happy new year
And just like that, 2015 was no more! It’s now January 1 all the way across Asia, which means it’s officially the Year of Monkey! Happy New Year, everyone!
We’ll be putting our feet up for the rest of today, but we promise we’ll be back tomorrow with more of the news, cuteness, cats, food, fukubukuro, Mr Sato and all the weird and wonderful stuff from Japan and Asia that you know—and hopefully love—us for.
Thank you for continuing to visit our site, share our stories and follow us on Twitter and Facebook (281K and counting!!), and for helping us to grow and grow. 2015 was very good to us, but here’s hoping that 2016 will fill us all with the sprightly energy of a whole mess of merry monkeys and that we can continue to make our little site even better—although hopefully without any poo-slinging.
Stay tuned, Rocketeers, and have yourselves a great New Year’s Day!
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McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
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Super Nintendo World expansion gets delayed for several months at Universal Studios Japan
Beautiful Sailor Moon manhole cover coasters being given out for free by Tokyo tourist center
Kyoto’s 100 Demons yokai monster parade returns!
Studio Ghibli glasses cases let anime characters keep an eye on your spectacles
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More foreign tourists than ever before in history visited Japan last month
The oldest tunnel in Japan is believed to be haunted, and strange things happen when we go there
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Weekly
- McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Disney princesses get official manga makeovers for Manga Princess Cafe opening in Tokyo- More foreign tourists than ever before in history visited Japan last month
- Starbucks reopens at Shibuya Scramble Crossing with new look and design concept
Beautiful new Final Fantasy T-shirt collection on the way from Uniqlo【Photos】
Is the new Shinkansen Train Desk ticket worth it?
Foreign English teachers in Japan pick their favorite Japanese-language phrases【Survey】- All-you-can-drink Starbucks and amazing views part of Tokyo’s new 170 meter-high sky lounge
Japanese convenience store packs a whole bento into an onigiri rice ball
We try out “Chan Ramen”, an underground type of ramen popular in the ramen community
Monthly
- McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Studio Ghibli releases Kiki’s Delivery Service chocolate cake pouches in Japan
Japan’s bone-breaking and record-breaking roller coaster is permanently shutting down
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
Foreign passenger shoves conductor on one of the last full runs for Japan’s Thunderbird train
Domino’s Japan now sells…pizza ears?
New Japanese KitKat flavour stars Sanrio characters, including Hello Kitty
Kyoto creates new for-tourist buses to address overtourism with higher prices, faster rides
Yearly
Sales of Japan’s most convenient train ticket/shopping payment cards suspended indefinitely- McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
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
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Studio Ghibli glasses cases let anime characters keep an eye on your spectacles
Starbucks reopens at Shibuya Scramble Crossing with new look and design concept
More foreign tourists than ever before in history visited Japan last month
The oldest tunnel in Japan is believed to be haunted, and strange things happen when we go there
Ghibli background artist Naohisa Inoue’s painting technique is out of this world
Tokyo Banana Curry adds capital’s souvenir sweet’s sweetness to roux, but not in Tokyo
Pokémon’s Team Rocket officially begins real-life recruiting new members this month
McDonald’s Japan’s new kalbi koshihikari rice burger and its friends only come out after sundown
Father and son dissect a gachapon capsule toy machine to show us its magical insides【Video】
Osaka woman gives foreigner Uber Eats worker fake money, thought he wouldn’t know difference
Disney princesses get official manga makeovers for Manga Princess Cafe opening in Tokyo
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