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Japanese film studio Toei announces first three video games from newly created Toei Games

Toei or not Toei? That is the question.Earlier this week, long-established film producer Toei, the company behind classic films such as The Street Fighter, Black Rain, Battle Royale, and Tora! Tora! Tora!, made a surprise announcement that they were launching Toei Games, a new division specializing in video game production.▼ The Toei logo is a classic on par with the MGM lion.Part of the reason many were surprised was that, in addition to feature films, Toei also has very popular youth programmi

Hello Kitty is now a transforming truck robot[Photos]

Optimus kawaii.Takara Tomy is the maker of the Tomica, Japan’s favorite brand of toy cars, basically the country’s version of Hot Wheels. However, while Tomica’s bread and butter is detailed recreations of real-world vehicles, they also indulge in the occasional side dish of whimsical fantasy transportation through their Dream Tomica line, which has taken inspiration from the anime of Studio Ghibli and Dragon Ball.So it’s not a huge shock to see that Takara Tomy’s newest toy truck has a Sanrio t

Japanese convenience store brings rice balls back to 100 yen – Is this deal worth it?[Taste test]

As onigiri prices continue to rise everywhere else, Lawson Store 100 stays true to its name.There’s perhaps no better example of the frustrating inflation that’s taking place in Japan than what’s happened to convenience store onigiri (rice balls). It wasn’t all that long ago that you could get simple varieties for not all that much more than 100 yen (US$0.65), but they’ve become pretty much impossible to find at that price point. Even at Lawson Store 100, the budget-friendly sub-brand of the Law

What’s up with the “mosquito buzz” noise at Shibuya Station?

If you’ve ever felt irritated around this part of Tokyo, this might be the reason why. The area around Shibuya Station is one of the busiest places in all of Tokyo, and right now it’s a nightmare to visit. That’s because the so-called “once in a lifetime” construction project currently taking place around the station – work is scheduled to continue right up to fiscal 2031 – is impeding foot traffic, funneling crowds through narrow walkways that were never designed t

Studio Ghibli adds new anime character puppet socks to its merchandise store in Japan

No Face, Catbus and Totoro come to life as unique puppets for your feet. Studio Ghibli is world-famous for its creativity, which isn’t just limited to its stable of animated movies, but its range of official merchandise as well. That talent is clearly evident in the studio’s latest release, a cute sock collection that’s being sold through specialty retail chain Donguri Kyowakoku.Known as “Puppet Socks“, these cleverly designed pieces of apparel can be used in t

7-Eleven Japan’s cooked-in-store takoyaki is here! How does it fare against the street food king?

We pit the convenience store challenger against Tokyo’s favorite maker of Japan’s beloved octopus dumplings.Takoyaki (octopus dumplings) are one of Japan’s best kinds of street food. Now, though, there’s an alternative to buying freshy cooked takoyaki from a street stall, since 7-Eleven sells them too!Takoyaki started showing up in the “hot snack corner” of 7-Eleven Japan branches on April 21, the same section of the store where you’ll find things like their cooked-in-store fried chicken or pork

Burger King Japan launches King Fusion, and the possibilities are endless (and delicious)

The Burger King sundae line feels like a perfect match for the Japanese sweets scene.Burger King Japan is in the middle of a very aggressive push to expand its dominion in Japan, and as part of its aspiration to sit upon Japan’s hamburger throne it’s currently offering bundles of 40 million yen (US$250,000) to rival fast food chain franchises that ditch their current partners and convert to Burger King locations. Of course, even if you have restaurants in every neighborhood across the country yo

All-party meeting highlights: Govt says more Indian ships to cross Hormuz, diaspora's security remains priority

1. The all-party meeting chaired by defence minister Rajnath Singh saw the Centre brief political leaders on the evolving West Asia situation, with a focus on energy security, diplomacy and the safety ...

Tsujihan sushi bowl restaurant goes viral with foreign tourists, but is it worth the hype?

A Japanese diner shares their take on the kaisendon restaurant that’s exploded in popularity amongst overseas tourists.If you’re curious to explore Japan’s seafood scene beyond sushi and sashimi, you may have heard of a dish called kaisendon. Literally meaning “seafood bowl“, kaisendon contains a variety of raw fish atop a bed of rice, and the best place to get it, according to overseas visitors who’ve been raving about it online, is at a restaurant chain call

Tokyo’s city hall changes dress code, workers now allowed to wear shorts[Videos]

Business-formal tradition melts away in modern-temperature Tokyo.For a very long time, the baseline attitude in Japan has been that if you’re working in an office, you should be wearing formal business attire. However, while people in Japan may place great value on traditions, climate change, by its very nature, is unconcerned with conforming to the status quo. With Japan Meteorological Agency data showing the country has experienced its hottest summer on record for three years in a row, the Tok

