In the never-ending battle to be the next big thing, a new idol group made their debut on January 15–with “big” being the operative word. Featuring the same singing and dancing you’ve seen from the hundreds of idol groups before them, these five girls are trying to prove that even those who aren’t paper-thin can make it in the idol world.
What separates this group from the “marshmallow girls” before them? For one, they actually are plus-sized, and they are OK with that! Please welcome to the stage: Pottya.
Tokyo Tsukiji fish market site to be redeveloped with 50,000-seat stadium, hotel, shopping center
McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Red light district sushi restaurant in Tokyo shows us just how wrong we were about it
Sandwiches fit for a sumo served up in Osaka【Taste Test】
Japanese ramen restaurants under pressure from new yen banknotes
Anime girl English teacher Ellen-sensei becomes VTuber/VVTUber and NFT
New private rooms on Tokaido Shinkansen change the way we travel from Tokyo to Kyoto
Beautiful Red and Blue Star luxury trains set to be Japan’s new Hokkaido travel stars
Japan’s massive matcha parfait weighs 6 kilos, contains hidden surprises for anyone who eats it
Haku is…Chihiro’s dead brother? Studio Ghibli fans blown away by Spirited Away theory
All-you-can-drink Starbucks and amazing views part of Tokyo’s new 170 meter-high sky lounge
French Fries Bread in Tokyo’s Shibuya becomes a hit on social media
Studio Ghibli releases new action figures featuring Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind characters
Studio Ghibli glasses cases let anime characters keep an eye on your spectacles
Beautiful Ghibli sealing wax kits let you create accessories and elegant letter decorations【Pics】
Studio Ghibli releases Kiki’s Delivery Service chocolate cake pouches in Japan
New definition of “Japanese whiskey” goes into effect to prevent fakes from fooling overseas buyers
Our Japanese reporter visits Costco in the U.S., finds super American and very Japanese things
Studio Ghibli unveils Mother’s Day gift set that captures the love in My Neighbour Totoro
New Japanese KitKat flavour stars Sanrio characters, including Hello Kitty
More foreign tourists than ever before in history visited Japan last month
New Pokémon cakes let you eat your way through Pikachu and all the Eevee evolutions
Sales of Japan’s most convenient train ticket/shopping payment cards suspended indefinitely
Sold-out Studio Ghibli desktop humidifiers are back so Totoro can help you through the dry season
Japanese government to make first change to romanization spelling rules since the 1950s
Ghibli founders Toshio Suzuki and Hayao Miyazaki contribute to Japanese whisky Totoro label design
Doraemon found buried at sea as scene from 1993 anime becomes real life【Photos】
Tokyo’s most famous Starbucks is closed
One Piece characters’ nationalities revealed, but fans have mixed opinions
We asked a Uniqlo employee what four things we should buy and their suggestions didn’t disappoint
Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
Anime girl English teacher Ellen-sensei becomes VTuber/VVTUber and NFT
New private rooms on Tokaido Shinkansen change the way we travel from Tokyo to Kyoto
Beautiful Red and Blue Star luxury trains set to be Japan’s new Hokkaido travel stars
Japan’s massive matcha parfait weighs 6 kilos, contains hidden surprises for anyone who eats it
Haku is…Chihiro’s dead brother? Studio Ghibli fans blown away by Spirited Away theory
Mt. Koya planning to instate visitor’s tax to cope with huge tourist numbers
You COULD eat a terrifying octopus egg in Japan, but SHOULD you? Let’s find out!【Taste test】
Beautiful new Final Fantasy T-shirt collection on the way from Uniqlo【Photos】
Limited-edition Carbonara Udon will anger noodle purists and pasta lovers 【Taste test】
New Pokémon cakes let you eat your way through Pikachu and all the Eevee evolutions
Gacha capsule machines now dispense perfumes in Japan
Akihabara pop-up shop sells goods made by Japanese prison inmates
Tatami etiquette: Why you should never step on the threshold of a washitsu Japanese room
Do ANA international inflight meals taste better on the ground than they do in the air?