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Japanese Shinkansen becomes an overnight hotel for three nights this summer

Spend the night inside a bullet train from just 5,000 yen.Finding affordable accommodation in Japan can be tough at any time of year, but when one or even two of Japan’s biggest summer festivals is being held, securing a place to stay can become even more challenging.Now, East Japan Railways (JR East) has come up with a creative solution to the problem by opening up one of its bullet trains as a place to stay overnight.The unique experience will take place from 3-5 August, on an E6 Series

Asia Pacific Wire & Cable Corporation Limited Announces 2026 Annual General Meeting to be held September 11, 2026 and Proposed Increase in Authorized Share Capital to Support ...

Asia Pacific Wire & Cable Corporation Limited (NASDAQ: APWC) (the "Company"), a leading manufacturer of wire and cable products for the telecommunications and electric-power industries in the ...

World Offshore Week 2026 Brings Asia's Offshore Oil, Energy and Marine Sectors Together in Singapore

SINGAPORE, July 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Free visitor registration is now open for the 4th Annual World Offshore Week, the #1 Meeting Place for the Offshore Oil, Energy and Marine Sectors.

“We want to be Japan’s best cheap restaurant” says new (but also not new) Akihabara noodle joint

Akihabara Ramen Center is dead. Long live Akihabara Seimen Center.Some neighborhoods have spots that seem to be cursed as restaurant locations. A new eatery opens up, only to abruptly shut down a year later, only for another restaurant to move in, and then the whole cycle repeats, over and over.We thought we might have discovered one of these concentrated pockets of bad restaurateur luck in Akihabara, downtown Tokyo’s anime and video game district. When Gattsuri Udon, a restaurant specializing i

Starbucks Japan releases a miniature display rack so you can create your very own store at home

A beautiful way to show off your Starbucks collectibles.If you’ve ever dreamed of owning your very own Starbucks, the chain now has a new product that allows you to do just that, on an adorably tiny scale.Called the Starbucks Collection Rack, this new collectible is a cleverly designed display shelf that’s designed to show off your miniature goods while recreating the look of a real Starbucks store.Natural wood finishes evoke the warm and inviting interior of a Starbucks, with beautiful de

Eight great words for talking about summer in Japan in Japanese

Taking a break in the shade? Here’s some Japanese vocabulary and cultural knowledge that could be yours by the time you step back into the sun.Summer in Japan can be a divisive season. To some people, it’s the season of intense heat and humidity, while to others, it’s the season of intense heat and humidity that also has awesomely fun events, delicious foods, and cool traditions.But whether you love it or hate it, it’s impossible not to feel the season if you’re in Japan during the summer, and s

Kodama Shinkansen trains on popular Japan route get a whole new look this winter

Beautiful new design pays homage to regions that the bullet train serves, with charming hidden details. When you’re travelling between cities on the Shinkansen in Japan, the journey is often just as memorable as the destination. That’ll be especially true for passengers on the Sanyo Shinkansen from this winter, as they’ll be able to enjoy the ride on a bullet train featuring a new-look “Yurari” design.The new look will be gradually introduced on Kodama services between Shin-Osaka and Hakata Stat

Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards

New machines at two of Tokyo’s busiest metro stations will require you to pay with a credit card or one-day-pass QR code.Tokyo’s Ginza and Ueno subway stations are two of the busiest rail stops in the city, providing access to some of the city’s most popular shopping destinations in the upscale Ginza neighborhood and access to Ueno Park in Ueno, one of downtown’s largest green spaces and also home to some of the country’s finest art and history museums. Because of that, you’d think that subway o

99-year-old woman rescued while attempting to climb Mt. Fuji

Three-day ascent attempt comes to an abrupt end.When I first started hiking in Japan, I couldn’t help noticing how many older people you encounter along the trails. I’m not just talking about people who’ve reached mature adulthood, but silver-haired hikers who could easily be grandparents, and yet still enjoy getting out into nature and walking up into the mountains.I’ve got a lot of respect for them, and think they’re great role models for maintaining an active, healthy lifestyle. However, one

Starbucks Japan adds a new summer Frappuccino to the menu, but is it as refreshing as it looks?

