April this year saw the nationwide emergence of Okazaemon a regional mascot (called yurukyara in Japan) who operates out of Okazaki City, Aichi Prefecture. In spite of looking like a strung-out cat that will stab you for its next fix, Okazaemon has captured the hearts of mascot fans with his offbeat charm.
In fact, Okazaemon’s ever-rising star has earned him second place in the Regional Yurukyara General Elections after Funasshi, another breakout mascot success of 2013. And with such notoriety there are bound to be those who emulate the formula. Enter Okazaennu: the female weird kanji cat character.
Disney princesses get official manga makeovers for Manga Princess Cafe opening in Tokyo
Beautiful new Final Fantasy T-shirt collection on the way from Uniqlo【Photos】
Randomly running into a great sushi lunch like this is one of the best things about eating in Tokyo
Our reporter takes her 71-year-old mother to a visual kei concert for the first time
Hey, Japanese taxi driver! Take us to your favorite restaurant in Tsuruga City!
What happens to Cup Noodle Mystery Meat when you cook it in a rice cooker?
Is the new Shinkansen Train Desk ticket worth it?
We tried Japan’s Strawberry Daifuku? liqueur, one of three dessert-themed liqueurs
89-year-old Japanese man rides bike 600 kilometers to visit his 61-year-old son
New Pokémon cakes let you eat your way through Pikachu and all the Eevee evolutions
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
Our Japanese reporter visits Costco in the U.S., finds super American and very Japanese things
Foreign English teachers in Japan pick their favorite Japanese-language phrases【Survey】
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
Hanton rice — a delicious regional food even most Japanese people don’t know about, but more should
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
What happens to Cup Noodle Mystery Meat when you cook it in a rice cooker?
Is the new Shinkansen Train Desk ticket worth it?
We tried Japan’s Strawberry Daifuku? liqueur, one of three dessert-themed liqueurs
89-year-old Japanese man rides bike 600 kilometers to visit his 61-year-old son
New Pokémon cakes let you eat your way through Pikachu and all the Eevee evolutions
Come buy the SoraNews24 lucky bag and help support a good cause at Subculture Festival
AKB48’s new idol outfits are so stylish everyone’s talking about the company that makes them
This stylish turd from two Japanese companies will really tie your room together
Edo-themed onsen and restaurant complex opens in Tokyo, but do overseas tourists know about it?
Ghibli founders Toshio Suzuki and Hayao Miyazaki contribute to Japanese whisky Totoro label design
Japanese archery: The coolest school club ever?
Is Japan’s massive Shizuoka steak sandwich really as delicious as it looks in promo photos?
One Punch Man manga artist’s amazing “practice” drawing is so good we think he might not be human