Let your smartphone take the guesswork out of finding your way around Shinjuku and Tokyo Stations.
Smartphones (Page 6)
Want to try your hand at crafting Super Mario Maker screens, but don’t have a Wii U? Right this way!
This customer experience is blowing up all over social media, or it would be if anyone could get to their cell phones.
The Vocaloid star has been secretly hiding in your smart phone, just waiting for the right application to let her loose.
Let your smartphone dream of electric rodents with this gorgeous new range of cosy futons.
It’s a modern-day sheath made in honour of the samurai known as the “Crimson Demon of War”.
Developers assert that they were motivated by philanthropic sentiments to help roughly four out of every five women in the world.
Japanese smartphone and tablet gamers spend a disproportionate amount of money on mobile games compared to the much larger mobile markets of North America and China, according to a new report from EEDAR – a video gaming analytics consultancy. This is despite the fact that the Japanese mobile gaming population is just a third of that of North America and a mere eighth of the Chinese gaming population.
As further proof that cats rule the Internet and humanity at large, the relaxed, mostly goal-less mobile app time waster, Neko Atsume—which tasks players with simply collecting a bunch of cartoon cats and kind of just watching them do stuff—proved a massive success in Japan despite a distinctive lack of explosions, destruction and, er, constantly running from left to right that are the typical hallmark of successful mobile games.
In fact, the game is so popular among cat lovers (read: everyone) that the Japanese version of the game began trending abroad, even though the large majority of fans surely had to resort to Internet guides to make any sense of the Japanese kanji plastered all over the in-game menus and inventory.
Said fans were in for a great surprise, though, when last week, developer Hit-Point updated the game with full English support thanks to renowned localization agency 8-4. We had a chance to sit down with the 8-4 team and chat about the behind-the-scenes work that went into localizing the app for an English speaking audience.
This new batch of smartphone protectors features group shots of the Sailor Senshi drawn in a style that blends influences from both the Sailor Moon anime and manga.
Earth’s mightiest and cuddliest super-deformed heroes are set to assemble in a new smartphone game follow-up to the Disney hit.
These individually carved and lacquered wooden iPhone cases aren’t cheap, but they are gorgeous! With a design as gorgeous as it is simple, your phone will look great wherever you might play Candy Crush.
Every year, tech giants like Apple, Samsung and HTC give us more features and better, often bigger, displays to look forward to in our smartphones. But so far they still haven’t managed to come up with a way to tackle perhaps the most common problem users have, which is dropping your phone and cracking the screen.
However one research team at Tokyo University is hoping to change that by creating glass that is nearly indestructible. If the team achieves its goal, the glass could be used in everything from buildings to consumer electronics as soon as 2020.
Earlier this year, nearly 1,200 rail stations in Japan chose to ban the use of selfie sticks in reaction to the dangers of users not paying attention to their surroundings and the general nuisance caused by the photo-snapping peripherals in crowded areas. Now, East Japan Railways, Japan’s largest train operator, is taking aim at another problem: people walking through the station while staring at their smartphones instead of watching where they’re going.
But while you can ban selfie sticks and only ruffle the feathers of tourists and other leisure-oriented train passengers, millions of people rely on their smartphones during their daily commute to keep in touch with family, coworkers, and clients. So instead of prohibiting them, East Japan Railways has started a campaign to remind people not to use their smartphones while walking, and the reminder is so gentle that you can put it in your butt.
Although everyone just calls it Sailor Moon, the official title of the anime and manga franchise is Bishojo Senshi Sailor Moon, which translates out to Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon. A couple of years back, though, Sailor Moon’s producers decided they’d prefer for it to be called Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, a shift which irked anime purists and linguists alike.
Still, “Guardian” is a fitting title for the inspiration of these new smartphone accessories, which protect your phone’s plugs from dirt, dust, and grime while also adding a touch of Sailor Moon style.
Last month it was announced that the Pokémon franchise would be coming to smartphones in Pokémon GO, an ambitious augmented reality mobile title. But while Pokémon is often associated with Nintendo, the brand itself is managed by The Pokémon Company, a semi-independent subsidiary of the video game hardware and software giant.
Today, Nintendo revealed the first stage of plans for its long-awaited Nintendo-branded smartphone apps, but those hoping for a new game starring Mario or Link are going to have to keep waiting. As a matter of fact, Nintendo’s first official smartphone release isn’t a game at all, but a system by which to make a virtual recreation of yourself that will autonomously talk about you in the social media sphere.
Cell phone service in Japan isn’t exactly cheap, and if you spend a lot of time on your smartphone talking with clients, chatting with friends, or otherwise keeping in touch with the rest of the world, it’s not hard to run up a monthly bill in the neighborhood of 10,000 yen (US$84). Thankfully, Japanese providers offer a variety of discounts to help soften the blow, with reduced rates for family members being a huge help.
