square watermelons

20 Most Fascinating Facts About Life in Japan

June 26, 2021 by Japan Informer

Many of us know that Japan is a distant and almost mythical country that we might never get the chance to visit during our lifetimes. But the internet likes to reveal it as the land of anime, crazy fashion, and Gundan robots, and the basic fact is that Japan is more than just that. However, we will put you through some interesting facts about life in Japan to show you … [Read more...] about 20 Most Fascinating Facts About Life in Japan

Japan Has More Than Just Square Watermelons

September 30, 2020 by Japan Informer

There's a report that wealthy people in Russia are paying over US$800 for Japanese square watermelons. In Russia, that's supposedly 300 times the price of a regular watermelon. But why square watermelons? That's so passé! Watermelon is a popular summer fruit in Japan. People give watermelons as gifts and play "suikawari" (スイカ割り), which is like piñata, but with a … [Read more...] about Japan Has More Than Just Square Watermelons

Japanese Fighter Jets Scrambled Chinese And Russian Jets A Record Number Of 785 Times This Year

Between April and December of last year, Air Self-Defense Force jets were dispatched to intercept international aircraft entering Japanese airspace a record number of times, with the vast majority of occurrences involving Chinese warplanes testing Japan’s air defenses around the Okinawan islands. According to a military analyst, Japanese air units are operating under procedures that […]

Japanese Billionaire And CEO Of Rakuten Donates 1 Billion Yen To Ukraine

Hiroshi Mikitani, a Japanese billionaire, announced Sunday that he would donate $8.7million to Ukraine’s government. He called Russia’s invasion “a challenge for democracy.” In a letter to Volodymyr Zelensky, the founder of Rakuten, an e-commerce company, stated that the 1 billion yen ($8.7million) donation will be used to support “humanitarian activities to assist people in […]

24 Problems Of A Sloth Hilariously Illustrated By Japanese Artist Keigo

Sloths are fantastic animals, and we just can’t get enough. Some of us can definitely agree with this statement 100%. However, there’s hardly anyone who loves sloths more than Japanese artist Keigo. Keigo does insightful and funny drawings that feature animals and other quirky characters. Plenty of his drawings feature sloths who like to take […]

Former Japanese Princess Mako And Her Husband Settling Into NYC Quite Well

It’s been a little over one month since the former Japanese princess Mako and her husband Kei Komuro completed their shift to the magnificent NYC, and it appears they are settling into their new home. The couple was seen together taking a stroll with their facemasks around the neighborhood. Mako is the oldest child of […]

Russia Introduces Sanctions Against Japan For Having “Hostile Intentions” Towards Them

In the wake of its incursion into Ukraine, the Russian administration on March 7 declared Japan as one of 48 nations and regions “engaging in hostile activities towards Russia,” according to Russian state information agency Tass. The move taken by Moscow as a reaction to sanctions after its invasion of Ukraine is expected to allow […]

You can get your Baskin-Robbins ice cream served in a Poké Ball in Japan

31 Poké Summer event adds two different Pikachu ice cream flavors to the menu, plus a four-Pokémon ice cream cake. Ice cream chain Baskin-Robbins is more commonly known as just “31” in Japan, in reference to the 31 flavors the parlor keeps stocked. It’s not a static list, though, with new flavors continually being cycled […]

Zero Two Nasi Kandar Restaurant In Tokyo Is So Popular That It’s Constantly Sold Out

Nasi Kandar restaurant is creating waves in Tokyo following its opening in the middle of this month. Zero Two Nasi Kandar Tokyo was founded and is managed by a Japanese man known as Tateda who travelled to Malaysia and became a fan of Nasi Kandar, as per the report of Japanese Heart. It is believed […]

Incredibly Realistic Oil Paintings Of Women

Creating startlingly lifelike portraits, Chinese artist Leng Jun is a master of hyperrealism. The accomplished painter is mainly known for his detailed oil paintings of women, where each wisp of hair and fiber of clothing is rendered to perfection. Born in 1963, Leng came of age during a time of significant economic reform, also known […]

5 powerful reasons to be a woman in Japan (Women in Japan Series)

It’s no secret that Japan continually lands at the bottom in global gender gap reports. In 2012, the World Economic Forum ranked Japan 101 in regard to women’s participation in the economy and politics. In 2013, Japan placed 105 (out of 135 countries), putting it behind Burkina Faso in gender equality. Based on these findings, […]

18 Things Not to Do in Japan

Before you travel to Japan, it pays to brush up on some cultural differences to avoid offending local sensibilities. Manners and social rules are not universal, and it’s easy to commit a gaffe if you’re not aware of their customs and conventions. The Japanese are relatively reserved and polite, so you probably won’t even realize […]