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 (Page 13)
![Naruto and Converse team up for new line of shinobi sneakers[Photos]](https://soranews24.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/02/nc-1.jpg?w=640 "Naruto and Converse team up for new line of shinobi sneakers[Photos]")
Prefectural government will pay for tickets to encourage international travelers to visit their corner of Japan.
![Is a snow day the perfect day to beat the crowds at a popular ramen restaurant? [Experiment]](https://soranews24.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/02/sr-2-1.jpg?w=640 "Is a snow day the perfect day to beat the crowds at a popular ramen restaurant? [Experiment]")
Restaurant known for numbingly spicy ramen and intimidatingly long lines lures us out in the Tokyo snow.
![Five amazing snow-view open-air Japanese hot springs in Hokkaido [Photos]](https://soranews24.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/02/yr-2.jpg?w=640 "Five amazing snow-view open-air Japanese hot springs in Hokkaido [Photos]")
![Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]](https://soranews24.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/02/ss-1-1.jpg?w=640 "Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]")
New bullet train goes into service next month with route connecting Tokyo and Tohoku region.
![Blowfish-shaped fugu bento appears to celebrate Japan’s Blowfish Day [Taste test]](https://soranews24.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/02/fb-4.jpg?w=640 "Blowfish-shaped fugu bento appears to celebrate Japan’s Blowfish Day [Taste test]")
Tokyo man arrested for stealing smartphone, turning it in to police to claim reward money.
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Today
Japan’s real-world Pokémon hot spring’s first photos are here![Photos]
Tokyo restaurant offers lunches for less than 1 U.S. cent…if you’re good enough at rock-paper-scissors
Two new Sailor Moon art manhole covers are coming to Usagi’s real-world Tokyo neighborhood
What makes the Starbucks Japan chocolate terrine so popular?
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Gundam teams up with 300-year-old daruma maker for wood-carved anime mecha figures[Photos]
Government says 5.7 trillion yen of Japanese media was pirated last year, thinks AI could help
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Weekly
Kanji ice cream becomes a sell-out hit in Japan
Japan has a new cute and clever sunblock for cat lovers
Tokyo’s new extra-expensive ramen restaurant is dividing opinions, so we tried a bowl
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Japanese temple burns to the ground, fire burning inside for 1,200 years unharmed
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Starbucks Japan hoping fans will go bananas for its new mottainai banana affogato Frappuccino
Monthly
Tokyo’s life-size Gundam anime mecha statue will be removed this summer
The average age of Japan’s hikikomori shut-ins is getting older, survey shows
Japan enters Golden Week vacation period, survey shows one in three plan to ride it out at home
Ichiraku Ramen-inspired ramen sets from Naruto anime pay homage to Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura- Kanji ice cream becomes a sell-out hit in Japan
Japan’s new Pokémon jackets give you the look and powers of the Kanto starter trio
Japan now has gyoza doughnuts, and they taste like no other doughnut we’ve tried before
Studio Ghibli releases new anime keychains that are like miniature figurines- Japan has a new cute and clever sunblock for cat lovers
This Tokyo Station sweets sensation sells out daily, but we finally got our hands on it
Yearly
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
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KFC Japan’s “The American Burgers” include a pile of guilt
Gundam teams up with 300-year-old daruma maker for wood-carved anime mecha figures[Photos]
Government says 5.7 trillion yen of Japanese media was pirated last year, thinks AI could help
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Used chopsticks upgraded from “waste” to “valuable material” by Kawasaki City thanks to ChopValue
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Own a piece of anime history with U-Treasure’s Astro Boy gold miniature figure
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