When your battery is running low and you forgot your charger, why rely on your friends? Make a little charge in your life.
cell phone
Is Japanese smartphone culture really so different from other countries? Foreigners weigh in…
Sony has been in the mobile business full force since its merger with Ericsson in 2001. Microsoft partnered with Nokia in April 2014 and there have been phones bearing the Microsoft’s logo since November of that year. Notice a name missing from this short list?
Nintendo has never been in the mobile business and for years they refused to even consider games for cell phones. However, that hasn’t stopped Nintendo fans mocking up and dreaming of a mobile phone made by their beloved game company. Most have been hilariously bad, but a recent design by the tech website Curved has plenty of good things going for it.
Cell phones, and smartphones in particular, are amazing tools. They let us keep in touch with our friends and family, provide us with incredibly convenient maps and directions when we are lost, and are the ultimate tool in settling bar bets. They are our life support, our life line to everything, so what happens when our every waking moment revolves around it?
There have been numerous issues recently about people who endanger those around them when they constantly look at their phone while walking. A junior high school boy in Nagoya found out just how dangerous staring at your phone can be, both to himself and to the hundreds of people he put in danger.
Look down any crowded train carriage or busy street in Japan and you’re guaranteed to find the majority of people with their heads bent over their mobile phones or other electronic devices. And while there’s no end of anthropologists twittering on about the damage all this constant stimulus is doing to the youth of today, there’s also a very physical risk that can come with cell phone addiction.
You read that right: in just 10 years you can have your very own hand-made smartphone with the brand new weekly make-your-own-smartphone kit from Japanese mobile provider au! For anyone who’s a fan of weekly collect ’em magazines (who isn’t?), tech, or wasting their money, then this is for you.
Filial piety isn’t just an empty phrase–it’s a very important cultural concept throughout Asia and, if we’re being honest with ourselves, the rest of the world. While not all of us have the best relationships with our parents, most of us would probably admit, under pain of torture if nothing else, that we do love them. Even with all the embarrassment they put us through in our teens!
While most of our readers are still young enough that your parents are likely still healthy and spry, it’s never too early to take some time to stop and appreciate them and everything they do. If you’re thinking we’re being melodramatic, then we’d challenge you to take a look at this incredibly moving story…
When you’re a little kid, any slightly long object turns into your own personal phone. The remote control, a banana, maybe even a sausage have all served as substitute talking devices for children not quite old enough to have their own fully-functional mobile device. But frozen treats, no matter how perfectly sized, have always been out of reach as a play phone, transforming into a puddle of sticky goo before the purple dragon had his turn to talk. But now you can be the envy of all those 5-year-olds yammering like fools on their pickle phones with the icePhone case that looks like a real crunch bar or popsicle.
We’re sure that there are plenty of people out there who enjoyed just a smidgen too much alcohol or Christmas pudding over holidays and ended up glued to the toilet as a result. Or, if you’re situated in this writer’s native UK, perhaps you’ve recently become acquainted with the chuckle-fest that is Noro virus as it sweeps through the nation like a modern-day diarrhoea and vomit-sponsored Beatlemania.
Well now you can relive that episode of gastric hell on earth with these cute earphone jack stoppers featuring tiny black and white plastic figures clinging to the toilet for dear life while appealing to the gods to “let it stop, oh please let it stop!”
Some Japanese companies are known for making really clever commercials, others are known for making some really dumb commercials (looking at you Sony).
Mobile carrier au (pronounced “A-U”) has proven itself a part of the former camp with its fantastic new commercial, “FULL CONTROL/Xmas”, which shows what Tokyo might look like if it were turned into one giant night club.











7-Eleven Japan’s ramen-cooking robot whipped us up a bowl of noodles【Taste test】
Disillusionment at Tsukiji’s tourist-target prices led us to a great ramen restaurant in Tokyo
Why you shouldn’t call this food “Hiroshimayaki” if you’re talking to people from Hiroshima
How to order snacks on a Shinkansen bullet train in Japan
Japan’s otoshidama tradition of giving kids money at New Year’s gets a social welfare upgrade
Lacquerware supplier to emperor of Japan and Pokémon team up for new tableware
Evangelion original anime studio Gainax is now completely dissolved, Eva’s creator mourns ruined friendships
Edible 10-yen coins become a hot new trend in Tokyo【Taste test】
Hello Kitty Choco Egg figures are an adorable trip through three periods of Japanese pop culture【Pics】
Is it rude to sing along at concerts in Japan? We ask a pro musician for his take
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】
Japan may add Japanese language proficiency, lifestyle classes to permanent foreign resident requirements
Starbucks Japan releases new zodiac chilled cup drink for 2026
Tokyo’s Tsukiji sushi neighborhood asks tour groups to stay away for the rest of the month
Is this the most relaxing Starbucks in Japan?
Starbucks on a Shinkansen bullet train platform: 6 tips for using the automated store in Japan
Street Fighter Hadouken Churros to be launched and eaten in Tokyo, Okami pudding on offer too
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
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
Sanrio theme park in Japan announces plans to expand into a Sanrio resort
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
Lacquerware supplier to emperor of Japan and Pokémon team up for new tableware
Evangelion original anime studio Gainax is now completely dissolved, Eva’s creator mourns ruined friendships
Edible 10-yen coins become a hot new trend in Tokyo【Taste test】
Hello Kitty Choco Egg figures are an adorable trip through three periods of Japanese pop culture【Pics】
Is it rude to sing along at concerts in Japan? We ask a pro musician for his take
Can a dirty butthole make you filthy rich in Japan? We’re starting a New Year’s lottery experiment
Mr. Sato accosts award-winning actor Hideaki Ito【Interview】
Large amount of supposed human organs left in Osaka marketplace
A Japanese dating app matched our bachelorette with a Buddhist monk, and she learned some things
Tokyo Station’s ultra-rare cakes look, and taste, like a cup of coffee
Pikachu kisses his audience in Pokémon XY anime opening, gives glimpse of another dimension
Record number of foreign children in Japan need help understanding Japanese in school