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Did you know? Only one Beard Papa’s in all of eastern Japan sells soft serve in a cream puff

The legendary Japanese chain known for its heavenly cream puffs has only a handful of stores where you can pair pastry with an icy treat.Japanese cream puff (“choux cream”) specialty store Beard Papa’s has got to be home to one of the best scents on this planet. Whether you’re strolling leisurely while shopping or rushing through a train station, you’ll know immediately when you’ve stumbled upon a store location by the heavenly aroma suddenly wafting everywher

Stray cats almost became classified as an invasive species in Japan but the change was overturned

This week, the Ministry of the Environment is caught between intensely divided public opinion on what’s truly best for cats vs. other species.Given Japan’s love for all things feline in the modern day, it’s easy to forget that the domestic cat isn’t actually native to the island nation. They were originally introduced during the Heian period (794-1185) via trade ships as a way to deter rats from eating Buddhist scrolls and kept almost exclusively by nobility. It wasn&#821

Studio Ghibli adds new Jiji’s baby plush toy to its anime merchandise range in Japan

Kiki’s Delivery Service steals the spotlight with exclusive plushies… and jewellery that would make Kiki jealous.We all know that young witch Kiki is the star of Studio Ghibli’s 1989 film Kiki’s Delivery Service, but the titular character’s star power is often eclipsed by her black cat and familiar, Jiji.Being the kind-hearted soul she is, Kiki likely wouldn’t be fazed by Jiji’s worldwide popularity – in fact, every time Ghibli specialty chain Donguri Ky

Over 1,400 cities in Japan see foreign population rise, total populations drop in new statistics

Japan’s foreign population is growing in both size and proportion, ministry study shows.Japan’s population has been shrinking since 2010, but in recent years the country has seen a significant growth in its number of foreign residents. Showing just how starkly the sizes of Japan’s natural-born and foreign demographics are moving in opposite directions, newly released data from the Japanese government’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications shows that between January 1 of 2025 and 2026,

Samarkand hosts first CITES summit in Central Asia, gathering nations for wildlife protection

Delegates will discuss sustainable use of natural resources, ecosystem restoration, and regional cooperation initiatives.

7-Eleven Japan adds new doughnut-like tonkotsu ramen fried chicken to its hot food section

Plus, an exclusive bag of snacks to sprinkle on ramen, inspired by the iconic instant noodles.Japanese convenience stores are always coming up with exciting new ways to make hot food more interesting, and 7-Eleven is doing that right now with a brand new fried chicken inspired by the flavour of a beloved mini cup of tonkotsu ramen.Called “Okashina Chicken (Butamen Tonkotsu Flavour)” this new product has been created in collaboration with Oyatsu Company’s long-running Butamen mini cup ramen brand

Starbucks Japan unveils new Kyoho grape drinks for a taste that’s quintessentially Japanese

Famous Japanese fruit appears in summer to remind us that autumn isn’t too far away.Japan might still be in the throes of a sweltering hot summer, but Starbucks Japan is already looking ahead to autumn with two new drinks starring one of next season’s most beloved fruits: Kyoho grapes.Designed to give customers an early taste of autumn as a reprieve from summer, the new beverages are said to have a rich aroma, juicy fruitiness and distinctive depth of flavour. Each one offers a different take on

This awesome Japanese arcade chain has crane game coaches to help you win prizes

Our crane game novice heads to Benex for a training day with the Assist Crew.We’re in the middle of a golden age of crane games in Japan. Though traditional video games continue to have a diminished presence at game centers, statistics show that the crane game industry more than doubled between 2013 and 2024, growing by 120 percent in that time frame.A lot of this is thanks to the diverse array of prizes that modern crane games offer. Plushies and figures of popular characters remain some of the

Police ask Kumamoto residents to not get blackout drunk as much during earthquake relief efforts

Hard times and hard drinking don’t mix.Of course, there’s never a good time to experience a 7.1 magnitude earthquake, but late July and early August is a particularly bad season for it. The addition of frequent typhoons and sweltering heatwaves not only hinder search and rescue efforts, but also make a hard situation exponentially harder for those who have had to evacuate their air-conditioned homes.You could hardly blame anyone in Kumamoto for uttering the words, “I could sure use a drink

Studio Ghibli theme park announces new expansion saluting a previously off-limits anime

After initially saying no to a Nausicaa area, Ghibli has had a change of heart.Ghibli Park, the Studio Ghibli anime theme park located in Aichi Prefecture, made it pretty clear from the beginning that its opening was going to involve two stages. First came the opening in the fall of 2022 of the Dondoko Forest and Hill of Youth sections of the park, recreating the environments of My Neighbor Totoro and Whisper of the Heart, plus Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse, an exhibition and museum space for Ghibli

One Piece Day returns to Tokyo Big Sight and worldwide on Youtube 22 and 23 August

