Japan’s best cookies converge at Sogo Yokohama’s first “Cookie Expo”
The market for high-end cookies is growing internationally. In Japan, cookies are very popular and new brands and varieties continue to emerge. For example, as…
Japanese convenience store FamilyMart launches medicine pick-up pharmacy service
Japanese convenience stores certainly live up to their name. On top of surprisingly delicious findings such as gourmet egg sandwiches, customers can handle other errands…
“This is love.” Grandmother’s handmade “present” warms hearts online
Japanese mother Kiyo (@kiyomura_2525) was recently presented with a gift from her own mother to give to her daughter. She may very well consider the…
Can you find all the cats in this photo? Hint: It’s more than three!
We love a good photo puzzle at grape Japan, and thanks to Twitter, we’ve seen several challenging entries that were particularly difficult to solve. One…
Fans can now get Studio Ghibli bath herbs inspired by those found at Spirited Away’s bathhouse
Studio Ghibli is known for creating such arresting fantasy worlds that fans are desperate to experience parts of them for themselves. Some do so by…
Hamster’s reaction has Twitter in stitches; Only 3 seconds after owner begins petting him…
Just as the word “pet” suggests, most pets enjoy being petted. Whether it’s because they know they can make their pets feel good or because…
Tiny kitten loves to perch himself on owner’s shoulder, but a year later…
Cats grow, but their habits often stay the same. Japanese Twitter user and cat owner @potechi_nikki definitely knows that to be true. While he usually…
Living in the city? Try hand picking at strawberry farms
Green and red, fragrant and sweet! There are so many opportunities to pick your own strawberries in Kanagawa. Here’s what we found. By Moe Moeda,…
When non-Japanese people see the “oden” emoji: “That’s what they see?” “I loled”
Emojis, the convenient pictograms populating cellphone and smartphone keyboards around the world, originated in Japan. Written 絵文字, emoji literally means “picture letter.” For example, here…
What an owner sees a few hours after adopting a kitten
Adopting a kitten is a big day for a person, but it may be an even bigger day for the feline. Japanese Twitter user Motochika…
This is confusing! To all appearances, they’re rice ball packages but something’s wrong
As many grape Japan readers probably know, Japanese convenience stores sell a wide variety of おにぎり onigiri rice balls. TikTok user and sweets lover gi_sk_cake…
Cat strikes Superman pose for owner’s photo then hilariously falls asleep in the same position
If the internet is anything to go by, some cats look even more adorable while sleeping, while others seem to take sleeping as a challenge…
Japanese sweet store brings back ‘raindrop cake’ jellies as traditional summer dessert
Japanese traditional sweets are known just as much for their presentation as their taste, and one particularly magical looking genre of dessert are those that…
“What can you do?” Boss talks to man about parental leave; His words move Twitter to tears
According to Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare, while the percentage of men taking parental leave in the country is growing each year, it…
Use ground meat ‘as is’ in ultimate “shortcut recipe”: “Awesome”; “I’ll try it right away!”
“Japanese hamburger steak” (ハンバーグ hambāgu), a variation of Hamburg Steak or Salisbury Steak, is a dish made by kneading ground meat—often a 7:3 blend of…