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Starbucks Japan releases new coffee table book featuring 18 of the most unique stores around the country
- Oona McGee
Sep 5, 2026 - Tweet
Photo book takes you on a journey through some of the most iconic Starbucks stores in Japan.
- Japan
- (Anri Kumaki • art • commercial • cool • customer service • design • heartwarming • Hidehito Yagi • Japanese commercial • Shinya Nakajima • Starbucks • Starbucks Japan • touching • video)
Starbucks releases tear-jerking new video inspired by heartwarming encounters in Japanese stores
- Oona McGee
Aug 14, 2026
A beautiful homage to the true stories of customers and staff at Starbucks Japan.
- Japan
- (Anri Kumaki • art • commercial • cool • customer service • design • heartwarming • Hidehito Yagi • Japanese commercial • Shinya Nakajima • Starbucks • Starbucks Japan • touching • video)
Japanese banks irked by people stealing free ATM envelops and selling them online
- Master Blaster
Oct 6, 2025
Pushing the envelope of public decency.
- Japan
- (ATMs • banks • customer service • envelopes • Japan Post • mercari • reselling • theft)
More tip jars appear at Japanese restaurants, but there are important reasons why you shouldn’t tip
- Oona McGee
Oct 1, 2025
Japan is now at a cultural tipping point, where foreign influences threaten to destroy local customs.
- Japan
- (culture • customer service • customs • japanese customs • restaurant tips • restaurants • society • tipping • tipping culture • tips • tourism • tourist industry • tourist manners • tourists • traditions)
Nearly 75% of store clerks in Japan feel stress from earphones on customers, according to survey
- Master Blaster
Sep 12, 2025
But earphones don’t stress people out; people do.
- Japan
- (convenience stores • customer service • earphones • headphones • Lalande • Softbank • Surveys)
What to do if you forget your camera or other belongings on the Shinkansen
- Casey Baseel
Jun 2, 2025
We get an unexpected lesson in bullet train property retrieval procedures.
- Japan
- (bullet trains • Central Japan Railway Company • COK • customer service • Japan Railway Company • JR • JR Central • shinkansen • SNJO • tourism • trains • travel)
Japanese travelers choose the top five inn cats that they want to meet in the whole country
- Krista Rogers
Mar 6, 2025
Cat got your tongue on where to stay? Choose one of these lodgings where the felines play a purrfect part of the customer service.
- Japan
- (Cat Day • cats • customer service • hotels • inns • Jalan • Neko no Hi • ranking • ryokan • survey • tourism • travel)
Japanese bank’s founders blood-signed promise to commit samurai-style suicide if they committed fraud
- Casey Baseel
Nov 28, 2024
Pledge, signed in blood, is “a treasure” of bank that’s still in operation today.
Japan’s super-cheap corn snacks apologize for second-ever price increase in 45 years
- Casey Baseel
Sep 26, 2024
Umaibo continues its absolutely tiny, proportionally huge price increases of the 2020s.
Japanese train driver and conductor duo melt hearts with behind-the-scenes friendship【Video】
- Oona McGee
Sep 9, 2024
“More than friends less than lovers” team shows us what it takes to look after thousands of commuters on the rails.
- Japan
- (culture • customer service • cute • heartwarming • Japanese trains • Keio Line • sweet • tourism • train driver • trains • travel • video)
Japan’s premier love doll maker is closing, says goodbye to fans with heartfelt message
- Casey Baseel
Aug 24, 2024
Orient Industry shows that in Japan, the customer is always supposed to be appreciated and respected.
Japanese telecom giant to make AI filter to soften angry customers voices at call centers【Video】
- Master Blaster
May 30, 2024
New system lets AI take a piece of someone’s mind and passes on the rest to a human.
- Japan
- (AI • artificial intelligence • call centers • customer harassment • customer service • employment • rude customers • Softbank • technology • University of Tokyo • working)
Cashiers given chairs as Japanese companies reconsider if it’s OK for workers to sit during their shifts
- Casey Baseel
Apr 5, 2024
Discount megastore Don Quijote takes part in the Suwatte Iissu Project.
- Japan
- (chairs • COK • customer service • Don Quijote • society • working in Japan)
Ichiran ramen restaurant in Shinjuku has a unique system that’s captured hearts on Reddit
- Oona McGee
Sep 7, 2023
Great display of customer service makes noodle chain even more tourist-friendly.
- Japan
- (COK • customer service • food • hack • Ichiran • Japanese food • Noodles • ramen • ramen restaurants • reddit • restaurants • review • Seiji Nakazawa • SNJO • tonkotsu • tonkotsu ramen • tourists)
Japanese convenience store apologizes for putting Meatballs in meatball packages, issues recall
- Casey Baseel
Aug 31, 2023
Family Mart wants to make amends for simple yet linguistically complex mistake.
- Japan
- (convenience stores • customer service • Family mart • food • funny • Japanese language • linguistics • meatballs • nikudango • weird)
Convenience store clerk arrested for punching customer over receipt in Hyogo Prefecture
- Master Blaster
Jul 30, 2023
Receipt reception is a recipe for retail retaliation.
- Japan
- (Amagasaki • assault • convenience stores • crime • customer service • Hyogo • receipts)
Indian curry restaurant worker in Tokyo warms our heart with amazingly sweet customer service
- Casey Baseel
Jul 23, 2023
”Hey, mister, you were here the other day too, weren’t you?”
