While Japanese Kit Kats are popular around the world for their creative use of seasonal and regional specialty ingredients, which result in interesting flavors such as the world’s first Ruby chocolate Kit Kat and even Kit Kat sushi, it’s their alcohol-flavored releases that have been garnering praise as a “gourmet” option. Nestle Japan first released sake-flavored Kit Kats, then teamed up with venerated makers for a finer quality sake flavor and umeshu Kit Kats. Following that trend, Nestle Japan is now collaborating with a renowned sake brewery with a history of nearly 400 years to release a Kit Kat that promises the flavor of the highest quality sake. For their…

Japanese Twitter user and handmade clay figure designer Pobotto (@CocoGfj) has a knack for making figures that we’re not quite sure you should pet or eat. That’s because @CocoGfj combines snacks–many of the traditional Japanese variety–and animals into adorable hybrids that have confused more than one person on Twitter. While they can’t actually be eaten, they look every bit as delicious as a real sweet treat and even cuter. Here are just a handful of their excellently crafted figures that are cute enough to double as a pet. Be sure to follow on Twitter for even more! Flap Jack Octopus Sweet Potato Source: @CocoGfj Source: @CocoGfj Source: @CocoGfj Source: @CocoGfj…

Japanese retailer Felissimo’s YOU+MORE! series (a play on the pronunciation of “humor” in Japanese) most definitely lives up to its name, offering quirky gag products such as a wearable blanket that turns you into an UFO abducting cows, or a viral sexy daikon radish waifu. Now Felissimo is up to its sleeping wear antics again, this time tapping into the childhood disappointment of being cast as a tree in the school play with a wearable stage tree sleeping bag. The blanket portion drapes over the body as a trunk and a hole opens into the leafy portion for the wearer’s head to stick out, with two prop miniature trees adding…

Japanese online retailer Felissimo’s “Cat Club” (Neko-bu) division has quite the resume of feline-themed goods, including lip gloss that recreates the feeling of kissing a wet cat nose and scratch-and-sniff stickers that smell like cat tummies. One of their most recent hits, however, is the “Nyanko Fruits Tart” (Kitty Fruits Tart)–a pet bed that turns your cat into a giant sleeping fruit tart. Now their latest product is a doubling down on the sweetness with the Nyanko Rollcake Tunnel (Kitty Rollcake Tunnel). It can be a rather frustrating endeavor to try and convince a cat to use a toy you’ve purchased for it, but perhaps the narrow space and comfy…

Avogado6 (アボガド6) is a talented Japanese artist doesn’t offer much information about himself other than their fondness for chemistry and creating video works, but there is a ton of conversation to be had about their dark and though-provoking artwork. Avogado6’s illustrations, which we’ve had the pleasure of introducing before, often use powerful imagery and symbolism to reflect on societal problems, but also personal depression and trauma. All of Avogado6’s work can be seen on their official website and Twitter account, but below are some recent standout pieces that will leave you thinking! Hollow Avogado6 Responsibility Source: Avogado6 Affirmation Source: Avogado6 Disassociation Source: Avogado6 Powder Avogado6 Path of Humanity Avogado6 Changing…

It doesn’t take a particularly long amount of time in Japan to come across incorrect and sometimes humorous applications of English that have come to be known as “Engrish”, such as the infamous “Black Man Super Bikini.” Many of these are simply the result of a lack of English ability (or consulting someone with it) or using the aesthetic of the English language to appear stylish, but a new product from Japan seems to have a pretty clear idea of how it wants to market itself in English. Behold: Wash Balls. Still a little confused about what the product is for? Perhaps this clever slogan will clue you in! They’ve…

The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls: Starlight Stage, made by Cygames and Bandai Namco Studios for the Mobage mobile social network platform, is a free-to-play simulation game for smart phones where you manage the career of a producer interacting with and training Japanese pop idols on their road to success. The game’s latest function takes interaction a step further by allowing players to use AR to insert their favorite idol character into the real world. デレステARで夢が叶いました。方々の皆様、本当にすみません。#デレステ #デレステAR #橘ありす pic.twitter.com/iBAKyYhnLW — こうや (@ky_gtr) 2018年9月7日 The characters are customizable with a variety of different costumes and impressive 3D modeling (after setting a waypoint in you local vicinity for the idol to appear, you can…

Creative members of the Minecraft community have been building intricately designed worlds for years, even going so far as to recreate the entire world of Studio Ghibli’s beloved My Neighbor Totoro. One of the most recent Minecraft wonders isn’t inspired by a world of fantasy however. In fact, it’s the spitting image of a thriving Japanese metropolis, and many were surprised to find that it doesn’t actually exist. ※マインクラフトの画像です#Minecraft #minecraft都市開発部 #佐山市 pic.twitter.com/ncgTINFLpe — 佐山県(公式)@ワールド配布中 (@Sayama_City) 2018年8月26日 50 Minecraft players have come together to create Sayama City–a fictional Japanese city that while nowhere near close to completion, has all the landmarks and details of major Japanese cities such as Tokyo, Osaka,…

