Lifestyle
Love hotel’s sushi room allows you to consummate your relationship in a unique way
Japan’s love hotels allow couples to rent rooms by the hour, for those occasions when they need a little alone time and a bed, but aren’t necessarily looking for someplace to get a full night’s quiet sleep. Despite their steamy reason for existing, however, love hotel rooms aren’t all designed as extra-kinky… Read
Audrey Hepburn casts a spell over post-war Japan
On April 19, 1954, the image of Audrey Hepburn first appeared at the Hibiya Movie Theatre. The film, "Roman Holiday"— given a five-week-run, according to scholar Zen Yipu — had just been awarded three Academy Awards, one of course for Hepburn's performance — her debut. Hollywood had never put forth… Read
7 onsen in Chugoku where men and women can bathe together
From the golden sand dunes of Tottori to the standing skeleton of the Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima, the Chugoku region welcomes visitors from the four corners of the world with the beauty of nature and the cruelty of mankind. Whether you’re an outdoor adventurer or a history buff, what better way to relax after a… Read
Japanese company will ask your crush out on a date for you if you’re too shy to do it yourself
A few months ago we took a look at Exit, a company in Japan that offers the unique service of telling your boss that you want to quit your job for you, saving you the trouble of turning in your resignation yourself. Kokunavi is another proxy service company, but its field of operations… Read
Muslim women can rent 'wagara' hijabs to match kimonos in Kyoto
For many female tourists visiting Japan from abroad, renting a beautiful kimono for a photo shoot or to enjoy a leisurely stroll in a traditional Japanese neighborhood, a Japanese garden or perhaps on the grounds of a famous temple or shrine is a popular activity, and one which truly allows… Read
K-pop and fancy sneakers: Kim Jong Un's cultural revolution
Dancers in hot pants. Factories pumping out Air Jordan lookalikes. TV dramas that are actually fun to watch. North Korean pop culture, long dismissed by critics as a kitschy throwback to the dark days of Stalinism, is getting a major upgrade under leader Kim Jong Un. The changes are being… Read
SDF, Okayama Pref make card game to help kids raise disaster prevention awareness
Last year was a rough year for Japan in terms of weather. Typhoon after typhoon hit the nation in late summer, and earthquakes caused some chaos in northern Japan. While things like earthquake drills and fire drills are normalized in many workplaces and schools, is there any guarantee that we’re actually paying… Read
Face tattoos: A trend that is here to stay?
Face tattoos, once limited to only a very small group of people, have gained new popularity thanks to today's rappers -- but some artists are reluctant to make such a permanent change to a client's appearance. In New York's East Village, some of the would-be customers entering tattoo parlors are… Read
Tokyo has a share house for people who want to be pro gamers; comes furnished with gaming PCs
In Japan, every apartment building has a name, but that name may or may not actually be very representative of the living space. For example, the incredibly cramped bachelor bunker I used to live in was called “Villa,” and a friend of mine spent a year in a building called… Read
Historic Tokyo Kaikan reopens after 4 years of renovations
Almost a century ago, Tokyo Kaikan introduced the concept of “watering hole” to the people of Japan and was the symbol of Taisho Era democracy. This iconic multipurpose establishment, reopened in January this year, after an extensive four-year renovation, challenging the future, yet keeping its respected traditions and designs. This… Read
