What is Maguro House? In December 2015, popular party and event organizer Afromance (of Afro & Co.) had the brilliant idea of combining a house music DJ party with a tuna dismantling show, a common sight at fish markets and some sushi restaurants where fishmongers expertly carve up a whole tuna. Aptly called Maguro House and held at Club Asia in Shibuya, the party was so popular that it spawned many sequels. Here are images from the Maguro House held at upscale Club Six in Roppongi last September. source: © Afro & Co. source: © Afro & Co. Evolution: Maguro House x Ai Honten In November, 2017, Maguro House made…

Japanese Twitter user and animal food art enthusiast, Nao (@england618) dazzled us before with dango formed into little shiba inu dog faces and butts. They looked delicious and adorable in equal measure, leaving us questioning if they were too cute to eat, or too tempting not to. Shiba Inu dango 前から作りたかった柴犬みたらし団子を作りました😄可愛いワン🐶 犬派にはたまらないワン🐶#お菓子作り好きな人と繋がりたい #お腹ペコリン部 pic.twitter.com/5A49gX1zlD — Nao (@england618) 5 September 2017 The ingenious food artist is back at it again with these beautiful steamed goldfish dumplings seemingly swimming around on a plate amongst some tufts of seaweed. Impressively, no synthetic colouring was used to achieve the finished result. Goldfish Steamed Dumpings毎年金魚をモチーフにしたもの作っていますが今年はこれ🐟金魚みたいな海老の飲茶です😆❗見た目が涼しげで暑さを忘れそう😍合成着色料無添加です。 海老好きにはたまりません( ＾∀＾)#お腹ペコリン部 pic.twitter.com/bnKZcaGRux — Nao (@england618) 24 May 2018 The…

Cat cafes have been a staple of Japanese cities for many years now. A feline presence has been scientifically proven to reduce stress and in an over-worked country like Japan you can imagine the appeal. Couple this with the fact that most Japanese apartments don’t allow pets, (oh and the fact that cats are just an adorable joy to be around) and you’ll understand why the concept took off as it did. Patricio Fuentesさん(@patorus)がシェアした投稿 – 2018年 5月月25日午前12時15分PDT But cat cafes can be crowded, the fluffy inhabitants getting bored of being ogled at by hundreds of strangers a day, and you end up competing with others for the much coveted cattention!…

The growing popularity of cycling in Japan, and perhaps the popularity of cycling-themed manga and anime such as Yowamushi Pedal and Long Riders!, has inspired a new concept bar and training gym in the Kanda neighborhood of Tokyo, just minutes away from Akihabara Station, called CYCLE:HOLIC. Source: © PR Times, Inc. / © CYCLE:HOLIC Open since May 20th, 2018, CYCLE:HOLIC bills itself as a new concept space for cycling enthusiasts, a place where you can “ride, drink, chat and get to like cycling even more.” Combining a training gym equipped with the latest technology, lockers, shower rooms, as well as a bar where you can unwind afterwards, CYCLE:HOLIC offers a…

Muscular crossplayers in Japan fight groping with their chests. If you’ve ever been to an anime convention or cosplay event, you’ve likely run into cosplayers who really take their costumes to the next level with impressive physiques–such as the most amazing Master Roshi ever. Unfortunately, you may have also noticed that some attendees at these events interpret more revealing costumes as an invitation to gawk, stalk, and even lay their hands on the cosplayers–particularly women. While the larger problem of that won’t ever be resolved without a major collective attitude adjustment, at the very least, two muscular Japanese cosplayers are offering up themselves as a meat shield–literally–to discourage inappropriate touching…

Harajuku is the land of cute things, the favourite haunt of fashionable teenage girls and home to many aesthetically pleasing desserts. Whatever theme you’re going for with your Instagram there’s a kawaii dessert to suit you. All these cafes and shops are in the Harajuku and Omotesando area and are in easy walking distance from Harajuku and Meiji-jingumae train stations. Most Instagrammable Desserts in Harajuku, Tokyo Harajuku Apple Source: © Grape Japan Instagram Aesthetic – Magical Fairytale If you enjoy the fantasy aspects of Japanese fashion this is the one to show off on your social media. These perfectly formed desserts give off Disney princess vibes but luckily, they’re not…

Studio Ghibli opens up it’s first official My Neighbor Totoro Restaurant in Thailand 2018. May's Garden House Restaurantさん(@maysgardenhouse)がシェアした投稿 – 2018年 5月月8日午前12時02分PDT As Studio Ghibli is set to open up an official theme park in Nagoya in 2022, and their Tokyo-based museum currently hosts all sorts of amazing exhibits, you might expect that the first official restaurant of the beloved animation studio would be located in Japan, but it’s actually set to open up in Thailand at the end of the month. May's Garden House Restaurantさん(@maysgardenhouse)がシェアした投稿 – 2018年 5月月8日午後8時28分PDT Officially licensed by Studio Ghibli, May’s Garden House Restaurant is set to have its grand opening at the end of May in…

