The final results of the 2020 Sanrio Character Ranking were announced on June 8, and Yoshikitty defeated Hello Kitty to win no.1 in France, Germany, and Brazil, and no.2 in China. https://ranking.sanrio.co.jp/en/result/world The Sanrio…

Global phenomenon PIKOTARO has released his super-energetic new song “Hoppin’ Flappin'” to encourage home exercise while people are indoors during the COVID-19 pandemic. With fun lyrics aimed at children and families…

Written by Hayley While some idol groups are struggling to stay afloat during the shutdown of live houses, COVID (19) wants to make their debut stage! “Kobito (19) no Dasshutsu” is a new emerging 7 member idol group that has caused some…

Written by Hayley While many have been in self-isolation, trying to find creative ways to pass the time has been a struggle for some. With large scale shutdowns of live houses and performances being cancelled until further notice, one idol…

Written by Hayley In the turbulent time we are currently facing, many idol groups have lost their income from the mass cancellation of live events in Japan. Live houses have temporarily shut down and many groups are stuck with cancelled…

The parfaits of “Salon Bake and Tea”, a cafe which is very close from Shinjuku Station in Tokyo, is amazing. It’s fashionable and HUGE! With a total length of 30cm of the parfait is delicious and addictive. There is also a…

PIKOTARO, who achieved global fame for the hit “PPAP” (“Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen”) in 2016, has updated his song to encourage people around the world to stay safe during the current global crisis. PIKOTARO recorded the new version – titled…

In Utsunomiya city where known as the “Gyoza town”, a new streetlights in the form of Gyoza have been installed. Utsunomiya Gyoza-kai that is the  association of specialty Gyoza shops and  City of Utsunomiya installed new Gyoza…

One of the biggest chain vintage clothing stores in Japan, 2nd STREET, calls themselves a “Reuse Shop” on their Japanese website. It’s an interesting word choice. It does not emphasize their high product quality as what “vintage” usually…

The Japan Anime Music Lab. (JAMLAB.http://www.japan-animemusic.com;) is an official online information hub connecting the global entertainment and music industries with the top level of Japanese music and “ani-song” (anime song) artists and…

2nd STREET USA, Inc., one of the most popular vintage clothing stores originated from Tokyo, is opening its first East Coast store in NoHo, New York, on Feb. 22nd, 2020. This is seen a robust move for the Japanese vintage chain to expand…

People give not only chocolates but also various things for Valentine’s day gift in Europe and the United States. But in Japan, I think chocolate is probably the mainstream of Valentine’s gifts, so I would like to introduce a…

Tomorrow Feburuary 3rd is Setsubun. Setsubun is the day before the beginning of spring in Japan. The name literally means “seasonal division”, but usually the term refers to the spring Setsubun, properly called Risshun…

There are a lot of delicious things in Japanese convenience stores. As you likely know, convenience store sweets are perfect as everyday little treats. Halloween limited sweets are very creative and perfect for your Instagram posts. Here…