Category Archives: Cute to the nth

Let’s Go To Bunny Island!

What part of ALL THE SNACKS don’t you understand? If your squee-meter isn’t totally burnt out after Fox Village, it certainly will be, after we check out BUNNY ISLAND! Okunoshima isn’t easy to get to, but that’s why there’s an entire chunk of land off the coast of Japan where adorable bunnies run free, without fear of being eaten (or, obviously, havingContinueContinue reading “Let’s Go To Bunny Island!”

New-Type Saints

On my way to check out the rooster shrine, I chanced upon these sight-challenged Jizos and a celebrity Kannon, chilling in a parking lot. Finally, a Jizo-sama to protect kids who can’t see a baseball coming. Lady Kannon, here to lead you safely through the valley of uncoolness without any of it rubbing off on you. TheContinueContinue reading “New-Type Saints”

How To Go To Zao Fox Village

Jaded denizen of the interwebz that I am, there’s not much that makes me leap out of my chair and scream “WANT!” but when I first saw a picture taken at Zao Fox Village, I had to drop everything and figure out a way to get there. Hello, human! It’s far from Tokyo – five hours byContinueContinue reading “How To Go To Zao Fox Village”

Tokyo Design Festa 2015: Seriously, You Can’t Make This Stuff Up

For all your Cat Butt Pincushion needs. Last weekend, Tokyo’s Design Festa delivered a level of craziness so far beyond words that once again, I’m just going to have to show you pictures. First, from the double rainbow world of animal goods… Think you can escape those pesky felines by locking yourself in the bathroom? Think again. The Cat TubContinueContinue reading “Tokyo Design Festa 2015: Seriously, You Can’t Make This Stuff Up”

Godzilla In Legoland

Charizilla gives his big green cousin a helping hand at Tokyo Legoland. The Grand Imperial Empire Of Lego obviously isn’t only in Japan, but an especially awesome part of it is! Welcome to Tokyo Legoland, where Godzilla is king, and Pokemons rule! From now on, I’m only going to weigh myself in Legos. Sprawling model TokyoContinueContinue reading “Godzilla In Legoland”

I Love Japanese New Year’s Decorations!

In Japan, the frenzy of weird Santas and blue poinsettias are whisked away the day after Christmas, and replaced with something far better…new year’s decorations! I never saw them before I lived in Tokyo, but it was totally love at first sight. This is called a shimenawa, and although it comes in many shapes, it always includesContinueContinue reading “I Love Japanese New Year’s Decorations!”

Ten Best Stocking Stuffers From Japan!

10. SUSHI SOCKS Because who wouldn’t want their feet to look like two slabs of raw fish? (Seen at Loft in Shibuya) 9. DIY CROSS STITCH PHONE CASE Because: needlepoint phone case! (Seen at Loft in Shibuya) 8. ANIMAL SKELETONS Yes, Real animal skeletons. In pretty decorator colors. (Seen at Tokyu Hands in Shibuya) 7. DEVIL WAXContinueContinue reading “Ten Best Stocking Stuffers From Japan!”

Hot Springs Latte Art

It was a rainy autumn morning in the mountains of Gunma, but I didn’t care because I’d just spent a half hour soaking in punishingly hot mineral water at a Japanese inn and was sitting in front of an extra-strong coffee with the hot springs mark drawn in the foam! Here’s how you know you’re in hot spring territory! •

Top Ten Only In Japan Holiday Gifts 2014!

10. What do you give the person who has everything? They’ve already got a one-shot coffee maker. And a one-shot tea machine. But I bet they don’t have a ONE-SHOT MISO SOUP MAKER! Because who doesn’t consume so much miso soup they need it instantly at all times? (Seen at Yodobashi Camera in Akihabara) 9.ContinueContinue reading “Top Ten Only In Japan Holiday Gifts 2014!”

