Hey, just because we all have to wear masks now doesn’t mean we have to look like grim extras from ER. In Japan, face masks have been a fashion go-to forever, because everyone still wanted to look kawaii while not spreading around their sneezy, cough-y plague-droplets in public. But it wasn’t long before the mastersContinue reading “Kawaii Masks”
Tag Archives: kawaii
Cutest Curry Rice Molds On The Planet
I thought I’d seen it all when it comes to Japanese curry rice molds, but these two cuties redefine ADORABLE. The only problem is that it comes in both cat and panda, and it’s too hard to decide (would it be greedy to get both? SHUT UP) •
The Gods Of Cuteness Anoint The Most Inexplicable Animal Yet
If there was a vote on which animal is least likely to be described as “fluffy, “winsome” and “cuddly,” I think tapirs would pretty much win the internet. So why are tapirs suddenly everywhere? Honestly, I’ve been trying to ignore this. How can tapirs be a THING? Of course, Japan has tasted the depths of cuteness desperation before, but this has to be a new low. •
The Angry Cat Ghost Vending Machine
Walking through Shinjuku station today, I discovered I had a burning need for angry cat ghosts. Fortunately, there was a bank of gacha-gacha vending machines smack in the middle of the concourse, ready to cater to all my feline spiritual needs. This series may be sold out by the time you’re next in Tokyo, butContinue reading “The Angry Cat Ghost Vending Machine”
Let’s Go To Bunny Island!
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, having their natural urges curbed in any way). Okay, admitContinue 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. •
How To Go To Zao Fox Village: Squeeee Capital Of The World
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. It’s far from Tokyo – five hours by car –Continue reading “How To Go To Zao Fox Village: Squeeee Capital Of The World”
Least Cuddly Toy Of All Time
Once you’ve exhausted all the cute animals, blown through the vegetable kingdom, and even exploited raw fish as toy characters, what’s left? Why, bones, of course! Introducing the toys that put some backbone into the category of “action figures.” You can buy the entire line of Pose Skeleton action figures from beyond the grave at Yamashiro-ya, in Ueno. •
Tokyo Design Festa 2015: Seriously, You Can’t Make This Stuff Up
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… Design Festa is held twice a year, in May and November. Admission is ¥1000 for a one day ticket, ¥1800 for a two-day pass, childrenContinue reading “Tokyo Design Festa 2015: Seriously, You Can’t Make This Stuff Up”
New Type Kimono: Maximum Princess
Your typical Japanese gyaru might be happy to see kimono-wearing go the way of ballroom dancing and tea ceremony, but a growing number of hip young women are adopting the techniques of alt fashion subcultures to breathe new life into old-skool clothes. Kimono hime lovers flaunt convention with a mash-up of vintage patterns, non-trad color combos and Western accessories to spawn a style that is utterly new, yet still utterlyContinue reading “New Type Kimono: Maximum Princess”
Pikachu Fishcakes!
Never thought I’d be using the words “squeee!” and “fishcake” in the same sentence, but…! •
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! •
Tokyo Design Festa: Zombie Matryoshika & More
If you’re in Tokyo, get thee to Design Festa RIGHT NOW! It’s on through Sunday the 9th, out in Odaiba at Big Sight. You definitely don’t want to miss seeing (and buying!): Design Festa is on from 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. through Sunday November 9 at Tokyo Big Sight convention center, near Kokusai-tenjijo Station.Continue reading “Tokyo Design Festa: Zombie Matryoshika & More”
The Statue Of Too Much Liberty
These have got to be the most awesome gacha-gacha vending machine snags of all time! These little plastic figures depict Lady Liberty morphing into “Too-Free Goddess” and assuming unseemly poses! But forget trying to blackmail her with threats to tweet her indiscretions far and wide – there are already stop-action videos up on YouTube… For even more weirdness, there are videos that go withContinue reading “The Statue Of Too Much Liberty”
Cuddle Up With An Adorable Slice Of Raw Fish
Okay, I thought the stuffed animal wizards were pretty much scraping the bottom of the vertebrate barrel when they came up with Kapybara-san a few years ago. I mean, how many of your childhood friends were really dying to invite the world’s largest rodent into bed with them? I rest my case. And I thoughtContinue reading “Cuddle Up With An Adorable Slice Of Raw Fish”
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 aContinue reading “Make Your Own Goth Sushi”
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. •
Sexy Santa Roundup!
