Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
EXO
With just over a month until Star Wars: The Force Awakens hits theaters, Star Wars fever has taken the world by storm, and Korea is no exception! K-pop group EXO has recorded a tie-in single, named “Lightsaber”, for the Korean release of the film, and a music video for the song was released on YouTube earlier this week. As you may expect, it quickly went viral, reaching almost two million views in the last few days.
Is the new Shinkansen Train Desk ticket worth it?
Disney princesses get official manga makeovers for Manga Princess Cafe opening in Tokyo
Randomly running into a great sushi lunch like this is one of the best things about eating in Tokyo
Foreign English teachers in Japan pick their favorite Japanese-language phrases【Survey】
Beautiful new Final Fantasy T-shirt collection on the way from Uniqlo【Photos】
New Japanese mascot character: A train station monster that grabs children who don’t mind the gap
Osaka’s creepy cute mascot speaks for first time, adds more fuel the creepy OR cute debate【Video】
New Studio Ghibli bedding sets are cool in all senses of the word
J-pop megastar Utada Hikaru releases new video and recording of “Traveling”【Video】
Hey, Japanese taxi driver! Take us to your favorite restaurant in Tsuruga City!Disney princesses get official manga makeovers for Manga Princess Cafe opening in Tokyo
We try out “Chan Ramen”, an underground type of ramen popular in the ramen communityNew Studio Ghibli bedding sets are cool in all senses of the word
Our Japanese reporter visits Costco in the U.S., finds super American and very Japanese thingsForeign English teachers in Japan pick their favorite Japanese-language phrases【Survey】
New Pokémon cakes let you eat your way through Pikachu and all the Eevee evolutions
There’s a park inside Japan where you can also see Japan inside the park
Japanese convenience store packs a whole bento into an onigiri rice ball
Hanton rice — a delicious regional food even most Japanese people don’t know about, but more should
Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, and Dragon Quest pet product line announced by Square Enix
Studio Ghibli releases Kiki’s Delivery Service chocolate cake pouches in Japan
Japan’s bone-breaking and record-breaking roller coaster is permanently shutting down
New definition of “Japanese whiskey” goes into effect to prevent fakes from fooling overseas buyers
Foreign passenger shoves conductor on one of the last full runs for Japan’s Thunderbird trainOur Japanese reporter visits Costco in the U.S., finds super American and very Japanese things
Kyoto bans tourists from geisha alleys in Gion, with fines for those who don’t follow rules
Studio Ghibli unveils Mother’s Day gift set that captures the love in My Neighbour Totoro
Domino’s Japan now sells…pizza ears?
Toyota built a life-sized Miraidon Pokémon and are letting people test drive it this weekend
New Japanese KitKat flavour stars Sanrio characters, including Hello Kitty
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
Studio Ghibli’s new desktop Howl’s Moving Castle will take your stationery on an adventure
New Japanese mascot character: A train station monster that grabs children who don’t mind the gap
Osaka’s creepy cute mascot speaks for first time, adds more fuel the creepy OR cute debate【Video】
New Studio Ghibli bedding sets are cool in all senses of the word
J-pop megastar Utada Hikaru releases new video and recording of “Traveling”【Video】
Hey, Japanese taxi driver! Take us to your favorite restaurant in Tsuruga City!
Cappuccino Ramen becomes super popular in Japan, but is it worth the hype?
Why do Japanese stairs have red-and-yellow marks on them?
New book teaches Japanese people English to help out foreign travelers
Japanese train conductor flips off rail fan photographer, prompts apology from JR
What happens to Cup Noodle Mystery Meat when you cook it in a rice cooker?
When is it OK to take a naked hot spring bath with your Japanese girlfriend/boyfriend?
Sociologist says high school hierarchy keeps Japanese adults away from their home towns
Genuine Muramasa blade and Muromachi katana on display at Tokyo’s Touken Ranbu store【Photos】