Italy

1 Night 1980 Hostel Tokyo offers cheap accommodation for US$14 a night but is it any good?

A cheap place to stay that’s particularly popular with foreign travellers. 

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Our Japanese reporter finds the best Domino’s Pizza in Rome, Italy

When in Rome, we don’t do as the Romans do.

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Valentino sparks outrage with insincere apology for disrespecting Japanese culture in photo shoot

Model daughter of former SMAP member gets caught up in controversy involving shoes and kimono. 

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We went to a Japanese restaurant in Italy, ate green sushi, learned a lesson about taking it easy

Japanese food outside of Japan is not always what one would expect, but why worry about such a little thing?

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Pikachu and Jigglypuff dazzle as expensive but adorable high-end fashion boots!

Now you can make a fashion statement with these striking Pikachu and Jigglypuff boots … for a price.

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Turns out classical music sounds like an epic RPG boss battle by adding a drum beat 【Video】

All you have to do is tap, tap, tap the drum.

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From Rome to Tokyo: Trapizzino’s Italian pizza sandwiches are delish

Tasty, Rome-style Italian pizza sandwiches have hit Tokyo, and we couldn’t resist shoving several of them in our faces. Nom!

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Chinese ad for laundry detergent is remarkably racist

Qiaobi detergent promises to fight stains and wash away any faith in humanity you might be feeling at the moment.

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Meet Tomoko, the 70-year-old Japanese woman who can pole dance like nobody’s business 【Video】

When it comes to years old and spicy moves, she’s got plenty of both.

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Fashion brand Dsquared2 reveals new samurai armor-inspired line-up

These unique fall designs with an ancient Japanese flair were one of the highlights of the recent Milan RTW Fashion Show.

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Muscly Italian men perform Sailor Moon music video, complete with senshi transformations【Video】

muscular, all-male Sailor Moon senshi group has just released a live-action music video in honour of the hit anime from Japan.

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Japanese condiment company Kikkoman encourages Brits to desecrate white rice with tasty sauce

One of the first things that foreign visitors to Japan learn about Japanese cuisine is that white rice served by itself is meant to be enjoyed as it is, not soaked in soy or doused in dipping sauce. But many people who aren’t all that well-acquainted with Japanese food find the taste of plain boiled rice bland, and love to drizzle sweet and salty sauces all over in order to jazz it up a bit, even if it does make eating it with chopsticks ten times harder.

The UK is one place that probably isn’t known for having a high level of familiarity with Japanese food. Chains like Wagamama and Shoryu Ramen do exist, but they tend to play fast and loose with the definition of Japanese food, and as a result many British diners wind up getting their tastebuds in a bit of a tangle. But now, Japanese company Kikkoman is actually encouraging this desecrating behaviour by bringing out a new product in the UK market: Kikkoman Sweet Sauce for Rice! As you might expect, it’s raising eyebrows in Japan.

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Japanese Netizens share Italian friends’ “most Italian moments”

Throughout the world, the Japanese are known as being a particularly diligent and hardworking people, perhaps even to a fault. They are viewed as being bound by honor to devote their lives to their company and inner circle of closest friends and family.

Italians, on the other hand, are often thought to be, shall we say, extremely laid-back. Insofar as these things can be quantified, Italians work, on average, a bit less than those in many other countries, are quicker than many to hug and show affection, and are generally understood to be considerably less formal (and more, um… amorous) than the Japanese and others in both work and personal life. And with Japan being one of the most homogeneous countries in the world, and also being an island nation, it’s pretty common for the Japanese to exaggerate stereotypes even more than people from the rest of the world, as interaction with foreigners tends to be limited.

Which is why these “OMG, that’s soooo Italian!” Twitter stories Japanese Netizens shared about their encounters with Italian friends and acquaintances are apparently considered the pinnacle of comedy here in Japan. Let’s take a look.

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Italian fruit sculptor amazes with unbelievable art on a unique canvas

The beautiful thing about art is that is has no boundaries, no baseline and no rules. You might disagree with someone on the interpretation of how a piece speaks to you, but it is still art.

Everyone remembers their grade school art classes where one of the first assignments was to paint or draw a bowl of fruit, right? It’s a perfect starting point since fruits come in different shapes, sizes and colors, so it’s a great way to figure out how to convert real-life into still-life on the page.

However, there is an amazing artist that is turning that notion on its head, instead of creating a piece of art by looking at the fruit, how about creating art from the fruit itself? This Italian artist is going to blow your mind with his amazing sculptures carved out of a piece of fruit.

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Are you too chicken to eat a chicken comb?

Chicken legs, drumsticks, wings, breasts, feet, and now the comb? What will they think of next?

Letting no part go to waste, the latest food trend that people are crowing about is the chicken’s comb (cockscomb) or crest (the red mohawk-like fleshy part of a chicken’s forehead). But are you too chicken to try it?

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Italians have a helpful hint for Japanese commuters on a busy day

Every society has its cultural niceties, its polite communal behaviors and its social faux pas. In Japan, since public transportation is so prevalent, the rules about how to ride the trains are fairly ingrained into each person.

One of these unwritten rules loftily floats above all others though, and it’s that you give up your seat for someone who needs it more. Many people are happy to do so, but there are times you wish you could be seated as well. In those situations, there is nothing you can do but suck it up through the rest of the train ride, that is, unless you are riding on a train in Italy.

This short comic illustrates what had happened when a couple of students were faced with giving up their seat on the train, and, spoiler alert, everyone got to sit down!

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