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Japan is in the grip of sticker fever and no one is safe, including us If loving stickers is wrong, then Japan doesn’t want to be right. Suddenly and without warning, both kids and adults in Japan have been going crazy for sticker collecting. Just check out any trendy shop at a mall, and you’ll see shelves lined with sticker displays and books of various sizes to keep them in. […]
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Who is this mysterious large man who’s suddenly showing up on giant signs in Japan? Self-proclaimed monarch with strange finger pose raises questions in the Kanto region. Japan, as you’re probably already aware, is a constitutional monarchy. Actual political power is held by an elected parliament and prime minister, while the emperor of Japan serves as a ceremonial symbol of the nation, its people, and its culture. However, nowhere in […]
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Racing into our stomachs this winter are motorcycle fuel tank-shaped bento These stylish Bike Bento are fuel for motorcycle lovers’ eyes and stomachs. From January 6-21, the 61st Original Famous Ekiben and National Delicious Food Tournament is being held on the 7th floor at Shinjuku’s Keio Department Store. This year’s event has already been extremely successful, with its first-week sales exceeding those of last year. We […]
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Bear meat noodles?!? Tokyo restaurant adds a new kind of niku soba to its menu【Taste test】 Bears are everywhere in Japan these days – even in our noodles. There’s an unusual linguistic quirk in Japan in which you’ll often see soba noodle restaurants offering a dish called “niku soba,” or “meat soba.” While the name makes it seem like the topping options could be wide open, niku soba (or niku udon, […]
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Japanese vending machine serves up unique drinks at four Tokyo train stations When you’re thirsty for something different, this unusual machine has you covered. There are many vending machines to be found around Japan, but after you’ve been here awhile, you’ll come to realise they mostly contain the same mix of drinks, with water, teas, soft drinks and coffees being the most common options. However, if you […]
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Is Starbucks Japan’s new Valentine’s Day Frappuccino worthy of your love? With three drinks vying for our attention, we pick our favourites for your consideration. With New Year’s done and dusted, Starbucks Japan has just released its first new limited-edition drinks of the year, in honour of Valentine’s Day. Available from 14 January, there are three beverages to choose from, and we made sure to try […]
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10 times to avoid traveling in Japan in 2026 A list of Japan’s three-day weekends plus two vacation periods to dodge if you want to miss the crowds and high prices. A lot of things in life are a matter of perspective, and that includes when the best and worst times to travel are. For example, if you’re working in a Japanese company or […]
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Should you dip your cake in sake? One Japanese brewer says no, but actually yes【 Taste test】 145-year-old Niigata brewery gives us some confusing but intriguing advice. The brewery Kikusui Shuzo has been in business in Niigata Prefecture in 1881, so they know a thing or two about making sake. We figure they’ve also got a lot of people on their staff who know a thing or two about the best ways […]
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That time Seiji called JASRAC to ask why he didn’t get paid royalties for his song being on TV Despite Seiji’s copyrighted music playing on TV for the first time, why didn’t he get a big, fat check?! Our resident pro musician Japanese-language writer, Seiji Nakazawa, has made decent progress the past couple of years in terms of his musical talent finally gaining some recognition. From hearing idols sing a song that he composed […]
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The best Starbucks Japan Frappuccinos we want to drink again in 2026 A round-up of the best limited-edition drinks Starbucks served up in Japan this past year. Starbucks released a lot of bold drinks last year, but for us there were some that shone brighter than others. After looking back at the year that was, we realised there were five in particular that we’d gladly drink again, […]
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We found possibly the quietest Japanese-style hotel in Tokyo’s bustling Shinjuku district It’s truly an oasis of calm away from the hustle and bustle of Shinjuku…in Shinjuku. We never knew that Keiunso, whose name translates to “auspicious cloud manor,” was practically right under our noses this whole time. A four-minute walk from Shinjuku Station‘s South Exit, the hotel’s main selling point is its almost unbelievable quietness despite […]
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We go on a quest to find the cheesiest sushi at Japanese conveyor belt sushi chains【Taste test】 Ultimately, we found an un-brie-lievably cheesy hidden gem at a lesser well-known revolving sushi chain. Cheese and sushi may not seem like two things that were destined to go together, but original cheese-based sushi creations have actually become fairly standard fare over recent years at conveyor belt sushi chains in Japan. We were feeling in […]
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Starbucks Japan quietly slips fans another Christmas present with Joyful Medley Strawberry Milk Tea Some extra joy that we weren’t expecting, but definitely enjoyed. Getting your Christmas presents early is one of those things that sounds great at first, but sometimes turns out to be less than 100-pecent fun. Case in point: back in November, Starbucks Japan brought out the Strawberry and Joyful Medley Tea Frappuccino, as well as […]
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Stamina-destroying “Paralysis Noodles” are Tokyo’s newest over-the-top ramen innovation We head to Tokyo’s Toshima Ward for a new spin on stamina-style ramen. The word “stamina” has kind of a complicated meaning in Japan, at least when it’s being used to talk about food. “Stamina”-type foods and recipes sometimes get their names because they’re high in protein, but often the source is non-lean meats. Other […]
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Tokyo’s Ueno Station has an unmanned noodle restaurant on its platform, and its no-joke good A reason to make sure to walk all the way to the end of the platform. Having somewhere you need to go and being hungry aren’t mutually exclusive conditions, and so many of Japan’s train stations have places to grab a bite to eat inside the ticket gates. Among the most common station restaurant types […]
