Kyoto University's AI-powered robot monk Buddharoid now offers spiritual guidance at a Kyoto temple, trained on ancient Buddhist scriptures. With 30% of Japan's 77,000 temples projected to vanish by 2040, can artificial intelligence save Buddhism? From the $1M Mindar android to BuddhaBot chatbots reaching Bhutan, we explore where faith meets technology.
Japan's green tea exports doubled to ¥72.1 billion in 2025, yet domestic matcha production can't keep up. As tea plantations shrink 29% in a decade and low-grade powdered tea floods global markets, the industry warns of 'matcha laundering.' Is the matcha in your latte the real thing?
In Itoigawa, Niigata, a hamlet with just 2 year-round residents has launched a 'whole-village rental' stay experience. Guests sleep in a 200-year-old farmhouse and experience the entire village, rice paddies, spring water, snow, as their accommodation. A new model for reviving Japan's vanishing communities.
Japan's food exports hit a record $11.3 billion, but what systems make that possible? From 20 miso makers uniting at FOODEX to a $13 billion inbound food tourism pipeline, from onigiri startups promoting rice in Vietnam to a Toyosu-based platform targeting 100 cities worldwide, this is the story of the infrastructure behind Japan's food globalization.
Model kits that once got confiscated at school are now official teaching materials in Japan. Bandai's free Gunpla Academia program has reached 940,000 students since 2021. A father from the 'confiscation generation' shares his amazement as his daughter brings home a Gundam kit from class.
Ippudo ramen now spans 400+ locations across 15 countries. Onigiri shops draw lines in Paris. Green tea exports hit a record $480 million. Natto exports surged 60x for some producers. Japan's 2025 food exports reached a record $11.3 billion. This is how Japanese food, far beyond sushi, is fundamentally reshaping dining tables worldwide.
After record-breaking 238 bear attack victims and 13 deaths in FY2025, Japan's Ministry of Environment unveils revised guidelines introducing expanded exclusion zones and a new 'enhanced management area' to separate humans and bears.
A new manhole cover featuring a fertility god symbol has appeared in Ninohe, Iwate Prefecture. Discover Japan's unique manhole art culture, the booming manhole card collecting hobby, and the connection to festivals like Kanamara Matsuri.
The Weeknd will present Anime of the Year at the 10th Crunchyroll Anime Awards in Tokyo on May 23. Here's what Japanese fans think about the crossover, plus nominees, past winners, and what it means for anime-pop culture fusion.
Takeout sushi sales at U.S. supermarkets have surged to $2.8 billion. Kroger sells over 40 million sushi packs annually, while NYC omakase spots charge over $1,000 per person. We break down the two-tier sushi economy reshaping how America eats Japanese food.
JTB and MOTO TOURS JAPAN have partnered to develop premium motorcycle tourism for affluent travelers from the West and ASEAN. Discover Japan's legendary riding routes and how to rent a bike as a foreign visitor in the homeland of Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, and Suzuki.
S&B Foods' Golden Curry celebrates its 60th anniversary with a new powder roux featuring 35 spices. Now sold in over 60 countries, Japan's iconic curry brand enters its next chapter.
Banpresto announces the first Grandista × FigLife collaboration: a 50cm Yujiro Hanma hanger figure recreating his iconic split-leg training scene from Baki. Fully supervised by creator Keisuke Itagaki, arriving Fall 2026 as a prize item.
Tourists are throwing thousands of coins into the pristine spring-fed ponds of Oshino Hakkai, a UNESCO World Heritage site near Mt. Fuji. The coins poison koi fish with copper and zinc. Here's why this must stop and what Japan is doing about it.
Wu-Tang Clan's farewell tour hits Japan on May 24 at K-Arena Yokohama, their first solo show in 29 years. Special guests Awich, King Giddra, Hannya, and ¥ellow Bucks represent four generations of Japanese hip-hop in a historic crossover event.
Japan's natto exports hit a record 5,248 tons in 2025, up 44% year-over-year. Driven by global health trends and fermented food hype, natto is conquering new markets. But packaging regulations and Korean competitors pose challenges. Plus: how the world eats natto.
Matsumoto, a 93-year-old Japanese printing company, announces Japan's first shareholder perks program using Solana (SOL). Learn how Japan's unique kabunushi yutai gift-giving culture is merging with blockchain technology to create new forms of shareholder engagement.
Japan's resignation agency industry is booming — 94% of new graduates know about these services, and 25% would consider using one. Explore why Japanese workers pay someone else to quit for them, and what it reveals about workplace culture, generational shifts, and the collapse of lifetime employment.
On March 28, 2026, Tokyo Aqua Symphony — one of the world's largest fountain shows — debuted at Odaiba Seaside Park. Featuring a 150m-high water jet and 250m-wide cherry blossom fountains set to Dragon Quest music, this free spectacle performs 10 times daily against Rainbow Bridge and Tokyo Tower.
The Japanese government's JAPAN SUI COLLECTION project made its European debut in Paris in March 2026, showcasing Living National Treasure lacquerwork, Sendai Tansu cabinets, and a Junko Koshino fashion show at Le Royal Monceau. Here's how 'Sui', Japan's philosophy of refined elegance, captivated 200 European leaders.