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 …

Not the face you’d like to see coming after you in a dark alley. The city of Nabari in Mie Prefecture is not particularly famous, especially among people not from the area. However, over the past few years, more and more people have started to become aware of this relatively small city. This is thanks in no small part to …

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 …

Japan’s newest heartthrob is a real baaaad boy. Take a look at the roster of just about any Japanese male idol group and nine times out of ten you’ll find an almost interchangeable collection of beautiful boys. However, the Japanese male idol group *ChocoLate Bomb!! is a bit different. While yes, the majority of its members do indeed fit the …

Practice flying an airplace inside one of Japan’s busiest airports. Last July the Haneda Excel Hotel Tokyu inside Domestic Terminal 2 of Tokyo’s Haneda Airport made headlines around the world when it was announced that the hotel would soon start offering guests the opportunity to stay in a room with a rather interesting feature: a full-sized Boeing 737-800 flight simulator …

The (ridiculous) story continues. 2019 marks 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 this year it was announced that the two companies behind these massive properties, Bandai and Sanrio, would be teaming up in a fun promotional …

Perfect for coffee lovers who love to slurp. If you’ve ever been in Japan during the summer, then there’s a good chance you’ve come across “coffee jelly” (kōhī zerī). This chilled sweet coffee-flavored gelatin dessert is a staple of summer in Japan and no doubt a favorite treat of many coffee lovers. However, for the folks at Tanuki Coffee–a coffee …

The most lethal bowl of udon & rice you’ve ever eaten. These days it seems like everyone is talking about eating healthy and watching one’s calorie intake. This is the case even in Japan. However, it looks like one Japanese restaurant chain has decided to rebel against this trend because they have given birth to a new menu item which …

Cute cat vs. giant robot. Who will win? Late last month it was announced that the iconic RX-78-2 Gundam model from the 1979 series Mobile Suit Gundam (Kidō Senshi Gandamu) and the instantly recognizable Sanrio character Hello Kitty would be facing off in an epic battle as a way of celebrating the 40th anniversary of Mobile Suite Gundam and the …

Which is your favorite? With all the excitement surrounding the April 1st press conference in which the name of Japan’s new Imperial era was announced–it’s going to be called Reiwa by the way–this year’s April Fools’ Day was definitely a bit overshadowed. However, just like every year, a long list of Japanese companies put out April Fools’ Day jokes in …

It’s not like there’s much difference between a man in an orangutan costume and an actual orangutan, right? Every year, just as winter is beginning to loosen its grip on much of Japan, someone dresses up like a wild animal and is chased down by zookeepers holding nets and wielding tranquilizer dart shooting rifles. As strange as this may sound, …

Japanese cat lovers are about to get very violent nose bleeds. At the end of 2017, the editorial staff at the long-running weekly tabloid magazine Shūkan Taishū threw a major curveball at their readers when they announced that they would be releasing a special end of the year edition of the magazine focused solely on cats. Titled Shūnyan Taishū (nya is …