WASHINGTON, United States — US President Donald Trump embarks on a major trip to Asia this week with all eyes on a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping that has huge implications for the global ...
You can haul back thousands of yen worth of ramen, rice, and snacks for a fraction of the price.Expanding its reach with additional sub-brands, one of Japan’s big-three convenience stores, Lawson, opened the doors to L Minimart, its first “mini supermarket”, on May 28 in Kodaira, Tokyo. Excited to learn more about what this new brand will entail, our Japanese-language reporter Mr. Sato joined the crowd of the roughly 200 people who wanted to be among the first to step through the store’s doors o
Bring Totoro and the gang to work with cleverly concealed character details. One of the things we love about Studio Ghibli is the way its movies appeal to people of all ages. Even My Neighbour Totoro, which might seem like a children’s movie, with its child protagonist and fantastical characters, has wider themes of familial love and rural ideals that strike a chord across generations, garnering fans that range from toddlers through to businessmen.In fact, toddlers who first watched the fi
Our resident sticker-collecting writer shares why she’s saying “enough is enough” and is extricating herself from a sticky situation.Sticker collecting and trading as a hobby has been sweeping Japan among kids and adults alike for a while now, to the point that puffy stickers were sold out last year and people were shelling out ridiculous amounts of money to get their hands on them. Our Japanese-language reporter Haruka Takagi also got all in on the fun herself, even making new
The 2026 APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting that concluded Saturday in China's Suzhou has actively sought the broadest common ground for all parties to participate in economic and trade ...
With the rainy season here, this umbrella companion is a Daiso-premium bargain.Having flipped the calendar to June, we’re clearly not in spring anymore, but many Japanese people would argue that we haven’t really made it to summer just yet. That’s because we’re at the start of tsuyu, or “the rainy season,” a roughly month-long stretch of wet weather that precedes the idyllic fun-in-the-sun section of summer.As a matter of fact, Tokyo is getting drenched with heavy rains at the time of this writi
Says he did it for the social media views, but the police didn’t like what they saw.A lot of things in Japan rely on the country’s ability to trust that people will be considerate and respectful. Perhaps nowhere is this more clearly displayed than in the existence of conveyor belt sushi restaurants, in which automated delivery of food to customers is carried out under the assumption that no one will do anything disruptive or unsanitary along the way.In other words, one of Japan’s most popular re
Renovations wrapping up in Tokyo, new menu items on their way to Osaka too.If you’re a Pokémon fan, heading to Japan’s Pokémon Cafe as soon as possible probably seems like a no-brainer. However, if you can hold out for a few more weeks, you’ll be rewarded for your patience, as there’s a slew of brand-new, incredibly adorable new items being added to the menu.The arrival of the new entree, dessert, and drink options coincides with this month’s grand reopening of the Pokémon Cafe Tokyo. At the tim
If you get caught in the rain, Convenience Wear is your hidden saviour. Have you ever glanced at the T-shirts and sweatpants hanging in the corner of a Japanese convenience store and wondered, “Who actually buys these?” Well, there are plenty of reasons why someone might need a quick change of outfits, as our reporter Mr Sato can attest to after he got soaked in the rain when Typhoon Jangmi swept through Tokyo on 3 June.Though he’d expected to get a little wet on the way to wor
The spots people queue for despite bad weather might surprise you.When you live and work in a city, you tend to move through it in different ways to a tourist who might be seeing it with fresh eyes. So when Typhoon Jangmi approached Tokyo on 3 June, bringing strong winds and heavy rain to the capital, locals who could work from home did just that, while others took earlier trains on their morning commute to avoid being late for work. For many tourists, though, sightseeing was still on the agenda
Summertime bust or must-buy?It’s been roughly three years since 7-Eleven added smoothie machines to its stores in Japan, allowing customers to whip up freshly made smoothies in seconds after selecting their desired varieties from the freezer section. During that time, the chain has added a number of limited-edition flavours to the range, with all of them proving to be popular with customers. Now with summer fast approaching, the chain is giving us a brand new variety that’s said to c
