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A crash course in Japanese folktales from a trip to the five Taro Parks of Gifu【Photos】

Technically there are four Taros, but these are still five legends worth knowing.Our Japanese-language reporter Natsuno Futon recently took a trip to Fukushima Prefecture to visit its Pokémon Chansey Park. For her next park-going day, she once again found beloved Japanese characters waiting to greet her, but of much more classic vintages.Natsuno had heard about a neighborhood in the town of Kakamigahara, Gifu Prefecture, which has a cluster of five “Taro Parks.” Taro is a common male name in Jap

Haneda Airport security inspector arrested for stealing cash from luggage

Suspect claimed to do it for the thrill.When traveling by plane, we put a lot of faith in the people who operate the airports and aircraft that get us where we need to go. Extensive security has been put in place to prevent people from bringing dangerous items aboard flights, but it begs the question of who is inspecting the inspectors.We probably take it for granted that an airport like Haneda, which was named the third best airport in the world for 2025, has a whole system of safeguards to pre

What’s it really like to climb Mt Fuji?

One climber reveals the key to climbing Mt Fuji successfully might be to do it more than once.Mt Fuji is famous for being Japan’s highest peak, and every year approximately 200-300,000 people climb it during the July-September climbing season.Our reporter Udonko is one of the thousands who’ve climbed it, and she has a particularly impressive climbing record, having reached the summit three years in a row when she took part in her school’s “Mt Fuji climbing training camp”

Experience what it feels like to step on stage as an idol at Japan’s new World Idol Republic

Nagoya’s otaku district has a new center for idols, idol fans, and idol fans who want to feel like an idol.It may not be as famous as Tokyo’s Akihabara, but the city of Nagoya has its own otaku district too, Sakae. In addition to a concentrated area of game and anime shops, Sakae also is the site of the annual World Cosplay Summit international cosplay competition, and now the neighborhood is increasing its appeal to idol fans with the opening of World Idol Republic.The facility just opened on A

100-year-old granny gamer in Japan plays SNES almost every day, sometimes with great-grandkid

Fukushima resident was well into her senior years before she ever held a controller.Video games have now been around long enough that within some families they’ve become a multigenerational hobby. However, for Ushi Ando, playing games isn’t something that she does with her kids, or even her grandkids. No, for the 100-year-old resident of Inawashiromachi, Fukushima Prefecture, weekend gaming sessions are a source of family fun that stretches across four generations.Given her age, Ando obviously d

Notebook/planner brand Hobonichi Techo teams up with Tamagotchi for 2026 line of egg-citing goods

Grown-ups who first learned responsibility by taking care of virtual pets can now take care of their responsibilities with those virtual pets.Popular Japanese notebook brand Hobonichi Techo has teamed up with handheld, virtual pet Tamagotchi to offer a one-of-a-kind exciting line of stationery products that are now on sale. “Tamagotchi,” which is a portmanteau of “egg” and “watch” in Japanese, took over the world in the late ’90s–and those of a cer

Conference and Event Services

Host a conference or a special event at the University of Dayton and enjoy a selection of services and conveniences unique to the campus environment. To meet your needs, we offer a one-stop shop for ...

Biden Working On Ties With Southeast Asia Ahead of Meeting With China's Xi Jinping

President Joe Biden is formally kicking off his participation at a conference of southeast Asian nations on Saturday, looking to emphasize the United States’ commitment in the region where a looming ...

Studio Ghibli releases new My Neighbour Totoro collection for autumn

Cosy up to famous forest characters in this new anime movie collection.As summer begins to fade and we slip slowly into September, it’s time to look towards cooler days and autumn treats, and one of the best ways to treat ourselves this season is with a new collection of My Neighbour Totoro goods from Studio Ghibli.The collection begins with three bags, ranging in size from small through to large, so you can add some Totoro flair to all sorts of autumn outings.▼ Autumn Moment Clasp Shoulde

Sega throws ‘90s-era jabs at Nintendo in new video for latest Sonic game【Video】

Sega recreates video from the the 16-bit console wars of the ’90s to promote Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds.There’s an argument to be made that right now is the perfect time for Sega to release a new Sonic the Hedgehog racing game. After all, it’s been six years since the release of Team Sonic Racing, which feels like just the right amount of time for technology to advance, new ideas to percolate in the designers’ minds, and demand for a sequel to build up among gamers.The upcoming release of S

Shrimp nuggets returning to McDonald’s Japan menu with a special surprise

We have good reason to believe they’re plump.Back in 2023, McDonald’s Japan expanded its side dish offerings to include Puripuri Ebi Purio, which could best be described as shrimp-filled Mc Nuggets. The Japanese word “puripuri” refers to something plump and jiggly, as one would expect shrimp to be. This is followed by “ebi,” which is the Japanese word for “shrimp,” another “puri” to really drive the point home, and a suffixed “o&#

Japan’s super colorful Super Sentai Burger is here, but can this crazy thing actually taste good?

