June 13

The Secret Facelift Belt

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Not content to merely give people taller noses, smaller faces, and glued eyelids, now there’s a Japanese beauty appliance that irons out saggy face parts! Depending on which wrinkly bit most offends you, the elastic “facelift” belt comes in both “face” and “eye” packages… …although it looks like it’s the same product inside, just with […]

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June 09

Dinosaurs Delightfully Invade The Real World

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I hope you’re in Japan right now, because dinosaurs are invading the Marui Annex in Shinjuku! These delightfully believable photos of the archaic denizens mingling with the good people of Earth (and their pets) will be on display for your infinite enjoyment from June 12 – 23 (2019). These photos are from artist/scientist Ken Tsuchiya of the Gunma […]

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June 08

Japanese Gift Boxes of Overwhelming Cuteness

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Gifting in Japan requires that the wrapping be nearly as precious as what’s inside, but I can never remember how to tie a traditional silk furoshiki without the book that reminds me how to fold and tuck the corners so it doesn’t turn out looking like I’m offering someone a wad of laundry. But even […]

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June 01

Fabulous Blooming Tea At The En Tea House

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Inside the TeamLab Borderless digital museum is the En Tea House, where you can watch your tea bloom before your eyes. It costs an extra ¥500, but it’s worth it! Here’s how to get the most enjoyment and the best pix from your visit… How to find it: Follow the signs upstairs to the Athletic […]

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May 31

Move Over, Monkeys! See-no Evil, Hear-no-Evil, Speak-no-Evil Cats Are Here

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Sticking to the straight and narrow has never been cuter, thanks to these adorable kittycat gacha-gacha toys, and the vending machine that dispenses them on the Yanaka Ginza shopping street. But most of all… • While you’re in Japan, read a novel set in Tokyo! “A genuinely gripping crime thriller which wrong-foots and perplexes the reader […]

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May 25

Crispy Intestine Snacks

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Despite the fact that this new snack is called “Addictive Intestines,” I’m afraid you won’t find me bingeing a bucket ‘o crispy innards while Netflixing my way through a Saturday night, even though they boast not just one, but two kinds of squicky bits. They do make it easy to pick through the mix for […]

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May 18

How Superheros Find Their Perfect Match

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I had to laugh when I saw these ads on the subway for the Partner Agent dating service. It features famous manga characters who ordinarily would never meet because they occupy totally different Japanese comic book series. She’s a villain named Doronjo, known for being smart, take-charge, and vain. He’s an renegade medical mercenary, who […]

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