Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
One Direction
With their global popularity showing no sign of waning, One Direction have had a busy year, and are set for more of the same in 2015 after already announcing their On The Road Again Tour 2015. The band first visited Japan in January 2013, and since then floppy-haired tween sex symbol Harry Styles seems to have become quite taken with the country. Now it looks like he has made it his mission to spread a little bit of Japanese culture to his millions of adoring fans.
Red light district sushi restaurant in Tokyo shows us just how wrong we were about it
McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Historical figures get manga makeovers from artists of Spy x Family, My Hero Academia and more
Beautiful Red and Blue Star luxury trains set to be Japan’s new Hokkaido travel stars
New private rooms on Tokaido Shinkansen change the way we travel from Tokyo to Kyoto
Celebrate another year of life by putting it in jeopardy with this birthday candle flower
Japan’s massive matcha parfait weighs 6 kilos, contains hidden surprises for anyone who eats it
Sandwiches fit for a sumo served up in Osaka【Taste Test】
Anime girl English teacher Ellen-sensei becomes VTuber/VVTUber and NFT
Beautiful Ghibli sealing wax kits let you create accessories and elegant letter decorations【Pics】McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Japanese ramen restaurants under pressure from new yen banknotes
All-you-can-drink Starbucks and amazing views part of Tokyo’s new 170 meter-high sky lounge
French Fries Bread in Tokyo’s Shibuya becomes a hit on social media
Studio Ghibli releases new action figures featuring Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind charactersNew private rooms on Tokaido Shinkansen change the way we travel from Tokyo to KyotoRed light district sushi restaurant in Tokyo shows us just how wrong we were about it
Studio Ghibli glasses cases let anime characters keep an eye on your spectacles
Tokyo Tsukiji fish market site to be redeveloped with 50,000-seat stadium, hotel, shopping centerBeautiful Ghibli sealing wax kits let you create accessories and elegant letter decorations【Pics】McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Studio Ghibli releases Kiki’s Delivery Service chocolate cake pouches in Japan
New definition of “Japanese whiskey” goes into effect to prevent fakes from fooling overseas buyers
Our Japanese reporter visits Costco in the U.S., finds super American and very Japanese things
Studio Ghibli unveils Mother’s Day gift set that captures the love in My Neighbour TotoroJapanese ramen restaurants under pressure from new yen banknotes
New Japanese KitKat flavour stars Sanrio characters, including Hello KittyAll-you-can-drink Starbucks and amazing views part of Tokyo’s new 170 meter-high sky lounge
More foreign tourists than ever before in history visited Japan last month
New Pokémon cakes let you eat your way through Pikachu and all the Eevee evolutionsMcDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
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
Celebrate another year of life by putting it in jeopardy with this birthday candle flower
Japan’s massive matcha parfait weighs 6 kilos, contains hidden surprises for anyone who eats it
Sandwiches fit for a sumo served up in Osaka【Taste Test】
Anime girl English teacher Ellen-sensei becomes VTuber/VVTUber and NFT
Beautiful Ghibli sealing wax kits let you create accessories and elegant letter decorations【Pics】
Starbucks Japan adds a Motto Frappuccino to the menu for a limited time
Pokémon Sleep camping suite and guestrooms coming to Tokyo Hyatt along with giant Snorlax burgers
Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
We try out “Chan Ramen”, an underground type of ramen popular in the ramen community
Toyota built a life-sized Miraidon Pokémon and are letting people test drive it this weekend
Japanese fashion company’s modernized haori half coats will keep you warm and samurai chic
Akihabara pop-up shop sells goods made by Japanese prison inmates