Labels the country’s schools as stifling “salaryman training facilities.”
Steve Jobs
To many, comic books are strictly for far-fetched make-believe. Quite often, that holds true for Japanese comics, too, since at any given time many of the top-selling manga feature transforming robots and magical powers, not to mention women with larger breasts and men with more finely delicate faces than any you’ll find in the real world.
Not every popular manga is a flight of fancy, though, as there’s also an audience that likes reading about such down-to-earth topics as starting and running a successful business. Oftentimes the companies and executives portrayed are fictional, but not always. That’s why a thorough list of today’s popular manga protagonists doesn’t just include One Piece’s Luffy and The Seven Deadly Sins’ Meliodas, but also Apple founder Steve Jobs.
When Steve Jobs showed up at the San Francisco airport at the age of 19, his parents didn’t recognize him.
Jobs, a Reed College dropout, had just spent a few months in India.
He had gone to meet the region’s contemplative traditions — Hinduism, Buddhism — and the Indian sun had darkened his skin a few shades.
The trip changed him in less obvious ways, too.
Although you couldn’t predict it then, his travels would end up changing the business world.
Okay, so Youkai Watch is a cultural juggernaut in Japan these days, capturing kids’ hearts and enslaving them like so many collectible youkai monsters. But despite the brilliant marketing behind the franchise (how about something exactly like Pokémon… but with… traditional Japanese Youkai?! Genius!) we’ve often thought that the concept of using a common watch as a crux to base the whole thing on seems a bit, hmm, old-fashioned. Who even wears a wristwatch anymore, when we all have the time displayed on our various smartphones and other electronic devices? Well, it seems that the people pulling the strings have now decided to switch their merchandising focus from watches to tablets, taking inspiration from the “Youkai Pad” used by supporting character Whisper to call up information on various Youkai. (No, no, it’s nothing like a Pokédex. Honest.) The brand-new “Youkai Pad” is set for release early next year, and already fans have begun to slaver over it like hungry dogs at a barbecue.
It’s well known that former Apple CEO Steve Jobs, who passed away on October 5th last year, was a huge fan of Japanese food, and not just high-end sashimi and sushi, either. He reportedly enjoyed more quotidian fare like hearty udon noodles.
He even went so far as to develop his own Japan-inspired menu item for Apple’s company cafeteria, Cafe Mac. But is it really any good? Read More





Sushi Bus: Japan’s first conveyor-belt bus lets you eat sushi while sightseeing around Tokyo
Anime fans can now wear a Seiko watch inspired by Japan’s One Piece Shinkansen
Foreign hiker on Mt. Fuji loses consciousness and dies, becoming climbing season’s second fatality
Wait, some Shinkansen trains already have private booths that only cost 1,500 yen for an hour?
German woman rescued from Mt. Fuji after suffering altitude sickness symptoms, hiking to peak anyway
99-year-old woman rescued while attempting to climb Mt. Fuji
Studio Ghibli unveils new interactive stationery dioramas that bring anime movies to life on your desk
7-year-old boy left behind on Mt. Fuji by his own dad
Hiker needs to be rescued from Mt. Fuji two times in two days, but system is working as intended
Japan’s double-decker portable rice cooker/bento maker is better than ever with new version
12-year-old British girl who went missing in Tokyo found safe after visiting anime sites around Yokohama
Studio Ghibli composer Jo Hisaishi just set three Guinness Records
Japan’s Rabbit Island in danger of becoming Boar Island, tourists asked to follow feeding rules
Japanese gacha machine in Shibuya now sells tiny capsule terrariums
7-Eleven Japan brings back best-selling flat croissant that became a hit on social media
Stay at a hotel with a bed for your plushie in Japan
Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
Air-conditioned dress shirts arrive in Japan to save working professionals from sweltering heat
Japanese Shinkansen becomes an overnight hotel for three nights this summer
Pokémon Center Online designates first Pokémon items that will require Japanese ID card to buy
New Shinkansen luggage drop-off system begins in Japan, making train travel even easier
Japanese toilet aims to attract foreign tourists but not everybody is happy about it
Tokyo’s newest viral dessert is like a Japanese parfait inside a bread bun [Taste test]
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
99-year-old woman rescued while attempting to climb Mt. Fuji
Studio Ghibli unveils new interactive stationery dioramas that bring anime movies to life on your desk
7-year-old boy left behind on Mt. Fuji by his own dad
Hiker needs to be rescued from Mt. Fuji two times in two days, but system is working as intended
Japan’s double-decker portable rice cooker/bento maker is better than ever with new version
The Japanese government is ending its Cool Japan Fund program
Masturbatory aid maker Tenga releases officially licensed anime versions in Japan and U.S.
KFC Japan unveils new Tsukimi collection that takes moon-viewing to extreme levels
Studio Ghibli composer Jo Hisaishi just set three Guinness Records
Ninja theme park suddenly closes in Japan, shadow warriors undone by shady real estate deals
Two Americans decide to hike Mt. Fuji before trails open, both need rescues on back-to-back days
Universal Studios Japan partners with manga horror master Junji Ito’s Tomie
Pokémon and Polaroid reveal collaboration with adorable Pikachu and Eeveelution camera and film
Why do foreign tourists queue up to eat at Tokyo Little House?