Sep 13, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Japan’s middle-aged fairy man character stole our reporter’s heart in a hot spring town Atsuo fell in love with Atami, and Natsuno fell in love with Atsuo. A lot of sightseeing destinations in Japan have their own mascot character, and the town of Atami, in Shizuoka Prefecture, is no ...
Sep 12, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Mt. Fuji may soon require off-season climbers to register with government or pay for their rescues The question of whether it’s illegal to hike Mt. Fuji in the off-season is complex, and so is the question of who should pay for it. With this year’s Mt. Fuji climbing season now finished, forestry...
Sep 12, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Starbucks Japan unveils first-ever vending machine, with an exclusive coffee drink A new way to get a taste of Starbucks. Starbucks has been working hand-in-hand with beverage giant Suntory in Japan, creating a number of canned and bottled beverages so even more customers can enj...
Sep 12, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Ghibli store Donguri Kyowakoku now has special frames to protect your anime art Paper Theater kits Studio Ghibli specialty shop wants to keep your papercraft Totoro safe. Studio Ghibli specialty shop Donguri Kyowakoku is packed with cute, beautiful, and otherwise awesome memorabilia from the ani...
Sep 12, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- New Gundam megastore announced for one of Tokyo’s most popular tourist neighborhoods A new mecha mecca is coming to Shibuya. The most famous landmarks in Shibuya have long been the statue of faithful dog Hachiko and the gigantic Shibuya Scramble crosswalk. But the downtown Tokyo ne...
Sep 11, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- TeamLab is building a new Tokyo museum, and it’s the digital art group’s biggest ever As TeamLab’s fame continues to grow, so too does the size of its art museums. At the time of its founding in 2001, TeamLab didn’t attract all that much attention. Sure, the Japanese creative group’...
Sep 11, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Studio Ghibli releases new onigiri rice ball-shaped lunch bag for Kiki’s Delivery Service fans Carry your lunch like a magical delivery from the famous anime movie. If you love Studio Ghibli as much as you love onigiri rice balls, then you’ll be happy to know that the studio is here to deli...
Sep 11, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Don Quijote ear cleaner sucks, and was criticised by customers, but is the new version any better? Find out if the new ear cleaner sucks more than the old one. A lot of companies have their own private brands in Japan, with one being the zany, buy-anything-and-everything-in-one-place retail chai...
Sep 11, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Japanese mayors challenge each other to nighttime ninja battle, now recruiting participants The Tensho Iga War resumes as a way to actively celebrate the history of two ninja towns. In 1581, the ninth year of the Tensho era, the Iga ninja clan found itself in peril. The Oda army, after mu...
Sep 11, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Tokyo’s Shibuya puts up new posters asking visitors to use recycle boxes properly Campaign is neighborhood’s latest attempt to keep litter and overtourism in check. It wasn’t all that long ago that Tokyo’s Shibuya neighborhood was pretty firmly in the “only if you have spare tim...
Sep 11, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Real-world Zelda Master Sword on the way from American toymaker, plays game music and sounds Nintendo’s iconic Legend of Zelda weapon could be yours to wield. We recently found out that fans will be able to use an actual ocarina while playing Nintendo’s upcoming The Legend of Zelda: Ocarin...
Sep 10, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Two American women attempt to smuggle US$1 million worth of cannabis into Tokyo for a free trip to Japan Suspect says she wanted to see Japan, but this was not the way to go about it. One of the first things any visitor to Japan should know is that the country takes a hard stance against drugs – so m...
Sep 10, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Roaming rubbish bin robot at Shinjuku Station solves the problem of where to put your trash Japanese railway company comes up with a cute solution to one of the biggest problems for overseas tourists. As much as Japan is all about convenience and the spirit of hospitality, one thing that ...
Sep 10, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Ghibli’s Toshio Suzuki not impressed by generative AI images, Hayao Miyazaki thinks even less of them As usual, Miyazaki doesn’t have time for anything that runs counter to his artistic principles. Almost as soon as generative AI image-making applications became something that the public had easy a...
Sep 10, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Eel sauce is our new favorite cooking hack for making any dish sweet and savory with zero hassle Here are five app-eel-ing side dishes, rice bowls, and sweets for using up your leftover eel sauce. Unagi no tare (うなぎのたれ), literally “eel sauce,” has become our favorite all-around sauce. While th...
Sep 10, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- New Shinkansen platform vending machine sells local-flavor treats from 127-year-old snack maker A new way to get your hands on a popular souvenir at Shin Osaka. There’s a good chance you’re in a hurry if you’re about to hop on the Shinkansen. After all, the bullet train network is generally t...
Sep 10, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Japanese restaurant chain offering free food for a year if you beat massive meat bowl challenge A stamina bowl of legendary size could save you a ton of money on future meals. Before we get to the meat of this story, let’s start with a little linguistic appetizer. Japanese restaurant chain De...
Sep 09, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- How to watch Studio Ghibli’s new anime in Japan, with a special after-dark outdoor screening for Halloween First-ever nighttime screening takes place in the real-world setting for A Night in the Valley of the Witches. This autumn looks set to be a very good time to be a Studio Ghibli fan in Japan, as th...
Sep 09, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- We tried Japan’s Wobbly Beer Glass that forces you to drink water, and it humbled us This classy drinking session didn’t go quite as planned. Just last month, we wrote about an unusual beer glass developed by Yo-Ho Brewing, the Japanese company behind popular craft beer brand Yona ...
Sep 09, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Legendary Pokémon statues installed in downtown Tokyo, will be there through the fall Legend Research event brings more than 100 Pokémon species to the Tokyo Station area. Within the Pokémon games and anime, Pokémon Trainers who are looking for the most powerful species of Pocket Mo...
