Casey Baseel

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Casey Baseel spent his formative years staring in frustration at un-subtitled Japanese TV programming shown on Southern California’s international channel. Taking matters into his own hands, he moved to Tokyo to study the language, then found work in Yokohama a decade ago teaching, translating, and marketing hotels he can’t afford to stay in. When not participating in the eternal cycle of exercising to burn the calories form his love of Japanese food, Casey scours used comic and game shops for forgotten classics, drags his wife around the country in a quest to visit all its castles, sings karaoke not nearly as well as he thinks he does, and counts the days until the summertime bars open on Enoshima Beach.

Posted by Casey Baseel

Hamster abandoned at Tokyo ramen restaurant gets new home

Not exactly the typical lost-and-found item.

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Mister Donut ready to make hojicha dreams come true in latest collab with Kyoto tea merchant

Mister Donut meets Tsujirii once again to create mouthwatering treats made with Kyoto-grown roasted green tea.

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Beautiful Sailor Moon manhole cover coasters being given out for free by Tokyo tourist center

Sailor Moon’s real-world hoe neighborhood wants to help visiting fans feel extra welcome.

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Arrest proves a common Japanese saying about apologies and police

“I’m sorry” doesn’t cancel out “I’ll kill you.”

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“Half-naked men only in loincloths” drum battle returns to Hida festival for first time in five years

Festival of motion and stillness reinstates hours-long drum procession/shoving match.

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Dogs now allowed on Catbus! Ghibli Park vehicles revise service animal policy

Visitor with guide dog was turned away on Catbus’ first day.

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More foreign tourists than ever before in history visited Japan last month

A pair of factors combine with pent-up post-pandemic Japan travel desire to break the one-month record.

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Tokyo’s most famous arcade announces price increase, fans don’t seem to mind at all

Mikado makes a move that other game centers did long ago.

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Randomly running into a great sushi lunch like this is one of the best things about eating in Tokyo

Our always-early reporter finds a great meal almost without even trying in the downtown Kanda neighborhood.

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Beautiful new Final Fantasy T-shirt collection on the way from Uniqlo【Photos】

Characters from classic and modern installments of the Square Enix series show up in both charming pixel art and amazing hand-drawn forms.

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Osaka’s creepy cute mascot speaks for first time, adds more fuel the creepy OR cute debate【Video】

Myaku Myaku says hello.

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Disney princesses get official manga makeovers for Manga Princess Cafe opening in Tokyo

Five Disney princesses are popping into Shibuya, and bringing some very unique merch with them.

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Foreign English teachers in Japan pick their favorite Japanese-language phrases【Survey】

Ironically, number-one pick is something many foreigners in Japan hate hearing too.

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We go looking for the free kaoyu hot spring facebath of onsen town Kusatsu【Photos】

Lots of Japanese hot spring towns have footbaths, but how does a facebath work?

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Coordinating a whole outfit with nothing but clothes from Japanese convenience store Family Mart

How far has combining fashion come since our last investigation?

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JR, Tokyo Metro, other rails lines adding discounts for mentally handicapped riders, caregivers

New policy seeks to remove additional financial burden in a country where not taking the train often isn’t an option.

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Hanton rice — a delicious regional food even most Japanese people don’t know about, but more should

We head to Kanazawa to visit the birthplace of this “hungry tuna” dish that doesn’t contain tuna.

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A new meaty dawn for Akihabara as neighborhood’s best steak/hamburger steak restaurant reopens

Man oh man it’s good to have Mansei around.

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There’s a park inside Japan where you can also see Japan inside the park

Koyaike Park has a surprise when viewed from above.

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Tokyo Banana Curry adds capital’s souvenir sweet’s sweetness to roux, but not in Tokyo

This new mix of sweets and spices has us ready for a road trip.

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