Pepsi Mont Blanc

It’s that time again. Yes, it’s time for another fabulous new flavor of Pepsi in Japan: Pepsi Mont Blanc. For those of you who don’t know what Mont Blanc is (besides the name of a mountain in the Alps), it is a sweet popular in Japan, often in tart, cupcake or roll cake form, with a chestnut flavor. And while Mont Blanc doesn’t taste bad on its own, when mixed with Pepsi, it creates the next limited-time-flavor Japanese Pepsi disaster. Just in case you missed them, previous incarnations included Pepsi Ice Cucumber, as well as the one that still gives me nightmares, Pepsi Azuki.

How to describe Pepsi Mont Blanc? Well, the bottle’s label describes it as follows: 「マロンのやさしい香りが漂う爽やかな刺激のコーラ。デザート感覚でお楽しみください。」 This means (my translation, 意訳 style): “A refreshing cola, from which wafts the gentle aroma of chestnuts. You can enjoy it the same way you enjoy dessert.”

In other words, a dessert cola with a hint of chestnuts. There’s a reason nobody has ever thought of this flavor until now. While it doesn’t reach the level of horribleness that some past Pepsi flavors have (most notably Pepsi Azuki, which may as well have been called Pepsi Upchuck), it sure doesn’t taste good. In fact, I’m trying to choke down a bottle of it while writing this post, so I don’t feel like I just threw away 147 yen.

On the positive side, I’ve got to hand it to PepsiCo for coming up with original, imaginative flavors that match the seasonal cuisine and atmosphere in Japan. And the label design is elegant, too. But I really do wonder what will be next: Pepsi Turkey and Gravy? Pepsi Snow Crab? Pepsi Christmas Cake?

 

t’s that time again. Yes, it’s time for another fabulous new flavor of Pepsi in Japan. This time around it’s Pepsi Mont Blanc. For those of you who don’t know what Mont Blanc is (besides the name of a mountain in the Alps), it is a sweet popular in Japan, often in tart, cupcake or roll cake form, with a chestnut flavor. And while Mont Blanc doesn’t taste bad on its own, when mixed with Pepsi, it has created the next limited-time-flavor Japanese Pepsi disaster. Just in case you missed it, previous incarnations included Pepsi Shiso—shiso meaning “perilla,” a kind of herb eaten in leaf form—as well as the one that still gives me nightmares, Pepsi Azuki.

How to describe Pepsi Mont Blanc? Well, the bottle describes it as follows: 「マロンのやさしい香りが漂う爽やかな刺激のコーラ。デザート間隔でお楽しみください。」 This means (my translation, 意訳 style): “A refreshing cola, from which wafts the gentle aroma of chestnuts. You can enjoy it the same way you enjoy dessert.”

In other words, a dessert cola with a hint of chestnuts. There’s a reason nobody has ever thought of this flavor until now. While it doesn’t reach the level of horribleness that some past Pepsi flavors have (most notably Pepsi Azuki, which may as well have been called Pepsi Upchuck), it sure doesn’t taste good. In fact, I’m trying to choke down a bottle of it while writing this post, so I don’t feel like I just threw away 147 yen.

On the positive side, I’ve got to hand it to PepsiCo for coming up with original, imaginative flavors that match the seasonal foods and atmosphere in Japan. And the label design is pretty elegant. But I really do wonder what will be next: Pepsi Turkey and Gravy? Pepsi Snow Crab? Pepsi Christmas Cake?

Pepsi Baobab

It’s the time again. Yes, it’s time for another strange Pepsi flavor to be released in Japan. Previous incarnations have often been downright disgusting, but this time around it’s a bit different.

Pepsi Baobab.

What in the name of Amaterasu is a “baobab”? That’s the same thing I asked myself when I saw it in the Family Mart today.

The bottle has a little description written in Japanese: 「アフリカの大地にそびえるバオバブの木をモチーフにした開放感あふれる爽やかなコーラ！」, which means “a cola with a liberating and refreshing flavor, taking as its motif the baobab tree that towers over the vast African continent.”  So, as you can see, that doesn’t help us at all to understand anything except that baobab is the name for a big tree. And it’s hard to imagine “tree” being a flavor of soft drink.

Wikipedia’s entry on the Adansonia, also known as the baobab and many other names, confirmed that it is in fact a type of African tree native to Madagascar. Further reading informed me that its leaves are often eaten as vegetables, and the fruit and seeds are used in various sweets and dishes. Apparently Baobab is eaten in Europe, and also by the natives of Australia.

Oh, and Rafiki, that crazy old monkey in the Lion King, lived in a baobab tree.