School getting ready for its 80th birthday makes a modern addition to its uniform options.Tanabe Junior High School in the town of Kyotanabe, Kyoto Prefecture, is going to be marking the 80th anniversary of its founding next year. That’s definitely a good opportunity to look back on its history and celebrate its traditions, but the school has no intent of having its thinking be stuck in the past, as shown by its plans to be the first public junior high school in Japan to have a hoodie as its uni
Rising security and economic tensions prompting consideration of new rules to make it harder for foreigners to buy property in Japan.In December, Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party announced its intent to introduce legislation to add new restrictions to the ability of foreigners to purchase real estate in Japan. In March, a government expert panel began holding meetings to discuss possible changes legal changes in order to address the economic and security concerns being voiced by proponents of in
A brand new tea latte designed to lift your spirits this summer.It’s been 20 years since Starbucks debuted its “Chilled Cup” series of drinks in Japan, ahead of any other country, and although there’s been a lot of limited-edition flavours in that time, one ingredient has always been missing: Muscat.Associated in Japan with premium grapes such as Shine Muscat, the sweet, aromatic fruit has become a beloved seasonal flavour, making its arrival in the Chilled Cup series lon
Small but mighty, meet the new bag that’s captivating customers in Japan.Mesh bags are one of this season’s hottest fashion accessories. Lightweight, stylish, and easy to match with almost any outfit, they’ve become a must-have item for summer. Now, Starbucks Japan has joined the trend with a new collection of mesh bags, and they’re already creating a buzz online.The bags come in three styles: Large green (2,500 yen [US$15.66]) and Small Purple (2,000 yen), which are only
Littering in Shibuya will get you a fine that must be paid on the spot.Last Monday wasn’t just the start of June, it was the start of a new littering fine in Tokyo. As of June 1, if officials spot someone throwing trash on the ground in some of the city’s most heavily touristed areas, they can issue a citation with a penalty of 2,000 yen (US$13).This new rule is enforceable in Shibuya, and not only around Shibuya Station, the famous Shibuya Scramble intersection, Hachiko dog statue plaza, and Ce
Bringing Japanese culture to the table in a delicious and heartwarming way. Japan has a wide variety of cultural values that underpin society in ways that are often unseen, and that includes the concept of mottainai. Literally translating as “wasteful“, this mindset holds a deep sense of regret when the potential value of something isn’t fully realised, and it encourages people to reuse, recycle and avoid unnecessary waste whenever possible, especially when food with gods is be
We strap on our shoes and head into downtown Tokyo for a philosophical conversation prompt and a walk with a whole bunch of people we’ve never met before.Japan is right in a special sweet spot right now weather-wise, where the chill of winter and allergy-triggering pollen of spring are gone, but the sweltering heat of summer hasn’t arrived just yet. That makes the conditions ideal for a nice walk with friends…or, as we experienced in downtown Tokyo, a nice walk with complete strangers.This
Animals & Monsters: Cute, Scary, and a Little Weird is the perfect exhibition for anyone who delights in art that doesn’t take itself too seriously.This summer, once you’re done shopping in the trendy streets of Tokyo’s Harajuku district, you won’t have to go far to enjoy a little taste of high culture. In fact, there’s some conveniently located right in front of Tokyo Metro Meiji-Jingumae Station and just around the corner from JR Harajuku Station at the Ota Me
With the couples on either side of him as hot as the flames on his grill, our solo-dining yakiniku fan finds a mental escape.Dining at a yakiniku restaurant in Japan quickly becomes a series of choices to make. Yakiniku menus consist primarily of a wide variety of different types and cuts of meat that you grill yourself, but per-plate portions tend to be small, so you’ll need to make multiple orders to get enough food to fill yourself up.If you’re ordering a la carte, different kinds of meat hav