Japan may not be cold enough for a three-dog night yet, but the season is just right for a one-cat nap, as these heartwarming photos prove.
cute (Page 128)
People all over the world have heard of Okunoshima, popularly known as “Rabbit Island.” It’s a tiny island off the coast of Hiroshima overflowing with adorable little bunnies who want nothing more than to smother you with love and eat your food.
But on our latest trip to Okunoshima, we wanted to go one step further: we wanted to be covered in as many fluffy bunnies as humanly possible. And what better way to do that than by becoming a bunny ourselves? Read on to see more of our pink, furry excursion.
Let’s say you’re producing a music video. A tried-and-true method is to simply splice together some clips of the artist’s last concert tour. Or, if the song hasn’t been performed live yet, you could do a “behind-the-scenes” sort of thing with footage of the singer in the studio.
But here’s what happens when you take a third option: Making a music video starring Japan’s most amazing nine-year-old karate expert.
Earlier this year, we saw that Chanrio Maker is the easiest way to reimagine yourself as a Sanrio character. Now that the end of the year is approaching, it turns out you can use your own Chanrio to make the cutest New Year’s cards ever!
Looking up into the vastness of space, it’s only natural for one to wonder if we’re really all alone here. There are reports of contact with alien life all the time, sometimes even with photographic material to support them. Some of them are undoubtedly hokey, but others make you pause and wonder…
Like this photo, of a martian living on a lone street in a Japanese neighborhood. A young five-year-old had seen the martian many times before she took her mother along to see. The mother then snapped a photo of the encounter and posted it on Twitter for the world to see…
Depending on where you grew up, prairie dogs might be nothing more than hated, pesky varmints you just wish would go away. But in Japan, they are adorable little creatures deserving all your squeals of “kawaiiiii” — especially when they end up in a traffic jam!
Halloween may be over, but that hasn’t put a stop to the internet being flooded with pictures of all the amazing and not-really-amazing-but-still-popular costumes that people wore.
One costume that was especially popular this year was the Inklings from the Wii U game Splatoon, but the ones who pulled it off the best have to be this pair of Japanese kids. Not only are their costumes homemade, but they look absolutely adorable while running around covering everything in pretend ink.
Doing school or office work can be a real drag. Taking notes? Completing worksheets? Writing reports? You’ve got more pressing matters to attend to, like checking all of your social media sites for the fifth time in five minutes.
But in the end those things just have to be done, so why not mix it up a bit? Let your “latte” sharpen your pencils, your bottle of mayo white-out your mistakes, and your naan hold all of your writing utensils together. Take a look below to see all the nifty stationery goods that don’t even look like stationery at all!
When you’re looking for cute inspiration, you don’t have to look much further than Japan. As the birthplace of the world’s beloved wide-eyed, chubby-faced anime characters, the nation is full to overflowing with commercials, posters, sweets and goods that are so adorable even self-respecting adults can’t help but squeal like delighted children when they catch sight of them.
Now Japan’s cast of cute characters have found a home for themselves across the seas in a gorgeous little Airstream trailer in California, where they continue to pop up in limited numbers in the best way ever: as deliciously sweet macarons. Come with us as we take a look at some of the cute critters and adorable edibles in the collection after the break.
During these crisp, cool days of autumn, the leaves are changing color to vibrant reds and yellows. Along with that change in the scenery comes a shift in fashion, as people step out in sweaters, coats, and other cold-weather attire.
But while you or I can put on a heavy jacket to help ward off the chill, that’s not an option for Japan’s woodland animals. Don’t worry, though because while these tanuki can’t put on additional layers of clothing to keep warm, they can add additional layers of tanuki by sleeping in an adorable bunch.
The anime series Gintama has been having a great season, starting off with a hilarious parody in which main character Gintoki re-enacted shamed Japanese politician Ryutaro Nonomura’s very public bawling session from last year. Then, mid-way through this season, there were a couple of genderbent episodes in which members of the cast were suddenly transformed into the opposite sex, including the cool and masculine Gintoki who became the cute and busty Ginko!
