Nissan took a page out of the lives of bees and fish when it designed the Eporo. While these little guys are not yet big enough to hold a family of four, they’re the first step in revolutionizing driver-less cars. More »

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The Japanese Maid Cafe has been the source of countless wet dreams for young male anime fans. Combining the twin joys of French maids with young Japanese women was a sure-fire marketing win, but then someone thought it would be a great idea to have those maids play video games and the idea went explosive. Thus the explosion of maid cafes around Japan. (I won’t even get started with the recent trend of Butler Cafes for women…) More »

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Next time you’re mulling around Kobe with nothing to do (for instance if the Wendy’s near the station is closed) you might want to check out the Gundam bar “Axis.” Besides supplying Gundam themed drinks of all shapes and sizes, the bar features over 300 plastic figures. Also of all shapes and sizes. More »

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Have you ever wondered why the Japanese wear so many face masks? Japan is a smelly place. No, seriously. If its not the smell of weird fish pastes or the countries obsession with smoking, it’s the random open sewers that you somehow come across every block. More »

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I’ll give you one guess as to which Asian country came up with this gem of an idea. More »

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For awhile now foreigners in several Japanese cities have gathered on local trains to ‘celebrate’ Halloween. This has led to a lot of bad press over the years and now it seems that its attracted right wing protesters. More »

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When most people think of Japan they think of Hello Kitty and green tea. What they should be thinking about is a country that makes the most disturbing horror films known to man. Quite possibly in reaction to their culture of cuteness, Japanese directors think up horrors so disturbing to audiences that they immediately get remade in the USA. Usually starring someone blond. And hot. More »

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As a child being a samurai was on my top ten list of occupations (along with being Batman or a dinosaur). Little did I know that I’d be living in Japan one day, and also that finding a feudal lord to employ you was near impossible. More »

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Robots will always be in the hearts and minds of the Japanese. They love them and one day the entire nation will probably be replaced with them. Today they are one step closer to that goal with ROPID. More »

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While actual Halloween celebrations in Japan seem mostly reserved for inebriated English teachers, you can still celebrate Halloween, Japanese style. This can be done a variety of ways in your local community. More »

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