Casey Baseel

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Casey Baseel spent his formative years staring in frustration at un-subtitled Japanese TV programming shown on Southern California’s international channel. Taking matters into his own hands, he moved to Tokyo to study the language, then found work in Yokohama a decade ago teaching, translating, and marketing hotels he can’t afford to stay in. When not participating in the eternal cycle of exercising to burn the calories form his love of Japanese food, Casey scours used comic and game shops for forgotten classics, drags his wife around the country in a quest to visit all its castles, sings karaoke not nearly as well as he thinks he does, and counts the days until the summertime bars open on Enoshima Beach.

Posted by Casey Baseel

Three Daiso ideas for a super-cheap but still cool (or cute) Halloween look

Further proof that no matter what we need, we can probably find it at Japan’s favorite 100 yen store.

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Only two Yoshinoya branches in all of Japan are on a train platform, and this is one of them

Gyudon on the go in Kyobashi Station.

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Japanese sweet potato ice cream season! Häagen-Dazs and Muji take different paths to our hearts

Two completely different ways to make a delicious Japanese autumn dessert.

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Japanese convenience store is very focused with its new bento…maybe TOO focused

Lawson’s crazy corn bento arrives as part of new series of “sugi” foods.

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Gang of angry monkeys surrounds and attacks Japanese man in hot spring town

Morning walk interrupted by notorious Troop T1.

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Fox spotted in Tokyo’s 23 wards, Japanese Internet wonders if it’s a shapeshifting spirit [Video]

Foxes rarely venture this close to the Tokyo city center…unless kitsune spirits are here all the time.

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New Gundam Base superstores coming soon in the U.S., with one opening this month

Bandai Namco’s store that’s all about anime Mobile Suits is moving into new territories.

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Tokyo’s Square Burger claims it’s a viral hit with foreign tourists who’ve given it near-perfect Google reviews

Burger stand near Tokyo’s most famous temple has local partners with more than 100 years of history helping the Square Burger stick out from the crowd.

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Hatsune Miku/Hokusai exhibition in Tokyo lets you make your own Miku woodblock print

Printing Museum hosts mini exhibition for crossover of virtual idol and ukiyo-e art.

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Bear spotted near most popular hiking trail on Tokyo’s most popular hiking mountain

Officials calling for caution as Mt. Takao enters peak hiking season.

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Free Mt. Fuji helicopter rescues for offseason hikers are ending in Yamanashi

Governor asks offseason hikers to “stop waving around their freedom to climb the mountain as if it’s the only thing that matters.”

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Starbucks Corporation is planning to sell off Starbucks Japan, report says

Do Starbuck Japan and Starbucks U.S.A. not need each other anymore?

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Everything old is new, and cool, again at this hotel in Japan’s hot spring town comeback king

As a new generation of travelers discovers Atami, it’s the New Akao’s time to shine again.

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Does Tokyo need self-driving taxis? Waymo thinks so, plans to launch fleet soon

It’s hard to see why Tokyoites would prefer self-driving cabs to regular ones, but that might not be what Waymo is betting on.

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New Ranma 1/2 anime tableware and lifestyle goods are appropriately multi-faceted [Photos]

The Rumiko Takahashi anime remake inspires a line of items for cooking, carrying, or just admiring.

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Japan’s new Pokémon Poké Ball hotel releases new details, and it’s giving away free stays [Video]

Some, but not all, of the secrets surrounding Japan’s awesome Poké Ball hotel have been revealed.

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Pokémon Adidas crossover sneaker line releases in Japan, gives your feet Pikachu hugs [Pics]

Collaboration gets off to an early start in Pokémon’s home country.

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Ghibli/Kyoto crossover artwork decorates goshuin papers for Zen and Ghibli art exhibition [Pics]

Kyoto museum’s ”Ghibli for grown-ups” event collaborates with three Kyoto Zen temples.

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Japan’s new delicious dark horse sweet potato dessert drink is waiting at a beef bowl chain

A beniharuka shake rolls into Sukiya as sweet potato season gets underway.

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The confusing enjoyment of our day-trip bus tour from downtown Tokyo to Yamanashi [Photos]

This bus tour wasn’t exactly what we’d expected, but it turned out to be something we wanted.

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