before and after
Why grow out of being an otaku when you can glow up into being a beautiful one?
Cosplayer SaLA from Saga didn’t let a hateful comment from a thoughtless classmate force her to hide in the shadows.
After being away from the spotlight for a few years, the busty star wants to regain her physique.
After undergoing a three year transformation, he advocates going to great lengths to be popular with women.
Proving once again that anyone can get better as long as they practice, practice, practice!
What do you like to do when you travel? Eat local cuisine? Visit famous landmarks?
Sure, those are all fine. But for me, one thing I always look forward to doing whenever I travel somewhere new is getting a haircut there. I know it sounds crazy, but each place really does have its own distinct style, different atmosphere, and unique way of getting your hair from head to floor.
Wasai, one of our Japanese writers, is a man after my own heart. He recently went on a trip to Cuba, and while he was there, one of the top items on his to-do list was to get a haircut. Did it end up as a failure or fabulous? Read on to find out!

















Nagoya’s dark-red miso has continued to capture tastebuds for generations
7-Eleven Japan starts new temporary luggage storage service in over 300 branches
Burger King releases new Plant-Based Whopper in Japan
Japanese group to hold fashion show of colostomy bags and other stoma equipment in Paris
More people in Japan quit sending New Year’s cards and many have started to regret it
Shimane has a secret hot spring town that feels like stepping into an old Japanese film
Extreme budget travel! Can you do a good weekend trip to Taiwan with 50,000 yen (US$370)? – Part 1
Tokyo’s Tsukiji sushi neighborhood asks tour groups to stay away for the rest of the month
Hello Kitty Choco Egg figures are an adorable trip through three periods of Japanese pop culture【Pics】
More Than a Capsule Stay: Why Solo Travelers Choose “global cabin Yokohama Chinatown”
Starbucks Japan ready to get Year of the Horse started with adorable drinkware and plushies【Pics】
Lacquerware supplier to emperor of Japan and Pokémon team up for new tableware
Japan may add Japanese language proficiency, lifestyle classes to permanent foreign resident requirements
7-Eleven Japan’s ramen-cooking robot whipped us up a bowl of noodles【Taste test】
Cyberpunk anime meets traditional culture in Ghost in the Shell gold leaf Japanese changing screens
Disillusionment at Tsukiji’s tourist-target prices led us to a great ramen restaurant in Tokyo
7 great places to see Mt. Fuji from without having to climb it
Starbucks Japan releases new zodiac chilled cup drink for 2026
Japan’s otoshidama tradition of giving kids money at New Year’s gets a social welfare upgrade
Starbucks teams up with 166-year-old Kyoto doll maker for Year of the Horse decorations【Photos】
Tokyo considering law requiring more trash cans following litter increase in heavily touristed area
Nintendo’s Kirby now delivering orders at Kura Sushi restaurants, but not in Japan
Tokyo event lets you travel back in time, for free, to celebrate 100 years since Showa era start
Sanrio theme park in Japan announces plans to expand into a Sanrio resort
Stamina-destroying “Paralysis Noodles” are Tokyo’s newest over-the-top ramen innovation
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
Japan’s deadliest food claims more victims, but why do people keep eating it for New Year’s?
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
Shimane has a secret hot spring town that feels like stepping into an old Japanese film
Extreme budget travel! Can you do a good weekend trip to Taiwan with 50,000 yen (US$370)? – Part 1
Tokyo’s Tsukiji sushi neighborhood asks tour groups to stay away for the rest of the month
Hello Kitty Choco Egg figures are an adorable trip through three periods of Japanese pop culture【Pics】
More Than a Capsule Stay: Why Solo Travelers Choose “global cabin Yokohama Chinatown”
Japanese squirrel sweets are an adorable autumn-only nerikiri treat【Photos】
“Hey, Japanese taxi driver, take us to the best bubuzuke in Kyoto!”
Studio Ghibli adds new The Boy and the Heron figurines to its lineup in Japan
New Studio Ghibli x Seiko watch comes with a touching message from Hayao Miyazaki
It’s the annual Sanrio Character Ranking! But could something be amiss in the kingdom of Sanrio?