Death By Cuteness: Baby Penguin Rice Balls

A lunchbox filled with penguin rice balls would be dangerous enough, but BABY penguin rice balls definitely sends the message NO MERCY in the cafeteria lunchbox fight-to-the-death! Comes with easy stuff-it rice mold and a seaweed cutter, so you can leave your lunchboxing nail scissors in the drawer to fight another day. •

Make Your Own Goth Sushi

Okay, bento warriors, here’s your chance to show the lunchroom what you’re really made of! Step by step instructions for making skull-tastic sushi rolls from any old scraps of rice, omelet and seaweed you happen to have lying around the house! No need to painstakingly translate all that pesky Japanese – just make like aContinueContinue reading “Make Your Own Goth Sushi”

Wooden Origami

Craving a cherry crane or a pine penguin? Or maybe you’ve always wanted to fold a walnut helmet! Yep, this origami is actually made from paper-thin slices of wood! You can get your very own pack of super sheer veneer from (where else?) Tokyu Hands, on the lumber floor. (It has always amazed me thatContinueContinue reading “Wooden Origami”

Rice Of Unbearable Cuteness

Although digging into this adorable bunny-shaped rice might be a bit like steeling yourself to whack the head off a Bambi piñata, who can resist making boring old curry into a dish of overwhelming cuteness? This handy rice mold set also includes a fork-a-baby-dolphin-to-death design and the rather more humane sunflower model. •

Bento Lunchboxes…For Dogs

Where’s m-i-i-i-ine? You’ve been up since five, crafting the childrens’ Pikachu lunchboxes, but now the little darlings are blessedly off to school and it’s time to start worrying about your Shiba Inu Club meeting today. You just know all the other owners are going to dress their pooches in kimonos and bring along little tupperwares ofContinueContinue reading “Bento Lunchboxes…For Dogs”

The King Tut of Lunchboxing

I didn’t think making a Japanese bento box could get any MORE labor intensive, but bless my tweezers and nail scissors, yesterday I saw The King Tut Bento. Feast your eyes on that pharaoh-sized nori-maki, plus a pair of hieroglyphic eye-rolls, suitable for sumo wrestler-size appetites! The hand-rolled works of art alone would require me toContinueContinue reading “The King Tut of Lunchboxing”

Wack Hats For Cats

More cat hat madness at http://fuwanene.exblog.jp I just discovered a Japanese website featuring a slightly demonic black cat, who demonstrates just how rewarding cat hat tatting can be. This foxy feline has trained his human servant to turn out ever more seasonal and powerful headgear, so year-round, he can infiltrate the ranks of noble samurai,ContinueContinue reading “Wack Hats For Cats”

The Boyfriend Of Your Dreams For Only $70!

He doesn’t leave his socks on the floor, he doesn’t hog the remote, and he doesn’t snore! But when you close your eyes and wrap your arms around your full-body-size hunk of burnin’ love and plug in your earphones, he’ll lull you to sleep by whispering sweet nothings in your ear! You’ll never have toContinueContinue reading “The Boyfriend Of Your Dreams For Only $70!”

A Whole New Kind Of Fast Food

If you’ve got a need for speed when lunchtime rolls around, what could be faster than a couple of bullet train rice balls? And just so you don’t have to be up at 5:00 a.m. with your tweezers and nail scissors, this little bento-making set comes complete with a mold for the sticky rice andContinueContinue reading “A Whole New Kind Of Fast Food”

Nyan-tastic Cat Wares!

Catnip tea? Yes, please! I knew Kappabashi was the acme of destinations for obscure kitchenware and plastic food models, but it turns out they’ve got killer nyan-ware too! Next Christmas I bet Santa will fork over everything on my list when he sees that I left out nyancat cookies instead of boring old reindeer! Too hardContinueContinue reading “Nyan-tastic Cat Wares!”

Real Live Tanuki Sighting!

Ahahaha, I bet you thought tanukis were the stuff of Japanese legends – crafty tricksters with notoriously large cojones who play pranks on gullible humans – but it turns out tanuki are alive and well and living on some of the choicest real estate in Tokyo! This is the most common type of tanuki sightedContinueContinue reading “Real Live Tanuki Sighting!”

