On the morning of Saturday, November 14, many Japanese Beliebers, along with some Non-Beliebers and Agnobiebers, awoke and checked into Twitter as usual only to find the famous Canadian pop star declaring that he was praying for their souls right alongside those of the people of Paris.
Confused and a little concerned, I—a card-carrying Agnobeiber—showed the above tweet to my coworkers, all of whom were equally baffled as to why Justin Bieber should be praying for them, considering nothing out of the ordinary happened here in Japan.

Japan’s best conveyor belt sushi restaurant of seven years ago has now, finally, come to Tokyo
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Drink vending machines disappearing in Japan as number drops to lowest in 30 years
Lawson convenience store at popular tourist site is one of the most unusual in Japan
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This lucky bag of anime models is also a decades-long history lesson for our mecha newbie
Does Ippudo’s new plant-based tonkotsu ramen really taste like pork?
Wisteria season starts early with blooming of Japan’s Great Wisteria in its beautiful garden
The legendary “pet bird” ice cream now comes sandwiched between pancakes!
We put the internet’s “techniques for emptying your bladder with morning wood” to the test
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Mt. Fuji decorated with a 500,000-flower pink carpet is Japan’s ultimate spring view
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Starbucks Japan closing only Shinkansen platform branch for popularity-triggered renovations
You can assemble a well-balanced team of Pokémon, them eat them, thanks to Japanese cake chain
30 Pikachus want to share a Tokyo hotel room with you that has separate Grass, Water, Fire spaces
Man bites woman at cherry blossom park in Japan, dies shortly after
7-Eleven Japan’s new baked-in-store sweet treat is only available in three parts of the country
Japan now has a special desk for people who work at home with a pet cat[Photos]
Famous Tokyo cherry blossom spot installs view-blocking screens to fight overcrowding[Video]
Uniqlo announces new T-shirts for One Piece, Naruto and more for manga publisher’s 100th birthday
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Krispy Kreme releases Super Mario doughnuts in Japan for a limited time
Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list
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
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
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
This lucky bag of anime models is also a decades-long history lesson for our mecha newbie
Does Ippudo’s new plant-based tonkotsu ramen really taste like pork?
Wisteria season starts early with blooming of Japan’s Great Wisteria in its beautiful garden
The legendary “pet bird” ice cream now comes sandwiched between pancakes!
We put the internet’s “techniques for emptying your bladder with morning wood” to the test
Pringles Chocolate, but with a Japanese twist, is the snack hack you should be trying right now
Two Sailor Moon musicals will stream online for overseas fans this winter
New Travelling Bento pouches turn your luggage into a Japanese lunch box
Japanese idol creates kawaii Gunpla, the world’s cutest Gundam models【Photos】
Stamina-destroying “Paralysis Noodles” are Tokyo’s newest over-the-top ramen innovation
Mist descends upon Japan’s “Killing Stone” after ceremony to appease nine-tailed fox spirit
30 Pikachus want to share a Tokyo hotel room with you that has separate Grass, Water, Fire spaces
Super-cheap, super-convenient rice-cooking mug is a new kitchen gadget all-star from 3 Coins
10 obscure Japanese vending machine drinks that fly under the beverage radar