Viewed from afar, Japanese animation may appear to be populated entirely by giant-eyed, squeaky-voice schoolgirls and young men who suffer from frequent nosebleeds. Their plots, too, can seem awfully convoluted at first glance, and so anyone who didn’t grow up with anime or have the chance to catch popular series when they were just getting started may feel completely out of their depth when trying to get into it.
If you’re the kind of person who, like me, despite being into Japan and Asia, never really understood what all the fuss was about anime, or who would like to give this strange medium a chance but doesn’t know where to start, then we have a special treat for you today: no fewer than five anime recommendations from members of our very own writing staff, guaranteed to be easy for even anime-skeptics to get into. Who knows, these might just be the gateway shows you’ve been looking for!
Stamina-destroying “Paralysis Noodles” are Tokyo’s newest over-the-top ramen innovation
Real-world Nausicaa Ghibli anime glider completes its final flight in Japan【Video】
What’s inside the McDonald’s Japan fukubukuro lucky bag for 2026?
Duolingo to open first pop-up store Duomart in Japan for a very limited time next month
100-year-old brush shop in Tokyo sells a Japanese body brush that’s painfully good
KFC Japan opens a Christmas restaurant in Tokyo…but why???
Japanese island with a population less than 10 is a hidden gem you won’t find in travel guides
Sanrio says, “Hello Kitty is not a cat.” Whaaa?
Toyota City civil servant arrested for using government access to run a detective agency
We Catch a Glimpse of the Elusive “Shadow Fuji”
Nintendo’s Kirby now delivering orders at Kura Sushi restaurants, but not in Japan
Japan considering raising international traveler departure tax even more than previously reported
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting tourist crowds in Shibuya’s Don Quijote?
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting tourist crowd sizes in Nara?
China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning seems to be affecting Osaka’s Namba and Dotonbori neighborhoods
Japanese town suing resident for being a jerk
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
You can now buy a Japanese train station clock in Japan
Japanese police attempting to clamp down on “zombie cigarettes”
Tokyo’s Ueno Station has an unmanned noodle restaurant on its platform, and its no-joke good
Starbucks Japan unveils new Christmas goods and a rhinestone tumbler that costs 19,500 yen
Brand-new Pokémon park opens in Japan with larger-than-life-size Lapras【Photos】
Japanese train company is letting fans buy its actual ticket gates for their homes
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting tourist crowds in Tokyo’s Asakusa neighborhood?
The 10 best day trips from downtown Tokyo【Survey】
Naturally brown-haired Osaka student sues government for forcing her to dye her hair black
Japanese government considering tripling departure taxes to combat overtourism
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
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】
The top 10 annoying foreign tourist behaviors on trains, as chosen by Japanese people【Survey】
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
KFC Japan opens a Christmas restaurant in Tokyo…but why???
Japanese island with a population less than 10 is a hidden gem you won’t find in travel guides
Sanrio says, “Hello Kitty is not a cat.” Whaaa?
Toyota City civil servant arrested for using government access to run a detective agency
We Catch a Glimpse of the Elusive “Shadow Fuji”
Shangrila, a maid cafe staffed exclusively by cute “plump” girls, opens in Akihabara【Pics】
We try roasted horseshoe crab in Thailand, regret our choice yet strangely long for more
Meet the eerie police statues of Miyakojima in Okinawa Prefecture
Interview with a “happening bar” customer: “I was getting repulsed by the whole atmosphere”
Japanese condom maker creates CG video of two T. rexes humping 【Video】