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Mos Burger opens fancy burger shop and bar in Ginza, Tokyo

Mosh is a posh Mos.Mos Burger has been a fixture in the Japanese fast food scene for decades, but as we’ve seen from chains that have found success and chains that just seem to fizzle, constant innovation is needed to thrive in this market. In that spirit, Mos Burger has reimagined itself in the form of Mosh Burger & Bar, which opened on 1 July in the ritzy Ginza district of Tokyo.This version of Mos Burger operates on a bar & grill format with both full dining options and a bar section

Japanese overnight sightseeing train returns for summer with ramen stops and ocean views

This train turns the journey from Kyoto into a holiday highlight. One of Japan’s most unique sightseeing trains is about to return for another summer season, with the West Express Ginga set to begin operations on its Kii Peninsula route from 3 July.Operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West), the train runs between Kyoto and Shingu and offers a range of special onboard and station-based experiences. Designed as a rolling showcase of the region, the service combines coastal views with

Japan’s Mocchurin donuts declared too popular to exist by creator Mister Donut, will disappear soon

Mister Donut saw all the Mocchurin that it had made, and they were very good…too good, in fact.Sadly, not every attempted innovation in the world of sweets pans out. Sometimes, would-be mad geniuses turn out to simply be madmen, and humanity shuns their too-bold-for-their-own-good creations such as spaghetti-flavored popsicles and cakes with bits of tuna in them.As Japan’s favorite donut chain for the past few decades, though, Mister Donut has a very good track record when it comes to maki

Studio Ghibli mini towels add anime flair to a Japanese cultural tradition

Beloved Ghibli characters want to hold your hand and welcome you into the Japanese world of mini towels.If you’ve ever been to a restroom in Japan that doesn’t have an automatic hand dryer, then you might have seen a local reach into their pocket or handbag and pull out a little square towel to wipe their hands. This is one of Japan’s lesser-known cultural quirks, as people grow up carrying these mini towels to wipe their hands in such situations, and it’s so ingrained in the culture that you’ll

Japan’s Pokémon mailboxes saved from removal with last-minute extension on final day

Pikachu, Eevee, and Piplup get new leases on life in Yokohama, and it’s thanks to fans.After many days of gloomy conditions, the city of Yokohama finally got a break from the dark, rainy weather on Tuesday. The sunny skies came just in the nick of time, too, as June 30 was scheduled to be the final chance to see Yokohama’s awesome Pokémon mailboxes before their permanent removal, and it would have been a shame if fans’ last photos of the postal Pikachu, Eevee, and Piplup had to be taken in

Japanese convenience store coffees are now bigger than ever, thanks to the new “Deka Drink” trend

Family Mart and Lawson go head-to-head in a supersized coffee showdown.Convenience store coffees are big right now, literally, with the rise of what locals are referring to as the “Deka Drink”. Literally translating as “Massive Drink”, these supersized beverages jut out from the beverage landscape, towering over the sizes you usually see in Japan, and yet they’re proving to be incredibly popular with coffee lovers.While Lawson has dominated the landscape for a number of years with its Mega Size,

Japan’s new pettably fuzzy cat-shaped earbud chargers meow to let you know their status[Video]

Neko also has a three-minute purr mode for relaxing to.“…but what if we made it look like a cat?” is a question Japanese designers ask with commendable frequency. Recently, we’ve seen the answers to that question as it pertains to sunblock and shaved ice, and now it’s Tokyo-based earbud maker Radius’ turn.Though it carries the high-tech-sounding model number HP-C28BTF, Radius gives this wireless earphone and charging case the much easier to remember name Neko, the Japanese word for “cat.”W

Why you shouldn’t feel guilty about using manga for studying and the top series for learning

Survey reveals that the power of storytelling in manga can do a lot for learning more about the world around us.Was there ever a time growing up when you got yelled at for reading comics instead of studying? At the time, little did those grown-ups probably know that you were actually learning in one of the best ways possible.Japanese online illustration school Atam Academy recently conducted a survey of 500men and women of various ages (with the highest proportion in their 30s) to explore people

Sleep at Hoshinoya Nara Prison, one of the most unique hotels in Japan

One-of-a-kind accommodation includes former prison cells that have been transformed into guest rooms.If you’re looking for a unique place to stay in Japan, then Hoshinoya Nara Prison might just fit the bill. Opened on 25 June, this hotel occupies the former Nara Prison and is operated by Hoshino Resorts, one of Japan’s leading luxury hospitality companies. Using its expertise, the company has retained many of the prison’s original features and even transformed former prison cells into guest room

Live-action Persona adaptation to be produced by Netflix, probably not set in Japan

Has enough of Persona’s identity been retained to keep fans happy?As audiences show signs of comic book superhero fatigue, an increasing number of Hollywood executives are looking to video games as a source of adaptable IPs, and it appears Persona is going to be the next series tapped for that purpose. Variety is reporting that Netflix is in the process of developing a live-action streaming series based on the hit RPG originally published by Atlus and now part of the Sega corporate family.In rec

