hacking
If you’ve used Happy Hotel to book a love hotel recently, you may want to change your password!
Even my mom practices tighter internet security than what appeared to be North Korea’s version of Facebook.
This month Osaka Prefectural Police pressed charges against a 16-year-old boy for a first-of-its-kind cyber attack in Japan.
On the morning of Sunday, 8 March terror struck the Japanese futsal world as a banner appeared of Tokyo-based futsal club Fuchu Athletic FC for approximately three hours. Apparently bearing the flag of radical Islamic group ISIS it read: “Hacked by Islamic State (ISIS) We Are Everywhere :)”
More interesting than their suspicious use of a smiley (possibly “winky” as well) emoticon, was the surprising knowledge the organization seemingly had regarding Japanese five-on-five indoor soccer. Their attack came just as the top futsal teams in Japan were gearing up for the Puma Cup finals.
Although still relatively unknown in the West, Naver Company’s Line is by far the most popular messaging application in Japan right now, with millions of active users. But when an app comes to be embraced by so many people, it’s often only a matter of time before someone with too much time on their hands decides to spoil the fun for everyone by hacking users’ accounts in an effort to make money.
Cases of Line accounts being taken over have been on the rise since May this year, with many people claiming to have received messages from both anonymous users and those already in their contact list, asking them to purchase pre-paid WebMoney cards and send a photo of the card’s number over to them so that they can claim it.
Thankfully, most Line users are bright enough to recognise a scam when they see it, and know exactly how to respond…
Have you ever gotten on an elevator in the lobby, pressed the button for the seventh floor, and then groaned with the realization that you needed the sixth? Or had to throw out a pair of scissors grown dull through years of use?
There are millions of small annoyances and frustrations that seem basically unavoidable. They’re not really serious, but wouldn’t it be nice if someone could go around making our lives easier? While that probably won’t happen until the robot revolution (come on, WALL-E!), there are a few tricks that you can use to fix these tiny frustrations, so join us after the break for some awesome life hacks from Japan!







Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura cherry blossom collection for hanami season 2026
One Piece creator has hidden secret of anime treasure’s identity in chest at bottom of real-world ocean
【Fail】World’s Tallest Broadcast Tower Tokyo Sky Tree Experiences Unexpected Radio Interference, Tokyo Tower Still Chugging On
Live-action One Piece’s Luffy teaches Sesame Street’s Elmo a Japanese word for friendship[Video]
Is Tokyo Station’s startlingly expensive wagyu bento boxed lunch worth its high price?[Taste test]
Japanese star’s makeup transformation goes viral online 【Videos】
Real-life Spirited Away train line found in Japan?
Clever and cute cat keyhole bra is only one-fourth of lingerie set’s feline charms 【Photos】
Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new Stanley bottles and exclusive drinkware at Reserve Roastery Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases first-ever Hinamatsuri Girls’ Day Frappuccino
Japanese restaurant chain serves Dragon Ball donuts and Senzu Beans this spring
Japan Extreme Budget Travel! A trip from Tokyo to Izumo for just 30,000 yen [Part 1]
Japan’s craziest burger chain takes menchi katsu to new extreme levels
Japan Extreme Budget Travel! A trip from Tokyo to Izumo for just 30,000 yen [Part 2]
Japanese drugstore sells onigiri at pre-stupid era prices, but how do they compare to 7-Eleven?
Viral Japanese cheesecake from Osaka has a lesser known rival called Aunt Wanda
Lawson adds doughnuts to its convenience store sweets range, but are they good enough to go viral?
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Foreigners accounting for over 80 percent of off-course skiers needing rescue in Japan’s Hokkaido
Super-salty pizza sends six kids to the hospital in Japan, linguistics blamed
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura Frappuccino for cherry blossom season 2026
Foreign tourists in Japan will get free Shinkansen tickets to promote regional tourism
The 10 most annoying things foreign tourists do on Japanese trains, according to locals
Take a trip to Japan’s Dododo Land, the most irritating place on Earth
Naruto and Converse team up for new line of shinobi sneakers[Photos]
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
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
Japanese star’s makeup transformation goes viral online 【Videos】
Real-life Spirited Away train line found in Japan?
Clever and cute cat keyhole bra is only one-fourth of lingerie set’s feline charms 【Photos】
Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new Stanley bottles and exclusive drinkware at Reserve Roastery Tokyo
Capsule hotel inside Narita Airport is like a futuristic spaceship
Japanese restaurant chain serves Dragon Ball donuts and Senzu Beans this spring
Japanese horror icon Sadako collaborates with Snickers in yummy commercial!
Taste-testing Japan’s real-world Dragon Balls and Senzu Beans at Marugame Seimen
Japan’s kid-friendly ski program is now selling Pikachu snowboards for a limited time only
Man overjoyed as woman who crashed into his car turns out to be AV star Maria Ozawa【Video】
Real-life Olaf takes Twitter by (snow)storm
Drift ice in Japan is a disappearing winter miracle you need to see now