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Tokyo’s first gourmet choco banana specialty shop is worth stopping in Harajuku for

Dip Me Banana elevates the simple snack to something a whole lot more substantial and special.The choco banana seems like it should be about as simple as a dessert can be. It’s just a banana dipped in chocolate, right? Unless you buy into that “Fruit is nature’s candy” philosophy, you could even make the argument that a choco banana is really only half a dessert.Ah, but what if you wanted to tip the scale more towards undebatable-dessert elements? That’s how you end up with Dip Me Banana, Tokyo’

Never forget that Mister Donut’s super-simple ramen is actually very hard to beat

The chain may not be called “Mister Ramen,” but that doesn’t mean they don’t know how to make a really good bowl of noodles.Mister Donut doesn’t play coy with what it has to offer, does it? The donut chain puts its signature menu item right there in its name, and the “Mister” part tells you that while they’ve got a sense of fun, they also have respect for the craft of donut-making.But while Mister Donut truly is Japan’s premier donut provider, they actually have a handful of non-dessert items on

All-you-can-eat lunch buffet for just 850 yen right next to Shinjuku Station

Grilled fish, curry, and homemade croquettes make for a shockingly affordable and satisfying meal.During a company meeting at the office, the topic came up of how all-you-can-eat restaurants are seeing a surge of popularity right now. So, when our Japanese-language reporter Masanuki Sunakoma was on his commute to our office in Shinjuku, he kept his eyes peeled for any evidence suggesting as much.Shortly, just after leaving Shinjuku Station’s Southeast Exit, he quickly spotted a sign that read “L

Stay in a hotel in Japan where you can see a UFO

Alien spacecraft looks even better when lit up at night. With hotel prices skyrocketing around Japan, we’re always on the lookout for bargain stays, and our latest find comes with something rather extraordinary — a view of a UFO.Located in Makuharihongo, Chiba Prefecture, less than an hour out from Tokyo Station and Narita Airport, this hotel is just a 10-minute train ride from MakuhariMesse, the large convention centre where events like Tokyo Auto Salon and Tokyo Game Show are held.

This beautiful Nara inn was once home to a Living National Treasure

Art, history, and high-end dining make for a unique Japanese getaway.Living National Treasures are legendary figures who play an important role in the transmission of a country’s intangible cultural heritage, all worthy of a great deal of respect in the fields that they represent. So, on our travels through Nara, we were surprised to learn about how the childhood home of one of Japan’s earliest Living National Treasures has been converted into a hotel and restaurant.Born in what was once Osaka P

Brand-new Pokémon park opens in Japan with larger-than-life-size Lapras【Photos】

Lapras’ latest collaboration with the region it’s an ambassador for is now ready to receive fans and provide squeals of joy.Since 2016, Japan’s northeastern Tohoku region has had a special relationship with the PokémonLapras. The Tohoku prefectures of Miyagi, Iwate, and Fukushima suffered severe damage during the 2011 March 11 earthquake and tsunami, and in order to help encourage tourism to the areas which were ready to start receiving visitors again, the Lapras encounter rate in Pokémon GO was

Tokyo police found our lost wallet, but the story of how they did made us feel empty

With no clear answers, it’s up to the wallet’s owner to choose what he wants to believe about the person who had it.About a week ago, our Japanese-language reporter P.K. Sanjun was sitting at home when his phone rang at about 10 p.m. Surprised that someone would be calling instead of texting at that time, and not recognizing the number of the caller, he answered the call and tentatively said hello.“This is Detective A from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Z Precinct,” said the voice on the other en

Hello Kitty learns sign language in newest friendship with Japanese artist

Sign language art-themed Hello Kitty pop up shop opens in Tokyo.Hello Kitty is always ready to make new friends. Having just taken part in collaborations with the casts of the Evangelion and Sonic the Hedgehog franchises, the Sanrio star’s newest pal isn’t an anime or video game character, but real-life Japanese artist Hidehiko Kado.Kado was born to deaf parents and became proficient in sign language from an early age. His desire to express thought and emotions that couldn’t be summed up entirel

Hello Kitty and twin sister celebrate birthday at Baskin-Robbins Japan with special merch, sweets

One of Kitty-chan’s favorite foods is the inspiration for her birthday sundae.There’s nothing wrong with treating yourself to a little sweet reward when you’ve been working hard, and no one works harder than Hello Kitty, who’s been especially busy these past few weeks making new friends and learning sign language. That’s not the only reason the timing feels right for the Hello Kitty Loves Ice Cream campaign at Baskin-Robbins Japan, either, since November 1 was Kitty-chan’s birthday.As of Novembe

Japan’s new Pokémon donut treat marks Ditto’s Mister Donut debut!

