Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
Kay is a native Japanese who has lived in Honolulu, Hawaii and Los Angeles, California. She currently resides in Tokyo and enjoys writing about a wide range of topics, including all things cute and glamorous. She also loves stories about any type of food, from gourmet cuisine to junk food. Her favorite pastimes include reading, going to the movies, watching American T.V. dramas and shopping. (Yes, she is painfully aware that she owns too many bags and shoes.) She also loves to travel and has visited over 25 different countries. Her favorite place to go on vacation is New York, an amazing city where you can enjoy the best of shopping, dining, art and theater.
Posted by Kay (Page 36)
Yes, people all over the world love cola, and once again, we can look forward to a new cola beverage coming onto the market in Japan. We’ve already told you about the fat-busting cola which came out in April. This time, the new cola has an exotic twist with ingredients from the tropical islands of Okinawa Prefecture. Read More
Okay, we have good news for wine lovers who feel guilty about creating lots of trash by opening all of those wine bottles. See the picture above? Yes, you guessed it – used wine bottles are now being made into beautiful glassware! Isn’t this a great, eco-friendly way to recycle wine bottles? I, for one, definitely wouldn’t mind having such nice looking plates at home. Read More
I’m sure many people out there have been fascinated by the beauty of crystals. Crystals come in various shapes and colors and can be used in many ways, including ornaments and jewelry. Well, if you love crystals, there is reason for you to rejoice, because now you can grow your own crystals with “Magic Crystal“, the new product from Otogino Co., Ltd. Read More
So, everyone has been talking about the Shibuya Hikarie, the new shopping and entertainment complex that opened in Shibuya on April 26. The large building includes not only shopping facilities but offices, 2 floors of restaurants, event halls and even a theater as well. But did you know that the shopping facility in the building, called “ShinQs“, may be worth visiting for something other than the shops – their restrooms, to be exact? Read More
It’s widely known that Japanese people love to eat fish (although in recent years, hamburgers and pizza have become increasingly a part of our diet). But even in a country where fish is treasured – so much so that a single tuna can fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars at the fish market – you normally wouldn’t expect to see a product this “fishy” – fish flavored chewing gum! Read More
You may have read our previous report about Ms. Kitty taking on the tough job of being baked into small golden brown cakes. Well, it appears she was just getting warmed up for a huge number of engagements in the Shibuya area this week. When yours truly, a humble Hello Kitty fan, found out that Ms. Kitty would be appearing in various edible forms at the food department of the Tokyu Toyoko Department Store in Shibuya, I knew I just had to go and see Ms. Kitty hard at work. And wow, has she been keeping herself busy! Read More
Okay, we admit it, we are seriously thrilled about the restaurant “bills” opening in central Tokyo. The Australian restaurant based in Sydney is known to serve the “best breakfast in the world”, and apparently their food is so good that celebrities from around the world travel to Sydney to have a meal there. So, naturally we had to have one of our reporters check the new restaurant – and our verdict? Their amazing soft scrambled eggs are to die for! Read More
If you’ve lived in Japan, you know that we Japanese love our rice balls, or omusubi as they’re called in Japanese. At every convenience store in Japan, you can find rice balls in every flavor imaginable, from the standard grilled salmon flake omusubi to more quirky flavors like tempura shrimp or bacon and cheese. But the variety can sometimes make it difficult to choose a flavor from all the options. Well now, you won’t have to settle for just one flavor. Read More
You may have heard various stories about special food items at McDonald’s eaten by the staff and not on the regular menu. One such item that is rumored to be a staple among McDonald’s staff in Japan is shio-burger, or plain salt-flavored hamburger. Apparently, this item is quite well-known among McDonald’s fans, so we decided to get to the bottom of what this mysterious hamburger is like. Read More
All of you cat-lovers out there, this is something you won’t want to miss! We’ve found a darned cute YouTube video that has captured the hearts of countless cat-loving internet viewers. The video shows a cat making a toy out of an unexpected object – a Mcdonald’s paper bag! Read More
With a new movie coming out, it seems that Japanese horror character Sadako from the “Ring” series is keeping herself quite busy these days. We’ve already reported to you about how she has collaborated with Hello Kitty. This time, she made a surprise appearance at a baseball game at Tokyo Dome Stadium to throw the ceremonial first pitch. Read More
You may recall Mr. Sato’s brave challenge against the monster Burger King whopper with 1050 bacon strips. Not surprisingly, we had a significant quantity of bacon left over after that episode, and we were wondering what to do with it. Well, we came up with a brilliant idea – chop the bacon into small pieces and mix it in McDonald’s vanilla shake for a completely original drink! Read More
What are some of the things considered to be lucky omens in your country? In Japan, it’s considered good luck if you dream about Mt Fuji or a hawk or eggplant in the New Year, or the number 8 is also thought to be lucky. But what if there was a sign of good luck that you could recreate at will? Well now there is, based on the Japanese saying that it’s good luck to have a tea stalk floating vertically in your tea. With the Cha Bashira Engi Cha, or “Tea Stalk Good Luck Tea” in English, you are guaranteed to have a vertically floating tea stalk in your tea. Read More
We’ve said before that Hello Kitty doesn’t appear to be too picky about her jobs – she seems willing to take on an awfully wide range of engagements upon request. Well, we’ve recently discovered that Ms. Kitty, as we sometimes like to call her, now has an amazing new job. This time, believe it or not, her job involves being baked whole and then sold as kongari-yaki or “golden brown baked Kitty”. What will become of our beloved Kitty? Will she come out of this endeavor unscathed? Read More
Have you heard of a series of unique creations called “Transparent Specimens” produced by Iori Tomita? It may sound bizarre, but they are specimens of different living creatures including fish, arthropods, reptiles and mammals that have been specially treated to make them transparent. And the end result is far from bizarre – in fact, the specimens are so beautiful that the series of work have a considerable following of fans.
