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.
MOST POPULAR
Now
One Piece creator has hidden secret of anime treasure’s identity in chest at bottom of real-world ocean
Is Tokyo Station’s startlingly expensive wagyu bento boxed lunch worth its high price?[Taste test]
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura cherry blossom collection for hanami season 2026
Sakura Festival in Chiyoda mixes illuminations, boats, music, and Rilakkuma in the heart of Tokyo
Lawson adds doughnuts to its convenience store sweets range, but are they good enough to go viral?
SoraNews24’s Mr. Sato is now the top Japanese search result for “handsome man” on Google Japan
Say hello to Japan’s new generation of adults, fresh from Kitakyushu’s 2023 seijinshiki ceremony
Japan Extreme Budget Travel! A trip from Tokyo to Izumo for just 30,000 yen [Part 2]
Tokyo Station staff share their top 10 favorite ekiben
The 5 best Iwate foods and drinks to buy at the prefecture’s antenna shop in Tokyo
Weekly
- Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura cherry blossom collection for hanami season 2026
Starbucks Japan releases first-ever Hinamatsuri Girls’ Day Frappuccino
Japanese restaurant chain serves Dragon Ball donuts and Senzu Beans this spring
Japan Extreme Budget Travel! A trip from Tokyo to Izumo for just 30,000 yen [Part 1]
Japan’s craziest burger chain takes menchi katsu to new extreme levels- Japan Extreme Budget Travel! A trip from Tokyo to Izumo for just 30,000 yen [Part 2]
- Is Tokyo Station’s startlingly expensive wagyu bento boxed lunch worth its high price?[Taste test]
Japanese drugstore sells onigiri at pre-stupid era prices, but how do they compare to 7-Eleven?
Viral Japanese cheesecake from Osaka has a lesser known rival called Aunt Wanda- Lawson adds doughnuts to its convenience store sweets range, but are they good enough to go viral?
Monthly
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Foreigners accounting for over 80 percent of off-course skiers needing rescue in Japan’s Hokkaido
Super-salty pizza sends six kids to the hospital in Japan, linguistics blamed
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura Frappuccino for cherry blossom season 2026
Foreign tourists in Japan will get free Shinkansen tickets to promote regional tourism
The 10 most annoying things foreign tourists do on Japanese trains, according to locals
Take a trip to Japan’s Dododo Land, the most irritating place on Earth- Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura cherry blossom collection for hanami season 2026
Naruto and Converse team up for new line of shinobi sneakers[Photos]
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
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home- Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
- Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
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
SoraNews24’s Mr. Sato is now the top Japanese search result for “handsome man” on Google Japan
Say hello to Japan’s new generation of adults, fresh from Kitakyushu’s 2023 seijinshiki ceremony
Japan Extreme Budget Travel! A trip from Tokyo to Izumo for just 30,000 yen [Part 2]
Tokyo Station staff share their top 10 favorite ekiben
The 5 best Iwate foods and drinks to buy at the prefecture’s antenna shop in Tokyo
It’s illegal for yakuza to go to professional baseball games in Japan, Tokyo arrests remind us
Our one-star Halloween mask from Amazon has arrived! …in mid-November
Sandwiches fit for a sumo served up in Osaka【Taste Test】
Sakuramochi festival sweetens things up at Tokyo’s Seibu Ikebukuro this season
How to get to east Japan’s best highway rest stop for foodies without a car of your own
Harajuku’s new Harakado complex: A cool place to drink matcha in a secret oasis above the city
Was Spirited Away based on a real-life tale?
Kyoto raises hotel accommodation tax to fight overtourism, travelers could pay up to 10 times more
-
