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Just how confusing is Japanese onsen culture for a first time visitor?

Cara Clegg
Jul 27, 2015
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Onsen etiquette can be confusing for a foreigner visiting for the first time, and there are many small rules and customs that even many Japanese people aren’t quite clear on. There aren’t usually any written instructions around the baths as it is expected that everyone will already know the basic customs surrounding communal bathing. This means that things people who have grown up in Japan take for granted, such as putting your shoes in a locker when you arrive or knowing which towels to use for what, can be hard to figure out for first-timers, and your supposedly relaxing spa break can become a little bit stressful.

Check out the video below to see how our Japan Wish competition winner Ashley navigated her first ever trip to an onsen and see if she found it relaxing…or stressful!

Lotteria wins us over with two amazing new potato chip burgers

Oona McGee
Jul 26, 2015

Lotteria Japan has done it again. Just when we thought nothing could beat their ramen noodle burgers, they bring out these little beauties. No more dreaming of salty, crunchy potato chips smothered in sauce and stuffed inside your favourite burger because Lotteria has finally made our dreams a reality!

Counting in Japanese just became a whole lot easier with this handy infographic

Krista Rogers
Jul 26, 2015

One of the beautiful (or painful, depending on how you look at it) aspects of the Japanese language is its complex system of numbers and counting methods. For starters, there are two commonly used systems of numbers–often referred to as the Sino-Japanese numbers and the native Japanese numbers–that are used in different contexts, as well as a seemingly limitless number of counter words. Confused yet?

So how the heck do you become a master of Japanese numbers? Well, a good way to start is by checking out this handy-dandy infographic put out by Japanese Video Cast!

Collection of retro travel posters proves Japan has always been a cool place to visit 【Photos】

Casey Baseel
Jul 25, 2015

Last year, over 13 million foreign visitors took a trip to Japan. Many of the country’s best attractions, though, are actually hundreds of years old. That means that while they’ve been drawing more international travelers than ever in the 21st century, they were hardly being ignored in the 20th, as shown by this collection of retro-cool travel posters from the early and mid-1900s.

Four common workplace occurrences that could land you in hot water in Japan

Krista Rogers
Jul 25, 2015

A Japanese website recently published a list of four commonly occurring behaviors at work which are actually considered to be crimes by Japanese law. The scariest thing is that regardless of where you are in the world, you might have been doing them all along!

Perhaps take a moment to check whether you have explicit permission before doing any of the following four things at your place of employment, or else you could find yourself in a legal mess in the worst case scenario.

Disney selling ultra-premium backpacks for Japanese schoolkids exclusively inside its Tokyo parks

Casey Baseel
Jul 25, 2015

A while back, we talked about adult fashionistas, including actress Zooey Deschanel, who’d become smitten with the boxy Japanese backpacks called randoseru. In Japan, though, randoseru are strictly for the prepubescent set, as they’re exclusively used by elementary school students.

That’s not to say that kids don’t appreciate a nice-looking bag, though, which is why Disney is getting in on the randoseru game, with a line of backpacks that can only be purchased inside its Tokyo theme parks, and cost the equivalent of several hundred dollars.

Japanese baseball player shows us the craziest batting warmup we’ve ever seen 【Video】

Casey Baseel
Jul 25, 2015

In Japanese high schools, it’s customary for the band to accompany the baseball team to important games. Saitama’s Namegawa Sogo High even mixes in some modern musical stylings, as Queen’s “We Will Rock You” showed up on their set list for a recent contest in the prefectural championship tournament.

Of course, such a bombastic tune coming from the stands requires equal flamboyance from the players, and one student athlete responded with the craziest batter’s box warmup we’ve ever seen.

Japanese Twitter celebrates new “Muslim Lolita fashion” trend 【Pics】

Scott Wilson
Jul 24, 2015

Japanese culture has spread throughout the world with food, anime, video games, and more. But one region that hasn’t taken in as much of what Japan has to offer as the rest of the world is the Middle East and other Muslim countries.

Until now. Pictures of young Muslim women incorporating Japanese Lolita fashion with their traditional hijab head scarves have been exploding in popularity online. Could this start a new trend toward Muslim idol groups and cosplay conventions?

Square Enix to release Dragon Quest game exclusive to smartphones

Mike
Jul 24, 2015

Game developer Square Enix, renowned for its number of long-running Japanese RPG series, announced yesterday that a new, smartphone-only entry in the fabled Dragon Quest franchise will hit online stores sometime this year.

We try Japan’s top-ranked hotel breakfast for ourselves, find out if it’s worth the trip to Kobe

KK Miller
Jul 24, 2015

For anyone who has stayed in a Japanese hotel, you know that the breakfast can be a little lacking. We aren’t talking about a ryokan, which is a Japanese-style inn that prepares a special Japanese breakfast for all their guests, because those kinds of hotels are in a class of their own. In most hotels, there are rice balls, miso soup and maybe a cabbage salad mix.

Luckily, TripAdvisor Japan compiled a list of the best hotel breakfasts of 2015, and the same hotel breakfast held its spot at number one again this year. That fact piqued our curiosity, so we decided to head to Kobe and try the breakfast for ourselves.

Does it live up to its reputation? Find out after the jump!

