Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
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A rare East-meets-West tea ceremony in a seldom seen tearoom. A country’s culture is often deep and never-ending, always with new facets to explore, but the point where two cultures meet and blend is no less fascinating. In the case of Japan, it has led to things like the tradition of yoshoku (Western dishes adapted […]
Police not pleased with plan of leaving elementary schooler unattended for hours on Japan’s tallest mountain. “This summer, I hiked Mt. Fuji with my dad!” sounds like a pretty cool opening for a kid’s how-I-spent-my-summer-vacation essay. The composition gets less heartwarming, though, if it concludes with “And then I got to meet some policemen after […]
Jiro dreams of sushi, but he never would’ve dreamed of this. When you’re visiting Japan on a tight schedule and trying to pack as much as possible into your short time here, being able to do two things at once can be a timesaver. It can also become a weird, surreal and Japan-only experience, if […]
If only some justice-loving shinobi had put a stop to things before Ise Ninja Kingdom had to shut down. It would seem like right now would be a great time to operate a ninja theme park in Japan. With the yen at its lowest value in decades, the country is receiving record-breaking numbers of foreign […]
Can you eat more than 12 mega burgers in just 45 minutes for a chance at winning the national final? Fast-food enthusiasts, please prepare yourselves: Burger King Japan’s legendary One Pounder Challenge is back for its third and final round in 2026, and it’s as gloriously tasty as ever. The star of this all-you-can-eat extravaganza […]
Overlooked luggage-forwarding service will become easier to use this autumn, especially for tourists staying in private rentals like Airbnbs. A ride on the Shinkansen is one of the most enjoyable ways to get around Japan, but the only downside is having to deal with your luggage during the journey. There does appear to be light […]
Little converted Japanese house has a very big following. With tourism booming in Japan, so too are some of the country’s cafes and restaurants that have become popular on social media. For locals who aren’t tapped into the inbound-tourist algorithm, though, the places that are now attracting queues can be a bit of a mystery, […]
Attempt to pass himself off as a foreigner reveals possible link to another crime too. In the early morning hours of August 18, at around 2:30 a.m., a lone man walked into the Oizumi Yoshida branch of Japanese convenience store chain Lawson in the town of Oizumi, Gunma Prefecture. The only other person in the […]
Beautiful timepiece combines two things Japan is famous for: anime and precision timekeeping. If you love Japanese bullet trains as much as you love anime/manga One Piece and classic Japanese timepieces, then there’s a brand new collector’s item to add to your wish list: a Seiko watch inspired by the One Piece Shinkansen. The watch […]
A fusion of Japanese and American influences is converging to kick off moon-viewing burger season. Japan is understandably fond of its indigenous culinary culture. However, it’s also a nation with an unabashed enthusiasm for adopting tasty foods that originated overseas, so it’s not uncommon for hamburger chains in Japan to lean into the American-ness of […]
Meet the newest Japanese convenience store find that’s soon to flood your feed. If you’ve been scrolling through social media looking for the latest convenience store food find, there’s a good chance you might soon see an unusual-looking pastry from 7-Eleven taking over your feed. The pastry goes by the Japanese name “Karikku Juwassan”, combining […]
My Neighbour Totoro and Spirited Away characters set the scene for desktop adventures with special details that fans will love. Studio Ghibli has a remarkable talent for conjuring up delightfully charming animated worlds, drawing us into the intriguing lives of the characters in ways that are both intimate and magical. Now there’s an enticing way […]
Soon you’ll be able to use your Pokémon camera to take Pokémon photos, and then keep them in a Pokémon album too. The Pokémon franchise is built on the idea that there’s a lot of cool stuff in the world, and the only way to find it is to get out there and start looking. […]
Wondering if this extra luxury on your Japan trip is worth the extra ticket cost? Here’s a free way to find out. Japan’s fastest trains are getting an extra dash of fanciness this fall, as the Shinkansen is adding private and semi-private cabins to the connected Tokaido and Sanyo bullet train lines that stretch from […]
