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Automated Godzilla coin bank will make you King of the Moneysavers

Fran W
Sep 14, 2015
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Itazura Banks are a series of cute little Japanese coin banks that look like cardboard boxes, each with an adorable animal hiding inside. You place a coin on the edge of the box and a sweet little kitty’s paw pops out to grab your money and keep it safe in the bank for you.

But if that all sounds a bit too cutesy for your liking, never fear—the newest Itazura Bank doesn’t contain a kitten or a panda, but Godzilla himself!

Japan
(fun • Godzilla • Itazura Kitty • kaiju • merch • monster • movies • toys)

New Dino-themed restaurant is already super popular, has rideable dinosaurs

KK Miller
Aug 20, 2015

Everyone loves the excitement of a good themed restaurant, and if you’re in Japan, you have plenty of options to choose from. There are ninja restaurants, jail-themed restaurants, hospital-styled restaurants, and more anime/manga themed cafes than you can shake a stick at.

With the whole world riding high on dinosaurs this year, it makes you wonder if anyone has ever tried a dinosaur restaurant before. Well you don’t have to wonder anymore, because Dinosaur – Ancient Times Restaurant and Bar opened in Yamato City in Kanagawa Prefecture this week! We sent our most dino-rific writer P.K. Sanjun to see if it was worth the 65-million-year wait.

Japan
(dinosaurs • fun • Kanagawa • themed restaurants)

Are you a sadist or a masochist? Two simple tests reveal everything — all you need are hands!

Joan Coello
Aug 17, 2015

Actually trying to communicate is probably the best way to get to know someone, but there are various other methods that people can use to try to learn about the personality of someone they’ve just met. Some claim that simply by observing the shape of someone’s nails, the way someone crosses their arms, or the way they style their bangs, you can make out bits and pieces of their personality.

Adding on to the never-ending list of unorthodox personality analyzing methods, we have today two simple tests that claim to be able to tell if a person is a sadist or masochist, just by observing the way they show you their hands. Which are you?

Internet
(fun • hand • Personality test)

Hands down, this is the most fun you can have at a video game arcade

Aleisha Riboldi
May 27, 2015

This is hands down (or up, in this case), the most fun you can have at a games arcade in Japan.

The maimai music game cabinet by entertainment giant Sega may look like a front-loading washing machine, but rest assured it is actually way more entertaining. In a game that’s a cross between a whack-a-mole and Dance Dance Revolution, players follow a sequence of hand movements in time with a frantic beat.

Some, however, do it better than others…

Japan
(arcade • crazy • dance • fun • video games)

Google knows you’re no April Fool, so they offer you Pac-Man playable in Google Maps

Audrey Akcasu
Apr 1, 2015

You may remember Google’s April Fools’ challenge last year, since it was pretty epic. If you missed it, Google came out with a game where you could search for Pokemon on the Google Maps app on your mobile device. It got rave reviews and it’s such a shame that it was only available for a limited time.

This year, Google is reaching out to a slightly older generation of video game lovers, letting us play Pac-Man on real streets of Google Maps!! Of course, being Google and April Fools’ Day, there is a catch, but more or less, you can transform neighborhoods into Pac-Man game screens.

Global
(April Fools' Day • fun • game • Google • Google Maps • pac-man • video games)

Get a pen pal because Japanese post offices are about to launch super cute regional postcards

Scott R Dixon
Mar 18, 2015

If you haven’t been in a Japanese post office lately, you might not have heard of the annual Regional Form Cards postcard series. Since 2009, there has been a new set every year that depicts every one of Japan’s 47 prefectures through postcards shaped like a local food, landmark or well-known citizen.

The seventh edition of the series is going to launch this week, so you might want to get yourself a pen pal or two from Japan to send you some of the cool postcards that show what makes every prefecture famous!

Japan
(art • cute • fun • mail • post office • postcards • travel)

Creating your own custom etched glass is a lot simpler than you think

Meg Murphy
Jan 24, 2015

Having a hard time coming up with a cool gift idea? Wanting to create something fun and uniquely yours? Why not try your hand at glass-etching! It might sound a bit daunting, but as some Twitter users in Japan are finding, it’s a lot easier than expected, and a lot of fun to make your own anime (or anything!) goods. All you need are a few basic items, a steady hand, and some helpful tips to make your own awesome, customized etched glass! Follow us after the jump to get started.

