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Do Japanese kids need to wear special slippers at school? One part of Tokyo doesn’t think so
Uwabaki are becoming less and less common in Minato Ward.For a lot of kids in Japan, the first thing they do when they get to school in the morning isn’t to sharpen a pencil, take out a sheet of paper, or open a textbook and stand it up on their desk in just the right position so that the teacher won’t see they’re sleeping behind it. Instead, just after coming through their school’s front entrance, most kids take off their shoes.Classes aren’t being conducted with pupils in their stocking feet,
Tokyo’s new historical taxi service is an experience fit for a noble
Taxi company makes the dream of being chauffeured around by a Heian-era aristocrat a reality.Don’t you sometimes feel that travel can be so mundane? Have you ever considered adding a little bit of nobility to spice up an otherwise ordinary journey? Sanwa Kotsu, the creators of such novelty taxi rides as the fencing taxi driver and the ninja taxi driver, certainly seem to think so with their latest offering to their collection of themed services: the kuge taxi driver.The kuge were a Japanese aris
Starbucks Ginza House opens in Japan, with exclusive matcha drinks you can’t get anywhere else
Chain’s 2,000th store brings things full circle for the green mermaid in Japan.On 2 August 1996, Starbucks opened its very first branch outside of the U.S., setting up shop in Japan, in Tokyo’s Ginza district.In the nearly thirty years since, the chain has grown to include branches in every prefecture of the country, and now it’s bringing things full circle by opening its 2,000th Japanese store… backin Ginza. Called Starbucks Teavana Store Ginza Marronnier Street, this 2,
Studio Ghibli adds Catbus and Totoro items to its anime range in Japan
Supporting characters step up to support your daily needs.Studio Ghibli has a huge range of goods dedicated to its star characters, but often it’s the merchandise for the supporting cast that holds a lot of the charm. That’s certainly the case with two products that have been re-released at Donguri Kyowakoku (literally “Acorn Republic”), Ghibli’s affiliated retail chain, as it sees the Catbus and the small white Totoro from My Neighbour Totoro stepping into the spot
Pokémon Poké Peace Happy Meals at McDonald’s Japan fill us with happiness【Photos】
New Happy Meals give us a taste of what it would be like to share your home with a bunch of extra-cute Pokémon.Valentine’s Day always makes for a great excuse to go out and have dinner at a fancy restaurant, or to stop by a dessert cafe for one of the limited-time chocolate creations from Japan’s always innovative patissiers. However, this Valentine’s Day also just so happened to be a great day to go to McDonald’s in Japan, because it was the first day for the new Pokémon Happy Meals, or Happy S
American tourist arrested in Japan on charges of pushing sexual services worker down stairs
Senior citizen arrested at ski resort three hours away from fuzoku establishment where incident allegedly took place.The circumstances requiring it are deplorable, but it’s time, once again, for an instalment of “words they probably don’t teach you in Japanese class.” Today’s topic: fuzoku.Fuzoku is a complex term to explain, and the two kanji characters that it’s written with aren’t very helpful. The first, 風, usually means “wind,”but as we’ve seen before, it can also mean a style or manner of
Tokyo’s Sakeice O’Choco alcoholic hot chocolate both does and doesn’t contain “sake”
A lot of linguistics, and a lot of flavor, goes into each and every cup of this dessert drink (and there’s room for debate about the cup too).Japan rarely meets a pun or an innovative sweet treat that it doesn’t like, and today those two interests are meeting in the form of the new luxurious O’Choco dessert drink (pictured above). The gist is that this is an alcoholic chocolate indulgence that’s being cooked up for Valentine’s Day, but it comes with a heaping helping of linguistics on the side,
A scam artist called us from overseas and we had a bittersweet conversation about fried rice
“Do you guys have fried rice in Mongolia?”Within the past 12 months, our Japanese-language reporter Go Hatori has received phone calls from Hong Kong, Switzerland, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Iraq, and even the African and Micronesian republics of Seychelles and Kiribati. Here’s the thing, though: Go doesn’t have any personal or professional acquaintances in those places.Now it could be that Go, though his work here at SoraNews24, has suddenly acquired an international fanbase in those nations t
Tokyo’s breathtaking “museum hotel” miniature art exhibit will make you feel tiny too【Photos】
Meguro Gajoen’s Hundred Steps staircase hosts works both huge and small.Located in downtown Tokyo’s Meguro district, the Hotel Gajoen Tokyo, also known as Meguro Gajoen, describes itself as “a museum hotel of Japanese beauty.” Designated an official Tokyo cultural property, the current building has a number of artwork pieces and interior rooms carried over from the hotel’s original opening in 1931 and is best known for the Hyakudan Kaidan, “the Hundred Steps,” an opulent staircase and hallway pr
Haneda Airport mobile tea ceremony lets you start, or finish, your Japan trip with a tranquil sip
Bilingual event seeks to introduce traditional Japanese culture to the wider world.As it’s the Tokyo area’s most popular international air travel gateway, many people at Haneda Airport have either just arrived in Japan and are eager for their first cultural experience or are on their way home while hoping for just one more before they get on the plane. And what could be more Japanese than a tea ceremony?Travelers passing through Haneda in early March might want to give themselves a little
Punjab Assembly hosts first CPA conference for Asia and Southeast Asia
LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly on Friday hosted the inaugural Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Conference of Asia and Southeast ... Branch Secretariat meeting, Punjab Assembly Secretary ...
