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Japan asked to vote on what to officially call insanely hot days Good idea to hold the election before it's too hot to think.

Japan Meteorological Agency needs to create new vocabulary as Japan gets hotter and hotter.

Japanese government planning higher ticket prices for foreign tourists at Tokyo National Museum Agency for Cultural Affairs wants two-tiered ticket pricing system at 12 National Museums.

Japanese government planning higher ticket prices for foreign tourists at Tokyo National Museum

Studio Ghibli now sells Ursula’s backpack from Kiki’s Delivery Service at its anime shop in Japan Channel the cool confidence of a Ghibli character with a real-world bag...that comes with a giant price tag.

The bag of Ghibli's in-anime artist makes the move from Kiki's Delivery Service to the real world.

Visiting Japan’s one-and-only, and only-for-a-limited-time, Dragon Ball noodle restaurant[Photos] Marugame Seimen branch in downtown Tokyo transforms into an anime eatery with awesome artwork inside and out.

Tokyo has a Dragon Ball-themed noodle restaurant serving p edible Dragon Balls and more right now!

7-Eleven Japan now sells bagels…cooked in bamboo steamers Like a bagel masquerading as a Chinese steamed bun.

Today's reason Japanese convenience stores are awesome: 7-Eleven's steamed bagels!

Over four billion yen in lost cash was found in Tokyo last year, setting new record Billions turned in to police, and billions returned to owners.

Over four billion, yes, BILLION, yen was found and turned in to the police in Tokyo last year.

Japan’s Human Washing Machine pods are now on sale for home use, and they’re not cheap But can you really put a price on this kind of science fiction-grade luxury?

The future is here as Japan's human washing machine pods are now on sale for home use...but this future doesn't come cheap.

Starbucks Japan has a limited-edition candle…that hasn’t sold out yet Does this mean the candle isn't any good? 

Instead of a Starbucks taste-test, today we're doing a Starbucks smell-test!

Taste-testing Japan’s real-world Dragon Balls and Senzu Beans at Marugame Seimen The treasures of Dragon Ball come to one of Japan’s favorite noodle restaurant chains.

What's it like to eat Japan's real-world Dragon Balls and Senzu Beans? Let's find out!

Japan’s cherry blossom season predicted to start earlier than we’d thought, especially in Tokyo Updated forecast says a burst of warm weather, with more sun to come, will be speeding up cherry blossom buds’ development.

Tokyo is getting its cherry blossoms extra early this year, updated Japan sakura forecast says.

Live-action One Piece’s Luffy teaches Sesame Street’s Elmo a Japanese word for friendship[Video] Aspiring pirate kings share hugs with each other and a bit of Japanese culture with the world.

Sesame Street's Elmo and the live-action One Piece's Luffy officially become nakama as they teach the world what that Japanese word means.

Is Starbucks Japan’s new Hinamatsuri Girls’ Day Frappuccino suitable for adults? Tiny Frappuccino is designed for young girls, so we find out if it's too sweet for adults. 

Starbucks' Japan-only Girls' Day Frappuccino is made for tiny hands, but can it please grown-up taste buds?

One Piece creator has hidden secret of anime treasure’s identity in chest at bottom of real-world ocean After keeping secret for nearly 30 years, Eiichiro Oda has written it down on a paper, put that paper in a chest, and tossed it into the sea, where it remains even now.

One Piece's creator revealed one of the series' biggest secrets...and then he hid it at the bottom of the real-world ocean.

Sakuramochi festival sweetens things up at Tokyo’s Seibu Ikebukuro this season One of Tokyo's biggest shopping areas is giving you the chance to try 19 kinds of the traditional spring sweet spanning two major regional differences.

It's East vs. West as 19 kinds of sakura mochi gather for a spring sweets spectacular in Tokyo!

Is Tokyo Station’s startlingly expensive wagyu bento boxed lunch worth its high price?[Taste test] The Yukifuri Wagyu Obanazawa Sirloin and Rib Loin Steak Rice Box has a long name, a high price, and our stomach’s interest.

Is Tokyo Station’s startlingly expensive wagyu bento boxed lunch worth its high price?[Taste test]

Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura cherry blossom collection for hanami season 2026 Sakura is usually associated with the colour pink, so why is this collection so blue?

Starbucks turns Japan's most famous pink flowers blue for new sakura drinkware collection.

Kyoto raises hotel accommodation tax to fight overtourism, travelers could pay up to 10 times more Higher rates now in effect, projected to bring in more than 7 billion yen in extra revenue.

Kyoto's increased hotel guest taxes, raised to fight overtourism, are now in effect.

Sakura Festival in Chiyoda mixes illuminations, boats, music, and Rilakkuma in the heart of Tokyo Celebrate the fleeting cherry blossom season with a plethora of things to do right around the Imperial Palace.

Sakura festival is about to get started in one of Tokyo's best cherry blossom spots!

Chance to play Teris on a massive staircase in Kyoto Station coming in March The one time you won’t get in trouble for playing on the stairs.

Kyoto Station itself is becoming the screen for a gigantic game of Tetris!

Lawson adds doughnuts to its convenience store sweets range, but are they good enough to go viral? A new convenience store sweet...but you need to be lucky to find it.

Lawson's doughnuts might just become Japan’s next viral convenience store sweet.

Viral Japanese cheesecake from Osaka has a lesser known rival called Aunt Wanda Move aside, Uncle Rikuro – Aunt Wanda is here to steal your fluffy souffle crown, without the raisins.

If you don't like the raisins in the viral Uncle Rikuro cheesecake, Aunt Wanda is here to serve you.

The best Hobonichi diaries, covers and stationery for 2026 It's not too late to get organised with One Piece, Tomie, Mother, and Tamagotchi at your fingertips.

Hobonichi has become a global phenomenon, and here are our top picks from this year's collection.

Ramen for 99 yen?!? Best value-for-money noodles found at unlikely chain in Japan Not many people know about it, but there's a way to get ramen for just 64 cents in Japan.

Is this the cheapest bowl of ramen in Japan?

Potama serves up epic rice balls like no other, and there’s only one store in Tokyo Soul food from a tropical island, made fresh in the capital. 

Foreign tourists are yet to catch on to the local craze for Potama.

Family Mart ups its convenience store food game with special burger from beef bowl chain Matsuya Limited-edition release is quickly attracting attention online.

Matsuya teams up with Family Mart for a mighty new convenience store burger.

Can we be just like Shohei Ohtani on a budget with a Hello Kitty cap? Hello Ohtani.

Shohei Ohtani cosplay...on an extreme budget.

Japan’s craziest burger chain takes menchi katsu to new extreme levels We find out what gives the Naughty Menchi Katsu Burger its unusual name. 

"Naughty" burger flouts all the fast food rules in Japan.

Eevee returns to Japan’s famous Tokyo Banana, bundled with a cute tote bag The beloved Tokyo souvenir re-introduces chocolate sponge Eevee cakes, along with a collectible keepsake for fans.

Eevee teams up with Tokyo Banana for a very sweet souvenir set.

The fish in rural Fukui that rivals Japan’s most auspicious sea bream This Obama delicacy impresses with its sashimi-like flavor, which is almost unthinkable for a preserved food.

Fresh from Obama...well, sort of.

Drift ice in Japan is a disappearing winter miracle you need to see now A trip on the Aurora icebreaker boat takes you to the southernmost point where the ocean freezes.

Drift ice has arrived in Japan, and here's how and where you can see it.