Yurina Noguchi recently held a wedding ceremony with an AI partner she created using ChatGPT, after what she describes as a gradual emotional relationship that culminated in a proposal from him. While... Read more »

Railway fans are full of praise for this heartwarming display of thoughtful customer service. For railway fans in Japan, few station sights are as nostalgic as the “patapata” departure board. Affectionately named... Read more »

They must have stolen it very quickly, but it looks like we’ll never know how fast they were going. When it comes to catching motorists driving too fast in Japan, speed traps... Read more »

On October 9, 2021, Bunsho Hattori and Ryuichi Ishikawa set out on a journey. Arriving in Kikonai, a tiny village with a population of 4,000 on the gray, desolate coast of Hokkaido,... Read more »

A persistent clacking noise filled the air. It was early evening, and my partner and I were at home in our quiet residential neighborhood of Tokyo. Having recently moved to the city,... Read more »

There’s one unique feature that makes this Tokyo sweet so sought after.  While some Japanese sweets have attracted global attention, for the most part ohagi is yet to be discovered by overseas... Read more »

Don’t knock it till you shout it. Karaoke remains a popular pastime for many Japanese people young and old, and when in major cities, you’re never too far from a chain of... Read more »

Kiki’s next adaptation will draw from her original, pre-anime roots, but will audiences give it a chance? Earlier this year, Kiki’s Delivery Service had its first-ever IMAX screenings in North America, and... Read more »

Soon-to-close sushi joint breaks the mould with crazy creations that make California rolls seem tame. Whenever we eat out at a conveyor belt sushi restaurant, we always find ourselves reaching for the... Read more »