Ukraine
Railway company’s dedication to customer service backfires, landing it in hot water instead.
Ambassador takes aim at Japan’s richest man, questioning the decision to value pants and T-shirts over Ukrainian lives.
One of Japan’s leading art directors leads the way in raising funds for an issue that’s close to his heart.
Says that “the trampling of a peaceful and democratic Ukraine by unjustified force is a challenge to democracy.”
Fake news story goes viral around the world, but the real story behind it is just as compelling.
With a ratio of three beautiful Ukranian women to one Chinese man, the odds seem pretty good. But it’s going to cost them $10,380 each.
We’ve all heard the stereotype that western guys who come to Japan find themselves suddenly showered with beautiful ladies, while Asian guys who head to the west get squat. Regardless of the fact that this kind of generalization is SUPER mean and based upon some pretty sketchy and biased thinking, it does seem to be the most prevailing opinion (in spite of the many cases where it’s blatantly not true.) When we heard about this regular Chinese dude who bagged himself a super hot wife after deciding to study abroad in Ukraine, we thought it made for an adorable story about a successful international marriage. Unfortunately, it seems that Chinese netizens were less charmed, with plenty taking to their keyboards to register their surprise, envy, and skepticism.
The recent tragedy of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 has capture the attention and sympathy of people across the world, leaving many wondering how such a horrible accident could have occurred. While fingers are being pointed and world leaders are looking for someone to blame, many in Japan are also wondering why a flight from Amsterdam to Malaysia was going through Ukrainian airspace in the first place.
Do you like French bread? We certainly do! Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, they’re great for making sandwiches or tasty canapé-type appetizers like bruschettas. But have you ever felt that the long distinctive shape of French bread sometimes makes it hard to carry around? Well, if you have, we’ve found the perfect item to solve that problem. It’s a bag made specifically for French bread, and it’s called the Baguette Bag!
When we saw a picture of this unique bag, we knew we just had to have one, but after we did a bit of searching, we found out that the bag was a product of Ukraine. Hmm… was it really wise trying to purchase an item from a country that was so far away and the language was completely foreign? We’ll just have to try and find out, won’t we?
Nataliya News is a column brought to you by our Ukrainian correspondent Nataliya, who currently lives there and writes her reports for our sister site RocketNews24 Japan in her charming Japanese. This week, she airs the feelings of her fellow Ukrainian women about dating or being married to Japanese guys, which of course we’ve translated into English for you! Check it out after the jump.




















Live-action Spirited Away stage play announces world tour with first-ever U.S. and Canadian dates
Sanrio Character Poll announces winners, Hello Kitty absent from top 10 in many countries
Tokyo has only two barley tea makers, and we visited one to see how mugicha is made
Studio Ghibli combines anime and craftsmanship in new Totoro and Jiji Gobelin tapestry bags
Sleep at Hoshinoya Nara Prison, one of the most unique hotels in Japan
We try out the joys of Japan’s kakuuchi wine vending machine
Speed trap camera stolen from Saitama Police while in use
Why you shouldn’t feel guilty about using manga for studying and the top series for learning
Blind Tokyo commuter explains the easiest place for him to stand while riding the train
Pikachu brings electric style to brand-new Pokémon G-Shock watch featuring every stater trio
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japan launches first overnight Shinkansen bullet train between Tokyo and Osaka this summer
Family Mart Japan installs red-eyed “Monster Wolf” to keep bears away from convenience store
Starbucks Japan creates special drink bottle bags, adorable stickers for all 47 prefectures[Pics]
Starbucks Japan reopens Shinkansen platform store after redesigning it for speed
Japanese sweets brand creates new drinkable Cigare and we’re totally here for it
Japanese man’s gross conveyor belt sushi social media prank video gets him a 500,000-yen fine
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Studio Ghibli store Donguri Republic announces opening of first-ever store in America
New Japanese overnight train coming to connect Tokyo with Tohoku in sleep-travel style
Uniqlo reveals third round of massive 100-year-anniversary manga T-shirts for Jump’s Shueisha
Even at twice regular Daiso price, this handy item is still great for summer travel in Japan
Japanese sweets shop sells an ohagi so exquisite it sells out by noon
New official Ghibli anime food cookbook will teach you how to make Ponyo’s ramen and more
Forget Tokyo go-karts – there’s a new way to sightsee on four wheels in Japan
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
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
We try out the joys of Japan’s kakuuchi wine vending machine
Speed trap camera stolen from Saitama Police while in use
Why you shouldn’t feel guilty about using manga for studying and the top series for learning
Blind Tokyo commuter explains the easiest place for him to stand while riding the train
Pikachu brings electric style to brand-new Pokémon G-Shock watch featuring every stater trio
Taco Spaghetti appears in Japan, and our taco fan rushes to try it[Taste test]
Mt Fuji installs new emergency shelters ahead of the 2026 climbing season
Live-action Persona adaptation to be produced by Netflix, probably not set in Japan
Krispy Kreme Japan releases new fruit doughnuts…that taste better cold
Japanese man’s gross conveyor belt sushi social media prank video gets him a 500,000-yen fine
The adorable, delicious joy of the Totoro cream puff gift box[Taste test]
New live-action Pokémon adaptation announced for Pokémon Unite
Here’s what Shibuya’s famous scramble intersection looked like after the Japan vs. Sweden match
International fugitive Carlos Ghosn says he’d be best person to head Nissan now