”This is Japan, you know?” he asks, but others want to show him the ways of the modern world.
internationalism (Page 3)
Travel-broadened Japanese Twitter users share their stories of culture shock and pleasant surprises.
Turns out the controversial posters aren’t quite as nationalistic as their creators likely intended them to be.
Crowdfunding campaign opens for Japanese international friendship initiative’s gorgeous designs.
Mysterious posters draw concerned comments about the insensitive mentality of their anonymous creators.
Respondents in the U.S., China, and four other countries’ top 10 answers included Pokémon, military leaders, and adult film actresses.
Japanese blogger and internationalist Madame Riri explores five prejudices and misconceptions foreign male-Japanese female couples experience in Japan.
From fashion to extracurricular activities, the lives of an American colleges students are an ocean apart from their counterparts in Japan.
Japan places a tremendous importance on education. Many would even argue that studiousness is part of Japan’s national character, and diligent students are seen as source of pride and an object of respect in Japanese society.
Nevertheless, a lecturer at one of Japan’s renowned universities is calling out the lazy Japanese youths he says he encounters in his classes, while praising his hard-working Chinese and Southeast Asian pupils.
We often hear about foreigners’ favorite parts of Japanese culture, like trains running on time and unparalleled customer service, but it’s not every day that we hear from Japanese people about their favorite parts of foreign cultures.
With that in mind, one of RocketNews24’s Japanese-language writers decided to interview a few well-traveled Japanese people and hear some of their favorite aspects of the different cultures they’ve experienced and how they compare to their own.
Our Japanese-language reporter Go recently returned from a trip to the U.S. While there, he hunted for aliens and sampled the local cuisine, but mostly what he did was drive.
While Japan is filled with winding mountain passes that make for enjoyable drives, the wide-open American road has an appeal all its own. After days of barreling down the highways of the southwest, Go came back to Japan with these 50 experiences he had driving in the U.S.
Japan’s National Tourist Organization recently released its statistics on the number of overseas travelers who visited in the country in 2014, and we’re proud to say that 13,413,467 of you came to visit (though we’re also a little hurt that so few of you called us up to get ramen while you were here). That number represents almost a 30-percent increase from the number of foreign tourists Japan received in 2013, and a whopping 60-percent jump compared to 2012.
Still, Japan only ranks 27th globally in its ability to draw travelers from abroad, making it eighth in Asia, behind world-number 22 Korea and number four China.
So what’s holding Japan back from becoming an even more popular international travel destination? RocketNews24’s non-Japanese staff put our heads together, and after getting over the initial pain from our foreheads violently colliding, came up with the following list of areas Japan could do better in that foreign travelers would definitely appreciate.
If you are looking for some Korean food while in Tokyo, the place to go is Shin-Okubo. The famed “Korea Town” in the middle of the metropolitan Tokyo area has served as a gathering place for fans of Korean TV dramas, K-pop music and Korean cuisine. Sadly, though, what was once was a bustling consumer zone for people who loved all things Korean, though, has seen its fortunes decline in recent years, and there are a number of theories as to why.
Blogger Madame Riri often writes about her experiences as a Japanese woman in an international relationship who’s spent a considerable amount of time living abroad. Recently, though, she took a look at women in the opposite situation.
Sifting through the writings of Grace Buchele Mineta, a Texas-born expat married to a Japanese man and living in Japan since three years ago, Madame Riri pulled out four pieces of advice for non-Japanese women in or looking for a romantic relationship with a Japanese man in Japan.
In recent years, Japan’s gotten pretty into craft brewing. A few of the more prominent brands can be tracked down at specialty liquor stores in major cities like Tokyo, but many smaller outfits don’t have anything close to a national distribution network. For example, if you’re in the mood for a nice Doppo or Miyajima Beer, you’re looking at a trip out to Okayama or Hiroshima, respectively.
Still, most Japanese microbrews aren’t too hard to get your hands on, as long as you’re in the city, or at least the prefecture, where they’re made. Recently, though, we tried what might be the most exclusive beer in Japan, which is served in one place only, inside the U.S. naval base in the city of Yokosuka.
A while back, we dissected a list from blogger and internationalist Madame Riri about three things Japanese women do that scare off foreign guys. Love is a two-way street though, which means the romantic roadblocks run in both directions.
Today, we’re taking a peek at Madame Riri’s latest batch of bullet-pointed suggestions, which focuses on her top four tips for Japanese women looking for a successful relationship with a man from overseas.














Blind Tokyo commuter explains the easiest place for him to stand while riding the train
Pikachu brings electric style to brand-new Pokémon G-Shock watch featuring every stater trio
Taco Spaghetti appears in Japan, and our taco fan rushes to try it[Taste test]
Krispy Kreme Japan releases new fruit doughnuts…that taste better cold
Japanese man’s gross conveyor belt sushi social media prank video gets him a 500,000-yen fine
Beautiful new dangling Totoro socks let the Ghibli mascot sway with every step[Photos]
Starbucks Japan reopens Shinkansen platform store after redesigning it for speed
The adorable, delicious joy of the Totoro cream puff gift box[Taste test]
Family Mart Japan installs red-eyed “Monster Wolf” to keep bears away from convenience store
Tokyo cops arrest foreigner for suspected visa violation, don’t know what new residence cards look like
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japan launches first overnight Shinkansen bullet train between Tokyo and Osaka this summer
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Japanese sweets brand creates new drinkable Cigare and we’re totally here for it
Starbucks Japan creates special drink bottle bags, adorable stickers for all 47 prefectures[Pics]
Studio Ghibli store Donguri Republic announces opening of first-ever store in America
“Phantom Egg Shop” opens in Japan, with a dozen rare Japanese varieties
Japanese sweets shop sells an ohagi so exquisite it sells out by noon
New Japanese overnight train coming to connect Tokyo with Tohoku in sleep-travel style
Uniqlo reveals third round of massive 100-year-anniversary manga T-shirts for Jump’s Shueisha
Even at twice regular Daiso price, this handy item is still great for summer travel in Japan
New official Ghibli anime food cookbook will teach you how to make Ponyo’s ramen and more
Forget Tokyo go-karts – there’s a new way to sightsee on four wheels in Japan
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
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
Beautiful new dangling Totoro socks let the Ghibli mascot sway with every step[Photos]
Starbucks Japan reopens Shinkansen platform store after redesigning it for speed
The adorable, delicious joy of the Totoro cream puff gift box[Taste test]
Family Mart Japan installs red-eyed “Monster Wolf” to keep bears away from convenience store
Tokyo cops arrest foreigner for suspected visa violation, don’t know what new residence cards look like
Japanese theme park adding Immersive Death Game with a “bomb collar” you have to wear
Starbucks Japan creates special drink bottle bags, adorable stickers for all 47 prefectures[Pics]
Nintendo’s Animal Crossing crosses over to Baskin-Robbins Japan with special ice cream and merch
Totoro Soot Sprites are here to help keep your organized as adorable paper clips[Photos]
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japan opens shrine for plush toys in Kyoto, offering memorial rites and a resting place for remains
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Japan launches first overnight Shinkansen bullet train between Tokyo and Osaka this summer
Testing Japan’s latest food hack trend: Adding instant corn soup powder to popcorn[Taste test]