Wearing a yukata 浴衣, a casual unlined kimono made of cotton or synthetic fabric, is one of the joys of summer for many Japanese people….

If you’ve been reading grape Japan recently, you’re probably aware that Japan has been flooded with bubble tea shops and sucked into bubble tea mania….

As many of our readers already may know, Makoto Shinkai’s “Weathering with You” will open in Japanese theaters on July 19th, 2019. The release of…

Japanese Voices 日本語のままクールジャパン is a regular series designed for learners of Japanese to enjoy real Japanese language programming from Nippon Broadcasting System, one of the…

The latest trend in bubble tea to hit Tokyo is known as ‘cheese tea’. Sounds like an unappetising concept, but don’t worry, there’s no blocks…

The currently trending Bottle Cap Challenge, which involves unscrewing a bottle cap off of the top of a bottle with a roundhouse kick (or by…

If you’re a fan of “Naruto” and have been putting off buying a complete anthology, now is your chance. Tokyo-based Progress Technologies Inc. makes the…

As in many markets around the world, the live-action adaptation of the Disney classic Aladdin has proven to be a huge success here in Japan….

Japanese Voices 日本語のままクールジャパン is a regular series designed for learners of Japanese to enjoy real Japanese language programming from Nippon Broadcasting System, one of the…

Virtual Youtubers, or Vtubers for short, are becoming an increasingly important presence in Japanese entertainment, music and media. As reported by virtual entertainment media site…

Hand roll sushi, or temaki 手巻き in Japanese, is a very popular way to eat sushi, not only in restaurants but also at home, due…

Miki Katoh is a Japanese artist who is truly dear to our hearts here at grape Japan. Her exquisite work “Auspicious Omens” graces the top…

As anticipation for Makoto Shinkai’s latest film “Weathering with You” rises in advance of its July 19th theatrical debut, the commercial campaign is getting into…

With the growing international popularity of anime and anime songs, anime song DJ events have evolved from a minor subculture phenomenon to a more mainstream…

A challenge One fine morning in late June, a box was delivered to our office. Inside, we found packages of a new kind of Shin…