Germany
Our Japanese reporter dishes on her experience trying sushi at a popular sushi delivery chain.
A strange caper is afoot as Germany’s Detective Pikachu is heard sounding nothing like the Pokémon species is supposed to.
Brazil’s loss to Germany in the World Cup was, without a doubt, some of the biggest news of the week. Even non-soccer fans have heard about–and thrived on the Schadenfreude of–the massive blow out. It’s probably fair to say that, while not the biggest loss in World Cup history, it will likely be the most memorable of this tournament, and after losing to the Netherlands earlier today there’s even less for the country to celebrate.
And here to make sure that no one will ever forget about the horrible beating that Brazil faced is the Internet and tons of memes to make you laugh and cry simultaneously!
Following the first semifinal game of the World Cup, German football fans draped in black, red, and gold were seen celebrating in Japan’s busiest intersection, the Shibuya scramble crossing. And they sure had a lot to celebrate about.
The blowout match against Brazil saw seven goals scored by the German team, four of which came within six minutes. Most of the action took place nearest Brazil’s keeper who had to try and fend off the German forwards who were crossing the ball multiple times in front of the net as if the Brazilian defense wasn’t even there. So yes, their team through to the championship match, these German fans had every right to be celebrating and Japanese Twitter users were quick to upload their elated antics.
We’ve all been there. You excitedly tear off the wrapper on the new snack you’ve been waiting to try, only to find that it’s half the size of the picture on the box, or doesn’t contain the mint leaf daintily arranged on the image on the packaging. That’s why packaging runs the line “serving suggestion”, anyway – to let the manufacturer show the food at its best without being accused of, erm, lying.
A project from the delightfully named German website PUNDO3000, werbung gegen realität (“Adverts versus reality”) attempts to stab back at food manufacturers with painfully real photos of food items. We’re always on the look out for the gap between jazzed-up photos and the real deal, so join us after the jump for 31 of the best!
Meet Jannine Parawie Weigel. Like any 13-year-old girl, she enjoys lemonade, pizza, the color pink, and Hunger Games (the movie not, you know, actual hunger games). She also speaks five languages, plans to get a bachelor’s degree by the time she’s 16 and was already signed to GMM Grammy, Thailand’s largest media company.
And if you don’t feel like you’re underachieving enough yet, she also has the face and voice of an angel, and by all accounts seems like a genuinely well-mannered young woman. Now before you pick up that revolver, enjoy the song-stylings of this up-and-coming Thai-German wunderkind.
How would you react to being beaten up while living in a foreign country by an assailant spewing racial hatred? While most of us may be more interested in revenge, a Japanese software developer and longtime resident of Germany recently showed how to set aside anger to make the world a better place. Instead of dwelling on the attack, the Japanese man bought ad space in a Berlin subway station to ask his attacker to work on a translation project together. Click below to find out what made this Japanese man want to reach out to the man that gave him a black eye!
Live-action adaptations of your favorite anime series are sometimes painful to watch. On rare occasions, they’re actually pretty decent, even though stories with supernatural or sci-fi elements tend to be especially difficult to reproduce faithfully in real life…or so we thought until now. Before now, many people have commented that a live-action version of the insanely popular Attack on Titan (進撃の巨人) would be impossible to execute well. But a group of enthusiastic German fans have proven everyone wrong with their amazing video which runs like a movie trailer! This production has truly raised the bar for fans around the world. One more important detail: they have real horses!
Since the invention of chain-driven transmission in the 1890s, the bicycle really hasn’t undergone any major structural changes.
And what could you possibly want to change? You’ve got two wheels for movement, handlebars for direction, a seat to hold your body weight and pedals to…
“Wait, pedals?”, thought the Germans. We don’t need no stinkin’ pedals.














Foreign man arrested for walking on Shinkansen tracks, claims he was on the run from yakuza
Japanese manhole lid raises eyebrows with fertility god symbol that looks like… well, you know
Schoolkids learn life skills through shopping field trips at street markets in Kochi Prefecture
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Man bites woman at cherry blossom park in Japan, dies shortly after
Famous koi ponds overwhelmed with tourists throwing thousands of coins in them
Should you warm up your convenience store onigiri rice balls in the microwave?【Taste test】
Does this Dormy Inn near Mt. Fuji offer the best business hotel breakfast in all of Japan?
Survey reveals Japan’s Generation Z dresses for social media, not for self-expression
The 10 best Japanese hot spring resorts locals want to go back to again and again
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Starbucks Japan closing only Shinkansen platform branch for popularity-triggered renovations
Two food hacks take Japan’s convenience store fried chicken to amazing new sandwich heights
You can assemble a well-balanced team of Pokémon, them eat them, thanks to Japanese cake chain
Fading Tokyo – Searching for signs of the Showa era as local neighborhoods evolve[Photos]
Pokémon lacquerware series expands for Year of the Horse with new handcrafted design[Video]
Tokyo turns its phone booths into free Wi-Fi hotspots, and here’s how to use them
Tokyo teahouse serves up a sakura matcha dessert you won’t find anywhere else
Totoro Fund line of beautiful artwork and apparel lets you help the real-world Totoro Forest
Japan now has a special desk for people who work at home with a pet cat[Photos]
Famous Tokyo cherry blossom spot installs view-blocking screens to fight overcrowding[Video]
Uniqlo announces new T-shirts for One Piece, Naruto and more for manga publisher’s 100th birthday
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
Studio Ghibli releases Catbus pullback keychain that runs like the anime character
Krispy Kreme releases Super Mario doughnuts in Japan for a limited time
Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list
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
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
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
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
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
Famous koi ponds overwhelmed with tourists throwing thousands of coins in them
Should you warm up your convenience store onigiri rice balls in the microwave?【Taste test】
Does this Dormy Inn near Mt. Fuji offer the best business hotel breakfast in all of Japan?
Survey reveals Japan’s Generation Z dresses for social media, not for self-expression
The 10 best Japanese hot spring resorts locals want to go back to again and again
Cancelled your trip to climb Mt. Fuji? Build the mountain yourself with an awesome papercraft kit
Famous Tokyo cherry blossom spot installs view-blocking screens to fight overcrowding[Video]
A Big Dragon Ball welcome — for a limited time at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport!
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting tourist crowds in Tokyo’s Asakusa neighborhood?
Udon Doughnuts boom in popularity, get a whole new look at Japanese restaurant chain
It’s illegal for yakuza to go to professional baseball games in Japan, Tokyo arrests remind us
Hang out at home with the giant life-sized Rilakkuma bear!
New 7-Eleven sandwich goes viral in Japan, but is it everything it’s cracked up to be?