Japan’s Surging Bear Crisis: A Surprisingly Complicated Problem

2025 may be the Year of the Snake in the Chinese zodiac, but in Japan, it’s tragically the year of the bear. As of November, 13 people have been killed in bear... Read more »

The Most Popular Artists and Songs of 2025

It’s that time of the year again — when Spotify wraps up your music taste in a colorful bow and hands it over for you to share with friends. Spotify Wrapped has... Read more »

Best Futons in Japan: Top Picks From Real Reviews

If you’re new to Japan or new to sleeping on a futon, choosing the right one for you can feel confusing. Traditional shikibuton are only a few inches thick, need regular airing... Read more »

Why does Japan eat KFC on Christmas?

It has become a repeated “did you know?” cliché that Japanese people eat KFC on Christmas. Corporate associations with holidays are not unusual. Despite the often-repeated myth, Coca-Cola did not invent the... Read more »

Tokyo startup envisions a world where nothing stays lost

This is a sponsored story, created and edited exclusively by Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s Tokyo Updates website. With the vision of creating “a world where every lost item is found,” Find Inc. runs... Read more »

5 Essential Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa Movies 

Growing up in the 1990s with a love for American martial arts and action movies, it was impossible not to notice Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa. It’s said that great actors “make love” to the... Read more »

Osaka teen arrested for hacking into Internet cafe’s app to steal data, was helped by Chat-GPT

That AI better have a good alibi. In January of this year, a major security breach of the app for Internet and manga cafe chain Kaikatsu Club resulted in the leak of... Read more »

In the company of rats: Tokyo’s growing rodent problem

It’s a clear morning in late November, and exterminator Kenji Shuto is leading a four-person team down a street lined with Asian bars and eateries close to Tokyo’s JR Okubo Station. Dressed... Read more »

Tottori’s Matsuba-gani crab, sake offered at New Otani Tokyo event

The Hotel New Otani Tokyo is holding a special event featuring Tottori Prefecture’s Matsuba-gani crab until Dec. 29. Tottori Gov. Shinji Hirai, hotel Executive Chef Shinsuke Nakajima, and restaurant manager and Executive... Read more »

Kagura: Theater from Heaven | Theater

The slow, steady beats of the taiko drum hang in the air as a lone actor poses midstage. He is clad in an elaborate, kimono-like outfit with long hair flowing over his... Read more »