Cultural quirks have a hand in making the same name the favorite for dogs and cats in annual study.
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
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry conducts study to estimate damage to producers of anime and other Japanese media.
![Japan’s real-world Pokémon hot spring’s first photos are here![Photos]](https://soranews24.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/05/po-2.jpg?w=640 "Japan’s real-world Pokémon hot spring’s first photos are here![Photos]")
Pikachu and Gyarados invite you to come by for a relaxing soak as Noto town recovers from disaster.
KFC set out to recreate the image of three parts of the U.S. in sandwich form, and it looks like they hit at least one bullseye.
![Gundam teams up with 300-year-old daruma maker for wood-carved anime mecha figures[Photos]](https://soranews24.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/05/gd-1.jpg?w=640 "Gundam teams up with 300-year-old daruma maker for wood-carved anime mecha figures[Photos]")
![Pizza Hut Japan’s drinkable curry pizza is here – Is it all we dreamed it would be?[Taste test]](https://soranews24.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/05/2_847992.jpg?w=640 "Pizza Hut Japan’s drinkable curry pizza is here – Is it all we dreamed it would be?[Taste test]")
New system would prevent non-residents from buying certain items from Pokémon Center Online.
Local sweets-fan favorite serves as inspiration for one of two donuts not available anywhere else in the world.
There are two phone numbers to remember in a situation like this, but one is much more important.
Combination of factors is dimming the shine of one of the stars of Japanese restaurant culture.
The adorable bottle is only part of what makes this a fun and convenient way to protect yourself from UV rays.
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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?
Krispy Kreme releases new limited-edition fox doughnuts at only four stores in Japan
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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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Japanese temple burns to the ground, fire burning inside for 1,200 years unharmed
Weekly
Kanji ice cream becomes a sell-out hit in Japan
Japan has a new cute and clever sunblock for cat lovers
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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
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Japan enters Golden Week vacation period, survey shows one in three plan to ride it out at home
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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
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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
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Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
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KFC Japan’s “The American Burgers” include a pile of guilt
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