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Japanese Godzilla looks set to attack New York in teaser for Godzilla Minus Zero[Video]

Toho’s Godzilla doesn’t often travel abroad in-movie, but he’ll be visiting the Statue of Liberty.It’s an interesting era for Godzilla cinema, as in recent years the franchise has split into two separate but simultaneously active branches: the Hollywood Godzilla movies from Legendary Pictures, and the Japanese Godzilla movies from Toho.Part of what allows the two types to coexist in a copacetic manner is that there’s a pretty clear distinction between what each is trying to do. The Hollywood God

Turn a rainy forecast into a blast at the Naruto & Boruto Ninja Village May Rain Festival 2026

This event actually encourages the weather to rain on your parade in order to get the most out of it.Anime theme park Nijigen no Mori in Awaji, Hyogo Prefecture, which is largely outdoors, may not be the kind of place you think of visiting when the weather’s not looking too inviting out. However, there’s good reason to go this year on gloomy days thanks to a special event at the park’s Naruto & Boruto Ninja Village, an area where visitors can immerse themselves in scenery s

First Shiba Inu police dog in Japan’s Gifu Prefecture now on duty[Video]

Who’s a good girl who serves and protects?April is the start of the business and administrative years in Japan, and so many organizations are welcoming a fresh batch of recruits this month. For example, on April 6 the town of Ibi in Gunma Prefecture had a ceremony recognizing the start of duty for new members of its police force, including one named Tsubu.Tsubu is only two years old, but it isn’t her age that makes her unique among the recruits. No, what sets Tsubu apart is that she’s the Gifu P

Final version of Sanrio: Beginning of Kawaii exhibition opens in Tokyo[Photos]

Hello Kitty and friends’ tour of the country comes to its last stop in downtown Tokyo with a look back on 60 years of cuteness, Japanese-style.Many would say that Sanrio is the first and last word in kawaii culture, creating enough of Japan’s cuteness to fill an entire exhibition tracing their 60-year history. Sanrio Exhibition: The Beginning of Kawaii has been touring around the country for the past five years, and as of this month it’s come to Tokyo for its grand finale.The Final Version of th

Japan has new rules for bicycle riders, and these 14 things could get you a fine or a court date

There’s a major gray area in Japan’s new blue ticket cycling violation system.Bicycles are often a great way to thoroughly explore Japan’s local communities, providing more range than you’d get walking, more flexibility than taking the train, and less complexity to deal with than renting a car. However, bike-riding has gotten more complicated in Japan as of April 1, with the introduction of the aoi kippu, or blue ticket, system.Under this new system, police officers in Japan can issue fines for

Japanese sandals dyed with real Uji matcha are here to whisk you off your feet

Luckily, the shoes themselves will stay comfortably and cleanly on your feet thanks to a traditional fabric-making technique.Nara, Japan-based shoe company Yamatokobo specializes in traditionally crafted zori sandals for everyday life. Its newest pair of setta, a type of low-soled zori, was just released on April 7 and is already whipping up excitement among footwear enthusiasts.The Matcha Setta are dyed using real Kyoto-produced Uji matcha that results in a strikingly rich green color. The fabr

Japanese bento shop sells croquettes for 13 cents, but are they any good?

You won’t find food in Japan much cheaper than this. “Freshly fried! Croquettes for 20 yen.”That was the sign that made us do a double-take when we were strolling the streets of Sagamihara City in Tokyo’s neighbouring Kanagawa Prefecture the other day. In this era of ever-rising prices, a croquette for 20 yen (US$0.13) sounded like the thing of dreams – an unbelievable price that, when you think about it, is even cheaper than cheap candy.Needless to say, we immediately st

No, that’s not French bread, it’s Japan’s crazy-big gobo!

Giant gobo is shocking to look at, but how does it taste?Japanese supermarkets often have their own in-house bakeries, so when our Japanese-language reporter Ikuna Kamezawa walked into her local branch of grocery store chain Ozeki, for a moment she thought she might be looking at an enticing loaf of crusty French bread.Actually, make than an enticing and gigantic loaf of crusty French bread.But actually this isn’t a baguette at all. As a mater of fact, it’s not even a kind of baked good. It’s a

Japanese government wants overseas anime market to roughly triple in 10 years, but are they crazy?

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry sets targets of 186-percent growth in the overseas anime business, 253 percent for Japanese video games.Japanese pop culture is more popular outside Japan than it’s ever previously been, with Japanese entertainment franchises having established passionate fanbases around the globe and even people outside the traditional otaku and Japanophile spheres finding series they enjoy. So it’s not surprising that the Japanese government’s Ministry of Economy, Trade

Yoshina invites you to give the gift of beef bowls this Mother’s Day

I mean, if I were a mother, I’d appreciate it.Mother’s Day is just around the corner, which means it’s once again time to think of a present to repay the person who gave you the very gift of life. That’s a pretty big thing when you think about it, so a cliche gift like flowers might not seem to cut it. Why not give her something truly unique, something that shows you really put thought into the gift, and something that tastes great served on a bowl full of piping hot rice?Leading beef bowl chain

Fading Tokyo – Horikiri Station, the Arakawa River, and Kinpachi-sensei[Walking course]

