Nintendo to open its first flagship store in Tokyo in autumn 2019
Nintendo has announced its first ever permanent, dedicated store in Tokyo, set to open this autumn inside the new Shibuya Parco department store currently under construction. Details are slim at...
View ArticleAll aboard the Hello Kitty express train taking passengers from Kansai...
Sometimes it seems that you can’t get away from Hello Kitty: everywhere you look, there’s yet another unique product. Now there’s another chance for fans of Sanrio’s feline character to satisfy their...
View ArticleJapanese comedy’s latest star is pair of robots using AI to tell jokes
Japanese comedy just got much more robotic. AIchan and GONta is a pair of robots, created to serve as a manzai-style stand-up comedy act. Developed by a special lab at Konan University, the two robots...
View ArticleVirtual YouTuber Hiyatoi Reiko promotes Osaka slum district of Kamagasaki,...
For some years now, the slum areas of Japanese cities like Sanya in Tokyo and Kamagasaki (now officially known as Airin) in Osaka have experienced a curious form of gentrification, led by the rise of...
View ArticleNestlé Japan launches Kit Kat Chocolatory Sublime Volcanic, made from rare...
Here’s a serious improvement on the “obligation chocolate” that is wrecking Valentine’s Day for many in Japan: Nestlé Japan has returned with another brilliant chocolate snack for the local market —...
View ArticleGet lost in this visually stunning children’s book of labyrinths by junaida
The artist junaida has created a dazzling, beguiling children’s book that readers of all ages will love. Unfolding across 46 pages and designed by Hal Udell, Michi depicts a series of vibrant,...
View ArticleThe new Manga Art Hotel in Tokyo offers guests sleepless nights and 5,000...
Love manga? Need accommodation in Tokyo? Then clearly you are going to love the new Manga Art Hotel, Tokyo, which is set to open in the district of Kanda this February. Further developing a trend for...
View ArticleCoca-Cola Peach is back, fruitier than ever
Coca-Cola continues its exploration of unique new flavors and tastes with another beverage exclusive to the Japanese market. The Coca-Cola Peach is a fruity version of the coke we have all come to love...
View ArticleFinal Fantasy XIV Wedding service recreates marriage ceremony from video game
Final Fantasy fans looking to get hitched in the near future may want to consider a ceremony that marries them to their hobby as well as their spouse. The Final Fantasy XIV Wedding service will be...
View ArticleYumeshima area redevelopment to feature boldly designed new station,...
Osaka Metro has announced a large-scale plan to redevelop the Yumeshima area, which will host the World Expo in 2025. Yumeshima (literally “dream island” and not to be confused with the similarly named...
View ArticleUnknown artist creates amazing Studio Ghibli anime character moss murals in...
On a moss wall between the city of Chichibu and village of Higashi Chichibu, an unknown artist has created incredible art on a moss wall inspired by the films of Studio Ghibli. Shared by @hana_inko on...
View ArticleTokyo Station recreated with Microsoft PowerPoint
Tokyo Station is not only the most famous rail terminus in Japan’s capital, it is also one of the city’s best-loved buildings and landmarks. First opened in 1914, it was recently restored to its full...
View ArticleGodzilla costume wins debut Cardboard Cosplay Festival
Despite its embrace of digital tools and technology, Japan remains a DIY and crafts-based culture in many ways, as the popularity of maker culture sites, fab labs and hackerspaces in Tokyo and beyond....
View ArticleLawson convenience store chain launches Karaage-kun Robo deep-fried chicken...
Japan’s convenience stores are a constant source of wonder, from the rotating lineup of snacks and products they stock to the inventive services and gimmicks they regularly introduce. This latest...
View ArticleTriumph concept bra and skirt pays tribute to Heisei period in Japan
The lingerie brand Triumph International has paid tribute to the soon-to-end Heisei period with a bra, skirt, and boots set. Various elements in the clothing reference social and cultural changes in...
View ArticleHermès Jingle Games transforms Ginza building into interactive projection...
The Maison Hermès Ginza store is already one of the architectural highlights of the capital, thanks to its impressive glass walls. Now the Hermès presence in Ginza just got better with the Hermès...
View ArticleAfter women’s curling success at Winter Olympics, “So da ne” chosen as top...
The top buzzword for 2018 has been announced as “so da ne,” meaning roughly “Yeah, that’s it” and made popular by the Japanese women’s curling team during the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in February....
View ArticleNetizens respond to new JR Yamanote Line station name Takanawa Gateway with...
No sooner had JR East announced the name of the new station along the Yamanote Line as Takanawa Gateway, igniting much surprise and criticism, than Japanese netizens turned the naming choice into a...
View ArticleNew JR Yamanote Line station name in Tokyo announced as Takanawa Gateway
JR East has unveiled the name for the new station on the Yamanote Line, which opens provisionally in spring 2020 and fully by 2024. The station is to be called Takanawa Gateway, announced the operator...
View ArticleKit Kat Japan 45th Anniversary Box brings together unique Japanese flavors of...
Nestlé has honed a brilliant marketing strategy in Japan: produce special versions of Kit Kat snacks with Japanese flavors and ingredients. A few of these are general, such as the wildly successful...
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