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Gigantic Super Mario head statue will welcome fans to new Nintendo shop in...
Nintendo’s hometown finally gets its own Nintendo superstore. When Japan’s first-ever dedicated Nintendo shop opened back in 2019, it made sense that it was opening in Tokyo, since it’s the biggest...
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Pokémon and 158-year-old Kyoto sweets shop team up for Pokémon wagashi...
And yes, the Johto Legendary Pokémon is included. With its first two video games coming out in 1996, and the anime premiering the very next year, Pokémon’s continuing and consistent popularity is...
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Nara hotel with hot spring baths by imperial palace site is a reason to...
Hardly anyone stays in Nara while traveling, but this hotel shows how they’re missing out. So here’s a surprising statistic. According to Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and...
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Let’s try making the Kyoto-style Chinese dish mustard soba【SoraKitchen】
Does our reporter’s attempt cut the mustard? Our reporter K. Masami often travels to Kyoto, and when she does she’s sure to check out one of the many Cantonese-style Chinese restaurants there....
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If you cook Kyoto’s famous chewy “raw” confectionary, will it become a rice...
Can we recreate the baked version of yatsuhashi with different cooking methods? When visiting Kyoto, there is one souvenir snack that just about everyone brings home to their friends and family:...
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Macross anime and Japan’s oldest kabuki theater collaborate for special art...
Traditional deculture! One of the ways the mecha anime Macross sets itself apart from others in the genre by making music a recurring theme. For most of the franchise’s history, including its most...
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Kyoto’s “ikezu” culture of backhanded compliments explained in hilarious...
Behind the calm, polite face of a Kyotoite is an angry woman who wants to shout at you for being so uncultured. The concept of “wa” (“harmony“) is central to maintaining a peaceful society in Japan,...
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Our search for Kyoto Station’s cheapest souvenir reveals a surprisingly sweet...
You don’t have to spend a lot to get a great souvenir in Kyoto. As you might expect from a major railway hub for one of the country’s most visited cities, Kyoto Station is filled with souvenir stores....
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Kyoto hotel OMO5 Kyoto Gion offers Yojiya cosmetics Pretty Girl Room Stay for...
OMO5 Kyoto Gion by Hoshino Resorts partners with Kyoto cosmetics brand Yojiya for Fresh Beginnings in Kyoto Pretty Girl themed rooms. Travelers to Japan’s ancient capital who enjoyed staying in one of...
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Starbucks teams up with 164-year-old Kyoto doll maker for Year of the Dragon...
Higashiyama artisans craft figurines, bells, and gosho ningyo dolls to ring in the new year. When it can, Starbucks Japan likes to shine a spotlight on local arts and culture. That desire is baked...
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Japan’s Kanji of the Year for 2023 reveals the worries of Japanese society
A single character says a thousand words. As the year draws to a close, it’s time for people everywhere to reflect back on the past 12 months and what it brought us, and in Japan this act of...
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We attempt to buy Starbucks Japan’s 60,000 yen lucky beckoning cat
Manekineko designed to generate prosperity threatens to do the opposite, leaving us with nothing but zekku. In today’s day and age, where we’ve become desensitised to a lot of things through access to...
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Kyoto’s demon manju is as big as the local legend that inspired it
Huge sweet celebrates the slaying of a sake-loving demon. Artists, writers and craftsmen have long been inspired by Japanese legends, and down in the town of Oe in Kyoto Prefecture, a local legend has...
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Kyoto Knife Tower hopes to become city’s newest sightseeing power spot【Photos】
Something a little different from the city’s ancient temples and shrines. Pretty much everyone is familiar with Tokyo Tower, whose observation floors offer expansive views of Japan’s capital city....
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Matcha strawberry daifuku from Hatoya really lets the green tea shine in more...
We try one and other items from the limited-time booth in Shinjuku. On Japanese social media, you may have seen a very photogenic confection which resembles the strawberries covered in sweet bean...
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Kyoto’s Nishiki Market has great bento boxed lunches, and here are our top 3...
Whether you’re looking to eat in the park, along the river, or on the Shinkansen, “Kyoto’s Kitchen” has you covered. Nishiki Market is often referred to as “Kyoto’s Kitchen.” The covered arcade,...
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Let’s light up some Disney-authorized Mickey Mouse incense
So that’s what Mickey smells like? Our Japanese writer Udonko has long been a fan of incense; having grown up in the countryside she puts a high value on being surrounded by soothing aromas. But one...
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Ridesharing services legalized for Tokyo and Kyoto, but does this change...
Law changes next month, but the way people get around Japan’s biggest cities might not. Starting next month, there’s going to be a new potential way to get around Tokyo. It’s not a new train or subway...
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Has Kyoto Prefecture’s super spicy food area still got the heat, or has it...
A trip that was meant to be pleasantly nostalgic resulted in a big shock, but also came with a silver, spicy lining. Muko City in Kyoto Prefecture is a small city just to the west of Kyoto City. In...
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Kyoto bans tourists from geisha alleys in Gion, with fines for those who...
Historic area wants foreign visitors to know it’s not a theme park. Kyoto has found itself in a difficult position over the years, juggling the needs of residents with the needs of tourists who have...
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