Japan’s streets are famously litter-free. Even in an urban area like Tokyo, you can see a level of cleanliness completely unexpected of one of the most populated cities in the world. The Japanese people are proud of this reputation and any lapses are instantly denounced. A salient example is the recent Halloween festivities in Shibuya, which caused outrage online and in the media because of all the trash left on the street by revellers. With the older generation worrying about slipping standards, this elementary school festival came up with a genius way to make kids feel that properly disposing of rubbish is fun. Twitter user, @777_ponta spotted this and shared…

Fans of the legendary post-apocalyptic manga and anime Fist of the North Star who happen to be in Japan between now and Monday, November 19th have an opportunity to buy something very special. All 49 pages of Chapter One: “A Cry from the Heart” are being made into individual T-shirts, including the first four color pages. © Buronson, © Tetsuo Hara | © PR Times, Inc. For example, here is the opening page with the line: “In 199X the world was covered with atomic fires.” © Buronson, © Tetsuo Hara | © PR Times, Inc. Or the page where we are first introduced to Kenshiro’s trademark attack, the Hokuto Hyakuretsu…

Although Japan doesn’t strictly celebrate Christmas, come winter it’s become a steadfast tradition for various districts of Tokyo to furiously attempt to outdo each other, with dazzling LED light displays. The Best Illuminations in Tokyo This Winter These are the capital’s major players in the wintery battle for seasonal supremacy. Shinjuku Terrace City Source: PR Times The area around Shinjuku station’s new south exit will become a twinkling, flower themed spectacle and the walkway between the west exit and south exit will have multicoloured lights that express the motif of flower fairies. Dates: 14th November – 14th February 2019 Nearest Station: Shinjuku or Shinjuku Sanchome Omotesando Hills Christmas 2018 with…

Cat owners the world over grapple with the same problem. Spending a ton of money on elaborate cat toys, beds, towers and other trinkets that you were sure your pet would just love. Only for them to completely ignore it. Or just play with the box it came in instead. But this cat video has gone viral because it shows this, the rarest of victories for cat lovers. After buying an adorable cat-sized bed, the kitty is actually sleeping in it. View this post on Instagram 茶太郎💓きなこ💕短足兄妹🐾さん(@amaccho5160)がシェアした投稿 – 2017年12月月4日午前12時39分PST What makes it even cuter is that the bed is in the style of a traditional Japanese futon set. Munchkin cats…

It’s hard to express the joy of living with a pet unless you actually have one, but Japanese illustrator and bunny lover Schinako (@schinako) may be doing as great a job as possible with her charming artwork. In her illustrations, Schinako shows some of the simple pleasures that these adorable and fascinating animals can bring to daily activities such as cooking, reading, or simply relaxing around the house. In her profile, she writes that she loves drawing “the happiness of bunny and bunny lovers”, and her delightful art style captures that perfectly. Source: Schinako The Fukushima based artist clearly understands the curious and affectionate nature of rabbits (inspired by her…

(by Arielle Busetto, JAPAN Forward) You might imagine my slight amazement when I found out that a comedy dance crew by the name of s**t kingz agreed to an interview. What was in store for me? I shouldn’t have worried. I was greeted by four easy-going, cheerful Japanese guys who seemed to be very excited to be touring the country. Photo by Takanori Tsukiji | © JAPAN Forward As we sat down, tea in hand, I tried to figure out what this crew was all about. Before they started talking about their activities, I needed to ask: where does the name come from? “It comes from the Japanese word shikkin,…

It would seem Japanese people have a knack for creating incredibly detailed works of art in miniature form. We’ve already seen artists creating sculptures on the tip of a pencil, artists creating miniature Zen gardens and miniature sushi food samples. From time to time, these works are showcased on Twitter through hashtags which gather momentum. The most recent example was a hashtag ハンドメイド界隈のテンション上げてく為に自分のイチオシ作品画像を貼ろう which translates to “let’s post images of our favorite works to get people psyched in the field of handmade [art]” Miniature Kiriko Glasses Miniature artist megu (@meguxmini) participated in the hashtag campaign, promoting her own minuscule yet detailed reproductions of traditional Kiriko style glasses. Kiriko, or Satsuma…

