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Japan’s instant ramen snack theme park features an athletic course even adults can enjoy
- Elliot Hale
May 23, 2026 - Tweet
Sample ramen pizza, alongside other limited-edition items to pick up, or just make your own treats.
- Japan
- (athletic course • Baby Star • Baby Star Ramen • Butamen • COK • food • food theme park • Hoshio-kun • japanese snacks • Mie • Natsuno Futon • Oyatsu Company • Oyatsu Town • snacks • SNJO • theme park • theme parks • tourism • Tsu)
Japan’s oldest largetooth sawfish in captivity back on display in Mie Prefecture
- Master Blaster
Dec 30, 2025
You say you saw fish, but have you seen a sawfish?
- Japan
- (animals • aquariums • Ise • largetooth sawfish • Mie • sawfish • Zero Distance Ise Sea Paradise)
This is possibly the coziest train in all Japan thanks to onboard hot spring footbaths【Pics】
- Casey Baseel
Dec 30, 2025
Train to off-the-beaten-path onsen town gives you a taste of Japanese bathing culture even before you arrive at your destination.
- Japan
- (ashiyu • baths • cool • crazy.weird • footbaths • hot springs • Japan travel • Mie • onsen • tourism • trains • travel)
Honda’s real-life Koraidon to run for the first time at Suzuka 8 Hours final
- Master Blaster
Jul 28, 2025
The past is now.
- Japan
- (Honda • Koraidon • Mie • motorcycles • Pokemon • Pokémon Scarlet • Pokémon Scarlet and Violet • Suzuka 8 Hours • suzuka circuit)
Kuwana City officially outlaws making staff get down on all fours to apologize
- Master Blaster
Jul 2, 2025
But is a strongly worded letter enough?
- Japan
- (apology • coercion • customer harassment • dogeza • kowtow • Kuwana • law • Mie • ordinances • prostration)
Two new Pokémon parks coming to Oshawott’s prefecture, plus new Pokémon manhole covers【Video】
- Casey Baseel
Mar 12, 2025
Kanji reading pun continues to bring Oshawott fun to Mie.
- Japan
- (anime • manga • manhole covers • Mie • Mie Prefecture • oshawott • Poké Lids • Pokéfuta • Pokemon • Pokémon manhole covers • tourism • travel • video games)
Japan’s caramel gacha machines offer sweet thrills, but do they deliver?
- Elliot Hale
Nov 21, 2024
Find out if we hit the jackpot or collect candy-coated chaos.
- Japan
- (caramel • COK • food • gacha • gacha machines • haruka takagi • Mie • SNJO • Toba)
Weird Japanese vending machine find gives us unique sweet potato sweets
- Oona McGee
Jul 25, 2023
The quality of these chilled sweet potato treats surprised our seasoned reporter.
- Japan
- (beniharuka • COK • cool • desserts • haruka takagi • Japanese sweets • Japanese vending machines • Mie • SNJO • sweet potato • sweet potatoes • sweets • taste test • vending machines • weird • yakiimo)
Visit the mythical cave that hid the Sun Goddess in Japanese mythology
- Oona McGee
Sep 17, 2022
An unsual tourist site shrouded in intrigue and mystery.
- Japan
- (Amaterasu • COK • countryside • goddess • inaka • Mie • Mie Prefecture • mythology • myths • Rural Japan • rural life • Seiji Nakazawa • SNJO • tourism • tourist sites • travel)
Bizarre bicycle vandalism reported to mayor of Komono Town, mayor admits to it
- Master Blaster
Sep 17, 2022
And so ends the shortest investigation ever.
- Japan
- (bicycles • Komono • mayor • Mie • parking • politics • Takayuki Shibata • upside-down)
300 year old Japanese confectioner gets ’serious, for real’ with a vegan, gluten free dorayaki
- Katie Pask
Jul 12, 2022
Historic confectioners aim to make sweet treat accessible for everyone with new recipe.
- Japan
- (dorayaki • food • gluten-free • Japanese sweets • Mie • sweets • vegan • wagashi)
Lost at the nengajo lottery this year? Get a second chance by winning your way to onsen instead
- Krista Rogers
Jan 25, 2022
People who didn’t win the official New Year’s greeting card lottery now have a new chance to win discounted or even free entry to certain hot springs.
- Japan
- (baths • COK • free • hot springs • Mie • nengajo • New Year's cards • onsen • Saitama)
Japanese high schools abolish old rules, provide freedom with underwear, hair and dating
- Oona McGee
Jun 17, 2021
Pressured to review outdated prohibitions, an entire prefecture says goodbye to “relics of the past”.
- Japan
- (COK • education • gender • high school students • high schools • Japanese high schools • Japanese school uniforms • Mie • school rules • School Uniforms • schools • society • underwear • uniforms • youth)
Guesthouse owner arrested for slashing guest who sprinkled too much pepper on his own food
- Master Blaster
Jan 29, 2021
Assault and pepper.
- Japan
- (assault • black pepper • cooking • crime • guesthouse • Ise • Mie • travel)
All aboard the “Merry Christmask” train in Mie Prefecture
- Master Blaster
Dec 17, 2020
Look up “bittersweet” in the dictionary and you might just see the Merry Christmask train.
