Thatch: humble yet elegant roofing material in search of a new lease of life
In England and Denmark, there are still entire villages of thatched houses. While it is expensive to thatch a roof in those countries, it is…
A visit to Obuse: chestnuts and handicrafts in the mountains of Nagano prefecture
The little town of Obuse 小布施町 in Nagano prefecture is known for its chestnuts, which have inspired dishes such as chestnut-flavoured ice cream, crepes and…
The Hokusai Museum in Obuse: worthy tribute to “the old man who was mad about painting”
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…
Fender and Square Enix unleash special addition Final Fantasy XIV Stratocaster
As one of the most popular game series of all time, it comes as no big surprise when Final Fantasy inspired designs crop up in…
Neko Neko Shokupan enters the fashion world in this Samansa Mos2 collaboration
As tasty as they may be, Japan’s cat shaped bread, Neko Neko Shokupan is almost too adorable to eat, but now, a collaboration with clothing…
Sustainable and environmentally friendly; Mitsubishi Shipbuilding launches Ferry Kyoto
Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co. Ltd recently held the naming ceremony and launch of the first of two large ferries which have been built to tackle the…
Get ready for summer with these new Ghibli themed folding fans from Donguri Republic
As summer approaches, it’s time to prepare for the accompanying heat wave that – we won’t lie – can sometimes be almost too strong to…
Can Japan’s most adorable robot get any cuter? This Hello Kitty collab certainly says so
Everybody knows Japan has a big reputation when it comes to robotics, so if the life-size moving Gundam statue in Yokohama doesn’t quite scream ‘we…
Interview with Hiroyuki Goto from “Ichikei’s Crow – The Criminal Court Judges” – Producer
Note: This text is reproduced verbatim and provided courtesy of © Fuji Television Network, Inc. (Interview Date: May 2021) Here’s an interview with Hiroyuki Goto,…
New green tea house in Japan offers on-the-go morning bottle service
Recent years have seen some innovation in efforts to revitalize the popularity of green tea in Japan recently, even with instant varieties being made available…
Japan’s “screambulance” brings the haunted house to your doorstep
Haunted house production company 怖がらせ隊 Kowagarase-tai (Scaring Corps) made news last year when they began offering the world’s first drive-in haunted house as a socially…
Japan’s First Kitchen teams up with Iyemon for quality green tea goodies at fast food prices
First Kitchen is Japanese fast food chain dealing in the kind of classic greasy fare you would expect from a fast food restaurant. They have…
Cinnamoroll takes over Osaka’s Hilton Hotel with dreamy sweets wonderland buffet
This summer, Osaka’s Hilton Hotel and Cinnamoroll are coming together to create the ‘sweets wonderland above the clouds’. The event is being held to celebrate…
Chibi Maruko-chan’s Papa Hiroshi sake bottle released to celebrate Father’s Day in Japan
Nexus, a company based in Tokyo, is producing collaborative special edition sake bottles for Hatsukame Sake Brewery, a long-established sake brewery in Shizuoka prefecture, and…
Japanese artist brings anime characters to life with stunning figure repainting
Painting a figure in itself can be an incredible investment of hard work and time, and even more so to do it well. Japanese artist…