Super Nintendo World Opens in Osaka Japan

Some great news this month with the opening of the brand new Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan. This interactive world allows you to immerse yourself in the incredible land of Mario with characters from the Super Mario video game series.  

Universal Studios Japan is a popular theme park in Osaka, Japan which originally opened in 2001. USJ, which it is affectionately called by locals is home to 10 sections: Hollywood, New York, San Francisco, Jurassic Park, Waterworld, Amity Village, Universal Wonderland, Minion Park, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and the brand new Super Nintendo World.

Super Nintendo World officially opened on March 18, 2021, and is based on the Super Mario, Mario Kart and Yoshi’s Island franchises. 

Photo: Universal Studios Japan

 

The attractions at Super Nintendo World include:

Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge – an interactive ride that features AR (Augmented Reality) technology, based on the Mario Kart franchise. Iconic Mario Kart courses have been brought to life with cutting-edge technology such as AR, projection mapping and special effects.

Yoshi’s Adventure – a ride themed after the Yoshi character and series. Hop on Yoshi for an adorable adventure as you search for Captain Toad on a treasure hunt.

Power Up Band Key Challenges – a treasure-hunt style interactive adventure, where players have to find keys to defeat Bowser Jr. in a final boss battle. Visitors can purchase Power-up Bands, a wristband that can be linked to a smartphone application, which allows players to jump and punch “question blocks” and collect virtual coins and keys which are stored on the app. Visitors can compete with other gamers in the park to be the champion. 

Photo: Universal Studios Japan

 

The fun doesn’t stop at the rides and attractions. You can enjoy delicious Mario themed goodies at Kinopio’s Cafe.

As Mario himself would say, “Let’s-a-go to Super Nintendo World.”

Shop for Japanese Products with Neokyo

Neokyo is a Japanese Proxy Service which allows you to shop hassle-free from your favourite Japanese online stores without all the stress of not speaking Japanese and not actually being in Japan.

What is Neokyo?

Neokyo is a platform allowing you to easily order products that are sold on Japanese online stores such as Pokemon Center and Sanrio Store.

The principle is simple: you find an item that you would like to buy in Japan, fill in the purchase request from Neokyo.com and whallah, you are done. Neokyo will take care of the rest which includes the purchase, storage and shipping of your item.

Neokyo charge a service fee of 250 yen (USD$2.30) per item. You can store the items that you purchase for free for up to 45 days. This makes it possible to purchase items from several different Japanese online stores and send everything together in 1 package in order to save on international shipping costs.

Shipment includes insurance and tracking at starts from 500 yen (USD$4.60) plus the shipment price. 

 

Some of the most popular Japanese stores for customers include Pokemon Center, Donguri Sora (Ghibli), Nintendo Store, Uniqlo and Tower Records. You can also purchase items from Amazon Japan and Rakuten. The platform allows you to buy direct from thousands of shops in Japan.

You are also able to purchase second-hand goods from shops like Mercari and Surugaya. They also offer auction requests from Yahoo Auctions. 

 

Advantages of using Neokyo

* You can take advantage of Japanese exclusives.

·         * Purchase Japanese products safely online without having to wait for a convention.

·         * Pre-order an item in Japan to ensure that you never miss an offer.

·         * Take advantage of Japanese auction sites such as Yahoo Auction.

·         * Use platforms of sales between individuals such as Mercari.

·         * Pay for your items at the real Japan price not an inflated price. 

 

Customer Reviews

Neokyo has received an excellent 4.5/5-star rating from its customers. Satisfied customers have complimented the platform for its fantastic support staff, easy to use web-app and website, active community on social media and Discord, and opportunity it provides to find those rare items that are not available in any other country. 

Visit the Neokyo website to start shopping for your favourite Japanese products.  

Enjoying the Food of Aizuwakamatsu

Like many places in Japan, Aizuwakamatsu is home to some amazing food. Its biggest claim to fame could be Kitakata Ramen, one of Japan’s top three ramen dishes, but it is also proud of its unique dishes such as Negi Soba and Bandai Katsudon.

In the final part of this three-part series on Aizuwakamatsu we will explore the food of this area. Make sure you check out part 1 of the series about samurai culture and part 2 about the traditional culture and crafts of Aizuwakamatsu before reading this post.

Bandai Katsudon

One of my all-time favourite dishes is sauce katsu, deep fried pork cutlets, on a bowl of rice, covered in a sweet sauce. The best place in Aizu to try it is at Jumonjiya, where they serve a massive version called “Bandai Katsudon”, named after a 1816-meter tall, dormant volcano that overlooks Aizuwakamatsu. This dish comes with two huge pork cutlets which are 450 grams each. I am sorry to say that I couldn’t finished all of mine!

Bandai Katsudon at Jumonjiya

Kitakata Ramen

One of the most famous ramen dishes in Japan comes from a small town just outside of Aizuwakamatsu City called Kitakata. This town is home to around 120 ramen shops, serving more ramen per capita than any other place in Japan. The delicious soy sauce-based ramen is known for its thick noodles, which are made from pure local mountain water. 

Negi Soba

Negi soba is a traditional dish of buckwheat noodles served with a green leek. The large green leek is meant to be used as chopsticks to eat the noodles. While it might be difficult to scoop up the noodles, taking a small bite of the leek while eating the noodles definitely adds to the flavour. A great place to try this unique experience is at Minatoya in Ouchi-juku.

Negi Soba at Minatoya in Ouchi-juku

Shingoro

Shingoro is a grilled lightly-pounded rice cake on a bamboo skewer. It is covered in a miso paste and topped with wild sesame. It reminds me a lot of gohei mochi, which is famous in Gifu. A good place to try this local specialty is at Ouchi-juku where it is grilled over charcoals.

Shingoro at Minatoya in Ouchi-juku

Sakura-niku

Sakura-niku or horse meat has been a delicacy in Aizu since the days of the samurai. High in nutrients and low in calories, one of the most popular ways to enjoy it is as sashimi. The basashi or raw horse meat is enjoyed by dipping it in spicy miso.

Basashi at Aizu Tsuruga Higashiyama Sohonzan

Sakura-niku dishes at Aizu Tsuruga Higashiyama Sohonzan

A great place to try it is at Aizu Tsuruga Higashiyama Sohonzan, which specializes in Aizu horse meat dishes and local cuisine. The amazing dishes here are expertly made and served using traditional Aizu lacquerware to enhance to experience.

Aizu Tsuruga Higashiyama Sohonzan

Aizu Beef

Aizu Beef with its wonderful marbling of fat is a Japanese wagyu that literally melts in your mouth. A good place to try it is at Shubukawa Donya, which was originally a seafood wholesaler. Located along Nanokamachi Street, this amazing restaurant is set in an Aizu merchant home from the Meiji period (1868-1912).  

Aizu Beef at Shubukawa Donya

Shubukawa Donya in Aizuwakamatsu

Aizu Beef at Ashinomaki Onsen Ookawaso

Nisshin no Sanshozuke

Each family in Aizu have their own recipe for this dish of preserved herring that is rolled in Japanese pepper leaves and pickled with soy sauce, vinegar and sake. This regional delicacy is perfect as a snack served with some of the local sake.

I hope you have enjoyed my posts about Aizuwakamatsu and they have inspired you to visit this historic and culturally rich part of Japan on your next trip.