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Hey, Japanese taxi driver! Take us to the best Turkish rice restaurant in Nagasaki! It’s not Turkish, and even the rice plays a minor role, but it’s a meal beloved by locals that always sees a clean plate at the end of the meal. Nagasaki, being tucked away on the southwestern island of Kyushu, doesn’t quite see the same thoroughfare of international travelers as the more central cities, like […]
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Yoshinoya adds first-ever chain-wide ramen with new beef and pork-broth noodle hot pot meals Japan’s gyudon king now has Gyunikutama Ramen available too for the winter. Yoshinoya’s big thing is, and always has been, beef bowls, or, as they’re called in Japanese, gyudon. So strong is the connection between Yoshinoya and gyudon that when we were looking at the menu and read “gyu” our brains were almost ready to […]
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Ministop becomes Megastop in our minds by increasing certain food volumes by up to 50 percent Japanese convenience store chain hops on the boosted-volume-for-the-same-price train for a limited time. While more under the radar than other convenience store chains in Japan, Ministop has always been near the top of our list in large part thanks to its tasty prepared food options. A special promotion is also currently underway at locations across […]
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Starbucks Japan releases the new Soupuccino, but is it everything it’s cracked up to be? Rethinking soup as we know it. Starbucks is continually surprising us with new releases, but its latest addition to the menu takes things to a whole new level. Called the Soupuccino, this new offering straddles the line between soup and cappuccino, and is said to be the first “soup beverage” in the history of the […]
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Secret tourist stop in Japan has a lift car that whisks you away to a mystery mountain destination If you haven’t visited a Michi no Eki roadside station in Japan yet, you’re missing out. A lot has been written about the wonders of Japanese convenience stores, but for many residents there’s another way to shop that’s arguably even more unique and charming, and it’s called Michi no Eki. Literally translating as “Road Station“, […]
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Stay in a Tokyo hotel with a train driver’s seat in the room When you really want to immerse yourself in the world of Japanese trains. There are a lot of things Japan does well, and one aspect where it shines is themed hotel rooms. After giving us a way to sleep with Hello Kitty and snooze in the midst of a Godzilla battle, we’ve now discovered a […]
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Never forget that Mister Donut’s super-simple ramen is actually very hard to beat The chain may not be called “Mister Ramen,” but that doesn’t mean they don’t know how to make a really good bowl of noodles. Mister Donut doesn’t play coy with what it has to offer, does it? The donut chain puts its signature menu item right there in its name, and the “Mister” part tells […]
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Tokyo police found our lost wallet, but the story of how they did made us feel empty With no clear answers, it’s up to the wallet’s owner to choose what he wants to believe about the person who had it. About a week ago, our Japanese-language reporter P.K. Sanjun was sitting at home when his phone rang at about 10 p.m. Surprised that someone would be calling instead of texting at that […]
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Real takoyaki is almost impossible to find in Tokyo, but this place has it, our hardliner says The orthodox Osaka style of Japan’s beloved octopus balls is waiting at Jugemu. Takoyaki is impossible to find in Tokyo…??? That statement didn’t seem right to us. Sure, Japan’s beloved octopus dumplings may have originated in Osaka, and the city is still considered takoyaki holy ground and has the most enthusiastic fans, but takoyaki is […]
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Unique inclined elevator in Japan leads to a town that inspired Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away Sloping elevator transports you to a magical world in the sky. Elevators are known for moving vertically, but sometimes you can come across rare “inclined” varieties, known as “shakou elevators” in Japanese. However, in a nature-filled area in a quiet pocket of Yamanashi Prefecture, you’ll find an even rarer “chou kyodai na shakou” elevator, which […]
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We play out a real-life scene from Your Name in the historic city of Ashikaga【Kita Kanto Brothers】 Plus, we share more lore on the Kita Kanto Brothers’ origin story. Our Japanese-language reporters Masanuki Sunakoma and Takamichi Furusawa both live in the northern part of the Kanto region of Japan. While not related by blood, they’ve decided to use this commonality to dub themselves the Kita Kanto Brothers (kita means “north”) to showcase […]
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Starbucks’ newest Japanese Frappuccino is here, but is this early Christmas present all we wanted? Taste-testing the Joyful Medley Tea Frappuccino and its companion latte. With last Friday being October 31, the time came to say goodbye to Starbucks Japan’s Halloween black cat Frappuccino. But the coffeehouse chain wasted no time bringing out a new seasonal dessert drink, as the Strawberry and Joyful Medley Tea Frappuccino went on sale the […]
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Yakiniku without the niku? New Tokyo restaurant applies yakiniku concepts to sashimi-grade fish Yakiuo Ishikawa Ginza Rinkaro serves up a very unique crossover of meat and seafood traditions. At Japan’s yakiniku restaurants, customers dine on strips of grilled meat, which they grill themselves at a grill set within their table. The term makes a lot of linguistic sense, since yakiniku means “grilled meat,” but that’s also why we […]
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Yakiniku without the niku? New Tokyo restaurant applies yakiniku concepts to sashimi-grade fish Yakiuo Ishikawa Ginza Rinkaro serves up a very unique crossover of meat and seafood traditions. At Japan’s yakiniku restaurants, customers dine on strips of grilled meat, which they grill themselves at a grill set within their table. The term makes a lot of linguistic sense, since yakiniku means “grilled meat,” but that’s also why we […]
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Yakiniku without the niku? New Tokyo restaurant applies yakiniku concepts to sashimi-grade fish Yakiuo Ishikawa Ginza Rinkaro serves up a very unique crossover of meat and seafood traditions. At Japan’s yakiniku restaurants, customers dine on strips of grilled meat, which they grill themselves at a grill set within their table. The term makes a lot of linguistic sense, since yakiniku means “grilled meat,” but that’s also why we […]
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