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Your local news station might have a weatherman. It might have a weather woman. Taiwan has weather girls—make that,…
It's that time of year again... When Godzilla-shaped Christmas trees start to appear!
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Before there were smartphones, Japanese people simply carried clamshell mobile phones. They were a bit harder to…
Drugs, and drug culture, are common and prevalent in much of the West. Ditto for Japan, even if superficially the…
One Sunday about a month ago, I was driving my family to Himeji. It was a drizzly early morning on the Chugoku…
Every year since 1957, the Good Design Award (aka "G Mark") has been awarded to a standout Japanese product. The…
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The West might have been won with the Winchester. But Japan was ruled with the katana. It's not simply what the…
Schoolgirl rocker anime K-On! isn't only getting a feature film, in which the girls travel to London. It's also…
In Japan, "itasha" are cars covered with stickers depicting anime or video game characters. They've been around for…
Harajuku is famous for its fashion. Stylish young Japanese women flock to its boutiques, snapping up the latest…
Much of Japanese social life revolves around three things: Eating, drinking, and karaoke. Maybe you're a pro at…
Dating parties. If you live in Japan and are a single guy or girl, you've probably been to one. In Japanese, they're…
Rena Matsui isn't the one percent. She's the less than one percent. As far as idols go, she's quickly shot to the…
I love burgers. Perhaps you love burgers. When I go to Los Angeles for E3, the first thing I do? Go to In-N-Out and…
There are key cultural differences between Japan and the West. It's not just in linguistics, but in eroticism as…
Just the mention of South Korea conjures up images of net cafes and online gaming. The country is one of online…
The newly-built Akiba Culture Zone is a 7-floor building. It's the geek district's newest landmark, a mere four…
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Capcom's had so-so luck with movies. That is, depending on your opinion of the Street Fighter movie, the Chun-Li…
They pop up seemingly everywhere in Japan. They’re called “yuru kyara” in Japanese and refer to the local mascots…
During the 1990s, when Neon Genesis Evangelion exploded in popularity, voice actress Yuko Miyamura was along for the…