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Air-conditioned dress shirts arrive in Japan to save working professionals from sweltering heat

These dress shirts are sure to have fans.If you need business attire in Japan, Yofuku no Aoyama is pretty much always a safe choice. They may not have the trendiest fashions from brand-name designers, but they can set you up with outfits appropriately dressy for a day in the office or a meeting with clients, and at affordable prices too.For example, here’s one of their new button-up shirts. Nothing flashy or overly fancy, but a respectable, understated summer business look.Now, looking at that p

Koei Tecmo continues to be an investment firm that also happens to make video games

I’ve yet to see Berkshire Hathaway’s psychological horror game.I’ve long been a fan of games by Koei Tecmo, whether it’s their individual classics like Koei’s Dynasty Warriors or Tecmo’s Ninja Gaiden, or modern games like Nioh. They tend not to have major blockbuster releases like some other companies, but it’s a solid lineup of enjoyable titles in an interesting variety of genres.But there’s another side to Koei Tecmo that you might not be familiar with. To see what that is, let’s take a look a

Live-action Princess Mononoke is coming to streaming as a live event, previews look amazing [Video]

Kabuki adaptation of Studio Ghibli anime masterpiece will be shown online, but you’ll need to mark the date on your calendar.The live-action kabuki stage play adaptation of Studio Ghibli’s Princes Mononoke is now roughly half-way through its run at Tokyo’s Shinbashi Enbujo Theater. Tickets are almost entirely sold out, so for fans who haven’t already secured theirs, they’re going to be hard to come by.Thankfully, though, it’s been announced that the Princess Mononoke stage play will be coming to

Tokyo security guard’s famous station tape font becomes official custom Nike streetwear

Upgrade your wardrobe with custom clothes featuring the iconic font of a Shinjuku Station legend.When considering what apparel to pick up as a souvenir from your trip to Tokyo, some people might opt for a classic woodblock-style print design, like TheGreat Wave Off Kanagawa, some may go for a more natural cherry blossom-style design, while others decide on some stylistic Japanese calligraphy. However, now the Nike Shinjuku store has added another possibility into the mix of your future wardrobe,

Godiva Japan gets into the shaved ice scene with two luxurious frozen desserts this summer

Godiva brings its chocolate expertise to a traditional summertime favorite in Japan.Godiva is well aware of the worldwide prestige its name carries, but the chocolatier’s Japanese division still frequently looks for ways to get into the spirit of the local sweets scene. Sometimes that means partnerships with anime franchises or Mister Donut, and sometimes it means incorporating traditional Japanese ingredients like tofu into their desserts,For their next cultural crossover, Godiva Japan is turni

Tokyo’s newest viral dessert is like a Japanese parfait inside a bread bun [Taste test]

A cool idea from Coolish, and further proof that sweet bean paste makes everything better.When you’re craving a snack, anpan (sweet bean paste bread) is never, ever a bad choice. Both sweet and substantial, anpan can be found at convenience stores and supermarkets across Japan, but if you want the really good stuff, it’s worth it to seek this treat out at dedicated bakeries, which is what recently had us on the train to Mitaka Station in Tokyo.We were headed there to visit Toho Bakery, because w

Starbucks Japan opens new store inside historic seaside quarantine station near Tokyo

Sip on Starbucks in a setting once linked to infectious diseases. Whenever a historic building in a prime location in Japan needs a commercial tenant, there’s a good chance Starbucks will come knocking. With a solid track record of taking up residence in some of the country’s most unique and culturally important properties, the coffee chain has shown it knows how to adapt its brand to blend seamlessly into its surroundings, respecting historic features while enhancing the original character of a

Japan’s foreign resident population hits record high as Japanese population hits record low

The number of Japanese citizens falls below 120 million for the first time in 42 years, but the foreign community continues to grow.Japan’s population has been shifting more than ever in recent years, with declining births becoming a growing concern for the country. However, new data shows that the population decline is being partially offset by a growing number of foreign residents, who are taking up residence in Japan in greater numbers than ever before.According to population data released by

Studio Ghibli releases new Spirited Away earrings featuring mysterious anime bathhouse character

Cleverly designed jewellery sways while you wear it, just like Kasuga-sama does in the animated film.Japan is a country filled with stories of mysterious spirits, characters and costumes, and some of them appear in Studio Ghibli’s 2001 anime film, Spirited Away.One such character is Kasuga-sama, a spirit that crosses the bridge to the bathhouse wearing a distinctive white mask with eerie face-like marks. Despite only spending a short time on screen, its striking appearance makes it one of the mo

7-Eleven Japan adds new cold soup smoothies to its convenience store drinks range

Cold soup smoothies are good for the gut and good for the ‘Gram.Ever since 7-Eleven completed its rollout of smoothie machines at around 18,000 stores in Japan in 2024, the chain has been experimenting with all sorts of unique ingredients, giving us everything from coffee through to matcha and even sweet potato varieties.Now, the chain is rethinking the whole concept of smoothies, by announcing the release of two new “Cold Soup Smoothies” that blur the line between sweet drink and nourishi