Mister Ditto.The new Mister Donut Pokémon donuts recently went on sale in Japan, with this year’s batch featuring the debut of the Fluffy Pikachu and Foongus donuts. It turns out, though, that Mister Donut secretly had another surprise in the oven all along, and it’s one that fittingly involves the easiest Pokémon to overlook.The shapeshifting Ditto will soon be transforming into the Ditto Donut Tree. This decadent offering is actually 10 treats in one. At the base of the “tree” is a white choco

Studio Ghibli releases new Ursula’s blanket from Kiki’s Delivery Service

Wrap yourself up in the warmth of an anime movie. There’s something infinitely charming about Studio Ghibli’s animated movies, with hand-drawn scenes pulling you into the action… and the quiet moments shared between characters. One such moment occurs when Kiki from Kiki’s Delivery Service chats with Ursula, who offers sage advice that helps her regain her confidence as a blossoming witch.▼ In that moment, Kiki can be seen bundled up in Ursula’s blanket.It’s a

Real takoyaki is almost impossible to find in Tokyo, but this place has it, our hardliner says

The orthodox Osaka style of Japan’s beloved octopus balls is waiting at Jugemu.Takoyaki is impossible to find in Tokyo…??? That statement didn’t seem right to us. Sure, Japan’s beloved octopus dumplings may have originated in Osaka, and the city is still considered takoyaki holy ground and has the most enthusiastic fans, but takoyaki is popular across Japan. There’s even a major takoyaki chain, Tsukiji Gindako, that was founded in Tokyo’s Tsukiji neighborhood.But as our Osaka-born reporter

Real-life Love Live? Japanese high school starting official idol club extracurricular activity

School idols will create original songs, hold live performances.Extracurricular activities at schools in Japan can be broadly divided into two categories. Some of them are the same sort of sports teams or cultural clubs as you’d find in many other countries, like a soccer team or marching band. Other activities, though, are uniquely Japanese, and often tied to centuries-old traditions, like kendo or sado (tea ceremony).However, one high school is adding a new club that’s very Japanese but also r

IKEA Expands In Asia As Its Revs Up Meeting Place Growth

An IKEA-anchored shopping center is to open in Shanghai later this month. Swedish retail giant IKEA and its sister property business Ingka Centres are set to accelerate expansion in Asia this month ...

Tokyo all-you-can-eat senbei deal is perfect for newbies to the world of beloved Japanese snacks

Tourist-friendly Shibuya shopping center hosts senbei newcomer-friendly event, and it’s completely free!“All you can eat” is one of those deals that sounds great in theory, but usually also comes with a few catches that make the reality maybe not so appealing as it initially seems. All-you-can-eat offers are just about always priced higher than a regular, single portion of the food in question would be, so you’re going to have to eat a whole lot of it to get your money’s worth, and even if you’v

Unique inclined elevator in Japan leads to a town that inspired Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away

Sloping elevator transports you to a magical world in the sky. Elevators are known for moving vertically, but sometimes you can come across rare “inclined” varieties, known as “shakou elevators” in Japanese. However, in a nature-filled area in a quiet pocket of Yamanashi Prefecture, you’ll find an even rarer “chou kyodai na shakou” elevator, which translates as “super huge inclined elevator“.Why is there such a large contraption in the middle

Japanese military called in to deal with increasing bear attacks in rural prefectures

Military is only there to provide logistic support and not take part in any hunting.With all the problems facing the world today, it’s easy to overlook the fact that parts of Japan are experiencing bear attacks at unprecedented levels. There have been nine deaths from bear attacks this year as of October, which already makes the total for 2025 an all-time high, and while attacks and sightings are difficult to quantify accurately, it is clear they are both on a sharp rise.Bear encounters ar

The deluxe disappointment and basic brilliance of Japan’s oldest standing soba noodle chain

Miyako Soba may not be what we’d expected for the oldest standing soba chain in country, but maybe it should have been.Our Japanese-language reporter Seiji Nakazawa is a serious soba noodle fan. In particular, he’s made it a goal in life to eat at as many different stand-and-eat soba restaurants as he can, keeping thorough records of his impressions of them.So imagine his surprise when he recently found out that, while growing up, he walked right past branches of the oldest standing soba chain i

Tokyo hotel lets you make your stay a Sanrio one with special My Melody and Kuromi rooms【Pics】

Tokyo Dome Hotel fills rooms with all the My Melody and Kuromi adorableness they can hold.We’ve been checking out some of Tokyo’s coolest themed hotel rooms recently. Just the other day, we paid a visit to the Hotel Gracery in the Shinjuku neighborhood, which gives you an in-room kaiju fight between Godzilla and nemesis King Ghidorah, and back in the summer we checked out the Gundam mecha room at the Tokyo Bay Ariake Washington Hotel.Today, though, we’re taking a break from monster rampages and

Studio Ghibli serves up anime characters on new lacquered trays

A beautiful blend of modern and traditional Japan. Studio Ghibli loves to showcase Japanese culture in its movies… and its merchandise. Here to prove that fact is a new duo of lacquered trays that look like they belong in a traditional geisha teahouse, but look closely and you’ll find some beloved characters incorporated in the designs.▼ The first tray features the three Totoros from the 1988 classic, My Neighbour Totoro.All three characters look as surprised as we are at their tradi