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sakura

Japan tripled its departure tax to fund tourism but is using the money on cherry blossoms and bears

• Oona McGee
  Aug 26, 2026
• Tweet

Questions are being raised over whether money from foreign tourists is being used as intended.

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• Japan
• (bears • departure tax • government • government funding • Japanese Government • news • sakura • tax)

7-Eleven Japan reinvents convenience store fruit sandwiches with new salty pink sakura peach variety

• Oona McGee
  Jun 12, 2026

We find out if salty sakura pink bread is really a good way forward for the chain.  

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• Japan
• (7-Eleven • 7-Eleven Japan • convenience store finds • convenience store food • convenience store sandwich • convenience store sandwiches • convenience stores • cool • food • fruit sandwiches • Japanese convenience stores • Japanese fruit sandwiches • Japanese sandwich • Japanese sandwiches • sakura • sandwiches • SNO • sweets)

Japan’s popular bead bonsai kit is as beautiful as it is gruelling to make

• Elliot Hale
  Apr 16, 2026

Gorgeous and tiny, yet contains the potential to break spirits and thumbs.

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• Japan
• (art • arts and crafts • beautiful • bonsai • COK • craft • crafts • cute • DIY • interior • miniature • miniature trees • sakura • SNJO • Tokyo)

New Japanese KitKats come in sakura flavour, with poetic symbolism for success

• Oona McGee
  Apr 7, 2026

“Sakura saku” literally means “Sakura bloom” but it’s also code for something else. 

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• Japan
• (cherry blossoms • chocolate • COK • food • Japanese chocolate • Japanese KitKats • Kit Kat • KitKats • limited edition • marketing • Nestle • new • sakura • SNO • sweets)

Tokyo teahouse serves up a sakura matcha dessert you won’t find anywhere else

• Oona McGee
  Apr 3, 2026

Unique cherry blossom dessert conceals a surprising filling of traditional flavours.

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• Japan
• (cafes • cherry blossoms 2026 • desserts • green tea • Kagurazaka • Kagurazaka Saryo • matcha • Mont Blanc • restaurants • sakura • SNO • sweet • sweets • Tokyo)

Three ways going to see cherry blossoms alone is better than seeing them with other people

• Casey Baseel
  Apr 1, 2026

Solo-seen sakura are sometimes the best sakura.

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• Japan
• (cherry blossom-viewing • cherry blossoms • COK • hanami • Japan travel • Mariko Hanabatake • sakura • SNJO • society • tourism • travel)

Uni Donuts are pretty in pink for a limited-time spring sakuramochi flavor

• Krista Rogers
  Mar 31, 2026

The Yokohama-based donut specialty chain incorporates a unique ingredient into its dough that results in a divine texture and taste.

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• Japan
• (cherry blossom sweets • cherry blossoms • donuts • food • sakura • sakura sweets • sweets • Uni Donuts • Yokohama)

Why is Yoshinoya called Yoshinoya?

• Casey Baseel
  Mar 30, 2026

There’s a beautiful reason why Mr. Matsuda didn’t name his restaurant after himself.

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• Japan
• (beef bowls • cherry blossoms • food • gyudon • Mt. Yoshino • restaurants • sakura • Yoshinoya • Yoshinoyama)

Japan now sells…sake made with moth poop?!?

• Oona McGee
  Mar 30, 2026

Moth poo and cherry blossom leaves are the secret ingredients in Secret Spring. 

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• Japan
• (brewery • cherry blossoms • chuhicha • cool • drinks • Fukushima • Haccoba • insect tea • insects • Japanese sake • moth poo • moths • sake • sake brewery • sakura • weird)

Japan’s favorite sandwich pockets now come with sakura filling, but how do they taste?[Taste test]

• Casey Baseel
  Mar 29, 2026

Sakura season comes to the inside of Yamazaki’s Lunch Packs.

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• Japan
• (cherry blossom sweets • cherry blossoms • COK • food • Lunch Pack • pocket sandwiches • sakura • sakura sweets • sandwich pockets • sandwiches • SNO • sweets • taste test • Yamazaki Baking)

Picturesque Tokyo park plays host to millions of flowers and soap bubbles this spring

• Elliot Hale
  Mar 28, 2026

Rapeseed, tulips, nemophila, and over a million poppies line up for a floral relay.

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• Japan
• (Anji Tabata • beautiful • cherry blossoms • COK • flower festival • flowers • Nemophila • poppies • rapeseed • sakura • Showa Kinen Park • spring • Tachikawa City • Tokyo • tulips)

This upcycled Kyoto train cafe is the ultimate kawaii spring experience

• Elliot Hale
  Mar 28, 2026

Produced by Kawaii Monster Cafe creator, the Future Train diner serves up pink teriyaki burgers and wobbly pancakes aboard the Sakura Express.

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• Japan
• (cafe • cherry blossoms • cool • cute • diner • food and drinks • Future Train • Future Train Diner & Cafe • Japanese trains • Kyoto • pink • Restaurant • sakura • Sakura Express • seasonal menu • seasonal specials • Sebastian Masuda • themed restaurants • train • Umekoji Highline)

Famous Tokyo cherry blossom spot installs view-blocking screens to fight overcrowding[Video]

• Casey Baseel
  Mar 28, 2026

Once an under-the-radar sakura spot, this neighborhood near Shibuya has become dangerously congested.

