Feb 27, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Tokyo street sweets: The must-snack treats of Nakano’s Refutei No trip to Tokyo’s other otaku neighborhood is complete without a visit to this local landmark. As people stream out Tokyo’s Nakano Station, it’s a safe bet that a lot of them are ready to do some ...
Feb 27, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Which convenience store onigiri rice balls are the most popular? Survey reveals surprising results There’s one rice ball that everyone chooses at Lawson, 7-Eleven, Mini Stop and Family Mart in Japan. If you were to step inside a Japanese convenience store and reach for a rice ball, which one wou...
Feb 26, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Japan Extreme Budget Travel! A trip from Tokyo to Izumo for just 30,000 yen [Part 2] Things got off to a good start on our crazy-cheap trip to the land of the gods, but with funds running low, will we have a roof over our heads on a snowy night? Our Japanese-language reporter Go Ha...
Feb 26, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Japanese restaurant chain serves Dragon Ball donuts and Senzu Beans this spring Goku’s putting the “kame” into Marugame Seimen. Marugame Seimen is a very popular chain of restaurants specializing in udon noodles made in the famous style of Marugame, a city in Kagawa Prefecture...
Feb 26, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Starbucks Japan releases first-ever Hinamatsuri Girls’ Day Frappuccino New mini-size Frappuccino caters to girls and the traditional doll’s festival that honours them. There are a lot of traditional festivals in Japan, and the next one on the calendar is Hinamatsuri, ...
Feb 26, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Japanese drugstore sells onigiri at pre-stupid era prices, but how do they compare to 7-Eleven? Taste-testing the time-trip rice balls of Welcia. Japanese convenience stores’ onigiri (rice balls) have become, to use the parlance of the economic scholarly community, stupidly expensive. Up unti...
Feb 25, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Japan Extreme Budget Travel! A trip from Tokyo to Izumo for just 30,000 yen [Part 1] Can we make it from the capital to the land of the gods, sightsee, eat, find a hotel, and make it home for just 30,000 yen (US$195)? Our Japanese-language reporter Go Hatori has never been one to l...
Feb 25, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- 7-Eleven Japan’s sakura sweets season is underway right now! The first cherry blossom desserts are already here, and there are more to come. The exact timing of the blooming of Japan’s cherry blossom trees can be hard to pin down, making planning for sakura-...
Feb 25, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Japan has only one airport named after a samurai, so let’s check out Kochi Ryoma【Photos】 Local legend Sakamoto Ryoma was all about modernizing Japan. Most airports in Japan simply borrow their names from the surrounding geography. The city that Narita Airport is in, for example, is als...
Feb 25, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Ghibli’s Kiki’s Delivery Service returns to theaters with first-ever IMAX screenings and remaster Latest proof that Studio Ghibli anime has become prestige international cinema arrives this spring. Among the many things that make Ghibli special is that they’re one of Japan’s only animation stud...
Feb 24, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Family Mart’s Shibuya Cat Street shop hosts first-ever rescue cat photo exhibition for Cat Day In addition to selling delectable cat-themed sweets, the convenience store chain wants to increase cat adoptions and pet food donations. Family Mart has celebrated Japan’s Cat Day (February 22) sin...
Feb 24, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Development of Puyo Puyo puzzle game for use in nursing homes underway Make your golden years your red, green, and blue years. Puyo Puyo is a beloved puzzle game that can be casually enjoyed by people of all ages, as well as in highly competitive eSports. In it, playe...
Feb 24, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Survey finds that one in five high schoolers don’t know who music legend Masaharu Fukuyama is We simply cannot accept the results and now feel compelled to rectify this grievous generational lack of knowledge among the youth of Japan. As far as legendary solo singer-songwriters of Japan go,...
Feb 24, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Saitama is home to the best strawberries in Japan that you’ve probably never even heard of Central prefecture quietly becomes the strawberry capital of Japan. It’s strawberry season again in Japan, but for people like our writer Tasuku Egawa that doesn’t mean a whole lot aside from some ...
Feb 23, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Highest Starbucks in Japan set to open this spring in the Tokyo sky New cafe will offer beautiful views of the city, Mt. Fuji, and cherry blossoms. In Japanese, the word for expensive is takai. So when Starbucks Japan announced that they’ll soon be opening the most...
Feb 23, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Skyscraper sized Pokémon cards to appear in Tokyo all year long in Tocho projection mapping event Tokyo’s 242.9-meter (797-foot) city hall will be lit up with Pokémon cards starting this spring. There aren’t many better examples of how sometimes big things come in small packages than Pokémon ca...
Feb 23, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Adorable Totoro acorn key holders come with a special guest hidden inside[Photos] Donguri Kyowakoku lives up to its name with this Ghibli gear. Generally speaking, businesses tend to chose straightforward names for themselves. When you see a sign that says Mr. Donut, you know ex...
Feb 23, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Yakuzen ramen restaurant in Tokyo is very different to a yakuza ramen restaurant This tonkotsu ramen has medicinal benefits that can boost your energy after a long day of sightseeing. Have you ever heard of yakuzen? Not to be confused with yakuza, yakuzen literally translates a...
Feb 23, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Osaka establishes first designated smoking area in Dotonbori canal district to fight “overtourism” Street food hot spot wants to be cleaner, but it might just be pushing the smoke down the street. A new facility opened last Thursday in Dotombori, the Osaka canal district that’s the biggest touri...
Feb 22, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Tokyo Skytree turns pink for the cherry blossom season Japan’s tallest tower transforms into a cherry blossom-viewing spot, complete with pink projections and themed drinks. As the cherry blossom-loving crowds prepare to descend upon Japan’s plethora o...
