All About Japan

A Revolutionary & Stylish Footwear Redesign

YaCHAIKA shoes maintain a chic profile while taking the pain out of walking in heels.

New GPS Satellite Tech Accurate to Centimeters

Mitsubishi Electric’s new satellite array may become the best defense against wandering blue dot disorder.

Italians Taste-test Japanese Canned Coffee

Nothing beats the satisfaction of sipping a warm can of coffee fresh from the vending machine just as the weather starts to get chilly. But do Italians agree?

Yamagata Cast Iron Teapots

Yamagata cast iron boasts a 1,000-year tradition influenced by the Kyoto style.

Sporting Nation

The October 2015 issue of Highlighting Japan examines the history and evolution of sports in Japan, running the gamut from Paralympians and FIFA soccer referees to sumo wrestlers and modern practitioners of ninjutsu.

Video Tour Through a Japanese Handicraft Fair

Sharla in Japan visited the 26th Arakawa Traditional Handicraft Fair in Tokyo, revealing a cool range of traditional crafts from shamisen to woodblock prints.

Cat Street View Offers Purrfect Virtual Tour

Meet friendly felines along a ground-level look at a city's more traditional roads and ways.

Concept Car for the 'Share' Generation

Nissan has created a concept car for a segment of the population that cares very little about cars.

Adorable Nekobus Lasercut Paper Set

It’s time to take Totoro's iconic catbus home. And when we do, we’ll be making him entirely from scratch, with a specially designed kit made from lasercut paper materials.

Transform Your iPhone into Sailor Moon

Sailor Moon Crystal iPhone cases fit the 6 and 6s. Galaxy users presumably get Queen Beryl.

New Book Shares Animal Sculpture Secrets

Mio Hashimoto went viral with photos and videos of a shiba inu dog interacting with a sculpture of itself. She's now penned a book that lets you do what she does.

Celviano Grand Hybrid Takes the (Small) Stage

Casio is confident it's created the first digital pianos that truly emulate the sound of a grand—with the obvious advantage of taking up far less space.

Innovations in Early Education Design

The incredible architectural work of Youji no Shiro.

One Punch Man App Measures Your Punching Power

Compare the might of your fist to the ridiculously powerful Saitama.

Kei Sports Cars: Small Packages of Fun

Japan’s kei, or light, car class features a small engine and compact overall dimensions. While the main concept of these vehicles is economy and convenience, a few companies are remaking the image of these fun little monsters.

Mechanical Marvels: Japanese Tin Toys

Would you pay $50,000 for a tin can of California tomatoes?

Sharp Launching Robot Smartphone

RoBoHoN talks, walks, gets up, dances and recognizes human faces—and it also works as a phone!

A Kansai Home Designed Around Circular Margins

Designer Fumi Aso was named best young architect by the Architectural Institute of Japan’s Kansai chapter.

100 Manga Selected as Learning Tools

Selection includes Parasyte, Golgo 13 and Barefoot Gen along with Rose of Versailles, Ashita no Joe and Osamu Tezuka's Black Jack and Phoenix, as well as Hayao Miyazaki's Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.

Panasonic Predicts Carpet Speakers

Smart homes of the future will have speakers in the carpet, mirrors that analyze your skin condition, beds that weigh you as you sleep—and a whole lot more.

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