Mitsukoshi Isetan suggests o-chūgen summer gifts with a “sustainable” focus this year
Summer gifts in Japan: O-chūgen Traditionally, there are two seasons for gift giving in Japan, お歳暮 oseibo (which means “year-end”) in winter and o-chūgen お中元…
SDGs
Coca-Cola Japan releases freeze-dried green tea and coffee cubes for instant brews
As rewarding as it can be to settle down inside a nice café or teahouse for a good brew, sometimes those on the go (or…
Japan’s faceless lifelike cat plushie purrs in response to pets and acts as a heater
As many cat lovers will happily attest, there is no soothing energy that hits quite like that provided by a purring feline cuddling up on…
Marutomi Seishi’s ultra-long coreless toilet paper rolls cut waste and reduce carbon footprint
Today, May 10th, 2021, Japanese paper manufacturing company Marutomi Seishi Co., Ltd. launched “Penguin Coreless Ultra-Long MAX Pulp Sextuple Length 300-meter Single-Ply 2 Roll” packages…
Never forget your bag again with new foldable eco bags that fit in your wallet
Japanese online retailer Village Vanguard catalogue of quirky goods, including soothing RPG save crystals and wearable tentacle plushies, appears to be constantly expanding. This time…
Turn your room into a Kyushu forest with these woodland fragrances
HiKEI, a Japanese brand that develops apparel with a focus on organic cotton items, has released a lineup of nature-inspired fragrances under the concept of…
Orion beer gives a toast to sea protection with pristine blue Southern Star cans
For beer lovers in Okinawa, the go-to is Orion Beer. The mild and fresh lager is a very common sight among those enjoying the beautiful…
Japanese craft gin from Iki Island cuts food loss using oft-wasted parts of local fruits & veggies
Iki Retreat Kairi Murakami Iki Retreat Kairi Murakami 壱岐リトリート 海里村上 is a luxury hot spring inn with sublime sea views and blissful hot spring baths…
All-in-one home izakaya grill and sake heater turns your table into a Japanese pub
Izakaya, or Japanese pubs, are home to a wide variety of tasty snacks and drinks, but for many one of their chief allures can be…
Pride House Tokyo Legacy now provides wraparound support for LGBTQ+ youth under 25
In April 2021, the Pride House Tokyo consortium, a voluntary organization, launched a free counseling and wraparound support program for LGBTQ+ and questioning youth and…
Put some hop in your lift with matcha cricket protein bars
While edible crickets have been available in Japan for a while as somewhat of an “off the beaten path snack”, even dispensed in vending machines,…
Tote your goods in fantasy style with adorable fairy tale cat bags
Nekobu (Cat Club) is Japanese online retailer Felissimo’s division of goods which includes such cute and quirky releases as pet beds that turn your cat…
Good Good Mart sells eco-friendly bento boxes & tumblers made of bamboo dust & coffee grounds
BENTO box COFFEE lunch box and coffee tumbler BENTO box COFFEE is a lunch box made from a new, 100% natural material called Plant Fiber…
New line of shopping bags and gift boxes from Cosme Kitchen use sustainable materials
Cosme Kitchen, a specialty store for natural and organic cosmetics run by Mash Beauty Lab Inc., has redesigned its shopping bags and gift boxes using…
Japanese maker releases bamboo toothbrushes in campaign against plastic waste
As part of what appears to be a growing trend to embrace Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the country, last month Japan saw the release…