THE JAPAN NEWS
 
 A variety of attractions are drawing visitors to Koka, Shiga Prefecture, including ninja experiences, shrines, Shigaraki ware pottery studios and a shukubamachi post station along the Tokaido road.
An English-language travel brochure has recently been published, featuring popula...

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JAPAN TODAY
 
TOKYO — A controversy has been brewing after “a bakery” that appears in an elementary school ethics textbook was changed to “a Japanese wagashi confectioner” by a textbook publisher, in response to suggestions made by the education ministry in consideration of the “respect for tradi...

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ROCKET NEWS
 
Idol Expo allows fans to worship their favorite idols in one convenient location.
This is really the golden age of Japanese idol singers. Yes, Japan’s appreciation for perky vocalists in frilly skirts stretches back to at least the 1970s. The current otaku culture boom, though, mixe...

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JAPAN TIMES
 
KUMAMOTO – “Warning: No trespassing due to earthquake damage,” bears a sign at Kumamoto Castle, a popular tourist destination in the prefecture, while castle officials make rounds to prevent trespassers.
Strong earthquakes that hit the region last April not only destroyed homes, sch...

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JAPAN TRENDS
 
The latest virtual reality gaming venue to open in Tokyo is VR Zone Shinjuku. It is set to open at the former Shinjuku Tokyo Milano site in summer 2017.
Kabukicho’s Tokyo Milano closed in December 2014 after 60 years and its operator, Tokyu, is keen to make use of the prime locatio...

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JAPAN TRENDS
 
Everyone’s favorite creators of chindogu (strange and “useless” gadgets) have done it again: made something we didn’t even realize we needed.
Thanko’s latest arrival is the Smaneck Smartphone Hands-free Neck Holder, which is not a necklace we expect to see on the streets of Aoyama ...

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THE JAPAN NEWS
 
OSAKA (Jiji Press) — Sota Fujii, the youngest professional shogi player in Japan, extended the winning streak since his debut to a record 11th match on Tuesday.
Fourth-dan Fujii, only 14 years old, set the record when he defeated 40-year-old seventh-dan Hiroshi Kobayashi in 104 m...

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ROCKET NEWS
 
The amazing new beverage is set to provide customers with a whole new drinking experience.
Japan is a great place to be for Starbucks Frappuccino lovers this month, with the announcement of a brand new release that promises not only a delicious-sounding flavour but a whole new drink...

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JAPAN TODAY
 
LOS ANGELES — A thousand-year-old Japanese poem inspired filmmaker Makoto Shinkai to create “your name.,” an animated story that weaves love and time travel into what he called a message of hope for Japanese millennials.
“your name.” (Kimi No Na Wa) follows Mitsuha, a young girl fed...

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JAPAN TRENDS
 
127 million people live in Japan. 5.5 million vending machines live there too. That’s about one for every 23 people, and it hasn’t been until recently that they’ve started to communicate with one another. The vending machines, that is.
https://youtu.be/SQWnng0o5Rc
Recently, program...

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