Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
souvenirs (Page 7)
Japanese people love visiting UNESCO World Heritage sites. Good thing there are plenty of sites in Japan for people to pilgrimage to–17 before this week started. With the addition of Mt. Fuji in 2013, World Heritage site “completionists” finally had a new location to travel to after two years of waiting.
Well, the list just got a little bit longer, as another site has officially been added to bring Japan’s UNESCO sites to a total of 18. Pack your bags, we’re heading to Gunma!
Attack on Titan has such a worldwide following that many visitors to Japan can’t help but keep an eye out for possible sightings of the Colossal Titan as they travel around the country. Chance encounters with the steaming giant are now more real than ever, thanks to a new series of souvenir straps featuring the hungry beast at famous locations throughout Japan. Now you can see him dressed up as a samurai, devouring Tokyo Tower or reincarnated in the form of a giant gold Buddha. If you want the whole collection, you’ll have to do some travelling as each souvenir is limited for sale only at the local tourist hotspot it features. From Tokyo to Osaka, check out the Colossal Titan posing like you’ve never seen him before!
Ever since Mt Fuji earned World Heritage status in 2013, designers and artists have been marking the occasion with a flurry of creative merchandise featuring the famous landmark. The latest product to hit shelves shows the celebrations are continuing well into 2014, this time with moulded ice mountains that sit perfectly in your favourite drink! The attention to detail is particularly impressive, with the concentrated tip of ice perfectly resembling the famous snow-covered peak of Mt Fuji.
We take a look at the unique mould that makes them and see why this is one of Japan’s latest must-have souvenirs.
If you’ve ever visited the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, there’s a good chance that you went through New Chitose Airport. Being the largest airport on the island, it serves as the gateway to Hokkaido for the numerous tourists that visit both from within and outside of Japan. Yes, when it comes to Hokkaido, we Japanese are just as enthusiastic about the beautiful snow, fresh seafood, tasty ramen, delectable sweets, relaxing hot springs and scenes of vast natural beauty as visitors from abroad.
But did you know that New Chitose Airport, which you may only briefly pass through as a traveler on a tour, could be a destination all on its own? After undergoing some expansion work in recent years between 2010 to 2012, the airport is now a seriously impressive shopping, dining and entertainment complex. Here’s a look at just some of the things you can enjoy at this airport that looks and feels like a theme park. If you thought that airports were nightmarish places where you want to spend as little time as possible, this may change your mind!
Pontocho is one of Kyoto’s most beautiful geisha districts. With traditional tea houses, restaurants and bars all crowded together along atmospheric, stone-paved narrow lanes, this area breathes the air of an old, timeless Kyoto. Within its maze of weaving, intersecting alleyways, there are plenty of secrets to discover and hidden areas to explore. Walking through Pontocho, you might notice one of its many mysteries: the area is dotted with Japanese paper lanterns, all bearing the mark of the chidori, the plover bird. They’re incredibly beautiful, but why would a cute chidori design come to be on such traditional products?
Tourist shops everywhere in Japan are filled with colorful boxes of local sweets that are perfectly portioned for sharing. These are omiyage. At work, it’s almost expected that you bring back a box of omiyage filled with a specialty product from the area your business trip took place in, and friends and family often purchase omiyage for those who weren’t able to make the trip. Many argue that giving omiyage is a distinctly Japanese custom; Yuichiro Suzuki, author of Omiyage and the Railway, explains in an interview with Yahoo! Japan.
Matsushima restaurant offers all-you-can-eat sashimi in as many ways as you can dream it【Photos】
Japanese island with a population less than 10 is a hidden gem you won’t find in travel guides
Experience feel of animal boobs, sip penguin-humping cocoa to your heart’s content at Tokyo aquarium
7-Eleven Japan now sells fresh-fried doughnuts, but are they any good?【Taste test】
Is the absolute closest conveyor belt sushi to Akihabara Station any good? Let’s find out!
Japan’s fourth-biggest prefecture eyes four-day workweek, but will that schedule work?
Studio Ghibli releases giant Totoro plushies in Japan
Kids takoyaki charity almost shut down by reselling middle schoolers, but owner soldiers on
How to make epic pancakes with your Japanese rice cooker
Tokyo’s famous Lost in Translation hotel is closed
Japanese government suspends plan to pay Tokyo women 600,000 to move away to get married
Japanese public toilet in Tokyo has windows that change colour when you use it
Starbucks Japan unveils new limited-edition Frappuccino for autumnJapanese island with a population less than 10 is a hidden gem you won’t find in travel guidesMatsushima restaurant offers all-you-can-eat sashimi in as many ways as you can dream it【Photos】
Studio Ghibli releases new Kiki Silhouette pouches with gold details
New Attack on Titan theme park attraction coming to Fuji-Q Highland
A trip to the other side of Matsushima, a mysterious power spot with an otherworldly atmosphere
Burger King takes a different approach to tsukimi moon-viewing burgers in Japan
Tasting Domino’s Japan’s new tsukimi moon-viewing pizza before its official release
Foreign tourists on Shinkansen bullet train break suitcase etiquette, angering local passengers
Smallest hotel room in Tokyo? This cheap stay for two will turn friends into loversJapanese government suspends plan to pay Tokyo women 600,000 to move away to get married
Japanese government wants to remove tax-exemption limit for foreign tourists on consumablesStarbucks Japan unveils new limited-edition Frappuccino for autumn
The heartwarming story of Japan’s “Weakling Gundam” and the fans who supported it in its hour of need
Foreign tourist in Japan arrested for having sex on shrine grounds in broad daylight
Japan’s Mt. Fuji convenience store view-blocking screen has finally been taken down, on one condition
Japanese inn’s first foreign guests disappear without paying – “We feel so betrayed”
My Hero Academia now accepting votes for “World Best Hero” from its vast roster of quirky characters
McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goodsForeign tourists on Shinkansen bullet train break suitcase etiquette, angering local passengers[Deleted] Article written for April Fool’s Day 2018
Sold-out Studio Ghibli desktop humidifiers are back so Totoro can help you through the dry season
Doraemon found buried at sea as scene from 1993 anime becomes real life【Photos】
Japanese government to make first change to romanization spelling rules since the 1950s
Foreigner’s request for help in Tokyo makes us sad for the state of society
Ghibli founders Toshio Suzuki and Hayao Miyazaki contribute to Japanese whisky Totoro label design
Tokyo’s most famous Starbucks is closed
Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
Japan’s fourth-biggest prefecture eyes four-day workweek, but will that schedule work?
Studio Ghibli releases giant Totoro plushies in Japan
Kids takoyaki charity almost shut down by reselling middle schoolers, but owner soldiers on
How to make epic pancakes with your Japanese rice cooker
Tokyo’s famous Lost in Translation hotel is closed
Ice cream in fried tofu? Taste-testing ice cream inari, a substitute for ice cream cones【Taste test】
Japanese theme park’s Hololive art event: A fun day for sweaty otaku!【Photos】
Japanese manhole covers become a hit with foreign tourists in off-the-beaten path Tokyo area
Luxury hotel chain offering karaoke in a large tub floating on the ocean
Which Japanese convenience store sells the best beef stew?【Taste test】
Learn English from cute anthropomorphic warships in KanColle parody textbook【Pics】
Sanrio says, “Hello Kitty is not a cat.” Whaaa?