Japan
(anime • DIY • etching • fun • glass)

Japanese drifting experts use public road in hair-raising “hill climb” up Hakone mountains 【Video】

Scott R Dixon
Jan 2, 2015

While the Hakone Turnpike is usually enjoyed by slow-driving families catching a glimpse of the natural beauty of the area’s mountainous landscape, some Japanese drifting enthusiasts last month turned a portion of the public toll road into a white-knuckle race to the top.

Shutting down the two-lane road, the drivers zoomed through the windy (and thankfully empty) roads, reaching speeds that would land normal citizens a pretty hefty fine. It may not be the first time a high-performance car has been seen on Japanese roads, but it’s pretty amazing that the Ministry of Transportation would approve this flashy display of speed, horsepower and roaring engines.

Japan
(automotive • car • drifting • driving • fun • Hakone • highway • race • speed • toll road • turnpike)

Kyoto restaurant only sells one dish, features mannequins and gets rave reviews!

KK Miller
Nov 5, 2014

In a country filled with countless ramen, udon and sushi restaurants, it can be very difficult to choose. Which one is the most delicious? The most interesting? How do you find the restaurant where you can understand everything on the menu?

If you’re in Kyoto, look no further than Issen Yoshoku, the restaurant that covers all those bases, plus, you never have to dine alone!

Japan
(different • exciting • fun • Gion • Kyoto • okonomiyaki • Restaurant)

Get in the mood for the weekend with the Perth party train!

Cara Clegg
Oct 25, 2014

Get inspired for the weekend with this fun YouTube video from Down Under! It’s sure to leave a big smile on your face and an itch to get your dancing shoes on.

Australia
(Australia • dancing • fun • party • train)

You’ll never want to stop cleaning with this penguin mop topper

Audrey Akcasu
Oct 24, 2014

There are a lot of things in this world that are better done with a buddy – getting coffee, taking walks, watching movies…cleaning. Yes, I said cleaning! While cleaning is probably the most dreaded chore out there, with a “Penguin SuiSui” cleaning partner you might never stop polishing those floors.

The Penguin SuiSui (suisui is a mimetic word expressing smoothness or unhindered work) is not like a high-tech Roomba, who will do the cleaning for you. He is, however, a low-tech buddy that will just keep you excited for the task at hand. He’s a fabric penguin with a hole in his back so you can slip him over the stick of your sweeper and he can swivel around the floor with you as you clean.

Japan
(cleaning • fun • penguins)

100 things to do in Japan in 100 seconds 【Video】

Preston Phro
Sep 30, 2014

There is a great deal to do in Japan’s 47 prefectures, from visiting temples to buying saucy figures in Akihabara. But once you’ve done all the touristy stuff, there’s still plenty waiting to be experienced! How much, you ask? You’ll have to check out this video of “100 things to do in Japan” to find out!

Internet, Japan
(activities • free time • fun • travel)

School kids in Japan build incredible working tea cup rides for school festivals

KK Miller
Sep 20, 2014

From preschool all the way to university, Japan has a very proud tradition of schools festivals. Every year, the students and teachers work together to transform their school into an array of art, entertainment and food their goal to make the school as fun as possible for everyone who attends. High schools and colleges especially go the extra mile to show that their school is number one by having various cafes, haunted houses, cosplay photography, and performances.

But there’s an event idea that has gone viral because of the amazing efforts of one high school: a manually operated tea cup ride.

Japan
(craftsmanship • culture festival • fun • roller coaster • school festival • tea cup ride)

More than meets the eye, sushi in disguise! Check out these transforming sushi toys!

KK Miller
Aug 30, 2014

Your mother probably scolded you for playing with your food at the dinner table, but here’s one of the few times you’ll be able to get away with it! Introducing transforming sushi toys from Takara Tomy. Now, instead of playing with a floppy piece of asparagus (how’s that supposed to stand up to the forces of evil anyway?), you can play with these pieces of super robot fighting sushi. Just don’t try to take a bite out of them!

