Umaibō: Japan’s beloved “tasty stick” Since 1979, Umaibō うまい棒 has been a household name in Japan. Literally meaning “tasty stick,” the snack brand made by…

Far from worthless The first time I stepped into a dagashi (“penny snack”) shop, I was driven by curiosity. I was on my way to…

Quick, safe and convenient Nori Shredder Whether it’s something a simple as a bowl of rice or a serving of cold soba noodles, a delicious…

Shoeface is a sustainable Japanese company that makes shoelaces by upcycling old kimono, scarves and traditional fabrics from both Japan and overseas. The resulting shoelaces…

Starbucks Japan celebrating its 25th anniversary Starbucks Coffee Ginza Matsuya-dori, the first Starbucks Coffee store, was opened in Ginza, Tokyo in 1996, and since then,…

If you’ve ever been to a summer festival in Japan, then you know just how much fun and how inclusive they can be. It’s all…

Tabemasu’s super cute convenience store wagashi have covered a lot of different characters in the past. They’ve teamed up with companies such as Sanrio and…

Katsushika Hokusai (葛飾北斎, 1760-1849), better known simply as Hokusai, was a Japanese artist, ukiyo-e painter and printmaker of the Edo period. He is best known for his woodblock…

Uniform Net Co., Ltd. announced in a press release that they opened a new website for their AIGRA brand of earrings inspired by Aizu-gata 会津型,…

Some of our readers may recall Virtual Bishōjo Nem バーチャル美少女ねむ, the self-professed world’s first independent Vtuber, whom we had the pleasure of interviewing last year….

Masato Hara 原正人, the legendary film producer who worked with Akira Kurosawa, Nagisa Oshima and other leading Japanese filmmakers in a seven-decade career, died of…

Japanese non-profit cat rescue organization Neco Republic seems to always be searching for creative ways to help out our feline friends. In the past they’ve…

Japanese kimono are often praised for the beauty and elegance found in their design, but what really ties them together (pun intended) is their obi….

With spring just around the corner, many Japanese srestaurants, sweets shops, cafes and drinks stands are thinking of various ways of marking the occasion. As…

Instagram and SNS are spoilt for choice when it comes to finding good art and following talented content creators. We’ve certainly taken note over the…