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Japan’s rice warehouse stockpile rate hits record high as consumers, restaurants reject high prices

Consumers showing little sympathy for rice sellers as eating habits and supply chains change.Rice is supposed to be the foundation of the Japanese diet, but these days there’s a whole lot of it that’s just sitting in warehouses. According to newly released data from Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, at the end of March there were approximately 2.7 million metric tons of rice being held by wholesalers, nearly a 54-percent increase compared to the same time last year.That’s

Final Fantasy Chocobo cookies have galloped into Tokyo’s Square Enix pop-up shop

Beloved Final Fantasy mounts are Japan’s newest bird-themed sable sensation.As a country that loves sweet treats and cute animals, it’s no surprise that one of Japan’s most famous cookies is the Hato Sablé. With hato being the Japanese word for “dove,” these cookies are a popular souvenir among visitors to the city of Kamakura in Kanagawa Prefecture, where their maker is based, and at department stores and specialty shops in east Japan.However, right now there’s an avian-themed cookie that’s got

Art Fire Festival lights up the night at a unique venue in the mountains of Japan

Sarusho continues to shine in its second life.Ordinarily, summer is the season for amazing nighttime pyrotechnics in Japan, as that’s the time of year in which most of the country’s fireworks festivals are held. But rather than wait for the weather to warm up, the organizers of the Art Fire Festival decided to bring their fire to Gunma Prefecture this spring.Held in the town of Minakami, the Art Fire Festival brought together artists from across the country for a three-day celebration and exhibi

Foreign tourist needs ambulance to pick him up at Mt. Fuji after hiking closed trail

Lack of patience, lack of ability to get home without an ambulance.After a relatively cool spring, the weather in Japan has begun heating up, with a few days this week even hitting early-summer temperatures for the afternoon high. However, it’s not actually summer yet, which means it’s not yet time to head to the beach, wear yukata, or climb Mt. Fuji.Unfortunately, a foreign tourist didn’t abide by that last point, and on Sunday needed the help of emergency services to get home from the side of

Looney Tunes is now an adorable anime series with Looney Tunes Gokko[Videos]

Eh, what’s up, kawaii doc?Animated franchises don’t get much more quintessentially American than Looney Tunes, which made its debut in U.S. theaters all the way back in 1930. But as it approaches its 100th birthday, Warner Bros. Japan has suddenly asked the question: “What would Looney Tunes look like if it was a cute anime series?”The answer is Looney Tunes Gokko, in which classic Looney Tunes characters have been given kawaii redesigns. Obviously face-of-the-franchise Bugs Bunny is here, and s

Shogun Cultural Experiences merges a walking tour, sweets, and the music of traditional Japan

A limited tour in Kagurazaka, Tokyo invites guests to “Discover Edo Through All Five Senses” in one morning with full English services.Kagurazaka is a central Tokyo neighborhood with refined charm that was once located on the edge of Edo Castle and has connections dating back to Japan’s third “great unifier” and shogun, Ieyasu Tokugawa, in 1590. Its main shopping street, relatively quiet for Tokyo standards, still retains the essence of traditional Japan, while its

Seaweed bread is one of the most unusual baked goods in all of Japan

A unique way to eat your greens in Tokyo.Japan has a knack for taking the familiar and elevating it to realms we never thought possible. A great example of that can be found at Takase Yogashi, a long-established store founded over a century ago, in 1920.▼ 洋菓子 or “yogashi” translates as “western confectionery”.With five stores in Tokyo, Takase Yogashi has a loyal base of customers, many of whom come for the anpan (red bean paste bread) and almond tuiles (elegant French coo

Is Mister Donut’s all-you-can-eat Donut Buffet still worth it?

We love Japan’s favorite donut chain as much as the next foodie, but you’ve got to eat a lot to get your money’s worth.Looking back, the last time we didn’t want to eat a donut was…uh, actually, we’re not sure. We seem to vaguely remember that there may have been somewhere in our past when we weren’t craving one, but we’re pretty sure it was back in our infant days. Since graduating to solid foods, though, we can’t seem to recall ever not having at least a background craving for donuts, es

Japanese hair salons going bankrupt in record numbers

Salons are dying in more ways than one.One of the great things about gradually losing my hair is that I don’t have to worry about getting it cut in any significant way. I can get the job done myself with some electric clippers these days, which is good, because the place where I used to get it cut hiked prices 60 percent in the past year.It’s pretty dire straits for a lot of businesses these days, but hair salons in Japan seem to be especially feeling the heat. Last year saw the highest-ever num

Uniqlo’s high-end sunglasses are a fashion minefield for anyone who isn’t Mr. Sato

Does the brand’s most expensive eyewear require a fashion god to pull them off?Due to Uniqlo’s affordable prices and decent quality, it’s probably safe to say that there are more people in Japan who have an article of clothing from the brand than not. Despite the general trend of rising prices throughout the country, Uniqlo remains to be a place where you can pick up some decent clothes without breaking the bank. Our Japanese-language reporter P.K. Sanjun also likes to call into his local