Enjoy breakfast with a stunning view of Mt. Fuji at this seaside cafe
Cozy cafe serves up a delicious breakfast and fragrant coffee, with Japan’s iconic mountain and an ocean breeze on the side.A train ride of around an hour from downtown Tokyo will bring you to the much-loved city of Kamakura, home to one of Japan’s Three Great Buddha statues. Tourists flock to the city to explore its many beautiful temples. However, if you go just a little bit farther, you’ll reach the neighboring city of Zushi, home to some popular beaches and also beautiful views of Mt.
Are Japan’s Strawberry Shortcake instant noodles as gross as they say?
Yakisoba meets cake in this very weird Japan-exclusive product. In 2016, Myojo Foods, the maker of the Ippei-chan brand of instant yakisoba, released a product that made our stomachs churn: strawberry shortcake-flavoured noodles.Now, nine years later, the meal that disgusted everyone in our office is back for a limited time, as part of Myojo Foods’ 30th anniversary celebrations. Called “Myojo Ippei-chan Night Shop Yakisoba Shortcake Flavour“, this updated version is said to be
Godiva Japan working pink magic with new Sakura Chocolixirs
Two different cherry blossom chocolate dessert drinks mean we’ve got a big, and sweet, decision to make.Every spring, parks, mountains, and other outdoor spaces in Japan turn pink with the return of the cherry blossoms. A similar indoor phenomenon also occurs every year too, though, as the country’s cafes, bakeries, and other providers of sweet indulgences roll out special sakura versions of their signature items. Making the whole thing even more joyous is that sakura sweets start showing up ear
Japanese curry bread achieves new Guinness World Record at Sapporo Snow Festival
Proof that karepan and snow are a match made in heaven.Currybread, or “karepan” as it’s known in Japan, is a delicious fried treat that’s incredibly popular across the country. It’s even earned several mentions in the Guinness World Records, with 7-Eleven currently holding the record for the Best-selling Freshly Made Curry Bread Brand, having sold 76,987,667 units in 2023, while the Most Curry Bread Sold In 24 Hours was awarded to Aichi’s Pan No Tora after the
Sakura Totoro collection from Studio Ghibli becomes a hit with anime fans
Cute plushies, art and pottery make this a hanami flower-viewing experience like no other.Studio Ghibli has a knack for creating beauty, both in its anime movies and its related merchandise collections, which are sold through the affiliated Donguri Kyowakoku (literally “Acorn Republic“) retail chain.Now with sakura season on the way, the retail chain is blooming with even more beauty, thanks to a huge collection of cherry blossom goods, with Totoro as the star. Having previously appe
Thousands of convenience stores in Japan to end sale of print magazines this spring
Move comes as one in four municipalities in Japan has no bookstore.Japan has a lot of convenience stores, but in general, there are some similarities you can count on regardless of which one you walk into. Odds are the counter will be more or less in front of you, with cases selling things like fried chicken and steamed buns. Along one of the back walls will be shelves of drinks, generally with hop options at one end. And running along the front wall, just inside the windows, you’ll usually find
Sakura scent coffee and sweets appear at Japan’s low-key, highly tasty coffeehouse chain
Doutor is getting noticed with a very tempting lineup of cherry blossom coffee, cakes, and more.As we get closer to the tail end of winter, a lot of people are getting antsy for sakura season to start. Unfortunately, no amount of ardent wishing will make the cherry blossoms bloom any sooner, but what collective desire can do is speed up the release of sakura beverages, sweets, and other treats from Japan’s cafes.So while most of the year Doutor sort of flies under the radar by being one of Japan
Sanrio’s Cinnamoroll serves popcorn at this super rare vending machine in Japan
Complete with music and dancing, this is one of the most kawaii vending machines in all of Japan!Japan is famous for its vending machines, but did you know there are some very cute ones that sell popcorn? These hard-to-find varieties generally feature Hello Kitty inside the clear window display, but Sanrio fans will be pleased to know there’s an even rarer variety featuring none other than…Cinnamoroll!We stumbled upon the vending machine on a recent visit to DiverCity Tokyo Plaza in
Fortune Tea Chabashira tea-ses increased good luck with every cup
Besides having a higher chance of finding an upright tea stalk, it also brews up the most beau-tea-ful and tas-tea cup of leaf water ever. Many people are probably familiar with the belief that it’s an omen of good fortune when a tea stalk floats vertically in your cup. As something that doesn’t happen very often, it certainly calls for a celebration if you ever happen to spot one.However, what if there was a tea where the probability of the stalk floating upright was higher? Enter F