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Japan now has “edible cat fur” for people who really love felines

When you like a cat so much you want to eat its fur.Cats are beloved the world over, but here in Japan they really love their cats. It’s a love so strong it’s given birth to everything from stickers that smell like cat beliies through to sunscreen that dispenes itself in the shape of a cat paw, and now, dear reader, let us introduce you to “edible cat fur“.Known officially as “Delicious Cat Fur” by its creators, Necoichi, a company that specialises in cat products,

7-Eleven’s new green tea rice ball and sweets are only available in Japan’s top tea-growing area

And no, that’s not Kyoto.With green tea being the most culturally significant drink in Japan, and Kyoto being considered the heart of the country’s traditional culture, it’s easy to make the assumption that Kyoto must be where most of Japan’s green tea is grown. However, while Kyoto Prefecture does produce Japan’s most famous high-end matcha, the honor of Japan’s number-one green tea grower, in terms of amount grown, actually goes to Shizuoka Prefecture.So for its newest batch of special green t

Pachinko machines get new life and become big hit in Japanese assisted care facility

Better living through chrome-plated balls.A lot of negative things have been said about pachinko over the years. The pinball-like game’s parlors are noisy, garish blights on communities that encourage quasi-gambling and rudely told me to go away when I tried to use their free bicycle pump a few times. But they do have their positive points as well. For example, they weren’t nearly the vectors of contagious disease that everyone thought they were.Now the game is also changing the lives of people

7-Eleven Japan releases new “mix-and-drink” matcha latte… that comes with a risk of choking

A new style of Japanese dessert revolutionises convenience store sweets, but it comes with a safety warning.You’ll find a lot of matcha lattes in Japan, but over at 7-Eleven you’ll find one that comes with a risk of choking. It’s a drink so hazardous it comes with a safety warning, and it’s all due to one ingredient and the way it’s designed to be consumed.The latte is part of a new style of dessert called “Mazemaze Sweets“, which takes its name from the

Universal Studios Japan is giving Frieren anime fans the chance to make unforgettable memories.

Universal Studios Japan made our Frieren fan cry, and she’s very OK with that.The original concept for Universal Studios was to give theme park visitors a taste of Hollywood movie magic, but many of the biggest draws at Universal Studios Japan are its Japanese video game and anime partnerships. The latest entry into what’s collectively called Universal Cool Japan just kicked off and it gives fans a chance to step into, and walk around in, the world of fantasy anime Frieren: Beyond Journey’

7-Eleven Japan has a new Creamy Iced Cafe Latte that’s a hit on social media

How to buy the new viral convenience store coffee that locals are raving about.Ever since 7-Eleven introduced coffee-making machines at its branches in 2013, the chain has cemented itself in the convenience store landscape as the place to go for coffee. What became known as the “Seven Cafe” brand soon expanded to include other products like freshly brewed tea and smoothies, but now its coffee is back in the spotlight, after the chain released a super creamy version that locals have b

Sanrio Hotel Floria isn’t actually a hotel, but it’s still a must visit for fans traveling in Tokyo

Hello Kitty and friends imagined what their perfect hotel would be like, and they’re inviting you in.Sanrio fans planning to visit Tokyo later this summer will want to make sure to include the Hotel Floria in their plans. You’ll notice though, that we’re not saying that you should stay at the Hotel Floria, because it’s not actually a hotel, at least not in the traditional people-can-spend-the-night-there sort of way.Instead, Sanrio Characters Exhibition Hotel Floria Tokyo is an immersive art eve

Lawson transforms convenience store food with massive katsu burger and an insane curry bread

Japanese convenience store food, like you’ve never seen it before. If you’re looking for value-for-money on your next convenience store run, then Lawson is the place to go right now, because the chain is holding a special “Super Happy Too Much! Challenge” campaign, where select products are being upsized for free.This is the second week of the campaign, which brings us a new lineup of 10 larger-than-usual products, and the standouts for us turned out to be two products in the bread aisle.▼

Luxury houseplant fraud leads to arrest of Takamatsu man

Grand theft arbor.In this age of social media, it can be easy to get swept up in the lives of others and feel a pang of jealousy for those who have nicer things. Nevertheless, when it comes time to choose a plant to spruce up your home, it’s important to get one that fits your budget rather than splurging on the kind of high-end greenery all the famous celebrities are flaunting these days.But for one 26-year-old man in the city of Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture, the allure of a really nice l

Starbucks Japan releases special limited-edition summer drinks… at only 30 stores

These Japan-exclusive beverages are harder to get than most.Starbucks might have originated overseas but Japan has refined its offerings and taken them to a whole other level. Case in point is the chain’s Tea & Cafe stores, which only exist in Japan, at 30 select locations.These stores specialise in tea-based beverages made with Starbucks’ Teavana brand teas, and serve exclusive drinks you won’t find at regular Starbucks locations.This summer, an exclusive duo of drinks wil