- Japan
- (COK • curry • customer service • food • indian curry • moving • restauants • SNJO • touching • Yuichiro Wasai)
Message to foreigners at Japanese convenience store sparks controversy online
- Oona McGee
Mar 5, 2023
Attempt to curtail customer rudeness comes off as incredibly rude.
- Japan
- (conbini • convenience stores • customer service • food • foreigner • foreigners in Japan • foreigners living in Japan • kombini • konbini • Lawson • snacks)
Why do seats at some Japanese station platforms face away from the trains?
- Oona McGee
Dec 20, 2022
Unusual design in Kansai is a clever example of thoughtful customer service, designed specifically with the user in mind.
- Japan
- (customer service • Japanese train stations • JR West • Kansai • Osaka • P.K. Sanjun • SNJO • train platform • train stations • trains • unusual • UX • UX design • West Japan Railway)
UX at Japanese convenience store is a heartwarming example of excellent customer service
- Oona McGee
Nov 26, 2022
A simple design makes daily life so much easier for customers.
- Japan
- (combini • convenience stores • customer service • hearing impaired • Japanese convenience stores • konbini • Lawson • twitter • unusual • UX • UX design)
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Recent Posts
- Japan lodges formal complaint with China for calling Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi Sanae Takaichi
- Sushi Bus starts running in Japan, but is it a tourist trap or tourist must-do?
- New Studio Ghibli notebooks are a beautiful reason to write and draw by hand [Photos]
- Starbucks Japan releases new Halloween Frappuccino and drinkware, but are they worth buying this year?
- Burger King serves up Pickleball Burgers in Japan, with a tasty nod to the number 11
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MOST POPULAR
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Today
New Studio Ghibli notebooks are a beautiful reason to write and draw by hand [Photos]
Sushi Bus starts running in Japan, but is it a tourist trap or tourist must-do?
Starbucks Japan releases new Halloween Frappuccino and drinkware, but are they worth buying this year?
Tokyo train station will play Godzilla theme song as new departure melody
Japan lodges formal complaint with China for calling Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi Sanae Takaichi
Burger King serves up Pickleball Burgers in Japan, with a tasty nod to the number 11
Experimenting with making hot sandwiches in the microwave with a device from Japan’s 3COINS
Japan has convenience store fried chicken-flavor instant ramen, but does it taste like it says it does?
Family Mart releases 47 convenience store socks and stickers, one for every prefecture in Japan
Matcha ice cream discontinued by one of Japan’s favorite ice cream brands
Weekly
Japan announces new permanent residency guidelines, foreigners must earn more than average Japanese person- Tokyo train station will play Godzilla theme song as new departure melody
- Family Mart releases 47 convenience store socks and stickers, one for every prefecture in Japan
- Experimenting with making hot sandwiches in the microwave with a device from Japan’s 3COINS
Make-your-own-Totoro plushie workshop event coming to Ghibli Park park this fall
Osaka man arrested for running little pet shop of horrors with dangerous crocodile
Starbucks Japan says sayonara to the Filone for new sandwiches and a Pumpkin Soupuccino
Casio collaborates with a Kyoto foil master for a luxurious one million yen G-SHOCK
Foreign tourist numbers drop in Osaka, despite record-setting highs from U.S. and Korea
One of Japan’s best convenience store egg sandwiches is one you won’t find at the big three chains
Monthly
- Japan announces new permanent residency guidelines, foreigners must earn more than average Japanese person
Starbucks Japan unveils new Pokémon collaboration with Pikachu Latte and exclusive goods- Family Mart releases 47 convenience store socks and stickers, one for every prefecture in Japan
Studio Ghibli’s Calcifer is ready to light up your home as a magical-looking candle lamp [Photos]
Lady Gaga and Family Mart team up for a Japanese convenience store work video [Video]
New Gundam Base superstores coming soon in the U.S., with one opening this month
Studio Ghibli releases new plush mascot character collection with a focus on friendship
Studio Ghibli releases new onigiri rice ball-shaped lunch bag for Kiki’s Delivery Service fans
Do Japan’s new single-minded convenience store bento show depressing poverty or satisfying focus?
How to watch Studio Ghibli’s new anime in Japan, with a special after-dark outdoor screening for Halloween
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
Burger King serves up Pickleball Burgers in Japan, with a tasty nod to the number 11
Experimenting with making hot sandwiches in the microwave with a device from Japan’s 3COINS
Japan has convenience store fried chicken-flavor instant ramen, but does it taste like it says it does?
Family Mart releases 47 convenience store socks and stickers, one for every prefecture in Japan
Matcha ice cream discontinued by one of Japan’s favorite ice cream brands
New Sonic the Hedgehog figure costs 1 million yen, is made of Arita ware Japanese porcelain [Vid]
Video released of Pikachu’s real-world trip to space! [Video]
Starbucks Japan unveils new Halloween goods with secret glow-in-the-dark details
Japan announces new permanent residency guidelines, foreigners must earn more than average Japanese person
If anyone needs us, we’ll be in the cardboard Japanese snack house we just built [Photos]
Wendy’s Japan goes big with new limited-edition Mega Wendy’s, but is it worth the calories?
Pokémon Center apologizes for writing model Nicole Fujita’s name as Nicole Fujita
Studio Ghibli’s Calcifer is ready to light up your home as a magical-looking candle lamp [Photos]
Starbucks Japan releases new Halloween Frappuccino for 2026, inspired by a cat in a mystery forest
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