crowd funding
Think cat ears are only appropriate for cosplay and on Halloween? Think again!
Thanks to a highly successful crowd funding campaign, these amazingly awesome cat ear headphones are now, after what feels like an age since we first discovered them, hitting the market, and just begging to be worn just about anywhere.
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There are few things better than curling up with a good book, but one of them is doing so with a nice glass of wine or beer. There’s something about spending an entire afternoon reading that is so much more forgivable than losing the best part of a day to video games or sitting in a darkened room watching movies, and so even the addition of a cheeky alcoholic accompaniment – so long as you put a stopper in it before the words start to swim about on the page – barely registers as a sin.
A man who knows the pleasure of getting lost in literature is Shunsuke Mori. Since his junior high school days, he has dreamed of having his own private library and being surrounded by books. Now an adult, his vision has grown with him, and he has decided to open up a special “night library” in trendy Shibuya for grown-ups only to enjoy with, of course, a tipple or two to help them unwind. And thanks to like-minded netizens, his dream will soon be a reality.
It’s only September, but 2013 has already been quite the year for Studio Ghibli news. What with the critical success of Kaze Tachinu, jaw-dropping theatre adaptations, incoming movie Kaguya Hime no Monogatari and the last week’s announcement of Hayao Miyazaki’s retirement, we can’t remember a year like it. And now, just when we thought we couldn’t possibly squeeze in any more Ghibli goodness, we’ve received word that a new live-action fan film inspired by Princess Mononoke is in the works!
Kei Akatsu is a man with a dream – a dream to travel the world, meet women, and take their pictures. Having spent half a year in Vancouver introducing himself girls and holding impromptu photo shoots, he honed the necessary skills to fulfill his ambition.
The Tokyo University of Science student then spent the rest of the time setting up his website, Beauties World Map. The website came together very well but he needed more content and for that he needed more capital. So he turned to crowd funding.






Private booths are coming to Japan’s Shinkansen bullet trains even sooner than we’d thought【Video】
Top Japanese cosplayer Enako returns to Comiket after 6 years, creates mayhem with admirers
Rakuten randomly offers 58 New Year’s osechi feasts in Japan, but did we get a star or a dud?
The Purple Lucky Bag from Village Vanguard is an extra-large waste of money
Hayao Miyazaki says Happy New Year to Studio Ghibli fans with new art for Year of the Horse
Majority of Japanese mayors say foreign residents are essential but most see good and bad effects
Ginza Cozy Corner is back with their traditional “osechi” style cake set and more
How to find a lost cat: Unique method from Japan proves to be surprisingly effective
Japan’s permanent Pokémon theme park zone announces grand opening date, ticket sale start
Our reporter tries amemonaka, the traditional sweet from Niigata Prefecture
Starbucks Japan ready to get Year of the Horse started with adorable drinkware and plushies【Pics】
Japanese beef bowl chain Sukiya’s 2026 Smile Box lucky bag basically pays for itself
We found possibly the quietest Japanese-style hotel in Tokyo’s bustling Shinjuku district
Cup Noodle tries an authentic Jiro-style ramen, but something’s not quite right
The best Starbucks Japan Frappuccinos we want to drink again in 2026
We revisited Sweets Paradise after a decade to see if Japan’s dessert buffet still delivers
That time Seiji called JASRAC to ask why he didn’t get paid royalties for his song being on TV
Japan’s oldest largetooth sawfish in captivity back on display in Mie Prefecture
Pizza Hut Japan’s hot lucky bags are perfect for a New Year’s pizza party
7-Eleven Japan starts new temporary luggage storage service in over 300 branches
Disillusionment at Tsukiji’s tourist-target prices led us to a great ramen restaurant in Tokyo
Starbucks teams up with 166-year-old Kyoto doll maker for Year of the Horse decorations【Photos】
Tokyo considering law requiring more trash cans following litter increase in heavily touristed area
Tokyo’s Tsukiji sushi neighborhood asks tour groups to stay away for the rest of the month
Tokyo event lets you travel back in time, for free, to celebrate 100 years since Showa era start
Japan may add Japanese language proficiency, lifestyle classes to permanent foreign resident requirements
Sanrio theme park in Japan announces plans to expand into a Sanrio resort
Stamina-destroying “Paralysis Noodles” are Tokyo’s newest over-the-top ramen innovation
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
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】
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
Updated cherry blossom forecast shows extra-long sakura season for Japan this year
Majority of Japanese mayors say foreign residents are essential but most see good and bad effects
Ginza Cozy Corner is back with their traditional “osechi” style cake set and more
How to find a lost cat: Unique method from Japan proves to be surprisingly effective
Japan’s permanent Pokémon theme park zone announces grand opening date, ticket sale start
Our reporter tries amemonaka, the traditional sweet from Niigata Prefecture
Lawson’s ‘TanChiki’ – We try Japan’s new health-conscious convenience store fried chicken
Cup Noodle tries an authentic Jiro-style ramen, but something’s not quite right
We take a ride on Seibu Railway’s futuristic luxury liner: the Limited Express Laview
Unique inclined elevator in Japan leads to a town that inspired Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away
The best Starbucks Japan Frappuccinos we want to drink again in 2026
Japan’s cooling body wipe sheets want to help you beat the heat, but which work and which don’t?
We try Keiji, an incredibly rare and expensive one-in-ten-thousand salmon sushi 【Taste test】