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Cheap Japanese sandwich hack: Popular cafe’s 21-cent white bread offcuts will really up your game

A smart way to beat rising prices and eat on the cheap like a local in Japan.Japan might not look too different to how it’s looked in recent years, but delve a little deeper and you’ll discover that a tough battle is being fought beneath the surface, and the enemy is the soaring cost of living. With most locals receiving a battering from the increasingly powerful foe, people are now hunting for bargains in an effort to fight back, and if you’re looking at life through the lens of cheap finds lik

Starbucks Japan sells Valencia Flavoured Syrup, and here are four ways to use it this summer

These syrups aren’t only designed for coffee.As much as we love Starbucks drinks, there are times when we just can’t be bothered to leave the house to buy one. This happens more often in summer, when stepping outside is like opening the door to a humid, relentless, steamed-up sauna, so we’re glad to know there’s a way to get a quick fix of Starbucks from the comfort of our air-conditioned homes.This quick fix comes in the form of flavoured syrups, which are sold in stores and at the chain’

Japan announces sudden 500-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country

First increase to visa fees in nearly 50 years will affect some arriving foreigners more than others.The Japanese government has announced a proportionally huge increase in visa fees for foreign nationals entering the country, and it’s going into effect almost immediately.Right now, the cost for a single-entry visa is 3,000 yen (US$19). Under the new pricing structure, set by the Cabinet of Japan, that fee will be raised to 15,000 yen, five times its current price. The fee for a multiple-entry v

Beat the heat with chilled Iekei ramen from Yokohama Iekei Ramen Ichikakuya

Eat big and eat light at the same time.As the temperature continues to rise in Japan, people’s appetites tend to diminish. So, in the summer, we sometimes turn to classic dishes like somen chilled noodles as a light and refreshing way to get some energy when we just can’t stomach a heavy meal.We aren’t quite at that level of heat yet, so our reporter Takashi Harada has been trying to sneak in as many bowls of Iekei ramen as possible. Iekei is a popular style of ramen that originated in Yokohama

Kits to make battle tops out of pure candy coming soon in Japan

If you’re going to play with your food, make it competitive.Spinning tops have been around for a very long time, and even the concept of having battles where opponents try to knock each other’s tops out of commission isn’t new. I have to think it was the name “Beyblade” that really helped to propel tops to the upper echelon of popular toys in recent years.Though simple in concept, the game has elements of engineering and physics that arguably make the parts educational toys. Perhaps that’s

“Phantom Egg Shop” opens in Japan, with a dozen rare Japanese varieties

In-house expert Mr. TKG gives us his top three egg recommendations.When people in Japan with niche interests hone in and get serious about something, they get really serious. Case in point is a new store that recently opened in Komagome in Tokyo’s Bunkyo Ward, which specialises in Japanese eggs. These aren’t just any eggs, but rare varieties you won’t find in regular supermarkets, and the hard-to-encounter nature of them is reflected in the store name: Gen no Tamagoya San, which translates as “

Japanese merry-go-round has heartwarming backstory, is one of the best rides in Japan

The amusement park may have been demolished, but this ride lives on.“This might be the most enjoyable merry-go-round I’ve ever ridden.”That was the honest reaction from our reporter Natsuno Futon after she stepped off a carousel recently, and there were a couple of major reasons that made her feel this way. First was the fact that she could ride it as many times as she liked for free, and secondly, and most importantly, was the unique nature of it, as it kept the history of a long-forgotten them

7-Eleven Japan vs Family Mart: Who has the biggest convenience store cookie?

A cookie clash amongst convenience store chains. It’s a great time to be a convenience store customer in Japan right now, as Family Mart is holding a special upsize campaign that gives us more for our yen for a limited time. One of the products that’s been upsized is the “Big Cookie”, which we heartily recommend trying, but as it turns out, over at 7-Eleven you can find a similarly good cookie, and some people say it could give Family Mart’s a run for its money.▼ 7-Eleven’s “Baked In-Store Choco

We invent ice slurry somen to combat the extreme Japanese summer heat【SoraKitchen】

Although your pre-battle preparations need to start a week in advance.With many parts of Japan already experiencing extremely hot days, with some areas of eastern Japan reaching 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit), it’s time for residents and tourists alike to start considering how to survive the looming midsummer heat that will be striking in full force in a few weeks. One aspect that some people tend to forget is how heat affects appetite, and the hotter it becomes, the lower your desir

Japanese sweets brand creates new drinkable Cigare and we’re totally here for it

Famous “Cat’s Tongue” cookies get a whole new look with a limited-edition release at only one location. One of the best places to shop for Tokyo souvenirs is in the basement of Tokyo Station, and some of the most popular souvenirs you’ll find there are buttery rich cookies by Yoku Moku. This long-established Tokyo-based confectionery brand is famous for its elegant langue de chat (“cat’s tongue”) biscuits, with the standout being its signature product, a

Ginza Happo: One of Tokyo’s best all-you-can-eat seafood restaurants is an extreme buffet affair

