New Products
Wazigen Shizukaya’s latest collection of modern men’s kimono make a move for high fashion
Kyoto-based fashion company Wazigen Shizukaya has been known to release new collections of samurai-inspired garb for every season. Their coats, accessories, and outfits are completely modeled off of old-school samurai fashion, but while they are traditional, they’re also modern, functional, comfortable, and stylish. In fact, their newest collection, the 2019 winter collection, is so fashionable it could… Read
Tom and Jerry New Year cosmetics collection celebrates Year of the Rat
K-beauty is massive in Japan, with brands such as Etude House and Innisfree becoming a staple of all Tokyo’s fashion and beauty Meccas, including the iconic Takeshita Dori and Shibuya 109. These companies fit right in with Japan's penchant for cute cosmetics (like Shu Uemura's Pikachu collection from last year… Read
Handkerchief resembles hamster sleeping in sawdust
In Japan, nothing is more representative of the winter season than sitting beneath the cozy covers of a kotatsu and eating mandarin oranges. While we can’t squeeze into an orange skin like this one hamster, we can certainly use this handkerchief resembling a hamster napping in sawdust for clean up after snacking on mandarin… Read
'Maneki-neko' banknote good luck charms
Space Factory Corp has released a new lineup of goods with the design of an imaginary maneki-neko 700-yen banknote. The maneki-neko beckoning for good luck with its paw combined with the lucky number 7 and an illustration of Mount Fuji in the background is believed to bring good fortune for… Read
Coca-Cola Japan to release first ever strawberry Coke
When Coca-Cola Japan isn't decorating their bottles with beautiful cherry blossom labels, they seem to be introducing seasonal releases of "world firsts", as they recently did with the first ever peach and apple flavored Coca-Cola. Starting Jan 20, they'll be adding another first to their resume with the world's first strawberry flavored Coca-Cola. The new… Read
Origami book for zodiac animals and other Japanese motifs
MdN Corporation, a publisher specializing in creative content including graphic design and visual culture, has released an origami book with directions for making the 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac as well as other Japanese motifs. All the objects can be folded using one normal origami paper (15x15cm) and the… Read
Bento box heats up rice in only 14 minutes
Retailer Thanko has recently released an innovative compact rice cooker the size of a bento lunch box. Put in the right amount of rice and water, as you would do for a normal rice cooker, and press the attached switch to cook hot rice in the short time of 14… Read
Pancake steamed buns
It's a Herculean task to walk into a Japanese convenience store and not fall victim to the siren call of nikuman, or steamed pork buns, sold at the hot food corner near the register. Available in flavors that include pizza, red bean paste, and even pudding, it seems that there's a… Read
Make your new year sweet with this Pokemon x Baskin Robbins collaboration
Say goodbye to your New Year’s resolution to eat less ice cream. If you’re anything like us at SoraNews24, you’ve spent the winter holidays vegging out, eating anything and everything you can lay your hands on. You might be trying to shift that winter weight, but if you’re a Pokemon fan who… Read
Need to boost your gaming skills? New jelly drink promises to do just that
If you’ve ever gone for a quick trip to a Japanese convenience store for something to drink, these shelves dedicated to drink packs might have already caught your eye. Photo: Jen Santelices Although they might look like it, they’re really not your everyday juice drink. These are jelly drinks, and… Read
