Kawaii

When we have to talk about fashion and trends in Japan, Harajuku (one of Tokyo's districts) comes up most often. The average age of Harajuku dwellers seems to be a bit younger than...

The Hello Kitty official amusement park is called "Sanrio Puroland", based on the company that owns the copyright as well as many other mascots: My Melody, Cinnamoroll, Badtz Maru,...

During our previous trips to Japan, we had never had the opportunity of attempting the Maid café experience. But even though this kind of entertainment does not really appeal to us,...

As appears from its name, Tokyo Disney Resort is the Mickey Mouse amusement park located in the south-eastern bay of Japan’s capital, a mere stone’s throw from the city. It includes...

Just a few minutes from Tokyo bustling districts such as Shinjuku or Shibuya, is Setagaya Ward. You'll dive into it to get to Gotokuji, a temple considered at the origin of the well...

I had never experienced the 'neko cafe' (which means 'cat cafe') during my trips in Japan. The neko cafe phenomenon was born about five years ago, and was so successful that the...

It is interesting to see that even in such basic “art form” as that of smileys, the Japanese have evolved their own distinctive style. In addition to side-facing emoticons such as :-...

Shisa are a very common feature and distinctive trait of the culture of the Okinawa islands, and it is simply impossible to ignore them when staying on the islands.  This amusing...

Although this may seem a rather worn out cliché, there is no denying that most Japanese, and more particularly young women, pose in photos doing the V for Victory sign.  Landmarks...

Female japanese-pop (jpop) groups have been taking serious blows for quite some time now, especially with the influx of Korean singers, who make the effort to sing in Japanese and to...

You might think that Japanese food and society don't leave much room for desserts: cakes, sweets, candies and such. Perhaps because a large majority of Japanese people are very slim....

February 14 is worldwide Valentine's day. Like many Western holidays, Valentine's day was also brought to Japan during the second half of the twentieth century. But this tradition...

One thing you might not know about Japanese people is that they are crazy about their pets. Although in major cities like Tokyo or Osaka, many apartment owners or agencies ban...

All of you who had the opportunity to travel in Japan or live there will agree in the same way: Japanese service is absolutely impeccable. There are only few examples where the...

Japanese women love fashion, that's not a secret or a surprise for anybody. A lot of men, especially outside Japan, appreciate their sense of elegance and dress-code, sometimes at...

I don't know if it's because they eat lots of fish, but Japan is a country where there's many cats (猫 "neko" in Japanese). Whether they are strays or belong to someone, many cats...