To celebrate the fun of that mini-arc, Premium Bandai is selling 1,000 limited-edition figures of Ginko-chan and we can’t get over how adorable she is!
Though it may not seem like it, Japan is actually a fairly sizable country, with a lot of ground for sightseers to cover. It’s so big, in fact, we imagine it’d be difficult to a regular tourist to see all of it.
But what if you grew up in Japan and spent all your free time traveling around the country? Well, in that case, we bet you’d get to see a whole lot more of it, and for one Japanese Internet user, that exactly describes their life—but with one very cool addition. It turns out this anonymous traveler loves to take photos of cats at their various destinations.
Check out the awesome and adorable photo album below!
Attack on Titan fans who pre-ordered the new Levi figure by Good Smile were no doubt super-excited when orders started shipping last month. But one buyer, who goes by the username @Levi_Eren_Karin on Twitter, couldn’t help but tweet about her surprise when the contents inside weren’t quite what she had been expecting…
Japanese often say that a good view makes a meal taste better, so it goes without saying that a cute-looking lunchbox would also enhance the contents inside. From meals served in Shinkansen-shaped containers or rabbit-faced boxes that can be reused as coin banks, to lunch boxes that play music or have collector’s items hidden inside, Japan’s ekiben take Japanese food to a whole new level.
Today we’d like to tell you about “Ekiben”, a little book by Aki Tomura which introduces the best and most unique train station lunch boxes in Japan. We’ve chosen just a few to highlight from this gorgeously photographed, pocket-size book. The word Ekiben is a combination of two Japanese words: eki (station) and bento (lunchbox), so make your next train trip a gourmet ride with these bento available at various JR stations—just waiting for you to buy, smile, and devour.
Let the fun begin!
Last weekend, it was like someone flipped a switch and put an end to the pleasantly mild weather Japan has been enjoying this fall. Since then, it’s been piercingly cold winds, gray skies, and as of this morning, a steady downpour on the Tokyo area.
To fight off the chill, many people fired up their halogen space heaters. Handy as they may be, though, they don’t warm the air so much as the body of whoever is sitting closest to the device. As such, everyone wants the prime spot right in front of the heater, including this cozy pet parrot.
As Halloween gets increasingly popular in Japan, “Trick or treat!” is becoming part of the country’s extensive lexicon of popular foreign phrases. After all, just saying the words instantly legitimizes your reason for cosplaying and gets you some free candy.
Of course, you don’t actually have to know the phrase to celebrate Halloween. This cute kitty, for example, is getting in on all the fun of dressing up and eating treats, even though it can’t say a single word, thanks to its clever owner.
While tiny dogs don’t mind being ferried about in designer handbags, cats would rather scratch our arms off than let us take them outside the front door. Cat owners have suffered for too long, going about their lives outside without the company of their feline companions, but now there’s a clever way for us to carry a cute kitten around in our bags and keep our arms at the same time, with the adorably realistic cat pouch from Felissimo.
If there’s one rule of the Internet, it’s that cats make everything cute: kimonos, headbands, air fresheners, and apparently even stealing things too.
Case in point: a kitty-sized lottery ticket booth was recently broken into by one greedy cat, and the owner caught the animal red-handed, posting the adorable evidence on Twitter. Stealing is bad, but these cats make being a thief look so cute!
October 24 may be seven days before Halloween to most people, but for those in Japan with a Java sparrow (called buncho in Japanese), it’s the day to celebrate your cute little buddy.
Last year the hashtag #文鳥の日2014 (#buncho no hi 2014) was trending and owners all over the country shared pictures of their pet birds. Luckily, this year we were treated to even more pictures of Java sparrows as proud owners wanted to share their joy with the Twitterverse.
Enjoy the best selection of these adorable little guys, after the jump.
