Characters and creatures from the anime masterpiece step into the world of Japan’s traditional card game. Hanafuda, once you break it down into its linguistic parts, is a fairly straightforward term. Hana is Japanese for “flower,” and fuda means “cards,” so hanafuda are playing cards with pictures of flowers on them. There are a total […]

In this two-part series just in time for the 2026 Winter Olympics, we’re taking a look at Japanese skaters who have shaped the sport past and present. With Milano Cortina 2026 (February 6-22) rapidly approaching, we thought we’d take a moment to spotlight the indelible mark that Japanese figure skaters have left on the oldest winter […]

Leave the three-blade techniques to One Piece’s Zoro. What’s the appropriate number of knives to be holding? It’s a question for which the answer really depends on the circumstances. If, for instance, you’re in the process of shampooing your hair or playing basketball, you probably don’t want to be holding any knives. However, there are […]

We get on rental bikes in the heart of Japan’s biggest city and ride until we run out of daylight. Japan’s Hello Cycling bicycle rental network offers a handy service. Using the Hello Cycling app, you can search for available bikes near you, get an unlock code, and be pedaling on your way in mere […]

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says Japan has too many criminals and earthquakes to be safe for Chinese people. In Japan, the Year of the Horse has been underway since January 1, since the country doesn’t observe the lunar calendar. Even still, many people in Japan are aware that on this year Chinese New Year […]

If you’re in a jam about what to do this winter, you may want to pick something sweet. While I tend to associate strawberry picking with the early summer in my corner of the world, strawberries in Japan are often associated with the winter months, thanks to the abundance of climate-controlled greenhouses and the use […]

Tenshoku Sodan Bar seeks to fill a need that’s not served by the traditional job-hunting process. Go for a walk around most major train stations in Japan, and you’ll see a lot of bars. There are izakaya, pubs with a wide assortment of small side dishes to munch on as you drink. There are wine […]

Totoro and the Catbus add warm and fuzzy anime charm to winter in Japan. There are plenty of ways to show your love for Studio Ghibli films and characters. You could, for instance, take a walk in Totoro’s real-world forest in Japan, or send cute envelopes between friends. Or, you could strap your love onto […]

Billed as “the ultimate Valentine’s Day treat”, this new release is more than a drink – it’s an exclusive experience. Valentine’s season is in full swing at Starbucks in Japan, where we’ve been feeling the love through exclusive drinkware and the limited-edition, red-tinged Cacao & Strawberry Mousse Frappuccino. Now, we’re being seduced with a delicious […]

We found one antenna that gets a ten, uh… A unique kind of shopping experience in Japan can be found at its “antenna shops.” These are stores run by governments in other prefectures, as a way to show off particularly good products that can be found there, especially when it comes to food, and give […]

The Fourth Hokage’s Flying Thunder God Kunai could be yours. Though it partners with some of Japan’s most popular entertainment franchises, Nijigen no Mori is a little different from your run-of-the-mill theme park. Located on the island of Awajishima in Hyogo Prefecture, Nijigen no Mori is less interested in character meet-and-greets or parades and more […]

Commitment to physical media apparently stronger than concern for consent for the women shown in videos. Generally, generosity is considered a virtue. An active willingness to give something of value to others, without any expectation of compensation or reward in return, is, all else equal, the sort of mentality that would make our world a […]

Anime characters come together for an ethereal celebration. Have you ever wondered what it might look like if a festival was held in the mysterious town seen in Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away? That was the impetus for a special pattern adorning a series of pouches released in 2021 to mark the movie’s 20th anniversary, and […]

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. […]

The worldwide hit and classical Japanese poetry game get a dose of Ghibli anime appeal. The game of karuta is a fascinating, elegant, and fun part of traditional Japanese culture. It’s a card game in which each card has written on it a line from a classical Japanese poem. The cards are spread out between […]

Join us as we explore the more expensive side of Japan’s rice ball spectrum. There was a time, just a few years ago, when convenience store onigiri rice balls were priced around the 100-yen (US$0.63) mark. With rising prices these days, that time is now, sadly, a distant memory, with even a regular tuna mayonnaise […]

If you don’t pass this one simple check, you won’t even get past the starting line. Sitting lost in your own world, as the train trundles on, you find your gaze drifting to a person seated opposite. At first they’re just a blur in your traveling eyes, but then the details register: slovenly clothes, food […]

It’s not a total withdraw, but the chain’s downtown Tokyo footprint is going to get a lot smaller. In June of 2020, Ikea opened a new branch in the fashion-focused Harajuku neighborhood of downtown Tokyo. Launching a new venture at this time was a gamble, since the COVID pandemic was in full force and the […]

Creators team up with Street Fighter franchise, say speedy energy delivery is great for gamers and students. Osaka-based UHA Mikakuto is launching a collaboration with video game publisher Capcom, releasing a total of 24 cards with character artwork from Street Fighter 6 on them. However, UHA Mikakuto isn’t a card or collectible company, but a […]

A very Japanese McFlurry, in more ways than one. On 21 January, McDonald’s made a bold attempt to stop a war in Japan by bringing two chocolatey foes together in one McFlurry. Called Kinoko no Yama to Takenoko no Sato (“Mushroom Mountain and Bamboo Shoot Village“), this mouthful of a McFlurry contains two types of […]

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 […]

No need to shove Heian Shrine into a crowded daytime itinerary while this breathtaking event is going on. When visiting Kyoto, many travelers hope to experience moments of unhurried tranquility and timeless beauty at the city’s temples and shrines. “Timeless” doesn’t mean “open at any time,” though. Many of Kyoto’s most popular sightseeing attractions are […]

But just because you say something is “drinkable…” During the usual hard-hitting journalism that our ace reporter Mr. Sato is known for, he sometimes needs to step out for a refreshing drink to clear his head. One day in particular, he headed out to the Lawson convenience store near the office, when he found something […]

Grab your coat and scarf, we’re headed out to see the best cold-weather scenery east Japan has to offer! People tend to be pretty divided on winter weather in Japan. Some see it as a welcome alternative to the heat and humidity of summer, while others would choose any amount of profuse sweating over constant […]

We head to one of Japan’s top travel destinations to see the situation and take cafe recommendations from a deer. In November, the Chinese government issued a travel warning to its citizens telling them to avoid travel to Japan, the latest episode in the long-running series of China insinuating the question of “So…what if we […]