A pink vending machine installed in the city of Tsuyama, located in west Japan, has captured the attention of locals since its introduction this spring. This unique machine offers vacuum-sealed frozen packs of high-quality wagyu beef, a renowned brand of beef originating from the same prefecture. The Morioka meat shop, well-known in Tsuyama for providing Japanese Black wagyu beef at affordable prices, took the initiative to set up this vending machine along Omotecho shopping street in the Kita Ward of Okayama City. Inside the machine, customers can find a selection of seven Tsuyama wagyu beef items, including steak, burger patties, and the local specialty known as "dried meat." These delicious offerings are conveniently packaged in vacuum-sealed frozen packs and are priced between 1,000 to 2,000 yen (approximately $7-14). The visionary behind this venture is Hideki Morioka, the 60-year-old owner of the Morioka meat shop. When asked about his motivation for entering the vend...

Preparing for life after the COVID-19 pandemic has been a topic on the minds of many people around the world. With mask mandates and social distancing measures being the norm for the past three years, people have had to adapt to a new way of living. As the world starts to return to some sense of normalcy, many are beginning to think about the changes that will come with it, including the removal of masks in public spaces. In Japan, a group of 37 people, including the elderly, recently took a lesson in smiling to help prepare for this transition. The smiling lesson was held in the Akabane district in Tokyo’s Kita Ward on May 7, one day before the reclassification of COVID-19 to a less-severe category that includes the seasonal flu. The instructor for the lesson was Keiko Kawano, a 49-year-old smile trainer. According to Kawano, people have had fewer opportunities to smile due to mask-wearing becoming the norm, and many people have developed a complex about their smiles as a result. ...