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Paying for prostitution isn’t illegal in Japan, but it could be soon
Ministry of Justice eyeing changes to Prostitution Prevention Law.For our latest installment of “words they probably didn’t teach you in Japanese class,” let’s examine the word baishun. It’s written with two kanji characters, the first of which, 売, means “selling,” and the second, 春, meaning “spring.”Knowing that, one might guess that baishun refers to the selling of some sort of seasonal produce harvested in the spring, or perhaps some other sort of vernal commercial activity, such as selling d
Satisfy your sweet tooth with cheesecake and more all-you-can-eat sweets at Cheese Garden
This special sweets buffet is easily accessible from Tokyo and is truly baking the world a better place.We’ve been on a bit of a sweets kick since the start of the new year, having recently paid a long overdue visit to the all-you-can-eat dessert buffet Sweets Paradise. That trip went so well that we’ve been on the lookout for more sweet treats to try ever since–and finally found a place that looked like it would hit that sweet spot.Cheese Garden is located within the Emi Terra
McDonald’s Japan hack: What happens when you put an apple pie inside a Big Mac?
This could be the best idea in the world…or the worst.Our reporters are always looking for new ways to spice up their lives, so when our McDonald’s-loving reporter P.K. Sanjun found himself browsing the usual menu items at the chain for the umpteenth time, a thought suddenly struck him like lightning: what if he stuffed an apple pie inside a Big Mac? ▼ Always keen to put his ideas to the test, P.K. ordered one of each and then took them back to the office for a taste test.Though it
Our reporter is willing to die on the pseudo-Italian restaurant Olive Hill
Saizeriwhatnow?For many years now, Saizeriya has been the undisputed king of unbelievably cheap and questionably Italian food. As long as you’re not picky about authenticity and appreciate good-tasting food at a really low price, it’s hard to be disappointed by them.However, a new competitor has emerged with nearly the same low prices and dishes that will make you cry out all kinds of vaguely Italian-sounding exclamations like “Finduccio!” It’s called Olive Hill, and it’s actually been around fo
Man in Japan takes four parakeets hostage in attempt to force woman to meet with him
Tells woman that “There is no way for you to save the parakeets except to come home.”On February 7, in the hours between 1 and 2 a.m., a 20-something woman in the town of Nanyo, Yamagata Prefecture, received a series of messages via a messaging app on her phone. The messages all came from a 26-year-old man who she was acquainted with.The police have not publicly disclosed the exact nature of the pair’s relationship, but it would seem that the two were perhaps living together, or at least that th
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
New bullet train goes into service next month with route connecting Tokyo and Tohoku region.Usually, when planning to use the Shinkansen, you’ll need to make a choice between booking a reserved or non-reserved seat. Last Friday, however, East Japan Railway Company, a.k.a. JR East, showed off its first-ever bullet train that has no seats at all.Those aren’t the only ordinarily expected Shinkansen features the train is missing though. It also has no conventional side windows inside its cars, and i
Foreigners accounting for over 80 percent of off-course skiers needing rescue in Japan’s Hokkaido
Japan is pissed off about the off-piste skiing.Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost, coldest, and snowiest prefecture, boasts world-class skiing and snowboarding venues. That’s not just an expression, either, as Hokkaido really does draw snowsport enthusiasts from around the world, especially with the current Japan travel boom among international tourists, and the weak yen helping to fuel it, showing no signs of changing anytime soon.Unfortunately, it’s not just Hokkaido’s managed ski slopes that are
Blowfish-shaped fugu bento appears to celebrate Japan’s Blowfish Day [Taste test]
Yes, fugu can kill you with its poison, but this one might kill us with cuteness.Feline lovers in Japan are getting set to celebrate the quasi-holiday of Cat Day later this month, but that’s not the only February day for animal lovers to circle on their calendars, as February 9 is a day to salute blowfish, or fugu, as they’re called in Japanese.Because the numbers 2 and 9 can be pronounced as “fu” and “gu” in Japanese, February 9 (2-9) is “Fugu Day.” Fugu, famously, is poisonous if not properly
Japan law lets you claim reward for finding lost property, man may have scammed it over 60 times
Tokyo man arrested for stealing smartphone, turning it in to police to claim reward money.In October, a man walked into a police box in Tokyo and told the officer on duty that he’d found someone’s smartphone and was turning it in as lost property. He also stated, explicitly, “I want the reward money.”To clarify, the owner of the phone hadn’t posted any public reward notice for it. Under Japan’s Lost Property Act, however, people who turn in lost property after finding it are allowed to claim a
New Family Mart cinema opens inside Japanese airport
Japan’s first permanent cinema in an airport is called the Family Mart Lovers Theatre…but why?We’ve seen a lot of things in Japan, but one thing we haven’t seen is a mini cinema inside an airport. That all changed on 1 October, though, when the Faminchu Theatre opened inside Okinawa’s Naha Airport.While New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido is home to a full-size cinema, the Faminchu Theatre is Japan’s first-ever permanent mini cinema inside an airport terminal, and
