Azia Phreak Mail Surver

Tokyo is getting a branch of famous Los Angeles hot dog chain Pink’s with Japan-exclusive items

87-year-old hot dog chain is going to learn some new tricks.It’s been about a year since Los Angeles’ iconic Randy’s Donuts opened its first branch in Japan, and as much as we love the place, even we have to admit that eating donuts every day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner probably wouldn’t be a very good idea. But for those looking to diversify looking to diversify their diet yet still craving something with ties to the City of Angels, now comes word that Pink’s is on its way to Japan.Husband

Japanese convenience store food gets turned into hyper-realistic stationery you can peel open

The rice ball and hot snack sets let you feel the fun of some of Japan’s best treats anywhere in the world.Japan’s convenience stores are filled with wondrous foods to try, with new delights appearing regularly, but there is one staple that any visitor to Japan must try: the humble onigiri. These rice balls may look unassuming, but are the perfect treat to grab if you want a quick meal amid a busy schedule, sating those hungry-stomach rumblings. Releasing on September 18, Japanese stationery mak

Kumamoto earthquake may have created Japan’s newest hot spring inside flooded restaurant [Video]

Kumamoto City izakaya began flooding with hot, sulfur-smelling water immediately after quake.The earthquake that occurred in Kumamoto Prefecture on July 28 caused extensive damage to the region, and among those affected was Mugi Usagi, an restaurant in the Anseimachi neighborhood of Kumamoto City’s Chuo Ward. Mugu Usagi is an izakaya, a kind of Japanese pub specializing in small dishes meant to be paired with beer, sake, or cocktails, but it looks like the location might have one more desirous c

This beautiful rural Japan river is a great alternative to touristy summer retreats [Photos]

The Enbaragawa River’s lighting and subsurface flow put it on a different level of natural beauty.In Japan, the summer heat can be sweltering, intense, or even downright cruel. What it’s not, though, is inescapable. For generations, one way of coping with hot weather has been to head up into the mountains, where temperatures are cooler than in the cities and coastal areas. However, if you head to such famous summer retreats as, say, Karuizawa in Nagano Prefecture, you’re going to be trying to ru

Japan’s new beer glass is designed to force you to drink…water [Video]

Yona Yona has a furatsuku idea to promote responsible drinking.One of the cruelest twists of fate is that on a hot afternoon few things feel more refreshing than an ice-cold beer, and yet beer, as an alcoholic beverage, does a poor job of keeping your body hydrated. Yeah, that first cold one might feel rejuvenating, but keep knocking back one beer after another, and they’re going to take a toll on you later on.Of course, just like it’s not very helpful for hydration, beer isn’t all that good for

This Japanese chopping board sanitising bag might be the handy kitchen gadget we never knew we needed

We find out if a bag made specifically for soaking chopping boards is actually useful.How do you disinfect your chopping boards? If your answer to that question is “With great difficulty” or “Huh? We’re meant to disinfect chopping boards?” then we would like to introduce you to…▼ … the Chopping Board Sanitising Bag.The idea is simple: put your chopping board inside, then add water and detergent, or diluted chlorine-based kitchen bleach, which is commonly used in Japan to disinfect chopping board

Tired of city life? Try out Japanese rural life for a few days on an active volcano in Kagoshima

Escape Tokyo to harvest mandarins, dig footbaths, or learn how to run an inn.Many people have dreams of where they would like to live, and it can sometimes be starkly different from the environment in which they have grown up, but there are few who truly decide to take the plunge. Trading the hustle and bustle of city life for a peaceful rural retreat sounds like an idyllic lifestyle, although it’s difficult to make that leap without trying it first. Kagoshima City has now partnered, though, wit

Bandai looking to introduce Japanese government ID checks for admission to card game events

Don’t have a My Number Card from the Japanese government? You might not be getting into some events for One Piece or other Bandai trading card games.Recently, the Pokémon Company announced a new system that requires proof of identity through a Japanese government-issued ID card to purchase certain Pokémon Card Game items or participate in selected events. It turns out they’re not the only otaku-oriented company that likes the idea of having you verify your identity with the backing of the Japane

New Japanese vending machine at Shinkansen station sells cups of ice on platform

A new way to make your journey on Japan’s fastest trains even cooler.If you’re about to take a bullet train ride on a hot summer day, you’ll be happy to know that Central Japan Railway Company has just installed a new station platform vending machine selling something cold and refreshing. However, this machine doesn’t sell cans of cola, bottles of tea, or even tubs of ice cream. Instead, it sells cups of ice.As of August 7, travelers passing through Shin Osaka Station on the Tokaido Shinkansen l

Japanese toilet aims to attract foreign tourists but not everybody is happy about it

Rural town’s attempt to draw tourists may have gone a step too far.In recent years, Japanese public toilets have become known not only as places to do your business but as tourist attractions with creative design features. So you can’t really blame the Kagawa Prefectural Government when they saw an opportunity to turn a local public toilet into a tourist magnet. However, the resulting facility turned out to be so extravagant that it became a source of division instead.The new building was

