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…

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…

With hits like Gudetama, Rilakkuma and Sumikko Gurashi under its belt, character and goods company San-X knows a thing or two about developing cute characters…

Talented special effects artist turned fashion designer MALICIOUS.X (Twitter/Instagram) crafts incredibly stylish and sometimes horrifying accessories, but her awesome masks might be appreciated at no…

Like any culture, Japan has its fair share of superstitious beliefs and old wives tales. Consumers avoid facing north while snoozing and refrain from writing…

A headline from the Ryūkyū Shimpō, Okinawa’s top newspaper, has gone viral on Twitter today due to a possible interpretation of the wording. The headline…

World’s Most Popular Shih Tzu? Have you come across Paningning (therealpaningning) during your internet wanderings? This Shih Tzu puppy has created quite the buzz because…

Charging for plastic bags As of July 1st, 2020, Japan requires all retailers to charge customers for plastic bags. While the new rule is intended…

Like other indigenous groups, the Ainu people of Hokkaido and the north-eastern Honshu island of Japan have experienced marginalization. After the Japanese government annexed their…

If you’re an avid reader of Grape Japan, you’re well aware that Japan is experiencing a robot renaissance. According to the World Robotics – Industrial…

You gotta love music. Whether its spacey ambient kankyo ongaku, relaxing jazz progressions from the 1970s, or a seven-hour kawaii danceathon, there’s nothing like the…

By – Ben K Introduction As readers of grape Japan can surely attest to, the kawaii aesthetic has become an internationally recognized commodity. But where…

We recently wrote about pet ownership in Japan. Historically uncommon, households have been adopting furrier family members en masse in recent years. The country has…

The COVID-19 pandemic is no laughing matter. Governments across the globe have been enforcing lockdowns to differing degrees during limited commerce and tourism. Similarly, Japan…

Personally, I’ve always been fascinated by Japanese history. While far from an expert on the issue, there’s just something mystical about the society as it…