TOKYO
Mysterious Seeds Delivered Across Japan
Packages marked China Post containing mysterious seeds began turning up in mailboxes across Japan, despite no one ordering such items.
Akihabara's New Wall of 150 Gachapon Machines
For fans of the miniature capsule toy-dispensing gachapon vending machines, Kenelstand in Akihabara is your new best friend.
Fewer People Travel Day After Summer Holiday
The flow of people at major train stations in Tokyo on the first Monday after Japan’s summer holiday season decreased compared with the previous month.
AI Bartender Serving Up Age-Based Craft Beers
Electronics maker NEC has used artificial intelligence to come up with craft beers reflecting the characteristics of age groups. The AI analyzed some 300 magazines from a 40-year-period to propose beer tastes for people in their 20s to 50s.
Smoking Area Artwork for Social Distancing
Officials of Tokyo’s Shinagawa Ward have come up with an artistic way to urge smokers to maintain social distancing.
Shibuya Public Restrooms Get Designer Makeover
The Nippon Foundation is collaborating with the ward and 16 world-renowned architects and designers to transform 17 public lavatories.
More Foreign Than Japanese Residents in 2019
The Tokyo area welcomed more new foreign residents than Japanese citizens last year, marking the first time for the foreign population to increase faster than the Japanese one for the area since the ministry began separating such demographic data in 2012.
Japan Approves Second COVID-19 Treatment
The use of dexamethasone to treat people infected with the novel coronavirus has been approved as the second drug that doctors can now prescribe to COVID-19 patients in the country.
Japan Marks 75th Anniversary of End of WWII
Organizers scale back the event to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II amid the novel coronavirus epidemic.
Tokyo Station's New Shopping Center
August 3 marks the opening of a gigantic in-station commercial facility featuring 153 shops and restaurants at the iconic Tokyo Station!
Harry Potter Theme Park to Open in Tokyo
Get pumped, Potter fans! Tokyo will get a Harry Potter theme park due to open in 2023.
Keep Your Mask On, Even After the Food Arrives
Japan’s pseudo-Italian restaurant chain Saizeriya has come up with a way for customers to dine out while still wearing their masks.
Saliva Testing for COVID at Japanese Airports
Japan’s government will nearly double the coronavirus testing capacity at international airports such as Haneda by introducing antigen examinations using saliva samples whose results take only about an hour.
Introducing Japan's Top Sommelier
A competition in Tokyo has decided Japan’s best sommelier.
Tokyo's Giant Olympic Rings Removed
The Tokyo Olympic Games organizers have removed the giant Olympic rings at Odaiba Marine Park for maintenance.
Akihabara Landmark Sega Arcade Closing
Electric Town says goodbye to Sega Building 2, an arcade that has been a landmark of the area for 17 years.
SoftBank Fails to Declare Billions in Income
Japanese tax authorities have found that SoftBank Group Corporation failed to declare about 40 billion yen in income for the business year through March 2019.
Shinjuku Station's New Permanent Installation
Artist Tomokazu Matsuyama is the talent responsible for the new artwork adorning Shinjuku Station.
Central Japan Railway Adds More Bullet Trains
Central Japan Railway Company increased the number of its Nozomi bullet trains to 12 per hour ahead of the Obon summer vacation.
Record 1,000 New Coronavirus Cases in Japan
Japan sees a record number of new cases of novel coronavirus in one day, hitting over 1,000 for the very first time.
