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War in Iran threatening Japan’s pudding production
- Master Blaster
Apr 30, 2026 - Tweet
If you don’t end the war, you can’t have any pudding! How can you have any pudding if you don’t end the war?!
Japan’s got a subscription service for pillows with or without plastic tubes inside
- Master Blaster
Jan 30, 2026
Why own a comfy pillow when you can lease one?
- Japan
- (comfort • health • pillows • plastic • shopping • sleeping • subscription services • The Pillow)
World’s first “transparent paper cup” developed in Japan
- Master Blaster
Jun 16, 2025
I can see clearly now. The cellophane has come.
- Japan
- (cellophane • cellulose • JAMSTEC • Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology • paper • paper cups • plastic • plastic cups)
KFC swaps straws for new drinking lids at all stores in Japan
- Oona McGee
Jun 7, 2024
Sayonara, straws — a newly designed lid is set to replace you all.
- Japan
- (COK • environment • environmental issues • environmentally friendly • fast food • KFC • KFC Japan • plastic • reusable straws • SNJO • straws)
Japanese convenience store will now ask customers who ask for a fork to use chopsticks instead
- Casey Baseel
Sep 25, 2022
Family Mart no longer gives a fork.
- Japan
- (chopsticks • COK • convenience stores • environment • Family mart • forks • plastic • SDGs • trash)
Family Mart convenience stores will stop offering plastic forks, recommends chopsticks instead
- Casey Baseel
Mar 11, 2022
Family Mart sticks a fork in forks.
- Japan
- (chopsticks • COK • convenience stores • eco-friendly • environment • Family mart • forks • plastic • plastic waste • society)
Shopping at Japanese convenience store Lawson? Don’t forget to take a cooking pot with you!
- Casey Baseel
Sep 21, 2021
New Oden Pot Discount is good for the environment and your wallet.
- Japan
- (clever • COK • convenience stores • discount • ecology • environment • environmentally friendly • Lawson • oden • plastic)
Japan considering adding charges for plastic convenience store utensils, hotel hangers, and more
- Ingrid Tsai
Sep 13, 2021
I guess my days of plastic spoon-hoarding days are now over.
- Japan
- (COK • eco-friendly • environment • government • plastic • plastic waste • sustainability • utensils)
Lawson now giving customers who bring their own tumblers an even better discount on coffee drinks
- Dale Roll
Jul 25, 2021
It’s nicer than Starbucks’ 20-yen discount!
- Japan
- (cafe latte • coffee • coffee thermos • coffee tumbler • discount • Lawson • Machi Cafe • plastic • plastic waste • single-use plastics • thermos • tumblers)
Retailer Muji converts all plastic beverage bottles into aluminum cans
- Krista Rogers
Apr 28, 2021
The minimalist home goods, apparel, and food chain enacts a plan to be more environmentally conscious.
- Japan
- (aluminum • beverage • environmentally friendly • muji • PET bottle • plastic)
Bandai launches Gunpla Recycling Project to reuse Gundam anime model kit plastics
- SoraNews24
Apr 5, 2021
Model maker is installing drop boxes at arcades across Japan.
- Japan
- (anime • Bandai • eco-friendly • environment • Gundam • Gunpla • models • plastic • plastic models • recycling)
Japanese student criticised for campaign against excess plastic packaging
- Oona McGee
Jul 23, 2020
Some people in Japan just don’t want to part ways with individually wrapped candy.
- Japan
- (bourbon • candy • chocolates • environment • environmental issues • food • japanese snacks • Kameda Seika • petitions • plastic • plastic waste • rice crackers • snacks)
Tiny fish-shaped soy sauce bottles repurposed for sanitizers
- Master Blaster
Apr 24, 2020
What could possibly go wrong?
Japanese company tackles plastic consumption by making tote bags out of discarded umbrellas
- Katy Kelly
Apr 19, 2020
The bags are sold under the tagline “We hope this brand ceases to exist after 10 years”.
- Japan
- (bags • eco-friendly • enviromental • fashion • mondo design • plastic • plastic garbage • plasticity • recycling)
Decorate your room like a bento box with the new soy sauce bottle light
- Oona McGee
Apr 17, 2020
Add a taste of Japan to your home decor.
