The Japanese Band One Ok Rock officially announced that they’ll be joining Ed Sheeran in his Divide Tour in April, 2019 as the opening act, the members declaring they are excited to take part in this tour along the English Singer. His album, (÷) / “Divide” had its release date in 2017 and was such…

In Japan, the beautiful and enigmatic Geisha represents one of the most iconic cultural images in the country. They have been around since as early as 600 A.D. where they served as entertainers and companions, but the look we can easily recognize today became prominent in the 17th century. Trained in fine arts such as…

We all have heard of the word “Yakuza” but some only have a faint idea of what it really means. The majority of Japanese people are unaware or scared when asked about this word, which has become a taboo, somehow. So, who are they and why does the Japanese society fear them? jp.fotolia.com/ Organized Crime…

Japan is famous for many things. Seen as a hub of wacky trends and colorful fashions, people associate Japan with innovation and uniqueness. However, there is another part of Japanese entertainment which is something of a phenomenon and now dominates the industry. It is Idol Culture, and it is attracting people both in the country…

It is almost spring in Japan and stores are already getting ready to welcome it by bringing some colour and warmth into the grey,cold and monotonous landscape of February. Sakura (cherry blossom) themed goods and treats, spring limited editions are already making their appearance in stores, the soft pink colour of the cherry blossoms gaining…

J-dramas, J-movies, What comes in mind when you think of it? For me, it’s something that makes me relate to the characters somehow. I feel that most of the Japanese movies I’ve seen so far give off a mysterious feeling like Haruki Murakami’s novels, a fantasy world with aspects of real life, that make you…

What are bento boxes? For people who aren’t Japanese, many will be familiar with the word, but you may not know exactly what they are. You may also wonder what one puts in a bento box. Basically, a bento box is a convenient lunch box. Come to Japan for any length of time, you will…

The Shimada Cigarette Shop used to be a small cigarette shop in Tokyo which became somewhat of a tourist attraction due to the popularity it gained from its cute and friendly canine shopkeeper, Shiba-chan. Shiba, the Shiba Inu dog, manned the store window every day where he had been trained to greet customers by opening…

Can you tell if a person comes from a specific country just by looking at their initial appearance? Perhaps you look at their hair, their face shape, or their clothes, and you can attempt to make a guess at their country of origin before you hear them speak. Before coming to Japan, I had no…

Ariana Grande’s New tattoo is a hot topic recently and Japanese people are also gossiping about it. Her two Japanese characters 七輪 (ShichiRin) on the palm of her hand had appeared on her Instagram, however instead of spelling out the word “7 rings”, it became “Small BBQ Grill” due to an ink error. Who is…