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99-year-old woman rescued while attempting to climb Mt. Fuji

Three-day ascent attempt comes to an abrupt end.When I first started hiking in Japan, I couldn’t help noticing how many older people you encounter along the trails. I’m not just talking about people who’ve reached mature adulthood, but silver-haired hikers who could easily be grandparents, and yet still enjoy getting out into nature and walking up into the mountains.I’ve got a lot of respect for them, and think they’re great role models for maintaining an active, healthy lifestyle. However, one

Starbucks Japan adds a new summer Frappuccino to the menu, but is it as refreshing as it looks?

Limited-edition “gyugyutto” beverage features a fruit combo rarely seen at Starbucks.After a succesion of brutally hot days in Japan, this summer is already testing our limits, even though the season has barely begun. Thankfully, there’s now some much-needed respite to be had, in the form of a new Starbucks Frappuccino to help keep us cool and calm as we enter the hottest days of the year.Called the “Gyugyutto Orange & Mango Frappuccino” (“gyugyutto” means to be “packed full”), this icy beve

Which country’s foreign tourists spend the most money per-person in Japan? Hint: Not the U..S. or China

One country’s travelers spend more than double the total average for tourists in Japan, and it’s one the Japanese tourism industry hasn’t paid much attention to.Recent statistics show that during the first half of 2026 Japan had its first dip in the number of foreign tourists visiting the country since five years ago. Some might call that a sign that the Japan travel boom has peaked, but the number of travelers only paints half the picture, and the amount of money foreign tourists are spending i

Cup Noodle and Columbia team up for a weird and wonderful T-shirt that’s very Japanese

The English on the back of the shirt is almost as humorous as the beach hut squid in the design.The hearty warmth of a hot Cup Noodle is well suited to the colder months, but now the brand wants to remind us that it can still bring us joy in summer too.Here to help do that is American outdoor brand Columbia, who has teamed up with the instant noodle maker for a new collaboration T-shirt inspired by Cup Noodle’s popular Seafood flavour.▼ The new design was born from the idea of “What if a beach h

FM Mohamad Leads Malaysian Delegation To ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting In Manila

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan is leading the Malaysian delegation to the 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting ...

New Shinkansen luggage drop-off system begins in Japan, making train travel even easier

“Hands-Free” service lets Shinkansen travellers send their suitcases by bullet train without carrying them onboard.Travelling by Shinkansen is one of the highlights of any trip to Japan, but there’s one thing that can take the shine off the experience – having to lug big suitcases with you onboard and through crowded stations during the journey.Now, East Japan Railways (JR East) is working to alleviate that problem, by introducing a new drop-off luggage option for travellers so they can ride the

Hatsune Miku, VTuber Suisei Hoshimachi perform opening pitch at pro baseball game in Japan [Video]

Suisei throws smoke, some commenters throw shade.There’s always a degree of risk when a professional baseball team calls in someone from outside the sporting world to throw a game’s ceremonial first pitch. Sure, the celebrity might be popular and charismatic, but do they have the arm to put the ball over the plate all the way from the pitcher’s mound?So it was an especially bold move of Japan’s Chiba Lotte Marines to give the honor of throwing out the opening pitch on Monday to someone who has n

Foreign hiker on Mt. Fuji loses consciousness and dies, becoming climbing season’s second fatality

European man lost consciousness during Mt. Fuji hike with his son.The Fujinomiya Trail, one of the most popular routes to the top of Mt. Fuji, opened for this year’s climbing season on July 10. Just one week later, Mt. Fuji had its first death of the 2026 season, and now a foreign traveler attempting to summit Japan’s tallest mountain has died as well.On July 17, a 65-year-old man from Nara was making the Fujinomiya Trail ascent as part of a tour group. At around 6:30 in the morning, as the grou

Japanese government sets up new group to deal with trading card boom

Trading cards have become so popular in Japan that the government is now getting involved, but what does this mean for fans?Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has announced plans to establish a new parliamentary group dedicated to the country’s rapidly growing trading card industry. The group will hold its inaugural meeting on 23 July, when lawmakers will hear from industry organisations and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) about the state of the market a

Yakuza members arrested for building a road on mountain they don’t own

Darn gangsters! Building infrastructure without permission.On 15 July, about 120 officers with the Hiroshima Prefectural Police conducted a search of the headquarters for the Harada faction of the Kyosei-kai yakuza group in Hiroshima City.▼ Video of the search, with so many officers pouring into there you’d think it was led by a pill-popping Gary OldmanThe search was a part of an investigation into the boss and four members of the Harada faction, who were arrested 14 July on suspicion of b

If you love Pokémon and cats, you’ll love Japan’s cat Pokémon cat toys and feeding dishes[Photos]

Some Pokémon fun to share with your real-world Meowth, Litten, or Sprigatito.“Pokémon” is short for “Pocket Monster,” but there are more than a few Pokémon species that aren’t exactly monstrous in appearance or attitude. Sure, they may still be fantastical fictional creatures, but there are definitely Pokémon that look like they’d make fine pets here in the real world. For example, what cat lover wouldn’t be thrilled to welcome Litten, Sprigatito, or Meowth to their home?And while those three Po