Limited-edition “gyugyutto” beverage features a fruit combo rarely seen at Starbucks.After a succesion of brutally hot days in Japan, this summer is already testing our limits, even though the season has barely begun. Thankfully, there’s now some much-needed respite to be had, in the form of a new Starbucks Frappuccino to help keep us cool and calm as we enter the hottest days of the year.Called the “Gyugyutto Orange & Mango Frappuccino” (“gyugyutto” means to be “packed full”), this icy beve

Which country’s foreign tourists spend the most money per-person in Japan? Hint: Not the U..S. or China

One country’s travelers spend more than double the total average for tourists in Japan, and it’s one the Japanese tourism industry hasn’t paid much attention to.Recent statistics show that during the first half of 2026 Japan had its first dip in the number of foreign tourists visiting the country since five years ago. Some might call that a sign that the Japan travel boom has peaked, but the number of travelers only paints half the picture, and the amount of money foreign tourists are spending i

Cup Noodle and Columbia team up for a weird and wonderful T-shirt that’s very Japanese

The English on the back of the shirt is almost as humorous as the beach hut squid in the design.The hearty warmth of a hot Cup Noodle is well suited to the colder months, but now the brand wants to remind us that it can still bring us joy in summer too.Here to help do that is American outdoor brand Columbia, who has teamed up with the instant noodle maker for a new collaboration T-shirt inspired by Cup Noodle’s popular Seafood flavour.▼ The new design was born from the idea of “What if a beach h

FM Mohamad Leads Malaysian Delegation To ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting In Manila

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan is leading the Malaysian delegation to the 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting ...

New Shinkansen luggage drop-off system begins in Japan, making train travel even easier

“Hands-Free” service lets Shinkansen travellers send their suitcases by bullet train without carrying them onboard.Travelling by Shinkansen is one of the highlights of any trip to Japan, but there’s one thing that can take the shine off the experience – having to lug big suitcases with you onboard and through crowded stations during the journey.Now, East Japan Railways (JR East) is working to alleviate that problem, by introducing a new drop-off luggage option for travellers so they can ride the

Hatsune Miku, VTuber Suisei Hoshimachi perform opening pitch at pro baseball game in Japan [Video]

Suisei throws smoke, some commenters throw shade.There’s always a degree of risk when a professional baseball team calls in someone from outside the sporting world to throw a game’s ceremonial first pitch. Sure, the celebrity might be popular and charismatic, but do they have the arm to put the ball over the plate all the way from the pitcher’s mound?So it was an especially bold move of Japan’s Chiba Lotte Marines to give the honor of throwing out the opening pitch on Monday to someone who has n

Foreign hiker on Mt. Fuji loses consciousness and dies, becoming climbing season’s second fatality

European man lost consciousness during Mt. Fuji hike with his son.The Fujinomiya Trail, one of the most popular routes to the top of Mt. Fuji, opened for this year’s climbing season on July 10. Just one week later, Mt. Fuji had its first death of the 2026 season, and now a foreign traveler attempting to summit Japan’s tallest mountain has died as well.On July 17, a 65-year-old man from Nara was making the Fujinomiya Trail ascent as part of a tour group. At around 6:30 in the morning, as the grou

Japanese government sets up new group to deal with trading card boom

Trading cards have become so popular in Japan that the government is now getting involved, but what does this mean for fans?Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has announced plans to establish a new parliamentary group dedicated to the country’s rapidly growing trading card industry. The group will hold its inaugural meeting on 23 July, when lawmakers will hear from industry organisations and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) about the state of the market a

Yakuza members arrested for building a road on mountain they don’t own

Darn gangsters! Building infrastructure without permission.On 15 July, about 120 officers with the Hiroshima Prefectural Police conducted a search of the headquarters for the Harada faction of the Kyosei-kai yakuza group in Hiroshima City.▼ Video of the search, with so many officers pouring into there you’d think it was led by a pill-popping Gary OldmanThe search was a part of an investigation into the boss and four members of the Harada faction, who were arrested 14 July on suspicion of b

If you love Pokémon and cats, you’ll love Japan’s cat Pokémon cat toys and feeding dishes[Photos]

Some Pokémon fun to share with your real-world Meowth, Litten, or Sprigatito.“Pokémon” is short for “Pocket Monster,” but there are more than a few Pokémon species that aren’t exactly monstrous in appearance or attitude. Sure, they may still be fantastical fictional creatures, but there are definitely Pokémon that look like they’d make fine pets here in the real world. For example, what cat lover wouldn’t be thrilled to welcome Litten, Sprigatito, or Meowth to their home?And while those three Po

Taco sandwiches appear in Japan with new Lunch Pack sandwich pocket flavor[Taste test]

Yamazaki’s beloved series branches out with a new fluffy taco offering.At the risk of being figuratively flowery in multiple ways, walking down the bread aisle of a Japanese supermarket or convenience store is a little like strolling through a garden and seeing what sort of wonderful seasonal things are appearing. That’s especially true with Yamazaki Baking’s Lunch Pack series, Japan’s favorite brand of sandwich pockets. Sometimes Lunch Pack goes sweet, like with the sakura-flavor dessert ones w