There have been a billion articles—some sensitive and inquisitive, some mocking and exploitative—written over the years about the “quirkiness” of Japanese culture. And while there’s a certain, regrettable ”point and stare” vibe to so many of these pieces that we aim to avoid, on the other hand, the country is currently playing host to a bath house where you can soak in a giant pancake, so maybe we’re kind of stuck with what we’ve got.
Said breakfast-based bathing is being offered by the Hakone Kowakien Yunessun resort, a purveyor of such exotic delights as red wine and coffee baths. Designed to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Morinaga hot cake mix, the giant pancake bath is apparently scented with maple syrup and vanilla, and probably isn’t as horrifically sticky as it sounds. (That being said, they do apparently add actual maple syrup to the water several times a day.)
The hot cake bath presumably won’t be sticking around for very long (because that’s how you get ants), so anyone living with this particular flapjack-related fetish—and a cursory Google image search suggests that you’re definitely out there—should probably book a flight to Japan right now.