calendar
A year of My Neighbour Totoro plus 22 other movies, and you get to choose when to display them.
With different characters on the front and the back, these little stands will steal your heart.
Because just one year is way too short a time to spend with Totoro, No-Face, and Kiki, right?
A sneak peek at the hottest thing to come out of Japan this winter!
Perhaps even stranger still, this particular person has achieved an almost cult-like status among some Japanese women.
As with the beginning of any new year, there comes the chore of getting a new calendar for your wall or fridge. Sure one usually arrives in the mail from your friendly neighborhood real estate agency, or you could always shell out for the motif of your choosing from a local calendar boutique.
But the really lucky years are when the perfect calendar just falls right into your lap, as it did with our Japanese writer Ponkotsu the other day. From an associate in Shanghai, he received something in the mail with the words Chinese Dream printed on its front; a calendar that he knew in an instant would become the one of his own dreams too.
Boy, have we ever got a treat coming up for all of you loyal Rocketeers!
To help ring in the new year, our staff is busy putting the finishing touches on a 2015 calendar featuring the classy men of our sister site, the Japanese language edition of RocketNews24. Not wanting to be outdone by all the other “eye candy calendars” out there, our team of Japanese writers have truly gone all out to show their appreciation for all the love and support they’ve received from our readers over the past year.
Get ready to feast your eyes on a sneak preview of what’s about to become the sexiest 2015 calendar ever to grace the internet!
As the internet implodes with the news that Kim Kardashian’s naked posterior is on the front of Paper magazine, we thought we’d jump right on the nudity bandwagon and bring you this exciting missive from the clothes-free front line.
That’s right, Taiwan’s rugby union players are releasing a naked calendar, and we’ve got the pics to prove it!
Have you ever been in a situation where you could have sworn you left an object in a certain place, yet couldn’t find it when you needed it, but it pops up at some unexpected place some time later? Have you ever thought that, perhaps there are tiny people hiding in your room, mischievously fiddling with your things?
That’s probably what fills the mind of Japanese designer and photographer, Tatsuya Tanaka, as he shows in his imaginative portfolio of miniature people having fun among everyday items around us!
Want to go to the least popular prefecture in all of Japan? Of course you do! Pack your bags, you’re going to Shimane!
Though Shimane is home to Izumo Shrine, one of the most significant shrines in all of Japan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the indescribably beautiful Oki Islands, this particular area of the Chugoku Region gets overlooked by most of Japan. In fact, year after year Shimane is ranked as Japan’s most forgotten and least identifiable prefecture.
But not to worry, that’s where Yoshida-kun, Shimane’s brutally honest mascot, comes in. We’ve seen this fellow before, pointing out Shimane’s shortcomings and proclaiming the area to be the the 47th most famous prefecture in a country that only has 47. Well, he’s back at it again with the Shimane x Takanotsume Super Deluxe Masochism Calendar 2014! Now with 20% more snark.
I recently took a few days off to visit my hometown in California. In keeping with Japanese norms, I spent most of my time there eating and loafing around my parents’ house (in my defense they have a really nice couch, and the soba noodles my wife makes at New Year’s are amazing).
Reenergized from a week of rest and relaxation, I arrived back in Japan and went to sleep, fully intending to jump out of bed at the crack of dawn and get right to work. But when I woke up around 5:30 a.m., I stopped to reconsider my plan. Given the near-freezing temperature, was crawling out from under my warm blankets really the best choice, health-wise? Shouldn’t I take it easy for a day and make sure I was over my jet-lag? I could always get serious about work the next day, right?
It turns out that not only is New Year’s procrastination common, there’s even a calendar for it, with solid excuses for nothing doing anything printed right there on it.














Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
Nine amazing off-the-beaten-path cherry blossom spots in Japan for yaezakura and shidarezakura
Studio Ghibli adds new anime tumblers to its cool streetwear brand in Japan
Mister Donut wows matcha lovers in Japan with new Dora Matcha doughnuts
Stunning central Japan wisteria festival is like a purple fantasy straight out of a Ghibli movie
New cherry blossom party picnic essential: This super-handy folding cardboard table
Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list
Japan’s Mos Burger discontinues old teriyaki burger and rolls out new recipe, but is it as good?
This Japanese vending machine doesn’t sell drinks, but you can buy drinks through it
Ghibli Park: Opening date, first photos, and a new promo video produced by Studio Ghibli!
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Cherry blossoms begin blooming in Japan with record-early starts for sakura season
Studio Ghibli adds new Mother’s Day gift sets to its anime collection in Japan
The next time you’re feeling stressed out, you could relax on a Pokémon Psyduck chair from Japan
Tokyo government organizes food truck event to clear out delinquent/homeless teen gathering area
Virtual idol Hatsune Miku redesigned with look that adds new elements and brings back old ones
When will the cherry blossoms reach full bloom in Japan this year?[Forecast]
7-Eleven Japan’s giant fried chicken skewer would be too big to eat, so it’s really for cuddling
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura cherry blossom collection for hanami season 2026
Studio Ghibli releases Catbus pullback keychain that runs like the anime character
Nine great places to see spring flowers in Japan, as chosen by travelers (with almost no sakura)
The 10 most annoying things foreign tourists do on Japanese trains, according to locals
Starbucks Japan releases first-ever Hinamatsuri Girls’ Day Frappuccino
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
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
New cherry blossom party picnic essential: This super-handy folding cardboard table
Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list
Japan’s Mos Burger discontinues old teriyaki burger and rolls out new recipe, but is it as good?
This Japanese vending machine doesn’t sell drinks, but you can buy drinks through it
Ghibli Park: Opening date, first photos, and a new promo video produced by Studio Ghibli!
Studio Ghibli unveils new Rollbahn notebook in honour of Howl’s Moving Castle
From Tokyo to Hokkaido for under 50 bucks in train tickets–Part 2 of our Japanese rail voyage
How to properly eat a traditional Japanese tonkatsu meal
Visiting Japan’s one-and-only, and only-for-a-limited-time, Dragon Ball noodle restaurant[Photos]
Pokémon Tokyo Banana’s latest offering is adorable Pikachu and Eevee chocolate cookie sandwiches
Universal Studios’ Sailor Moon theme park attraction is finally coming to America
Studio Ghibli lets you cosplay as Howl from Howl’s Moving Castle with cosy anime fashion range