All About Japan

Japan Sports Agency Commissioner Daichi Suzuki

Highlighting Japan spoke with the commissioner of the newly-formed agency about the development of sports policy in Japan.

Programmable Idol Robots Dance to Your Design

The robot revolution is coming, and when it arrives, they’ll have an awful lot to be mad about. Like making them dance for our amusement. Thanks, DMM.

Swipe Your Phone with a Happy Cat Tail

These smartphone gloves will keep your fingertips as happy as a kitty getting a chin rub.

Kumamoto Power Spot Looks Like Ghibli Art

Kamishikimi Kumanoimasu Shrine is a mystical destination for those looking to feel the earth’s energy.

Catch His Eye with a Couples' Bento

Before dating, teenage girls may attract their love interest’s attention with a homemade lunch.

4 Businesses Inspired by the Bento Box

The bento’s sleekness, compactness, balance and visual appeal have spurred ideas for various businesses in Japan and beyond.

The Tumbler Bento: Pure Genius!

YouTuber Ochikeron assembles three very different bento-style lunches in plastic travel tumblers. What a great idea!

The Godzilla of Gyoza?!

Two ravenous reporters head to Kaguragazaka Hanten in central Tokyo, an unassuming mom-and-pop restaurant notorious for oversized menu items such as Triple Jumbo Ramen and the fear...

The BBC Investigates Bento

With some Japanese mothers admitting to spending hours each morning on their children’s lunches, how far is too far in the name of kawaii?

Japanese Schoolgirl Ninja Parkour

Urban parkour videos are nothing new, but this one took us by surprise with its kickass/kawaii protagonists and nod to the ancient martial art of ninjutsu!

Gorgeous Footage of 1940s Tokyo!

While some things have clearly changed, we’re more obsessed with how familiar everything seems.

Halal Friendly Bento in Japan

Ever think of eating bento in Japan, but had trouble finding one that's halal? Wherever you are, we've got you covered!

Surreal J-pop Bangs Sell Biscuits

Idol offshoot 5572320 (that's their name!) teams up with Yoko Kanno for a Daliesque ode to crispy snacks with a side of Bohemian Rhapsody.

Spring Rolls, Japanese Style

This recipe for spring rolls, or "harumaki," may not be authentic—or at least, not authentically Chinese. It's authentically Japanese-Chinese, or "chuuka"—Chinese dishes that were...

The Kyaraben Behind the Cover

Kyarabenist.jp works to foster a love of "kyaraben," or character bento.

Village Vanguard Star Wars Cup Clingers

Make sure you get these before they disappear into a galaxy far, far away!

The 16 Best Worst Bento Lunches Ever

Enjoy these hilarious examples of times Japanese mothers, for whatever reason, decided today just wasn't the day for their loved one to receive an elaborate lunch.

The Cheapest Bento in Tokyo?

We sent our reporter out with ¥500 and a mission: go get lunch, and bring back change. He found what he was looking for in Taito Ward.

A Brief History of Bento

Bento can be found everywhere in Japan, from convenience stores and railway stations to upscale department stores. But where did they come from?

The Difference Between a Bento & a Lunch Box

It has to do with the contents and packing style, but it has to do with the feelings of the packer as well.

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