GotJapan

NTT DoCoMo Inc on Wednesday took the wraps off a new line of high-speed third-generation phones with a walkie-talkie feature. NTT DoCoMo said the lineup of six FOMA 902i phones, to be put on the market beginning in mid-November, includes a function allowing users to talk to a group of people at the same time with the push of a button rather than dialing a phone number.

The new service will cost 5 yen per push or 1,000 yen per month for unlimited use. The service will be offered free of charge by the end of the year. (Kyodo News)

McDonald’s Japan Corp announced Friday that a new product will be added to its menu from Oct 28: the shrimp burger. McDonald’s also said that other products were under development, including a grilled chicken sandwich, crispy and grilled chicken salads, and mixed berry yogurt.

The new burger, namely “Ebi Filet-O” in Japanese, was specifically developed to target Japanese who are the leading consumers of shrimp in the world, said a McDonald’s spokesman. The burger is similar to Filet-O-Fish and has a very crispy taste. It will sell for 270 yen or 580 yen when ordering a value meal.

Suginami Ward resident on Friday began testing selling bright yellow garbage bags designed to prevent crows from seeing inside them. Ward officials conducted experiments with crows to see which colors hampered their vision and decided on yellow.

The yellow bags have not been given government approval, but the Tokyo metropolitan government gave special permision to Suginami Ward to try the bags. The ward office gave away 400 in just 10 minutes after it opened at 9 a.m.