The Skeleton Flower – The White Flower That Becomes Translucent When It Rains
Diphylleia grayi is not the most striking of flowers, in fact many people pass by it without even noticing its white, rounded petals. But that’s because they don’t know about its most impressive feature, turning translucent in contact with water. Native to wooded mountainsides in the colder regions of Japan, “skeleton flowers” bloom from mid-spring to […]
Ingenious Sprinkler System Turns Entire Japanese Hamlet into a Water Fountain
Kayabuki no Sato, a small hamlet in Kyoto famous for its traditional thatched roof houses, features a concealed sprinkler system that turns the whole place into a water fountain. Known as Miyama’s Thatched Village, Kayabuki no Sato has a higher percentage of thatched roof farmhouses than any other place in Japan. This makes it very popular with […]
Japan’s Famous Aquarium Toilet
If you love exotic fish and don’t mind hundreds of them eyeballing you while you answer nature’s call, you’ll probably love using this unique aquarium toilet in Akashi, Japan. Hipopo Papa (formerly Mumin Papa) Cafe, used to be known as one of the most popular dating spots on Hayashizaki Matsue Coast. It still is, but ever since […]
Japanese Food Stall Staffed by an Adorable Shiba-Inu Dog
Food stalls in Japan have apparently gone to the dogs. The aptly-named “Dog’s Sweet Potato Shop”, a small kiosk selling roasted sweet potatoes, in Sapporo, Japan is manned (dogged?) by a three-year-old Shiba-Inu dog. Japanese Twitter user @hina_shii_ver2 first learned about the unique “Dog’s Sweet Potato Shop” in her home city of Sapporo earlier this […]
Japanese Company Sells Jars of Honey Complete with Dead Giant Hornets
A small batch honey producer in Oita Prefecture, Japan, recently sparked controversy online after it was reported that it sells a product aptly called Honey with Hornets, which actually contain a giant dead hornet suspended in the sweet liquid. While the decision to put a dead hornet inside a jar of honey can definitely be […]
Japanese Device Allows Fathers to Breastfeed Their Babies
Fathers sometimes like to say that they can do anything mothers can, except give birth and breastfeed. Well, thanks to a new device developed by Japanese company Dentsu, breastfeeding babies may not be a problem for fathers in the near future. Recently unveiled at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas, the Father’s Nursing Assistant is an […]
Japanese Business Specializes in Plucking Customers’ White Hairs
Shiraganuki Main Store, a white-hair-removal specialty shop in Tokyo, Japan, charges people for the service of removing white hairs by hand, leaving them looking years younger. Pulling out your own gray hairs is tedious work, and constantly asking someone else to do it for you can become embarrassing after a while, but luckily, the staff […]
Japanese Speed-Dating Event Has Potential Matches Sitting in Silence While Robots Do the Talking for Them
Based on the premise that people who are having trouble finding a romantic partner probably lack the confidence and experience to properly interact with a potential match, a Tokyo-based robotics association recently hosted a speed-dating party where human participants sat in silence across a table from each-other while tiny robots spoke on their behalf. The […]
Japanese Artist Gets Barbecue Fans All Fired Up With Skull-Shaped Charcoal
If you’re looking to give your backyard barbecue a macabre touch, these charcoal skulls created by Japanese artist Sekisadamu are sure to do the trick. When Sekisadamu came up with the idea for his creepy charcoal skulls, he never really though about commercial potential. He merely wanted something cool to show off at the recently […]
Japanese Man Turns Himself into a Caucasian Living Doll
Artist and model Matt Kuwata is mostly known as the son of Japanese legendary baseball player Masumi Kuwata, but in recent years he has attracted a lot of attention for his dramatic physical transformation. Somehow, the 24-year-old went from looking like a Japanese teenage boy, to a Caucasian, doll-like man. Matt’s appearance has been a […]
Japanese Company Will Confess to Your Crush If You’re Too Shy to Do It Yourself
Building up the courage to confess your feelings to your crush and asking them out on a date can be a nerve-wrecking experience, but thanks to the unique services offered by Japanese company Kokunavi, it doesn’t have to be. If you’re too shy to approach your crush, you can just pay them to do it […]
Real-Life “50 First Dates” – Japanese Man Makes Amnesic Girlfriend Fall in Love with Him Every Day
Correction: A previous version of this article stated that the name of Maruyama’s boyfriend was Li Huayu, and that the girl still lost her memory every day, when in reality this only occurred only in the first two months after her accident. The touching love story between an amnesia sufferer whose memory was wiped clean […]
Meet Imma, the Gorgeous Japanese Model Who Doesn’t Exist
With her expressive eyes, flawless skin, luscious lips and perfect hair, it’s easy to see why people can’t stop gushing over Japanese model Imma. But one thing most people don’t realize is that she’s not a real person. Imma, whose name is inspired by the Japanese word ima 今 (meaning “now”), is the product of some truly insane CG […]
Meet Rino Sasaki, Japan’s Most Beautiful Truck Driver
Long haul truck driving is generally seen as a man’s job, but Rino Sasaki, a young female truck driver from Japan, is challenging this stereotype and conquering social media in the process. Rino Sasaki grew up in Kochi Prefecture as the daughter of a long haul truck driver, but never really considered the idea of […]
Ban’ei – The World’s Slowest Horse Race
Horse races are usually all about speed, but in Ban’ei, a form of horse racing unique to the Japanese island of Hokkaidō, it’s strength and stamina that matter most. Ban’ei race horses, also known as ‘banba’, are very different from the fast thoroughbreds we associate with horse racing. They can weigh up to 1,200 kilograms […]