Two of Kyoto’s famous temples tackle streetside trash with solar-powered trash cans

Bringing futuristic solutions to historic streets.Upon coming to Japan and exploring the cities, I soon came to one of many realizations: the country has a near-complete lack of public trash cans. While it’s technically possible to call into one of the many convenience stores to unload your pockets of snack wrappers into the store’s waste receptacles, there are almost always signs asking you to refrain from doing so, and you could potentially face criminal charges for dumping garbage from produc

New Japanese overnight train coming to connect Tokyo with Tohoku in sleep-travel style

Luna Azul can take you from Tokyo to Akita or Aomori while you snooze.The Shinkansen is usually the fastest way to get from Point A to Point B when traveling within Japan. Since the stations tend to be centrally located and there aren’t any time-consuming security checks to go through, the Shinkansen can get you to many destinations even more quickly than flying.That doesn’t mean, though, that the Shinkansen is always the most time-efficient way to get around Japan, since as fast as the bullet t

7-Eleven Japan joins the craze for Korean Gamja Cheese Balls

Trendy Korean snacks get a convenience store makeover, but is it a good thing? Last year, 7-Eleven showcased some of Korea’s most famous food in a special limited-time campaign, and it proved to be so popular that Korean cuisine is back in the spotlight again, with a series called “Mashisso! Korea’s Top Recommended Gourmet Picks”.This two-part series kicked off on 1 June, with a second batch of items released just over a week later, on 9 June. Out of all the “mashisso!” (“delicious!”) prod

Super Mario Galaxy Happy Meal toys now available at McDonald’s Japan

Let’s a-go (to Mcdonald’s)!Last month, the cast of the Chiikawa anime/manga showed up at McDonald’s Japan, but now it’s time for a new group to take their place. With Chiikawa being one of Japan’s most popular franchises these days the next batch of Happy Meal toys has some very big shoes to fill, but next up are some of Japan’s very brightest pop culture stars, Super Mario and friends (and some enemies too).Specifically, McDonald’s Japan’s new Happy Meal toys feature Nintendo’s characters in th

Date handsome cockroaches in a new dating sim from one of Japan’s leading pest control companies

From the country that gave the world a pigeon dating sim comes a short romance game starring cockroaches.Summer in Japan means many things: the dazzlingly vibrant fireworks displays, the refreshing seasonal treats, and sipping on some cold beer in some of the country’s stunning beer gardens. However, the hot weather also brings forth some unpleasant critters, and while mosquitoes have a very prominent presence in daily lives with the incessant itching their bites cause, cockroaches are an even m

Bears appear at one of Kyoto Prefecture’s most popular tourist spots[Video]

People have been traveling to Amanohashidate for centuries, and this week apparently bears are too.Amanohashidate, located on the northern coast of Kyoto Prefecture, is considered one of the three most beautiful places in Japan (the other being Miyajima and Matsushima). Amanohashidate translates to “bridge to the heavens,” and it got that name because the strip of land that stretches across the bay here is said to look like a pathway rising into the sky.Celebrated in poems and painting for centu

Sincerity, reciprocity and symbiosis

The 32nd APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting showed that Asia-Pacific economies are able to work together to build a regional community that prospers together

Japan’s cheap beef bowl chain goes upscale with Matsuya Premium, but is it worth the higher price?

Ordinarily cheap Matsuya opens a high-priced Matsuya inside another upscale Matsuya.Japanese department stores have food departments on their basement levels, and naturally the fancier department stores offer fancier foods. So it might surprise some shoppers at the Matsuya department store in Tokyo’s upscale Ginza neighborhood to find that one of Japan’s cheapest restaurant chains now has a presence in the store’s food section.June 10 was the grand opening of Matsuya Premium Ginza, the new depar

Dragon Quest King Slime eye drops fly off shelves in less than a day

It’s a critical hit!The hit role-playing video game franchise Dragon Quest is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, and one way they’re marking the occasion is by teaming up with Rohto Pharmaceutical. These two brands have teamed up in the past to release versions of Rohto Z! eyedrops in containers that resemble the game’s most popular monster, the Slime.The first version came out in 2017 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Rohto Z! and the second came about in 2023 for the 25th ann

Anne Hathaway creates PR frenzy in Japan after mentioning Tottori in Devil Wears Prada interview

Casual mention elicits enthusiastic response from commonly overlooked tourist destination.Japan has become one of the world’s top tourist destinations, welcoming a record-breaking 42.7 million international visitors in 2025, a 15.8-percent increase from 2024, and on track to break the record this year. While this is great news for big cities like Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, where tourists tend to spend most of their time and money, there are 44 other prefectures in Japan that are crying out fo