Taco sandwiches appear in Japan with new Lunch Pack sandwich pocket flavor[Taste test]

Yamazaki’s beloved series branches out with a new fluffy taco offering.At the risk of being figuratively flowery in multiple ways, walking down the bread aisle of a Japanese supermarket or convenience store is a little like strolling through a garden and seeing what sort of wonderful seasonal things are appearing. That’s especially true with Yamazaki Baking’s Lunch Pack series, Japan’s favorite brand of sandwich pockets. Sometimes Lunch Pack goes sweet, like with the sakura-flavor dessert ones w

Studio Ghibli’s new moving keychains are the angry, adorable bugs from Nausicaa [Photos]

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind’s Ohm want to be the holders of your keys.So let’s say you’re talking to a friend, and he says “I’ve got this really cool bug in my pocket!” That’d be kind of weird, but hey, you and your friend are both pretty intense anime fans, so your comfort level regarding unique and oddly specific enthusiasm is probably a littler higher than most people’s, right? You might get a little more concerned, though, when your friend then reveals “It moves really fast!”, and you

Brand new Shinkansen bullet train unveiled in Japan… but it won’t carry passengers

Meet “SOAR”, the next-generation Shinkansen designed to protect the rails.On 14 July, East Japan Railways (JR East) announced it would be adding a brand new Shinkansen to its network, but this would be no ordinary bullet train. Called SOAR, the seven-car train won’t be carrying passengers, as it’s been built for one purpose only – to inspect the railway line, and protect the trains and passengers that use it.This new “inspection Shinkansen” will replace the company’s current East-i i

Sanrio eco-friendly plushies are here for the earth-conscious lovers of all things kawaii

This cute line-up is made from sustainable materials and will make your friends green with envy.While we’ve seen Hello Kitty decked out in all kinds of colors before, even she’s not usually green. That’s one reason why longtime fans may want to get their hands on one of the lovely new leaf-green-tinted Sanrio plushies being released next month as part of Bandai Namco Nui’s “Eco Nui” plushie series, which are made from entirely recycled and/or sustainable fabri

Japanese curry rice burger gets all the attention in Mos Burger’s new birthday celebration campaign

There are some showstoppers in this limited-time promotion, but the unique twist on Japanese curry rice is all we can look at.If you’re in the mood for fast food with a distinctly Japanese flair, Mos Burger is here to satisfy your cravings. As the chain that first created the rice burger, which swaps out bread buns for grilled rice patties, Mos Burger has long been a trailblazer for Japanese flavour combinations, and now it’s taking things up a notch with the release of a new Dry Curry Rice Burg

Beautiful exclusive Totoro tenugui towel is a gift from Disney to Ghibli physical media buyers

Picking up a Studio Ghibli film on disc this summer could get you a tenugui too.The best time to buy Studio Ghibli anime on physical media in Japan is pretty much whenever you see it for sale. There aren’t many home video releases with as verdant an evergreen appeal as these prestigious animated films that have captivated audiences for decades, and that consistent demand means that Blu-rays and DVDs of Ghibli’s films don’t often get heavily discounted in either the new or second-hand market in t

Starbucks Japan unveils new peach milk pudding drink that’s like a decadent dessert

Limited-edition chilled cup combines summer fruit with creamy pudding pieces in new “Delight Me” release.Starbucks has welcomed the early throes of summer this year with a bevvy of peachy releases, covering Frappuccinos, teas, and fizzy sodas. Now, the chain is giving us a fresh take on the summer fruit, by releasing the Starbucks Delight Me Peach Milk with Creamy Pudding.This latest flavour in the chain’s chilled cup drink series, which can be found in supermarkets and convenience stores, aims

Giant Snorlax, other snoozing Pokémon appear in Yokohama for Pokémon Sleeping Faces Research [Pics]

Sleepy Pokémon and smiling faces from an adorable fan event going on in Japan right now.There’s that old joke that starts “Where does an 800-pound gorilla sleep?” with the answer of “Anywhere it wants,” and if we’re making 800 pounds the cutoff, then an animal that weighs 1,014.1 pounds definitely qualifies too, right? However, it’s not just the species’ official Pokédex-listed weight that gives Snorlax unlimited unilateral sleeping space selection privileges, but also how adorable the perpetual

Cup Noodle releases cold-water instant ramen in Japan, but can it really be made with just cold water?

New Hiyashi Cup Noodle cuts out the need for boiling water, so we put it to the test.This year looks set to be a historic one for Japanese noodle-maker Nissin, as it doesn’t just mark the brand’s 55th anniversary, it also marks the release of its first-ever chilled Cup Noodle.Unlike a regular Cup Noodle, which needs boiling hot water to rehydrate the noodles, the new “Hiyashi Cup Noodle” (“hiyashi” means “chilled”) requires only cold water, thanks to a newly patented manufacturing process called