Apr 13, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Fading Tokyo – Horikiri Station, the Arakawa River, and Kinpachi-sensei[Walking course] Mr. Sato heads to the neighborhood of a famous TV drama and finds a nostalgic taste of a youth he never had. Welcome back to Fading Tokyo, in which our ace reporter Mr. Sato sets out to take one mo...
Apr 13, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Wisteria season starts early with blooming of Japan’s Great Wisteria in its beautiful garden Early blossoming likely means early full bloom at this breathtaking park within day-trip distance of Tokyo. Cherry blossom season doesn’t last very long, and there’s often a twinge of sadness that ...
Apr 13, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Starbucks Japan releases FIVE new Frappuccinos in a day, and we try them all in 90 minutes Find out if these limited-edition drinks are really treasures worth hunting for. It’s been 30 years since Starbucks opened its first branch in Japan on 2 August, 1996, and the chain has some big c...
Apr 13, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Japan’s best conveyor belt sushi restaurant of seven years ago has now, finally, come to Tokyo We head to the new arrival from the north to see if it’s still something special. Sushi is, in many ways, a trend-resistant food. Whereas the popularity of toppings, seasonings, and cooking styles ...
Apr 12, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Japanese trains in Sapporo might be better than those in Tokyo, thanks to one special feature Sure, Tokyo has fancy digital signage, but Sapporo has a better old-school idea. If you’ve ever stared in confusion at a Tokyo train map, you’ll know how complex the system is. Even for locals like...
Apr 12, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Mr. Sato discovers his inner beaver with a 16-inch chocolate “twig” at Tokyo Station Why settle for a tiny snack when you can gnaw on one that doubles as a legendary sword? Confectionery company Morinaga’s chocolate snack Koeda (“Twig”) has had tons of fans over the close to 55 yea...
Apr 12, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Downtown Tokyo’s meaty monster Kaibutsu ramen will challenge your stomach, thrill your taste buds This ramen behemoth only appears two days a week, but for serious carnivores, it’s worth waiting for. Even with the continual upward creep of restaurant prices in Japan, 1,800 yen (US$11.60) feels ...
Apr 11, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Lawson convenience store at popular tourist site is one of the most unusual in Japan Japanese konbini blends into a setting that inspired Studio Ghibli. Japanese convenience stores are known for their bright lights and stand-out signage, but in a country filled with traditional lan...
Apr 11, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Pokémon store character meet-and-greet events to resume in May Pokémon sub-brand schedules event roughly six weeks after Pokémon Center stabbing. Pokémon baby apparel and toy brand Monpoké is getting ready to open a popup store in the Tobu Department Store’s I...
Apr 11, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Drink vending machines disappearing in Japan as number drops to lowest in 30 years In the land of vending machines, what’s behind the biggest single-year decrease ever for soft drinks? Visitors to Japan are often amazed at just how many vending machines the country has. Residents...
Apr 10, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Studio Ghibli celebrates the magic of movie theaters with short video, Hayao Miyazaki illustration Familiar voice provides narration for reminder that there’s something special about the in-theater experience. Studio Ghibli was one of the last anime studios to allow for digital distribution of t...
Apr 10, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Pringles Chocolate, but with a Japanese twist, is the snack hack you should be trying right now Jagarico one-ups a viral global trend for fans of Japanese flavour. If you’re the type of cook with a high desire to eat tasty food but a low desire to make it, then you may have heard of a new ha...
Apr 10, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Howl’s Moving Castle’s scene-stealing dog is here to clean your home as a plushie mop Your home is your castle, and Studio Ghibli’s Heen will make it a clean one to boot. Ordinarily, it’d be hard for something as mundane as a dog to leave much of an impression on audiences in a movi...
Apr 10, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Krispy Kreme Japan giving free donuts with morning drink purchases at all branches, maybe forever This isn’t a limited-time offer – the free morning donut service has no specified end date! Usually when you hear someone say “The best things in life are free,” they’re talking about love, friends...
Apr 10, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- 30 Pikachus want to share a Tokyo hotel room with you that has separate Grass, Water, Fire spaces Grand Hyatt Tokyo celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Pokémon franchise with one Pikachu for every year. The Grand Hyatt Tokyo welcomes visitors from around the world every day, but summer is wh...
Apr 10, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Japanese politician arrested on charges of accepting bribes to reduce number of monkeys in park Investigators say city councilman was involved in monkey business. According to the Shimane Prefectural Police, on a June night in 2024, Kiyoshi Inata ventured out of his home in the town of Yonago...
Apr 09, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Mt. Fuji decorated with a 500,000-flower pink carpet is Japan’s ultimate spring view With mirrors, art installations, and a Peter Rabbit garden, this festival is the perfect day trip from Tokyo. There are always times when you might look at a photo of Japan and think, “Surely it ca...
Apr 09, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- New Travelling Bento pouches turn your luggage into a Japanese lunch box Make your next journey delicious and Instgrammable. Packing for a trip can be a stressful experience, but now it’s something you’ll look forward to, thanks to a new series of travel pouches from Ja...
Apr 09, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- McDonald’s and Gundam team up for customized anime mecha and fried chicken sandwiches[Video] Char’s invasion of Side 7 looks a little different in this continuity. McDonald’s is the world’s biggest burger chain, so if they’re going to do a collaboration, they’re going to team up with partn...
Apr 09, 2026 from SoraNews24 -Japan News- Does a long line mean a sweeter deal? We compare two sweets from a Hokkaido food fair【Taste test】 We try to find out whether waiting in a longer line equates to a more delicious sweet through a blind office taste test. The other day, our Japanese-language writer Yuichiro Wasai paid a visit to t...
