Theme park prohibition strangely opens the door to a new kind of creative freedom.  When you visit Ghibli Park in Nagakute City, Aichi Prefecture, you’ll find a vast array of attractions, including... Read more »

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... Read more »

A flaw in the system makes this Starbucks breakfast less than stellar.  They say the third time’s the charm, and that’s what happened to us when we attempted to try the super-popular... Read more »

No tentacles here, folks! Only beautifully strange plants. If you’ve spent any time online, the word “hentai” probably conjures up some very specific imagery that you may not feel comfortable talking about... Read more »

Few countries celebrate the changing seasons quite like Japan, and nowhere is that more visible than in Tokyo’s parks and gardens. Each season brings something different — and over centuries, gardeners have... Read more »

Famed anime house isn’t worried about losing relevancy by limiting access to its films. Studio Ghibli has a reputation for preferring to do things the old-fashioned way, and so fans weren’t really... Read more »

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... Read more »

One of Tokyo’s most infamous entertainment districts, Kabukicho has long been a place of curiosity, stigma and whispered tales. Tonight, Metropolis sits across from someone who recently stepped into this world, a... Read more »

The arrival of the rainy season in Japan means one thing: umbrella mania. The other day, I participated in Japan’s favorite rainy season ritual for the first time: I rushed into a... Read more »