All posts tagged "News"

  • When is the best time to buy your child his first bike?

    Honda says, when your child is 3.5 years old or at least 95 cms in height. Honda rolls out its new 16-inch D-Bike Master and D-Bike series for first-time riders this month. The conventional way of teaching...

    • Posted September 27, 2017
    • 0
  • Japan has a drinkable tofu. No, it’s not like soy milk.

    A new drink has recently hit the store shelves at Tokyo’s convenience stores called “Nomu Tofu” or a drinkable Tofu. I happened to grab one at the store today and tried it.   It is easy to assume...

    • Posted September 12, 2017
    • 0
  • Snoove

    If you haven’t checked out Aprica’s new premium class 3-wheeler SNOOVE stroller yet, you may be in for a surprise. While it is packed with new safety and comfort features to suit a Tokyo lifestyle such as...

    • Posted July 27, 2017
    • 0
  • Japan’s Fishermen Sells Wake Up Call Service

    Busy brains keep deep sleepers from waking up. If an alarm clock doesn’t work for you and have trouble jumping out of bed in the morning, fret not, Japan’s fishermen have your back. Yes – fishermen. The...

    • Posted July 9, 2017
    • 0
  • Nintendo Super Famicom is back in a smaller version.

    Japan’s video game company Nintendo,  has announced today the return of its classic Super Famicom box in a version smaller than the first video game system played by families in the 90s. Aptly named “Nintendo Classic Mini:...

    • Posted June 27, 2017
    • 0
  • Meet the widest gaming monitor

    Kicking back with Samsung’s latest offering and mother-of-all wide monitors offers an immersive gaming experience. We’re talking about CHG90, the very first ultra wide monitor never before seen in the market.   The 49-inch CHG90 with a...

    • Posted June 10, 2017
    • 0
  • The new questionnaire US visa applicants all over the world need to know

    Are you traveling to the US this summer and need a US visa? According to Reuters, the Trump administration has approved a new questionnaire for those who need a visa to enter the United States. The new...

    • Posted June 3, 2017
    • 0
  • License now required for people renting out properties to people through an online marketplace.

    When you rent out your property or motor vehicle to visitors through an online marketplace, there is a risk owners have to take in case occupants cause some damage to the rented property. Occupants too can be...

    • Posted June 1, 2017
    • 0
  • Ice cream that does NATTO melt

    Parents can now say adieu to dripping ice cream cones because scientists at Universities of Edinburgh and Dundee in Scotland have finally cracked the code to creating a firmer, slower-melting ice cream by using a special protein...

    • Posted May 22, 2017
    • 0
  • Go-kart companies asked by police to improve riders’ safety

    Out of twelve go-kart accidents reported in the city which Japan’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) has been tracking since March, ten of them involved foreign tourists. Zooming away in a go-kart  has become a popular way of...

    • Posted May 22, 2017
    • 0
  • Japan’s next generation bicycle tires don’t need air

    When conventional tires’ pressure drop after about a certain distance travelled, it is normal for bikes to become sluggish and less responsive. The good news is with Bridgestone Cycle’s next generation ‘air-free’ nirinsha, (Japanese word for two-wheelers) ...

    • Posted May 16, 2017
    • 0
  • Possibly contaminated plastic pieces found on Volvic pet bottles in Japan

    Kirin Beverage announced that it is voluntarily recalling 3.7 million 500 ml- bottles of Volvic mineral water with expiry date on October 2019.  The water in question was distributed across Japan except Okinawa and Kyushu. “The reason...

    • Posted May 2, 2017
    • 0
  • New glider bikes for kids 2-5 years old

    Kicker Avance, a new two-wheeled pedal-less bike by Asahi designed for children ages 2-5 years old is what every parent needs to make his child’s transition to a regular kids bike easy. It rides like a regular...

    • Posted April 26, 2017
    • 0
  • Best passport in the world 2017: Germany shares top spot with an Asian country. Hint: It’s not Japan.

    Global Financial Advisory firm Arton Capital recently revealed the most powerful passports in the entire world this year. Although Germany remains to be on top of the list, it is joined for the first time this year...

    • Posted April 15, 2017
    • 0
  • Tamagotchis are back

    Purveyor of Japanese toys Bandai is back with its six original Tamagotchi creatures, the handheld digital pet in the 90s that got children busy with poos, pees, getting it fed and keeping it alive. The goal of...

    • Posted April 13, 2017
    • 0
  • If ‘Mrs.’ stands for Missus, why the heck do we spell Mrs. with an ‘r’?