Gearing up for Halloween, we’ve already seen our share of humans dressing up like cats, but how about some costuming felines? Of course, as we’re sure all you cat people out there already know, getting kitty dressed up in a ridiculous outfit is a lot easier said than done.
…Or is it? Turns out the owner of Maru, “the most famous cat on the internet” has devised an easy way to get even the most stubborn of felines to get into the Halloween spirit with these cute animal costumes.
MOST POPULAR
Today
Studio Ghibli adds new Jiji’s baby plush toy to its anime merchandise range in Japan
Tokyo sweets store has a “350% Pudding Soft Serve”, and people are going wild for it
Beautiful off-the-beaten-path spot near samurai castle in rural Japan looks like a Monet painting
Japanese figure skating star Yuzuru Hanyu and Winne-the-Pooh announce crossover merch line [Pics]
Shinto shrine in downtown Tokyo announces cosplay ban
Wagyu ramen for foreign tourists appears in Kabukicho, with a very high price tag
McDonald’s Japan’s new Chiikawa Happy Meal figures are here![Photos]
Studio Ghibli releases new Kiki’s Delivery Service Jiji music box for anime fans
This awesome Japanese arcade chain has crane game coaches to help you win prizes
Stray cats almost became classified as an invasive species in Japan but the change was overturned
Weekly
Japanese toilet aims to attract foreign tourists but not everybody is happy about it
New Japanese vending machine at Shinkansen station sells cups of ice on platform
Anime fan in Japan arrested for ordering and cancelling over 4.3 billion yen in anime merch
Starbucks Japan teams up with Traveler’s Company for new stationery and goods collection
Pokémon Center Online designates first Pokémon items that will require Japanese ID card to buy
Beautiful Totoro bonsai figure needs no watering, makes soothing rain showers whenever you want
Japan’s new beer glass is designed to force you to drink…water [Video]
End of a manga era as Weekly Shonen Jump’s circulation drops under one million
Kochia calling: Right now is a great off-season season to visit this beautiful Japanese park
This beautiful rural Japan river is a great alternative to touristy summer retreats [Photos]
Monthly
Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
Japan now has human refrigerators inspired by Japanese vending machines
Hatsune Miku collaborates with Hokusai’s art in new Vocaloid ukiyo-e illustration series [Pics]
New Shinkansen luggage drop-off system begins in Japan, making train travel even easier
Studio Ghibli releases anime T-shirts that pay homage to one of Hayao Miyazaki’s most personal films
Air-conditioned dress shirts arrive in Japan to save working professionals from sweltering heat
Japanese Shinkansen becomes an overnight hotel for three nights this summer
Cup Noodle unveils first-ever cold-water instant ramen in Japan- Pokémon Center Online designates first Pokémon items that will require Japanese ID card to buy
99-year-old woman rescued while attempting to climb Mt. Fuji
Yearly
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]- Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
RECOMMENDED STORIES
Wagyu ramen for foreign tourists appears in Kabukicho, with a very high price tag
McDonald’s Japan’s new Chiikawa Happy Meal figures are here![Photos]
Studio Ghibli releases new Kiki’s Delivery Service Jiji music box for anime fans
This awesome Japanese arcade chain has crane game coaches to help you win prizes
Stray cats almost became classified as an invasive species in Japan but the change was overturned
Did you know? Only one Beard Papa’s in all of eastern Japan sells soft serve in a cream puff
This beautiful Okinawa beach gives you the best of both worlds when visiting the prefecture [Pics]
Japan’s new beer glass is designed to force you to drink…water [Video]
This Japanese chopping board sanitising bag might be the handy kitchen gadget we never knew we needed
7-Eleven Japan adds new doughnut-like tonkotsu ramen fried chicken to its hot food section
Are Japan’s room-temperature curry packets the boxed lunch heroes we’ve been looking for? [Taste test]
Japanese convenience store food gets turned into hyper-realistic stationery you can peel open
Over 1,400 cities in Japan see foreign population rise, total populations drop in new statistics
Japanese cat island reveals all its cats will soon be gone
-