Now, as part of the changing societal concept of what constitutes a family, Japan’s largest telecommunications provider has begun offering family discounts to same-sex couples who present documentation of their union.
As of last month, the line of Sailor Moon lingerie is back on sale again, helping fans of the series unleash their inner Sailor Senshi with some anime-themed innerwear. Now that you’ve got your intimate apparel needs filled, if you’re troubled by your smartphone being completely naked there’s a similar solution in the form of these Sailor Moon costume iPhone cases!
Having a handheld device that tells us how to get places, allows us to check our E-mail, and browse the Internet has been one of the greatest inventions of this century. Plus with video streaming services like Netflix and others on our phones, we are carrying around a library of entertainment. The problem with using our phones like a mini-TV, though, is that it’s difficult to prop them up at the right angle with the myriad objects that fill our homes.
While we’ve brought our readers an inexpensive solution to that problem in the past, some of us want to do it in the cutest and most fashionable way possible. Thankfully, gachapon capsule toy machines are dispensing prizes that feature famous characters and other eclectic figures that are designed to hold up phones for our viewing pleasure. You’ve never seen a phone held up with such panache before.
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Beautiful new Final Fantasy T-shirt collection on the way from Uniqlo【Photos】
Is the new Shinkansen Train Desk ticket worth it?
Disney princesses get official manga makeovers for Manga Princess Cafe opening in Tokyo
Randomly running into a great sushi lunch like this is one of the best things about eating in Tokyo
Japan’s new “painful sadness” snacks are a deliciously mysterious linguistics lesson【Taste test】
Foreign English teachers in Japan pick their favorite Japanese-language phrases【Survey】
Tokyo Secret Eats: Shibuya City staff cafeteria serves Hachiko soba to visitors
Hey, Japanese taxi driver! Take us to your favorite restaurant in Tsuruga City!
U.K. coffee brand Costa Coffee releases first ever matcha flavor with new Matcha Espresso Latte
New book teaches Japanese people English to help out foreign travelers
Weekly
Our Japanese reporter visits Costco in the U.S., finds super American and very Japanese things
New Studio Ghibli bedding sets are cool in all senses of the word
We try out “Chan Ramen”, an underground type of ramen popular in the ramen community
New Pokémon cakes let you eat your way through Pikachu and all the Eevee evolutions
There’s a park inside Japan where you can also see Japan inside the park
Japanese black curry “experiment” takes place at an unlikely restaurant branch in Tokyo
Japanese convenience store packs a whole bento into an onigiri rice ball
New definition of “Japanese whiskey” goes into effect to prevent fakes from fooling overseas buyers- Foreign English teachers in Japan pick their favorite Japanese-language phrases【Survey】
Uniqlo opens its first Furugi Project secondhand clothing pop-up shop in Tokyo
Monthly
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
Toyota built a life-sized Miraidon Pokémon and are letting people test drive it this weekend- New definition of “Japanese whiskey” goes into effect to prevent fakes from fooling overseas buyers
Foreign passenger shoves conductor on one of the last full runs for Japan’s Thunderbird train- Our Japanese reporter visits Costco in the U.S., finds super American and very Japanese things
Kyoto bans tourists from geisha alleys in Gion, with fines for those who don’t follow rules
Studio Ghibli unveils Mother’s Day gift set that captures the love in My Neighbour Totoro
Domino’s Japan now sells…pizza ears?
New Japanese KitKat flavour stars Sanrio characters, including Hello Kitty
Yearly
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
Studio Ghibli’s new desktop Howl’s Moving Castle will take your stationery on an adventure
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Foreign English teachers in Japan pick their favorite Japanese-language phrases【Survey】
Tokyo Secret Eats: Shibuya City staff cafeteria serves Hachiko soba to visitors
Hey, Japanese taxi driver! Take us to your favorite restaurant in Tsuruga City!
U.K. coffee brand Costa Coffee releases first ever matcha flavor with new Matcha Espresso Latte
New book teaches Japanese people English to help out foreign travelers
Manga artist raises question online about false perspective in Ghibli film My Neighbor Totoro
Japan’s most mysterious vending machine sells fukubako, boxes filled with…something【Photos】
Osaka’s creepy cute mascot speaks for first time, adds more fuel the creepy OR cute debate【Video】
An overnight trip on the Sunrise Izumo, Japan’s awesome Tokyo-Shimane sleeper train【Photos】
Japanese black curry “experiment” takes place at an unlikely restaurant branch in Tokyo
Beautifully off the beaten path in Nara with the Shimo no Negimichi shrine trail【Photos】
Tokyo’s super-secret-location sushi restaurant has a stand-up sister shop that’s open to all
Is Japan’s massive Shizuoka steak sandwich really as delicious as it looks in promo photos?
Japanese chain Bikkuri Donkey’s enormous salad almost beats Mr. Sato, but not because of its size
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