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7-Eleven Japan now sells… hot takoyaki!

A wildly popular local specialty takes Japanese convenience store food to a hot new level.You never know what wonders await you when you pop into a Japanese convenience store, but this month you’ll want to make a pit stop at 7-Eleven, because that’s where a new find awaits: takoyaki!Set to tempt you from the hot food display on the counter, these takoyaki are fried in-store and served fresh, ensuring a delightful, gooey texture. Made with a rich bonito-based broth, for a tasty burst

Kinotake Mother AI developed to study Japan’s divide between chocolate cookie snacks

AI claims it can tell which you like just by looking at you.For many years now, there has been a rivalry between two chocolate-covered cookie snacks. Both Kinoko no Yama and Takenoko no Sato are made by the same company, Meiji, and feature the same chocolate on the same type of cookie, just in different amounts and shapes. Despite their many similarities, people in Japan tend to have a very definitive preference for one or the other.This probably just sounds like a marketing gimmick, and it basi

What’s inside Japan’s super-rare, super-popular Nara bread?

Nara is famous for deer and temples, but you won’t find either of those inside this hard-to-find baked good.Most of the time, the names of baked goods in Japan are pretty self-explanatory. Curry bread is bread filled with curry. Yakisoba bread is a bun filled with stir-fried noodles (yakisoba). Nara Bread is…wait, what is Nara Bread?Nara, of course is the name of the city most famous for its deer, which freely roam the grounds of Nara Park (and sometimes, apparently, wander over to the nei

Japan’s popular bead bonsai kit is as beautiful as it is gruelling to make

Gorgeous and tiny, yet contains the potential to break spirits and thumbs.The cherry blossom season tends to fall around the turn of the fiscal year, meaning that trying to squeeze out time for a holiday or a short trip to go and admire the delicate petals is not an easy feat to accomplish for some people. So, wouldn’t it be better if you could have the experience of your own little flower viewing party whenever you want, regardless of the month? With a few hours of fiddly work with some wires a

Injuries on stairs in Tokyo highlight an overlooked design flaw

Japan is usually known for its world-class design, but this site didn’t see the optical illusion.On 28 March, Tokyo’s newest large-scale commercial complex, Takanawa Gateway City, had its grand opening in Minato Ward. Directly connected to JR Takanawa Gateway Station, a new stop opened in 2020 on the Yamanote loop line, this mixed-use complex includes not only shops but a hotel, offices, and exhibition halls.Though it’s barely been open for two weeks, it hasn’t been all s

Japanese Godzilla looks set to attack New York in teaser for Godzilla Minus Zero[Video]

Toho’s Godzilla doesn’t often travel abroad in-movie, but he’ll be visiting the Statue of Liberty.It’s an interesting era for Godzilla cinema, as in recent years the franchise has split into two separate but simultaneously active branches: the Hollywood Godzilla movies from Legendary Pictures, and the Japanese Godzilla movies from Toho.Part of what allows the two types to coexist in a copacetic manner is that there’s a pretty clear distinction between what each is trying to do. The Hollywood God

Turn a rainy forecast into a blast at the Naruto & Boruto Ninja Village May Rain Festival 2026

This event actually encourages the weather to rain on your parade in order to get the most out of it.Anime theme park Nijigen no Mori in Awaji, Hyogo Prefecture, which is largely outdoors, may not be the kind of place you think of visiting when the weather’s not looking too inviting out. However, there’s good reason to go this year on gloomy days thanks to a special event at the park’s Naruto & Boruto Ninja Village, an area where visitors can immerse themselves in scenery s

First Shiba Inu police dog in Japan’s Gifu Prefecture now on duty[Video]

Who’s a good girl who serves and protects?April is the start of the business and administrative years in Japan, and so many organizations are welcoming a fresh batch of recruits this month. For example, on April 6 the town of Ibi in Gunma Prefecture had a ceremony recognizing the start of duty for new members of its police force, including one named Tsubu.Tsubu is only two years old, but it isn’t her age that makes her unique among the recruits. No, what sets Tsubu apart is that she’s the Gifu P

Final version of Sanrio: Beginning of Kawaii exhibition opens in Tokyo[Photos]

Hello Kitty and friends’ tour of the country comes to its last stop in downtown Tokyo with a look back on 60 years of cuteness, Japanese-style.Many would say that Sanrio is the first and last word in kawaii culture, creating enough of Japan’s cuteness to fill an entire exhibition tracing their 60-year history. Sanrio Exhibition: The Beginning of Kawaii has been touring around the country for the past five years, and as of this month it’s come to Tokyo for its grand finale.The Final Version of th

Japan has new rules for bicycle riders, and these 14 things could get you a fine or a court date

There’s a major gray area in Japan’s new blue ticket cycling violation system.Bicycles are often a great way to thoroughly explore Japan’s local communities, providing more range than you’d get walking, more flexibility than taking the train, and less complexity to deal with than renting a car. However, bike-riding has gotten more complicated in Japan as of April 1, with the introduction of the aoi kippu, or blue ticket, system.Under this new system, police officers in Japan can issue fines for

Japanese sandals dyed with real Uji matcha are here to whisk you off your feet

Luckily, the shoes themselves will stay comfortably and cleanly on your feet thanks to a traditional fabric-making technique.Nara, Japan-based shoe company Yamatokobo specializes in traditionally crafted zori sandals for everyday life. Its newest pair of setta, a type of low-soled zori, was just released on April 7 and is already whipping up excitement among footwear enthusiasts.The Matcha Setta are dyed using real Kyoto-produced Uji matcha that results in a strikingly rich green color. The fabr

Japanese bento shop sells croquettes for 13 cents, but are they any good?

