Estranged childhood friends, a blackout, and a mobile app are the perfect ingredients for a marvelous story line.
childhood
When you have children howling the word “impregnate!” over and over again to score, something’s really wrong.
At first you’ll be impressed with this drawing, but then you’ll want to laugh when you scroll down to see the rest.
An eight-year-old boy who accidentally drowned his beloved Nintendo 3DS handheld console has written a heartfelt letter of apology to Nintendo customer service.
It’s weird being in your thirties (or thereabouts) in 2015. Kids today have no idea what a struggle it was for us growing up in the days before smartphone selfies, dumb internet trends, and myriad modern technological conveniences. Wait, what are we saying, it was absolutely awesome! For ours was a more innocent childhood, full of VHS tapes, talking on phones connected to the wall by a wire, and clunky dial-up internet that still felt like the greatest thing ever invented.
Japan’s 30s club is no different; they too are nostalgic for the relics of a simpler past. And in this article, we round up 22 nostalgic items that Japanese Twitter users say sum up their idyllic childhoods. But how many of them (if any) are the same as those we in the west enjoyed?
Recently, our Japanese reporter Yoshio visited his parents’ house and decided to finally take a stab at tidying up his childhood room, which had been left untouched ever since he moved out. In the process, he was surprised to find many lost relics and treasures from his childhood, and became caught up in a wave of nostalgia for several hours. Needless to say, he didn’t get much cleaning done in the end…
If you’re the nostalgic type, perhaps you’d like to take a peek at the treasures that Yoshio dug up, some from over 20 years ago!
The picture above looks like it could have been taken at the set of a cute children’s fantasy movie. Or perhaps a theme park. If not those, then maybe a really expensive themed restaurant. In fact, none of those would be correct. These are apartments in Japan. Yes, you can live in them.
Join us after the jump for a beautiful collection of fairy tale-like houses and cafes to delight your inner child.








New Tokyo sweets shop offers 648 different mochi ice cream dumpling combinations
Japanese rice cooker recipe gives us a tasty new way to enjoy vegetables and wieners
Even at twice regular Daiso price, this handy item is still great for summer travel in Japan
Body of missing American college student found in Kyoto mountains
Colour Hunting: The hot new street photography trend changing how we see Japan
Ghibli’s No Face continues to demonstrate his generous character growth by dispensing soy sauce
Fukushima City on edge as resourceful and violent bear still not found
Japan’s cheap beef bowl chain Matsuya opens gourmet Premium Matsuya with Kobe beef…inside Matsuya
Godiva melts minds by releasing a new corn chocolate drink in Japan
Japanese convenience store shows us how to dress for the rainy season
Uniqlo reveals third round of massive 100-year-anniversary manga T-shirts for Jump’s Shueisha
Kyoto public junior high school becomes first in Japan with a hoodie school uniform
Starbucks Japan unveils new Frappuccino showcasing “mottainai” culture
Osaka is hosting a “hentai” event, but it’s probably not what you think
Tokyo’s Pokémon Cafe reopens this month with brand-new sweets and Pikachu show
What’s it like to join Tokyo’s walking-and-talking-with-strangers club for a day?
Tokyo’s life-size Gundam anime mecha statue will be removed this summer
Ichiraku Ramen-inspired ramen sets from Naruto anime pay homage to Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura
Kanji ice cream becomes a sell-out hit in Japan
New official Ghibli anime food cookbook will teach you how to make Ponyo’s ramen and more
Japanese convenience store Lawson launches new “mini supermarket” chain, L Minimart
Japan’s real-world Pokémon hot spring’s first photos are here![Photos]
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
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】
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Ghibli’s No Face continues to demonstrate his generous character growth by dispensing soy sauce
Fukushima City on edge as resourceful and violent bear still not found
Japan’s cheap beef bowl chain Matsuya opens gourmet Premium Matsuya with Kobe beef…inside Matsuya
Godiva melts minds by releasing a new corn chocolate drink in Japan
Japanese convenience store shows us how to dress for the rainy season
Retro fashion magazines from Tokyo’s street market remind Mr. Sato of a special gift from his dad
Order a cocktail, support a senior with Shinjuku Day Service Mojito at a handful of businesses
What’s it like to join Tokyo’s walking-and-talking-with-strangers club for a day?
Studio Ghibli adds new range of neckties to its anime merchandise store in Japan
Japan Railways partners with Overwatch, heroes hit the Shinkansen for bullet train collaboration
Lawson opens a new mini supermarket, and the lucky bags can essentially stock your kitchen
Uniqlo reveals third round of massive 100-year-anniversary manga T-shirts for Jump’s Shueisha
Japanese high school closes its cafeteria, replaces it with a 7-Eleven convenience store
Starbucks Japan unveils new Frappuccino showcasing “mottainai” culture