Casio
Will the gacha gods smile kindly on our desire to own all of these cute miniature watches?
Bags, wallets and a Casio watch in a Crystal Star compact case are some of the beautiful items coming to Isetan department stores this spring.
Music is pretty much one of the best things in life–some people might even say it is the best thing in life. Playing an instrument is supposed to do all sort of great things for us, but most would agree that getting started with music can be pretty difficult. While DAWs like FL Studio exist to help us produce whatever we hear in our heads without strumming a single chord, digital production is quite a bit more difficult than most people realize. From programming drums to synthesizing new sounds, it can be just as time-consuming as learning to play guitar. “Why can’t I just whip out my smartphone, hum a little ditty, and let it do all the hard work of producing a track?” you might be thinking.
Well, soon you will be able to, thanks to a new app from Casio. You won’t even need to hum all the way through–it’ll generate a whole song from one section!
Playing by ear is truly an enviable skill. To be able to just hear something then play it yourself is almost like a super-power to many a musical layman. With enough time and practice I could probably develop such an ability too, but come on. I got too many ice cream and animal dating games to write about already.
So I rely on computers to do it for me. There are a variety of software applications on desktop computers that can take a song and at least attempt to break it down into its components, but they can be rather complicated and difficult to use. Now Casio has come out with an iOS app called Chordana Viewer that can reverse engineer songs right on your Apple device for piano or guitar.
MOST POPULAR
Now
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli adds new Mother’s Day gift sets to its anime collection in Japan
Starbucks Japan opens new Kyoto store in Place of Scenic Beauty
Our Japanese reporter’s encounter with American school lunch
Heinz Japan finds its perfect pitchman: Pokémon’s Pikachu!
7-Eleven Japan’s giant fried chicken skewer would be too big to eat, so it’s really for cuddling
Is this Japan’s most extreme cherry blossom viewing? Leap, cycle and climb through 2,500 sakura
We asked our Japanese team of writers how they deal with seasonal allergies in Japan
Is a sandwich “bread?” Our reporter refuses to let survey results stand
Draw like a Studio Ghibli anime artist with exclusive watercolour set approved by Hayao Miyazaki
Weekly
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)
Starbucks Japan opens new cafe and art gallery in top Tokyo tourist neighbourhood
Is Japan’s Crab-shaped Cup Ramen Timer worth the hype?
Pizza Hut Japan teams up with creator of one of the country’s best kinds of ramen for ramen pizza
Komachi Shokudo: Japanese mum’s-style cooking for breakfast, lunch and dinner in Tokyo
Virtual idol Hatsune Miku redesigned with look that adds new elements and brings back old ones
Starbucks Japan releases a new Cream Puff Frappuccino for a limited time
The top 10 graduation songs in Japan as chosen by current Japanese high school students
Pikachu and Eevee become handmade Lladró porcelain sculptures to celebrate Pokémon’s 30th birthday
Monthly
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura cherry blossom collection for hanami season 2026- Studio Ghibli releases Catbus pullback keychain that runs like the anime character
Foreign tourists in Japan will get free Shinkansen tickets to promote regional tourism
The 10 most annoying things foreign tourists do on Japanese trains, according to locals
Super-salty pizza sends six kids to the hospital in Japan, linguistics blamed
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura Frappuccino for cherry blossom season 2026- Nine great places to see spring flowers in Japan, as chosen by travelers (with almost no sakura)
Naruto and Converse team up for new line of shinobi sneakers[Photos]
Starbucks Japan releases first-ever Hinamatsuri Girls’ Day Frappuccino
Yearly
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
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]- Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
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
RECOMMENDED STORIES
7-Eleven Japan’s giant fried chicken skewer would be too big to eat, so it’s really for cuddling
Is this Japan’s most extreme cherry blossom viewing? Leap, cycle and climb through 2,500 sakura
We asked our Japanese team of writers how they deal with seasonal allergies in Japan
Is a sandwich “bread?” Our reporter refuses to let survey results stand
Draw like a Studio Ghibli anime artist with exclusive watercolour set approved by Hayao Miyazaki
Rage against the smoothie machine with this 7-Eleven drink hack【Taste test】
566 million yen in gold bars donated to Japanese city’s water bureau
Japanese train station noodle restaurant with 122-year history closes
Internet survey sheds light on how Japanese women deal with the hair ‘down there’
The next time you’re feeling stressed out, you could relax on a Pokémon Psyduck chair from Japan
You can now visit a recreation of Evangelion’s Tokyo-3 and live there in miniature form in【Pics】
We try a traditional Tokyo dish of stewed loaches, encounter something we’ve never seen before
-
