Even with a shop name like Mayo x Mayo, we weren’t expecting this much mayo. The word “original” has a bit of a different nuance in Japanese. It’s not so much used to describe something revolutionary or inventive so much as something that’s unique to a specific place. So, for example, a restaurant that makes […]

A public restroom stall shock that had nothing to do with cleanliness. Whether you’re looking for a Pokémon frappe, chocolate chip sandwich, or surprisingly high-quality T-shirt, Japan’s convenience stores have got you covered. As a matter of fact, it can start to become easy to become desensitized to the very wide variety of things you […]

Mr. Sato is filled with appreciation for the other Mr. Sato. Tokyo has a number of neighborhoods, such as Shibuya and Harajuku, that celebrate trendy, youthful fashions and culture. There’s also a part of the city, though, with a focus on a more mature clientele. Located part-way between Ikebukuro and Ueno on the Yamanote loop […]

Customizable Yukimi Daifuku shop makes an amazing variety of sweet treats so that you can find the perfect one for you. There are certain problems in life that it’s nice to have. For example, Japan has so many amazing desserts that just picking one can be a tough decision, and that’s not going to get […]

Cunning bear managed to escape stand-off with police and hunters. As we’ve been seeing in recent years in Japan, not only has the number of bear encounters and attacks been steadily rising, but it appears bears have been coming closer and closer to populated areas as well. Once an incident that only those deep in […]

A tale of four Matsuyas, and a whole lot of gourmet wagyu beef. As one of the country’s big-three gyudon/beef bowl chains, Matsuya is among the top choices for those looking for a cheap but hearty meal in Japan. But maybe it doesn’t always need to be quite so cheap, and so Matsuya has made […]

Quick and easy, this is a meal that’ll have you going back for seconds. One of our favourite hacks when it comes to making Japanese-style meals is to whip out our rice cooker and stuff it with all sorts of unconventional ingredients. These so-called “rice cooker recipes” almost always result in surprisingly delicious meals, and […]

Stay salty, everybody. Shibuya is one of Tokyo’s most exciting neighborhoods. Between world-famous tourism landmarks like the statue of faithful dog Hachiko and the scramble intersection, plus shopping options from iconic stores like fashion mecca 109 and Nintendo Tokyo, there’s a lot to see and do in this part of downtown, and if you’re visiting […]

Mr. Sato steps into the SoraKitchen with a bold idea. Food, as a broad topic, is pretty much always on our mind here at SoraNews24, but recently our ace reporter Mr. Sato found himself thinking about toast sandwiches in particular. Like many people who grew up outside the U.K., Mr. Sato initially found the concept […]

Intense summer heat means new safety rules and ice-cold drinks. Summer in Japan is popular for many things, from festivals and fireworks to delicious and refreshing treats, but there is also another undeniable aspect to the season: it gets pretty hot. In fact, in recent times with consistently high temperatures, the Japan Meteorological Agency officially […]

You can haul back thousands of yen worth of ramen, rice, and snacks for a fraction of the price. Expanding its reach with additional sub-brands, one of Japan’s big-three convenience stores, Lawson, opened the doors to L Minimart, its first “mini supermarket”, on May 28 in Kodaira, Tokyo. Excited to learn more about what this […]

Our resident sticker-collecting writer shares why she’s saying “enough is enough” and is extricating herself from a sticky situation. Sticker collecting and trading as a hobby has been sweeping Japan among kids and adults alike for a while now, to the point that puffy stickers were sold out last year and people were shelling out […]

With the rainy season here, this umbrella companion is a Daiso-premium bargain. Having flipped the calendar to June, we’re clearly not in spring anymore, but many Japanese people would argue that we haven’t really made it to summer just yet. That’s because we’re at the start of tsuyu, or “the rainy season,” a roughly month-long […]

Says he did it for the social media views, but the police didn’t like what they saw. A lot of things in Japan rely on the country’s ability to trust that people will be considerate and respectful. Perhaps nowhere is this more clearly displayed than in the existence of conveyor belt sushi restaurants, in which […]

Rising security and economic tensions prompting consideration of new rules to make it harder for foreigners to buy property in Japan. In December, Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party announced its intent to introduce legislation to add new restrictions to the ability of foreigners to purchase real estate in Japan. In March, a government expert panel began […]

