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Osaka-based illustrator and Manga artist Yukihiro Tada is insanely talented with a ball-point pen. The drawings depict regular Japanese scenes, such as shopping districts, neighbourhoods, and train stations – all etched in black ink. The illustrator himself even tends to make a special appearance in the illustrations, whether that be shopping or hanging … [Read more...] about Japanese manga artist creates the most amazing series of ballpoint pen drawings

When it comes to nuptial photos, it’s rare that we get to see a concept that’s never been done before. But Tokyo-based photographer Haruhiko Kawaguchi has come up with one that will – literally – take your breath away. His ongoing series, entitled Flesh Love, features bizarre portraits of couples tightly encased inside vacuum-sealed plastic bags. According to Kawaguchi, it’s … [Read more...] about Japan’s vacuum-sealed wedding photos are absolutely breathtaking

Travel-broadened Japanese Twitter users share their stories of culture shock and pleasant surprises. Plenty of those who visit Japan, whether temporarily as tourists or longer-term to work here, experience various cultural shocks (People eat KFC on Christmas Day!? What madness is this!?) and obviously the reverse applies for Japanese who venture abroad too. Here we’ll … [Read more...] about Five things that shock Japanese people living abroad

​ TOYOKAWA, Aichi -- Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Central) on Oct 1  unveiled a testing car of the new N700S series bullet train that is set to be introduced in fiscal 2020. The new bullet train, unveiled at the Nippon Sharyo Toyokawa Plant in Toyokawa, Aichi Prefecture, will be the first bullet train in Japan to use LED lights for its front lights.  The … [Read more...] about JR Central unveils new bullet train to be equipped with LED headlights (video)

Japan’s imperial family has a long history, shading back into legend. The emperor today has a ceremonial role and performs numerous functions as a symbol of the state. Legendary Descendants of the Sun Goddess The Japanese emperor is defined as “the symbol of the State and of the unity of the People” in Article 1 of the postwar Constitution, which came into effect in … [Read more...] about Japan’s Emperor and Imperial Family

  The Japanese don’t sleep. This is what everyone – the Japanese above all – say. It’s not true, of course. But as a cultural and sociological statement, it is very interesting. I first encountered these intriguing attitudes to sleep during my first stay in Japan in the late 1980s. At that time Japan was at the peak of what became known as the Bubble Economy, a phase … [Read more...] about The Japanese art of (not) sleeping

When a relationship turns sour, it’s often hard to face the reality that a break-up might be on the cards for you and your partner. Dealing with the demise of a relationship is something that people approach in all sorts of ways, and while we all hope for a certain level of emotional maturity and mutual respect during the process, unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out that … [Read more...] about Japanese women reveal the worst ways they’ve been dumped by their partners

Japanese TV Show Asks 'Can You Tell What's Chocolate And What Isn't?' Can You Tell What's Chocolate and What Isn't? Asks Japanese TV Show. Perhaps, this gentleman is biting a door handle. Or perhaps, he is eating a door handle made of chocolate. In Japan, "sokkuri sweets" ("sokkuri" or そっくり means "looks like") are deserts and confectionaries that look like other things. … [Read more...] about Japanese TV Show Asks ‘Can You Tell What’s Chocolate And What Isn’t?’

But all that ardent admiration still doesn’t mean you actually know anything about the moon, does it? That’s not too far from the relationship some men have with women’s breasts, according to this list of 11 things Japanese women wish more men understood about their chests.Internet portal My Navi Woman recently polled its female users, asking them for their suggestions for a … [Read more...] about 11 things Japanese women want men to know about their breasts