New Products
Tradition and technique meet in new match style incense sticks
Two traditional crafts of Hyogo prefecture, matchmaking and incense production, have come together in a simple but innovative new design called Hibi: incense sticks in the form of matches that provide ten minutes of a variety of fragrances. The idea is the collaborative brainchild of Kobe Match, a traditional matchmaker… Read
Animal buddy humidifiers enjoy a dip while taking care of your room
Animal lovers have plenty of reasons to check in with Japanese cute--and sometimes bizarre--goods retailer Village Vanguard. Over the past few months they've released cat-themed gaming earphones, hamster butt stationery holders, and adorable animal workout buddy balance ball covers. Now you can count on some animal friends to help your room from getting… Read
Sailor Moon stick perfume
The iconic look of the Sailor Scouts, the main protagonists of classic magical girl anime and manga series "Sailor Moon," is often emulated. Now fans can take their imitation even further and not just look like Sailor Moon, but smell like her too. Sailor Moon cosmetics are often released in… Read
Lipton releases new bubble tea ice cream bar with tapioca pearls
Japan, like much of the world, is currently crazy for tapioca. The boom for boba-filled milk tea has given birth to tapioca ramen and bubble beer, and now one of the world’s top tea brands is getting in on the trend with a brand new ice cream bar. Called Lipton Tea Ice Tapioca Milk… Read
KitKats team up with No. 1 sweets souvenir seller for gold caramel banana flavor
While Japanese KitKats are widely known for their range of Japan seasonal and regional exclusive flavors from around the country, one of their most successful iterations thus far has been a Tokyo-inspired flavor. A strong gift-giving culture in Japan, particularly when one visits a different region for work or holiday, encourages bringing… Read
Tokyo bakery goes all out on extra fluffy cat-shaped bread
Japanese bakeries can often be overwhelming when it comes to offerings to choose from, but if you can pry your eyes away from ridiculously cute corgi butt bread for a minute, you may find yourself drawn to Heart Bread Antique bakery's new cat-shaped bread, which comes in four feline flavors. The… Read
Traditional Japanese doll maker crafts gorgeous fabric-lined wooden Pikachu
Hina-ningyo are perhaps the most well known when it comes to the display of traditional ornamental dolls to pray for and celebrate the healthy growth and success of the household's children. Traditional Japanese doll-maker Mantaro Ningyo has been crafting such dolls and displays since 1919, and now they are using their… Read
Starbucks Japan unveils new Nutty White Chocolate Frappuccino for Christmas
With Christmas now just over a month away, the holiday season is well and truly underway at Starbucks Japan. And after already selling out of their first Christmas drinkware range and serving up the first festive Frappuccino of the season, the global coffeehouse chain is back with their second set of limited-edition drinks… Read
New energy drink made for drivers
If you have a car, you may sometimes down an energy drink before getting behind the wheel or stash one in the cup holder just in case. There's no shortage of energy drinks in Japan: Oronamin, Lipovitan, Yunker, you name it, there's a dizzying array of options to choose from.… Read
Cat combing-inspired hair gel
Are you running out of items to add to your collection of off-the-wall cat goods? Are lip gloss that simulates kissing a wet cat nose, hand cream that smells like cat paws, and kitty milk scented bath powder no longer impressing your friends? Fret no longer, because cat grooming-inspired hair gel is here to… Read
