2026 nengajo drawing comes with a never-before-seen photo of the legendary anime director.
happy new year
And just like that, 2015 was no more! It’s now January 1 all the way across Asia, which means it’s officially the Year of Monkey! Happy New Year, everyone!
We’ll be putting our feet up for the rest of today, but we promise we’ll be back tomorrow with more of the news, cuteness, cats, food, fukubukuro, Mr Sato and all the weird and wonderful stuff from Japan and Asia that you know—and hopefully love—us for.
Thank you for continuing to visit our site, share our stories and follow us on Twitter and Facebook (281K and counting!!), and for helping us to grow and grow. 2015 was very good to us, but here’s hoping that 2016 will fill us all with the sprightly energy of a whole mess of merry monkeys and that we can continue to make our little site even better—although hopefully without any poo-slinging.
Stay tuned, Rocketeers, and have yourselves a great New Year’s Day!












Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Massive manga collaboration bringing 100 years of Shueisha manga to Uniqlo T-shirts【Photos】
Which Japanese beef bowl chain’s near-identical demon grater onioroshi ponzu gyudon is the best?
Totoro cream puffs and Catbus cookies are finally available in downtown Tokyo
Does a poopy butthole translate to lottery-winning riches in Japan? The results are in!
Mister Donut and Godiva continue their sweet sweets relationship with new treats on sale now in Japan
Poké Ball cakes here for limited but long time to celebrate Pokémon franchise’s 30th anniversary
The detail on these Japanese dollhouses is amazing!
We try an unusual buffet of dishes made from wild game at a roadside stop in Chiba
Majority of Japanese women in survey regret marrying their husband, but that’s only half the story
Starbucks Japan releases new Frappuccino and latte for Valentine’s Day
Our 52-year-old pole dancing reporter shares his tips for achieving your New Year’s exercise goal
Ramen restaurant’s English menu prices are nearly double its Japanese ones, denies discriminating
Giant hotel rooms in Osaka reflect the new non-niche face of travel in Japan.
Japanese women showing rebounding interest in giving Valentine’s Day chocolate【Survey】
Princess Mononoke magnets return just in time to treat yourself to awesome anime decorations
10 times to avoid traveling in Japan in 2026
What’s inside Starbucks Japan’s fukubukuro lucky bag for 2026?
Starbucks Japan ready to get Year of the Horse started with adorable drinkware and plushies【Pics】
7-Eleven Japan starts new temporary luggage storage service in over 300 branches
Disillusionment at Tsukiji’s tourist-target prices led us to a great ramen restaurant in Tokyo
Starbucks teams up with 166-year-old Kyoto doll maker for Year of the Horse decorations【Photos】
Tokyo’s Tsukiji sushi neighborhood asks tour groups to stay away for the rest of the month
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
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
Starbucks Japan reveals new sakura drinkware collection, inspired by evening cherry blossoms
Updated cherry blossom forecast shows extra-long sakura season for Japan this year
Mister Donut and Godiva continue their sweet sweets relationship with new treats on sale now in Japan
Poké Ball cakes here for limited but long time to celebrate Pokémon franchise’s 30th anniversary
The detail on these Japanese dollhouses is amazing!
We try an unusual buffet of dishes made from wild game at a roadside stop in Chiba
Majority of Japanese women in survey regret marrying their husband, but that’s only half the story
Smell like a Demon Slayer (or a Demon) with new line of Kimetsu no Yaiba fragrances
Japan’s kid-friendly ski program is now selling Pikachu snowboards for a limited time only
Starbucks teams up with the oldest of Japan’s Six Ancient Kilns to create a Bizen ware coffee mug
Nintendo bringing real-life Zelda Zonai Device capsule toy machines to Japan【Photos】
Amazing Pringles flavours exist in Japan
Beautiful unofficial Ghibli village in a Japanese forest is a magical place to spend an afternoon
How to write “sakura” in Japanese (and why it’s written that way)