Tifa’s Final Fantasy VII bar is going to pop up in real-world Tokyo

Seventh Heaven becomes Lemon’s Heaven.Final Fantasy VII is an adventure on a grand scale, taking players into ancient temples, mysterious caverns, and high-tech military facilities. One of its most memorable locations, though, is the bar Seventh Heaven.Run by protagonist Cloud’s childhood friend (and best Final Fantasy VII female cast member) Tifa, Seventh Heaven serves as not only a gathering place for the local community, but also as the base of operations for resistance group Avalanche. As de

Buddhist priest arrested for using health insurance card he found on the street

Priest enlightened himself of the burdens incurred when paying for insurance.I think most of us view Buddhist priests as centered people who aren’t swayed by the materialistic temptations that cause some to commit crime. But much like snowflakes, all Buddhist priests are unique creations of their own karma, and there are even some who end up going on a nationwide spending spree with someone else’s health insurance card.Buddhist priest Terukazu Hirokaga was arrested after he was caught impersonat

Japanese convenience store gives away free ice cream with creative ad at Shinjuku Station

An even more convenient way to get ice cream. Whenever someone from overseas raves about Japanese convenience stores, they’re usually talking about the big three – 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, and Lawson.▼ However, there’s another well-known chain that’s often overlooked: Ministop.Despite being well-known, Ministop reported a net loss of 5.6 billion yen (US$35 million) for the fiscal year ending February 2026, its third consecutive year in the red. The news has sparked concern among longtime fans

G-cha & Ba-cha serves Japanese green tea with a heartwarming backstory in Tokyo

When you support these cool grandparents, you’ll get a lot in return too.There are plenty of green tea stores vying for your attention in Japan, but right now there’s one that deserves to go straight to the top of your must-visit list, and it’s called G-Cha & Ba-Cha.This humorous-sounding name, which is a lot of fun to say, is a play on the words for “tea” (“ocha” or “cha“), and grandpa (“jiichan“) and grandma (“baachan&

Happy 40th birthday, Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A!

You don’t look a day over 30 lives.On this very day in 1986, a piece of code was accidentally left in the Famicom (NES) version of Konami’s Gradius that allowed anyone to completely juice up their spaceship by pressing up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, then A on the controller. And so began the legendary “Konami Code”, which really caught on in the West as a way to get 30 lives in Contra.And in celebration of the cheat code’s 40th anniversary, Konami has opened a commemorative web

And now, a video of the voice of Dragon Ball’s Goku meeting the Emperor and Empress of Japan

There was more than one famous Masako at this year’s Spring Garden Party.Every year in spring, the imperial family of Japan hosts a Spring Garden Party on the grounds of the Akasaka Estate, an elegantly maintained green space in Tokyo’s Minato Ward. Our invitation must have gotten lost in the mail, so unfortunately we weren’t among the guests in attendance to hobnob with Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako on April 17.However, in addition to the wife of Japan’s reigning monarch, there was anothe

Japan is so hungry for workers it used up its five-year visa quota in record time

Many people with dreams are poised to save understaffed kitchens, but they’re currently stuck behind a bureaucratic velvet rope.Two facets of Japanese culture that are world-renowned are its incredible service and its culinary scene, but there is an ever-growing issue that the industry is facing in that there are fewer and fewer people behind the counters to actually offer it. A critical shortage of staff is putting a strain on many of the areas within the industry, from local eateries to meal s

The dream of riding Final Fantasy Chocobos is coming to Tokyo VR centers

Final Fantasy XIV VR experience will give you the chance to prove you’re the kweh-kist Chocobo jockey around.Fukushima recently unveiled a travel promotion in conjunction with Final Fantasy, inviting travelers to visit the prefecture and search for the video game franchise’s iconic avian character. However, as fans know, Chocobos aren’t just Final Fantasy’s mascot, they’re the series mounts too, and so now comes word of a chance to ride Chocobos.This offer is coming to us from Tyffon, a maker of

Studio Ghibli launches huge new anime movie T-shirt collection with special design details

American casual aesthetic, thoughtful Japanese design.With the weather heating up, it’s time to start switching our wardrobes for lighter clothes, and if you find that your T-shirt collection needs a spruce up, Studio Ghibli has exactly what you’re looking for.Produced by the studio’s cool GBL brand, which boasts an “American casual” aesthetic for hip fashion-savvy individuals, the 2026 Spring Summer GBL Basic T-Shirt range contains 12 different designs. Despite the

New Kyoto Converse sneakers celebrate Japan with traditional kimono fabrics for your feet

Walk the streets of Kyoto like a modern geisha with this exclusive four-piece collection. Converse are widely known for being better quality in Japan, due to the fact that the brand is independently managed here by Japanese company Itochu rather than Nike. Now, there’s even more reason to pick up a pair of Converse kicks in Japan, thanks to a new collaboration with Kyoto Ippuya, a fabric workshop located at the foot of Kiyomizudera in Kyoto.▼ The range is being promoted by a maiko, an appr