Features
Virus delivers blow to Hong Kong protests but rage remains
The new coronavirus has handed Beijing an unexpected gift -- an end to Hong Kong's pro-democracy rallies. But for protesters like Sam it is a chance to rest up before going back on the streets. "A lot of us, especially frontliners, need a little bit of a break," said the… Read
Self-preservation strategies for Japan's train commuters have their limitations
Now that the Covid-19 crisis is fast becoming a reality, two pieces of advice -- "avoid crowds of people" and "avoid going outside" -- are indisputably sensible and well intentioned. But for millions of Japanese urban workers, it's one they will be hard-pressed to follow. The only practical means of… Read
Super convenient internet cafes in Japan
Yes, I'm sure most people have been to an internet cafe at least once in your life, and they certainly come in many flavors. You have your typical internet/manga cafe, where you can use a computer from an "open desk" sort of space, potentially sitting next to other customers (oh,… Read
Donguri: A retro restaurant where orders come floating downstream
You've probably heard of kaiten-zushi, restaurants where sushi plates are delivered to customers on a rotating conveyor belt. One Japanese restaurant takes a radically different approach, delivering dishes not on a solid conveyor belt but on a stream of water. When your order arrives, it comes floating in a wooden tub… Read
Infertile cancer patient has baby using frozen lab-matured egg: study
In a world first, a woman rendered infertile by cancer treatment gave birth after one of her immature eggs was matured, frozen, and then -- five years later -- thawed and fertilised, researchers in France reported. A study in the journal Annals of Oncology describes how the baby boy was… Read
McDonald’s releases tonkatsu burger
McDonald's Japan has been on quite the roll lately, dishing out Adult Cream Pies and their first ever rice burgers. but their latest release might be their most ingenious yet -- tonkatsu burgers. Every spring, McDonald's Japan releases the teritama (a compound of teriyaki and tamago -- Japanese for egg), and this year, along… Read
United Airlines sharply cuts flights to Japan, S Korea
United Airlines Holdings Inc said on Friday it was sharply cutting flights to Japan and South Korea as travelers worried about the coronavirus outbreak have slashed ticket purchases for those destinations. United shares fell 3.6% on Friday and are down 22% over the last week. The Chicago-based airline said near-term… Read
Learning to live with coronavirus in our midst
Efforts to contain coronavirus within Hubei province or China are failing, with substantial outbreaks reported from South Korea to Italy and Iran, and smaller numbers of confirmed cases in most other regions of the world. Public health officials in the United States and Britain have warned about the likelihood of… Read
Bubble tea stand debuting real sakura tapioca for cherry blossom strawberry milk boba
Bubble tea’s popularity has positively exploded in Japan. The mad rush has inspired many novel and creative ways to serve up the chewy beverage. And to be honest, we’d be at a loss if we couldn’t find a cherry blossom-inspired boba at any of Tokyo’s myriad bubble tea stands this… Read
Compulsory fee planned for Mount Fuji climbers
Hiking to the top of Mount Fuji, or “Fujisan” as it’s known in Japanese, is high up on the bucket-list for many locals and international tourists in Japan. As the country’s highest mountain, this active volcano (which last erupted in 1707-1708) has inspired painters and filmmakers over the centuries, standing tall as one of the country’s UNESCO World… Read
