Have a Break

Hamburg steak is a favorite of men and women of all ages.
It originated in Hamburg, Germany around the 18th century, and the earliest reference to hamburger steak served to the general public in Japan is said to be the Sanuki Railway’s menu, a dining car receipt dated December 1902 (from Wikipedia). That is more than 120 years ago. Today, hamburger restaurants specializing in hamburgers are located in various parts of Japan, and each seems to have become popular in its own way.

Sumiyaki Restaurant Sawayaka, a restaurant in Shizuoka Prefecture, is a hamburger steak restaurant that became nationally known about 15 years ago when it was introduced on a national TV program.
Since there are no stores in other prefectures in Japan and reservations are not possible, customers from outside of the prefecture tend to line up on weekends and national holidays. Some people are heard to say, “I waited in line for five hours.

The most popular menu item at this restaurant is the “Genkotsu hamburger steak.” The hamburger steak is placed on a steak plate on a griddle, and the waiter cuts it into two pieces in front of you. The sound and smell of the rare part being cooked makes the dish even more appetizing!

By the way, I recently learned that the “bomb hamburger steak” served at a restaurant called “Flying Garden” is famous in the northern Kanto region.
I have never had a “bomb hamburger steak” so I am very curious about it. I would like to try it if I have a chance.
By the way, both menus are registered under the following trademarks. (Time)

Genkotsu Hamburger Steak
Right holder : Sawayaka Corporation Ltd.
Japanese Registration number : No. 3364234

J-PlatPat (Patent Information Platform)

Bomb hamburger steak
Right Holder : Flying Garden Co.
Japanese Registration No. : No. 3002310

J-PlatPat (Patent Information Platform)

　I found a delicious looking gummy candy at the store: 4D Gummy BLOCKS are gummy candies from KANRO Co., Ltd. (importer).

The 4D in this 4D Gummy is 3D for 3-Demention and Delicious. The 4D Gummy from Amos are not only a snack, but also a toy, a learning and communication tool. 4D Gummy are both delicious and fun.

　As of today, Kanro Co., Ltd. has 28 Japanese Patent applications, 3 Japanese Design registrations, and 308 Japanese Trademark applications. (Raspberry)

“4D 3D + DELICIOUS”
Right holder: Shenzhen Amos Sweets & Foods Co., Ltd.
Japanese Registration number: No. 6182567
Registration date: September 20, 2019

AmosGummy | Build Yummy Fun with Innovative 4D Gummy Candy

　The other day, I found an ingredient at a certain member warehouse type store that caught my attention a bit, and I bought it.

　It is NEXT Kalbi 2.1, a meat made from soybeans (alternative meat).

　Because it is seasoned, it is easy to cook, just a quick pan-frying.

　How does it taste?
　Very tasty! The look and texture is completely meat! If you taste it carefully, you can smell the slight aroma of soybeans. But if you are not told anything, you might think it is just ordinary meat. Alternative meat has finally entered the 2.1 version.

　Next Meats, the company that markets NEXT Kalbi 2.1 and other alternative meat products, has adopted the philosophy of “Promote the well-being of our planet.”. Next Meats is a Japanese food-tech venture company established to combat the escalating global warming.

　Next Meats has a total of 29 registered trademarks at this time, including “NEXTカルビ” and “NEXTYAKINIKU”. (Hiro)

Next Meats https://www.nextmeats.global/value
About Next Meats https://shop.nextmeats.jp/pages/about

From winter to spring, I often see “Dekopon” in supermarkets. I sometimes buy Dekopon because it is sweet and tasty, with a distinctive appearance of the head sticking out like a hump. A product called “Shiranui” (Shiranuhi,), which looks like dekopon, can also be found.

Both “Dekopon” and “Shiranui” are the result of crossbreeding “Kiyomi” and “Ponkan,” but “Dekopon” is a registered trademark of the Kumamoto Prefectural Fruit Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations (JA Kumamoto Kajitsuren) (Japanese Registration No. 2495156), while “Shiranui” is a common name.

