For those of you who want to find a place to shop for musical instruments, Ochanomizu is the place to go. Prices are much better than in those shops in department stores, and the selection is yuuuge …

posted by  banzaitokyo | 8 years, 3 months ago | 0 comments

It's long been a conundrum for visitors to Japan: how do you actually use the toilet? For more than 35 years, the "washlet"—also known in some parts as the "super toilet"—has baffled the unwary trave…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 8 years, 3 months ago | 1 comment

Six years ago, Japanese PR was more difficult to apply for than Japanese citizenship. Since then, it has been getting easier. Now there is a point scheme that is easy to interpret, and applications …

posted by  Tanuki | 8 years, 3 months ago | 1 comment

With statestics of last year's gun crimes and homicides rolling out in many countries, I saw this topic being discussed on a Japanese TV channel. In Japan, gun crime is basically low because guns are…

posted by  Yubi | 8 years, 3 months ago | 0 comments

I know that Center shiken is an exam for university entrance and it is held in January. I also know that it is very likely to have heavy snow on that day :-p. Snow or no snow, this is mentioned in th…

posted by  Tanuki | 8 years, 3 months ago | 1 comment

Since I live in the Pacific Ocean side of East Japan which was only affected mildly, we got only 20 minutes of snow. But then, the water taps outside are still frozen. All flower pots looked like the…

posted by  Tanuki | 8 years, 3 months ago | 0 comments

Okinawa Prefecture is scrambling to plot its next move in the wake of a recent Supreme Court ruling siding with the central government's effort to relocate the operations of a U.S. military base with…

posted by  Tanuki | 8 years, 3 months ago | 1 comment

It may surprise you to know there are close to 100 different gestures regularly used by Japanese people to communicate with friends, colleagues and the general public. While most of those used by Wes…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 8 years, 3 months ago | 2 comments

Japan's most unfortunately named porn company Soft On Demand is offering virtual sexy time at its newly opened location in Tokyo's Akihabara.

The establishment's billboard states that Soft On Demand…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 8 years, 3 months ago | 2 comments

Want a free case of craft beer? If you send 30,000 yen ($260) or more of your taxes to the town of Yamanouchi in Nagano prefecture, they’ll send you 24 bottles of a locally brewed beer to say thanks.…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 8 years, 3 months ago | 2 comments