We strap on our shoes and head into downtown Tokyo for a philosophical conversation prompt and a walk with a whole bunch of people we’ve never met before. Japan is right in a special sweet spot right now weather-wise, where the chill of winter and allergy-triggering pollen of spring are gone, but the sweltering heat […]

With the couples on either side of him as hot as the flames on his grill, our solo-dining yakiniku fan finds a mental escape. Dining at a yakiniku restaurant in Japan quickly becomes a series of choices to make. Yakiniku menus consist primarily of a wide variety of different types and cuts of meat that […]

Ikebukuro Pokémon superstore and Pikachu dessert cafe won’t be reopening until nearly half a year after murder. In late March, the Pokémon Center superstore in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro neighborhood, also known as the Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo, became the scene of a tragedy as a 21-year-old worker was stabbed and murdered. The store, as well as […]

Special sweets designed to satisfy your sweet tooth and cool you off in the summer heat. This year is Pokémon’s 30th anniversary, and the franchise is celebrating in style at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo, with the hotel offering amazing Pokémon-themed rooms including one with 30 Pikachu plushies to keep guests company during their stay. But […]

One of Japan’s most popular dessert mascots is set to go with you as you tap through ticket gates. Last year, one of Japan’s many railway companies, JR East, announced that they would be retiring their iconic mascot character featured on their rechargeable prepaid transit card, Suica, much to the dismay of many of its […]

Lawson opens its first “mini supermarket” in Tokyo. Lawson is one of Japan’s big-three convenience stores (the others being 7-Eleven and Family Mart), but Lawson itself has multiple sub-brands. For example, there’s also the budget-minded Lawson Store 100, with most items priced at 100 yen, and on May 28, the Lawson family expanded once again […]

We’re headed to Kyoto today, but not to see the temples or shrines. Temples and shrines are the first things that come to mind when travelers think of Kyoto, but the prefecture is also a treasure trove of outstanding michi no eki, or “road stations.” These combination roadside shops/rest areas offer a variety of unique […]

Kayanoya’s Satoyama Cookies give you four flavors for a snack session unlike any other. The other day, we found ourselves thinking “We want to eat some cookies.” In and of itself, that’s not at all an unusual condition for us to be in, but on this day we wanted specifically to eat some Kayanoya cookies. […]

A taste of the U.S. via Okinawa. Our intrepid reporter Mr. Sato was recently in Fussa, a part of Tokyo west of the downtown area, where he discovered Tampopo, a retro pachinko parlor that lets you try your hand at the game without worrying about the gambling part of it. Fussa has more invitingly old-school […]

Watch the competition or sample multiple burgers in the sales area during this weekend celebration of gourmet burgers from around the world. Although burgers are often associated with the U.S., we’ve got beef with anyone who says that a quality burger can’t be found in Japan. In fact, finding one is about to get even […]

There aren’t enough breath mints in the world to save us, but we’re going in anyway. Japanese folk wisdom holds that garlic is a food that boosts physical stamina, and it’s supposed to be helpful in dealing with the adverse effects of hot weather too. The actual science behind those claims gets a little indistinct, […]

Cultural quirks have a hand in making the same name the favorite for dogs and cats in annual study. Japan’s most famous fictional cat might be the one named Kitty, but when it comes to actual pets, owners tend to get a little more creative with their choices. To investigate what Japan’s most popular pet […]

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry conducts study to estimate damage to producers of anime and other Japanese media. With Japanese entertainment media growing in popularity around the world, the Japanese government’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is also growing more concerned about the effects of media piracy overseas. In its latest study of […]

Crab, Claaaaab, and high prices in Asakusa. Rising prices in Japan have put ramen restaurants in a tricky position, since part of what makes the beloved noodle dish so beloved is that, traditionally, it’s been not only a tasty meal option, but an affordable one too. As inflation continues, though, a growing number of ramen […]

Sample ramen pizza, alongside other limited-edition items to pick up, or just make your own treats. Snacks in Japan come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, from ever-feuding mushrooms and bamboo shoots to make-your-own sweets, but one that I see fairly often in the hands of little children are packets of Baby Star Ramen. […]