Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
McDonald’s Japan’s Texas burger is back, but it won’t be around for long! Having missed out on the chunky beef sandwich the last time they invaded the country, our man Kuzo headed down to his nearest restaurant and grabbed a couple to poke, prod and shove down his gullet. The experience left him confused: there’s plenty here to delight burger fans, that’s for sure, but not everything about this little slice of Texas is worth writing home out. Kuzo’s full impressions after the break.
On 4 January at the Toba Aquarium in Mie Prefecture, Takaya Moritaki prepared a bowl of mackerel and encouraged himself saying “Maybe today will be the day.”
It was feeding time again for the giant isopods, and, for one of the crustaceans, it was the four-year anniversary of their refusal to eat anything at all.
Space: the final frontier. This is the voyage of a homemade rocket carrying the fearless Hello Kitty as its sole passenger. Its mission: to explore the effects of altitude on air pressure and temperature, and to boldly go where no Kitty has gone before… Read More
Thanks to Twitter, we common folk get an unprecedented level of access to the celebrities previously could only gaze at from below. For example, how else but with Twitter could some guy call a multi-billionaire “baldy” directly?
Prominent Twitter researchers at Omocoro – who taught us that attaching clothes pins to your naked body can result in over 1,000 retweets – have developed secret ways to draw tweet replies out of Japan’s entertainment elite.
Our story begins one January day in the Omocoro editor’s room…
Consumers are always hoping to get more than they paid for products and services, but in reality, the reverse is just as common. We’ve all been suckered in by a wily shopkeeper at one point or another, but what knowledge and preparation can we arm ourselves with to avoid being taken advantage of?
There are a bounty of goods and services available to us, all of which are marketed with beguiling strategies. Some of them will be such good values our hearts will delight in our own cleverness, while others will simply satisfy with their averageness. Of course, the remaining products, for all their appeal, will be deeply disappointing. Maybe billionaires can just spend for the joy of spending without worrying if something is really a good value, but for common people like you and me, making a poor decision can impact our wallets and our self-esteem for a long time to come.
In the hope of protecting their readers from it, Japanese weekly magazine SPA! has set out to discover what exactly is behind this buyer’s remorse in all its complex forms. Read More
Japanese Internet celebrity Maru has been on the scene for a few years now, shooting to stardom when his owner, YouTube user Mugumogu, uploaded a series of videos of the cat launching himself into boxes and paper bags seemingly far too small to accommodate him. These days, he’s taking life a little easier, but I think we could all learn a thing or two from Maru: the undisputed king of sunshine naps.
This one’s for the girls (and guys) who watched Beauty and the Beast as a kid and wished they could visit that gorgeous library. Check out this compilation of the 15 libraries to visit before you die according to Trip Advisor Japan.
There are train hobbyists and then there are train hobbyists. Japan’s particular breed of railway aficionados are referred to by the somewhat-affectionate term densha otaku, or train nerds, and are famous for feats like memorizing complex, phonebook-size timetables or visiting every single one of the country’s almost 10,000 stations.
Of course, when they aren’t trying to increase their encyclopedic knowledge of all things rail-related, they are out looking for like-minded people to impress with it. As it turns out, Tokyo offers the densha otaku a wide selection of appropriate watering holes, or perhaps we should call them bar cars. So grab your subway map and let’s go see this elusive creature in his natural habitat. Read More
I think we’re gonna need a bigger bun.
Japanese fast food chain Lotteria, home to the mountain of melted cheese that was our own 30-patty cheeseburger tower, announced yesterday that it will be providing diners with an altogether larger eating experience as of February 22. The above burgers are part of the chain’s “hamidashi” (meaning to jut or hang out over the sides) range, but we’re affectionately dubbing them the “hangover” series.
Although it’s hard to tell just by looking at them, people in Japan love fried food. As delicious as food fried in oil is, it’s high in calories and cholesterol, flammable, and messy. But thanks to the recent development of air fryers, we can now get crispy French fries without the greasy baggage that comes along with it.
From 20 April, Ashikaga-based appliance manufacturer TMY will release its own version of oil-free fryer, named Air Fryer, across the country.
A while back we showed some action figure stop motion animation that was amazing in quality but… well, really weird. Watching it you couldn’t help but wonder “wow, if only this level of quality was executed with a more lucid plot.”
Enter Counter656 Productions which seems to be one Taiwanese man in his living room with action figures. He’s been at it for a while but recently out did himself with a battle scene between Dragon Ball’s Trunks and Piccolo.
Kaguya Hime no Monogatari, the forthcoming title from Japanese animation giant Studio Ghibli, has been delayed until autumn this year, it was announced earlier today.
On 25 January, Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications along with various motion picture and music associations announced their latest copyright protection measure, dubbed “Operation Decoy File.”
The plan involves inserting files onto Japan’s popular P2P (peer-to-peer) file sharing networks such as Winny and Share which appear to contain popular copyrighted material. However, once downloaded, the file is revealed to be a message appealing the user to reconsider their wicked ways.
According to Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare (MHLW) during the period of 14-20 January, the number of influenza cases in the country has exceeded 110,000.
Schools and facilities for the elderly across Japan have been pushing a traditional three pronged attack against the flu virus. First, hand washing is a no-brainer (or at least it out to be). Also, anyone who has been to Japan has probably experienced the country’s love of surgical masks.
The third line of defense, however, is rather unique to Japan: gargling. Although gargling is embraced worldwide as a soothing massage for throats sore from overuse or illness, in Japan it has been widely regarded for generations as a preventative measure against cold or flu viruses.
