Our northern Kanto reporters team up and head to Gunma for a look at this part of Japan that gets overlooked by tourists.
Calpis
Tour, tasting, and super rare souvenirs make this a must-visit spot for fans of the iconic drink.
Is the popular milky soft drink too sweet for cooking, or the perfect addition? We find out!
Keep refreshed and get a glimpse of Japanese high school life with these charming bottle designs.
Yogurt-like beverages combine McDonald’s shake know-how with one of Japan’s favorite summertime flavors.
It’s the name that turns many English-speakers off, but even people in Japan sometimes take issue the way Calpis can linger in your mouth.
One of Japan’s most distinctive flavours is blended into a McDonald’s milkshake for a limited time.
With its startling name, it’s taking time for the yogurt-like beverage Calpis to catch on with non-Japanese consumers, who sometimes know it better by its alternate name, Calpico. For people in Japan, though, Calpis is old hat, so much so that its makers occasionally feel the need to mix up the product line with new versions and special flavors.
This year, that means strawberry Calpis. We just got our hands on a bottle, and if you can get past any hang-ups about the name, here are four ways to enjoy this delicious limited time treat.
What’s white and sweet and makes you feel happy all over? Well, Mister Donut Japan’s new line of doughnuts that has just been released this week certainly fits that description! While Krispy Kreme Japan may have added a little zing to their doughnuts by combining them with ice cream, Mister Donut has come out with a new series of white doughnuts created in collaboration with Calpis — known as Calpico in some countries, perhaps due to its unfortunate pronunciation — the popular yogurty-tasting white drink loved by people of all ages in Japan.
So, let’s see what delectable milky-white treats Mister Donut has in store for us this summer!
On 7 July, Tanabata kicks off in many parts of Japan. It’s an annual festival season which celebrates the stars Orihime and Hikoboshi, two lovers who are separated by the Milky Way except for this brief moment on the seventh day of the seventh month.
A popular custom during this time for young and old is to write down a wish on a strip of paper and hang it from a bamboo plant. However, as the years go by it seems that fewer and fewer people are going out to make wishes. This is why Calpis Co. Ltd. has decided to spark up interest in bamboo wishes by launching a study of their effectiveness.















Japan may add Japanese language proficiency, lifestyle classes to permanent foreign resident requirements
Is it rude to sing along at concerts in Japan? We ask a pro musician for his take
We visit the new all-you-can-eat KFC buffet restaurant in Tokyo
Lacquerware supplier to emperor of Japan and Pokémon team up for new tableware
A Japanese dating app matched our bachelorette with a Buddhist monk, and she learned some things
Kyoto samurai house wants to share its history of seppuku, torture and gold coins with visitors
Devil’s Crust Bloody Pizza brought to dark life by Domino’s Japan, has one more terrifying secret
Kyoto’s “ikezu” culture of backhanded compliments explained in hilarious souvenir sticker series
Our reporter takes her 71-year-old mother to a visual kei concert for the first time
Guangdong would rank as the world’s 12th most populous nation, and other fun with China’s census
7-Eleven Japan starts new temporary luggage storage service in over 300 branches
Starbucks teams up with 166-year-old Kyoto doll maker for Year of the Horse decorations【Photos】
Disillusionment at Tsukiji’s tourist-target prices led us to a great ramen restaurant in Tokyo
Tokyo’s Tsukiji sushi neighborhood asks tour groups to stay away for the rest of the month
Starbucks Japan releases new zodiac chilled cup drink for 2026
Street Fighter Hadouken Churros to be launched and eaten in Tokyo, Okami pudding on offer too
Is this the most relaxing Starbucks in Japan?
Starbucks on a Shinkansen bullet train platform: 6 tips for using the automated store in Japan
Large amount of supposed human organs left in Osaka marketplace
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Japanese train company is letting fans buy its actual ticket gates for their homes
Tokyo considering law requiring more trash cans following litter increase in heavily touristed area
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting tourist crowds in Tokyo’s Asakusa neighborhood?
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
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
Kyoto samurai house wants to share its history of seppuku, torture and gold coins with visitors
Devil’s Crust Bloody Pizza brought to dark life by Domino’s Japan, has one more terrifying secret
Kyoto’s “ikezu” culture of backhanded compliments explained in hilarious souvenir sticker series
Our reporter takes her 71-year-old mother to a visual kei concert for the first time
Guangdong would rank as the world’s 12th most populous nation, and other fun with China’s census
Starbucks teams up with 166-year-old Kyoto doll maker for Year of the Horse decorations【Photos】
Is real Tokyo as dangerous as the Yakuza video games? Chapter 2: Towards the Gray Darkness
The etiquette rules for visiting Shinto shrines in Japan
Is the new Shinkansen Train Desk ticket worth it?
Starbucks Japan releases new zodiac chilled cup drink for 2026