- Japan
- (Christmas • Christmas Train • coronavirus • COVID-19 • face masks • Mie • Sangi Railway • Santa Train • trains)
We smash up some rock-hard rice crackers with a hammer to find out which one is the toughest
- Katie Pask
Nov 20, 2020
These Japanese senbei may be the hardest-to-eat snacks in the world, literally.
- Japan
- (COK • crazy • food • Fukuoka • funny • Iga • japanese snacks • Mie • Ninja • rice cracker • senbei • snacks • SNJO • sweets • taste test)
Japan’s beautiful new campground looks perfect for living out your Princess Mononoke fantasies
- Casey Baseel
Jul 9, 2020
Uga Valley campground makes a very convincing argument to take a detour from the standard Tokyo-Kyoto travel route.
- Japan
- (beautiful • campground • camping • COK • Mie • nature • outdoors • travel • Uga Valley)
Mie Prefecture to become first in Japan to ban outing LGBT individuals
- Master Blaster
Jun 3, 2020
Outing will soon be officially out in Mie.
Read More
- Japan
- (ban • COK • discrimination • Eikei Suzuki • law • LGBT • Mie • Mie Prefecture • outing)
Giant undersea bug in Toba Aquarium poops for first time in two years
- Master Blaster
May 29, 2020
Apparently, eating a shark’s face alive will bind you right up.
- Japan
- (animals • biology • giant isopod • Mie • poop • science • Toba • Toba Aquarium)
This hotel has one of the coolest katana collections in Japan, and admission is totally free【Pics】
- Casey Baseel
Jul 20, 2019
Centuries of samurai history are on display, and we’ll teach you what to look for in appreciating the beauty of a Japanese sword.
- Japan
- (awesome • beautiful • COK • cool • culture • history • hotels • Katana • Mie • museums • samurai • SNOJ • swords • travel)
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Recent Posts
- Tokyo no-map-app walk! Getting lost with Mr. Sato on the way to Kishimojin
- Yogurt and Japanese koji fungus is Japan’s latest food trend, but how does it taste? [Taste test]
- Nissin takes the lid off its first-ever Cup Noodle Point Program for you to win fun prizes
- Sendai Bank gifts babies their weight at birth in money upon opening a new bank account
- Osaka man arrested for running little pet shop of horrors with dangerous crocodile
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MOST POPULAR
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Today
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
Family Mart releases 47 convenience store socks and stickers, one for every prefecture in Japan
Japanese food hack says to soak your grapes in carbonated water, but is the fizz worth the buzz?
Krispy Kreme Japan gets extra-local with adorable new Hokkaido snow fairy donuts
One of Japan’s best convenience store egg sandwiches is one you won’t find at the big three chains
Sendai Bank gifts babies their weight at birth in money upon opening a new bank account
Yogurt and Japanese koji fungus is Japan’s latest food trend, but how does it taste? [Taste test]
Viral Yokohama cafe tops teas with mini teapots with a clever smoldering secret [Photos]
Japan announces new permanent residency guidelines, foreigners must earn more than average Japanese person
Weekly
- Japan announces new permanent residency guidelines, foreigners must earn more than average Japanese person
Studio Ghibli’s Calcifer is ready to light up your home as a magical-looking candle lamp [Photos]
Japan’s first-ever conveyor-belt Sushi Bus announces Tokyo tour start date, reservations now open- Family Mart releases 47 convenience store socks and stickers, one for every prefecture in Japan
Foreign tourists get free Shinkansen tickets in Japan, and here’s how to claim them
Starbucks Japan says sayonara to the Filone for new sandwiches and a Pumpkin Soupuccino
Toys R Us is leaving Japan after 35 years in the country
Casio collaborates with a Kyoto foil master for a luxurious one million yen G-SHOCK- Make-your-own-Totoro plushie workshop event coming to Ghibli Park park this fall
Foreign tourist numbers drop in Osaka, despite record-setting highs from U.S. and Korea
Monthly
- Japan announces new permanent residency guidelines, foreigners must earn more than average Japanese person
- Family Mart releases 47 convenience store socks and stickers, one for every prefecture in Japan
Starbucks Japan unveils new Pokémon collaboration with Pikachu Latte and exclusive goods- 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
One of Japan’s best convenience store egg sandwiches is one you won’t find at the big three chains
Sendai Bank gifts babies their weight at birth in money upon opening a new bank account
Yogurt and Japanese koji fungus is Japan’s latest food trend, but how does it taste? [Taste test]
Viral Yokohama cafe tops teas with mini teapots with a clever smoldering secret [Photos]
Japan announces new permanent residency guidelines, foreigners must earn more than average Japanese person
Tokyo no-map-app walk! Getting lost with Mr. Sato on the way to Kishimojin
Cuddly starry night Totoro and other Ghibli blankets set to keep you cozy in chilly months ahead
Nissin takes the lid off its first-ever Cup Noodle Point Program for you to win fun prizes
Foreign tourist numbers drop in Osaka, despite record-setting highs from U.S. and Korea
Starbucks Japan says sayonara to the Filone for new sandwiches and a Pumpkin Soupuccino
McDonald’s Japan officially changes its mascot’s name…to Ronald McDonald
Do Japan’s new single-minded convenience store bento show depressing poverty or satisfying focus?
Studio Ghibli’s Calcifer is ready to light up your home as a magical-looking candle lamp [Photos]
Casio collaborates with a Kyoto foil master for a luxurious one million yen G-SHOCK
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