A major trend in Japan recently is how local beer brands are trying to reverse their falling sales as the population declines and younger consumers turn away from traditional beers. After years of ...

Local leading e-commerce market Rakuten opens the Rakuten Cafe in Shibuya today, a short five-minute walk from Hachiko Exit. While they have stopped short of actually offering a bricks-and-mortar ...

Move over AKB48. There's a new idol group in town and they've got pigtails. In fact, that's their main asset. The "Japan Twin Tail Association" has been around for a little while, promoting their ...

Artist Asami Kiyokawa, known for her extravagant combination of embroidery and photography, and collaborations with top models and actresses, has got together with Starbucks Japan to create a special ...

Two members of AKB48, Japan's largest music idol group, have been attacked by a fan with a saw at a "hand-shaking" event. On Sunday May 25th, the 24-year-old male attacker injured popular members ...

You might think there isn't much room for further development in the design of the humble flower vase. But you'd be wrong. Designed by Fumiaki Goto/224 Porcelain, the Hanabunko is a flower vase ...

UTme! is a new service by Uniqlo, the Japanese apparel retailing chain with its sights set on world domination. UTme!, as its name suggests, lets consumers design their very own UT ...

As we know, officially Japan does not have an army, it has the very large and well-funded Self-Defense Forces (Jieitai). While its defensive role is currently up for debate, the SDF is ostensibly ...

Mon Place is a share house in Osaka's port district. Shared living facilities have been increasing recently in Tokyo. But this is a new take. It's shared living for single moms. Traditionally ...

Long-running and popular manga "Oishinbo" has been suspended by its publisher, Shogakukan. The comic will no longer appear in the weekly manga magazine Big Comic Spirits from next ...

Eating or going out alone needn't be restrictive in Japan. Single diners these days can choose from Yakiniku Korean BBQ meals especially designed for one or even Nabe hot pot meals. Fancy ...

Do you remember in the 1990's when everyone wanted to have Jennifer Aniston's "The Rachel" haircut? Well, right now in Japan girls are also trying to copy a look. Nothing new in that, except this ...

Artist Takashi Murakami has directed the music video for virtual idol Hatsune Miku's song, "Last Night, Good Night (Re:Dialed)". It has also been re-mixed by Pharrell Williams, whose "Happy" has ...

It's nearly summer. The rainy season will soon be upon us, along with cockroaches, humidity and the usual host of great summer matsuri festivals. And loads of summer food. One of the best is ...

Mario to the rescue? The mustachioed plumber is going to become a toy figure -- no surprises there -- except that this is going to have NFC technology. Kyoto-based Nintendo are calling this ...