If you’re sad that December is coming to a close and aren’t quite ready to stop basking in the holiday spirit, here’s a story (albeit a non-Christmas one) from the heart of Tokyo that’s sure to give you the warm fuzzies. Originally made popular in English on the image-hosting site Imgur, this tale of a stranger’s unexpected act of kindness traveled back to Japan where it happened, thanks to the Internet, and subsequently brought smiles to scads of Japanese netizens’ faces.
Read their reactions at the end of the article, after learning about how Lee Mingwei’s participatory art installation and 22-year-old Alice’s seemingly small yet impactful act of courage brightened the day of a metro worker named Daisuke and reddened his ears. As one online commenter put it, “I bet this guy never imagined that his smile would spread joy all around the world!”
Yakuzen ramen restaurant in Tokyo is very different to a yakuza ramen restaurant
Burning through cash just to throw things away tops list of headaches when moving house in Japan
Tokyo Skytree turns pink for the cherry blossom season
Studio Ghibli unveils My Neighbour Totoro miniature house model
Japan Snow Battle Federation looking to make snowball fights Olympic event
Japanese Prime Minister once criticized deploying military to fight Godzilla
Foreign tourists in Japan will get free Shinkansen tickets to promote regional tourism
Osaka establishes first designated smoking area in Dotonbori canal district to fight “overtourism”
Tokyo Station staff share their top 10 favorite ekiben
Real-life Spirited Away train line found in Japan?
The 10 most annoying things foreign tourists do on Japanese trains, according to locals
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Naruto and Converse team up for new line of shinobi sneakers[Photos]
Is Sapporio’s Snow Festival awesome enough to be worth visiting even if you hate the snow? [Pics]
Japan has trams that say “sorry” while they ride around town…but why?
Sakura Totoro is here to get spring started early with adorable pouches and plushies
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura Frappuccino for cherry blossom season 2026
Poop is in full bloom at the Unko Museums for cherry blossom season
Now is the time to visit one of Tokyo’s best off-the-beaten-path plum blossom gardens
Playing Switch 2 games with just one hand is possible thanks to Japanese peripheral maker
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Foreigners accounting for over 80 percent of off-course skiers needing rescue in Japan’s Hokkaido
Super-salty pizza sends six kids to the hospital in Japan, linguistics blamed
Take a trip to Japan’s Dododo Land, the most irritating place on Earth
Archfiend Hello Kitty appears as Sanrio launches new team-up with Yu-Gi-Oh【Pics】
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
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
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
Japanese Prime Minister once criticized deploying military to fight Godzilla
Foreign tourists in Japan will get free Shinkansen tickets to promote regional tourism
Osaka establishes first designated smoking area in Dotonbori canal district to fight “overtourism”
Tokyo Station staff share their top 10 favorite ekiben
Real-life Spirited Away train line found in Japan?
Is the all-you-can-eat KFC buffet in Tokyo really as good as they say it is?
Studio Ghibli releases Ponyo donburi bowl to bring anime ramen to life
New Pokémon Seiko watch collection stars Pikachu, Eevee and Mewtwo
New Japanese Kit Kat raises funds for earthquake-damaged Kumamoto region
Japan has abolished advance deportation notifications to foreigners’ lawyers
11 different ways to say “father” in Japanese
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]