What's Trending in Japan?! Weekly Digest (10/8 - 10/12, 2018)

Published: Oct 12 2018 Last updated: Sep 09 2020

tsunagu Japan
Yuri I.

Are you sick of getting late news on the newest hot topics in Japan? Here's a quick and easy weekly digest that'll give you the scoop on the top 3 trends making waves on Japan's social media platforms! With Halloween coming, this week is all about sweets: a crazy Japanese pancake with tons of bacon and two eggs, the first-ever Russian roulette bread, and a new Japan-only, autumn-only KitKat flavor!

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No, This is Not a Burger, This is a Pancake

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At first sight, doesn't this look more like a bacon and cheese burger topped with an egg?

In reality, this is a crazy Japanese pancake combo made by beautifully layering salty bacon, two sunny-side up eggs, and three fluffy rice flour pancakes. It is then completed with a spurt of delicious Hollandaise sauce.

Eating it is a messy yet amazing experience, as the video below will show you.

Desperate to taste it? You can eat this wacky pancake at Benitsuru, a tiny yet insanely popular pancake store in Tokyo that only offers its pancakes to 60 people per day.

If you don't have the time or inclination to wait around hoping to gain access to their pancakes, check out the other delicious pancake shops in the article below.

Do You Dare Play Russian Roulette With... Bread?

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Halloween is all about sweets and playing tricks, and no country is better at it than Japan.

Though this may look like a regular piece of bread, it's actually a Russian roulette bread! As its packaging says, there are 8 delicious square pieces filled with cream or chocolate, as well as 1 deadly piece with spicy wasabi in it...

Can you guess which piece has the wasabi filling?

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This might be a Halloween-only treat, but at 398 yen, it sure is a cheap and "safe" way to play Russian roulette. Why not give it a try this Halloween?

If you'd rather head outside for the Halloween month of October, the article below has some spots worth checking out.

This New KitKat Flavor Screams of Autumn!

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To celebrate the upcoming fall, KitKat has introduced a Japan-only, autumn-only flavor: chestnut!

Despite being so new that there are barely any pictures of it, this chocolate candy bar is already gathering interest from all corners of Japan.

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Sandwiched in-between white chocolate wafers, you'll taste cream mixed with chestnut powder. Delicious, but be careful if you have nut allergies!

You can find this sweet treat at supermarkets and convenience stores across Japan, so if you plan to visit in time for the fall foliage season, check it out.

Speaking of autumn, a popular activity that many tourists like to practice in Japan is momiji-gari (fall foliage viewing). If you'll be in the Kanto region this October, give the spots below a visit!

Check out our writers’ top Japan travel ideas!

Bonus: Top 3 Fall Foliage Viewing Spots in Hokkaido for October 2018

We were asked by a few readers to pick up a few amazing fall foliage spots in Hokkaido for October, and this is the result. If you're already in Hokkaido and wondering what other sights you haven't seen, you need to check this article out!

And that's that! The trends are always quickly changing, so there will always be something new from week to week. Check back in once a week and see if anything catches your eye!

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Check out the weekly trends from the past 5 weeks!

Also, if you want to give feedback on any of our articles, you have an idea that you'd really like to see come to life, or you just have a question on Japan, hit us up on our Facebook, Twitter, or tell us through this Google Form!

The information in this article is accurate at the time of publication.