Share Houses are becoming more popular in Japan Although not as expensive as it was in 2012, when Tokyo ranked at the top of the list of most expensive cities in Asia to rent an apartment, Tokyo still remains a pricey city, which may seem like bad news if you’re planning on living here on a limited budget. Thankfully, the number of cheaper alternatives to conventional rental agreements have increased in recent years. One such alternative is share houses. Almost unheard of twenty years ago, share houses have become a popular choice for students and young professionals. Gran Toda, a new share house concept focused on wellness Gran Toda, a…

Next week Starbucks Japan are launching a new project called Japan Wonder Project which will explore traditional Japanese flavours and tell the stories behind them. There’s no doubt that Starbucks Japan understand how much clout they have with tourists seeking out the fabled cherry blossom and matcha Frappucinos, but this project aims to help young Japanese people also rediscover traditional Japanese flavours and aesthetics. It will take the form of goods and food as well as beverages. The first offering will be a ‘Kaga Bo Hojicha Frappucino’. 5/30(水)から『加賀 棒ほうじ茶 フラペチーノ®』が新登場！My Starbucks会員の皆さまには、ひと足早く詳細な情報をお届けします。https://t.co/yHYWidSGiq pic.twitter.com/wWHiVEAqZB — スターバックス コーヒー (@Starbucks_J) 23 May 2018 Hojicha is a type of Japanese green tea, the leaves are…

Japanese vegetable origami artist creates awesome moving creatures. Japanese Twitter user Inori (@kusabanaasobi) has a passion for collecting and playing with flowers, but on Twitter she’s an artist with a reputation for “vegetable origami”. Inori collects flowers and leaves, cutting them ever so slightly to produce natural bends and then proceeds to fold them into complex creations like this: 落ち椿で赤い着物の女の子を作ります🌺花二つ、蕾一つ、葉一枚、茎少しでできています。道具は使いません。椿の花の雄しべを切るときに葉っぱのギザギザを使っているのは爪で切ると爪が黒くなるからです💧とても可愛くてお気に入りの遊びです🍀🍀 pic.twitter.com/uJPM3mgL4g — inori (@kusabanaasobi) 2017年11月27日 Inori has recently gained some attention on Twitter for her latest creation–a fluffy dead ringer for a freshly hatched chick that has many wanting their own to hold and pet. While Inori relied on her artistic sense and enthusiasm for gathering items found in nature,…

Theme park season is coming, giving us all images of sunny days spent queuing for hours. The one thing that could put a damper on the day out is surely torrential rain. You may be especially wary around this time of year as early summer is Japan’s rainy season, called ‘tsuyu’. If you’re unlucky, an all-day outdoor activity like going to Tokyo Disneyland could likely see you and your friends soaked through, even if you don’t ride Splash Mountain. But these amazing photos posted on Twitter show that your day won’t be ruined after all, as Tokyo Disneyland after rain has an unexpected magical charm. Source: kah05disney The reflected lights…

Morinoen is the best shop for Hojicha Nestled within the Ningyocho neighborhood of Tokyo, an area which has retained a strong feeling of the Edo period and is proud of its shitamachi (old town) flair, you’ll find the Morinoen 森乃園 Tea Shop and Sweets Salon. Very soon after Morinoen opened for business in 1914, it made a name for itself in Tokyo and throughout the country as experts in hojicha, a then new style of enjoying green tea by roasting the leaves in an oven, lending them a wonderful aroma, a rich reddish brown color and a toasty, slightly caramel-like flavor when infused. The aroma of Hojicha will draw you…

Ken Shimizu, affectionately known as “Shimiken”, is sometimes called the king of the Japanese adult video industry. This moniker is likely a credit to his work ethic and extensive resume, which may be best summarized by the following excerpt from an interview the prolific porn star did with GQ: At 35 years old, Shimiken is the king of Japanese porn, more often referred to here as AV (adult video), and there is essentially nothing he won’t do or hasn’t done while getting busy with more than 7,500 different female costars, including a former teen pop singer, Hungarian exchange students, and a pair of 72-year-old twins. In 18 years and more…

Photographer YASUTO (@yasuto8888) must have realized after the buzz surrounding previous photos that grandmother plus dog plus flowers is the perfect recipe for a movingly beautiful shot. We shared this photo previously which manages to perfectly convey the photographer’s grandmother’s playful nature all in a whimsical spring setting. Source: @yasuto8888 This winning combination is back for another photo to pull at our heartstrings. After the spring vibes of the last photo under cherry blossom trees, this new image has a more of a summery feeling. In a field of blooming poppies, the photographer’s grandmother takes her beloved pet for a walk. Source: @yasuto8888 One photo can tell a whole story…

“I want to make art that somehow resonates with the viewer” Japanese illustrator Rokuban draws fictional cities and urban megastructures that seem to combine a sense of otherworldliness with a nostalgia for the Showa Era of Japan, with perhaps a bit of influence from other East Asian cities thrown in. Even though the residents rarely make an appearance, the sprawling city they inhabit imposes its presence. Sometimes bright and colorful with lights and neon signs alive with warm hues, sometimes darker and more restrained against an invariably cloudy but bright azure sky, his cityscapes are both familiar and foreign, at times inviting and at other times imposing and perhaps even…