Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
catnip
With an estimated 50 percent of unsolicited mail being thrown away without even being opened, one advertising agency has come up with an original idea: send the mail to cats, instead of their owners!
As you might expect, the product being advertised is cat-related! When Canadian company Bulk Cat Litter Warehouse approached ad agency Rethink Communications for a direct flyer, they came up with this clever mailout that your kitty will adore!
China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning seems to be affecting Osaka’s Namba and Dotonbori neighborhoods
Studio Ghibli adds new Kiki’s Delivery Service music box to its anime merchandise shop in Japan
What’s in a Lawson fukubukuro lucky bag?
This Osaka laundromat wants to clean more than your clothes; it also wants to clean you
Foreign driver’s license conversion test passes plummet from over 90% to 33% in Japan
Dove ad slams Japanese beauty ideals, backfires with complaints from public instead
Shopping at Japanese convenience store Lawson? Don’t forget to take a cooking pot with you!
Japanese department store rooftop is a secret oasis where you can escape the crowds in Tokyo
Epic cutlet sandwiches in Osaka are the best Shinkansen bento
Eight great Japanese sweets for celebrating Wagashi Day (or just for celebrating today)!
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Nintendo’s Kirby now delivering orders at Kura Sushi restaurants, but not in Japan
Yoshinoya adds first-ever chain-wide ramen with new beef and pork-broth noodle hot pot meals
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?
Studio Ghibli stamps lift your spirits with motivational phrases from Totoro
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting tourist crowd sizes in Nara?
Japanese train company is letting fans buy its actual ticket gates for their homes
Japanese town suing resident for being a jerk
New fish discovered and named “Vanderhorstia supersaiyan” for obvious reasonsJapan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan unveils new Christmas goods and a rhinestone tumbler that costs 19,500 yen
Real-world Nausicaa Ghibli anime glider completes its final flight in Japan【Video】
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
Unique inclined elevator in Japan leads to a town that inspired Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away
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 answerJapan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
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
Dove ad slams Japanese beauty ideals, backfires with complaints from public instead
Shopping at Japanese convenience store Lawson? Don’t forget to take a cooking pot with you!
Japanese department store rooftop is a secret oasis where you can escape the crowds in Tokyo
Epic cutlet sandwiches in Osaka are the best Shinkansen bento
Eight great Japanese sweets for celebrating Wagashi Day (or just for celebrating today)!
Godzilla-shaped ice cream on sale in Tokyo near the sight his most adorable rampage
French Fries Bread in Tokyo’s Shibuya becomes a hit on social media
Bandai to release life-like posable plastic figures to help you draw “realistic” epic poses
Studio Ghibli’s truck from My Neighbour Totoro now available as die-cast Takara Tomy car
Summer nights at this amazing Tokyo open-air museum are like stepping back in time
Hidden history, retro cafes, and a shoe shrine on Asakusa bus loop【Tokyo Loop Buses】
Duolingo to open first pop-up store Duomart in Japan for a very limited time next month
A trip to the other side of Matsushima, a mysterious power spot with an otherworldly atmosphere
Red light district sushi restaurant in Tokyo shows us just how wrong we were about it