Police in Osaka file charges against resident for serial pigeon/crow feeding

After more than a decade of incidents, legal action finally taken.The authorities in Osaka’s Sumiyoshi Ward tried being lenient. Since over a decade ago, residents in the area around Abikocho and Nagai Stations on the JR Hanwa Line and Osaka Metro subway network had been complaining about a certain individual’s nocturnal activities. Repeatedly, this person would show up late at night on the streets outside the stations and…feed pigeons and crows.Pigeons and crows aren’t exactly known for t

Beard Papa goes beyond just matcha with its new premium green tea cream puffs

Grown-in-the-shade green tea gets its time to shine.As green tea and green tea sweets continue to grow in popularity around the world, so too do attempts to upsell it. Outside Japan, you may, for example, encounter cafes and confectioners billing their premium products as using “ceremonial matcha,” which isn’t an actual classification in Japanese tea culture, and is merely a marketing term meant to imply higher quality to go along with the higher price being charged.That’s not to say that there

Eating cheap sushi in a narrow building in Tokyo is an adventure for bold diners

We play culinary roulette at a cheap restaurant in Kabukicho.When you’re looking for somewhere to eat in the middle of Kabukicho, Tokyo’s notorious red-light district, the choices can be as overwhelming as the bright lights and multi-storey buildings towering over you. What can help in these situations is some advice from a local who’s eaten in the area before, and that’s where our reporter Yuichiro Wasai steps in, with a recent review of an izakaya (Japanese-style tavern

Hayao Miyazaki’s Whisper of the Heart concept art revealed in new Ghibli illustration book

Image Board Collection series turns spotlight on two classic Studio Ghibli anime.Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki is famous for having a very hands-on approach to anime production, to the extent that he’ll sometimes just draw over an animator’s draft rather than verbally explain the changes he wants made. So Whisper of the Heart sticks out in his filmography, since it’s the only Ghibli film for which Miyazaki handled scriptwriting duties all by himself, but didn’t direct the movie.This do

Samurai Coffee: Try Edo period coffee once enjoyed by Japanese warriors

Cafe in Japan uses a recipe from an old document to recreate a historic brew.Japan might be commonly associated with tea, but coffee is also a big part of the culture, having first been introduced here during the Edo period (1603-1868). Back in those early days, coffee was seen as a luxury item imported from abroad and only enjoyed by a select few who used it as a medicinal elixir. Though that might be hard to imagine now, one area of Japan is keeping the spirit of Edo-period coffee alive: Hiros

The average age of Japan’s hikikomori shut-ins is getting older, survey shows

Annual survey finds cases of 90-year-old parents caring for socially reclusive children in their 60s.KHJ, or Kazoku Hikikomori Japan, is an NPO offering support and guidance to hikikomori (shut-ins) and their families. The organization, which also goes by the name National Federation of Hikikomori Families, conducts an annual survey on the social phenomenon, and on August 28 it announced the most recent results, which paint a troubling picture.Within the study, which was conducted this past Dece

Studio Ghibli releases crystal glass paperweights featuring Totoro and the Catbus

Sparkly new range will hold down your papers and lift your spirits with anime charm.Paperwork can be a significant source of stress for any student, worker or bill payer, but now there’s a way to lighten the load, thanks to a new series of paperweights from Studio Ghibli’s specialty retail chain Donguri Kyowakoku.There are three to choose from in this sparkly range, which pays homage to the studio’s 1988 film, My Neighbour Totoro.▼ The first paperweight is the “Standing T

Sega opening 65th anniversary store in downtotn Tokyo with deep-cut game merch

60-ish birthday celebration is coming to Shibuya.Sega is in a pretty good spot these days. After years of being little more than a sleeper hit outside Japan, the Yakuza/Like a Dragon franchise is now a bona fide worldwide hit. Persona and Metaphor: ReFantazio, which Sega serves as publisher for, have been met with critical and popular praise. Even company mascot Sonic, after years of disappointing outings, has clawed back some respectability with his more recent games, and also recovered a lot o

Viral tweet suggests Japanese convenience store ripping off customers with donuts, so we investigate

Photo shows Family Mart chocolate donut looking nothing like its packaging, but was that by design?It’d be an exaggeration to say that Japan’s love affair with its convenience stores is over, but the relationship isn’t quite as rosy as it used to be. Over the last few years, the trend has been towards rising prices, shrinking sizes, and an overall lower level of satisfaction among shoppers. In some cases, major convenience store chains have come under fire for deceptive packaging or presentation

Lipton releases… Pudding Milk Tea in Japan?!?

Lipton caters to the Japanese market with an exclusive new dessert beverage.Lipton has come a long way since it was founded by Sir Thomas Lipton in Scotland in 1871, expanding to become known as a leading tea brand in countries around the world, including Japan.Like many big global brands, Lipton specifically caters to the Japanese market with exclusive offerings you won’t find anywhere else, and right now there’s a new release that will have tea connoisseurs clutching their china te