SoraNews24 —Japan News—

If you’ve ever wanted to fill your house with Star Wars furnishings, now you can, thanks to the Star Wars/Premium Home Collection from Japanese furniture manufacturer IDC Otsuka.

The 150-piece plus collection includes cushions, rugs, tableware, ukiyo-e woodblock prints, coat hangers, and even a variety of bobbly-headed Japanese kokeshi dolls.

Japan
(furnishings • furniture • home decor • merchandise • movies • Star Wars)

Japanese brand comes out with a comfy-looking kotatsu made for one

Jamie Koide
Oct 21, 2015

Winter is undoubtedly the worst season to be alone in Japan. Soon singles will be starting the annual desperate search for the special someone to spend Christmas with and it’s not hard to see why. Having someone to cuddle up to during the upcoming cold, long months is far preferable to fighting off the chill by yourself.

Of course, not everyone wants to jump into a relationship just for a little extra body heat, and now thanks to one Japanese electronics maker and their kotatsu for one, singles just might be in for the warmest winter yet.

Japan
(cool • furniture • interior • kotatsu • single life • winter)

All You Can Eat salmon for 999 yen at IKEA’s Salmon Festival!

Master Blaster
Sep 18, 2015

Fans of the famously delicious fish salmon in Japan should grab your bibs because the Salmon Festival is rolling into IKEA stores all over the country. On this joyous occasion we may dine on 16 different kinds of salmon dishes.

Of course it wouldn’t be a festival if it weren’t all-you-can-eat as well, so IKEA is making that happen for the attractive price of only 999 yen (US$8.30) for a limited time.

Japan
(all-you-can-eat • fish • food • furniture • ikea • salmon)

Treat your cat to this tiny IKEA bed and they might just love you for it 【Pics】

Cara Clegg
Apr 9, 2015

IKEA is the go-to place for anyone looking to furnish their home on a budget, while keeping it stylish and homogeneous. And they don’t just cater to humans anymore!

Japan
(cats • cute • furniture • ikea)

Japanese woodwork: A tradition hundreds of years old, but still as cool as ever 【Video】

Audrey Akcasu
Jan 11, 2015

One of the beautiful aspects of Japanese culture is the dichotomy between, yet the harmony of, modern technology and steadfast tradition. On one hand they create things like smart toothbrushes and virtual girlfriends, yet their hundreds-of-years-old temples and homes are cherished and preserved, as are many of their age-old customs. Structures such as the Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto and Todai-ji in Nara have stood for hundreds of years thanks to more than just preservation, however; it’s at least partly down to the careful craftsmanship that went into them to begin with.

Traditional Japanese carpentry is not just a trade, it’s also an art and a science. Carpenters are able to build tables, houses, even great temples, without the use of a single nail, screw or other metal hardware− giving it strength and durability. China Uncensored, a web series devoted to bringing serious issues about the Chinese Communist Party to light in a parodical style, took a break from their communist offerings to show a video about Japanese carpentry from an unaired show called Journey to the East. In the 25-minute video we learn about the art and its place in the modern day, specifically modern-day New York, thanks to a traditional craftsman named Hisao Hanafusa.

Japan
(carpentry • furniture • traditional Japan • wabi-sabi • woodwork)

Thanko’s Zero Gravity Armchair takes us to space in the comfort of our homes

Hayashi 'Fang' Hougi
Dec 24, 2014

Calling all fans of Interstellar! Can’t get enough of Christopher Nolan? Get yourself this Zero Gravity Armchair from Japanese gadget and technology fiends Thanko and pretend that you’re in space. This large rocking chair even comes with a smartphone stand so you can watch Interstellar at the same time, too.

Join us after the jump for a closer look at this gravity-defying modern-day throne!

Japan
(chair • furniture • gadget • leisure • technology)

One IKEA item, two prices: Customers in Korea paying as much as 80 percent more than in the U.S.

Casey Baseel
Nov 17, 2014

It’s a weird quirk of the global economy that sometimes the exact same item can sell for very different prices depending on what country you’re in. For example, in the U.S. Levi’s jeans cost about half what they do in Japan.

As a result, I always wait until I’m taking a trip back to L.A. before I buy a pair of Levi’s. Unfortunately, that’s probably not an option for travelers who want to take back furniture from IKEA, which in Korea sometimes costs 80 percent more than it does in the U.S.

Korea
(business • furniture • homes • ikea • interior)

Three kotatsu-boosting items to turn your home into a toasty fort against winter’s cold

Casey Baseel
Nov 13, 2014

Even though Japan is a great place to live, not everyone likes every aspect of life in the country. Dishes like grilled eel and organ skewers are pretty polarizing, as is the public transportation system, which is clean and punctual, but crowded and shuts down early.

I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone, though, who doesn’t love Japan’s heated tables, called kotatsu, so more than a few people will be happy about these three ways to get even more out of Japan’s coziest piece of furniture.