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2026 (Page 76)
Almost exactly half of the new adults in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward are foreigners
- Casey Baseel
Jan 15, 2026 - Tweet
One of the city’s most internationalized districts hits a cultural milestone on Coming of Age Day.
- Japan
- (COK • Coming of Age Day • culture • foreigners in Japan • internationalism • Seijin no Hi • seijinshiki • shinjuku • society)
Man with face covered in tattoos admits to repeatedly headbutting Tokyo store clerk【Video】
- Casey Baseel
Jan 15, 2026
There was little chance this guy wasn’t getting picked out of a lineup.
Japan’s Poképark Kanto Pokémon theme park area shows first attraction photos
- Casey Baseel
Jan 15, 2026
Eevee stars in the Vee Vee Voyage.
- Japan
- (Amusement Parks • anime • awesome.Poképark Kanto • cool • cute • Eevee • Japan travel • manga • Pokemon • Poképark • theme parks • tourism • travel • video games)
Is Starbucks Japan’s new Valentine’s Day Frappuccino worthy of your love?
- Oona McGee
Jan 15, 2026
With three drinks vying for our attention, we pick our favourites for your consideration.
- Japan
- (cacao • drinks • Frappuccino • Japanese Frappuccino • latte • SNJO • Starbucks • Starbucks Japan • Valentine's Day)
New KitKat pizzas are coming to Pizza Hut Japan
- Oona McGee
Jan 14, 2026
An all-new experience to celebrate a special occasion.
- Japan
- (chocolate • crazy • food • Japanese KitKats • Kit Kat • KitKats • pizza • Pizza Hut • Pizza Hut Japan • weird)
Village Vanguard’s Blue Lucky Bag may have the most impressive piece of junk ever created
- Master Blaster
Jan 14, 2026
This toy may be both the greatest and worst thing ever made.
- Japan
- (fukubukuro • fukubukuro 2026 • Kendama • Lucky Bags • lucky bags 2026 • New Year's • plush toys • shopping • Village Vanguard)
We try an unusual buffet of dishes made from wild game at a roadside stop in Chiba
- Krista Rogers
Jan 14, 2026
At this store managed by licensed hunters, you can not only purchase meat to go but also try venison, boar, and more at the on-site restaurant.
Fewer ramen restaurants declare bankruptcy in Japan for first time in several years
- Casey Baseel
Jan 14, 2026
Annual study shows fewer ramen joints went bankrupt in 2025, but that doesn’t mean everything is fine and dandy for the industry.
- Japan
- (bankruptcies • food • ramen • restaurants • society)
Hokkaido has an Ice Festival that’s less famous than the Snow one, but beautiful in its own way
- Casey Baseel
Jan 14, 2026
A fantasy realm of sculpted ice appears every year in Chitose and lasts for weeks..
- Japan
- (awesome • beautiful • Chitose • Chitose-Shikotsu Lake Ice Festival • cool • events • Hokkaido • ice • Ice Festival • Japan travel • Sapporo • Shikotsu • Shikotsu Lake • Shikotsu-Toya National Park • snow • tourism • travel)
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
- Oona McGee
Jan 14, 2026
Taking its inspiration from bitter and sweet chocolates, the range includes a tumbler that costs over US$120.
- Japan
- (Bearista • cats • cups • cute • drinkware • mugs • Stanley cup • Starbucks • Starbucks Japan • tumblers • Valentine's Day)
We followed Tokyo’s mystery walking map and ended up creating our own bar-hopping adventure
- Elliot Hale
Jan 13, 2026
Several bumps in the road, a few glasses of beer, and a black omurice later, we couldn’t be more satisfied with our new discoveries.
- Japan
- (alcohol • Asami Oshima • Bar Hoshikuzu • Boheme Plus Beaudessin • Buzzed Lamb Brewing • capsule machine • COK • drink • Ecute • gacha machines • izakaya • Machimachi Megane • Map • Nippori • omurice • pub • random • sakaba • Seitaro • Shukon • SNJO • squid ink • sugidama • Tokyo • tour • tourism • travel • walking • walking tour • Yanaka • Yanaka Ginza • yorimichi • Yorimichi Map)
Village Vanguard tries to tickle us pink with a Pink Lucky Bag
- Master Blaster
Jan 13, 2026
Our love-hate relationship with the popular store continues.
- Japan
- (fukubukuro • fukubukuro 2026 • Lucky Bags • lucky bags 2026 • New Year's • Pink Lucky Bag • shopping • Village Vanguard)
Pokémon Lego kits are finally on their way!【Photos】
- Casey Baseel
Jan 13, 2026
After 30 years of waiting, combination Pokémon Trainers/Lego builders finally get the kits of their dreams.
Taste of spring coming this winter with sakura flower and leaf green tea and matcha from Ito En
- Casey Baseel
Jan 13, 2026
No need to wait until winter ends to start enjoying the cherry blossoms.
- Japan
- (cherry blossoms • COK • drinks • green tea • Ito En • matcha • Matcha Love • Oi Ocha • sakura • tea)
Researchers in Japan give mouse glowing sperm
- Casey Baseel
Jan 13, 2026
It sounds like the worst Pokémon ever, but it’s actually an important medical breakthrough that will benefit humans.
New adults go wild at Seijinshiki Coming-of-Age ceremony in Kitakyushu, Japan 【Photos】
- Oona McGee
Jan 13, 2026
This celebration throws everything you thought you knew about Japanese culture out the window.
