Indonesia
College campus turns into a space for cosplayers, anime enthusiasts, and Japanese food fans.
Don’t get us wrong, Starbucks Japan has great merchandise, but have you seen Starbucks Singapore?!
If you’re going to be part of the problem, you’re going to have to be part of the clean-up too.
“A little” shanking is requested, but that’s not the only weird thing about the baffling bits of Japanese flavor text.
A Japanese train conductor’s final announcement aboard a train about to be transferred to Jakarta, Indonesia hit some passengers right in the feels.
One of the great things about travel is that sometimes the best laid plans completely fall apart and then you discover something unexpected and even more amazing than the thing or place you originally intended to visit.
That was the case on a recent trip to Indonesia when our plans to go to the Banda Islands, some of the famed spice islands, fell through and instead we found ourselves sleeping above a coral reef, hanging out with sea turtles and stuffing ourselves silly on fish and spicy chollo chollo in the tiny town of Sawai.
Penjor were pretty much the first thing I noticed about Bali. As soon as we left the airport, they began towering over our car from both sides of the street: long-necked, graceful swoops of bamboo arching and bobbing over the road, their strips of paper and coconut leaves fluttering in the air.
But what were these charming decorations? What was their significance? That took a little longer to find out. And to be honest, I’m still not sure I know.
Human beings are endlessly inventive when it comes to food. From curried cicadas to snake soup to lemon and mint Pepsi, we never stop inventing new ways to follow the evolutionary imperative to stuff our faces with calories. And while I’m generally a cultural relativist when it comes to “weird” foods, sometimes there is a concept so out-there, you can’t help but say it’s bizarre.
Like kopi luwak, coffee made from beans that have been through the poop shoot of a tree cat. We’ve all heard of it, and it sounds revolting, but have any of us ever actually tried it? Why, yes, actually…
While Islam is practiced worldwide, many of us tend to only think of the Muslims in the Middle East, looking past those in Southeast Asia. However, with over 87% of its people identifying as Muslim, Indonesia actually has the largest population of Muslims in the world.
The young adult Muslim culture in Indonesia is not that much different from youth culture anywhere else in the world these days: everyone has smartphones and, like them or not, selfies are the norm. A previously celebrated young Muslim cleric, however, has recently proclaimed that the act of taking a selfie is a sin – a claim which many young Muslims in Indonesia have taken great offense to.
How did they respond to the condemnation of their smartphone snaps? By taking even more selfies than ever before.
Since the end of May a special investigative team was dispatched to Oenunto Village in Indonesia at the request of the Chief Medical Officer of nearby Kupang City. Their mission was to figure out what really happened after hearing about a woman who gave birth to her third child: a healthy, bouncing baby gecko.
Last week on September 14, Jakarta’s police managed to catch up with an AWOL fender-bender felon. This particular culprit was a bit too high profile to fly under the radar for long, especially considering the panoramic mapping equipment attached to his car!
Starbucks is well-known for taking up residence in some unusual places. They’ve had a pop-up store in Tokyo and they even have a historical western-style house house in Kobe. But in the beautiful mountain village of Ubud, Bali, there’s a more subdued Starbucks. Set up in an old storehouse, and blending perfectly with the environment, you wouldn’t instantly think this was part of a global coffee franchise.
We went to check out this unique coffeehouse and found it to be incredibly beautiful and serene. Out of all the Starbucks stores we’ve visited across the world, this is by far the one we recommend the most. With an exceptionally unique atmosphere, we bring you four reasons why this may very well be the best Starbucks in the world.
MOST POPULAR
Now
7-Eleven Japan’s ramen-cooking robot whipped us up a bowl of noodles【Taste test】
Japan’s otoshidama tradition of giving kids money at New Year’s gets a social welfare upgrade
Hello Kitty Choco Egg figures are an adorable trip through three periods of Japanese pop culture【Pics】
We make a Russian Kentucky Fried Chicken sushi ginger sandwich
Can a dirty butthole make you filthy rich in Japan? We’re starting a New Year’s lottery experiment
Why you shouldn’t call this food “Hiroshimayaki” if you’re talking to people from Hiroshima
Starbucks Japan releases new zodiac chilled cup drink for 2026
Yoshinoya adds first-ever chain-wide ramen with new beef and pork-broth noodle hot pot meals
Randy’s Donuts vs. Krispy Kreme — Who is Japan’s king of glazed donuts?
Japan’s permanent Pokémon theme park zone announces grand opening date, ticket sale start
Weekly
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】
Japan may add Japanese language proficiency, lifestyle classes to permanent foreign resident requirements- Starbucks Japan releases new zodiac chilled cup drink for 2026
Lacquerware supplier to emperor of Japan and Pokémon team up for new tableware
Tokyo’s Tsukiji sushi neighborhood asks tour groups to stay away for the rest of the month
Is this the most relaxing Starbucks in Japan?
Starbucks on a Shinkansen bullet train platform: 6 tips for using the automated store in Japan
Street Fighter Hadouken Churros to be launched and eaten in Tokyo, Okami pudding on offer too
Monthly
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Japanese train company is letting fans buy its actual ticket gates for their homes- 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 considering law requiring more trash cans following litter increase in heavily touristed area- Tokyo’s Tsukiji sushi neighborhood asks tour groups to stay away for the rest of the month
Nintendo’s Kirby now delivering orders at Kura Sushi restaurants, but not in Japan
Tokyo event lets you travel back in time, for free, to celebrate 100 years since Showa era start
Sanrio theme park in Japan announces plans to expand into a Sanrio resort
Yearly
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
Japan’s deadliest food claims more victims, but why do people keep eating it for New Year’s?
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】
The top 10 annoying foreign tourist behaviors on trains, as chosen by Japanese people【Survey】
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
RECOMMENDED STORIES
Why you shouldn’t call this food “Hiroshimayaki” if you’re talking to people from Hiroshima
Starbucks Japan releases new zodiac chilled cup drink for 2026
Yoshinoya adds first-ever chain-wide ramen with new beef and pork-broth noodle hot pot meals
Randy’s Donuts vs. Krispy Kreme — Who is Japan’s king of glazed donuts?
Japan’s permanent Pokémon theme park zone announces grand opening date, ticket sale start
Edible 10-yen coins become a hot new trend in Tokyo【Taste test】
What’s inside the McDonald’s Japan fukubukuro lucky bag for 2026?
Is it rude to sing along at concerts in Japan? We ask a pro musician for his take
5 Japanese women who can kick your ass (in martial arts)【Women in Japan Series】
Tokyo zoo imposes one-minute time limit for viewing pandas, line still four hours long
We try Tokyo’s new and trendy “smoky ramen” for a fragrant experience 【Photos】
Ultra-premium matcha, koji rice mold star in Starbucks Japanese New Year’s Frappuccino and drinks
Made In Japan Fender Limited Edition Hello Kitty Stratocaster now on sale in Japan
Japan’s buzzword of the year nominees: A great way to learn and be baffled by Japanese vocabulary
-
