Need a little more action, adventure, and spying in your life? Try checking out free sample chapters from one of these current hit series in Japan.
Top Ten
These iconic series, spanning sci-fi to sports, were instrumental in paving the way for anime of subsequent decades.
For the third year in a row, this particular name takes the top spot for all felines, male or female.
Japan’s netizens club together to crown fictional stars who are flies in your soup, pebbles in your shoes, peas beneath your bed, or just plain evil!
Obaachan knows best, especially when it comes to popular Japanese snacks that have stood the test of time.
Don’t be afraid to take in the eye candy with these characters who originally graced the pages of Japan’s best-selling weekly shonen manga magazine.
Last summer, I was riding the subway with some friends from home who were visiting me here in Nagoya, Japan. Suddenly, my friend pointed at a sticker on the window behind us. “What’s that?” he asked, staring wide-eyed at the image of a smiling cartoon golden dragon wearing a train conductor’s uniform. “That’s the mascot of the Nagoya Transportation Bureau,” I replied, happy to be imparting local knowledge. “Oh,” he said. “And why does the Transportation Bureau need a mascot?”
You see, it’s the little things that can be most surprising about a culture that’s not your own. Today, we bring you a list of 10 quirky things that you probably didn’t know – or may not have realised – about everyday life in Japan.
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Studio Ghibli tea blends contain ingredients inspired by My Neighbour Totoro
Japan’s tap-to-pay Suica train card system aims to go tapless with walk-through gates, location data scans
Japanese city paints well-known prostitution street bright yellow, adds fish art【Video】
Where’s the happiest place for foreigners to live in Japan? Study investigates
Toyota gets second Guinness World Record for basketball playing humanoid robot
Studio Ghibli coasters keep your drinks hot and your heart warm this winter
Starbucks Japan is calling it quits with paper straws
Japan’s top 10 food travel destination prefectures【Survey】
Studio Ghibli heroine cardigans give you warmth and strength to face everyday challenges
One Japanese man has eaten at the same beef bowl restaurant for over 1,800 days in a row
Weekly
J-pop mega star Ado reveals she’s been living in the U.S., may not understand language acquisition
Japan’s most popular castle raising ticket prices by up to 200 percent for non-local tourists- Starbucks Japan is calling it quits with paper straws
- Studio Ghibli coasters keep your drinks hot and your heart warm this winter
- Japan’s top 10 food travel destination prefectures【Survey】
Daiso has giant new branch in middle of Tokyo’s Shinjuku neighborhood (and another beneath it)
Tough times for Japanese pubs as izakaya bankruptcies come at highest rate in more than a decade- Studio Ghibli heroine cardigans give you warmth and strength to face everyday challenges
Furikake rice seasoning sales are soaring, which is bad news for Japan as a whole
Studio Ghibli releases new Totoro and Jiji hourglass timers in Japan
Monthly
Possessing Harry Potter’s Sword of Godric Gryffindor is now illegal in Japan
One of Japan’s most beautiful hot spring towns announces new limits on number of day trippers
Uniqlo announces first-ever collaboration with horror manga master Junji Ito【Photos】
Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke teams up with Foxfire for outdoor apparel collaboration【Photos】- J-pop mega star Ado reveals she’s been living in the U.S., may not understand language acquisition
Studio Ghibli releases new range of cardigans for anime fans- Japan’s most popular castle raising ticket prices by up to 200 percent for non-local tourists
- Starbucks Japan is calling it quits with paper straws
- Furikake rice seasoning sales are soaring, which is bad news for Japan as a whole
Japanese job-quitting service contacted by other job-quitting service because employee wants to quit
Yearly
McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Foreign tourists on Shinkansen bullet train break suitcase etiquette, angering local passengers- Possessing Harry Potter’s Sword of Godric Gryffindor is now illegal in Japan
[Deleted] Article written for April Fool’s Day 2018
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
Japanese convenience store Family Mart announces abolishment of eat-in spaces
Life-size vibrating Legend of Zelda Master Sword for sale from Nintendo【Photos】
Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
Studio Ghibli releases free-download board game — Here’s how to play it without reading Japanese
RECOMMENDED STORIES
Studio Ghibli coasters keep your drinks hot and your heart warm this winter
Starbucks Japan is calling it quits with paper straws
Japan’s top 10 food travel destination prefectures【Survey】
Studio Ghibli heroine cardigans give you warmth and strength to face everyday challenges
One Japanese man has eaten at the same beef bowl restaurant for over 1,800 days in a row
Tokyo Space-out tournament draws nearly 100 competitors, finds who’s the best at doing nothing【Video】
Hello Kitty isn’t a cat!? We called Sanrio to find out!
Starbucks Japan reveals new holiday goods for the 2024 festive season
The results are in! One Piece World Top 100 characters chosen in global poll
Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno is writing for the new Gundam anime TV series【Vido】
Burger King Japan’s new Crown The One Pounder is like a cheeseburger on steroids
Sushi Bears restaurant opens in Tokyo, offers exactly what its name promises【Photos】
Don’t want to pay your NHK TV licence fee? Beat Takeshi doesn’t think you should have to
Kotatsu in the Sky returns to the Osaka Wheel, Japan’s tallest Ferris wheel
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