Autumn is the season of school cultural festivals (bunkasai) in Japan. Students pour hours and hours of their time into creating the best possible attractions, food stands, and performances and proudly display these efforts of love for the surrounding community to enjoy.
There must be something in the water because, starting with the teacups ride we introduced last month, Japanese students seem to be showing some unprecedented creativity this year. Just take this musical arcade game that was built entirely by high schoolers, and which many stunned guests have proclaimed to be “good enough to be in a real game center.”
Foreigner’s request for help in Tokyo makes us sad for the state of society
Japanese city loses residents’ personal data, which was on paper being transported on a windy day
Harajuku Station’s beautiful old wooden building is set to return, with a new complex around it
Akihabara pop-up shop sells goods made by Japanese prison inmates
Tokyo Tsukiji fish market site to be redeveloped with 50,000-seat stadium, hotel, shopping center
Historical figures get manga makeovers from artists of Spy x Family, My Hero Academia and more
Anime girl English teacher Ellen-sensei becomes VTuber/VVTUber and NFT
Mt. Koya planning to instate visitor’s tax to cope with huge tourist numbers
McDonald’s Japan releases a pancake pie for new retro kissaten coffeeshop series
McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Japanese ramen restaurants under pressure from new yen banknotes
All-you-can-drink Starbucks and amazing views part of Tokyo’s new 170 meter-high sky lounge
French Fries Bread in Tokyo’s Shibuya becomes a hit on social media
Studio Ghibli releases new action figures featuring Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind characters
New private rooms on Tokaido Shinkansen change the way we travel from Tokyo to Kyoto
Red light district sushi restaurant in Tokyo shows us just how wrong we were about it
Studio Ghibli glasses cases let anime characters keep an eye on your spectacles
Beautiful Ghibli sealing wax kits let you create accessories and elegant letter decorations【Pics】
Studio Ghibli releases Kiki’s Delivery Service chocolate cake pouches in Japan
New definition of “Japanese whiskey” goes into effect to prevent fakes from fooling overseas buyers
Our Japanese reporter visits Costco in the U.S., finds super American and very Japanese things
Studio Ghibli unveils Mother’s Day gift set that captures the love in My Neighbour Totoro
New Japanese KitKat flavour stars Sanrio characters, including Hello Kitty
More foreign tourists than ever before in history visited Japan last month
New Pokémon cakes let you eat your way through Pikachu and all the Eevee evolutions
Sales of Japan’s most convenient train ticket/shopping payment cards suspended indefinitely
Sold-out Studio Ghibli desktop humidifiers are back so Totoro can help you through the dry season
Japanese government to make first change to romanization spelling rules since the 1950s
Ghibli founders Toshio Suzuki and Hayao Miyazaki contribute to Japanese whisky Totoro label design
Doraemon found buried at sea as scene from 1993 anime becomes real life【Photos】
Tokyo’s most famous Starbucks is closed
One Piece characters’ nationalities revealed, but fans have mixed opinions
We asked a Uniqlo employee what four things we should buy and their suggestions didn’t disappoint
Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
Historical figures get manga makeovers from artists of Spy x Family, My Hero Academia and more
Anime girl English teacher Ellen-sensei becomes VTuber/VVTUber and NFT
Mt. Koya planning to instate visitor’s tax to cope with huge tourist numbers
McDonald’s Japan releases a pancake pie for new retro kissaten coffeeshop series
McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
How to say “I love you” in Japanese – 47 different ways 【Videos】
We make pills the old-fashioned way in Japan’s former medicine capital, Toyama Prefecture
Japan’s massive matcha parfait weighs 6 kilos, contains hidden surprises for anyone who eats it
Lest we forget 1936: The year fake Mickey Mouse attacked Japan
Nope, these AREN’T eels — Gunma Prefecture’s ‘Nasu no Kabayaki’ blows our reporter’s mind
We talk about everything except music with visual kei rock legends Fantastic Circus【Interview】
Studio Ghibli and Uniqlo team up for line of beautiful T-shirts and bags, but not in Japan【Pics】
The Japan-exclusive Pepsi for fried chicken is here, but is it good?【Taste test】