Japan has developed something of a reputation for accommodating solo activities: from karaoke for one to Korean BBQ, noodles restaurants like Ichiran, and even a Moomins cafe, there's a service or ...

Designed to bring out the potential of any player and instrument, Duet with Yoo is an experiential, co-performance installation by Hakuhodo i-studio that uses the Yamaha AI Music Ensemble System. It ...

Augmented reality. 3D. Virtual reality. What next? 4D. Japanese candy brand Puccho is determined to lead the pack in the 4D revolution, it seems, judging by its creation of these "4D ...

Global cosmetics giant Chanel has opened a branded Coco game center in Shibuya ward, Tokyo. Open from March 2nd to March 11th in Case B in Jingumae, near Omotesando and Harajuku, the ground floor ...

The two official mascots for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo have been announced. The winning pair are designed by character designer and illustrator Ryo Taniguchi, who was born in ...

Does Piko Taro have another hit on his hands? Nearly a million views seems to suggest so. The "Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen" creator has recently launched a new song on YouTube, this time significantly ...

The heyday of manga magazines is over, so it takes something for a controversy about a mainstream comic to make the headlines. That is what has happened with Shogakukan's monthly manga magazine, ...

Following its successful debut in 2014, the site-specific festival Dogo Onsenart returns, transforming hotel and traditional Japanese inn rooms at the famous hot spring resort into art ...

Visitors to Sanrio Puroland, the theme park with attractions based on Sanrio characters, can enjoy a whole new kind of entertainment from March with a kabuki-inspired Hello Kitty ...

If you like the SoftBank robot Pepper, you will love this: a Pepper cuddly toy. And not just any cuddly toy, this is a super deformed-style Pepper, complete with an oversized head. SoftBank has ...

You've heard the one about the Tower of Babel. But what the 350-meter wooden tower? The somewhat cryptically named W350 is set to be the tallest wooden structure in the world, standing 350 meters ...

The best way to sell a foreign brand in Japan is to localize it, and this is both easier and harder when it comes to food. This is a field that offers a wealth of possibilities, but Japanese ...

The manga and anime franchise Cardcaptor Sakura has spawned a lot of spin-off merchandise over the years, and it now has its own cafe in Tokyo. The shojo manga about elementary school student ...

The first thing to learn about Valentine's Day in Japan is that it's only for women to give to men. The guys are supposed to reciprocate on White Day, or March 14th. Moreover, it's not just for ...

The native Japanese religion of Shinto might well be an ancient faith, but it's rarely concerned about violating a "sacred" image. People eat and drink at shrines. And now two miko shrine maidens ...