The sad truth is that sometimes Japanese consumers are a simple bunch, at least in the eyes of the ad men. Forget complex marketing strategies or clever stunts. The way to their hearts is just to put ...

Intergalactic bonsai! Just when you thought there couldn't be any more innovations on past traditions, along comes something that makes your jaw drop. Makoto Azuma, known for his eye-catching ...

Two things Japan is famous for just came crashing together big time: idols and robots. AKB48's fans have become notorious for spending vast amounts of time and money on merchandise and tributes to ...

Here is a documentary called Emoji Among Us, now available on Dissolve. This short documentary (more like a trailer for a documentary) declares that emoji have become infused in our lives and ...

Heading to the beach this summer? Of course, you'll need a beach ball. But does your beach ball light up? No. This one does, though. The Green House Beach Ball Inflatable Waterproof LED Solar ...

After first appearing in 2011 and proving a massive success in both 2012 and in 2013, the spectacular Eco Edo Nihonbashi Art Aquarium 2014 is back. Exploiting Japan's love of the decorative and the ...

The website for UK fashion magazine i-D currently features Japanese idol group Babymetal. Online you can find an interview with the three young Japanese ladies, "bringing kawaii-metal to the ...

While the latest Michael Bay Transformers movie is shooting up the box office around the world (though not yet in Japan), it's worth taking a look at a pretty spectacular local Japanese version. A ...

We remember the good ol' days when every tech blog was keen-eyed for the latest development from Japan, when mainstream newspapers at least partly seemed to take Japanese fashion seriously, and... ...

An exhibition based on the massively popular manga "One Piece" scheduled to take place at the War Memorial of Korea in Seoul from July 12th has been canceled, it was announced on July ...

Photographer Noriko Takasugi has devoted herself to going in search of modern-day "samurai" in the devastated region of Fukushima in northeast Japan. Her "Fukushima Samurai" series, though, is far ...

JR West has announced a special new tourism train that will run between Kanazawa and Wakura hot spring in 2015. Kanazawa, known as a "mini Kyoto", is the main city in Ishikawa Prefecture, which ...

The Japanese are obsessed with bathing. From hot springs (onsen) to public baths (sento), and even home foot baths for feet saunas, the Japanese take the water, temperature, location and duration of ...

A recruitment campaign ad fronted by a sweet-looking, innocent pop music idol? Only in Japan. "You and Peace" declares Haruka Shimazaki, the 20-year-old pop singer and member of idol group ...

Wearable Clothing by Urban Research is a virtual dressing room interactive digital unit was recently installed for a trial run in Ikebukuro Parco department. The fashion brand Urban Research created ...