This breathtaking spectacle includes, beef, desserts, hot dishes, drinks, and a special grill experience, but it requires some insider expertise to properly wade through.As much as we love a bargain-priced all-you-can-eat restaurant, we also love a great deal, and right now one of the best deals you can find in the Tokyo buffet sphere is at Ginza Happo. This restaurant has two branches in Tokyo, one in Ginza and another in Shinjuku, both of which opened in 2024.We’d long heard great things about

Harajuku Custom Icees come to help Tokyo’s Takeshita Street stay cute and cool this summer

Slushy sweet drink from the U.S. makes its Harajuku debut.Weather-wise it’s been a surprisingly mild June in Tokyo, but that’s only going to make the inevitable heart and humidity of midsummer feel all the more fierce when it does show up. Thankfully, shoppers on Takeshita Street, the corridor just outside Harajuku Station that’s packed with trendy youth fashion boutiques, have a new way to cool off as Icees are coming to the neighborhood.Though the sweet, slushy carbonated beverages have been b

100-meter tall Hello Kitty artwork appearing on Japanese Ferris wheel, jumbo Pompompurin nearby

Sanrio Fes brings gigantic cuteness to Minato Mirai.Hello Kitty is a big star all over the world, but she’s a really, really big star here in Japan. How big? 100-meters  (328-feet) big.That’s the size of the Hello Kitty design that’s being featured on the Cosmo Clock Ferris Wheel in the seaside city of Yokohama. Actually, the Ferris wheel is 112.5 meters off the ground at its very top, thanks to the base it stands on, but the wheel itself has a 100-meter diameter.「#サンリオフェス2026 in みなとみらい」コラボ企画！神奈

Pokémon coming to Japan’s highway rest stops with exclusive merch and stamp rally this summer

Pikachu and pals make a compelling reason to skip the bullet train while traveling in Japan over the next few months.They say it’s not the destination that matters so much as the journey, and a visit to one of Japan’s highway rest stops will make that philosophy sound especially wise. Between delicious regional specialty foods, superb cleanliness, and cleverlyconvenient design points, the rest stops along the country’s expressways, called SAs (“service areas”) and PAs (“parking areas”) can somet

New adorable Osaka foodie destination, Chiikawa Bakery Osaka, opening soon with crazy ramen bread

Anime/manga-themed café’s baked goods run the range from cute to crazy, just like Chiikawa itself.Osaka is famous as one of Japan’s best foodie destinations, with kuidaore, “eat until you drop,” being a rallying cry of gourmands in the city. As of this month, you’re going to want to leave at least a little room for the adorable treats of the brand-new Chiikawa Bakery Osaka.This will be the first Chiikawa Bakery west of Tokyo, and as part of the grand opening celebration the Chiikawa Bakery Osaka

Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad

Shadow warrior test includes a written exam, with marks given for shuriken throwing and ninja attire.On 14 June, 131 aspiring modern-day ninjas descended on Koka City in Shiga Prefecture to test their ninja prowess by taking a special ninja certification test. Known as the Koka-ryu Ninja Certification, with “Koka-ryu” meaning “Koka School”, the exam is divided into three levels – beginner, intermediate, and advanced – and includes written questions as well as marks for shuriken throwing and ninj

Studio Ghibli releases new anime character fans to keep fans looking and feeling cool this summer

Totoro and Jiji are ready to join you on all your summer adventures.Studio Ghibli is famous for keeping old-school traditions alive, both in its animated movies and its official merchandise range. That’s why this summer, at the studio’s specialty retail chain, Donguri Kyowakoku, you’ll be able to pick up a couple of new folding fans, or “sensu” as they’re known in Japanese. Not only are they designed to help you feel cool on hot summer days, they’ll also

Suspected Japanese ice cream cartel under investigation for price-fixing

Six of Japan’s biggest ice cream makers face accusations of collaborating to keep fairly priced ice cream out of consumers’ hands/stomachs.Authorities in Japan have launched an investigation into a suspected cartel. The suspected members are not members of the shadowy criminal underground, but six very well-known companies. While the group isn’t accused of selling drugs, smuggling weapons, or any other such dealings in contraband, if they were indeed doing what investigators think there were, th

7-Eleven Japan to start selling Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches this summer

Rising star in Japan’s foodie scene is making its 7-Eleven debut.Walk into a 7-Eleven in Japan and, as you’d expect, you’ll quickly find all sorts of very Japanese foods and drinks, such as green tea rice balls, matcha lattes, and takoyaki. However, 7-Eleven Japan is really all about offering a broad range of deliciousness. They’re more than happy to look beyond the country’s borders for inspiration, so soon they’ll be offering banh mi, Vietnamese-style sandwiches.One of the world’s truly great

All-you-can-eat cheese restaurant in Tokyo is a hidden gem not many people know about

Freshly made cheese buffet is a secret known only to those in the know.Japan has a whole smorgasbord of all-you-can-eat restaurants, but some of the best buffet deals can be found in low-key, unexpected places. One of those places is “Good Spoon”, which is technically a trendy pizza chain, but at some of its locations you’ll be able to enjoy all-you-can-eat fresh cheese.In the Kanto area in and around Tokyo, the deal can be found at the chain’s Shinjuku, Tachikawa, and Yokohama locations. We vis