Richard Simmonds
Originally from Sussex in the UK, Richard came to Japan for the first time in 2011 to teach English. Deciding that only one stint as a student wasn’t enough he returned to go to university in Osaka where he still lives, working slowly towards his inevitable destiny of being killed in an avalanche of manga and textbooks, surrounded by the discarded wrappers of assorted matcha-flavour sweets and biscuits. Whilst continuing his love-hate- hate relationship with the Japanese language he works as a translator, writer and sometime bar pet gaijin.
Posted by Richard Simmonds (Page 2)
In our quest to find a cheese-laden pizza we can eat guilt-free, we’ve come across a Japanese-style concoction that’s surprisingly delicious.
Monkeys with typewriters can write Shakespeare but can machines create anime as well as humans?
If you wanna know, if he loves you so, it’s in his… political engagement, that’s where it is.
Japanese Twitter user’s methods work just as well (or not) with Hi-Chew as with any other kind of recalcitrant sweet or candy.
Loincloths make a comeback with the popularity of fundoshi dance videos and the oppressive heat of Japanese summer rearing its ugly head.
Remember the time we hired a lookalike and reenacted a classic Jackie Chan fight? Of course we do, we still have the video evidence!
Is Japan Lilliput? Chair company appealing to ‘short-legged and short-bodied’ Japanese seems to think so.
One parent and Twitter user experiences the joy of catching Pikachu in Pokémon GO, but it’s all too short-lived.
Like automotive magpies, we fall in love with something shiny. Now just to find a(nother) car to put it in.
Perplexing perspectives: when left is right, and right is right, our brains melt but we’re impressed nonetheless.
Model/celebrity finds confusing sign telling us to do, or not do, something involving small cats and big shoes.
The story of the man who brought us Pikachu and countless other fantastical creatures to feature in an educational manga next month.
Steak, dollars and men with guns (somewhere probably); we have a Las Vegas-lite experience at a U.S. military casino in Okinawa.
Thieves used machinery to steal flowering cherry blossom branches and tree trunks from a park in Osaka Prefecture.
Nothing makes for a cosier interior than a lizard spitting out radioactive heat rays over you and your house guests.
Japanese social media users fall in love as dog chases down Google Street View car many times its size.
It seems putting on rose-tinted spectacles not only makes you feel nostalgic, it also makes the ephemeral beauty of cherry blossoms even better.
MOST POPULAR
Today
Kyoto receives more foreign tourists than ever before, but fewer visitors say they’ll return
Starbucks Japan unveils exclusive new Frappuccinos limited to three regional areas
Pokémon Card Stores requiring facial recognition scans for entry in Japan in latest anti-scalper move
Japanese Shinkansen welcomes overnight guests for one night during summer festival
A roadside hair salon stall in China made us Norway’s Haaland for US$1, and warmed out hearts too
Tokyo Pokémon Center announces reopening after months-long closure following stabbing death
McDonald’s Japan goes viral for Samurai Mac burger hack
Japan’s expensive “phantom” melon is so exquisite it sells out in just 12 hours
Pachinko industry rebounds on convenience and innovation, but smaller parlors struggle to keep up
Studio Ghibli Laputa figure looks like it’s really flying thanks to cool visual trick
Weekly
Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
New Shinkansen luggage drop-off system begins in Japan, making train travel even easier
Japanese Shinkansen becomes an overnight hotel for three nights this summer
99-year-old woman rescued while attempting to climb Mt. Fuji
Which country’s foreign tourists spend the most money per-person in Japan? Hint: Not the U..S. or China
Starbucks Japan releases a miniature display rack so you can create your very own store at home
Giant Evangelion Spear of Longinus to be installed at Japanese train station with Eva art trains
Face lettuce appears in Japan, with the face of Death Note’s Light Yagami, but why?
Kodama Shinkansen trains on popular Japan route get a whole new look this winter
Brand new Shinkansen bullet train unveiled in Japan… but it won’t carry passengers
Monthly
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it- Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Japan now has human refrigerators inspired by Japanese vending machines
Hatsune Miku collaborates with Hokusai’s art in new Vocaloid ukiyo-e illustration series [Pics]- New Shinkansen luggage drop-off system begins in Japan, making train travel even easier
Japan triples departure tax, foreign tourists and locals now must pay more to leave country
Studio Ghibli releases anime T-shirts that pay homage to one of Hayao Miyazaki’s most personal films
Family Mart opens new “Famima” flagship store in Tokyo that’s like a tourist attraction
Sanrio Character Poll announces winners, Hello Kitty absent from top 10 in many countries
Yearly
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo- Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]- Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad- Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
RECOMMENDED STORIES
Tokyo Pokémon Center announces reopening after months-long closure following stabbing death
McDonald’s Japan goes viral for Samurai Mac burger hack
Japan’s expensive “phantom” melon is so exquisite it sells out in just 12 hours
Pachinko industry rebounds on convenience and innovation, but smaller parlors struggle to keep up
Studio Ghibli Laputa figure looks like it’s really flying thanks to cool visual trick
Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
Starbucks Japan brings back the Caramel Waffle, but is it as good as it used to be?
How are you supposed to wash a Japanese futon duvet at the laundromat?
Japanese government okays plan to create a backup capital city
Why is Taco Bell failing in Japan, even as the country falls in love with tacos?
Pikachu and Ditto Pokémon desserts at Baskin-Robbins Japan look AND feel like their inspirations
Starbucks Japan releases a miniature display rack so you can create your very own store at home
Family Mart’s new Famima flagship in Tokyo has a hidden gem that most visitors miss
Which country’s foreign tourists spend the most money per-person in Japan? Hint: Not the U..S. or China
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