost 2,000 yen (US$13), which includes 1,500 yen as a usable amount and a 500 yen deposit.

As part of the celebration JR Central released a special online-exclusive Piyorin Toica card in a paulownia wood storage box costing 4,980 yen. However, the 3,000 sets were completely sold out within a couple of days of its launch, attesting to Piyorin’s popularity.

If you’re expecting to go out tomorrow and pick up a Piyorin Toica, you might face some disappointment, as they’ll only start to be dispensed when current Toica card stocks run out, so the start date of the sales will vary depending on the station. Sales of the Piyorin cards will also end when they run out at each station, so there is definitely an element of luck to getting one, if the online sales are anything to go by. That being said, a Piyorin card is a great way to make a souvenir of your travels just a little bit sweeter.

Related: Online-Exclusive Piyorin Toica Card, JR Tokai Ticket Window Locations, Toica Usage Information
Source: PR Times
Top and insert images: PR Times
Insert IC card collection photo ©SoraNews24
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AdelleDemonia posted a photo:

Details here: prmfd.co/p/Bg7Ky8zZuOAO

Dietz Dolls Pinup Photography posted a photo:

Today's brand new Dietz Dolls pinup artwork is another tribute in the style of Bill Randall and classic 1940s/1950s 'Greetings From' postcards with ‘Greetings from the Front’! What could be a souvenir from a soldier to back home during World War 2, showcasing somewhere in the Pacific Theater with the Sherman Tank and Willys Jeep.

New for 2026: As I rebuild the online store, I've opened a temporary one on Fine Art America with some pinups already on there. I'll be adding more in the coming months: fineartamerica.com/profiles/vintagepinups

Created: Concept/Digital Artwork/Editing by Britt Dietz
Online Pinup Print and Poster Store: fineartamerica.com/profiles/vintagepinups
© Dietz Dolls Vintage Pinup Photography: www.dietzdolls.com
Instagram: instagram.com/vintagepinups
Facebook: facebook.com/DietzPinupPhotography

Bring Totoro and the gang to work with cleverly concealed character details. 

One of the things we love about Studio Ghibli is the way its movies appeal to people of all ages. Even My Neighbour Totoro, which might seem like a children’s movie, with its child protagonist and fantastical characters, has wider themes of familial love and rural ideals that strike a chord across generations, garnering fans that range from toddlers through to businessmen.

In fact, toddlers who first watched the film when it was released in 1988 would now be in their 30s, making them a prime customer for Totoro nostalgia. This is a market that the studio’s specialty retail chain, Donguri Kyowakoku, is now catering to with a new release of My Neighbour Totoro neckties.

The My Neighbour Totoro Necktie 26 Spring Summer collection consists of eight silk ties, in four designs.

▼ The first design, “Nut Stripe“, comes in two colourways – navy and wine.

This tie features the adorable movements of Totoro toddling around with fallen acorns, incorporated into a neat diagonal stripe pattern.

The design might be playful, but its subdued colours make it suitable for people of all ages, from young adults to seniors.

▼ Next up, we have Clover Check, also in navy or wine.

This design features a sophisticated check pattern, with a scattering of clovers and subtle appearances from the white Small Totoro.

▼ Look closely and you’ll see a little Soot Sprite perched on a clover leaf!

▼ The third design is Circle Dot, in blue or navy.

This lovely design has small Totoros peeking out from clusters of tiny, neatly arranged dotted circles.

Like all the ties, you wouldn’t know there was a character hiding out in the design when viewing it from a distance, but up close you can appreciate all the fine details.

▼ Finally, we have Acorn Check, in turquoise or blue.

Based on a traditional Japanese checkered pattern, this design features Totoro and acorns scattered in a balanced and cleverly concealed way.

This design is said to evoke a sense of nostalgia while maintaining a modern, contemporary Japanese aesthetic.

Every tie comes with a Studio Ghibli tag, so you can keep your love for the studio close to your heart…

▼ …and a sweet gift box, which is ideal for Father’s Day gift-giving.

With so many cleverly disguised character details, these ties are a great way to bring Totoro and the gang to work while maintaining a polished and professional appearance. They’re only available while stocks last, though, both online (links below) and at Donguri Kyowakoku stores in Japan, priced at 9,350 yen (US$58.47) each.

Source: Donguri Kyowakoku
Featured image: Donguri Kyowakoku
Insert images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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Children’s Peace Monument is going to be a quieter place for a while.

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park is located in the center of Hiroshima City, right across the street from where the atomic bomb was dropped on August 6, 1945. Aside from being a tranquil green space, the park contains several monuments to those who lost their lives in or after the bombing, one of which is the Children’s Peace Monument.

The Children’s Peace Monument was built in 1958, following the death of Sadako Sasaki, who was a 2-year-old girl living in Hiroshima when the bomb was dropped and died from leukemia 10 years later. The monument’s central structure consists of a statue of a child standing atop a stone dome, and suspended underneath it is a bell that visitors can ring as a symbol of their wish for peace.

As of May 18, though, the bell has been silenced, but not because of vandalism or a change in public opinion. The reason why is something much more heartwarming: a family of sparrows is moving into it.

A pair of sparrows has been seen gathering branches and placing them inside the bell in order to build a nest. The animals’ activity was first reported by a visitor to the park on May 18, and once administrators confirmed the nest’s presence, the decision was made to detach the chain by which the bell can be rung, in order to keep the nest from being shaken apart or its eventual eggs and hatchlings from being damaged.

▼ The bell’s design has a folded paper crane motif, as the tradition of folding 1,000 cranes to have one’s wish granted is heavily associated with Sasaki.

With Japan’s rainy season on the way, the bell provides a nesting spot that’s protected from the elements and also out of the line of sight of crows and other predators. The Hiroshima City government has said the sparrows are welcome to stay for as long as they need for their babies to grow large enough to leave the nest, at which time workers will remove it and replace the bell’s chain. A similar situation unfolded five years ago, when a different nest was discovered inside the bell and was left in place until its avian occupants vacated it.

Online reactions to the park’s decision have been overwhelmingly positive, and providing a place for new life to come into the world dovetails with Peace Memorial Park’s mission of being not just a place of remembrance, but also a symbol of hope for a compassionate future, and the Hiroshima City government has asked that parkgoers “Please be kind to the sparrows during your visit.”

Source: Chugoku Shimbun, FNN Prime Online
Top image: Wikipedia/Taisyo
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