From 18 January 2013, Japanese sweet specialist Cozy Corner released a dessert that will leave anyone with even a slightly sweet tooth wiping the drool from their lips and exclaiming, “I’m witnessing a dessert revolution!” Just what type of dessert could we be talking about? None other than a gigantic 65-piece strawberry parfait weighing in at, wait for it, a shocking 2,000 kilocalories! Shortly after hearing this announcement, our reporter Mr. Sato carried himself off to the establishment in question to see what all the fuss was about.
You, Me, And a Tanuki is a weekly featured blog run by Michelle, a Californian who is currently one of only two foreigners living in Chibu, a tiny fishing village on one of the Oki islands in Japan. Check back every weekend for a new post or read more on her website here!
When I went on a camping trip last summer with the junior high students that I regularly teach, there were many things that surprised me. For example, we lit fireworks (sometimes firing them at each other), took a night walk to a creepy overgrown shrine, and stabbed snails at the bottom of the sea.
But the thing that caught my interest the most was the way they cooked rice while camping.
Natto, also known as fermented soybeans, is a unique food hailing from Japan. The smell alone (often described as smelly feet or chemicals), not to mention the slug-like texture, are enough to turn even the most adventurous eaters away. But for some, natto is a delicious and healthy treat that is enjoyed daily.
A restaurant in the Setagaya ward of Tokyo is now offering patrons all the natto they can fit in their bellies for 780 yen (US $8.50). The all-you-can-eat natto lunch gives natto lovers a great deal on a delicious meal and natto haters a cheap way to challenge themselves to eat as much fermented soybean as they can before throwing up. Why would you want to do that? We don’t know, but now you can if you want to.
In a survey carried out late last year, Japan’s Shonan Beauty Clinic asked 1,400 Japanese men and women what their favourite words were. The results were remarkably wholesome.
If you ever wondered how Japanese people truly think, or thought for a second that the stern expressions worn on busy commuter trains each morning were accurate representations of passengers’ inner feelings, you were way off the mark.
Slappy Cakes is a popular pancake restaurant in Portland Oregon that lets customers create their own custom pancakes at their tables. It’s a fun time for those who want a completely new pancake experience. However, its popularity has resulted in some long wait times.
Luckily, Slappy Cakes’ success has allowed it to expand, but rather than add another location in Portland they decided to set up shop in completely uncharted DIY pancake house territory: Shinjuku, Tokyo. We sent Mr. Sato to a pre-opening demonstration for a report.
Best practices for celebrating Coming of Age Day for those turning 18, 20, or both in Japan
Ramen restaurant’s English menu prices are nearly double its Japanese ones, denies discriminating
What’s inside Starbucks Japan’s fukubukuro lucky bag for 2026?
Man arrested for violating Japan’s anti-dueling law in downtown Tokyo
Giant hotel rooms in Osaka reflect the new non-niche face of travel in Japan.
Our 52-year-old pole dancing reporter shares his tips for achieving your New Year’s exercise goal
Saitama women arrested for dueling
Starbucks Japan releases new Frappuccino and latte for Valentine’s Day
Japan’s lap-pillow ear-cleaning salons aren’t just for pervy guys, we find out
How to get your money’s worth at an all-you-can-eat crepe challenge in Japan
10 times to avoid traveling in Japan in 2026Our 52-year-old pole dancing reporter shares his tips for achieving your New Year’s exercise goalRamen restaurant’s English menu prices are nearly double its Japanese ones, denies discriminatingStarbucks Japan releases new Frappuccino and latte for Valentine’s Day
Japanese beef bowl chain Sukiya’s 2026 Smile Box lucky bag basically pays for itself
Top Japanese cosplayer Enako returns to Comiket after 6 years, creates mayhem with admirers
Umamusume anime girl plushie recalled for having parts she absolutely should not have【Pics】
Princess Mononoke magnets return just in time to treat yourself to awesome anime decorations
We ate sushi made from Japan’s most expensive tuna ever【Taste test】Giant hotel rooms in Osaka reflect the new non-niche face of travel in Japan.10 times to avoid traveling in Japan in 2026
Starbucks Japan ready to get Year of the Horse started with adorable drinkware and plushies【Pics】
7-Eleven Japan starts new temporary luggage storage service in over 300 branchesOur 52-year-old pole dancing reporter shares his tips for achieving your New Year’s exercise goal
Disillusionment at Tsukiji’s tourist-target prices led us to a great ramen restaurant in Tokyo
Starbucks teams up with 166-year-old Kyoto doll maker for Year of the Horse decorations【Photos】
Tokyo’s Tsukiji sushi neighborhood asks tour groups to stay away for the rest of the month
Japan may add Japanese language proficiency, lifestyle classes to permanent foreign resident requirementsRamen restaurant’s English menu prices are nearly double its Japanese ones, denies discriminating
Lacquerware supplier to emperor of Japan and Pokémon team up for new tableware
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
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】
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
Updated cherry blossom forecast shows extra-long sakura season for Japan this year
Human washing machine pods coming to Japanese hotels【Photos】
Our 52-year-old pole dancing reporter shares his tips for achieving your New Year’s exercise goal
Saitama women arrested for dueling
Starbucks Japan releases new Frappuccino and latte for Valentine’s Day
Japan’s lap-pillow ear-cleaning salons aren’t just for pervy guys, we find out
How to get your money’s worth at an all-you-can-eat crepe challenge in Japan
Sapporo Snow Festival moves to effectively cancel event for first time in history
Starbucks Japan releases new popcorn Frappuccino at one special location
Entry to Tokyo’s Pokémon theme park zone has physical fitness requirement, will cost a lot
Senkoji: The Japanese temple that’s more like a theme park to heaven and hell
These Japanese cat masks both enchant and terrify
Bamboo trees vandalized near Kyoto’s Fushimi Inari shrine, foreign graffiti prevalent
Studio Ghibli’s kodama ready to leave the Princess Mononoke forest as a squeezable keychain【Pics】