Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
Japanese coin
Japan’s Ministry of Finance has just announced the chosen designs for coins commemorating the reconstruction efforts for the Great East Japan Earthquake that rocked the northern area of Tohoku on March 11, 2011.
A premium gold coin with a face value of 10,000 yen (US $127) and a premium silver coin with a face value of 1,000 yen (US $12.75) are schedule to be produced in 2015. Most are engraved with beautiful symbols of Japan, but does one of them look a little funny to you? Read More
McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
All-you-can-drink Starbucks and amazing views part of Tokyo’s new 170 meter-high sky lounge
Studio Ghibli glasses cases let anime characters keep an eye on your spectacles
Super Nintendo World expansion gets delayed for several months at Universal Studios Japan
Starbucks reopens at Shibuya Scramble Crossing with new look and design concept
Kyoto’s 100 Demons yokai monster parade returns!
Constipated cats, sticky blue poop and more: Japan’s 9 weirdest vending machine toys
Our Japanese reporter visits Costco in the U.S., finds super American and very Japanese things
Disney princesses get official manga makeovers for Manga Princess Cafe opening in Tokyo
Kagawa Prefecture becoming Slowpoke Paradise this springMcDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goodsDisney princesses get official manga makeovers for Manga Princess Cafe opening in Tokyo
More foreign tourists than ever before in history visited Japan last monthStarbucks reopens at Shibuya Scramble Crossing with new look and design concept
Beautiful new Final Fantasy T-shirt collection on the way from Uniqlo【Photos】
Is the new Shinkansen Train Desk ticket worth it?
Foreign English teachers in Japan pick their favorite Japanese-language phrases【Survey】All-you-can-drink Starbucks and amazing views part of Tokyo’s new 170 meter-high sky lounge
Japanese convenience store packs a whole bento into an onigiri rice ball
We try out “Chan Ramen”, an underground type of ramen popular in the ramen communityMcDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Studio Ghibli releases Kiki’s Delivery Service chocolate cake pouches in Japan
Japan’s bone-breaking and record-breaking roller coaster is permanently shutting down
New definition of “Japanese whiskey” goes into effect to prevent fakes from fooling overseas buyersOur Japanese reporter visits Costco in the U.S., finds super American and very Japanese things
Studio Ghibli unveils Mother’s Day gift set that captures the love in My Neighbour Totoro
Foreign passenger shoves conductor on one of the last full runs for Japan’s Thunderbird train
Domino’s Japan now sells…pizza ears?
New Japanese KitKat flavour stars Sanrio characters, including Hello Kitty
Kyoto creates new for-tourist buses to address overtourism with higher prices, faster rides
Sales of Japan’s most convenient train ticket/shopping payment cards suspended indefinitelyMcDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Sold-out Studio Ghibli desktop humidifiers are back so Totoro can help you through the dry season
Japanese government to make first change to romanization spelling rules since the 1950s
Ghibli founders Toshio Suzuki and Hayao Miyazaki contribute to Japanese whisky Totoro label design
Doraemon found buried at sea as scene from 1993 anime becomes real life【Photos】
Tokyo’s most famous Starbucks is closed
One Piece characters’ nationalities revealed, but fans have mixed opinions
We asked a Uniqlo employee what four things we should buy and their suggestions didn’t disappoint
Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
Kyoto’s 100 Demons yokai monster parade returns!
Constipated cats, sticky blue poop and more: Japan’s 9 weirdest vending machine toys
Our Japanese reporter visits Costco in the U.S., finds super American and very Japanese things
Disney princesses get official manga makeovers for Manga Princess Cafe opening in Tokyo
Kagawa Prefecture becoming Slowpoke Paradise this spring
Costco opened its first store in China, and things immediately got crazy【Video】
Is Japan’s massive Shizuoka steak sandwich really as delicious as it looks in promo photos?
The joys of fatbiking around Okinawa’s remote Taketomi Island
Brighten your day with these 12 adorable photos of Shiba Inu being unintentionally cute 【Pics】
We eat Japan’s oldest sweet, available at only one store in all of Japan