On this episode of Ichimon Japan we cover what the top Japanese mascots (yurukyara) of 2023 plus a few other ones! Topics Discussed What the Yuruverse Grand Prix is (ゆるバースグランプリ２０２３年・Yurubāsu Grand Prix 2023) Who won the Yuruverse Grand Prix 20203 competition About the transition from the Yurukyara Grand Prix to the Yuruverse Grand Prix What the top 5 Japanese mascots …

The cutest way to help combat the spread of COVID19 Just like in other countries, the COVID19 pandemic has had a huge negative impact on businesses in Japan. Almost overnight many companies were left unable to operate due to restrictions and fears of spreading the virus. For one such company in Japan this resulted in the creation of an adorable …

 Today’s Question On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: What’s life like in Japan during the coronavirus pandemic? We also investigate the cute sneeze conspiracy that is going on in Japan. This episode features special guest Kyle Broyles of the Tokyo Splosion podcast and Hard Officers YouTube channel. Topics Discussed What it’s like living in central Tokyo during …

The epic conclusion to the Gundam VS Hello Kitty saga! 2019 marked the 40th anniversary of the 1979 anime series Mobile Suit Gundam, as well as the 45th anniversary of Sanrio’s most famous character, Hello Kitty. As such late in March of last year it was announced that the two companies behind these massive properties, Bandai and Sanrio, would be …

Omusubi Cakes aren’t jelly doughnuts but they’re awfully close. Tsukiichi isn’t your run-of-the-mill cake and pastry shop. Located in Osaka, the shop is known for their luxurious cake buffet, which they hold only once a month and requires customers to reserve a table ahead of time. However, recently Tsukiichi has been making headlines not for their buffet, but rather their …

 On This Episode of Japan Station On this episode of the Japan Station podcast I sit down for a chat with the award-winning creator of the Usagi Yojimbo comic book series, Stan Sakai. About Stan Sakai Though born in Japan, Stan Sakai grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii, before moving to California to pursue a career in comics. Once in …

Way better than watching a bunch of human children run around. Every year in October schools across Japan hold what in English tends to be called “Sports Day.” Known as undōkai or taiikukai in Japanese, this is a day on which students participate in all sorts of athletic events in order to win glory for their respective teams. However, for …

Capybara + yuzu baths = A cute modern tradition in Japan You know it’s winter in Japan when you start seeing capybaras taking yuzu (a type of citrus fruit) baths. Every year right around the 21st of December there is a flood of news reports about cute capybaras all over Japan taking baths filled with the aromatic East Asian citrus …