Because the name has a great impact, when you see a citrus fruit with a hump on its head, you tend to say “Dekopon!”. However, “Dekopon” is a type of “Shiranui” citrus that must meet quality standards such as a sugar content of 13 degrees or higher and a citric acid content of 1.0% or lower, and only licensed agricultural organizations are allowed to use the “Dekopon” trademark.

March 1 has been registered as “Dekopon Day” by the Japan Anniversary Association, in honor of the first shipment of “Dekopon” from Kumamoto Prefecture on March 1, 1991. “Dekopon” is also produced in Aichi and Mie Prefectures. (Syszo)

JA Kumamoto Kajitsuren – Trademarks
JA Kumamoto Kajitsuren – Beware of unauthorized use of the registered trademark “Dekopon”
Wikipedia – Dekopon
J-PlatPat – Japanese Trademark Registration No. 2495156

I would like to introduce “Chiikawa,” a character that we have recently seen in various places. Chiikawa, short for “Something Small and Cute,” is a manga work by illustrator Nagano. Chiikawa’s Twitter account (probably another Nagano account), where the manga is posted, has 1,957,000 followers! (as of March 8, 2023) The number of followers shows how popular it is. The main character, a bear, is called “Chiikawa”.

*From the bulletin of Japanese Trademark Registration 6462301

There are 7 original goods stores “Chiikawa land” (permanent stores) in Japan. An animation of Chiikawa land is aired on “Mezamashi TV” every Friday around 7:40 a.m.. I searched J Plat-Pat for “Chiikawa,” which is so popular that it has collaborated with other characters such as Sanrio and Shonen Jump, as well as major companies such as Suntory and Family Mart, and found two “Chiikawa” hits. (Japanese Trademark Registration No. 6462303 and Registration No. 6649263) Also, since the right holders of the two trademarks were the same, I searched by the name of the right holder of the trademark, and I found 9 hits. (4 of them were related to Chiikawa)

I have become a big fan of Chiikawa, and now I read the manga on Twitter, watch the anime in real time, and look around for collaboration goods. By the way, my favorite character is Chiikawa’s friend Rabbit. (Rabbit)

　“Blue Lock” is a very popular soccer animation in which one world-class striker is chosen by kicking out 299 out of 300 high school FWs. When we checked the trademark, we found that not only the title “Blue Lock” but also “that mark (*)” consisting of five pentagons was registered as a trademark in graphic form only (Japanese registration 6673890, with colors, registration date: 2023/2/21). Indeed, when I see it, I think “It’s a Blulo!”.
　*The “O” in the “LOCK” logo in the photo. The “O” in the “LOCK” logo in the photo is a single color of blue in the trademark.

　Looking at the application history of this trademark, we see that an amendment was filed in response to a notice of reasons for refusal, and the description of “gemstones” in Class 14 was deleted from the designated goods and services. Coincidentally, I couldn’t help but feel a connection to the fact that Jinpachi Ego, the representative of Blue Lock, calls the gathered high school strikers “gemstones of talent” in the work. (Marron)

Although it will have ended by the time this article is published, February is Valentine’s Day.
I very much look forward to the chocolate fairs held at various department stores every year. This year, in particular, I went to a department store right after the fair started because I had been curious about some chocolates since last year.
The chocolate I had been curious about was the “Suzuno Truffles” sold by the Japanese confectionery Suzukake only during the Valentine’s Day season.

As you can see in the photo above, the truffles come in three different flavors (matcha, hojicha, and brown rice) and are presented in a very cute box with colorful flowers on it.

By the way, when you buy sweets at Suzukake, they put your purchase in a paper bag with the following symbol on it.

The hieroglyphic character for “ka (meaning:confectionery)” is eye-catching, and many people may recognize this logo.
When I see someone carrying this paper bag, my feet naturally turn to the store and I think, “I’ll buy one too…” This logo has a great advertising effect (at least for me).

The “Ka” logo mark has been registered as a trademark for the designated product “confectionery” (Japanese Trademark Registration No. 6059376, etc.).
(Sakuramochi)