Honestly, I don’t know if this Pepsi is supposed to taste like the leaves, the seeds, or the fruit. Or just a tree. This writer seems to think it’s the fruit, and I would have to agree because of its faintly sweet taste. Either way, it’s not too bad, especially when compared to such past monstrosities as Pepsi Shiso and Pepsi Azuki. So for those of you living in Japan, pick up some Pepsi Baobab today and tell me what you think!

Umeda Kita Yard Redevelopment Project

Firstly, I would like to thank all my readers and fellow bloggers for supporting Osaka Insider. This is officially my 50th post, and while Osaka Insider is a still a new face on the Internet, the increasing readership and lovely comments have encouraged me to keep going. Thank you!

Construction started in March 2010 in Umeda’s Kita Yard (北ヤード), an area located directly next to JR Osaka Station that has been used as a freight terminal throughout its history until now. The area has always been an eyesore in the upscale district, and the redevelopment of this area will essentially “complete” the Umeda area. According to the development project’s website, phase one is scheduled to be complete in March 2013. According to various sources, the entire redevelopment will be complete between 2020 and 2025.

Phase one consists of a series of buildings forming a district known as the “Knowledge-Capital” (inappropriate hyphen placement is their English, not mine). It will supposedly be a multi-purpose commercial-residential-research district, focusing on an international gathering of minds combined with cutting-edge technology. Cutting through all the flowery descriptions, the reality will be a mixed office-shopping-residential district, along with facilities for conferences, conventions, research, and knowledge-workers. There will also be green space modeled after Osaka’s current overarching development theme, the “city of water.”

The above is my summary of what the planners envision, but now I’d like to share my personal thoughts. The Kita Yard is a giant eyesore in Umeda, especially when going to the Umeda Sky Building or Yodobashi Camera, and it also acts as an unwelcome reminder of Osaka’s dirty, industrial past. The land in question is probably the most expensive property in Osaka, and I have high hopes that they will redevelop it in such a way as to add more originality and fun to the Umeda district.

I think the idea of a “Knowledge-Capital” will flop, and the new area will essentially be an expansion of Umeda as a shopping district, with new and extremely expensive housing added in. About a third of the area is dedicated to housing and hotel space, another third to offices, and another third to commercial facilities with a smattering of “Knowledge-Capital” commercial zoning. Throughout Japan’s modern urban development history, there have been many attempts to make technology-based districts or districts revolving around vague concepts such as knowledge or internationalization, and all of them have simply turned into upscale commercial districts in the end–I have almost no doubt that this time will be no different.

In other words, this new part of Umeda will simply be an expansion of the current upscale shopping and central business district. What is needed is some originality, something to make Umeda stand out. This cannot be accomplished by simply throwing in a few department stores, overpriced restaurants and brand-name department stores for gold-diggers and himo. Umeda is a fun place, but it has always felt a bit like a Kansai version of Tokyo’s Shinjuku rather than something uniquely Osakan, as places like Namba, Tsuruhashi and Shin-Sekai are.

Furthermore, areas in the central city north of Osaka Castle Park and Utusbo Park are severely lacking in quality parks and pleasant green space (I’m not counting the drab Yodogawa riverfront), so quality parks and open areas rather than a few sad-looking shrubs are sorely needed in Umeda. These would likely raise property values in the area even further (which must be of some interest to developers there). Osaka has some of the most well-planned parks I’ve encountered in Japan, and a new one in Umeda would be a definite plus for residents.

Finally, this development plan coincides with transportation network expansion projects, namely by JR and the Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau (public operator of subways and buses in Osaka). JR has long been considering a namboku (“north-south”–name TBD) line going underground from a new Kita-Osaka Station in Umeda, through to the existing JR Namba Station and continuing from there on current tracks to Tennoji Station. This would not only provide an alternative route for regular trains and tokkyu special express trains going north-south (they currently use the loop line), it would provide an alternative route for JR freight traffic, as well as new public transportation along Naniwa-suji (boulevard). Osaka City is considering extending its Yotsubashi Line to connect with Kita-Umeda and continue north through Juso to Shin-Osaka Station (where the shinkansen stops). Although they are still in the discussion phases, these moves could greatly improve the Osaka City and Kansai area rail networks and improve ease of movement around the city.

I have mostly commented on phase one of the plan, because that is the only one where details are clear. Only time will tell what the new Umeda will look like, but I have very high expectations that the positive direction Osaka city planning has taken will continue to pick up momentum with this project.

Take a look at the development project’s website if you are interested in learning more.

Photos by Wikimedia Commons.

Photos from Nipponbashi Festa 2010

More photos at my Flickr photostream!

I attended the Nipponbashi Festa 2010 in Den Den Town, Osaka, this weekend for the first time, and I must say it was quite an experience. Crowds filled the streets from Ebisucho to Nipponbashi, and fans and shop promoters alike went all-out with costumes representing their favorite anime, manga, movie and video game characters. In case you didn’t make it to the festival, check out the photos and videos (including footage of the maid parade!) at my Flickr photostream.

