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

Japan now has a “for foreign tourists only” Mt. Fuji sightseeing train[Video]

Hokusai Special Train made its first run this month.

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Fake police phone scam also highlights dumb stereotype about how foreigners speak Japanese[Video]

Fake police officer targets possibly the worst person, phone transcript isn’t so great either.

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Secret Starbucks sausage customization sparks sweet joy in Japan[Taste test]

Adding something usually meant for coffee to Starbucks Japan’s Sausage Pie.

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Japan’s Mos Burger creates tempura rice bowl bento boxed lunch burger, but not for its menu

New item seeks to put four food categories in your hand all at once.

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Awesome Ghibli Howl’s Moving Castle figure is also a puzzle and an organizer[Photos]

Anime fortress is ready to make the move into your home, but you’ll need to set aside a half-day or so to build it.

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New cherry blossom party picnic essential: This super-handy folding cardboard table

This might be the perfect hanami table.

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10 awesome Tokyo cherry blossom festivals and experiences for this year’s sakura season

There’s never a shortage of cool stuff to do in Tokyo, and that goes double for when the cherry blossoms are in bloom.

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Nine amazing off-the-beaten-path cherry blossom spots in Japan for yaezakura and shidarezakura

Yes, Japan’s most famous sakura spots and species draw big crowds for good reasons, but they’re not all that cherry blossom season has to offer.

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Godiva now makes tofu in Japan, and sakura chocolate tofu too![Taste test]

Belgian chocolatier and Japanese confectioner are both tofu newcomers, but can their powers combine for something special?

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This Japanese vending machine doesn’t sell drinks, but you can buy drinks through it

There’s nothing for sale inside the machine, but Okinawan spirits and delicious deserts are waiting on the other side.

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We go looking for a monkey mommy like Punch with Amazon Japan’s ultra low-rated orangutang plushy

Can the Laughing Sensor Orangutang bring a comforting motherly presence to our office?

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Tokyo government organizes food truck event to clear out delinquent/homeless teen gathering area

Kabukicho plaza has become a symbol of teen vagrancy in the capital.

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When will the cherry blossoms reach full bloom in Japan this year?[Forecast]

Latest forecast says peak sakura season is coming very early in 2026.

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Universal Studios’ Sailor Moon theme park attraction is finally coming to America

Moon power to shine across the Pacific for the first time at Universal Studios Hollywood, One Piece and Super Mario get special events too.

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Cherry blossoms begin blooming in Japan with record-early starts for sakura season

Three cities share the status of this year’s first sakura arrivals, with a fourth joining them one day later.

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Umamusume food and drinks dash into real world at Family Mart convenience stores[Taste test]

Family Mart’s lineup includes actual Hachimi Drink, collaboration also features “magic” clear files.

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Japanese government says country needs more women’s room toilets to meet modern society’s needs

Even if the number of men and women using a building are the same, the number of toilets shouldn’t be, government’s guideline drafts say.

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Pizza Hut Japan’s new ie-kei ramen pizza is here and weird, but is it tasty too? [Taste test]

Yokohama-style ramen slides on top of a pizza with help from the creator of ie-kei.

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Major Tokyo subway line shut down by in-train mobile battery fire

Device for charging on-the-go brings subway to a stop in latest mobile battery fire.

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Japanese man drives truck that’s on fire directly to fire station, drops flaming potatoes[Videos]

Roasted sweet potato truck turns into mobile fireball.

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