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• Japan
• (cherry blossoms • hanami • Naka Meguro • Nakameguro • overtourism • sakura • screens • society • video • view-blocking screens)

New cherry blossom party picnic essential: This super-handy folding cardboard table

• Casey Baseel
  Mar 22, 2026

This might be the perfect hanami table.

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• Japan
• (Amazon • Amazon Japan • cherry blossom-viewing • cherry blossoms • clever • COK • convenient • cool • hanami • interior • outdoors • picnic • sakura • SNJO • table)

When will the cherry blossoms reach full bloom in Japan this year?[Forecast]

• Casey Baseel
  Mar 19, 2026

Latest forecast says peak sakura season is coming very early in 2026.

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• Japan
• (cherry blossom forecast • cherry blossom forecast 2026 • cherry blossoms • cherry blossoms forecast • cherry blossoms forecast 2026 • COK • flowers • hanami • Japan cherry blossom forecast • Japan cherry blossoms forecast 2026 • Japan travel • mankai • nature • sakura • sakura forecast • sakura forecast 2026 • tourism • travel)

McDonald’s Japan celebrates spring with… a Strawberry Shortcake Pie?!?

• Oona McGee
  Mar 18, 2026

Limited-edition pink dessert seems unseasonal at this time of year, but all will be forgiven if it meets our high standards. 

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• Japan
• (apple pie • dessert pie • desserts • fast food • food • Japanese strawberry • McDonald's • McDonald's Japan • pie • sakura • SNJO • strawberries • strawberry • strawberry shortcake)

Cherry blossoms begin blooming in Japan with record-early starts for sakura season

• Casey Baseel
  Mar 18, 2026

Three cities share the status of this year’s first sakura arrivals, with a fourth joining them one day later.

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• Japan
• (cherry blossom forecast • cherry blossom forecast 2026 • cherry blossoms • cherry blossoms forecast • cherry blossoms forecast 2026 • COK • flowers • Japan cherry blossom forecast • Japan cherry blossoms forecast 2026 • Japan travel • nature • sakura • sakura forecast • sakura forecast 2026 • tourism • travel)

Is this Japan’s most extreme cherry blossom viewing? Leap, cycle and climb through 2,500 sakura

• Elliot Hale
  Mar 13, 2026

Why sit on a tarp when you can zoom through flowers on a 100-meter slide or risk falling into the trees from 370 meters in the air?

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• Japan
• (amusement park • athletic course • attractions • Bubble Works • cherry blossoms • COK • culture • event • flower viewing • flowers • hanami • illumination • illuminations • Kanagawa • Night Bubble Show • Sagamiko • Sagamiko Illumillion • Sagamiko Mori Mori • Sagamiko Onsen Ururi • sakura • spring • tourism • travel)

The top 10 graduation songs in Japan as chosen by current Japanese high school students

• Krista Rogers
  Mar 13, 2026

From covers of classics to altogether newer songs, these are the melodies that Japanese youth associate with graduation in this current Reiwa age.

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• Japan
• (graduation • high school • sakura • Shibuya Trend Research • songs • spring • survey • Top Ten)

Nine great places to see spring flowers in Japan, as chosen by travelers (with almost no sakura)

• SoraNews24
  Mar 9, 2026

Nanohana, fuji, and more reasons to get out and see Japan’s springtime flowers.

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• Japan
• (beautiful • cherry blossoms • flowers • gardens • Jalan • Japan travel • Kawazu Sakura • nature • outdoors • parks • plum blossoms • sakura • tourism • travel • ume)

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• Recent Posts

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• MOST POPULAR

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  Today

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  5. Pokémon card game’s expansion features art from Fist of the North Star creator
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  Weekly

  1. Japan ends tax-free shopping system for foreign tourists, new refund request system now in effect
  2. Starbucks Japan unveils new winter drinkware collection with limited-edition Stanley cups
  3. Pachinko parlor operator arrested for not obscuring the act of gambling well enough
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  5. Two Tokyo neighborhoods to gather on bridge and shift their recognized border through tug-of-war
  6. Liquid croissant coffee is coming to Japanese stores this month
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  8. Japan’s new matcha vending machines serve freshly prepared matcha in five different strengths
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  Monthly

  1. Pokémon Company announces first-ever permanent Pokémon store to open outside Asia
  2. Japan ends tax-free shopping system for foreign tourists, new refund request system now in effect
  3. Japan’s TeamLab digital art group is opening a permanent museum in America
  4. Family Mart releases 47 convenience store socks and stickers, one for every prefecture in Japan
  5. What’s it like to stay in a Japanese container hotel?
  6. Beautiful Ghibli diorama kits lets you build anime characters’ homes inside yours [Photos]
  7. Chainsaw robots helping keep trains running safely in east Japan [Video]
  8. New Studio Ghibli anime gets extended run at the only cinema in Japan where it’s being shown
  9. Osaka’s famous Glico Running Man will be removed and replaced with a new-look sign
  10. Studio Ghibli creates illustrated Kyoto sightseeing map, available at any 7-Eleven Japan store

  Yearly

  1. Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
  2. Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
  3. Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
  4. Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
  5. Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
  6. Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
  7. Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
  8. Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
  9. Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
  10. Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa

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  • Pachinko parlor operator arrested for not obscuring the act of gambling well enough
  • Starbucks Japan unveils new winter drinkware collection with limited-edition Stanley cups
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