New Products
New summer ice cream-flavored mini KitKats come with a serving of summer homework topics
As July temperatures soar and the cicadas reach deafening levels in Japan, school is just about out for the summer. While schoolchildren can now look forward to just over a month of not being in class, they still can’t escape that ever-present summer homework looming over them. Thankfully, this year they can… Read
Become a noodle expert with Takara Tomy’s new Soba-Making Master and free online cooking lesson
We’re no strangers to the magnificence of a good bowl of soba. While we’ve always been content to let the noodle masters feed us up until now, a new product almost on the market may finally give us the chance to become soba masters ourselves. Japanese toy and entertainment company Takara Tomy will… Read
Chin Rest Mochi Smartphone Arm Cushion for seasoned couch potatoes
Based in the Akihabara district of Tokyo, it's no surprise that Japanese maker Thanko has quite the resume of creative tech and gadgets under their belt. In particular, they seem to be on a hot streak of releasing goods that cater to self-sufficiency, solitude, and sometimes even the charm of… Read
Lawson Japan serves up carbs on carbs with their new French Fry Bread
Coming from the UK, I find it interesting how many strange things my birth country has in common with Japan. We both drive on the left, for one thing. We both drink a lot of tea. We have prime ministers. But one of the little things that caught my eye… Read
Pre-bottled matcha latte drink
Let’s be honest–everyone is a sucker for beautiful packaging, and Japan is definitely good at it. That’s why this pre-bottled matcha latte drink by Kyoto Uji Matcha seller Matcha Republic has been trending on social media. With a bottle that looks like an ink bottle, this beautiful design is supremely Instagrammable. It’s so… Read
Naomi Osaka’s dream of having her own Barbie doll comes true
The past few months haven’t exactly been easy for Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka, but here’s one piece of positive news coming right in time for the Tokyo Olympics. On July 12, Mattel added a specially designed Naomi Osaka doll to their collection. The Grand Slam champion replica was designed by Carlyle… Read
Evangelion LCL ice cream is real and the new taste of summer in Japan
Part of what makes "Evangelion" unique is its commitment to examining how operating a team of giant, alien-fighting robots would really work, in a practical sense. For example, the human-like movements so many anime mecha make are far too complex to perform with conventional physical controls like a stick or pedals, and… Read
Kawaii Somen noodles in colorful box with art by Sebastian Masuda
Kawaii Company is a new collaboration project between Felissimo, a direct marketing company known for fashion and miscellaneous products, and Sebastian Masuda, who has been dubbed the “Father of Kawaii” of Japan. Aside from producing traditionally stylish items, Felissimo have proven themselves capable of creating quirky and cute items as… Read
Turn your sweat into a sweeter scent with Fragram
As the rainy season draws to an end, the arrival of summer with its heat and humidity means we’ll soon be sipping on iced lattes, chomping down on endless kakigori, chilling out by the beach and enjoying those long summer nights. While these are all things we can look forward… Read
Seiko adds limited edition starter Pokemon to their luxury watch collection
Last year Japanese watch maker Seiko released their Pokemon collection featuring Pikachu, Eevee, and Mewtwo watches. And now next month, on Aug 6, Seiko will release limited editions of the three Generation One starter Pokemon evolution lines: Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle. These high-quality watches are made of stainless steel and have a sapphire… Read
