maps
Megane, hitostuma, and muchi muchi all make the list.
Citizens filled with pride in their country, anger at Mercator projection as distance from Hokkaido to Okinawa is shown to equal Denmark to Spain.
Twitter user makes mind-blowing discovery playing around with puzzle pieces of Japan’s 47 prefectures.
Now you can find out if there are any upskirt photographers, bag-snatchers, swindlers, or burglars in your area.
The Edo Past and Present Wanderings app appeals not only to old map buffs, but to anyone with a sense of adventure.
It looks like some graphic designer was aiming for the gold medal in passive-aggressiveness.
Whether you’re a backpacker looking to clean yourself up or just want to experience this aspect of traditional Japanese culture, hundreds of options are at your fingertips.
These beautiful scaled dioramas let you walk the streets of Tokyo or Hiroshima again and again.
This past year the Tokyo Metro has been brought to life in many different ways, ranging from a spaghetti-alien map to, well, a 3-D spaghetti-alien map. But it’s the latest re-imagining of the Tokyo Metro in the highly versatile SVG format that’s currently causing a lot of commotion online.
Love hotels in Japan provide a service that is very unique in the world. They play a convenient role for those passionate one-night stands, which is exactly the sort of business you’d expect at a place called a “love hotel”. But they are also a place where married couples can go who are being pressured from their parents to give them some grandchildren. That’s kind of hard to do with mom and dad in the room next door. One quick glance in any city shows that these love hotels are a dime a dozen, which is probably why there are so many random and fun hotels with different styles of rooms and designs.
And now, with the convenience of the Internet, choosing a love hotel is easier than ever. Why should we settle with those “flattering” pictures they provide when we can take a tour of it ourselves with the help of Google Street View!
While the average human has not yet come unstuck in time, it doesn’t mean we’re completely at a loss when it comes to time travel. Yes, we may only move in a singular direction, but at least have artifacts from the past to help us look back! Everything from old photos to old pottery help us dig through our murky cultural memory to see how things used to be.
And, thanks to Zenrin, a Japanese mapping company based in Oita Prefecture, now you can travel internationally with their collection of digital maps from the Edo and Meiji periods. Whether you think England is a conspiracy of cartographers or you know the name of every mapmaker since Babylonia, there’s something here for everyone!
The first time I went to Tokyo alone, I got lost within the first five minutes of arriving at Shinjuku Station, unable to comprehend why there were so many transfers to different lines going in different directions. Without mobile data on my phone, I was basically one of the ‘internet-less lost gaijin’ crippled by the lack of Google Maps who ended up befriending the station master at every transfer station because, without them, I would probably have had to spend the night hanging out with the buskers on the streets.
The maps in Japanese subway stations are not only confusing, they also look like multi-colored spaghetti or weird roller coasters, and I can clearly recall thinking how nice it would be to have a better-looking representation of the city’s train lines. Thankfully, it looks like South Korean design company Zero per Zero has fulfilled my wish with their subway map designs, which are becoming a hot topic on Reddit.
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Japanese sweets shop sells an ohagi so exquisite it sells out by noon
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Weekly
New Japanese overnight train coming to connect Tokyo with Tohoku in sleep-travel style- Studio Ghibli store Donguri Republic announces opening of first-ever store in America
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Universal Studios Japan is giving Frieren anime fans the chance to make unforgettable memories.
Tokyo’s life-size Gundam is getting a new look before its end-of-summer removal
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7-Eleven Japan joins the craze for Korean Gamja Cheese Balls- Starbucks Japan releases new limited-edition summer drinks…and a pastry for dunking
Lawson upsizes convenience store food for a limited time with two must-try Japanese meals
Monthly
- New Japanese overnight train coming to connect Tokyo with Tohoku in sleep-travel style
- Studio Ghibli store Donguri Republic announces opening of first-ever store in America
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
Japanese convenience store Lawson launches new “mini supermarket” chain, L Minimart
Japan’s real-world Pokémon hot spring’s first photos are here![Photos]- Japanese sweets shop sells an ohagi so exquisite it sells out by noon
Kyoto public junior high school becomes first in Japan with a hoodie school uniform
Yearly
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]
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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Starbucks Japan releases new Frappuccino, tea and soda drinks for summer
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Starbucks Japan releases new limited-edition summer drinks…and a pastry for dunking
All-you-can-eat cheese restaurant in Tokyo is a hidden gem not many people know about
Lawson Japan releases a crazy new product to remind us it’s not just famous for convenience store food
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Japan’s Pokémon Slowpoke Train goes on hiatus, but a mini version could be yours to own
Fukuoka schools struggling to get kids to switch from milk to tea in lunches
7-Eleven Japan debuts new black-and-white rice ball packaging…but is it because of a naphtha shortage?
That time when we fowled out while fighting our feathered friends
Tokyo has a cafe that prohibits talking inside, and here’s why it’s awesome
Studio Ghibli turns anime characters into “Friendly Bags” for merchandise range in Japan
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