You might think there isn't much room for further development in the design of the humble flower vase. But you'd be wrong. Designed by Fumiaki Goto/224 Porcelain, the Hanabunko is a flower vase ...

UTme! is a new service by Uniqlo, the Japanese apparel retailing chain with its sights set on world domination. UTme!, as its name suggests, lets consumers design their very own UT ...

As we know, officially Japan does not have an army, it has the very large and well-funded Self-Defense Forces (Jieitai). While its defensive role is currently up for debate, the SDF is ostensibly ...

Mon Place is a share house in Osaka's port district. Shared living facilities have been increasing recently in Tokyo. But this is a new take. It's shared living for single moms. Traditionally ...

Long-running and popular manga "Oishinbo" has been suspended by its publisher, Shogakukan. The comic will no longer appear in the weekly manga magazine Big Comic Spirits from next ...

Eating or going out alone needn't be restrictive in Japan. Single diners these days can choose from Yakiniku Korean BBQ meals especially designed for one or even Nabe hot pot meals. Fancy ...

Do you remember in the 1990's when everyone wanted to have Jennifer Aniston's "The Rachel" haircut? Well, right now in Japan girls are also trying to copy a look. Nothing new in that, except this ...

Artist Takashi Murakami has directed the music video for virtual idol Hatsune Miku's song, "Last Night, Good Night (Re:Dialed)". It has also been re-mixed by Pharrell Williams, whose "Happy" has ...

It's nearly summer. The rainy season will soon be upon us, along with cockroaches, humidity and the usual host of great summer matsuri festivals. And loads of summer food. One of the best is ...

Mario to the rescue? The mustachioed plumber is going to become a toy figure -- no surprises there -- except that this is going to have NFC technology. Kyoto-based Nintendo are calling this ...

Jins (strictly speaking, J!NS), the Japanese spectacles brand, has launched JINS MEME, the world's first eyewear that lets you see yourself. The glasses measure tiredness and concentration based ...

Teapots are all well and good but they retain only around 30% of the nutrients from the tea leaves. Sharp spotted a way to deliver better cups of tea and in a very convenient way for the person ...

Everyone's raving about 3D printers these days. In Japan, one of the most popular ways to use the technology has been DMM's new service. However, with new technology and services, there are always ...

Bibliophile Shunsuke Mori wanted to have his own private library and he wanted others to enjoy it too. He came up with the Mori no Tosho Shitsu, Mori's Library, which will open in Shibuya this ...

Following the high-profile end of hostess magazine Koakuma now comes the closure of egg, another magazine that was a symbol of 1990s and 2000s fashion for teenaged and twenty-something females in ...