    In the 18th century, a man was addressed as ‘master’ or Mr. and a woman of the household as ‘mistress’ or Mrs. Cambridge University historian Dr. Amy Erickson suggests that the title “Mrs.” (pronounced ‘mistress’) used for...

    • Posted April 12, 2017
    • 0
  • First Japanese Chef awarded the French Cuisine Chef Prize

    Anyone who loves haute cuisine feels happy to live in Japan. With culinary powerhouse Tokyo now having 227 Michelin-starred restaurants (50 are French restaurants),  it is safe to assume that Japanese chefs have come a long way...

    • Posted April 8, 2017
    • 0
  • If you drink tap water in Japan, here’s something you need to know.

    According to posters distributed by Japan Water Works Association (Nihon Suidou Kyokai), Japan is one of only 15 (out of 196) countries in the world with potable tap water.    (Source: Global Water Supply and Sanitation Assessment 2000...

    • Posted April 6, 2017
    • 0
  • A bilingual toy that helps your child think and learn about colors

    Every time the chameleon’s brush scans a palette of paint around him, the chameleon’s body lights up and changes to the same color. It also says the name of the color in Japanese and English which can...

    • Posted March 29, 2017
    • 0
  • Tape wonder for Lego toys

    If your children play with Lego, they will love this new product, Lego blocks compatible tape. Nimuno loops is a Lego adhesive plastic strip with Lego bumps on one side that will turn anything into a Lego-compatible...

    • Posted March 15, 2017
    • 0
  • A New Capsule Hotel Opens Next Month at Fuji-Q Highland

    Cabin & Lounge Highland Station Inn, located just a 1-minute walk from Fuji-Q Highlands, a theme park in Yamanashi prefecture, will be open for business from April 27 (Thu), 2017. The capsule-style private room slightly more spacious...

    • Posted March 9, 2017
    • 0
  • It’s new

    Japan’s purveyor of dairy products Snow Brand Milk Products Co. Ltd. has a new coffee-flavoured spread that will delight breakfast lovers looking for something different from the classic butter and jam combo. Yuki Coffee Soft is a...

    • Posted February 18, 2017
    • 0
  • Competition is a good thing. We saved money on Fiber Optic service by 50%.

    In May 2016, the Japanese government revised the Telecommunications Business Law to protect consumers prompting service providers to: 1. issue an advance notice of renewal to subscribers tied up to a two-year contract; 2. create a breakdown...

    • Posted February 7, 2017
    • 0
  • Why is your electric bill high in winter?

    Electric bills rise over winter as households in Japan use more electric appliances. Even with Christmas lights running all night long in December and people using tumble dryer more frequently in winter, a survey conducted by I...

    • Posted December 23, 2016
    • 0
  • There’s a strange mini roll in toilets at Narita airport

    There’s a new item you will find added in toilets at Narita Airport apart from hygienic, sophisticated and warm toilet seats.  It’s a small roll of paper  the size of a grocery receipt that sits in a...

    • Posted December 22, 2016
    • 0
  • New taxi fares in Tokyo

    Effective Jan 30, 2017, the new starting fare of all taxis in Tokyo will be ¥410 good for the first 1.052 kms. Currently, it’s ¥730 for the 1st 2 kms. For every 237 meters travelled, the new...

    • Posted December 22, 2016
    • 0
  • Late night shopping at Platinum Don Quijote

    I must admit running the household and taking care of twins and a toddler can be too challenging at times. Thanks to this place called Platinum Don Quijote right down our alley, we are able to manage...

    • Posted December 19, 2016
    • 0
  • Japan’s Best Chef Knives: A Cut Above

    Highly skilled sushi chefs in Japan will tell you that one way to tell a great chef from an amateur is by looking at his knife. Japanese sushi chefs take pride in using professionally crafted extra thin,...

    • Posted December 17, 2016
    • 0
  • Chinese garlic is cheap but I won’t be buying it ever again. Here’s why.

    We know that when it comes to food, the safety of our family comes first. What most of us know little about is how safe are the foods we buy here in Japan. Garlic being a key...

    • Posted August 22, 2016
    • 1
  • How can you lose weight without having to give up rice? Japanese doctor has the answer.

    Summer is when we all resolve to be healthier and shapelier. But let’s face it – giving up rice or pasta can be difficult. Dr. Toshiro Ikeya’s newfound theory shows weight watchers don’t have to give up...

    • Posted August 10, 2016
    • 0