Noh mask sweets are a hauntingly good way of appreciating a 500-year-old tradition
Kurokawa Noh The classical Japanese dance-drama Noh 能 is the world’s longest-lived extant theater art. Highly symbolic in nature, with a sparse stage devoid of…
Written By : Ben K
SMARI: A smart way to return online purchases and rental products in Japan
I’m probably not alone in appreciating the benefits of online shopping, especially since the novel coronavirus pandemic made it potentially more dangerous to visit crowded…
Matsuken Sunbreak! Japan’s favorite dancing shogun promotes Monster Hunter in promo MV
Today, June 30th, 2022, is an exciting day for gamers who have been following the hit Monster Hunter game series. The Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak…
Japanese nail artist goes viral with “Gakuen Handsome’s lethal weapons”
When manga and anime fans think of Gakuen Handsome, the Boys’ Love doujin game which was adapted into a series of smartphone games, novelizations, OVA…
Artist shows potential of knitting in cosplay with striking Demon’s Hand from “Hell Teacher Nūbē”
When most people think of knitting, they imagine warm scarves, gloves, hats and sweaters and, for those who are more into handcrafted items, maybe plushies,…
Legendary sourcebook of ninja secrets discovered in Japan
On June 19th, 2022, municipal government officials in 甲賀市 Kōka City, Shiga Prefecture, famous for being a center of ninja heritage, announced that a manuscript…
Japanese company president’s touching Father’s Day ad is a letter to his departed father
In most countries, the third Sunday of June every year is Father’s Day. Many fathers receive gifts, cards and other expressions of appreciation and gratitude…
Doraemon’s Gian to finally debut as a singer, realizing his long-held dream
As most people familiar with the beloved world-famous manga and anime franchise Doraemon surely know, Nobita’s faithful friend and sometimes antagonist Takeshi Goda, or Gian…
Six cute hime cut hairstyles according to illustrator Narumi Hosokawa
Since last year, a hairstyle known as the hime cut (姫カット hime katto in Japanese) has been trending internationally. Whether it’s the models at Prada’s…
Japanese cheerleaders’ cute fox dance goes viral, videos rack up millions of views
Foxes feature prominently both in Japanese folklore and popular culture. As some grape Japan readers may recall, you can see fox wedding processions, find an…
You can use this free 3D model even for profit! Meet Nillna, from xR & metaverse firm Mark-on
Mark-on, Co. Ltd., a Japanese company developing and distributing xR applications and metaverse-related apps, has begun distributing a humanoid 3D model called ニルナ Nillna. You…
LOVOT 2.0: Japan’s communicative pet family robot gets an upgrade
Some grape Japan readers may remember when we introduced the communicative pet family robot LOVOT in 2018. Today on May 26th, 2022, robotic venture company…
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…
7-Eleven Japan’s delicious egg roll sandwiches deliver the most value for your yen
As some grape Japan readers may recall, we recently considered what makes Japanese convenience store egg sandwiches so exceptional using the example of Family Mart’s…
Morinaga’s Milk Caramel: Japan’s most delicious caramels enjoyed since 1913
Since I’m half-French but born in the United States, I have fond memories of the delicious caramels and caramel-flavored sweets I enjoyed on my trips…