Stories that land

Who gets to go to the butcher?

Two brothers kept competing to run errands. When their mother needed meat, the younger one declared himself the expert.

Before the story

Comedian Date from Sandwichman (サンドウィッチマン伊達) remembers competing with his younger brother over errands.

The meat expert

When I was in second or third grade, I really wanted to run errands. You know: “I can go on my own now!”

My brother, who’s two years younger, and I would fight over who got to go. Every time.

This time, Mom was making meat patties and wanted us to buy ground meat—hiki-niku in Japanese.

My brother was all, “Meat? That’s my thing. I’m the meat expert.”

So off he went to the butcher. But he just wasn’t coming back.

Then the butcher called.

“Your younger brother’s here, and he keeps insisting on 500 grams of kin-niku—muscle. He won’t take no for an answer. I’m guessing hiki-niku, ground meat, is what you wanted?”

Three figures against red-and-white radiating marks: one in a yellow-and-navy striped shirt with an open mouth, another raising a yellow object, and a third laughing.

We use AI as part of how we create our articles.

Next story Giggle hands out tissuesWhile handing out promotional tissues for a pachinko parlor, Giggle met an older woman who wanted a few more.
More stories The brooch that caught Nagomido’s eyeAt an izakaya, Nagomido spots comedian Matsuo Bannai and finds even the smallest detail of his outfit impressive. A single-story white fishing facility with a red sign, green shrubs and a brown wall alongside it. Takahashi and the regular across the pondTakahashi recalls a good day of goldfish fishing—and a regular who kept staring at him. Drawing of a black and purple scooter against an orange background. I thought everyone was recognizing me on my scooterKasuga recalls a hurried stop on the way home, followed by a ride that seemed to attract everyone’s attention. All stories
Start here The Boyfriend Sales Pitch A hopeful dater sweetens the pitch with every no. The friend listening won't budge. 3:36 Watch the whole thing (3:36)