A day so nice they made it twice.It’s beginning to look a lot like One Piece Day, everywhere you go. But it’s at Tokyo Big Sight to see the pirates that will be arriving aaaaaashore…Sorry, I just can’t help getting caught up in the spirit of One Piece Day and start singing One Piece carols day and night. Yes, it’s that time of year again when Tokyo Big Sight becomes the center of all things One Piece, from manga and anime to video games and figures and everything in between. And as always, there

Are Japan’s room-temperature curry packets the boxed lunch heroes we’ve been looking for? [Taste test]

Packets of curry you can store and eat at room temperature could be the answer to our prayers for portable, smell-safe curry.Curry and rice is always a winning combination, but the road to victory can be a difficult one when you’re packing a lunch to take with when you’re heading out for the day. Curry rice might seem like it’d work great for a home-made bento boxed lunch, since it’s a dish you can eat out of a single container with just a spoon, but transporting curry comes with the risks of th

Studio Ghibli releases new Kiki’s Delivery Service Jiji music box for anime fans

Retro telephone from the Guchokipanya bakery plays one of the film’s most iconic songs.Studio Ghibli movies are filled with intriguing characters that have the power to completely draw us into their animated worlds, and in Kiki’s Delivery Service, it’s Jiji who often steals the show.Now, the black cat is back in the spotlight, thanks to a new release from Ghibli specialty retailer Donguri Kyowakoku. Called “Kiki’s Delivery Service Music Box: A Message to Kiki”, this music box is mode

Tokyo is getting a branch of famous Los Angeles hot dog chain Pink’s with Japan-exclusive items

87-year-old hot dog chain is going to learn some new tricks.It’s been about a year since Los Angeles’ iconic Randy’s Donuts opened its first branch in Japan, and as much as we love the place, even we have to admit that eating donuts every day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner probably wouldn’t be a very good idea. But for those looking to diversify looking to diversify their diet yet still craving something with ties to the City of Angels, now comes word that Pink’s is on its way to Japan.Husband

Japanese convenience store food gets turned into hyper-realistic stationery you can peel open

The rice ball and hot snack sets let you feel the fun of some of Japan’s best treats anywhere in the world.Japan’s convenience stores are filled with wondrous foods to try, with new delights appearing regularly, but there is one staple that any visitor to Japan must try: the humble onigiri. These rice balls may look unassuming, but are the perfect treat to grab if you want a quick meal amid a busy schedule, sating those hungry-stomach rumblings. Releasing on September 18, Japanese stationery mak

Kumamoto earthquake may have created Japan’s newest hot spring inside flooded restaurant [Video]

Kumamoto City izakaya began flooding with hot, sulfur-smelling water immediately after quake.The earthquake that occurred in Kumamoto Prefecture on July 28 caused extensive damage to the region, and among those affected was Mugi Usagi, an restaurant in the Anseimachi neighborhood of Kumamoto City’s Chuo Ward. Mugu Usagi is an izakaya, a kind of Japanese pub specializing in small dishes meant to be paired with beer, sake, or cocktails, but it looks like the location might have one more desirous c

This beautiful rural Japan river is a great alternative to touristy summer retreats [Photos]

The Enbaragawa River’s lighting and subsurface flow put it on a different level of natural beauty.In Japan, the summer heat can be sweltering, intense, or even downright cruel. What it’s not, though, is inescapable. For generations, one way of coping with hot weather has been to head up into the mountains, where temperatures are cooler than in the cities and coastal areas. However, if you head to such famous summer retreats as, say, Karuizawa in Nagano Prefecture, you’re going to be trying to ru

Japan’s new beer glass is designed to force you to drink…water [Video]

Yona Yona has a furatsuku idea to promote responsible drinking.One of the cruelest twists of fate is that on a hot afternoon few things feel more refreshing than an ice-cold beer, and yet beer, as an alcoholic beverage, does a poor job of keeping your body hydrated. Yeah, that first cold one might feel rejuvenating, but keep knocking back one beer after another, and they’re going to take a toll on you later on.Of course, just like it’s not very helpful for hydration, beer isn’t all that good for

This Japanese chopping board sanitising bag might be the handy kitchen gadget we never knew we needed

We find out if a bag made specifically for soaking chopping boards is actually useful.How do you disinfect your chopping boards? If your answer to that question is “With great difficulty” or “Huh? We’re meant to disinfect chopping boards?” then we would like to introduce you to…▼ … the Chopping Board Sanitising Bag.The idea is simple: put your chopping board inside, then add water and detergent, or diluted chlorine-based kitchen bleach, which is commonly used in Japan to disinfect chopping board

Tired of city life? Try out Japanese rural life for a few days on an active volcano in Kagoshima

Escape Tokyo to harvest mandarins, dig footbaths, or learn how to run an inn.Many people have dreams of where they would like to live, and it can sometimes be starkly different from the environment in which they have grown up, but there are few who truly decide to take the plunge. Trading the hustle and bustle of city life for a peaceful rural retreat sounds like an idyllic lifestyle, although it’s difficult to make that leap without trying it first. Kagoshima City has now partnered, though, wit