The Japanese Imperial family is joining Instagram. Their account goes live on April 1st. Source: TBS News, Japan Today

On this episode of Japan Station, we learn about the new statue of the famous Kabosu the shibainu (a.k.a. Doge) that was erected in Sakura City, Chiba Prefecture. Are you ready to go on “the Doge Pilgrimage?” Topics Discussed About the history of Kabosu the Shibainu and the Doge meme About the process of creating the Doge statue that is in …

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 …

“Shoplifting a cactus” sounds like it would be very painful. Instagram has helped police in Tokyo track down a man who allegedly loved plants so much he couldn’t stop himself from shoplifting cacti. According to police, on June 24 at about 7:20 p.m., the suspect, an unemployed 45-year-old man named Izuru Kobayashi, stole four potted cacti of unspecified size from …

It’s meat morphin’ time! It seems like you can find teams of tights-wearing superheroes based on just about anything and everything in the world of Super Sentai (the franchise Power Rangers is based on). Feel like watching a team of heroes based on ninjas? Then, check out Ninja Sentai Kakurenjā. How about space pirates? Then Kaizoku Sentai Gōkaijā is what …

Here’s your cat video for the day… kind of. Japanese Twitter user miru (@bebebe5353) has a cat. However, it’s a very special cat. Like many other felines it likes to lounge around on a cushion all day just staring at nothing, almost as if it was daydreaming. Unlike other cats though, miru’s doesn’t eat, sleeps or go to the bathroom. …

Something’s a little off about these Piplups. Piplup is a water-type penguin-like Pokemon that made its debut as a starter in the Generation IV series of games. Called Pocchama in Japanese, Piplup is cute, blue, prideful, and not particularly known for its dance abilities. That is, until now. The video below was tweeted out on April 22 by Twitter user …

Aziz Ansari spotted in Japan. Despite his notoriety in the West, stand-up comic/actor/writer Aziz Ansari is almost completely unknown in Japan. And yet, it appears that one Japanese company loves him so much that they decided to put him in an advertisement. Taken by Instagram user @hellofancypop late last month during a visit to Nagasaki, the photo below shows a …

Don’t try this in the infamously narrow aisles of Don Quijote. Store employees in Japan receive extensive training when they begin working somewhere. Aside from covering basic things like how to operate a cash register, companies also teach their employees things like how to properly speak to customers. Don Quijote, one of Japan’s most well-known chains of discount stores, is …

Don’t worry, Ueno Zoo isn’t getting their animals drunk. Even though Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo is famous for its pandas, the zoo has plenty of other very interesting animals. Take for example the naked mole rat in the photo below. If he doesn’t qualify as interesting, then nothing does. おはようございます。上野動物園開園です。 みなさんお正月はお休みできましたか？ サツマイモを枕にして寝ていますが酔っ払ってはおりません。#ハダカデバネズミ pic.twitter.com/qaQYDfVTOx — 上野動物園［公式］ (@UenoZooGardens) January 5, 2018 You have …

It’s like the high-tech Japanese version of Sisyphus and his rock. This past November 29 the Japan Robot Association kicked off the 2017 International Robot Exhibition at the Tokyo Big Sight expo center and among all the amazing examples of robotics and engineering that were on display at this four-day event, one little bento making robot seems to have – …

Dogs can sense true evil. Thanks in part to the internet and social media, dogs of the Shiba Inu breed have managed to develop a reputation of being absolutely adorable. And it’s true. These little doggies are pretty darn cute (although they can be pretty sexy too). However, given the right set of circumstances they can also be absolutely ferocious. …