Man arrested in Japan after leaving car in coin parking lot for six years, racking up three-million-yen bill
Says he remembers parking his car, but can’t remember the exact date he did it anymore.Because many Japanese apartments and condominiums don’t have their own attached parking spaces, it’s common for car owners to have to find a nearby lot to park in. Usually they’ll seek out a place where they can lease a reserved parking spot on a monthly or other long-term basis, but a resident of Kobe’s Nada Ward apparently decided one night that an automated coin parking lot he found near his condo, one wher
Cup Noodle maker Nissin teams up with thick-broth ramen chain for instant ramen rice[Taste test]
The thickness we love with the convenience we crave.As a nation, Japan has next to no fear of carbohydrates, with rice and noodles being major building blocks of most people’s diets. There’s perhaps no clearer example of this than how at ramen restaurants, even those with extremely limited menus, it’s common to have a bowl of white rice available as a side dish for your bowl of noodles.As a matter of fact, for some foodies, the best part of a ramen meal comes when they put their rice into the ra
Hunter x Hunter teams up with Shimamura clothing chain for clothing and more treasures galore
Going hunting for some items to spice up your life? Shimamura has got you covered, quite literally.Despite the frequent hiatuses that the Hunter x Hunter manga experiences in large part due to author Yoshihiro Togashi’s health issues, it remains a beloved shonen entry with legions of fans around the world. Thankfully, in a new collaboration with Japanese clothing chain Shimamura that began on February 7, you can literally wear your love for the series on your sleeve–or even sleep on
Swapping seats on Japan’s bullet trains is not allowed, Shinkansen operator says
It’s a gray area in terms of travel etiquette, but JR has a clear stance on the topic.Japan is very committed to the idea that it’s important to be considerate to others, even if that means being a little inconvenienced yourself. This is especially true is shared spaces like public transportation, but there’s debate that pops up periodically regarding riding the Shinkansen/bullet train.Certain Shinkansen cars have reserved seats, like an airliner, and just like with air travel, sometimes there a
Japan has omurice chocolate, and the weirdest thing isn’t how it tastes
What sounds like a crime against food, turned out to be a cute and delicious surprise.With Valentine’s Day just a few days away, it’s time to start thinking about what to present to your loved one, which in the case of Japan, is almost always chocolate. Chocolate and Japanese Valentine’s Day are so intertwined that it sometimes feels less of a romantic event and more of a nationwide celebration of chocolate. Each year sees the coming of fairly standard chocolates, bizarre creations like ones tha
Lawson convenience stores sell a mega katsu sando, and there’s a hack to get it cheap in Japan
This beast puts convenience store egg sandwiches to shame.In a climate of rising costs and prices, it can be hard to find a good deal in Japan these days. So when Lawson announced it would be holding a “Morisugi Challenge“, which loosely translates as “Overfill Challenge“, we immediately headed out to our local branch to check it out.▼ The “Overfill Challenge” upsizes select items by 50 percent at no extra cost.The challenge began on 26 January, running over f
A look back on 40 years of Japanese schools banning stuff
Mr. Sato leads an office roundtable discussion on weird things Japanese schools have said “Nope, you can’t do that” about.As we’ve touched on recently, Japan is currently in the grip of sticker fever, with people across the nation newly enthralled with collecting and exchanging cute little adhesive seals, especially the ones with some puffiness to them. While adults are not immune to sticker fever, it’s kids who feel the appeal most strongly, and as is so often the case when kids en masse find s
Japan manners debate: Is it OK to put a Mister Donut donut back on the shelf after taking it?
Mister Donut is Japan’s most broadly loved donut chain, but this kind of behavior is more divisive.Recently, a debate broke out online in Japan regarding Mister Donut. The topic wasn’t whether or not its donuts are good, as Mister Donut, being Japan’s largest donut chain for several decades now, has got plenty of fans. No, the question was whether or not it’s OK to take a donut from the shelf, put it on your tray, and then change your mind and put it back on the shelf without buying it.For those
7-Eleven Japan sells freshly baked pizzas…but are they any good?
A convenience store find waiting to be discovered by customers.On a recent convenience store run to a local 7-Eleven, we came across a sign in front of the counter telling us that they offer freshly baked pizzas. We immediately whipped out our phone to find out more about this new revelation, and after a quick search online, we discovered it was a service that started around a year ago.▼ However, as it’s not available in all stores it remains under the radar for most customers.Always hungr
Krispy Kreme Japan’s sakura donuts are almost here!
Cherry blossom donuts scheduled to arrive well before the cherry blossoms themselves, but we’re not complaining.Even though they only bloom for about two weeks, cherry blossoms captivate people’s minds for a much longer time. As we get closer to the start of cherry blossom season, anticipation builds and builds, to the point where you can almost taste sakura.And that won’t just be metaphorically speaking soon, as Krispy Kreme Japan will be baking up batches of sakura donuts before the month is o