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Love-themed bookstore bar run by hosts opens in Kabukicho, Shinjuku
One of the big changes in the Tokyo landscape in recent years has been the ongoing gentrification of the Kabukicho district of Shinjuku. Long a no-go zone unless you wanted to visit one of the less...
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Halloween in Tokyo 2017: Photos from the crazy costume crowds in Shibuya
After yet another typhoon in a very rainy October spoiled the weekend closest to Halloween, thousands of people in Tokyo seized the chance to celebrate All Hallows’ Eve on October 31st itself despite...
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Nestlé Japan creates personalized souvenir Kit Kat vending machine in Kyoto
Nestlé Japan has installed a new vending machine in Kyoto that lets you create personalized Japanese Kit Kat chocolates. The Travel Memories Kit Kat vending machine is located inside the Omiyage Kaido...
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Sony goes back to the 1990s with new aibo robotic dog toy
Continuing the trend for rebooting or revisiting classics of the 1980s and 1990s, Sony has resurrected its hit robot toy, the AIBO. The new ERS-1000 model, now christened as the lower-case aibo, is...
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Donald Trump meets Piko Taro of Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen
Apparently not put off by Takeshi Kitano’s viral send-up of him last year, President Donald Trump has been visiting Japan on the first leg of his Asian tour. In addition to enjoying golf with Prime...
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Nissin creates replica Cup Noodle Jomon-era pottery cooking vessel
Instant noodles maker Nissin already hit the viral magic button with the recent release of the Otohiko Anti-Slurping Noise Noodle Eating Fork, a genuine product that functions as a “food sound...
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Women sing songs with male anime character panels at karaoke in Tokyo
Karaoke continues to evolve. From wedding cosplay karaoke services to karaoke boxes combined with convenience stores, the archetypal modern Japanese leisure activity has survived so long because it is...
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FirstVR Headset and UnlimitedHandLite Controller pushes into new virtual...
We previously wrote about the initial release of the UnlimitedHand haptic wearable controller in 2015. We are pleased to see that start-up H2L’s development on the prototype continued, now configuring...
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Rice straw dinosaur sculptures dazzle visitors in Sendai, northeast Japan
Students in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, have created dinosaur sculptures using rice straw from farmers affected by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. There are six straw dinosaurs on display....
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Elementary school students in Japan invited to vote for 2020 Tokyo Olympics...
The organizers of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games have sent information to elementary schools in Japan, offering students the chance to participate in a vote for the official 2020 Olympics...
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Toyota T-HR3 humanoid robot can mimic remote human operator movements
Toyota has announced the its latest humanoid robot, the T-HR3. The third generation in a series that Toyota has been developing for many years, the new robot has the ability to mimic human movements,...
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ZOZOSUIT is personal fitting room with bespoke clothing shopping through...
Say goodbye to sizes. Japanese e-commerce platform ZOZOTOWN has released the fitting room of the future in ZOZOSUIT, which promises to be a revolutionary body measurement device. The ZOZOSUIT uses...
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Japanese tearoom-themed hotel koé tokyo opens next year in Shibuya
While Kyoto is usually the place in Japan best known for traditions and cultural heritage, visitors to Tokyo who want to experience this firsthand can enjoy a stay at hotel koé from February next year....
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Play a giant game of Tetris Tower on roof of skyscraper in Osaka, Japan
Visitors to the Abeno Harukas in Osaka, Japan, can currently enjoy games of the classic game Tetris on a giant wall located on the top floor of the skyscraper. The game is projected onto a space...
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First permanent Pokémon cafe to open in Tokyo in March 2018
Japan will finally gets its first ever permanent Pokémon cafe, opening in the central Tokyo district of Nihonbashi in 2018. The new Pokémon Center Tokyo DX and Pokémon Cafe are scheduled to open...
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The 15 Best Christmas 2017 Gifts from Japan
Still searching for that special something? Need to surprise your friends and family? Don’t worry, when it comes to unique gift items, Japan has you covered. Here is our selection of the 15 best...
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Candidates for 2020 Tokyo Olympics official mascots revealed
The candidates for 2020 Tokyo Olympics official mascots have been announced. There are three pairs of mascot finalists, selected from 2,042 entries submitted by the general public. They include common...
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Comparing the changing landscape of Akihabara today and ten years ago
Tokyo can sometimes seem less of a city than a polymorphous, ever-changing organism. Each month brings new buildings and infrastructure, all in the name of a constant cycle of construction,...
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2020 Tokyo Olympic Opening Ceremony planning team announced
The initial team of people who will supervise and direct planning for the opening ceremony for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games has been announced. The officially confirmed eight figures...
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Watch a century of Japanese animation in under 15 minutes
Japanese anime might be most famous for the likes of Your Name or Studio Ghibli’s offerings, but it actually has a history that goes back 100 years. This video, produced by the Association of Japanese...
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