Have a glass of classic anime scotch with official Gatchaman whisky
In 1972, sci fi anime “Science Ninja Team Gatchaman” first aired on TV in Japan. The series’s blend of science fiction and superhero storylines is…
Japanese company offers free virtual “cheering” platform for sports fans this summer
For those who want to enjoy sporting events online with their friends, oVice Inc. will release a special layout for public viewing and provide it…
Japan’s Blue Impulse aerobatic team skywrites colorful Olympic rings over the skies of Tokyo
The opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics will be held in just a few hours (at the time of writing) at 8:00 p.m. on July…
Unique Othello boards from traditional Japanese paulownia box maker use reclaimed wood waste
New World Co., Ltd., and Masuda Kiribako Co., Ltd., which has been making traditional paulownia wood boxes, known in Japanese as 桐箱 kiribako, since 1929,…
Shiba inu charms everyone with elegant ballet dance while getting his paws cleaned in video
Some animals are known for their elegant and lithe movements. It’s fair to say that dogs, a type of pet which is usually seen bounding…
Vulpix appears on even more awesome Pokemon manhole covers in Hokkaido
A few years ago, Pokemon started collaborating with local municipalities around Japan to create ‘Poke Lids’ (called Pokefuta in Japanese). These are manhole covers with…
Bingoya Handicrafts: probably the best souvenir shop in Tokyo
One of the difficulties of shopping for high-quality Japanese craft products in Tokyo is finding everything under one roof. This is where Bingoya comes in….
Help (not) wanted: immigration politics in Japan
Japan is suffering from a terrible labour shortage. A Manpower survey of human resources managers around the world found that HR managers in Japan have…
Will the 2020s be a decade of entrepreneurship in Japan?
Japan often looks more like a land of corporate titans than budding entrepreneurs. There are certainly examples of entrepreneurship in the Japanese economy in the…
Four spots from which to view beautiful Matsushima Bay
Matsushima Bay is a beautiful bay dotted with 260 islands of varying size on the coast of Miyagi prefecture, 15km north of Sendai, the prefectural…
Kyūkyodō: probably Tokyo’s finest store for calligraphy supplies and high-end incenses
Photo by George Lloyd Kyūkyodō (鳩居堂) is a wonderful store that first opened in Kyoto in 1663 and is still run by the Kumagai family to…
Begin your Pokémon journey in style with the Slowpoke airport bus
Imagine. You’ve just landed at the airport. You’re overflowing with anticipation for the adventure that awaits you. You stride, practically run, through the airport, unable…
Japanese Beginner Violinist Inspires Others
Japan is known for many traditional instruments such as the shamisen, a stringed instrument often seen in paintings of geisha who would entertain other with…
What is wabi sabi?
Wabi sabi 侘び寂び is a Japanese concept that often has foreigners scratching their heads in bafflement. The first part of the expression – wabi –…
Tōshō-gū in Ueno Park is the real deal – a shrine dating back to 1627
Tokyo is one of the world’s most phoenix-like cities. Whether shaken to the ground by earthquakes, reduced to ashes by fire or bombed to smithereens…