life
You, too, can have an all-you-can-eat experience with a timer and the determination to enjoy yourself.
These short, sweet videos have Japan’s recently retired baseball star play the (board) game of life while musing on his real lived experiences.
Japanese people dish on things foreigners told them that they’d never realized before about their home country.
Episode 1 of our brand new series, Ask Mr. Sato, is here! Join us at the link below to listen to the great man’s sagely advice!
Takahashi Toshiyuki, better known as Takahashi Meijin, is a renowned gaming personality in Japan. One of his famous quotes, however, says, “Don’t play more than an hour of games each day.” This sounds like a mother nagging her game-addicted child and perhaps not too convincing coming from someone who plays games for a living. You might wonder, “Why is this guy telling me that I should only play for an hour each day when he probably plays all day long? How am I going to be a world Pokémon champion if I don’t play enough?” However, it appears that there is more to Takahashi’s quote.
Electronics giant LG has announced that its line of “HomeChat”-enabled appliances — a refrigerator, washing machine, and Lightwave oven that can be communicated with and operated via messaging service Line — is now available to buy in its native South Korea.
By using the popular smartphone app, users can chat with their various gizmos as if they were ordinary human contacts, asking them questions as well as providing additional information to alter their functions. Thanks to the technology built into the appliances with which the app communicates, it’s possible not just to remotely check the temperature inside the fridge or put on a load of laundry, but to find out how many beers you have or delay your usual wash cycle by 30 minutes simply by telling the machine you’ll be home late.
As we’ve talked about before, overtime is pretty common in Japan. At a startling number of companies, it is not considered in the least bit unusual to find staff, who are contracted and only being paid to be there between 8:30 am and 6 pm, still at their desks until 9, 10, or 11 at night. Others may leave the office a little earlier, but are often wrangled into drinking with the boss or entertaining clients until all hours. Others still even work on weekends and, returning home late at night, only see their family while they’re sleeping.
Dutiful partners may grin and bear it when their husband or wife is absent from home for such enormous stretches of time, but kids only speak the truth. Like this little one who, on her father returning home seemingly for the first time in a long time, greeted him like you might a guest or customer to a restaurant…
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Japan’s awesomely beautiful Alpen Route snow corridor is now open
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Almost all Japanese women say they dislike random gacha/blind-box toys in survey
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Wisteria season starts early with blooming of Japan’s Great Wisteria in its beautiful garden
Japan’s best conveyor belt sushi restaurant of seven years ago has now, finally, come to Tokyo- Brand-new Pokémon manhole covers coming to help the recovery of a disaster-stricken part of Japan
Injuries on stairs in Tokyo highlight an overlooked design flaw- Japan’s awesomely beautiful Alpen Route snow corridor is now open
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Japanese government wants overseas anime market to roughly triple in 10 years, but are they crazy?
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Monthly
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events- Wisteria season starts early with blooming of Japan’s Great Wisteria in its beautiful garden
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- Japan’s best conveyor belt sushi restaurant of seven years ago has now, finally, come to Tokyo
Famous Tokyo cherry blossom spot installs view-blocking screens to fight overcrowding[Video]
Uniqlo announces new T-shirts for One Piece, Naruto and more for manga publisher’s 100th birthday- Brand-new Pokémon manhole covers coming to help the recovery of a disaster-stricken part of Japan
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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
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
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
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
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Daiso unveils new official mascot, Daizo the elephant
Japan is changing its yen bills soon, so beware of scam artists, government warns
Japan now has a special desk for people who work at home with a pet cat[Photos]
Snazz up your wardrobe with style cues from Tiger & Bunny characters
You can now visit a recreation of Evangelion’s Tokyo-3 and live there in miniature form in【Pics】
11 different ways to say “father” in Japanese
Haunted, abandoned hotel complex on Okinawa is a lesson against messing with Japan’s spirits
Licca-chan dolls released in North America for first time in nearly 60 years
New cyberpunk maid cafe opens in Akihabara, Tokyo
Japan’s popular bead bonsai kit is as beautiful as it is gruelling to make
Final version of Sanrio: Beginning of Kawaii exhibition opens in Tokyo[Photos]
Fujisan View Express: A train journey to Mt Fuji so stylish you’ll never want it to end
Doai Station: The deepest station in Japan is also one of the scariest, like a video game dungeon
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