The public's (and tourists') appetite for wacky accommodation experiences continues unabated, it seems, as Henn na Hotel has announced a major expansion. The Sasebo-based hotel, which is ...

While fans of the Capcom video game franchise Street Fighter are stereotypically male, now female aficionados can get their hands on two official sporty lingerie sets based on the characters of ...

Japan is suffering from a phenomenon known as "umi-banare" -- literally, "moving away from the sea" -- whereby fewer and fewer people visiting Japan's beaches to take advantage of one the country's ...

Japanese virtual reality continues to thrive and expand in the entertainment industry. Following the success of the pilot VR Zone facility in Tokyo Bay and then the recently opened space in Shinjuku, ...

Japan's society is aging -- and rapidly. With the second-highest life expectancy in the world combined with a falling birth rate, the numbers of retirees and older citizens will only continue to ...

A few years ago we noticed a lot of online chatter about Japanese fitness machines that recreated rodeo-style motions. People sniggered because they seemed wacky or even suggestive. But they work -- ...

The writer Manami Okazaki has carved out a solid name for herself in what are sometimes dismissively called "coffee-table books", but are at heart lovingly conceived and designed photo books or art ...

The weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun has published allegations that the entertainer Rola is stuck in a 10-year "slave-like" contract with her agency. Though she is apparently suffering mentally and ...

Thomas the Tank Engine fans in Japan young and old can now enjoy two special events this summer. At the observatory of Tokyo Skytree, you can get a great view of the city while taking in an ...

Pokémon Go fans have been rallying in Yokohama since August 9th, bringing together participants for a mass hunt of virtual creatures on the augmented reality phone app that became a global ...

Given the ubiquitousness of AKB48 and its various members on advertising campaigns, music releases and television screens, you wouldn't think that Yasushi Akimoto needs a tax break. But that's what ...

Japanese electronic musical instrument manufacturer Roland has teamed up with Kodo, a taiko traditional drumming company, to provide the world's first electronic Japanese taiko. Although still in ...

A fire at Tsukji Market on August 3rd has damaged the internationally famous fish market. The fire raged for 15 hours at the site of the world's largest wholesale fish and seafood market. No ...

Old is back! We first of all saw this trend when Nintendo released a "new" console, the Nintendo Famicom Mini NES Classic, that is an almost exact replica of the original NES. The video game giant ...

Remember the mayor of Beppu, who promised to build an actual hot spring amusement park with water rides if a promotional video went viral? The video hit the necessary one million viewers mark very ...