allergies
The Tenbou-Park Sakura Festival in Ikebukuro’s popular Sunshine City shopping complex promises a sneeze and itchy eyes-free flower-viewing experience.
Finding out you can’t eat soba stinks — but at least this is the coolest way to get bad news!
Japan has had a pretty good track record with the annual Ig Nobel Prize. Scientists from all over the country have been awarded for nine years straight for their contributions to wacky and humorous research. Last year, Professor Kiyoshi Mabuchi recieved the Ig Nobel Prize in Physics for determining exactly how slippery a banana peel on the floor is.
Now, Dr. Hajime Kimata of the Osaka Prefecture Neyagawa Allergy Clinic has been given the Ig Nobel Prize in Medicine. However, rather than investigating a silly topic, Dr. Kimata’s findings were actually rather sweet: Kissing can reduce a person’s allergic reactions.
Surfers could be at greater risk of developing an allergy to natto, a Japanese study has found. And the unlikely culprit is thought to be jellyfish stings.
Natto, the sticky fermented soy beans that are as as polarising as Marmite, is a traditional and common Japanese food. Allergy to natto is rare, but research from Yokohama City University Hospital suggests it could be more prevalent in people who spend a lot of time in the water and have been repeatedly stung by jellyfish.
We’ve covered many products developed by Thanko – that company always seems to have clever ideas and is never afraid to flirt with madness – in the past. Their upside-down desk, and upside-down cushion both look very tempting, whereas their more ambitious products such as camera glasses and the Fanbrella seem inherently flawed with poor battery performance.
Whether Thanko’s newest release, the USB Pollen Blocker crosses the crazy train tracks remains to be seen.
It’s already March and things are starting to look a lot like spring. The sun is out, the birds are back, and those dead hunks of wood are starting to look a little more like trees. Sunny skies are here again and everyone seems to have a pep back in their step… except for those with allergies.
Now, let’s be honest, for those who suffer from hay fever, spring is a b*tch. Excuse the profanity, but hay fever sufferers know that the coming of spring signals itchy eyes, piles of tissues, and all around unpleasantness. If you have hay fever and were thinking about visiting Tokyo, think again; this weekend’s pollen levels are literally off the charts.
Anyone with allergies can tell you that they suck pretty hard. Particularly in Japan, the high density of cedar trees has hay fever sufferers throwing on masks for several months of the year starting about now.
To our rescue comes Koji Kawahara, Professor of Cellular Engineering at Kitakyushu National College of Technology who last year found a component in strawberries which eases allergic reactions.
Professor Kawahara presented his findings at an international biology expo and filed for an international patent. He will likely synthesize the active ingredient into pill form, but can simply adding strawberries to our diet do the trick too?











Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura cherry blossom collection for hanami season 2026
Kyoto raises hotel accommodation tax to fight overtourism, travelers could pay up to 10 times more
McDonald’s ad in Japan causes controversy overseas
Cherry blossom sake rice beer arriving in Japan well ahead of cherry blossom season, but how?
Starbucks releases final sakura Frappuccino in Japan for 2024 hanami season
Viral Japanese cheesecake from Osaka has a lesser known rival called Aunt Wanda
Tokyo street sweets: The must-snack treats of Nakano’s Refutei
Female high school students continue to be banned on baseball field at Koshien Stadium in Japan
Starbucks Japan releases the new Soupuccino, but is it everything it’s cracked up to be?
Criminals of Japan’s Edo Period Were Often Punished by Getting Face Tattoos
Starbucks Japan releases first-ever Hinamatsuri Girls’ Day Frappuccino
Japanese restaurant chain serves Dragon Ball donuts and Senzu Beans this spring
Highest Starbucks in Japan set to open this spring in the Tokyo sky
Japan Extreme Budget Travel! A trip from Tokyo to Izumo for just 30,000 yen [Part 1]
Japan has only one airport named after a samurai, so let’s check out Kochi Ryoma【Photos】
Japan Extreme Budget Travel! A trip from Tokyo to Izumo for just 30,000 yen [Part 2]
Japan’s craziest burger chain takes menchi katsu to new extreme levels
Japanese drugstore sells onigiri at pre-stupid era prices, but how do they compare to 7-Eleven?
Yakuzen ramen restaurant in Tokyo is very different to a yakuza ramen restaurant
Tokyo Skytree turns pink for the cherry blossom season
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Foreigners accounting for over 80 percent of off-course skiers needing rescue in Japan’s Hokkaido
Super-salty pizza sends six kids to the hospital in Japan, linguistics blamed
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura Frappuccino for cherry blossom season 2026
Foreign tourists in Japan will get free Shinkansen tickets to promote regional tourism
The 10 most annoying things foreign tourists do on Japanese trains, according to locals
Take a trip to Japan’s Dododo Land, the most irritating place on Earth
Naruto and Converse team up for new line of shinobi sneakers[Photos]
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting the lines at a popular Tokyo gyukatsu restaurant?
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
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
Viral Japanese cheesecake from Osaka has a lesser known rival called Aunt Wanda
Tokyo street sweets: The must-snack treats of Nakano’s Refutei
Female high school students continue to be banned on baseball field at Koshien Stadium in Japan
Starbucks Japan releases the new Soupuccino, but is it everything it’s cracked up to be?
Criminals of Japan’s Edo Period Were Often Punished by Getting Face Tattoos
Chance to play Teris on a massive staircase in Kyoto Station coming in March
Starbucks Japan unveils new Sakura Frappuccino for cherry blossom season 2025
Ruru Cafe Shibuya wows customers by serving coffee and sweets on unique water tables
Kyoto planning surprise late-night inspections of Airbnb-style rentals to fight overtourism
Japanese carpenters demonstrate traditional wooden joints and it’s oddly satisfying 【Video】
Survey reveals that more than 70 percent of otaku would choose their hobby over love
Kyoto Station’s hidden-in-plain-sight curry should be the last thing you eat before leaving town
Eevee returns to Japan’s famous Tokyo Banana, bundled with a cute tote bag