Japan
(fun • robot • sushi • Takara Tomy • toy • transformer)

Going Bananas for Bananart on Banana Day! Students create a “bananamation” movie【Video】

KK Miller
Aug 27, 2014

We know what you are thinking: “Really? There’s a Banana Day?” In Japan there is! It comes from the date “August 7” and the way you can pronounce “8” (ba) and “7” (nana) in Japanese. The two of them read together become Banana Day, an informal holiday where the amazing powers of bananas are reviewed and admired, which is mostly achieved through nutritional campaigns that teach you fun facts like “bananas are high in potassium” and “they are good for giving you a quick boost of energy”.

In fact, an elementary school in Kanagawa Prefecture took advantage of Banana Day to squeeze in a nutrition class and, surprisingly, the kids didn’t go bananas because they had to go to school during summer vacation. Instead, the students took the day to its most artistic and clever form yet by creating a stunning video that all banana lovers should watch.

Japan, SE Asia
(art • August 7 • Banana Day • creative • End Cape • feel good • fun • heart-warming • Philippines)

We found the perfect present for your beloved cat this summer…a cardboard submarine!

Hayashi 'Fang' Hougi
Aug 19, 2014

Ishoya, a Japanese shop specializing in unique feline goods, has released a DIY submarine for cats made from cardboard. Aptly named “Cat Box 02”, the bright-yellow submarine-shaped cardboard box is set to charm both feline friends and owners with Instagram accounts for their cats alike.

Join us after the jump for adorable pics of happy sailing (and flying) cats!

Japan
(cat toys • cats • fun • toys)

Make a clay Yoda figure to turn from the dark side of summer: boredom

Scott R Dixon
Aug 18, 2014

While there is plenty to do during summer in Japan, the warmer months of the year can start to get on your nerves when poisonous creatures keep sun-loving crowds away from the beach, or those sweaty days in the office when you see a little more than you bargained for. And as owners of the beloved (providing the prequels are totally forgotten) Star Wars franchise, Disney has a solution for those summertime blues: a fun craft project to make a clay Yoga figurine.

Requiring little more than a printer and some modeling clay, this Yoda is sure to make any young padawan into a Jedi-level sculptor.

Internet, Japan
(clay • craft • Disney • fun • Star Wars • summer • yoda)

The top 10 anime that people in Japan never tire of watching

KK Miller
Aug 7, 2014

Stuck inside due to the blistering Japanese summer heat? Why not kick back under your aircon and watch something on TV? If you’ve already seen all the hit shows and don’t want to take a chance on something new, how about watching some of Japan’s favorite anime of all time?

A new survey polled Japanese anime fans and asked them to name the anime they can watch over and over again and never get bored. Click on through to find out which one tops the list!

Japan
(anime • fun • movies • My Navi Woman • rewatch • top 10)

Life-size Totoro FOUND! Live out your Ghibli fantasies in Tochigi Prefecture

KK Miller
Jul 11, 2014

While the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka is a truly whimsical place, transporting you into the magical world of animator Hayao Miyazaki and friends, an adult may feel that their immersion is incomplete. In particular, the children-only play area that features a “life-size” cat bus practically begs you to step over the velvet rope and throw the makurokurosuke in the air like a kid on a sugar high, but to do so would likely result in your ejection from the building.

But fear not! There is one other place in Japan where even grown-ups can wander happily through the imaginary world of My Neighbor Totoro: The Teddy bear Museum in Tochigi Prefecture.

Japan
(fun • life-size • Nasu Town • Teddy Bear Museum • Totoro • travel)

Japan’s new water slide has to be seen to be believed!

KK Miller
Jul 6, 2014

There is no better way to beat the heat of the summer than a day at a water park! Ice cream and cold drinks only cool-down your mouth, whereas at a water park, you can jump into a refreshing pool of water again, again and again! You can’t do that with ice cream. For those people that love roller coasters and are always on the lookout for brand new adrenaline pumping attractions, a new ride at a famous water park has “funneled” into our sights!