gardening
Magical character from Howl’s Moving Castle makes the leap from the anime world and into our hearts and homes.
Give someone a bag of chips and they can eat for a minute, but teach them to bag of chips….
Specially cultivated to bloom after they arrive at your home, these trees will provide sakura memories for years to come.
People in Japan are swooning after discovering the many talents of this foreign-born gardener who gave up his original nationality to become Japanese.
Adorable houseplant is a relative of the hot dog cactus.
With amazing outdoor eating spaces set on moss-covered grounds in the middle of the woods, this is a secret haven for lovers of nature and Studio Ghibli.
Once its life as a pencil is over, this innovative piece of stationery will colour your garden by blooming into a variety of edible plants.
So a friend and I have a debate about what happens at the end of the Studio Ghibli anime movie Castle in the Sky Laputa. As the credits roll, the floating island is seen drifting into space, which I, as is my simple-minded nature, take literally. On the other hand, my friend argues that the visuals are at least partly metaphoric, and that the mysterious landmass didn’t really escape Earth’s orbit (he also contends that my proposed Laputa/Space Dandy crossover/sequel is too silly to ever get made).
But while it’s likely Laputa director and creator Hayao Miyazai purposely chose to craft an ambiguous ending to the film, we do now know what happened to the island: it became this awesome hanging planter from anime retailer Benelic.
The concept of plant factories is not a new one. Especially in space-strapped Japan, the idea of a compact garden that can simulate a natural environment in a tight urban area is highly desirable.
Keystone Technologies is one Japanese company that has been constantly refining their LED garden technology. Currently they boast a system that can fit about a quarter acre’s worth of crops into a space of a hotel’s single-room, and that’s just the beginning.
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Our reporter takes her 71-year-old mother to a visual kei concert for the first time
Arrest proves a common Japanese saying about apologies and police
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Disney princesses get official manga makeovers for Manga Princess Cafe opening in Tokyo
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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】
There’s a park inside Japan where you can also see Japan inside the park
New Studio Ghibli bedding sets are cool in all senses of the word
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
New Pokémon cakes let you eat your way through Pikachu and all the Eevee evolutions
Hamburg and Hamburg Shibuya: A Japanese restaurant you need to put on your Tokyo itinerary
Monthly
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 train
Our 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?
New Japanese KitKat flavour stars Sanrio characters, including Hello Kitty
Kyoto creates new for-tourist buses to address overtourism with higher prices, faster rides
Yearly
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
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Arrest proves a common Japanese saying about apologies and police
Starbucks reopens at Shibuya Scramble Crossing with new look and design concept
Randomly running into a great sushi lunch like this is one of the best things about eating in Tokyo
What happens to Cup Noodle Mystery Meat when you cook it in a rice cooker?
Haku is…Chihiro’s dead brother? Studio Ghibli fans blown away by Spirited Away theory
Disney princesses get official manga makeovers for Manga Princess Cafe opening in Tokyo
Beautiful new Final Fantasy T-shirt collection on the way from Uniqlo【Photos】
Shinjuku izakaya’s all-you-can-eat-and-drink plan is one of Tokyo’s best secret cheap eats
Why is Japan such an unpopular tourist destination?
Dogs now allowed on Catbus! Ghibli Park vehicles revise service animal policy
Osaka’s creepy cute mascot speaks for first time, adds more fuel the creepy OR cute debate【Video】
How do you split two apples for three people using one knife? Japanese Twitter’s violent ideas
Burger King Japan offering all-you-can-eat quadruple cheeseburgers
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