Alibaba, the enormous Chinese e-commerce company, is about to file for an IPO in the U.S.
The two most popular Alibaba websites — Taobao and Tmall — are Chinese marketplaces and rather inaccessible if you don’t know the language, but there’s also Alibaba.com, an English site for sales between importers and exporters in more than 240 countries.
Alibaba.com has been known to sell different types of well-disguised counterfeit goods. Not only that, but a lot of the stuff on the site is just straight up bizarre or oddly labeled (we found quite a few normal products that for some reason had the phrase “hot” or “girl” tacked onto them).
We dug around Alibaba.com, and here are some of the gems we found:
Japan enters Golden Week vacation period, survey shows one in three plan to ride it out at home
War in Iran threatening Japan’s pudding production
Japan’s new Pokémon jackets give you the look and powers of the Kanto starter trio
Tifa’s Final Fantasy VII bar is going to pop up in real-world Tokyo
Studio Ghibli releases new anime keychains that are like miniature figurines
Japanese sweets souvenirs don’t get more beautiful than this
Tokyo store makes you to pass a quiz in order to buy Pokémon cards as part of anti-scalper policy
Tokyo’s city hall changes dress code, workers now allowed to wear shorts[Videos]
Japanese film studio Toei announces first three video games from newly created Toei Games
New interactive Pokémon attraction coming to Universal Studios Japan
New Kyoto Converse sneakers celebrate Japan with traditional kimono fabrics for your feet
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
Studio Ghibli launches huge new anime movie T-shirt collection with special design details
Brand-new Square Enix Cafe to open in Tokyo…and in Los Angeles too!
Japanese convenience store gives away free ice cream with creative ad at Shinjuku Station
Japan is so hungry for workers it used up its five-year visa quota in record time
Tsujihan sushi bowl restaurant goes viral with foreign tourists, but is it worth the hype?
Hello Kitty is now a transforming truck robot[Photos]
What are the worst things about living in the Japanese countryside?[Survey]
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Wisteria season starts early with blooming of Japan’s Great Wisteria in its beautiful garden
Japan’s best conveyor belt sushi restaurant of seven years ago has now, finally, come to Tokyo
Brand-new Pokémon manhole covers coming to help the recovery of a disaster-stricken part of Japan
Japan’s awesomely beautiful Alpen Route snow corridor is now open
Injuries on stairs in Tokyo highlight an overlooked design flaw
Mt. Fuji decorated with a 500,000-flower pink carpet is Japan’s ultimate spring view
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
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
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
Japanese sweets souvenirs don’t get more beautiful than this
Tokyo store makes you to pass a quiz in order to buy Pokémon cards as part of anti-scalper policy
Tokyo’s city hall changes dress code, workers now allowed to wear shorts[Videos]
Japanese film studio Toei announces first three video games from newly created Toei Games
New interactive Pokémon attraction coming to Universal Studios Japan
What’s up with the “mosquito buzz” noise at Shibuya Station?
One Piece creator has hidden secret of anime treasure’s identity in chest at bottom of real-world ocean
We test out Japanese megastore Don Quijote’s new mega-affordable smart watch
Daiso has giant new branch in middle of Tokyo’s Shinjuku neighborhood (and another beneath it)
How to escape the Tokyo crowds with a trip to a hidden gem on a special Japanese train
Brand-new Square Enix Cafe to open in Tokyo…and in Los Angeles too!
Cat paw yoghurt is now a thing in Japan
Dorayaki from 89-year-old Japanese confectionery shop is one of the best sweets hidden in Tokyo
Shangrila, a maid cafe staffed exclusively by cute “plump” girls, opens in Akihabara【Pics】