Traditional accommodation in Tokyo’s ritzy Minato Ward doesn’t get much cheaper than this…but there’s a catch.
reviews
HodoBuzz shines a spotlight on women in the media with a cast of characters that redefines what it means to be Japanese.
As you probably know, Attack on Titan, the mega-popular manga and anime series, was recently adapted into a live-action movie and infamously received absolutely horrible reviews—it might be a toss-up between this movie and Fantastic 4 as to which summer blockbuster was worse. For its part, the Attack on Titan movie was so horrible that one Japanese critic hoped for the titans to eat the characters and be done with the whole thing. No one is asking Dr. Doom to eat Mr. Fantastic…yet.
As they say though, you shouldn’t judge something till you see it for yourself, so we had to send one of our own.
Many would argue that Mamoru Hosoda is the most talented director of family anime in the industry today. That “family” classification is two-fold, by the way. Not only are Hosoda’s works appropriate for just about all ages, taking the high road by eschewing in-your-face sex appeal and gratuitous violence, the bond between family members is a recurring theme in his films. In 2009, Hosoda’s Summer Wars showed audiences an extended yet close-knit family headed by the female lead’s tough yet kind grandmother. Three years later, the focus was on a single mother raising two lycanthropes in rural Japan in Wolf Children Ame and Yuki.
Now, Hosoda is turning viewers’ gaze towards a relationship he hasn’t put the spotlight on before, with the just-released The Boy and the Beast, which asks what a boy needs to learn from his father, and also what that father can learn from his boy. So how does it answer those quesitons? Read on for the rest of our review of Hosoda’s latest hit to find out.








Man arrested for violating Japan’s anti-dueling law in downtown Tokyo
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Ramen restaurant’s English menu prices are nearly double its Japanese ones, denies discriminating
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Is real Tokyo as dangerous as the Yakuza video games? Chapter 3: Crazy Town
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Studio Ghibli’s kodama ready to leave the Princess Mononoke forest as a squeezable keychain【Pics】
10 times to avoid traveling in Japan in 2026
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Japanese beef bowl chain Sukiya’s 2026 Smile Box lucky bag basically pays for itself
Top Japanese cosplayer Enako returns to Comiket after 6 years, creates mayhem with admirers
Umamusume anime girl plushie recalled for having parts she absolutely should not have【Pics】
We ate sushi made from Japan’s most expensive tuna ever【Taste test】
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7-Eleven Japan starts new temporary luggage storage service in over 300 branches
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Tokyo’s Tsukiji sushi neighborhood asks tour groups to stay away for the rest of the month
Japan may add Japanese language proficiency, lifestyle classes to permanent foreign resident requirements
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Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
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Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
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No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Starbucks Japan reveals new sakura drinkware collection, inspired by evening cherry blossoms
Updated cherry blossom forecast shows extra-long sakura season for Japan this year
Human washing machine pods coming to Japanese hotels【Photos】
Starbucks Japan releases new Frappuccino and latte for Valentine’s Day
Best practices for celebrating Coming of Age Day for those turning 18, 20, or both in Japan
Is real Tokyo as dangerous as the Yakuza video games? Chapter 3: Crazy Town
Giant hotel rooms in Osaka reflect the new non-niche face of travel in Japan.
Studio Ghibli’s kodama ready to leave the Princess Mononoke forest as a squeezable keychain【Pics】
Our 52-year-old pole dancing reporter shares his tips for achieving your New Year’s exercise goal
Japan’s otoshidama tradition of giving kids money at New Year’s gets a social welfare upgrade
Starbucks Japan’s new Valentine’s Day Frappuccino is like a drinkable opera cake
Japanese nature theme park lets you zoom through the air at over 40 miles an hour
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120-year-old sweets store keeps Japan’s maritozzo boom alive with a massive specimen
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