Sometimes, a not-so-gentle reminder is all it takes to make sure your belongings continue to be yours.
umbrellas (Page 2)
Creepy cool accessory’s clever construction makes the eye go into alert mode when you snap it on.
Simple technique requires only a printer, some tape, and maybe an anime reference.
Unique design should be a hit with fashionistas and history buffs, and also hides a subtle anime cosplay secret.
Loan services could be set to disappear with organisations now running dangerously low on stock.
Made in Gifu Prefecture, these elegant designs reflect not only modern pop culture, but an umbrella-making tradition that stretches all the way back to the Edo Period.
Japanese vending machines are a great example of the culture of convenience so prevalent in Japan. Whether you’re after orange juice that looks like soy sauce, or a hot, clam-packed miso soup to cure your hangover, if you want something fast, the nation’s vending machines will be there for you, come rain or shine.
Now one of the country’s largest drinks manufacturers, DyDo, is catering to customers who actually do find themselves caught out in the rain, with a free “rental umbrella” service attached to a number of their machines in Nishi Ward, Osaka.
September in Japan is the bridge between summer and autumn, with warm humid days mixed in with cool nights and passing typhoons dumping some of the year’s highest amounts of rainfall around the country.
With the rain set to continue, umbrella sales are in full swing at the moment, and some of the best ones here are simply magic. They won’t send you flying through the air like Mary Poppins, but they will reveal hidden secrets when the rain begins to fall!
Unless you’ve got a bitter aversion to the cold, odds are you’ll find early summer to be the least pleasant time of year in Japan, weather-wise. Not only is it hot and muggy, it’s also the country’s rainiest period, and just about any time you’re stepping outside you’ll want to carry an umbrella with you.
Thankfully, there’s a way to make the rainy season a little more enjoyable, as a new line of Studio Ghibli-themed umbrellas means a summer squall is just the beginning of a Totoro hunt as the beloved forest spirit magically appears on the umbrella’s fabric when it gets wet.
Japan has a reputation for being home to some of the safest cities in the world. Having your dropped or lost items returned to you is not uncommon, and the police have enough free time to create life-like ice sculptures outside their offices.
So it comes as a surprise to many Japanese people when they suddenly realize they’ve been the victim of a most heinous crime: umbrella theft. Most buildings in Japan ask you to leave your wet umbrellas in a stand right at the entrance, and people finding their umbrellas missing when they leave is becoming more and more frequent.
How can you protect yourself from these shameless thieves? Read on to find out!
Everyone’s got his own unique set of aesthetic sensibilities and ideal vision of beauty. In general, though, guys like looking at half-naked women, and when they aren’t in a position to look at one, they’ll settle for imagining them.
As such, it’s perfectly natural and healthy to fantasize about women wearing sexy lingerie if you’re a young man who’s reached the age of puberty (or if you’re an older man whose mind didn’t really progress that far afterwards). But when you start coming up with systems to determine what kind of lingerie a woman has on, like theorizing that it matches her umbrella, well, you might be thinking about women in their undies just a bit too much.
Anime magical girls lead busy lives, especially Cardcaptor Sakura’s Sakura Kinomoto. With 50-plus magical cards to track down, plus all of the study responsibilities of an ordinary elementary school student, the young heroine must have her days planned down to the minute.
Likewise, being too young for a driver’s license, Sakura is in for a lot of walking around outside in the elements on her quest to find the mystical Clow Cards. And if you find yourself in similar need of a way to keep track of the time while keeping the sun and rain off yourself, anime fashion brand Super Groupies has got you covered with a new Cardcaptor Sakura wristwatch and umbrella.
















Injuries on stairs in Tokyo highlight an overlooked design flaw
Wisteria season starts early with blooming of Japan’s Great Wisteria in its beautiful garden
Japan’s popular bead bonsai kit is as beautiful as it is gruelling to make
Starbucks Japan releases FIVE new Frappuccinos in a day, and we try them all in 90 minutes
What’s inside Japan’s super-rare, super-popular Nara bread?
Takeshi’s Castle, Japan’s craziest game show, is getting a new series from Amazon Prime Video
Japan has new rules for bicycle riders, and these 14 things could get you a fine or a court date
Ninja Soba Goemon: A Japanese restaurant that’s like a ninja hideout
Japan’s best conveyor belt sushi restaurant of seven years ago has now, finally, come to Tokyo
Tokyo Metro adds platform display showing where least crowded parts of the next train will be
Mt. Fuji decorated with a 500,000-flower pink carpet is Japan’s ultimate spring view
Lawson convenience store at popular tourist site is one of the most unusual in Japan
Japanese trains in Sapporo might be better than those in Tokyo, thanks to one special feature
30 Pikachus want to share a Tokyo hotel room with you that has separate Grass, Water, Fire spaces
Japanese government wants overseas anime market to roughly triple in 10 years, but are they crazy?
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Japanese bento shop sells croquettes for 13 cents, but are they any good?
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Japan now has a special desk for people who work at home with a pet cat[Photos]
Famous Tokyo cherry blossom spot installs view-blocking screens to fight overcrowding[Video]
Uniqlo announces new T-shirts for One Piece, Naruto and more for manga publisher’s 100th birthday
Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
Krispy Kreme releases Super Mario doughnuts in Japan for a limited time
Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
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
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Takeshi’s Castle, Japan’s craziest game show, is getting a new series from Amazon Prime Video
Japan has new rules for bicycle riders, and these 14 things could get you a fine or a court date
Ninja Soba Goemon: A Japanese restaurant that’s like a ninja hideout
Japan’s best conveyor belt sushi restaurant of seven years ago has now, finally, come to Tokyo
Tokyo Metro adds platform display showing where least crowded parts of the next train will be
Unique Starbucks in historic building is one of the most beautiful in Japan
Kyoto Ninja Run tour can add over 100 ninja missions to your itinerary if you’re tired of temples
Elephant nose ice cream: The treat with a trunk
Who is this mysterious large man who’s suddenly showing up on giant signs in Japan?
Japanese Godzilla looks set to attack New York in teaser for Godzilla Minus Zero[Video]
Creepy abandoned Japanese amusement park is open and waiting to devour your soul 【Pics】
Retro Japanese-style hotel room with kotatsu, free ice cream is both amazingly cool AND warm
Does this egg timer from Japanese 100-yen store Daiso really work?