In February 2020, Japan Airlines Innovation Fund invested in Volocopter, which is aiming to create and bring next-generation electrically powered air taxis and heavy lift cargo drone technology to th…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 5 years, 10 months ago | 0 comments

Yuru-kyara competition ‘lost original purpose’ after aggressive campaigning by prefectures

A cuddly fairy on a mission to “deliver happiness” to her disaster-hit hometown has been crowned Japan’s mos…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 5 years, 10 months ago | 0 comments

Whoever said architecture brings happiness, probably had something like this in mind. Mi-chan is a 13-year old girl living with a psychiatric disorder that makes it difficult for her to engage with o…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 5 years, 10 months ago | 0 comments

Live stream of Shibuya crossingclose up.

This is my favourite stream ever! For the last couple of days I have been running it on my TV. Like a nice visual background, it is much less distractive than…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 5 years, 10 months ago | 1 comment

There are a lot things that are, well, confusing about Japan. Especially the first time you encounter them. Take for example the abundance of oddly specific mascots representing everything from bridg…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 5 years, 10 months ago | 0 comments

Japan has an estimated 613,000 middle-aged hikikomori, a term usually used to describe socially withdrawn adolescents who hole up in their bedrooms, according to the results of a government survey re…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 5 years, 10 months ago | 0 comments

Visitors to Hakone’s Ōwakudani can take in the spectacular volcanic landscape, punctuated by billowing steam vents, and savor the distinct flavor of the “black eggs” cooked in the thermal waters.

Hak…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 5 years, 10 months ago | 0 comments

A daily life snapshot taken in the rural mountains of Kyoto Prefecture of four elderly people at a zebra crossing, reminiscent of the cover of the Beatles' famous "Abbey Road" album has been making t…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 5 years, 10 months ago | 0 comments

Japan has planned to lift restrictions on overseas travel in October. According to reports by a local news organisation Nikkei Asian Review, the government will be giving priority to 10 countries whi…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 5 years, 10 months ago | 0 comments

Tokiwa-sō is a boarding house where a number of aspiring young manga artists, led by the famed Tezuka Osamu (creator of “Astro Boy”), roomed in the 1960s. Chronicled in their works, Tokiwa-sō lived o…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 5 years, 10 months ago | 0 comments