Before Starbucks existed in Japan, there were kissaten coffeehouses. Now there’s the Starbucks kissaten.
retro (Page 4)
New lineup will make you feel like you’ve stepped back in time to the heyday of Japanese coffeehouses.
When choosing the perfect phone case, why not go for one that’s already survived the wear and tear of the industrial age?
Couple uses NOSTALGIA ATTACK! And with personalised features and 8-bit graphics, it’s a CRITICAL HIT!!
Fried bread, fruity ciders, and more tasty treats from across Japan and across generations.
The forgotten tactile pleasure of turning a clicky dial to change the television channel can be had again!
Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten, knows that despite being in business for 300 years, you haven’t really made it until you own Boardwalk, Mayfair, or in this case Kyoto’s Nishijin Textile Center.
Nostalgic Japanese candy meets fragrant incense for a scent-sational retro treat that won’t rot your teeth or split your pants, but might burn a hole in your rug…
Our man investigates the artistic effects of using an iPhone vs. a disposable camera—the latest photo trend in Japan—to take pictures.
Live out your fantasies of love-making in Japan’s bygone eras at this unusual love hotel in Osaka.
We’ve all got at least one thing that we carry around with us that could use a quick recharge on the road. For most of us it’s our cell phone, but it’s not inconceivable to carry three, four or even more gadgets that could use a juice boost while away from home.
There are plenty of on-the-go solutions available to you, but soon you can buy one that says as much about you as all the portable gaming systems you carry around.
Last year, over 13 million foreign visitors took a trip to Japan. Many of the country’s best attractions, though, are actually hundreds of years old. That means that while they’ve been drawing more international travelers than ever in the 21st century, they were hardly being ignored in the 20th, as shown by this collection of retro-cool travel posters from the early and mid-1900s.
You might imagine that, in 2015, with smartphone, PlayStation Vita and Nintendo 3DS, few gamers would ever want to go back to the simple graphics of the original Nintendo Game Boy. But you’d be very wrong. People go out of their way to make their high-tech gizmos play the old-school games of yore. Call it nostalgia, call it silly, but many call it simply, awesome.
Video game peripheral and accessory manufacturers Hyperkin just announced some new plans for a Game Boy-esque accessory into which you can insert your smartphone and play original Game Boy games. Now this sounds pretty good, but it’s already getting mixed reviews.
Some people like to live a minimalist lifestyle – keeping the bare minimum of possessions and even living in tiny houses to help stave off clutter. But the vast majority of people who’ve lived a long, full life tend to have stores of secret treasures stacked up that can still be both fascinating and valuable today. When one Twitter user caught their grandma in the act of throwing away a box of old postcards and photos, they rugby tackled the old dear (erm, figuratively) to prevent her from trashing some priceless artefacts of the past. Join us after the jump for a good gander at granny’s box of memories!
If you grew up playing video games, you’ll understand something that modern day kids with their newfangled graphics and gameplay streaming antics don’t get – the power of nostalgia! Nostalgia is what makes us dig up landfills full of buried cartridges, and waste hours of our lives watching old videos of NES start-up screens. It’s why we still want to play the classics, so we can remember the good times, when being able to navigate an entirely different world through your TV screen still seemed like magic. It’s no wonder that rare old retro games can still sell for a pretty penny, although most often they’re snapped up by collectors who want them for their rarity rather than to add lovingly to their own game collection. Because, while nostalgia can be a powerful emotion, we mere mortals couldn’t even contemplate dropping around $10k on a mere video game. Yet that’s exactly what the owner of a rare, factory sealed copy of NES game Stadium Events can (at the time of this writing) expect to bring in from the eBay auction that’s currently in progress.
So just what is Stadium Events and why is it worth so much darn moolah, anyway?
When you buy a fukubukuro (lucky bag) from a store in Japan, you can usually be sure that the value of their contents will surpass the amount you paid for the bag; it’s a guarantee, or else no one would ever buy them! But when you decide to buy a fukubukuro from a secondhand store, you certainly can’t feel 100% sure that you will get your money’s worth.
Are your secondhand items going to be in good condition? Are you going to be getting some good value? Or are you getting the games that even the secondhand store just wants to get rid of? Let Tokyo’s most famous used video game store Super Potato help you decide after the break.
MOST POPULAR
Now
Wisteria season starts early with blooming of Japan’s Great Wisteria in its beautiful garden
Japan’s best conveyor belt sushi restaurant of seven years ago has now, finally, come to Tokyo
Japanese bento shop sells croquettes for 13 cents, but are they any good?
Japan has new rules for bicycle riders, and these 14 things could get you a fine or a court date
Starbucks Japan releases FIVE new Frappuccinos in a day, and we try them all in 90 minutes
Final version of Sanrio: Beginning of Kawaii exhibition opens in Tokyo[Photos]
Japanese trains in Sapporo might be better than those in Tokyo, thanks to one special feature
Drink vending machines disappearing in Japan as number drops to lowest in 30 years
Mt. Fuji decorated with a 500,000-flower pink carpet is Japan’s ultimate spring view
First Shiba Inu police dog in Japan’s Gifu Prefecture now on duty[Video]
Weekly
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa- Japan’s best conveyor belt sushi restaurant of seven years ago has now, finally, come to Tokyo
- Wisteria season starts early with blooming of Japan’s Great Wisteria in its beautiful garden
- Mt. Fuji decorated with a 500,000-flower pink carpet is Japan’s ultimate spring view
Lawson convenience store at popular tourist site is one of the most unusual in Japan- Japanese trains in Sapporo might be better than those in Tokyo, thanks to one special feature
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- Starbucks Japan releases FIVE new Frappuccinos in a day, and we try them all in 90 minutes
Howl’s Moving Castle’s scene-stealing dog is here to clean your home as a plushie mop
Monthly
- Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
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]- Japan’s best conveyor belt sushi restaurant of seven years ago has now, finally, come to Tokyo
Uniqlo announces new T-shirts for One Piece, Naruto and more for manga publisher’s 100th birthday
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
Krispy Kreme releases Super Mario doughnuts in Japan for a limited time- Wisteria season starts early with blooming of Japan’s Great Wisteria in its beautiful garden
Yearly
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
RECOMMENDED STORIES
Final version of Sanrio: Beginning of Kawaii exhibition opens in Tokyo[Photos]
Japanese trains in Sapporo might be better than those in Tokyo, thanks to one special feature
Drink vending machines disappearing in Japan as number drops to lowest in 30 years
Mt. Fuji decorated with a 500,000-flower pink carpet is Japan’s ultimate spring view
First Shiba Inu police dog in Japan’s Gifu Prefecture now on duty[Video]
Ramen sneakers from Japanese noodle chain serve up tasty ingredients in the details
7-Eleven Japan’s new microwaves know how long your bento should be warmed up, even if you don’t
Godzilla turns fuzzy for his 60th birthday with adorable results, we stop by to say hi
Mr. Sato experiences the all-you-can-eat bread heaven…at Kamakura Pasta
Lawson convenience store at popular tourist site is one of the most unusual in Japan
New Travelling Bento pouches turn your luggage into a Japanese lunch box
Meet the Mega Bento, a Japanese meal that’s heavier than a newborn baby
Gackt lashes out at Cool Japan: “Almost no results of Japanese culture exported overseas”
Holy noodles! Japanese restaurant serves up some very unusual udon
-
