Sometimes there are restaurants you want to keep a secret all to yourself, and this is definitely one of them.
summer (Page 14)
We’ll show you how to order off the menu at Starbucks to create a mind-blowingly delicious frappucino that tastes like a cheesecake-based Tiramisu.
These are some literally cool cats.
Samurai warrior designs get a warm-weather overhaul with colourful patterns and unique sheer fabrics.
Say hello to summer with the sweet tang of a new cheesecake McFlurry made with a very special Japanese citrus fruit.
Seattle-based chain adapts to Kyoto style with summertime seats that offer a taste of traditional culture as you sip your coffee.
With lanterns, cocktails and one thousand unusual goldfish, this is the coolest place to hang out in your yukata this summer.
And there was much rejoicing.
Summer in Japan can be brutal if you’re not used to the humidity. At least one of the writers here at the RocketNew24 office has melted into a puddle of and had to be reconstituted in a meat locker last month. Fortunately, the heat is starting to abate and autumn is in sight!
But while we’re happy we won’t have to worry about being liquefied anymore, there is one thing we’ll miss: Playing in the pool. We can’t do that once winter has set in and we’re missing the summer sun, but at least we’ll have this insanely adorable video of a dog whose owner steals its every attempt to get a shower.
Oh summer vacation. For little kids (and big kids too!) it’s a time to finally throw off those backpacks, forget about homework, and have fun all day long running around outside or playing video games. If you’re the mom or dad of one of those kids, though, you’re often left to clean up in their wake.
And the same is true in Japan too. For the most part it’s moms who’re left to run after kids giddy with the freedom of no school. They’ve even started a Twitter hashtag for it: #SummerVacationStupidKids.
What kind of things do Japanese kids do to drive their parents crazy? Are they the same as the rest of the world or completely different? Read on to find out!
Recently, our Japanese reporter Aya Ayabe went out to an izakaya [Japanese pub] and finished her revelries with an order of sudachi rice, sudachi being a type of sour Japanese citrus fruit. The slightly bitter flavor really hit the spot in the midst of the nighttime summer heat, and it got her thinking: “What would happen if I cooked rice with some ponzu sauce [a citrus-based sauce which mixes sudachi with other citrus fruits and soy sauce]?” Still curious, the next day she tried making a batch for herself, and the results were apparently quite epic: “This is the most exciting thing that’s happened to me all summer! I’ll never forget this day as long as I live.”
In any case, Ayabe would like to share her extremely simple recipe for creating ponzu rice with you–a delightfully refreshing treat for the dog days of summer which can be enjoyed either hot or cold.
So, mint is an extraordinarily versatile, exceedingly summer-appropriate ingredient. It can add a refreshing bite to savory dishes, is the essential main ingredient in basically all of the world’s best ice cream flavors, and is the star of the show in that most refreshing of summer beverages, the mojito (without which would basically just be watery rum).
Mint is the miracle substance that makes Asia’s hellish, your-buddy-just-spontaneously-combusted-hot summers just the slightest bit tolerable; a fact that beverage and snack makers in Japan are finally catching onto, with each passing year seeing better and more diverse mint-infused offerings.
But lemon and mint? That’s the new flavor combo Pepsi is banking on to be the next big thing with its new “Pepsi Special Lemon Mint” drink offering, and we’re just the slightest bit wary.
There’s been a lot of hoo-haa recently over nip-nips, hasn’t there? On the western internets, ladies are in a huff that their female nubbins are being covered up by the online censors, but in Japan it’s male nurples that are getting on everyone’s nerves.
Turns out that Japanese ladies can’t stand the sight of male chesty-buds, and in this hot weather, lots of businessmen are going out and about without undershirts on. The result? A barrage of constant eye-trauma for the ladies who say that the men who are flaunting their areolas at them are committing sexual harassment! Oh my!
Are Japan’s strict trash collection days getting you down this summer? Are you plugging your nose and counting down the days until the next burnables collection because your garbage is rotting away in the summer heat?
If you’re like me, you hate Japanese summers for a slew of reasons, one of which being all the putrid smells that come with the increased heat and humidity of the sticky summer months. You may also often rush out the door on the morning of burnables collection day and forget to take out your bag of raw and rotting garbage, leaving you to deal with the stench until the next trash collection day rolls around.
But there is a really simple solution to this problem, as well as quick tricks for dealing with other stinky situations like funky-shoe smells and unpleasant, grimy sinks. Find out how after the jump!
We’re not even halfway through summer here in Japan yet, and already we’ve seen a number of strange collaboration combinations, including barley and eel soda and soft-serve sushi.
This time we’d like to introduce another curious combination, in the form of a new Mercedes-Benz x Ice Monster shop that recently popped up in Roppongi, Tokyo. But what do luxury car makers know about making the perfect frozen ice treat? Our ever-popular reporter Mr. Sato heads out to investigate.


















Sushi Bus: Japan’s first conveyor-belt bus lets you eat sushi while sightseeing around Tokyo
7-year-old boy left behind on Mt. Fuji by his own dad
Foreign hiker on Mt. Fuji loses consciousness and dies, becoming climbing season’s second fatality
Anime fans can now wear a Seiko watch inspired by Japan’s One Piece Shinkansen
Hiker needs to be rescued from Mt. Fuji two times in two days, but system is working as intended
Ninja theme park suddenly closes in Japan, shadow warriors undone by shady real estate deals
Studio Ghibli unveils new interactive stationery dioramas that bring anime movies to life on your desk
The Japanese government is ending its Cool Japan Fund program
KFC Japan unveils new Tsukimi collection that takes moon-viewing to extreme levels
Masturbatory aid maker Tenga releases officially licensed anime versions in Japan and U.S.
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
99-year-old woman rescued while attempting to climb Mt. Fuji
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】
Ninja theme park suddenly closes in Japan, shadow warriors undone by shady real estate deals
Studio Ghibli unveils new interactive stationery dioramas that bring anime movies to life on your desk
The Japanese government is ending its Cool Japan Fund program
KFC Japan unveils new Tsukimi collection that takes moon-viewing to extreme levels
Masturbatory aid maker Tenga releases officially licensed anime versions in Japan and U.S.
7-Eleven Japan brings back best-selling flat croissant that became a hit on social media
Why do foreign tourists queue up to eat at Tokyo Little House?
Studio Ghibli composer Jo Hisaishi just set three Guinness Records
German woman rescued from Mt. Fuji after suffering altitude sickness symptoms, hiking to peak anyway
Universal Studios Japan partners with manga horror master Junji Ito’s Tomie
Kyoto’s Meiji-era mansion opens a private tearoom with stained glass for just one day
99-year-old woman rescued while attempting to climb Mt. Fuji
Pokémon and Polaroid reveal collaboration with adorable Pikachu and Eeveelution camera and film
Japanese man arrested after pretending to be foreigner while trying to rob convenience store