Apr 17, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Soaking in glimmering water and the essence of prehistoric plants at a Hokkaido hot spring A botanical bath at an affordable price. In the far reaches of Japan, in the city of Obihiro in Hokkaido, our sauna and hot spring-loving reporter Seiji Nakazawa was almost set to head back home to...
Apr 17, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- 61-year-old Japanese fisherman falls off boat and defies odds to swim to safety Captain Crunch Time. Having an accident at sea is one of the more horrific things to happen to a person. Many people would not be able to overcome that feeling of cold loneliness, aside from the po...
Apr 16, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Pikachu to cuddle with kimono-clad beauty on Tokyo street as part of flower art event Exhibition near Tokyo Station mixes flowers, anime, and ukiyo-e aesthetics. Even in a country filled with cute characters, Pikachu stands out as one of the most huggable in Japan. Thankfully, there...
Apr 16, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- McDonald’s Japan now has Hello Kitty and Pompompurin drinks on the menu We find out if the limited-edition Sanrio frappe and smoothie taste as sweet as they look. Some of the sweetest characters in Japan come from the stable of Sanrio, while some of the sweetest drink...
Apr 16, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Sanrio’s best-loved butthole defies physics in adorable sumo collaboration[Photos] Pompompurin’s charm point apparently can’t be concealed. Late last year, Sanrio unveiled its collaboration with the Japan Sumo Association, in which Hello Kitty and her friends wear sumo-inspired o...
Apr 16, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- 7-Eleven Japan now sells… hot takoyaki! A wildly popular local specialty takes Japanese convenience store food to a hot new level. You never know what wonders await you when you pop into a Japanese convenience store, but this month you’l...
Apr 16, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Kinotake Mother AI developed to study Japan’s divide between chocolate cookie snacks AI claims it can tell which you like just by looking at you. For many years now, there has been a rivalry between two chocolate-covered cookie snacks. Both Kinoko no Yama and Takenoko no Sato are m...
Apr 15, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- What’s inside Japan’s super-rare, super-popular Nara bread? Nara is famous for deer and temples, but you won’t find either of those inside this hard-to-find baked good. Most of the time, the names of baked goods in Japan are pretty self-explanatory. Curry b...
Apr 15, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Japan’s popular bead bonsai kit is as beautiful as it is gruelling to make Gorgeous and tiny, yet contains the potential to break spirits and thumbs. The cherry blossom season tends to fall around the turn of the fiscal year, meaning that trying to squeeze out time for a ...
Apr 15, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Injuries on stairs in Tokyo highlight an overlooked design flaw Japan is usually known for its world-class design, but this site didn’t see the optical illusion. On 28 March, Tokyo’s newest large-scale commercial complex, Takanawa Gateway City, had its grand op...
Apr 15, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Japanese Godzilla looks set to attack New York in teaser for Godzilla Minus Zero[Video] Toho’s Godzilla doesn’t often travel abroad in-movie, but he’ll be visiting the Statue of Liberty. It’s an interesting era for Godzilla cinema, as in recent years the franchise has split into two s...
Apr 15, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Turn a rainy forecast into a blast at the Naruto & Boruto Ninja Village May Rain Festival 2026 This event actually encourages the weather to rain on your parade in order to get the most out of it. Anime theme park Nijigen no Mori in Awaji, Hyogo Prefecture, which is largely outdoors, may not...
Apr 15, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- First Shiba Inu police dog in Japan’s Gifu Prefecture now on duty[Video] Who’s a good girl who serves and protects? April is the start of the business and administrative years in Japan, and so many organizations are welcoming a fresh batch of recruits this month. For ex...
Apr 14, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Final version of Sanrio: Beginning of Kawaii exhibition opens in Tokyo[Photos] Hello Kitty and friends’ tour of the country comes to its last stop in downtown Tokyo with a look back on 60 years of cuteness, Japanese-style. Many would say that Sanrio is the first and last word...
Apr 14, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Japan has new rules for bicycle riders, and these 14 things could get you a fine or a court date There’s a major gray area in Japan’s new blue ticket cycling violation system. Bicycles are often a great way to thoroughly explore Japan’s local communities, providing more range than you’d get wa...
Apr 14, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Japanese sandals dyed with real Uji matcha are here to whisk you off your feet Luckily, the shoes themselves will stay comfortably and cleanly on your feet thanks to a traditional fabric-making technique. Nara, Japan-based shoe company Yamatokobo specializes in traditionally ...
Apr 14, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Japanese bento shop sells croquettes for 13 cents, but are they any good? You won’t find food in Japan much cheaper than this. “Freshly fried! Croquettes for 20 yen.” That was the sign that made us do a double-take when we were strolling the streets of Sagamihara City i...
Apr 14, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- No, that’s not French bread, it’s Japan’s crazy-big gobo! Giant gobo is shocking to look at, but how does it taste? Japanese supermarkets often have their own in-house bakeries, so when our Japanese-language reporter Ikuna Kamezawa walked into her local b...
Apr 13, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Japanese government wants overseas anime market to roughly triple in 10 years, but are they crazy? Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry sets targets of 186-percent growth in the overseas anime business, 253 percent for Japanese video games. Japanese pop culture is more popular outside Japan t...
Apr 13, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Yoshina invites you to give the gift of beef bowls this Mother’s Day I mean, if I were a mother, I’d appreciate it. Mother’s Day is just around the corner, which means it’s once again time to think of a present to repay the person who gave you the very gift of life....
