Eighteen years after the release of Spirited Away in Japan, China is getting an official theatrical release next week. And just as he did with the release of My Neighbor Totoro late last year, Chine…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 7 years, 1 month ago | 0 comments

A politician has increased support over rival candidates, according to a Kyodo News poll on Saturday, after installing a gigantic megaphone on the roof of his sound car.
The latest nationwide survey …

posted by  banzaitokyo | 7 years, 1 month ago | 0 comments

Starting next year, Ozu Castle in Ehime Prefecture will open its doors to tourists willing to cough up a cool 1 million yen ($9,250) per couple for a night’s stay. This is not the only castle in Japa…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 7 years, 1 month ago | 0 comments

People packed the decks of the Japanese whale-watching boat, screaming in joy as a pod of orcas put on a show: splashing tails at each other, rolling over, and leaping out of the water.

In Kushiro, …

posted by  banzaitokyo | 7 years, 1 month ago | 0 comments

With Japan expecting approximately 400,000 overseas visitors for the 2019 Rugby World Cup set to begin in September, hot-spring resorts across the country are faced with the ever-present issue of how…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 7 years, 1 month ago | 0 comments

Startups and venture capital work differently in Japan.

The rounds are smaller, the priorities distinct, and while the same terms are used, people quickly discover that the definitions are often subt…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 7 years, 1 month ago | 0 comments

A bunch of red grapes was bought Tuesday in central Japan for 1.2 million yen ($11,000) in the first auction of the season, making it the most expensive since the breed came to market 12 years ago.

T…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 7 years, 1 month ago | 0 comments

Here's a fun research project - based on photos' metadata this Flickr user mapped places most visited by tourists (red) and locals (blue). Yellow can be either one.

posted by  banzaitokyo | 7 years, 1 month ago | 0 comments

Japan is usually thought of as a major travel destination: it's the place you go to marvel at centuries-old temples and traditional towns, not necessarily to get some work done. But it turns out it c…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 7 years, 2 months ago | 0 comments

Unfortunately the article is in Japanese only, but a picture says everything here - you can now buy rice in plastic bottles. Like there is not enough plastic waste already...

posted by  banzaitokyo | 7 years, 2 months ago | 0 comments