JAPAN TRENDS
 
Taisin has created another superb ice sphere mold. The FLX65 Sphere, Heart, Star Ice Ball Mold has three alternate 65mm molds so you can vary the shapes you make to go in your glass and keep your beverage cooler for longer.
Simply heat the mold briefly in hot water, place good-qual...

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ROCKET NEWS
 
These owners were in for a happy surprise when they discovered their dogs were their photographers in this professional studio photo shoot.
If you ask pet owners to show you the photos they’ve taken on their mobile phones, chances are you’ll find dozens of images of their adorable l...

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ROCKET NEWS
 
Time to strap on your katana and kabuto, history buffs.
Historians generally feel that the age of the samurai came to an end in 1868, when the political event known as the Meiji Restoration put an end to Japan’s centuries of feudal rule and abolished the warrior caste. We, however, ...

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JAPAN TRENDS
 
We’ve seen a real surge in interest in kendama domestically and overseas. As discussed in previous posts, the comeback of the traditional cup-and-ball Japanese toy has manifested itself as international tournaments and new “musical kendama” interactive toys. There is even a Yo-Kai ...

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JAPAN TRENDS
 
If you want to see art in Tokyo, you can check out the city’s near endless supply of events and spaces, such as the upcoming art fair to be held at
Park Hotel Tokyo.
Or you can go online.
The rather terribly named IJC Museum — standing for “Is Japan Cool?” — is inspired by the gove...

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THE JAPAN NEWS
 
By Nana Ando / The Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer
At the entrance of Keio Rail-Land in Hino, Tokyo, I found automatic ticket-vending machines that look just like the ones you would see at a train station. After getting a ticket and inserting it into an admission machine, I was welc...

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ROCKET NEWS
 Drunken revellers, rejoice! This festive season you can snooze past your train stop all you like—the rescue bus has got you covered!
As we’ve discussed before, Japan’s trains tend to stop running a little on the early side. And, with so many commuters relying almost entirely on the t...

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JAPAN TRENDS
In Japan, Christmas Eve is not a time for church — it’s a time for couples. Restaurants in cities are packed with pairs of diners enjoying expensive, luxury courses.
But not everyone has a special someone on this romantic day, while others are separated from their partner due to work...

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JAPAN TRENDS
Always wondered about wabi-sabi but too embarrassed to ask?
As the makers say, “At the heart of Japanese philosophy and wisdom lies a concept called wabi-sabi; a term which denotes a commitment to the everyday, the melancholic, the somewhat broken and the imperfect. It’s a term we ne...

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