For fans of the girlish hairstyle, it’s like Christmas in February, with twintail cosplay photos on the Internet taking the place of presents under the tree.
Internet (Page 17)
RocketNews24’s Mr. Sato went out for coffee, and somehow came back at the center of a political debate.
If Nintendo ever wants to “reboot” the franchise to be grittier, we hope it looks like this.
Mario can handle goombas and koopas, but what about cops and gangsters in the “real” world?
Big Boo doesn’t seem nearly as scary anymore.
Oh, hello there. What are you doing outside of the computer?
Ordinarily, Japan has no problem working itself to the bone. That’s not the case at the start of the year, though, as the nation pauses to catch its breath and charge up for the months to come by visiting relatives, leisurely reading New Year’s cards, eating osechi, and buying lucky bags.
While we at RocketNews24 like to think of ourselves as proficient multitaskers, even we’re not capable of getting much work done as we use both hands to stuff our faces with food or carry as many shopping bags as possible, and so we’ll be slowing down a bit as we take advantage of one of the few times Japan relaxes its hard-line stance against anything remotely resembling laziness. We hope you all get to do the same, regardless of where in the world you are.
Thanks for reading, and we hope to have even more great stuff for you whenever you visit our site in 2017!
Who knew Final Fantasy VII’s baddie would make such a gorgeous engagement ring? Takayas Custom Jewelry knew.
We look back on five cats who have contributed the most to shaping the world in 2016, and you can help us by submitting your vote for the top Cat Of The Year.

















Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
Cherry blossoms begin blooming in Japan with record-early starts for sakura season
McDonald’s Japan celebrates spring with… a Strawberry Shortcake Pie?!?
Japanese man drives truck that’s on fire directly to fire station, drops flaming potatoes[Videos]
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura cherry blossom collection for hanami season 2026
Studio Ghibli adds new Mother’s Day gift sets to its anime collection in Japan
Pizza Hut Japan’s new ie-kei ramen pizza is here and weird, but is it tasty too? [Taste test]
We asked our Japanese team of writers how they deal with seasonal allergies in Japan
Shimane’s hidden travel sites, where you can escape the crowds and enjoy traditional Japan
Umamusume food and drinks dash into real world at Family Mart convenience stores[Taste test]
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli releases Catbus pullback keychain that runs like the anime character
Nine great places to see spring flowers in Japan, as chosen by travelers (with almost no sakura)
Starbucks Japan opens new cafe and art gallery in top Tokyo tourist neighbourhood
Virtual idol Hatsune Miku redesigned with look that adds new elements and brings back old ones
Komachi Shokudo: Japanese mum’s-style cooking for breakfast, lunch and dinner in Tokyo
The top 10 graduation songs in Japan as chosen by current Japanese high school students
The next time you’re feeling stressed out, you could relax on a Pokémon Psyduck chair from Japan
Pizza Hut Japan teams up with creator of one of the country’s best kinds of ramen for ramen pizza
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
The 10 most annoying things foreign tourists do on Japanese trains, according to locals
Naruto and Converse team up for new line of shinobi sneakers[Photos]
Starbucks Japan releases first-ever Hinamatsuri Girls’ Day Frappuccino
Japan’s cherry blossom season predicted to start earlier than we’d thought, especially in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases a new Cream Puff Frappuccino for a limited time
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 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
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
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
Studio Ghibli adds new Mother’s Day gift sets to its anime collection in Japan
Pizza Hut Japan’s new ie-kei ramen pizza is here and weird, but is it tasty too? [Taste test]
We asked our Japanese team of writers how they deal with seasonal allergies in Japan
Shimane’s hidden travel sites, where you can escape the crowds and enjoy traditional Japan
Umamusume food and drinks dash into real world at Family Mart convenience stores[Taste test]
Japan’s budget chain restaurant Saizeriya might just be the perfect first date location
Japan’s elementary school backpacks grow up with new high-class randoseru for adults
Japanese government says country needs more women’s room toilets to meet modern society’s needs
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Japanese schoolgirls’ hemlines are still up, but socklines are way down
Are Japanese convenience store sandwiches scamming us with their fillings?
Utada Hikaru explains “why getting over someone is so painful”
Survey asks Japanese women if they could marry a man who’s rich but ugly
A Pokémon glitch no one discovered in 18 years has been found…by a pet fish in Japan?!?【Videos】