Lunchboxing Power Tools

Are the kids at school making fun of your progeny because the Pikachu rice ball you tried to make looked more like Godzilla? Did the teacher send home a note about not making lunch characters that scare the other children, when all you were tying to do was make that hot dog look like aContinueContinue reading “Lunchboxing Power Tools”

Cherry Blossoms for Geeks

Which one of these traditional Japanese tenugui hand towels is not like the others? Hint: it’s the one with the poem that reads: “One of these is small, but he stubbornly heads toward his goal, The other changes direction according to how the wind is blowing…” •

What Girls’ Day Could Be Complete Without Emperor Anpanman?

Put the power of Anpanman and Melonpanna to work for you with this set of Girls’ Day dolls from the animated parallel universe where bread is king! Or emperor and empress, as the case may be. Regular Honorable Dolls set out on Girls’ Day have the power to get rid of evil spirits and spitefullyContinueContinue reading “What Girls’ Day Could Be Complete Without Emperor Anpanman?”

Japanese Latte Art: Cuteness By The Cup

All kinds of art creates buzz, but not many deliver the added bonus of tasting like a fine arabica roast while they’re doing it. Baristas the world over compete for foam finesse, but few can rival Japan’s coffee artistes when it comes to sheer cuteness. These are all cups of coffee I was served atContinueContinue reading “Japanese Latte Art: Cuteness By The Cup”

More Japanese Lunchbox Madness

Now that I’m about to reveal to you the secrets of making this twin tiger Japanese bento lunch, there’s no excuse for you not to pull an all-nighter to whip one of these up for your little darlings! 1: Trace the tiger face patterns in the back of the magazine onto baking grade tissue paperContinueContinue reading “More Japanese Lunchbox Madness”

Cleaning Product I Did Not Buy Because It Was Too Cute

Honestly, could YOU shove this adorable little pup’s nose into the grimy corner behind the toilet, or use it’s fluffy little belly to battle the dust whales that have been lurking beneath your bed ever since you moved to Japan? I thought not. I’m afraid I bypassed this little guy in favor of a scrubberContinueContinue reading “Cleaning Product I Did Not Buy Because It Was Too Cute”

Make Your Own Pikachu Lunchbox!

Want your kid to blow away the cafeteria crowd when they open up their Pokemon lunchbox tomorrow? Fill it with this outrageous labor of love! Your child might even be distracted enough to eat that big hunk of squash, fake crab legs and seaweed it’s made from. In twelve elaborate steps (from the pages ofContinueContinue reading “Make Your Own Pikachu Lunchbox!”

Weapons For The Lunchbox Arms Race

Aieeee! Is the mom who made this Anpan Man lunch a graduate of the Harvard School Of Lunchmaking? No, but she knows that in the bentō box cuteness wars, you have to stay on top of the latest technology! Today at the Shibuya Loft store I discovered a few of the secret weapons Japanese moms use to turnContinueContinue reading “Weapons For The Lunchbox Arms Race”

Anime Lunchboxing

“Kiki’s Delivery Service” never dropped a lunchbox like this on my kindergarten picnic table! Yikes! No Face stares hungrily up at the unsuspecting child who just opened his lunchbox… There’s even a makkuro kurosuke seaweed-covered rice ball (staring up with little nori eyes off to the right),  from “Totoro!” Ordinary Japanese moms were undoubtedly up before dawnContinueContinue reading “Anime Lunchboxing”

Extreme Lunchboxing

If Japan wanted a sure sweep of every medal in an event, they ought to promote the making of school lunches as an Olympic sport. Not only do Japanese moms slave away making not one, not two, but three or four different dishes to include every day, elementary school lunches are essential equipment in the middayContinueContinue reading “Extreme Lunchboxing”

Manga Schoolgirl Dogs

A contender for the Iditarod cheering squad with her best friend, whose white sailor uniform must have gone through the wash with granny’s red underwear I didn’t think the Husky Club could outdo last month’s Husky kimono parade, but yesterday in honor of Japanese graduation season, they all turned up at the park dressed as mangaContinueContinue reading “Manga Schoolgirl Dogs”

Dogs In Kimonos

Love that this pair even have the white fur wraps girls always wear with their kimonos in wintertime! You can’t help but throw your head back and laugh in amazement when fifteen dogs parade by, dressed in Japanese formalwear. In honor of Hina Matsuri (the doll festival that happens every year at the beginning of March)ContinueContinue reading “Dogs In Kimonos”