New service lets Tokyo tourists display their faces on giant screen at Japan’s busiest intersection

Pedestrian crossing outside Shibuya Station to lean even harder into tourist selfie appeal.Shibuya’s Scramble Crossing is one of Tokyo’s most iconic locations, and some would say that a trip to Japan’s capital isn’t complete without stopping by to snap a photo. Soon, though, tourists won’t just be taking photos at the world-famous intersection outside Shibuya Station, but displaying them too, on one of Tokyo’s largest skyscraper-side video screens.Tentatively titled Shibuya Scramble Crossing Pho

New Studio Ghibli washi tape adds anime flair to Japanese stationery

Ghibli designs so charming they’ll be hard to peel yourself away from.Studio Ghibli fans are spoilt for choice when it comes to ways to add a dash of movie magic into their everyday lives, and now there’s a range that’ll stick with you both figuratively and literally.This latest release is a new addition to the washi tape range from Ghibli’s GBL brand, which prides itself on its cool “American casual” style aesthetic. Though they’re recoginsable to Japanese stationery fans as “washi tape”,

7-Eleven Japan now offering baked-in-store pizza by the slice with two very different topping sets

7-Eleven will finally let you buy baked-in-store pizza without making you buy a whole pizza.When 7-Eleven Japan announced that they were going to start selling cooked-in-store pizza, it felt like both a no-brainer and a head-scratcher. Let’s start with the first half of that. 7-Eleven Japan has a reputation for excellent food quality, and through their Seven Cafe Bakery System, they already offer a variety of items that are baked in the store, such as melon bread, curry bread, croissants, and co

Okayama man arrested for catching butterflies in central Japan

It’s becoming a regular Gotham City out there.Things just aren’t the way they used to be in Japan. It wasn’t too long ago that it used to be safe for a butterfly to flutter by down the street without worrying about being kidnapped and killed. Now, with all these kids getting corrupted by the likes of National Geographic, Jean-Henri Fabre, and possibly rap music, insects have to constantly live in fear of being skewered and put on display by some insecticidal collector.Luckily, police are steppin

Starbucks Japan releases first-ever gacha capsule toys, featuring iconic menu items as plush coffee charms

New Japan-exclusive collectibles are only available at select locations.Japan is famous for gacha capsule toys, and now Starbucks is finally joining the fun with its very first collection of gacha-style collectibles.Released as part of the chain’s 30th anniversary celebrations in Japan, the new “Starbucks Joyful Capsule” collection consists of nine different plush charms inspired by some of the chain’s most iconic beverages and food items.Each palm-sized charm comes sealed inside a capsule

Kumamoto Castle left illuminated all night long as symbol of hope for earthquake victims

The castle itself is still undergoing repairs from an earthquake from 10 years ago.Kumamoto is still reeling from a massive earthquake that struck the prefecture on Japan’s southwestern island of Kyushu on the afternoon of July 28. Recovering from the magnitude-7.1 quake will not be a quick or easy process, and there are many, many difficult days ahead. In dark times, though, any symbol of hope becomes vital, and Kazufumi Onishi, mayor of Kumamoto Prefecture’s Capital of Kumamoto City, shared on

Katana of one of Japan’s most famous swordsmen goes on display to help Kumamoto earthquake victims

The sword of the vice-captain of the Shinsengumi is being called into action once again in a touching story of repaying kindness.On Tuesday morning, a powerful earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture, on Japan’s southwestern island of Kyushu. While the full extent of the damage is still being assessed, at least 30 people are known to have lost their lives, with hundreds injured, thousands forced to evacuate, and tens of thousands dealing with power outages and water supply disruptions.In the wake

Sanrio’s newest item looks like dog butt, exactly like it’s supposed to [Photos]

If you’ve ever wanted to take a nap while burying your face in Pompompurin’s butthole, this is the cushion you’ve been waiting for.You can make a strong argument that no other company on the planet understands the value of good visual design as well as Sanrio does. Hello Kitty and her friends largely flipped the script on character merchandising, in that instead of starting with extensive narratives in animation, books, or other media, Sanrio characters tend to debut as merchandise and build the

APEC ministers vow to balance economic growth and ecology

APEC forestry ministers agreed on Tuesday to strengthen biodiversity protection, improve forest governance and boost investment in the forestry sector to advance sustainable development.

Starbucks Japan unveils new coffee drinks… for people who don’t drink coffee

Created with Shibuya109 Lab, this new release aims to bridge the gap between traditional coffee and sweet Frappuccinos.This year marks the 30th anniversary for Starbucks in Japan, and the chain is celebrating the milestone with a number of new and innovative creations. Its latest release is particularly special, as the chain worked with Shibuya109 lab, a youth marketing organisation based in Tokyo’s Shibuya district, to help create it.The collaboration sought to understand how younger generation