Celebration of 50 years of tokusatsu action catches the eye but also worried our mind.As one of Japan’s smallest hamburger chains, Dom Dom Burger knows it needs to push the boundaries of burger-dom to stand out from its more famous rivals like McDonald’s and Mos Burger. So in the past, we’ve seen Dom Dom serve up burgers with some very unusual or luxurious ingredients, like its pear and maitake burgers.But its newest offering might just be its most eye-catching ever: the Super Sentai Burger.Supe

SCCI hosts first meeting of ICC's S.Asia- Mideast Regional Consultative Group

Sharjah, 3rd May 2009 (WAM) -- The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) today hosted the first meeting of the International Chamber of Commerces (ICC) South Asia / Middle East Regional ...

Hospital Management Asia 2023 Conference returns to embrace change for more efficient healthcare

Hospital Management Asia (HMA) 2023 Conference, the premier event for hospital owners, C-level executives, directors, and healthcare leaders, returns on September 5 and 6 at the Shangri-La Kuala ...

Japan’s Hello Kitty Airport theming gets extension, avoids autumn end

Reaction to Kitty-chan and friends has been so positive that they’ll be sticking around a little longer at regional airport.Renaming local landmarks can be a decisive undertaking, especially when dealing with facilities that have been around long enough that full-grown adults in the community have been using the old name for their whole lives. There was very little grumbling, though, back in the spring when Japan’s Oita Airport, which opened in 1971 got a new name. Why? Because the new name is O

Mountain climber in Nagano reaches summit and throws back out tying shoelaces

Another case for Back to the Future auto shoes.These days, it seems like everyone and their mother-in-law is climbing Mt. Fuji for the majestic experience and chance to say they’ve done it. But with the increasingly huge crowds congregating there each summer, it can feel more like a trip to Disney World than a way to reconnect with nature.So, some are seeking out other mountains to get that same impressive sense of grandeur, without all the people around. One good peak that matches Mt. Fuj

Panties to wear on your head as hair accessories on offer from Japanese fashion brand【Photos】

Intimate apparel to be seen by everyone.While the garments serve a purpose, there’s almost always a fashion element to lingerie. Even a brand’s most pedestrian panties will usually include some sort of decorative ribbon, lace trim, or playful frill.Of course, the only person aside from the wearer who’ll see these aesthetic flourishes will be a special someone she’s in a sufficiently intimate relationship with. Unless, that is, she’s wearing those panties on her head. That might seem like a scena

A report from the Kura Sushi sushi-making world championships【Photos】

22 teams gather, but only one can walk away with the title of best Kura Sushi chefs in the world.From Iron Chef to Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Japan has long been intrigued by the competitive cooking concept. And so it was that on September 2, conveyor belt sushi chain Kura Sushi held the Kura-No.1 Grand Prix at a venue in the town of Kaizuka, Osaka Prefecture.Despite the “Grand Prix” name, the event is not, in fact, a race in which competitors ride atop the sushi plates that go around a Kura

How to ride Japan’s awesome Pokémon Sandshrew Train【Photos】

Finding this adorable train can feel like an RPG sidequest, but when the reward is this cute, we’re game.Tottori Prefecture’s biggest claim to fame is its beautiful seaside sand dune, and knowing that, you might not be surprised to hear that Tottori also has a “Sand Train.” You also might not be all that impressed, though, because generally most people prefer for their public transportation to have as little sand, dust, dirt, and other forms of grit as possible.But where things start to get comp

Craft your own edible Mt. Fuji with Yamanashi’s Blue Udon

Udon is going through its blue period.Yamanashi Prefecture is known for culinary delights like water mochi, beautiful cherry blossoms, and the grandeur of Japan’s iconic Mt. Fuji. Needless to say, there’s no shortage of reasons to visit, but this year another has been added.On 23 August, Blue Mt. Fuji Udon went on sale at souvenir shops around the prefecture. This is the latest in a long line of blue Yamanashi products sold in the theme of Mt. Fuji, alongside classics like blue curry