Mr. Sato heads to the neighborhood of a famous TV drama and finds a nostalgic taste of a youth he never had.Welcome back to Fading Tokyo, in which our ace reporter Mr. Sato sets out to take one more, and possibly one last, look at train stations in Tokyo that are scheduled for renovation construction, which could end up permanently altering the look and feel of the surrounding neighborhood. Following his visit to Araiyakushi-mae Station on the western edge of downtown Tokyo, today Mr. Sato is he

Wisteria season starts early with blooming of Japan’s Great Wisteria in its beautiful garden

Early blossoming likely means early full bloom at this breathtaking park within day-trip distance of Tokyo.Cherry blossom season doesn’t last very long, and there’s often a twinge of sadness that comes from watching the last petals swirl and scatter in the wind as they fall from the tree’s branches. But while that’s an understandable emotional reaction, it’s important to remember that there’s an alternative to feeling wistful: focusing on wisteria.Yes, Japan’s next entry in the country’s list of

Starbucks Japan releases FIVE new Frappuccinos in a day, and we try them all in 90 minutes

Find out if these limited-edition drinks are really treasures worth hunting for. It’s been 30 years since Starbucks opened its first branch in Japan on 2 August, 1996, and the chain has some big celebrations lined up for this milestone year. The first surprise in store is The Star Frappuccino, which, unlike other Frappuccino releases, is like a treasure hunt, as it comes in five different flavours, but every branch only sells one flavour.So, on 8 April when the new drinks were released, ou

Japan’s best conveyor belt sushi restaurant of seven years ago has now, finally, come to Tokyo

We head to the new arrival from the north to see if it’s still something special.Sushi is, in many ways, a trend-resistant food. Whereas the popularity of toppings, seasonings, and cooking styles might wax and wane for noodles, rice bowls, and other kinds of cuisine, simplicity is a core part of the sushi experience, in which only a few expertly chosen ingredients are presented to the diner in a way meant to let their natural flavors flow freely to your taste buds with minimal interference or em

Japanese trains in Sapporo might be better than those in Tokyo, thanks to one special feature

Sure, Tokyo has fancy digital signage, but Sapporo has a better old-school idea.If you’ve ever stared in confusion at a Tokyo train map, you’ll know how complex the system is. Even for locals like our reporter Seiji Nakazawa, who’s lived in Japan’s capital for about 20 years, it can be easy to not quite know where you’re going, even when you’re inside a carriage, as the route isn’t always clearly displayed.However, during a recent trip to Sapporo, on the

Mr. Sato discovers his inner beaver with a 16-inch chocolate “twig” at Tokyo Station

Why settle for a tiny snack when you can gnaw on one that doubles as a legendary sword?Confectionery company Morinaga’s chocolate snack Koeda (“Twig”) has had tons of fans over the close to 55 years it has been on sale, with some enjoying the small chocolate twig with a glass of whisky. One such fan is our Japanese language reporter Mr. Sato who adores it for its cute size, about five centimeters (around two inches), and its crunchy texture, which is in stark contrast to Mr. Sato’s usual antics

Downtown Tokyo’s meaty monster Kaibutsu ramen will challenge your stomach, thrill your taste buds

This ramen behemoth only appears two days a week, but for serious carnivores, it’s worth waiting for.Even with the continual upward creep of restaurant prices in Japan, 1,800 yen (US$11.60) feels like a lot for ramen, considering that it wasn’t all that long ago that basic bowls of the stuff could be found for well under 1,000 yen, even in downtown Tokyo. However, the rumors we’d heard about the 1,800-yen ramen at Ramen Niki, in the capital’s busy Shinbashi district, claimed that the Monster was

Lawson convenience store at popular tourist site is one of the most unusual in Japan

Japanese konbini blends into a setting that inspired Studio Ghibli.Japanese convenience stores are known for their bright lights and stand-out signage, but in a country filled with traditional landscapes, these features can sometimes be at odds with their surroundings. That’s certainly the case at Dogo Onsen in Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture, where you’ll find a beautiful bathhouse building with over a thousand years of history.Dogo Onsen’s Main Building was constructed in 18

Pokémon store character meet-and-greet events to resume in May

Pokémon sub-brand schedules event roughly six weeks after Pokémon Center stabbing.Pokémon baby apparel and toy brand Monpoké is getting ready to open a popup store in the Tobu Department Store’s Ikebukuro branch in downtown Tokyo. The Tobu branch is located in the same neighborhood as the Sunshine City shopping center, where on March 26 a woman working at the Pokémon Center retail store was fatally stabbed by her ex-boyfriend.Following the incident, the Pokémon Company announced that it would be

Drink vending machines disappearing in Japan as number drops to lowest in 30 years

In the land of vending machines, what’s behind the biggest single-year decrease ever for soft drinks?Visitors to Japan are often amazed at just how many vending machines the country has. Residents, though, are noticing fewer and fewer of them, as the number of soft drink vending machines in Japan has dropped to its lowest number in 30 years.According to the latest statistics from Tokyo-based Inryo Soken (“Beverage Research Institute”), in 2025 there were 1.95 million soft drink vending machines