Hello Kitty is no stranger to spin-offs and tie-ups. But this one is pretty innovative. Sanrio's iconic cat character has teamed up with Fukoku Mutual Life Insurance Company for an exhibition in ...

Japan is the land of characters. Every town has a mascot, every brand its own cute figure. But while there is no shortage of home-grown characters, Japanese consumers also love to lap up foreign ...

Japan has a declining birth rate but the toymakers are still trying hard to find new ways to entertain children in the twenty-first century. Here's a brilliant example from Takara-Tomy. The ...

This article by Tiffany first appeared on Tokyo Cheapo. No other country in the world has as many Kit Kat flavors as Japan does, having released over 200 flavors since 2000. One reason for the ...

Cheerz is an app for showing your support for certain idols. It allows users to browse selfies and photos taken by over 250 music idols. Users can then "cheer" the photos they like, which raises ...

Taco Bell is returning to Japan. Its first new branch will open in Shibuya in the Dogenzaka area on April 21st. Of course, Taco Bell has been a mainstay of U.S. military bases in Japan for ...

Get ready for Shibuya Beer. We already have Tokyo Black, made by the same people as Yona Yona, as well as Tokyo Ale. So why not a craft beer for one of Tokyo's most vibrant ...

We think this might be one of the most original and ingenious beauty tools we've seen yet. And that's saying a lot. Japan is a nation that has produced a serious wealth of beauty items, from ...

The Self-Assembly Shamisen is, as the name suggests, a shamisen instrument that you can build yourself -- and customize! The shamisen is surely the most famous Japanese traditional instrument. You ...

Chanel is opening a temporary Omotesando pop-up space to advertise its new Rouge Coco lipstick, which went on sale on March 20th. From March 27th to April 5th, visitors to Rouge Coco at Omotesando ...

Nail art is big in Japan. So is Purikura, the "print club" photo booths where you can take inventive shots with your friends. Combine the two and you should have a recipe for success. At least, ...

How do you promote cycle racing, a sport that rarely gets much of a look-in from the baseball-obsessed media? Easy. You sex things up and push cute girls to the forefront. Girl's Keirin is a ...

Ten types of stylish wearable smart accessories designed by current female college students have been unveiled. The designs are the results of a project run in partnership between Recruit ...

As we reported last May, the "cool/cold beer" trend has crossed over from actual bars and restaurants to home "toys". You haven't lived until you've tried Kirin's Frozen Beer at least once (for some, ...

Yesterday we introduced the iDoll, currently being showcased by ad agency Hakuhodo at SXSW Interactive Festival. Another prototype by Hakuhodo -- and just as outlandish -- are the Talkable ...