When it comes to going up and down in life, stairs really seem to be the most inconsiderate. Rather than carrying you along like your friends the escalator or elevator, stairs just seem to lay there without moving an inch to help you.
Even in Japan where politeness is a way of life, the stairs still just sit there waiting for us to do all the heavy lifting. All except a few flights of extremely well-mannered stairs located in Kitakata Station in Fukushima Prefecture. While they don’t physically help you to go up, they do still have power… the power to move you.
Disney princesses get official manga makeovers for Manga Princess Cafe opening in Tokyo
Randomly running into a great sushi lunch like this is one of the best things about eating in Tokyo
Beautiful new Final Fantasy T-shirt collection on the way from Uniqlo【Photos】
Foreign English teachers in Japan pick their favorite Japanese-language phrases【Survey】
We tried Japan’s Strawberry Daifuku? liqueur, one of three dessert-themed liqueurs
Hey, Japanese taxi driver! Take us to your favorite restaurant in Tsuruga City!
Our Japanese reporter visits Costco in the U.S., finds super American and very Japanese things
Tokyo restaurant’s chicken katsu mabo curry is hard to pin down, easy to love
Hanton rice — a delicious regional food even most Japanese people don’t know about, but more should
Is the new Shinkansen Train Desk ticket worth it?
We try out “Chan Ramen”, an underground type of ramen popular in the ramen community
New Studio Ghibli bedding sets are cool in all senses of the word
New Pokémon cakes let you eat your way through Pikachu and all the Eevee evolutions
There’s a park inside Japan where you can also see Japan inside the park
Japanese convenience store packs a whole bento into an onigiri rice ball
Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, and Dragon Quest pet product line announced by Square Enix
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 buyers
Foreign passenger shoves conductor on one of the last full runs for Japan’s Thunderbird train
Kyoto bans tourists from geisha alleys in Gion, with fines for those who don’t follow rules
Studio Ghibli unveils Mother’s Day gift set that captures the love in My Neighbour Totoro
Domino’s Japan now sells…pizza ears?
Toyota built a life-sized Miraidon Pokémon and are letting people test drive it this weekend
New Japanese KitKat flavour stars Sanrio characters, including Hello Kitty
Sales of Japan’s most convenient train ticket/shopping payment cards suspended indefinitely
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
Studio Ghibli’s new desktop Howl’s Moving Castle will take your stationery on an adventure
Hey, Japanese taxi driver! Take us to your favorite restaurant in Tsuruga City!
Our Japanese reporter visits Costco in the U.S., finds super American and very Japanese things
Tokyo restaurant’s chicken katsu mabo curry is hard to pin down, easy to love
Hanton rice — a delicious regional food even most Japanese people don’t know about, but more should
Is the new Shinkansen Train Desk ticket worth it?
We try out “Chan Ramen”, an underground type of ramen popular in the ramen community
This northern Tokyo capsule hotel is cheap, clean, comfortable, and has amazing amenities
Coordinating a whole outfit with nothing but clothes from Japanese convenience store Family Mart
Tokyo restaurant offers “DIY Tempura Bowls,” so of course we had to go check it out
Nemophila season off to an early, and beautiful, start as baby blue flowers bloom in Maishima
Convenience store robot pilots wanted, wages start at 1,450 yen per hour
Enjoy viewing Kyoto’s cherry blossoms from above on a guided zipline tour
Michelin Guide gyoza in Tokyo: Worthy of the accolade?