- Japan
- (bosozoku • coming of age • Coming of Age Ceremony • Coming of Age Day • cosplay • culture • fashion • hakama • kimono • Kitakyushu • seijinshiki • SNJO • society • Yankee • youth)
Best practices for celebrating Coming of Age Day for those turning 18, 20, or both in Japan
- Krista Rogers
Jan 12, 2026
With the change in the legal age of adulthood in Japan, even Japanese people are confused about when and how to celebrate this milestone.
- Japan
- (adulthood • best practices • ceremony • Coming of Age Day • gifts • Seijin no Hi • seijinshiki • tips)
Starbucks Japan releases new popcorn Frappuccino at one special location
- Oona McGee
Jan 12, 2026
Popcorn with espresso is the new must-try drink of the year.
- Japan
- (coffee • drinks • espresso • Frappuccino • Japanese Frappuccino • latte • opera cake • Starbucks • Starbucks Japan • Starbucks Reserve • Starbucks Reserve Cafe)
Japanese women showing rebounding interest in giving Valentine’s Day chocolate【Survey】
- Casey Baseel
Jan 12, 2026
Annual survey shows nearly a 70-percent increase in two years for number of Japanese women giving chocolate on Valentine’s Day.
- Japan
- (chocolate • COK • food • romance • society • survey • sweets • Valentine's Day • valentine's day chocolate)
Man arrested for violating Japan’s anti-dueling law in downtown Tokyo
- Casey Baseel
Jan 12, 2026
Yes, even in 2026 you can still get arrested if you don’t follow a law originally enacted to keep ex-samurai in line.
- Japan
- (Act Concerning Dueling • Act Concerning the Criminality of Dueling • anti-dueling law • crazy • crime • dueling • dueling law • Kabukicho • weird)
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Recent Posts
- Continuing cyberattacks hit Japanese arcade hard [Photos]
- Starbucks Japan reveals this year’s lucky bag, but you’ll have to act fast to get one
- Princess Mononoke was going to look totally different, new Studio Ghibli artbook shows
- Liquid croissant coffee is coming to Japanese stores this month
- First-ever cafe on Tokyo Imperial Palace Garden grounds is now open
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MOST POPULAR
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Today
Japan ends tax-free shopping system for foreign tourists, new refund request system now in effect
Liquid croissant coffee is coming to Japanese stores this month
Beautiful Ghibli diorama kits lets you build anime characters’ homes inside yours [Photos]
First-ever cafe on Tokyo Imperial Palace Garden grounds is now open
Godzilla becomes a Japanese randoseru backpack, as do two of his greatest rivals [Photos]
Japan’s free stock image site of muscular men doing whimsical and mundane things reveals rankings
This is Japan’s best cycling course, but is it fun for bicycling beginners too?
Mr. Sato searches for the mysterious new wall of fortune in Tokyo
Japanese government announces criteria for creating backup capital of Japan
Starbucks Japan reveals this year’s lucky bag, but you’ll have to act fast to get one
Weekly
Japan ends tax-free shopping system for foreign tourists, new refund request system now in effect
Japan’s TeamLab digital art group is opening a permanent museum in America
Beautiful Ghibli diorama kits lets you build anime characters’ homes inside yours [Photos]
Life-size Monster Hunter dragon statues to be built at Japanese shopping mall
Modern exosuits are opening up ancient Japanese castle climbs to everyone
Evangelion announces collaboration with Hard Rock Cafe
Studio Ghibli homeware brand’s faux oil lamp brings light, smiles, and Kiki’s Jiji to your home
Cold Stone is closing its final branch in all of east Japan, but it’s going down singing
Starbucks Japan unveils new Christmas goods for 2026, with exclusive holiday surprises
Family Mart releases 47 convenience store socks and stickers, one for every prefecture in Japan
Monthly
Pokémon Company announces first-ever permanent Pokémon store to open outside Asia
Japan ends tax-free shopping system for foreign tourists, new refund request system now in effect
Family Mart releases 47 convenience store socks and stickers, one for every prefecture in Japan
Japan’s TeamLab digital art group is opening a permanent museum in America
What’s it like to stay in a Japanese container hotel?
Beautiful Ghibli diorama kits lets you build anime characters’ homes inside yours [Photos]
Chainsaw robots helping keep trains running safely in east Japan [Video]
New Studio Ghibli anime gets extended run at the only cinema in Japan where it’s being shown
Tokyo train station will play Godzilla theme song as new departure melody
Osaka’s famous Glico Running Man will be removed and replaced with a new-look sign
Yearly
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
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RECOMMENDED STORIES
Japan’s free stock image site of muscular men doing whimsical and mundane things reveals rankings
This is Japan’s best cycling course, but is it fun for bicycling beginners too?
Mr. Sato searches for the mysterious new wall of fortune in Tokyo
Japanese government announces criteria for creating backup capital of Japan
Starbucks Japan reveals this year’s lucky bag, but you’ll have to act fast to get one
Thief mails 460 million-yen watch back to Tokyo store he stole it from, says “I’m sorry”
Starbucks Japan releases now Tokyo Reserve Roastery Christmas drinkware collection [Photos]
Family Mart releases 47 convenience store socks and stickers, one for every prefecture in Japan
Princess Mononoke was going to look totally different, new Studio Ghibli artbook shows
Japan’s TeamLab digital art group is opening a permanent museum in America
This hot spring near Osaka’s Kansai Airport resolves the pick-two-out-of-three bathhouse dilemma
Japan’s mini Shikoku Pilgrimage walking tour left us feeling immensely satisfied
Osaka’s famous Glico Running Man will be removed and replaced with a new-look sign
Starbucks Japan unveils new Christmas goods for 2026, with exclusive holiday surprises
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