New anime Gate entertains, tries to recruit you to the Japan Self-Defense Forces at the same time

Scott Wilson
Jul 24, 2015

We’ve seen the Japanese Self-Defense Forces get quite creative with trying to entice new recruits, but never before have we seen them do an all-out official collaboration with an anime.

And Gate is the perfect anime for them to team up with. It’s about the JSDF traveling through a portal to another world, taking down monsters, teaming up with cute girls, and just generally making it look like joining them would be the most amazing thing ever.

You can bet the JSDF is milking it for every last drop they can, starting with posters that are giving us a strange urge to visit our local recruitment center.

The star chart in Kitora Tomb in Nara is the oldest in the world…but where was it made?

Preston Phro
Jul 24, 2015

Japan’s kofun are ancient burial mounds that can be found throughout the country in a wide range of sizes and shapes. They’re great sources for learning about the past, covering multiple centuries of Japanese history. Collectively, they offer remarkable glimpses into the life of Japan from the third to the seventh centuries CE.

Kitora Kofun is one of Japan’s smaller kofun, but since its discovery in 1983, it’s proven to be incredibly valuable for historians. With an exhibit focusing on the tomb coming up later this year, some extra work has gone into analyzing the star chart used to decorate one of the walls — and researchers have come to some surprising conclusions about its origin!

We visit Tokuyama’s Cockroach Fest to take on the “Cockroach Encounter”【Photos】

Jessica
Jul 24, 2015

Late last week, we told you about an event being held by Tokuyama Zoo this summer: the Cockroach Fest. One of the attractions listed was the horrific sounding “cockroach encounter,” but we didn’t have any details about just what kind of encounter it was. Being a naturally curious bunch with a masochistic streak a mile wide, we decided to dispatch a reporter to find out.

Pixar alters Inside Out’s visuals for Japanese release, removes broccoli

Casey Baseel
Jul 24, 2015

If you’re an anime purist, you’ve probably watched at least one title with a localization choice that rubbed you the wrong way. Maybe you were irked by Sailor Moon’s Usagi being called “meatball head” on American T.V. instead of “dango/dumpling head.” More recently, you might have wondered why Doraemon’s central family ditched all their chopsticks and now eat their Japanese food with forks in their U.S. appearances.

But localization runs in the other direction, too, and it’s just come to light that Pixar has altered part of the artwork in several scenes of Inside Out solely for the film’s Japanese release.

The Evangelion Shinkansen will let you ride the rails like a cool angel this fall

Casey Baseel
Jul 24, 2015

Over the past few years, we’ve seen Japan Railways, Japan’s largest rail operator, embark on a spurt of posh train building, with coaches that feature gold leaf accents, split-level suites, and relaxing foot baths. This fall, though, JR West will be launching a train that dials back the luxury while pumping up the awesomeness in the eyes of anime fans with the Evangelion Shinkansen.

The surprising name for Universal Studios Japan theme park in Okinawa leaves netizens confused

Aleisha Riboldi
Jul 23, 2015

We reported earlier this year that Universal Studios Japan (USJ) is floating the idea of opening a new theme park in Okinawa. We now know the proposed name for the new amusement park, and it has left many Japanese surprised and confused.

You see, the company plans to drop the “Universal” brand from its name, and instead the new theme park will, apparently, be called Nangoku Resort.

Are you satisfied with your sleep? If not, maybe you need an adorable Baymax bed

Casey Baseel
Jul 23, 2015

If you’ve seen Disney’s Big Hero 6, you know that the film’s most memorable character, marshmallowy medical helper/combat robot Baymax, spends about half of his screen time being awesome, and the other being adorable. In one of the best examples of the latter, he becomes a mattress for his exhausted friends, letting them lean into his soft, cushioned body during a brief respite during the bumpy transition to their new lives as superheroes.

If you’re feeling similarly worn out after a hard day, you’ll be happy to know that, just as the trailer for the film promised, Baymax has your back…or your front, or your side, depending on how you sleep, in the form of this amazingly heart-melting semi-posable Baymax bed.

Worst vacation ever? DMM to offer a week of hikikomori life free to one lucky fan

Preston Phro
Jul 23, 2015

While some may find the idea of locking themselves in their room for months or even years at a time horrifying, for some that’s just their daily life. And if you’re one of those people who much prefer their bed to the sun, this special competition sponsored by DMM may be just what you’re looking for. If you’re chosen, you’ll get free room-and-board for a week, along with all-you-can-play games — but you won’t be allowed to go outside even once.

If that sounds like a great summer vacation to you, read on to find out more.

Is One Piece’s end in sight? Editor reveals final arc is mapped out, speculates on timetable

Casey Baseel
Jul 23, 2015

18 years after it first appeared in comic form, creator Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece is more popular than ever. But while fans might be happy to see the Straw Hat Pirates keep sailing forever, the manga’s current editor says that not only has Oda mapped out how the story will end, but also that he thinks he knows about how many more volumes the manga has to go before its finale.

Become an official supporter of the Evangelion smartphone, going on sale this year!

Meg Murphy
Jul 23, 2015

Evangelion fans, rejoice! If you were wondering what more you could possibly add to you collection of EVA goods, you won’t have to wait much longer for the next must-have item – the Evangelion smartphone, which is scheduled to go on sale around the end of this year.

As if that weren’t exciting enough, you can also become an official “supporter” which will get you the latest, up-to-date information, plus a special gift.