7-Eleven Gets Roasted on Twitter for 7Pay Fail
Fast and convenient, mobile payment apps are taking over the world—Japan included. The mobile wallet market is challenging Japanese society’s love of coins and crisp banknotes. In 2018, 25% of smartp…
The archive
Recent articles — page 395
Browse recent articles in the Akihabara archive.
Posters for the Chinese Theatrical Release of Spirited Away
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…
Politician Support Rises After Installation Of Massive Speaker On Van
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 su…
Stay In A Japanese Castle For Only $9,000 A Night
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…
In Japan, the business of watching whales overshadows resumption of hunt
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…
Hot-spring resorts debate allowing tattooed tourists ahead of Rugby World Cup
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 is…
Disrupting Japan: What You Need to Know to Raise Money in Japan
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…
Bunch of red Japanese grapes sold for $11,000 at auction
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.…
Tokyo (and other cities) as viewed by locals and tourists
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.
Japan for Digital Nomads
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 turn…