Japanese culture developed, in many ways, independently from the rest of Asia. A phenomenon known as ガラパゴス化, the Galapagos effect, this branching off from mainland…

Japan has a knack for creating quirky novelty items that combine two things you never even imagined you could put together, like a full-body blanket…

You meet all kinds of people living as an ex-pat in Japan. Perhaps this is typical of minority communities, but there seems to be a…

Japan is a great country. If nothing else, it’s a safe and relatively easy place for an ex-pat to live. However, like anywhere, it certainly…

Movie sign painters are very scarce in Japan. Once a thriving career in the golden age of cinema, only a handful of them are active…

Japanese snack food aficionados are likely familiar with “Baby Star Ramen”, a dried and crunchy mini-ramen noodle snack. What you may not know, however, is…

Many of the passionate fans of the wildly popular My Hero Academia franchise have surely already purchased their fair share of anime goods, and some…

Whether it’s for the (then) world debut of ruby chocolate, rare volcanic chocolate, or cacao fruit chocolate, Kit Kat has always offered their most premium…

TeamLab is a group that creates art work with the latest digital technology. They are an upcoming organization displaying amazing artwork in both Japan and…

NieR Re[in]carnation (henceforth referred to as “Rein”) is a new installment in the overall Yokoverse, or timeline that spans multiple video games and other media…

The Tokyo Advertising Museum in Shinbashi is the only museum dedicated to the history of advertising in Japan. It was opened in 2002 to commemorate…

Japan’s tourism industry has suffered this year due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Cherry blossom season in March and April saw parks closed to curb…

I used to work at an ESL school for young children. And while it was mostly a happy environment, I quickly grew accustomed to the…

Some children seem pre-wired, knowing precisely what buttons to push to get under your skin. You can trust me on this one. I was a…

Many people are aware of two of Japan’s most refined artistic traditions: the tea ceremony (chadō or sadō 茶道) and flower arranging (kadō 花道). But…