Ladies, just because those gold lamé and leopard print Santa costumes are made for men doesn’t mean you can’t play fast and loose with the jolly old elf this Christmas season! The Sexy Santa is a holiday tradition in Japan, and no party would be complete without a few of these beauties in attendance… •
The Dog Sandwich Vending Machine
Litte. Plastic. Sandwiches. With dogs in them. Wat. •
Spooky Sushi
Bwahahaha, you’d better bite this sushi before it bites you! But if you think that’s the scariest food you might encounter this Halloween season, think again… Photos from http://ameblo.jp/kururinzushi. •
“What May I Pick Up For You, Master Of The House?”
Now anyone can be All-Master-All-The-Time with these maid-themed chopsticks from Tokyu Hands! While they may not be too ace at drawing cat whiskers on your ome-rice, you can probably beat them with great regularity at Jenga… •
Bento Lunchboxes…For Dogs
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 of homemade dogContinue 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 toContinue reading “The King Tut of Lunchboxing”
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 toContinue 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 andContinue reading “A Whole New Kind Of Fast Food”
Nyan-tastic Cat Wares!
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! If you’d like to visit KappabashiContinue reading “Nyan-tastic Cat Wares!”
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 aContinue reading “Lunchboxing Power Tools”
Latte Art Too Adorable To Drink
Oh, how it feels like you kicked over a snowman when you take that first slurp of happy bunny foam… •
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 atContinue 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 paperContinue 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 scrubberContinue 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 ofContinue 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 turnContinue reading “Weapons For The Lunchbox Arms Race”
Anime Lunchboxing
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 dawn with their nail scissors and tweezers, crafting these astonishing Miyazaki tribute bento boxes! And check out what they’re incidentally sneaking into their kids’ stomachs: seaweed, green beans, pickled radishContinue 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 middayContinue reading “Extreme Lunchboxing”
Chair Socks
Today while I was waiting for my watch to be repaired at Seibu Loft, I spent some time browsing the ever-entertaining household product section. I saw these, and my first thought was, WTF, *chair socks*? Little argyle chair socks? Apparently you put them on the bottoms of your chair legs so they slide easily onContinue reading “Chair Socks”
Party Bodhisattva
Just because you’re a bodhisattva and charged with the un-small task of looking after children and travelers doesn’t mean you never get to kick off your sandals and party. This O-Jizo-sama at Zōjōji temple is ready to blow out the candles on his birthday cake (although he might need help, considering there would be over 1500 ofContinue reading “Party Bodhisattva”
How to Glue Your Eyelids
I’ve always wondered how to use eyelid glue. I knew it was a prime tool in the make-up kits of Japanese gyaru seeking that perfect babydoll look, but never understood just how it worked. Then I discovered this handy guide in Kera magazine! Basically, “Western” eyelids have a deep fold above them and Japanese eyes don’t.Continue reading “How to Glue Your Eyelids”
Fake Fur Santa Miniskirts
It’s the time of year when young Japanese women are shopping for their Christmas Eve outfits, and nothing says “romantic holiday” more eloquently than a bright red, fake fur miniskirt. Nobody wants to look like every other Sexy Santa on the block, though, so it pays to consider the sequined, strapless, and lace-up models beforeContinue reading “Fake Fur Santa Miniskirts”
Obscure Stuffies
Japanese toy makers can usually rise to the challenge of making a cute stuffed animal out of even the most unappealing lifeforms – witness Capybara-san, a surprisingly popular character even though World’s Biggest Rodent is not exactly anybody’s idea of a heartwarming claim to fame. So whose idea was it to produce the anatomically correctContinue reading “Obscure Stuffies”
Only In Japan 