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Last month we were delighted to hear that one of Kyoto’s most famous sight-seeing spots, Kiyomizudera, has an Instagram account. The thing about Kiyomizudera though, is that it’s not really just a tourist spot, it is a functioning temple serving hundreds of people every day and it’s a UNESCO World Heritage site. The site’s grandeur expands past the temple itself, to the beautiful surrounding scenery and view of the Kyoto cityscape, which can be enjoyed from the temple’s location, perched atop Mt. Otowa. Even the everyday religious events around Kiyomizudera are worthy of appreciation.
With all of this in mind, the temple has come out with an official Tumblr website, which they hope will allow viewers to not only see the temple through pictures, but to really feel and embrace its atmosphere.
In a documentary about the making of Spirited Away, director Hayao Miyazaki is shown in his studio explaining how he wants a certain scene to look. When the dragon’s jaws are wrenched open, he says, it should look like a dog clenching its teeth, gums bared. Faced with blank stares at this analogy, he asks the animators if any of them have a dog. “I had a cat once”, offers up one young man. “A cat!” exclaims Miyazaki in despair, before whisking the entire team off to a vet’s surgery to have a closer look at some canine mouths.
Cats and dogs, as we know, are quite different, and one thing that sets them apart is cats’ contrariness. A dog’s reward is pleasing you, while a cat’s reward is pleasing itself. Getting a cat to do what you want, therefore, can be extraordinarily difficult. Unless, that is, you can manage to convince your cat that it made the decision all by itself.
From Japanese cat blog guremike, we bring you: the power of the magical cat-attracting circle.
Ten years ago, I used to read a lot of books. Now, I read a lot of content, which is to say, blogs and online articles. But when I read something that sticks with me, even for a fleeting moment, I still want to reach for a highlighter and shade the words fluorescent yellow, so I can find that part again later. And I’m not alone in my instinctive response to treat the digital word in the same way I do printed material. There’s a reason browsers still call it a “bookmark” when we save a webpage.
There are all kinds of great English-language blogs about Japan out there. But there are also a number of stand-alone articles that, over the years, I’ve read again and again – and they still make me want to grab my highlighter and start collecting quotes. I’ve put them together into this short list, which we may think of as a small (highly subjective) foreigners-living-in-Japan canon: seminal pieces of writing from around the internet.
Some of these are very long. Some are controversial. All of them have stayed with me for some reason or another, and maybe they’ll stick with you too.
There’s a lot of information about Japan floating around on the internet, so finding a really great site can seem like a never-ending endeavor. As self-proclaimed Japanophiles, we have more than a few sites we frequent to get our daily dose of anything about our home away from home. It was hard to choose, but here are five of our favorite blogs about Japan.
Is this a masterpiece in culinary art? Of course not, but it surely captures the look and feel of a titan from the series Attack on Titan. Voice actress Yuki Takao has been making and sharing her bento creations on her blog, and her unique style is starting to get some attention. Everyone needs a hobby, even famous people, and with their busy schedules, we’re sure they really appreciate the chance to relax and enjoy their time off. Yuki seems to spend it making unique bento and with food art like this, you have to wonder, what other creations has she made???







Downloads of 39-year-old Guns N’ Roses song increase 12,166 percent thanks to Gundam
Family Mart releases huge range of cute sweets for Cat Day in Japan
Japan’s first all-matcha ramen restaurant is now open in Kyoto【Photos】
A robot joins the team at a fast-food restaurant, but in an unlikely city in northern Japan
Tiny house by Muji finally goes on sale in Japan
A visit to the best UFO catcher arcade in the universe!
Dining with Totoro — 400-year-old ceramics company makes Studio Ghibli chopstick rests【Photos】
A spotlight on Japanese singles figure skating: Jumping into the 2026 Olympics【Pt. II】
Denny’s new Japanese parfait looks totally different depending on what angle you look at it from
Exhibition on the 1,500 year-history of traditional Japanese women’s clothing to open in Shibuya
Yokai are descending upon Tokyo this spring in the latest immersive art experience
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting the lines at a popular Tokyo gyukatsu restaurant?
New Studio Ghibli stamps leave an impression on your stationery…and your heart
Cherry blossom forecasts map shows Japan’s OTHER sakura season is starting right now
Three beautiful places to see Japan’s plum blossoms after starting your day in downtown Tokyo
Japanese women sound off on their minimum height requirements for a husband【Survey】
Japanese man gets drunk and falls asleep on Tokyo streets, then gets robbed by foreign national
Japan has a new bar just for people thinking about quitting their jobs, and the drinks are free
420 million yen in cash-filled suitcases stolen on Tokyo streets, incidents at Haneda and Hong Kong follow
Japan’s suicides fall to lowest recorded number ever, but one demographic hits all-time high
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Japan releases first official sakura cherry blossom forecast for 2026
10 times to avoid traveling in Japan in 2026
Archfiend Hello Kitty appears as Sanrio launches new team-up with Yu-Gi-Oh【Pics】
Starbucks Japan releases new Frappuccino and latte for Valentine’s Day
China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning looks to be affecting tourist crowds on Miyajima
Our 52-year-old pole dancing reporter shares his tips for achieving your New Year’s exercise goal
Studio Ghibli releases new “komorebi” plush toys from Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away
Ramen restaurant’s English menu prices are nearly double its Japanese ones, denies discriminating
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
A visit to the best UFO catcher arcade in the universe!
Dining with Totoro — 400-year-old ceramics company makes Studio Ghibli chopstick rests【Photos】
A spotlight on Japanese singles figure skating: Jumping into the 2026 Olympics【Pt. II】
Denny’s new Japanese parfait looks totally different depending on what angle you look at it from
Exhibition on the 1,500 year-history of traditional Japanese women’s clothing to open in Shibuya
Octopus tentacle ear plugs coming to Japanese capsule toy machines
Old-school titillation: A trip to one of Tokyo’s few surviving “telephone clubs”
How to make a lucky sushi roll with KFC fried chicken skin【SoraKitchen】
Turn a persimmon into a pudding with one simple ingredient
Majority of Japanese women in survey regret marrying their husband, but that’s only half the story
Burger King Japan’s Ugly Burgers go head-to-head in a battle for flavour
Senkoji: The Japanese temple that’s more like a theme park to heaven and hell
Cats and dogs apologising at Japanese press conference is our newest gacha capsule toy obsession
Act of Japanese kindness touches one man’s heart, provides hope for elevator etiquette