Rescue and firefighting robots that can operate in disaster areas too dangerous for humans can obviously be a great asset, and it is not surprising that research and development of such machines are conducted in many countries around the world.
One such firefighting robot developed by the U.S. Navy has been the subject of significant attention recently. It’s actually a humanoid robot, which is unusual for a rescue robot, but that isn’t the reason why it is gaining attention; the reason becomes quite obvious once you see a picture of the robot – the robot just simply looks incredibly freaky! Read More
We have good news for all of you cream puff lovers out there. Three major confectionery makers have joined efforts to open “Tokyo Confectionery Land” in the “Tokyo Station First Avenue” shopping area on the Tokyo Station premies, and one of the confectionery companies involved, Fujiya Co., Ltd, is selling a seriously delicious confectionery – the “drinkable” cream puff! For anyone who loves cream puffs, or sweets in general for that matter, we think this is a must try! Read More
Aren’t potato chips just great? They’re the ultimate comfort food (well, at least they are to me) and they come in a wide variety of flavors to suit your every mood. Well, there’s going to be another novel flavor for potato chip lovers in Japan to try, and the flavor is not the only thing that’s interesting about these new potato chips. Read More
A certain poem has been attracting much attention on the internet recently in Japan. From the handwriting, the poem appears to be the work of a child in grade school, and people are saying it’s exceptionally well written for the work of a young child. We have a rough translation of the poem below. Read More
Our adventurous reporters previously tried a plate of Coco Ichiban Curry with everything on it, and this time we decided to follow that up with an order of Domino’s Pizza with all the toppings on it. But we didn’t order just a regular pizza with all the toppings; that would be too simple.
No, we ordered a Triple Mille-Feuille crust pizza with all the toppings! The Triple Mille-Feuille crust consists of three layers of thin ultra crispy crust with plenty of cheese sandwiched in between. So, we placed our order and waited to see what the pizza would be like. Read More
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Foreigners accounting for over 80 percent of off-course skiers needing rescue in Japan’s Hokkaido
Japan has a new bar just for people thinking about quitting their jobs, and the drinks are free
Asakusa’s Yoi no Yoi bar crawl is one of Tokyo’s best local nights out
Studio Ghibli adds new anime character badges to its streetwear shop in Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Hello Kitty isn’t a cat!? We called Sanrio to find out!
Japan’s biggest manga magazine is raising its minimum payment rate for creators
Man in Japan takes four parakeets hostage in attempt to force woman to meet with him
Is a snow day the perfect day to beat the crowds at a popular ramen restaurant? [Experiment]Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]Foreigners accounting for over 80 percent of off-course skiers needing rescue in Japan’s Hokkaido
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting the lines at a popular Tokyo gyukatsu restaurant?
Three beautiful places to see Japan’s plum blossoms after starting your day in downtown Tokyo
Downloads of 39-year-old Guns N’ Roses song increase 12,166 percent thanks to Gundam
A look back on 40 years of Japanese schools banning stuff
New Family Mart cinema opens inside Japanese airport
Take a trip to Japan’s Dododo Land, the most irritating place on Earth
Man arrested in Japan after leaving car in coin parking lot for six years, racking up three-million-yen bill
Huge Evangelion Unit-01 head appearing in lights in Japan to celebrate anime’s 30th anniversary
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s DayJapan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]Foreigners accounting for over 80 percent of off-course skiers needing rescue in Japan’s Hokkaido
Japan releases first official sakura cherry blossom forecast for 2026
Archfiend Hello Kitty appears as Sanrio launches new team-up with Yu-Gi-Oh【Pics】
China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning looks to be affecting tourist crowds on MiyajimaIs China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting the lines at a popular Tokyo gyukatsu restaurant?
Studio Ghibli releases new “komorebi” plush toys from Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away
Yokai are descending upon Tokyo this spring in the latest immersive art experience
Japan’s Naruto theme park now offering real-world version of Minato’s kunai ninja weapon
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in TokyoStarbucks 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
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
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】Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Starbucks Japan reveals new sakura drinkware collection, inspired by evening cherry blossoms
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Hello Kitty isn’t a cat!? We called Sanrio to find out!
Japan’s biggest manga magazine is raising its minimum payment rate for creators
Man in Japan takes four parakeets hostage in attempt to force woman to meet with him
Is a snow day the perfect day to beat the crowds at a popular ramen restaurant? [Experiment]
Satisfy your sweet tooth with cheesecake and more all-you-can-eat sweets at Cheese Garden
We followed Tokyo’s mystery walking map and ended up creating our own bar-hopping adventure
Sanrio changes Hello Kitty lead designer for first time in 46 years
Gunma man arrested for attempted marriage of woman without her knowledge
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Testing Japan’s fluffy mayonnaise pancake cooking hack【SoraKitchen】
McDonald’s Japan hack: What happens when you put an apple pie inside a Big Mac?
New Family Mart cinema opens inside Japanese airport
Gorgeous 2-D platform game inspired by Studio Ghibli edges closer to completion on Kickstarter