Animals & Monsters: Cute, Scary, and a Little Weird is the perfect exhibition for anyone who delights in art that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
monsters
Japan’s supernatural world springs to life in a special Hyakki Yagyo event you won’t want to miss.
Fans wonder if this is a cryptic sign that a dream collaboration between the two animation companies is on the horizon.
Did you know that each of Japan’s 47 prefectures has a designated monster that represents their region? The larger-than-life beings were born from the “Gotouchi Kaiju” (“Local Monsters”) multimedia project helmed by Professor Hiroshi Sagae, who’s worked on a number of kaiju-centric films such as Godzilla Millenium, Ultraman Saga and Gamera the Brave.
Now there’s a special crowdfunding campaign that’s calling on the masses to support the plight of the monsters as they strive to protect nature and promote greenery in their towns. Patrons who contribute to their favourite beast will be rewarded with cards, T-shirts or even a 3-D kaiju figurine but best of all, the funds raised for each prefecture will go towards supporting environmental projects in the region.
MOST POPULAR
Today
Anime fan in Japan arrested for ordering and cancelling over 4.3 billion yen in anime merch
End of a manga era as Weekly Shonen Jump’s circulation drops under one million
Starbucks Japan teams up with Traveler’s Company for new stationery and goods collection
Beautiful Totoro bonsai figure needs no watering, makes soothing rain showers whenever you want
Studio Ghibli unveils new finger puppets featuring anime characters from My Neighbour Totoro
Kochia calling: Right now is a great off-season season to visit this beautiful Japanese park
Pokémon Center Online designates first Pokémon items that will require Japanese ID card to buy
7-Eleven Japan rethinks convenience store drinks with new Grilled Corn Chilled Soup Smoothie
Japanese convenience store Lawson now has stir-fried noodle-cooking robot chefs
Over 400 titles of free translated manga from publisher Shueisha available for a limited time
Weekly
Air-conditioned dress shirts arrive in Japan to save working professionals from sweltering heat- Pokémon Center Online designates first Pokémon items that will require Japanese ID card to buy
Tokyo’s newest viral dessert is like a Japanese parfait inside a bread bun [Taste test]
Japanese vending machine sells freshly squeezed lemon juice with a futuristic light show
7-Eleven Japan adds new chocolate fruit gummies to its sweets range, but are they worth the hype?
Studio Ghibli’s No Face twirls to sound of Spirited Away’s theme song in beautiful accessory box
Starbucks Japan opens new store inside historic seaside quarantine station near Tokyo
Live-action Princess Mononoke is coming to streaming as a live event, previews look amazing [Video]- Starbucks Japan teams up with Traveler’s Company for new stationery and goods collection
Pokémon comes to McDonald’s Japan for new Happy Meals toys, brings every generation’s starters
Monthly
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
Japan now has human refrigerators inspired by Japanese vending machines
Hatsune Miku collaborates with Hokusai’s art in new Vocaloid ukiyo-e illustration series [Pics]
New Shinkansen luggage drop-off system begins in Japan, making train travel even easier
Studio Ghibli releases anime T-shirts that pay homage to one of Hayao Miyazaki’s most personal films
Family Mart opens new “Famima” flagship store in Tokyo that’s like a tourist attraction- Air-conditioned dress shirts arrive in Japan to save working professionals from sweltering heat
Uniqlo looks back to the very start of Pokémon with new black-and-white pixel art T-shirts[Pics]
Japanese Shinkansen becomes an overnight hotel for three nights this summer
Yearly
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo- Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]- Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
RECOMMENDED STORIES
Kochia calling: Right now is a great off-season season to visit this beautiful Japanese park
Pokémon Center Online designates first Pokémon items that will require Japanese ID card to buy
7-Eleven Japan rethinks convenience store drinks with new Grilled Corn Chilled Soup Smoothie
Japanese convenience store Lawson now has stir-fried noodle-cooking robot chefs
Over 400 titles of free translated manga from publisher Shueisha available for a limited time
Japanese toilet aims to attract foreign tourists but not everybody is happy about it
Pokémon comes to McDonald’s Japan for new Happy Meals toys, brings every generation’s starters
Resident Evil’s terrifying Licker becomes a bag in Japan that wants to feed you
Air-conditioned dress shirts arrive in Japan to save working professionals from sweltering heat
Japan’s largest online flea market reminds users that selling used school swimsuits is prohibited
Weekly Shonen Jump cancels manga after creator admits to schoolgirl groping
Nendroid Face Maker lets you custom design faces for Japan’s most popular anime figure line
Starbucks Japan to open Shinkansen platform stores at Kyoto and Nagoya stations
Akita Kanto Festival, one of Japan’s most spectacular summer festivals, gets an anime twist this year
-
