Meiji brings back much-loved ‘Tea and Biscuits’ flavour ice cream tubs
The Japanese are known for their love of green tea, but they are also partial to the odd cup of the milky black tea favoured…
Written By : George Lloyd
Historical drama Tenamon ya Sanbikasa scoops top prize at TV awards gala ceremony
Tenamonya Sanbikasa てなもんや三度笠 has won the top prize at the annual Satellite Broadcasting Association awards ceremony, which was held at Yomiuri Hall in Otemachi, Tokyo…
Consortium to develop amazing simultaneous interpretation software
In recent years, giant steps have been made in translation software. Just think how often you use Google Translate. You can use it not just…
Take a trip back in time at Ōedo Onsen Monogatari in Odaiba
“Take a trip back in time at Ōedo Onsen Monogatari…” That’s certainly what it says on the tin – question is, does Tokyo’s biggest ‘super-sentō’…
JR-West Hotels entice travellers with ‘GoTo West Japan’ discounts
‘Go-To’ is the Japanese government’s nationwide campaign to encourage domestic tourism in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Fear of contracting the disease has kept…
Takashi Murakami: Japan’s coolest artist on kawaii culture
Takashi Murakami is one of Japan’s best-known modern artists. In 2008, he was named one of Time magazine’s ‘100 Most Influential People’, the only visual…
Profile of Yoshitomo Nara, Japan’s most expensive living artist
In October 2019, the painting “Knife Behind Back” was sold by Sotheby’s auctioneers for US$25 million, making Yoshitomo Nara the most expensive living Japanese artist….
Niigata hotel offers ‘forest bathing’ package for stressed-out city folk
It might seem strange that a proposition as straightforward as ‘walking in the woods is good for you’ should be promoted as a scientific breakthrough….
These anti-bacterial wipes will keep your smartphone germ-free
With fear of the coronavirus all pervasive, companies are scrambling to come up with products to meet the demand for reassurance. Case Mate, a leading…
Demand for hotel rooms still sluggish despite ‘Go To’ campaign to boost domestic tourism
The coronavirus pandemic is continuing to take a grim toll on Japan’s tourist trade. A month has passed since the government launched its ‘Go To’…
Taro Okamoto Memorial Museum: tribute to a radical artist
Taro Okamoto was a radical artist of a kind that doesn’t exist anymore. The kind to write an essay entitled The Japanese People Must Explode…
Waseda El Dorado: a fabulist extravaganza among Tokyo’s bland modern buildings
Walking the streets of Tokyo, you can’t help but wonder what was going through the minds of the architects responsible for its modern buildings –…
A visit to the Tokyo Metro Museum in Kasai
Now that the state of emergency has been lifted, Tokyo’s museums are once again welcoming visitors. The Tokyo Metro Museum offers a fascinating look at…
How we became modern: a trip to Tokyo Advertising Museum
The Tokyo Advertising Museum in Shinbashi is the only museum dedicated to the history of advertising in Japan. It was opened in 2002 to commemorate…
Kōdō: the Japanese art of incense appreciation
Many people are aware of two of Japan’s most refined artistic traditions: the tea ceremony (chadō or sadō 茶道) and flower arranging (kadō 花道). But…