- Australia, Japan
- (bento • cool • environment • interior design • lamps • lights • plastic • recycling • soy sauce)
Japanese KitKats swap plastic bags for paper packaging with new origami feature
- Oona McGee
Aug 6, 2019
There’s a reason to feel less guilty about eating KitKats, now that they’re saving the wildlife from tonnes of plastic each year.
- Japan
- (chocolate • chocolates • environment • food • Japanese Kit Kats • Kit Kats • KitKats • mint chocolate • Nestle • plastic • sweets)
Major Japanese restaurant chain introducing bamboo straws to help reduce plastic and save forests
- Master Blaster
Jun 26, 2019
It’s a double whammy of environmental friendliness.
- Japan
- (bamboo • cool • ecology • environment • plastic • restaurants • straws • Take Straw • Watami • Zawatami)
Nara deer dies with four kilos of plastic in its stomach, tourists cautioned to feed animals properly
- Oona McGee
May 27, 2019
Increasing numbers of the nationally protected species are being affected by plastic bag consumption.
- Japan
- (deer • Nara • Nara deer • Nara Park • plastic • plastic bags • posters • sad • shika • tourism • tourist sites • tourist spots • travel)
Japan’s master knife maker returns with a razor-sharp blade made out of plastic wrap【Video】
- Casey Baseel
Apr 17, 2018
Possibly the world’s first knife where the soft grip wrapping and slicing edge are made of the same thing.
- Japan
- (Attoteki Fushinsha no Kiwami • awesome • cooking • cool • crazy • Japanese knives • knives • plastic • science • video)
Japanese photographer shrink-wraps strangers to capture love in Tokyo 【Photos】
- Jessica
May 19, 2014
Most couples would jump at the chance to have a free professional portrait taken, but what if the price for the picture was being put in a vacuum-sealed bag by someone you just met in a bar?
Seems like that would be a hard sell, but apparently Haruhiko Kawaguchi, otherwise known as Photographer Hal, has a way with words, because he’s photographed hundreds of strangers sealed in plastic on his search to capture the greatest theme in human life: love.
- Japan
- (art • photography • photos • plastic • shrinkwrap • weird)
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Recent Posts
- 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
- Thief mails 460 million-yen watch back to Tokyo store he stole it from, says “I’m sorry”
- This is Japan’s best cycling course, but is it fun for bicycling beginners too?
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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
Beautiful Ghibli diorama kits lets you build anime characters’ homes inside yours [Photos]
Godzilla becomes a Japanese randoseru backpack, as do two of his greatest rivals [Photos]
First-ever cafe on Tokyo Imperial Palace Garden grounds is now open
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 releases now Tokyo Reserve Roastery Christmas drinkware collection [Photos]
Thief mails 460 million-yen watch back to Tokyo store he stole it from, says “I’m sorry”
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
Studio Ghibli homeware brand’s faux oil lamp brings light, smiles, and Kiki’s Jiji to your home
Modern exosuits are opening up ancient Japanese castle climbs to everyone
Starbucks Japan unveils new Christmas goods for 2026, with exclusive holiday surprises
Evangelion announces collaboration with Hard Rock Cafe
Starbucks Japan releases “Let’s Par-TEA!” Frappuccino and drinks for the holiday season
Cold Stone is closing its final branch in all of east Japan, but it’s going down singing
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?
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- Beautiful Ghibli diorama kits lets you build anime characters’ homes inside yours [Photos]
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
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 releases now Tokyo Reserve Roastery Christmas drinkware collection [Photos]
Thief mails 460 million-yen watch back to Tokyo store he stole it from, says “I’m sorry”
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
Family Mart releases 47 convenience store socks and stickers, one for every prefecture in Japan
Starbucks Japan invites us to par-tea with its new Earl Gray Frappuccino [Taste test]
Virtual idol Hatsune Miku redesigned with look that adds new elements and brings back old ones
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
This semi-secret, totally free footbath in downtown Tokyo is completely awesome
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