You won’t find food in Japan much cheaper than this. “Freshly fried! Croquettes for 20 yen.”That was the sign that made us do a double-take when we were strolling the streets of Sagamihara City in Tokyo’s neighbouring Kanagawa Prefecture the other day. In this era of ever-rising prices, a croquette for 20 yen (US$0.13) sounded like the thing of dreams – an unbelievable price that, when you think about it, is even cheaper than cheap candy.Needless to say, we immediately st

No, that’s not French bread, it’s Japan’s crazy-big gobo!

Giant gobo is shocking to look at, but how does it taste?Japanese supermarkets often have their own in-house bakeries, so when our Japanese-language reporter Ikuna Kamezawa walked into her local branch of grocery store chain Ozeki, for a moment she thought she might be looking at an enticing loaf of crusty French bread.Actually, make than an enticing and gigantic loaf of crusty French bread.But actually this isn’t a baguette at all. As a mater of fact, it’s not even a kind of baked good. It’s a

Japanese government wants overseas anime market to roughly triple in 10 years, but are they crazy?

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry sets targets of 186-percent growth in the overseas anime business, 253 percent for Japanese video games.Japanese pop culture is more popular outside Japan than it’s ever previously been, with Japanese entertainment franchises having established passionate fanbases around the globe and even people outside the traditional otaku and Japanophile spheres finding series they enjoy. So it’s not surprising that the Japanese government’s Ministry of Economy, Trade

Yoshina invites you to give the gift of beef bowls this Mother’s Day

I mean, if I were a mother, I’d appreciate it.Mother’s Day is just around the corner, which means it’s once again time to think of a present to repay the person who gave you the very gift of life. That’s a pretty big thing when you think about it, so a cliche gift like flowers might not seem to cut it. Why not give her something truly unique, something that shows you really put thought into the gift, and something that tastes great served on a bowl full of piping hot rice?Leading beef bowl chain

Fading Tokyo – Horikiri Station, the Arakawa River, and Kinpachi-sensei[Walking course]

Mr. Sato heads to the neighborhood of a famous TV drama and finds a nostalgic taste of a youth he never had.Welcome back to Fading Tokyo, in which our ace reporter Mr. Sato sets out to take one more, and possibly one last, look at train stations in Tokyo that are scheduled for renovation construction, which could end up permanently altering the look and feel of the surrounding neighborhood. Following his visit to Araiyakushi-mae Station on the western edge of downtown Tokyo, today Mr. Sato is he

Wisteria season starts early with blooming of Japan’s Great Wisteria in its beautiful garden

Early blossoming likely means early full bloom at this breathtaking park within day-trip distance of Tokyo.Cherry blossom season doesn’t last very long, and there’s often a twinge of sadness that comes from watching the last petals swirl and scatter in the wind as they fall from the tree’s branches. But while that’s an understandable emotional reaction, it’s important to remember that there’s an alternative to feeling wistful: focusing on wisteria.Yes, Japan’s next entry in the country’s list of

Starbucks Japan releases FIVE new Frappuccinos in a day, and we try them all in 90 minutes

Find out if these limited-edition drinks are really treasures worth hunting for. It’s been 30 years since Starbucks opened its first branch in Japan on 2 August, 1996, and the chain has some big celebrations lined up for this milestone year. The first surprise in store is The Star Frappuccino, which, unlike other Frappuccino releases, is like a treasure hunt, as it comes in five different flavours, but every branch only sells one flavour.So, on 8 April when the new drinks were released, ou

Japan’s best conveyor belt sushi restaurant of seven years ago has now, finally, come to Tokyo

We head to the new arrival from the north to see if it’s still something special.Sushi is, in many ways, a trend-resistant food. Whereas the popularity of toppings, seasonings, and cooking styles might wax and wane for noodles, rice bowls, and other kinds of cuisine, simplicity is a core part of the sushi experience, in which only a few expertly chosen ingredients are presented to the diner in a way meant to let their natural flavors flow freely to your taste buds with minimal interference or em

Japanese trains in Sapporo might be better than those in Tokyo, thanks to one special feature

Sure, Tokyo has fancy digital signage, but Sapporo has a better old-school idea.If you’ve ever stared in confusion at a Tokyo train map, you’ll know how complex the system is. Even for locals like our reporter Seiji Nakazawa, who’s lived in Japan’s capital for about 20 years, it can be easy to not quite know where you’re going, even when you’re inside a carriage, as the route isn’t always clearly displayed.However, during a recent trip to Sapporo, on the