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Archi-Depot opens, first museum in Japan for architecture models
As reported last year, Warehouse Terrada will officially open Japan’s first architecture model museum in Tokyo on June 18th. Exhibiting architecture is always difficult. Although there are regular...
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Restaurant and event space opens underneath Shimokitazawa railway viaduct
A new stage in the redevelopment of the beloved Setagaya district of Shimokitazawa includes a restaurant and event space opening under the railway tracks. In a similar way to how the western areas of...
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Go! Go! Second Time Gaijin mockumentary casts white man as Japanese...
Have you ever wanted to be something you physically can’t? Perhaps a world-class athlete? Or a top mountain climber? What about a member of another race? Moreover, an ultranationalist?! Go! Go! Second...
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Experience Zero Latency zombie game, virtual reality haunted temple in Tokyo
The virtual reality buzz in Tokyo continues to unfold. Following VR Zone Project i Can in Odaiba and Sky Circus in Ikebukuro, the latest virtual reality experience attractions in Tokyo are Zero Latency...
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JR East to redesign Harajuku Station
One of Tokyo’s most iconic railway stations is set to lose its beloved exterior and poky atmosphere. JR East plans to overhaul JR Harajuku Station with a new, larger station building and major changes...
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Mamoru Hosoda anime cafe opens in Tokyo
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time cafe will open at Guest Cafe and Diner inside Shibuya Parco, offering a menu inspired by director Mamoru Hosoda’s famous animes like Summer Wars, Wolf Children, The Boy...
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Omnibot Charmy Baku Showtaro Comedian Robot is cheesy, but brilliant
The latest entry in Takara-Tomy’s series of Omnibot robotic toys is this Omnibot Charmy Baku Showtaro Comedian Robot, which functions like an alarm clock, joke-teller and household companion. Released...
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Self-drip pop-up coffee shop Minedrip Coffee opens on Shinjuku NEWoMAN rooftop
The third-wave coffee boom in Japan continues with Minedrip Coffee, which has opened on the rooftop of Shinjuku Lumine NEWoMAN. NEWoMAN, which itself only opened in March, already has an insanely...
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Bandai targets adult women with Tokyo Station character store
Bandai is targeting women in their twenties and thirties with its latest venture. Otona Joshi Biyori (literally, Adult Girls Beautiful Weather) will open on June 24th in Tokyo Character Street, a...
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Shibuya store cashes in on tourist boom with new Hachiko dog landmark
After already breaking records for inbound tourism last year, the government hopes to double the number to 40 million by 2020. So far this year, more than 10 million non-Japanese visitors have entered...
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Luxury tourist concierge services growing in Tokyo
Everything seems to be about tourism these days — and how to cash in on the boom. This has led to foreign-language-speaking staff and tax-free counters at major stores in Tokyo. We reported yesterday...
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Wise Owl Hostels Tokyo opens July with Eurasian eagle-owl
Animal cafes continue to develop in Japan. Not content with just cat cafes of all varieties, there are also cafes with rabbits and hedgehogs. One of the most popular types of animal cafe is the owl...
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Shiseido develops app that determines smile quality
Shiseido has developed an app that determines the quality of a smile. Shiseido is testing the software on 5,000 JAL flight attendants between July and September. The level of the female attendants’...
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Osaka Nakanoshima Station hosts temporary izakaya on platform, train carriages
An underground station in central Osaka was converted into a temporary izakaya for four days. Located in the business district of the city, Keihan Nakanoshima Station is a terminus that connects to the...
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Monocle declares Tokyo most liveable city in world
Monocle has declared Tokyo the world’s “most liveable city” for the second year running. The magazine says: This city of 13 million nurtures a balance of hi-tech efficiency and traditional...
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Political parties, local authorities attempt to woo younger voters in Japan
The upcoming election on July 10th for the House of Councillors will be the first time that 18- and 19-year-olds will be able to vote in Japan. This means there are 2.4 million new youth votes up for...
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teamLab creates summer installation in Odaiba, Tokyo, with 10 million digital...
After previous successes such as Infinity of Flowers with Gucci and Night Wonder Aquarium, teamLab has now teamed up with online retailer DMM and Fuji TV to create a new major summer attraction in...
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Yamaha unveils two new concept vehicles for leisurely future mobility
Last year we reported on a stunning series of concept mobility vehicles and musical instruments by Yamaha. Now Yamaha is back with more, though this time it is just their motoring arm. The two concept...
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Tokyo designer bookstores offer craft beer, drip brew coffee, chic pajamas
We have been following recent developments in the Tokyo book store world with interest. From gimmicks like Book and Bed Tokyo — a bookstore-themed hotel — and the actual opportunities to stay overnight...
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Tokyo police suggest Airbnb and minpaku harbor foreign terrorists
Kota Hatachi of BuzzFeed News Japan has investigated a bizarre and unsettling case where Tokyo police seemed to link Airbnb with foreign terrorism. Shibuya police put up an illustrated poster showing a...
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