Experience being an athlete at the Japan Olympic Museum in Tokyo
With the 2020 Olympic Games coming up, people from not only Japan but all over the world are buzzing in anticipation of the big event….
Olympics
Feeling The Heat: Japan Uses The 2020 Olympics to Further Climate Awareness
As the 2020 Olympics draw near, excitement is becoming palpable. Results from ticket lotteries are being announced, hotels are being booked, and qualifying rounds are…
Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relays: Routes, Runners and Race Details
On June 1, the organizing committee of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games announced the route for the Olympic torch relay races, which will…
Russian Olympic Medallists Skate in Madoka Magica Cosplay in New Japanese Game Commercial
A new smartphone game based on the twisted magical girl anime, Puella Magi Madoka Magica is being released, and real life heroic teenage girls have…
Japanese Grandma Learning English One Word a Day to Help Out During the Tokyo Olympics
Omotenashi is a Japanese word which is being thrown around a whole lot in the run up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Omotenashi means hospitality,…
Tokyo 1964 and 2020: How the Olympics Have Transformed the City
by Robert Whiting, via JAPAN forward It is something my wife and I look forward to: every morning we walk along the glimmering waterfront at…
Olympic Skater Yuzuru Hanyu’s Wild Popularity is Confirmed by Hilarious Photo Fails
Man of the moment Yuzuru Hanyu made his triumphant return to his hometown of Sendai over the weekend to a very enthusiastic welcome. 平昌オリンピック #フィギュアスケート…
Why Russian Olympic Skater’s Japanese Akita Dog Could Be Both Troublesome and Endearing
There are many things a teenage girl would do to get a puppy, and Alina Zagitova, the Russian figure skater, showed that winning a gold…
Meet The New Tokyo Olympic Mascots…Who Have Superhero Powers
On Wednesday, a committee of organizers announced the two official mascots for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Ryo Taniguchi, a character designer and…
Japanese Comedian’s Blackface Met With Both Indignation and Indifference Online
During a popular year-end comedy show on national broadcaster Nippon Television, Masatoshi Hamada of the famous Japanese comic duo Downtown appeared in a brief segment…
Every Year Has A Character: Japan Chooses Its “Kanji of the Year” 2017
For the last 23 years, people in Japan have turned on the evening news on December 12 (Kanji Day) to learn which “kanji of the…
Former Juvenile Prison Is Being Renovated Into A Hotel For The 2020 Tokyo Olympics
With just 3 more years until Tokyo is set to host the 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, Japan has been busy with preparations for the…
Tokyo 2020 Olympics Holding Mascot Design Contest, Offering ¥1 Million Prize
While anime character heavyweights such as Goku, Luffy, Sailor Moon, and Naruto have been named as official “ambassadors” of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, an…
196 Countries Are Getting Represented With Unique Kimono Designs In Ambitious Kimono Project
Last year we learned of a project in which Japanese organization Imagine Oneworld, Inc. was working to promote the beauty and craftsmanship of the traditional…
New Pokemon Ad Features Usain Bolt And Pikachu Trading Electric Speed
Legendary Olympian and speedster Usain Bolt finally meets Pikachu. With puns, lightning speed, and each having tons of Japanese fans, it seems like a natural…