Takoyaki

Takoyaki, which is often humorously (and unfortunately) translated as “octopus balls,” are dumplings made of batter, picked ginger, tenkasu, and green onion,  with octopus meat in the middle and sauce, aonori, mayonnaise, and bonito flakes sprinkled over the top. Now, as a non-Japanese, and I know that octopus can sound quite unappetizing at first, but these little snacks are so good that you’ll find yourself popping them into your mouth one after another. These can often be found at stalls at festivals and anytime on the streets, in restaurants, and even in people’s homes (you know you are an Osakan if you have a takoyaki cooker in your home). Furthermore, almost anything can be substituted for octopus when you make it on your own, including squid, kimchee, cheese, vegetables, or whatever else you can think of. Along with okonomiyaki, takoyaki is one of the representative foods of Osaka’s food culture, and apparently this incredibly popular dish has even made its way over to a few restaurants in the United States in recent years.

I personally recommend Takoyaki Doraku Wanaka (たこ焼き道楽　わなか　千日前本店), a restaurant opened in 1961 on Sennichimae in Namba (easy to get to from Namba or Nipponbashi station). It is actually right next to NGK, the famous comedians’ theatre, and television and comedy stars are sometimes known to drop in for a bite to eat. It costs 400 yen for 8 dumplings, and it is open from morning until 11:45 pm.

Here’s a video of takoyaki being made at an outdoor food stall in Osaka, in case you want to see a cook in action

QUACK

This was floating in the Okawa River, near Hakkenyahama pier (Tenmabashi station area). A huge duck. I’m not really sure why, to be honest.

The city has been doing a lot of urban renewal efforts focused on Osaka’s rivers, and I suppose this is one of them.

This site has some great pictures of the duck.

Dotombori

Dotombori is one of the three spots most symbolic of and well-known in Osaka–possibly the most famous of them. It is order in chaos, a maddening mix of people and lights and sounds that will assault your senses. Lonely Planet went as far as comparing it to the futuristic cityscape of Blade Runner.* But in my opinion, Dotombori has no comparison, because it is simply the City of Osaka unapologetically being its over-the-top self.

The name comes from the Dotombori River, a canal that runs east to west through the middle of the Dotombori district. A theatre district starting in the 17th century, Dotombori is primarily a nighttime entertainment district today, so there are numerous bars, izakaya, restaurants, food stalls, and entertainments facilities (karaoke, bowling, pool, etc). The city has recently been doing construction work to boost tourism in the area, focusing on beautifying the canal-side boardwalks. Namba’s “love hotel” district can be found on the west end of Dotombori (near Yotsubashi-suji), if that’s what you’re looking for.

Famous landmarks include the giant crab with moving pincers (there are actually three, but the center-most one is the most popular) and the surrounding lights and buildings, the night view of the Glico “running man” billboard, Ebisubashi Bridge (informally known as Hikkakebashi, meaning “pick-up bridge,” as it is a popular spot for hosts who attempt to pick up girls passing by), and the Ferris wheel attached to the side of the Don Kihote shop. There is a Starbucks at the most crowded point in Dotombori, which offers a great view if you like people-watching or just want to take a breather. There are boat tours that go along Dotombori River and connect to other parts of Osaka, as well. And finally, don’t forget to stop at Kinryu, the famous ramen shop that has multiple shops in the district, followed by some cheap and delicious okonomiyaki and takoyaki (fried dumplings with octopus in the middle) from the outdoor food stalls near the river—both of these are Osaka specialties.

The best way to reach the center of Dotombori is from Namba Station (Sennichimae and Midosuji Subway Lines, Kintetsu Lines, Hanshin Namba Line, Nankai Lines), but you can also get to the west part of Dotombori from Namba Station on the Yotsubashi Subway Line, and to the east part from Nipponbashi Station (Sennichimae and Sakaisuji Subway Lines). Dotombori is a 3-5 min. walk from Namba Station on the Midosuji and Sennichimae Subway Lines.

*Lonely Planet: Japan 8th edition, p. 387.

Tenpozan

Tempozan is a “mountain” located on the shore of Osaka Bay in Minato-ku, Osaka City. I say “mountain” because, while it is officially recognized as so, its summit is at a whopping 4.53 meters. Needless to say, this is Japan’s smallest mountain. Artificially formed in 1831, Tenpozan once had an elevation of about 20 meters and was primarily used as a landmark for ships coming into a the busy trading port. It is currently located within Tenpozan Park, which actually features hills higher than the “summit” itself.

If you climb this beast of a mountain, the Mt. Tenpo Expedition Society will issue you a certificate (for a small fee) indicating that you have done so.

Tempozan can be accessed from Osakako Station on the Chuo Subway Line (about 15 minutes on foot).