We try out the joys of Japan’s kakuuchi wine vending machine

A new take on a fading part of Japanese drinking culture.Our Japanese-language writer Kouhey was feeling thirsty while out and about the other day, and so he decided to treat himself to a glass of wine. Actually, he decided to treat himself to two glasses of wine, but instead of being poured by a bartender, he got them from a vending machine.This unusual situation came about when Kouhey was at Aeon Tsudanuma South, a shopping mall that opened this past spring in the town of Narashino in Chiba, t

Speed trap camera stolen from Saitama Police while in use

They must have stolen it very quickly, but it looks like we’ll never know how fast they were going.When it comes to catching motorists driving too fast in Japan, speed traps are sometimes referred to as “mouse traps” (nezumitori) and are often done in a very coordinated fashion of several officers working together. Usually, one person is operating a speed measuring device in one location, and when someone is found going too fast, another officer is alerted up the road who then flags down t

Tokyo has only two barley tea makers, and we visited one to see how mugicha is made

With barley tea going into glasses as the weather heats up, we find out what goes into making barley tea.With summertime here, people in Japan are increasingly reaching for one of its favorite drinks to cool off with: barley tea. Barley tea is called mugicha in Japanese, written with the kanji 麦茶, which literally translate as “barley” and “tea,” so it seems like it should be a pretty self-explanatory drink. It’s a mixture of tea and barley…right?But wait, do you just toss raw grains of bar

New live-action Pokémon adaptation announced for Pokémon Unite

News of fifth-anniversary project for the Pokémon MOBA mobile game is drawing a mixed reaction.Adapting a franchise with as whimsical a setting as Pokémon to live-action is no easy feat, but 2019’s Detective Pikachu beat the odds and turned out to be a successful crowd-pleaser. Since then, there have been no fewer than three Sonic the Hedgehog movies that have further shown that audiences can be convinced to show up for mixed human/video game character casts, and yet there still hasn’t been anot

Studio Ghibli combines anime and craftsmanship in new Totoro and Jiji Gobelin tapestry bags

Traditional craft brings hand-drawn anime characters to life with unique warmth. Studio Ghibli is known for championing old-school traditions through its animated storylines and love of hand-drawn animation, and its appreciation for craftsmanship also extends to its official merchandise collections.A good example is the studio’s latest release, which shines a light on Gobelin tapestry weaving, a centuries-old European textile technique renowned for its rich texture and intricate woven designs. I

Sanrio Character Poll announces winners, Hello Kitty absent from top 10 in many countries

70,647,379 votes tallied, and one European nation apparently loves Sanrio’s often-forgotten grannie character.Hello Kitty may be the face of Sanrio, but she’s far from the only adorable icon at Japan’s leading cute character company. As a matter of fact, Sanrio has so many loveable stars that every year fans make their favorites known in the Sanrio Character Ranking election.This year the poll set a new record with 70,647,379 votes being cast, a 12-percent increase over last year. When those we

Mt Fuji installs new emergency shelters ahead of the 2026 climbing season

New reinforced shelters are designed to protect climbers from volcanic eruptions, falling rocks and lightning.As Mt Fuji prepares for the start of the 2026 climbing season on 1 July, two new emergency shelters have been installed on the Yoshida Trail, improving climber safety in the event of a volcanic eruption or other mountain hazards.The reinforced concrete shelters have been built along the Yoshida descent route near the seventh and eighth stations, and are designed to withstand volcanic deb

Live-action Spirited Away stage play announces world tour with first-ever U.S. and Canadian dates

The Spirited Away stage play will cross over to the other side of the Pacific for the first time ever, plus make its return to the U.K.Though in-the-know overseas otaku, cinephiles, and animation enthusiasts had sung the praises of films such as My Neighbor Totoro and Princess Mononoke after catching screenings at conventions and art house theaters, it wasn’t until Spirited Away came along that the works of Studio Ghibli really gained recognition around the world. Now, after international audien

Here’s what Shibuya’s famous scramble intersection looked like after the Japan vs. Sweden match

Did the aftermath of Japan’s final match in the World Cup group stage result in order or chaos at one of Tokyo’s biggest gathering spots?The FIFA World Cup currently taking place in Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. has sparked all kinds of excitement in the air in Japan. The Japanese national team’s performance had been solid in the group stage, drawing in its first match and winning its second, prior to its last matchup against Sweden on June 25 local time.We had tried to grab tic

International fugitive Carlos Ghosn says he’d be best person to head Nissan now

I think I have a better chance of becoming CEO of Nissan at this point.In the evening of 30 December, 2019, when much of Japan was gearing down for the New Year’s holidays, a small team led by a former US Special Forces soldier were quietly breaking former Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn out of house arrest and helping him flee the country back to his home in Lebanon.Prior to that, Ghosn had been under arrest for over a year, both in jail and then under house arrest, while he faced mounting charges, inc