Ranjatai: priceless piece of aromatic wood is source of emperor’s most exquisite incense
The Ranjatai (蘭奢待) is one of Japan’s great hidden national treasures, a priceless piece of aromatic agarwood that is the source of the emperor’s most…
Only in Japan
Pioneering virtual singer YuNi announces major debut album “eternal journey,” summer concert
When we interviewed YuNi a few months after her debut in May 2018, she was just beginning her journey, aiming to be the world’s top…
Kuge: Japan’s original art snobs have a lot to answer for
Traditional Japanese artistic disciplines like calligraphy, the tea ceremony, and flower arranging are loved and admired around the world. But why are they enveloped in…
In praise of Masato Hara, legendary film producer, who has died at 89
Masato Hara 原正人, the legendary film producer who worked with Akira Kurosawa, Nagisa Oshima and other leading Japanese filmmakers in a seven-decade career, died of…
Girls envy confectioners and boys idolize police: top jobs in the minds of Japanese kids
Children of all ages idolize various vocations throughout their education and youth. Rightly or wrongly, almost every elementary school student has a ready-made answer to…
Japanese children write deep and introspective poems
At elementary schools in Japan, students partake in special classes to teach them the art of tanka 短歌. Tanka are short yet elegant poems consisting…
Colorful “Irotemari” Japanese glass balls can be used as single vases, reed diffusers and more
When you see celebrities living out fabulous lives on social media or on TV programs, don’t you sometimes think, “I wish I could add a…
Kanpai after your daily battles with Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045 sake featuring original artwork
The Major. Batou. Tachikoma. If that string of words means anything to you, then you’re surely one of the legions of fans who have followed…
You can help reduce food loss when you buy this vegetable dashi made with imperfect produce
Mountain Book LLC, located in Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture, has started a crowdfunding campaign on Campfire for a vegetable-based dashi broth called 野菜だけのやさしい旨みだし (yasai dake…
Say sayonara to greasy hair with Kinueki Japanese golden silk shampoo and hair mist
Greasy hair can really be a downer. “My scalp was a bit oily, and I had a complex about my flat, listless hair. I used…
Cats on swings are the comforting capsule toy figures you never realized you needed
Whether it’s the pandemic or just everyday stress, we can all use a breather once in a while. These capsule toy figures of cats lazily…
From booze to bioenergy: Japanese factory to convert waste from shochu production into fuel
Anabuki Housing Service Corporation, a condominium management company, held an inauguration ceremony on April 7, 2021 for its Shochu Bioenergy Miyazaki Nichinan Plant in Nichinan…
Pui Pui Molcar Drives Home Stop-motion Anime with Fuzzy Characters and Black Humor
No language barrier, the anime using fuzzy felt guinea pig cars drives its messages home with soft emotion, details and cuteness, charming international and domestic…
Hokkaido Gourmet Spring Fair comes to Shinjuku
The Hokkaido Gourmet Fair is one of Japan’s annual popular events, and it usually takes place twice a year, in spring and autumn. Unfortunately, the…
No computer graphics?! Pocari Sweat’s uplifting new commercial stuns through technical skill
“What, this isn’t CG? It’s too amazing.” “I think this should be considered as a work of art. It’s simply wonderful.” “This video is so…