Japan is a country with a population of about 130 million people and about 300,000 different family names. You’ve probably heard of the common ones like Takahashi or Watanabe, but have you ever come across a rare name with a strange meaning? In contrast to other Asian countries like China and Korea, whose family names come from ancient clans and noble families, Japanese family names mostly date from the 19th century, after the Meiji restoration. When it was decreed that everyone should have a surname, people were given free rein to decide their own names, resulting in a wide range of monikers. Despite the name free-for-all, it seems most people…

Introduction to the Toei Animation Museum On July 28th, the new Toei Animation Museum opened its doors to the public. Located in the Oizumi area of Nerima Ward, Tokyo, on the first floor of the world-famous Toei Animation‘s New Oizumi Studio building, the museum allows visitors to learn about the various steps of creating anime through a series of interactive displays, view video clips and read about Toei Anime works from across the decades on a giant interactive screen and enjoy photo opportunities with cutouts and life-sized figures of famous Toei Animation characters. The temporary exhibit space currently features the popular Precure anime series. There’s also a museum shop where…

Introduction If you’re planning on visiting Tokyo, one of your concerns as you get closer to your departure date is how to get to your hotel. If you’re wealthy and have all the time in the world, you could just take a taxi from Narita Airport to your hotel. You may enjoy some scenery on the highway but if you face traffic, you’ll just have to stare at nondescript buildings. Not exactly the most pleasant experience. On the other hand, if you are determined to take public transportation, you’ll save money, but you may get lost somewhere. You probably won’t have much time to enjoy the view and your first…

Anime fans looking for an iconic series themed restaurant and bar who missed a chance to say “See you, space cowboy” at the awesome Cowboy Bebop-themed cafe will have another shot this year. Starting this week, a Neon Genesis Evangelion bar will be opening up in the Ikebukuro neighborhood of Tokyo, complete with a menu of Japanese pub food and beverages inspired by characters and scenes from the mega popular anime series! Similar to how the Cowboy Bebop cafe teamed up with Animate, the Evangelion bar and restaurant is a collaboration with 46 Shokudo, which regularly hosts anime-themed restaurant events. The Evangelion Sakaba (Evangelion drinking spot) is actually an izakaya,…

At any given time, Japan has a whole host of limited time only collaborations between characters and food outlets to create adorable and in-demand snacks. But every so often, one comes along that is so cute, you wish it would stay around forever. These Pikachu face doughnuts, coming out this week at Mister Donut, are one example of this phenomenon. Timed for the same release date as Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee in Japan, these sweet treats will be available in Mister Donut from 16th November. Two doughnuts are on offer, a Pikachu and a Pokeball. Pikachu’s round yellow face is a soft and airy doughnut covered…

The results are finally in for Kit Kat Japan’s worldwide vote to decide a brand new flavour to celebrate 45 years of Kit Kat in the country. Half a million chocolate fans from 81 countries tried to vote into existence the Kit Kat of their dreams. There were some suggested flavours to choose from, but you could also submit your own ideas, leading to some questionable candidates. Japan has become known overseas for their many delicious and eccentric Kit Kat flavours. Some are seasonal and others are inspired by traditional and regional Japanese specialties. Source: PR Times Some of the popular entries were as varied as stroopwafel, mocha, Thai iced…

If songs like the one below give you fond memories, it may mean that you’re an anime fan who enjoyed the soundtracks of Dragon Ball Z episode and movie dubs. It also now means that you’re listening to music composed by a recently elected United States Senator in Texas. Nathan Johnson (Democrat), known to anime fans as a composer for five Dragon Ball Z film dubs a multitude of episodes as well, defeated Republican incumbent Don Huffines to claim a Texas senate seat on Election Day Tuesday with 54.1% of the vote. While that may be the headline for Dragon Ball Z fans, Johnson’s resume more significantly includes providing pro-bono…

Fuji TV’s +Ultra Anime Programming Japan’s Fuji Television network created the +Ultra anime programming lineup as “a new challenge.” As expressed in their motto: “We want to spread anime culture abroad too,” each anime series in their lineup is simultaneously launched on Fuji Television and on Netflix, thus making them available to a global audience. Three anime series have been announced thus far, with the first, INGRESS THE ANIMATION, already on air since October 15th. The second series, revisions, will launch in January 2019, and the third, CAROLE & TUESDAY, in April 2019. INGRESS THE ANIMATION INGRESS THE ANIMATION tells the story of an epic battle for the fate of…