End of a manga era as Weekly Shonen Jump’s circulation drops under one million

Weekly Shonen Jump is still the biggest magazine in Japan, but its print circulation is getting smaller and smaller.For decades, the jewel in the crown of the manga magazine world has been Weekly Shonen Jump. However, these days the jewel isn’t shining nearly as brightly as it used to, with the latest statistics showing that publisher Shueisha’s anthology has crossed over a significant threshold.The Japan Magazine Publishers Association has released circulation data for the first quarter of the

Studio Ghibli unveils new finger puppets featuring anime characters from My Neighbour Totoro

Recreate magical movie moments with beloved characters on your fingertips.When you become an adult you don’t always have to give up your childlike sense of fun and adventure, and Studio Ghibli is here to remind us of that fact with a new range of beautifully designed finger puppets.Called My Neighbour Totoro Soft Vinyl Mascot Finger Puppets, this collection consists of 11 different puppets, starring eight characters from My Neighbour Totoro.Released by Ghibli specialty retailer Donguri Kyowakoku

Anime fan in Japan arrested for ordering and cancelling over 4.3 billion yen in anime merch

Shop ‘till you drop unfortunately becomes shop ‘till you get arrested.As any hard-core fan can tell you, anime and manga can be a pricey hobby. Sure, the proliferation of video streaming services and digital reader apps mean the content itself is much more affordable than it used to be, but the modern otaku merchandising industry is more robust than ever, with an endless flow of figures, plushies, character standees, and more for fans to covet.This brings us to a 32-year-old restaurant worker li

7-Eleven Japan rethinks convenience store drinks with new Grilled Corn Chilled Soup Smoothie

Exclusive to only two wards in Tokyo, this is a must-try drink that’s very hard to get.We’re always on the lookout for new and unusual convenience store finds in Japan, so when 7-Eleven announced it would be releasing a never-before-seen chilled soup smoothie made with grilled corn, we knew it was something we had to try.Finding it, however, proved to be more challenging than we’d thought, as it’s currently only available at select 7-Eleven stores in Tokyo’s Chuo and Chiyoda wards. After visitin

Beautiful Totoro bonsai figure needs no watering, makes soothing rain showers whenever you want

Need a stress-soothing break? This figurine’s return means you can wait with Totoro while he waits for the Cat Bus.A bonsai tree can be a great way to add some picturesque tranquility to your home or work/study space. However, bonsai often require complex care routines, and if you don’t have much of a green thumb, the hassle and stress of keeping one healthy can undo the sense of calm relaxation you were longing for.So today let’s take a look at an alternative kind of bonsai that, in addition to

Japanese convenience store Lawson now has stir-fried noodle-cooking robot chefs

Lawson expands the territory of its robo chefs as they expand their menus.You can get plenty of hot meals at convenience stores in Japan, but they usually have a cold start. Head on over to the refrigerated shelves, and you’ll find an array of pre-made bento boxes, rice bowls, and noodle sets. Pick one out and take it up to the register, and after you’ve paid for it, it can be heated up in the store’s microwave.But things are different now at certain branches of Japanese convenience store Lawson

Starbucks Japan teams up with Traveler’s Company for new stationery and goods collection

Coffee and travel come together in a new range of exclusives by cult-favourite Japanese stationery brand.For coffee lovers, every sip is a journey, with new flavours and discoveries gradually revealing themselves along the way. So when Starbucks Reserve Roastery Tokyo teamed up with Traveler’s Company, the Japanese stationery brand behind the cult-favourite Traveler’s Notebook, to create a limited-edition collection in 2019, the pairing proved to be so perfect that the two have continued releasi

Over 400 titles of free translated manga from publisher Shueisha available for a limited time

It’s their birthday, but we’re getting the presents!Shueisha is the publisher behind many of manga’s top titles, from One Piece and Naruto to Chainsaw Man and Demon Slayer. It’s also celebrating its 100th Anniversary this year, and planned something very big for the occasion called Manga Million, which starts today!The concept of Manga Million was to translate one million pages of manga into 100 languages, and do so with human translators rather than AI despite the massive volume, so you can be

Kochia calling: Right now is a great off-season season to visit this beautiful Japanese park

Before Hitachi Seaside Park turns red for autumn, it’s got a beautiful summer color to show you too.Japan is a country with strong swings between its seasons, often resulting in splashes of color as different types of flowers or foliage reach their peak beauty. So if you’re headed to an outdoor attraction while traveling in Japan, timing is important, and right now is a fantastic time to visit Hitachi Seaside Park.“Wait a second,” you might be thinking. “I though you guys said that early summer

Resident Evil’s terrifying Licker becomes a bag in Japan that wants to feed you

After years of this video game horror trying to eat us, it’s finally going to help us with our hunger instead.The first foes that spring to mind when thinking about Resident Evil are, of course, the video game series’ zombie hordes. Zombies aren’t known for their speed or smarts, though, so as long as you can keep your confrontations with them to an individual basis, they’re pretty easy to outmaneuver and outwit.Providing a much greater level of terror on a per-monster basis is the Licker. First