Police departments in Osaka, Fukuoka, Oita, and Tokyo are reminding potential recruits that a career in law enforcement promises drama, power, mystery and yes, monkeys.
Osaka (Page 25)
For a short period starting next month, anime cafe Anion Station will be celebrating the new season of Sailor Moon Crystal with another round of drinks and desserts, this time in honor of Sailor Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto!
It’s Cosplay time as the Nipponbashi Street Festival hits Osaka (and Twitter) again this year!
Osaka police recently uncovered a booming mail-order business servicing the entire nation with pornographic DVDs which lacked the legally required pixellation over actors’ genitalia.
Take an inside peek into the production process of Pocky, the beloved Japanese snack which has found its way into supermarkets around the world.
The whisky distiller, famous for upstaging Scottish standbys to be crowned “Best Whisky in the World” in 2014, recently renovated their open-to-the-public facilities. We figured it was as good an excuse as any for a tour and tasting!
It’s a modern-day sheath made in honour of the samurai known as the “Crimson Demon of War”.
The Sailor Moon girls are bringing their gorgeous meals and treats to Osaka for the very first time.
Osaka once housed this modern walled neighborhood, presumably constructed to keep attacking Titans out. Or are we missing something here?
A new cafe for female otaku in Osaka says neither boys nor normies are allowed. Naturally, we had to check it out for ourselves!
Live out your fantasies of love-making in Japan’s bygone eras at this unusual love hotel in Osaka.
Coming to Japan and dressing up like a geisha is a bit like going to the USA and dressing up as a confederate soldier. Sure it’s fun, but it doesn’t really reflect modern society. What you need to feel the Japan of today is leopard print…and lots of it!
Japan’s Fuji TV recently branded the majority of Osakans as people who love putting raw egg into coffee. Not wanting to be left out, we gave it a try.
Gudetama, the charmingly unmotivated raw egg character from Sanrio, is the star of the menu at his very own cafe in Osaka.
20 mouth-watering reasons to check in early for your flight.
Tsurumi Ward in Osaka has been the scene of a crime wave since November 3 in which two young boys believed to be in the fifth or sixth grade have stolen cash and property from six separate homes so far. The suspects are still at large, unless class is in session.
In Japan, takoyaki (somewhat unappealingly translated as “octopus balls”) is known as “B-Class Gourmet” food. Takoyaki is the domain of sometimes shady street vendors and national chains where there are literally no chairs whatsoever on the premises. They’re meant to be consumed while still blazing hot, fresh off the special cratered griddle used to make them, chewed and swallowed at lightning speed while you suck in air to make them just cool enough that they don’t burn a hole in your esophagus on the way down.
Therefore, takoyaki is not, one would think, within the purview of the Michelin tire company’s prestigious Michelin Guide for world-renowned restaurants. But, surprisingly, the 2016 Michelin Guide contains not just one but several restaurants specializing in takoyaki, okonomiyaki, and other “B-Class Gourmet” foods famous around Osaka and the Kansai area.
One of those featured restaurants, Aizuya, is, it turns out, actually rumored to be the restaurant that flat-out invented takoyaki. And since that sounds like a good premise for an article, and gives us an excuse to stuff our faces with this delicious local street food, we went to check it out.
If you’re walking into a branch of KFC, it’s a pretty safe bet that you’re there to eat fried chicken. You could even argue that the whole process of ordering is partially redundant, since the question isn’t whether you want some of the Colonel’s deep-fried bird, but simply how much.
And if your answer to that query is “All of it,” then head on over to Osaka, where the first all-you-can-eat Kentucky Fried Chicken buffet is about to open.
Japanese vending machines are a great example of the culture of convenience so prevalent in Japan. Whether you’re after orange juice that looks like soy sauce, or a hot, clam-packed miso soup to cure your hangover, if you want something fast, the nation’s vending machines will be there for you, come rain or shine.
Now one of the country’s largest drinks manufacturers, DyDo, is catering to customers who actually do find themselves caught out in the rain, with a free “rental umbrella” service attached to a number of their machines in Nishi Ward, Osaka.
In Japan, some of the most prized types of sushi are loved by gourmets for their rich flavor. High-quality uni (sea urchin) is decadently creamy, and the premium cuts of tuna are those with extra fat.
But this chain of restaurants in Japan might be offering the richest sushi ever, since the pieces have a pat of butter on them!


















Famous Tokyo cherry blossom spot installs view-blocking screens to fight overcrowding[Video]
Rumors say this is Japan’s very best McDonald’s branch, but what makes it special?[Taste test]
Picturesque Tokyo park plays host to millions of flowers and soap bubbles this spring
Japan’s favorite sandwich pockets now come with sakura filling, but how do they taste?[Taste test]
Japanese kindness restores our faith in humanity after a highway bus accident in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan has a secret coffee press service that not many people know about
Studio Ghibli releases new anime character socks to put a magical spring in your step
Umamusume food and drinks dash into real world at Family Mart convenience stores[Taste test]
Foreign tourists in Japan will get free Shinkansen tickets to promote regional tourism
Mist descends upon Japan’s “Killing Stone” after ceremony to appease nine-tailed fox spirit
Japan now has a special desk for people who work at home with a pet cat[Photos]
Uniqlo announces new T-shirts for One Piece, Naruto and more for manga publisher’s 100th birthday
Krispy Kreme releases Super Mario doughnuts in Japan for a limited time
7-Eleven Japan releases a crazy new viral sandwich: Chocolate Sprinkles and Whipped Cream
Japan now has a “for foreign tourists only” Mt. Fuji sightseeing train[Video]
Studio Ghibli releases the My Neighbour Totoro tea caddy, with a magical self-closing lid
Totoro and Calcifer become little light-up lanterns for Ghibli-style excursions or at-home decor
Create a tiny Ghibli anime world on your bookshelf with new miniature papercraft art kits
Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura cherry blossom collection for hanami season 2026
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli releases Catbus pullback keychain that runs like the anime character
Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list
Nine great places to see spring flowers in Japan, as chosen by travelers (with almost no sakura)
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
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
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
Starbucks Japan has a secret coffee press service that not many people know about
Studio Ghibli releases new anime character socks to put a magical spring in your step
Umamusume food and drinks dash into real world at Family Mart convenience stores[Taste test]
Foreign tourists in Japan will get free Shinkansen tickets to promote regional tourism
Mist descends upon Japan’s “Killing Stone” after ceremony to appease nine-tailed fox spirit
Japanese retailer Felissimo brings cute from the oceans with adorable deep sea creature pouches
Japan now sells…sake made with moth poop?!?
Studio Ghibli releases the My Neighbour Totoro tea caddy, with a magical self-closing lid
Japan now has a special desk for people who work at home with a pet cat[Photos]
Internet survey sheds light on how Japanese women deal with the hair ‘down there’
Japan now has a “for foreign tourists only” Mt. Fuji sightseeing train[Video]
We try the Lawson chicken nuggets that Katy Perry went nuts for on Japanese television
Ruru Cafe Shibuya wows customers by serving coffee and sweets on unique water tables
Virtual idol Hatsune Miku now has her own line of real intimate apparel 【Photos】