Although often associated with the nostalgic tastes of childhood in Japan, sweets and snacks maker Morinaga has never been afraid to shake up their lineup, going so far as to offer maple syrup pancake hot springs. Recently they released a conveniently packaged set of pudding and ice cream bars with the flavor of perhaps their most well-known product, their popular pancake mix. Morinaga’s latest release, a new squeezable pancake mix in a bag is turning heads on Japanese Twitter with pancake fans excited to revolutionize the breakfast game and cut back on dish-washing at the same time. 人類の歴史が変わるレベルの革新的ホットケーキミックスが発売されたので買ってみた。あの面倒な洗い物がなくなるなんて！家で食べるだけじゃなくてキャンプにも持って行くつもり https://t.co/1ln4Birkmq pic.twitter.com/KHhfrGn8wW — 佐藤健太郎 (@kentarow) 2018年8月29日 The “Momi Momi Hot Cake Mix”…

Energy drink fans are familiar with the iconic “slash marks” that adorn the label of Monster Energy cans and help illustrate the brand’s “unleash the beast” slogan, but Japanese original figure maker @nendoseizin1987 couldn’t help but imagine just what creature was causing those marks. The freelance artist mused in a Tweet, “After drinking a Monster Energy, I imagined just who was behind these claw marks, so I tried making it.” The result is a cycloptic taloned creature with a a psychedelic aesthetic fitting of the energy drink brand, made from sculpey polymer clay. Source: @nendoseizin1987 Source: @nendoseizin1987 Source: @nendoseizin1987 モンスターエナジーを飲んだ後、この爪痕の主はどんなのだろーと妄想してたので作ってみました。#モンスターエナジー pic.twitter.com/ToOXeDhUvK — RYO@ねんど星人 (@nendoseizin1987) 2018年8月28日 @nendoseizin1987’s talented works and garage…

Over the past few years, several Japanese cardboard artists have impressed by crafting awesome Gundam Mobile Suits and tanks, and even giant mechas for their cats. Japanese Twitter user and cardboard artist @odonger2 might be outshining others with his outstanding level of detail, however. ダンボールで工作をしています動物やポケモンを作るのが好きです！シンプルな構成で綺麗な曲面やディティールを作ること、正確さより魂を込めることを心掛けていますご興味有る方は、以下モーメントを覗いてみてください！！https://t.co/cJQB8ZlpZFInstagramhttps://t.co/SZwbygBaUH… pic.twitter.com/ZyoN6Tatv4 — オドンガー大佐 〈シンクリ10/13〜10/21〉 (@odonger2) 2018年5月9日 @odonger2 says that the theme of his projects are creating an element of density, as well as works that appear to have no unused or empty space no matter what angle they are viewed from. As you can tell from the intricate folds and detailed flourishes, he’s done well to accomplish that. The long-tailed rooster took nearly two months…

If you search long and hard enough in Japan, you may just be able to find anything in a gachapon, or capsule toy machine. While many offer figures and trinkets based off of popular anime and video game franchises, there’s also a niche genre of realistic takes on unusual animals, and even quirky scenes such as Godzilla holding an apologetic press conference for the destruction he’s caused. After extensive research regarding their anatomy and appeal to young children, Bandai has upped the ante with its latest gachapon release: a giant pill bug capsule toy! As you can see, the toy is big enough to take over the palm of your…

One look at the Twitter and Instagram of Taishi Arimura will show you that the Tokyo-based graphic designer has a witty and creative style of art. When he’s not depicting Mt. Fuji as sukiyaki noodles or giving us a double-take worthy contrast of Japanese city and country life, Arimura is working away at a series that combines samurai spirit and delicious appeal with “noodles who fight”–or bushido warriors crafted out of noodles! Source: Taishi Arimura Arimura makes use of Japan’s famously realistic and delicious Japanese food samples and transforms their styrofoam packaging into impressively detailed replication of traditional samurai armor. 　With layered and detailed crafting, even the innocuous packaging of…

In the Japanese workplace, being invited out to drink with a coworker can often be regarded as a burden as heavy as any job task. Particularly if the drinking excursion is composed of a senpai (senior) and kouhai (junior), in which the sometimes rigid social obligation of listening to one’s senior lecture, boast, or tell stories one has heard several times while feigning surprise and interest is looked at as a taxing effort that diminishes any fun in having a few beers. Fortunately, maker of the Japan’s popular craft beer Yona Yona Ale Yoho Brewery decided to set up a fun experiment to test the rigidness of the senpai/kouhai relationship…

Japan releases supplement line of sashimi in a bag Fitness fans in Japan now have an alternative to pills and powders when looking to get their supplement fix. Well, the option was always there, but this time it’s hiding in a different package. If you’ve ever wandered through a pharmacy or convenience store in Japan, you may have noticed that in the nutrition corner, supplements are often packaged in these bright plastic bags, and labeled with whatever vitamin they provide, or sometimes simply what they are recommended for (heavy drinking, cholesterol, low energy, etc.). These particular packages read “Protein”, “Vitamin B6, and Vitamin B12”. A look inside, however, will show…