Credit: Professor25 Life in Japan is a character-building exercise. As the Metropolis Agony Aunts, we give you our unqualified advice to your concerns submitted through our Instagram, @metropolisjapan. Question: The staff only... Read more »

Salons are dying in more ways than one. One of the great things about gradually losing my hair is that I don’t have to worry about getting it cut in any significant... Read more »

We play culinary roulette at a cheap restaurant in Kabukicho. When you’re looking for somewhere to eat in the middle of Kabukicho, Tokyo’s notorious red-light district, the choices can be as overwhelming... Read more »

Cafe in Japan uses a recipe from an old document to recreate a historic brew. Japan might be commonly associated with tea, but coffee is also a big part of the culture, having... Read more »

Photo shows Family Mart chocolate donut looking nothing like its packaging, but was that by design? It’d be an exaggeration to say that Japan’s love affair with its convenience stores is over,... Read more »

Reversal of policy for new Chara Cosme releases follows survey showing immense dislike for randomized merch purchases. Bandai is one of Japan’s biggest anime and video game publishers, which dovetails nicely with... Read more »

Special collection includes the Spirited Away train that lights up at the push of a button. In Japan, keychains are hardly ever dull and boring, and right now Studio Ghibli is showing... Read more »

Japan’s all-for-fun spring holiday season is a little tarnished these days. Japan has three major vacation periods, but two of them come with social obligations. For both Oshogatsu (the New Year’s holiday... Read more »

Anime popularity polls attract tens of thousands of votes each season, but let’s be honest, this is not about “who looks good.” This is about who has collectively hijacked the internet, destabilized... Read more »