
Kawaii Masks
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 … Continue Reading Kawaii Masks
Jonelle Patrick's Only In Japan
Every day, stuff you'd never see anywhere else.
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 … Continue Reading Kawaii Masks
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 … Continue Reading Cutest Curry Rice Molds On The Planet
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 … Continue Reading The Gods Of Kawaii Anoint The Most Inexplicable Animal Yet
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 … Continue Reading The Angry Cat Ghost Vending Machine
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 … Continue Reading Let’s Go To Bunny Island!
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. • Read a novel set in Tokyo…
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 … Continue Reading How To Go To Zao Fox Village: Squeeee Capital Of The World
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 … Continue Reading Least Cuddly Toy Of All Time
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… … Continue Reading Tokyo Design Festa 2015: Seriously, You Can’t Make This Stuff Up
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 … Continue Reading New Type Kimono: Maximum Princess
Yes, I admit it: the reason I have a Suica train pass rather than a PASMO is that that Suica penguin mascot is SO SO SO CUTE. And guess what? I just discovered that we … Continue Reading Suica Penguins For Lunch!
Ahahahaha, Heintz Japan for the win! (Hey, so I ran out of stuff to read at dinner (><) SHUT UP!) • Read a novel set in Tokyo
Sometimes, no matter what time of year it is, I’m just in the mood for a plate of princessy rice! • You’re missing all kinds of quirky new tidbits like this … Continue Reading Princess Rice
Never thought I’d be using the words “squeee!” and “fishcake” in the same sentence, but…! • Read a novel set in Tokyo
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 … Continue Reading Hot Springs Latte Art
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 … Continue Reading Tokyo Design Festa: Zombie Matryoshika & More
Whether you’re batting them at that cute guy from Accounting, or giving the stinkeye to your rival from Marketing, these Halloween-themed lashes will boost your superpowers 1000%. • Read a novel … Continue Reading Fake Eyelashes For The Halloween Win
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 … Continue Reading The Statue Of Too Much Liberty
Looking for a dinner companion who will light up when you’re near, even if you’re only eating Cup Noodles by the glow of your computer screen? Look no further, Forever Alones, now … Continue Reading Glow-In-The-Dark Skeleton Vending Machine
Just because weiners aren’t round and cuddly doesn’t mean they can’t have Hello Kitty Faces too. • Read a novel set in Tokyo
Hello there, bunnies! Wow, you are cute and friendly. Please don’t poop on me. Fortunately, lap diapers are dispensed at the door, so you can enjoy the lovely bunnies without … Continue Reading A Rabbit A Day At The Bunny Cafe
Which is weirder – that someone designed earplugs that make it look like a little person is making herself at home in your ears (EWWWW!) or that you can buy them from a … Continue Reading Sorry, I Can’t Hear You, There’s A Person In My Ear.
Admit it – don’t you want to try it, just once? Well guess what? Now you can get your Lolita on for around a hundred bucks, with professional hair, makeup, and photos! And … Continue Reading How To Be A Lolita For A Day!
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 … Continue Reading Cuddle Up With An Adorable Slice Of Raw Fish
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 … Continue Reading Death By Cuteness: Baby Penguin Rice Balls
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, … Continue Reading Make Your Own Goth Sushi
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 … Continue Reading Rice Of Unbearable Cuteness
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! … Continue Reading Sexy Santa Roundup!
Litte. Plastic. Sandwiches. With dogs in them. Wat. • Read a novel set in Tokyo…
These Rilakkuma bottle sweaters of overwhelming cuteness were given away FREE as a promo for cold green tea! But…how did I manage to get my hot little hands on one? … Continue Reading Water Bottle Mufflers!
Tweezers ready? Today we’ll learn how to craft labor-intensive lunchtime snacks from that most unlikely of gourmet ingredients, little red hot dogs! The secret ingredient to these classic octopus-mimicking treats … Continue Reading Weenie Madness
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. Jonelle Patrick … Continue Reading Spooky Sushi
If ever there was an organization in need of an international focus group, it would be the association in charge of coming up with a mascot to promote the products … Continue Reading Mascot Fail
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 … Continue Reading “What May I Pick Up For You, Master Of The House?”
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 … Continue Reading Bento Lunchboxes…For Dogs
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 … Continue Reading The King Tut of Lunchboxing
I thought I’d seen it all when I encountered this device for making square eggs. Apparently, all you have to do is squish your perfectly hardboiled egg with the little … Continue Reading Square Eggs
What does one actually DO with a Poo Shooter, except annoy one’s little brother? Hmm. I guess some things aren’t Only In Japan… • Read a novel set in Tokyo
In the never-ending quest for lunchtime supremacy, now even the humble sandwich can have its day on the podium. If you can just talk your mom into whipping out a … Continue Reading Sandwiches Fight Back!
For the ultimate mottainai (“don’t let anything go to waste”), round up all those floating clouds of cat fur in your apartment and craft some nyan-tastic gift items! Finger puppets! … Continue Reading Crafting With Cat Fur!
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 … Continue Reading The Boyfriend Of Your Dreams For Only $70!
If your life’s ambition is to be waited on hand and foot by a handsome foreign man in tie and tails, get thee to the Butlers Cafe on the double! … Continue Reading Princess For A Day At The Foreign Butler Café!
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 … Continue Reading A Whole New Kind Of Fast Food
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 … Continue Reading Nyan-tastic Cat Wares!
Like any good bar owner, Hana waits to greet her customers at the door with a look of cheerful recognition, even if she can’t remember if you’ve been there before … Continue Reading The Bar Owned By A Dog
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 … Continue Reading Lunchboxing Power Tools
Yes, it would appear that all over the world, people are people, and cats are cats. I recently went to the Calico Cat Cafe in Shinjuku with two of my … Continue Reading More Heart-Stopping Thrills At The Cat Café
Oh, how it feels like you kicked over a snowman when you take that first slurp of happy bunny foam… • Read a novel set in Tokyo…
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 … Continue Reading Japanese Latte Art: Cuteness By The Cup
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 … Continue Reading More Japanese Lunchbox Madness