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Yeah, wait a minute. Why isn’t it shortened to “Akiha” instead? We all know and love Tokyo’s Akihabara as the crazy neighborhood that boasts everything from maid cafes where you can lift weights with swole maids, to Internet cafes that look like beautiful Japanese ryokan, to virtual reality wedding experiences with the heart-throb anime husband …

You’ll want to watch this astounding video more than once to soak in all the beauty they’ve packed into two-and-a-half minutes. We’re no strangers to the power of a good camera. Last year’s 4K introductory video to San’in prefecture, with its gorgeous foliage and eerily perfect beaches, set an incredibly high …

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to Loft, the TISFF returns. For decades, sharks – with their cute stubby little noses, lifeless black doll-eyes, and rows upon rows of razor sharp teeth – have lit up the silver screen along with hearts of all ages. Of course sharks …

Famicom Mini Weekly Shonen Jump 50th Anniversary Version is all about manga anime games, but that could spell disaster for North America. Almost as soon as Nintendo released the NES Classic Edition, the miniaturized stand-alone console preloaded with iconic video games from the company’s 8-bit era became impossible to find. The mixture of nostalgia and genuinely …

Now one of the most influential firms in the video game industry, few know of the company’s past struggles. Heralding a fresh generation of popular games like Super Mario Odyssey, Splatoon 2, and perhaps a hotly anticipated Pokémon RPG, Nintendo’s newest console is the culmination of decades of innovation coupled with unbridled ambition. Yet the company’s goal …

The air-to-air swordfights of anime and video games are now possible in the real world too. A few years ago, Japanese actor, director, and inventor Shota Mori achieved his ambition of creating a device so he could pop a concealed smartphone out of his sleeve like a secret agent. Having turned that dream …

As Tokyo’s otaku mecca continues to transform, a part of its past will fade away this month. As Japan’s mecca for all things anime and video game-related, it might seem like Tokyo’s Akihabara neighborhood has always had its eyes on the future, with youthful energy pushing today’s science fiction towards tomorrow’s reality. But in …

Now you can enjoy your coffee with a side of Edo-style charm in this old castle town. As one of the world’s leading global coffeehouse chains, Starbucks knows how to adapt their brand for international markets, with exclusive local products, limited-edition beverages and modern outlets that blend perfectly into exotic surroundings. Now …

You may think you don’t need such a frivolous item, but we’re here to tell you that you do. You might know there’s different kinds of forks used for eating different kinds of food: salad forks, fish forks, fruit forks, dessert forks, and of course your standard table fork. If you’re …

Hanami flower viewing season begins 9 days earlier than average this year as the city’s official sample tree sprouts its first blossoms. In March every year, the Japan Meteorological Agency keeps a careful eye on Tokyo’s special hyoujun-ki (literally “sample tree“), which officially heralds the start of the region’s long-awaited sakura season when it blossoms. …