It's not often that I roll out the R-word -- and when I do, it is generally due to the incredible short change that black people or other Asians get in Japanese popular culture. Usually the silliness ...

While people make charitable donations for (arguably) many different reasons, this year, the annual 24 Hour Television themed "Love Saves the Earth" -- which will be aired on August 24th and 25th -- ...

In 2013, Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titan) became no longer just a popular comic book. It has evolved into a social phenomenon which will be remembered as one of the biggest hits of the decade. So ...

Since the rise of the hipster, the handlebar has come back with a vengeance. If you thought you had seen the last of the lip hair being in fashion way back in 1989, unfortunately a generation of guys ...

Having conquered the female market, Shiseido is next targetting younger consumers. It has created a beauty salon for kids since the children of today are the customers of the ftuture. The salon ...

If someone asked me to name Japan's greatest invention, I might say it's the Cup Noodle. Although some people consider it to be more of junk food rather than a meal, I'm sure we all love it not only ...

It's the most famous train line in Tokyo. The JR Yamanote Line defines the geography of the city, encircling the center, running a loop around the notorious "empty void" in the heart -- the Imperial ...

Showcased at last week's Tokyo Toy Show 2013 was the Camatte57s, a concept car by Znug Design for Toyota. The brainchild of Kenji Tsuji and Kota Nezu, the minimal Camatte57s is not only designed ...

We've got a soft spot when it comes to matters of the heart, especially when it's as cute as this. The Ozaki O!coat Lover+ is a pair of iPhone5 covers for a couple to share -- when you put the two ...

Could you tell us a little bit about yourself? How would you describe yourself? I can't remember how many times people asked me these questions. Whether it was during job interviews or random ...

In 1998 the famous guitarist from pioneering visual kei rock band X JAPAN, Hideto Matsumoto (commonly known as just "hide"), suddenly passed away at the age of thirty-three. To remember this, every ...

You can get a piece of Tokyo greenery literally in your pocket with the Shibaful iPhone Case, a world-first design which uses electrostatic flocking and is based on lawn from Yoyogi Park in central ...

Starbucks may well have coffee shops in around sixty countries and regions worldwide but other than North America, Japan is the first to reach 1,000 branches. Despite being seen initially as a more ...

Weddings and konkatsu (or spouse-hunting) are big money in Japan. June Bride is a term that originated in the west but later became a commercialized concept in Japan too. However, June in Japan, as ...

Last weekend I jumped on the Fukutoshin Line and headed down to Shibuya to check out Keitai Mizu ("mobile water"). From what I had read, the event at Jingu-dori Park was set to be a mobile ...