Purupuru Maker, a free browser tool that wobbles only the parts of an image you paint, has gone viral in Japan and abroad. Meet the solo developer behind it and Japan's culture of gloriously pointless web toys.
A nine-story mosque near Tokyo's Okachimachi Station became a national flashpoint after one post on X. But it's a rebuild of a facility that has served the area since 2008. A calm look at the jewelry district's history of coexistence and Japan's distance from Islam.
A hard drive on a concrete pillar in a Tokyo canal, rumored to hold trillions of yen in Bitcoin, was finally identified as an enterprise HGST drive. Then, a day after going viral, someone took it. The math, the law, and the vanishing act.
Corn and mayonnaise on pizza, bread and salad is everyday food in Japan but baffles the world. A look at Hokkaido's corn history and what makes Japanese mayo so different.
Warabi mochi is a Japanese sweet famous for its jiggly, melt-in-your-mouth texture. We dig into its surprising origin (it is not made from rice), its thousand-year history, the rise of matcha warabi mochi, and why it keeps going viral on TikTok.
In a new Billboard JAPAN interview, sailor-uniformed quartet ATARASHII GAKKO! reflect on entering their 11th year. We unpack their 'hamidashi' philosophy, how they perform for crowds who don't speak Japanese, and the 12-year bond between four members — from their 88rising debut to Coachella and beyond.
From August 2026, The Pokemon Company will require Japan's My Number national ID card to verify identity for Pokemon Center Online lotteries and select official tournaments. It's a hard counter to scalpers and impersonators — and an unintended wall against overseas collectors who have long worked around the system. Here's what changes.
A black, sponge-like slab that floats with just lamp light has racked up 1.8 million views in a week. Developed at Nagoya University by Tomonaga Ueno, the carbon-nanotube aerogel is lighter than air and could quietly reshape EVs, eVTOL aircraft, drones and spacecraft. Here's how it actually works—and why the startup Sora Material thinks it's an industrial workhorse, not just a viral trick.
YOASOBI's debut song "Yoru ni Kakeru" (Into the Night) has crossed 1.3 billion cumulative streams on Billboard JAPAN — the first Japanese song ever to hit that mark. Released in December 2019 and based on a Japanese short novel, the track has now outlasted hits, sequels, and even the duo's own anime megahits. As YOASOBI heads into their biggest-ever North American tour, here's why this song refuses to fade.
On May 8, 2026, the US Department of War launched war.gov/UFO and released 162 UAP files in one go—including a football-shaped object filmed near Japan by Indo-Pacific Command in January 2023, Apollo 12 and 17 lunar surface photos, and orange orbs agents compared to the 'Eye of Sauron'. We break down what is actually in the release and how Japan is reacting, from yakisoba puns to distraction-theory skepticism.
North West, the 12-year-old daughter of Kanye West, sampled Kikuo's Vocaloid track 'Aishite Aishite Aishite' on her debut EP N0rth4evr, released May 1. Kikuo replied: 'of course it's approved, and welcome even unauthorized.' A close read of why this is structurally unprecedented for Vocaloid in American hip-hop.
Gunma Prefecture's passport-style pamphlet sold out 10,000 copies on day one. Behind the frenzy: a beloved internet meme calling Gunma 'Japan's undeveloped territory' and a regional rivalry where prefectures fight to be the least popular.
Teen overdose ER transports in Tokyo have tripled in 5 years. Inside Japan's OTC medicine abuse crisis, the Toyoko Kids phenomenon, and the gap in youth mental health support — compared with the US fentanyl epidemic and UK harm-reduction approach.
Tatsumi Publishing's Tanuki Marugoto BOOK, released May 1, hit #1 in 12 Amazon categories during pre-orders alone. From Shigaraki pottery statues outside every Japanese restaurant to Studio Ghibli's Pom Poko, from Animal Crossing's Tom Nook to viral SNS memes with 96 million views — why is Japan so devoted to this uniquely Japanese canid? A guide for overseas readers (and please, it's not a raccoon).
Japan is famously polytheistic and its gods rarely clash — unless we're talking about mushroom-shaped vs bamboo shoot-shaped chocolate snacks. Discover the hilarious 50-year "war" between Meiji's Kinoko no Yama and Takenoko no Sato: national elections, celebrity endorsements, peace treaties, and why this debate can break friendships.
Ahead of the April 24 Japan release, Shigeru Miyamoto made a surprise appearance at the Super Mario Galaxy Movie Japanese premiere. With $700M global box office and three straight weeks at #1 in North America, Miyamoto joined Mamoru Miyano and the Japanese dub cast on stage. Plus: the long-running fan joke that Nintendo bans Miyamoto from discussing his hobbies because they become the next game.
Ainoshima, a tiny island off Fukuoka, is home to roughly 200 cats that outnumber its 270 human residents. Named one of CNN's top 6 cat spots worldwide, this heart-shaped island is going viral again on TikTok and Instagram in spring 2026. Discover the fishing village coexistence, TNR efforts, and how to visit.
Hideaki Sorachi, creator of Gintama, returned to Weekly Shonen Jump on April 20, 2026 after a 7-year hiatus with Class 2-B Hero Destroyerz. The 66-page opening color chapter has split Japanese fans, while overseas readers on MANGA Plus and Viz have responded more warmly. Will Jump protect its only gag manga, or is it already on the cancellation track?
Capcom's brand-new IP Pragmata has crossed 1 million worldwide sales in just 2 days since launch. With Steam peak concurrent players hitting 68,000, it matches heavyweights like Resident Evil 2 Remake and Street Fighter 6 in Capcom's Steam portfolio. Reddit's r/gaming and ResetEra are celebrating, here's how overseas gamers and the Japanese market are reacting to this rare new-IP success.
SNK and PLAION REPLAI have surprise-announced the NEOGEO AES+, a modern revival of the legendary 1990 home arcade console. Launching November 12, 2026 at 249.99 USD, the system uses ASIC chips rather than emulation and offers full backward compatibility with original NEOGEO AES cartridges. Ten classic titles launch alongside it, including Metal Slug, KOF 2002, and Garou: Mark of the Wolves.