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New Gardena Hotel, offering a long-term stay in Gardena with utilities included

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New Gardena Hotel’s New Long-Term Stay Plan, Ideal for Business Trips

japanup_akane 07/27/2026

A long-term stay in Gardena just got easier. New Gardena Hotel, winner of the Rakuten Travel Gold Award 2025, now offers a new extended-stay plan built for comfortable long-term living. The plan runs $1,800 per month, with water and utilities included. What the Long-Term Stay in Gardena Includes The plan comes with the amenities you want for a longer stay, including high-speed internet, TV, washlet bidet toilets, and covered parking. It is a practical base for a business trip or a temporary home while you are between places. The hotel sits about 15 minutes from LAX, with Japanese, Korean, and…

Keigo Higashino Japanese mystery author books legacy

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Japan Now! Keigo Higashino, Japan’s Master of Mystery, Dies at 68 (7/27)

japanup_akane 07/27/2026

For four decades, one name has been synonymous with the Japanese mystery novel. However, today Japan is reading that name through tears. Keigo Higashino, the country’s most beloved and best-selling mystery writer, passed away in the early hours of July 23, his publishers announced this morning. He was 68. The announcement post has been viewed more than 26 million times in hours, as readers across Japan and around the world share which of his 106 books changed them. Quick Answer: Keigo Higashino died of colorectal cancer on July 23, 2026, at age 68, publisher Kodansha announced on July 27. A…

cold Cup Noodle Hiyashi Nissin cold water instant ramen Japan

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Japan Now! Hot Water Is Now BANNED. Japan’s First Cold-Water Cup Noodle Is Here(7/24)

japanup_akane 07/24/2026

For 55 years, one rule of Cup Noodle has been as fixed as gravity: boil water, pour, wait three minutes. However, as Japan bakes through the hottest week in its recorded history, Nissin has done the unthinkable. The company just released the first Cup Noodle ever to print “hot water prohibited” on the lid. You make Japan’s first cold Cup Noodle with water straight from your refrigerator, and the timing could not be more perfect, or more intentional. Quick Answer: Nissin’s “Hiyashi Cup Noodle” (Chilled Cup Noodle), released nationwide in Japan on July 20 for 285 yen, is the brand’s…

Keiro Kikyo Home, the first board and care home for Japanese American seniors in Torrance

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Keiro Kikyo Home Receives State License for Its First Care Home in Torrance

japanup_akane 07/24/2026

Keiro Kikyo Home has received its Residential Care Facility for the Elderly (RCFE) license from the California Department of Social Services, Keiro announced. The license covers the organization’s first board and care home, located in Torrance, and marks a major step toward opening. What Keiro Kikyo Home Will Offer The home is designed as an intimate, supportive setting for residents who benefit from extra help with daily routines. Plans include both private and shared rooms, culturally responsive programming, and a focus on safety, engagement, and meaningful daily activity. For a Japanese American community that has long faced a shortage of…

Japan record heat 41.1C Hamamatsu hottest temperature ever

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Japan Now! It Happened. Japan Just Tied Its Hottest Temperature Ever Recorded(7/24)

japanup_akane 07/24/2026

Three weeks ago, we reported that Japan’s weather agency had issued a rare “once in a decade” extreme heat warning. However, the reality that arrived this week has blown past even that forecast. On Thursday, the city of Hamamatsu hit 41.1 degrees Celsius, that is 106 degrees Fahrenheit, tying the highest temperature ever recorded in Japan, while the Tokai region between Tokyo and Osaka has now logged four straight days above 40 degrees, matching the longest such streak in the country’s recorded history. This is the Japan record heat event of a generation, and it is still going. Quick Answer:…

Ornate wooden floats on parade, the highlight of the Takayama Festival tour in October

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Japan Deluxe Tours Is Now Booking Its Takayama Festival Tour

japanup_akane 07/23/2026

A Takayama Festival tour is now available from Japan Deluxe Tours, built around one of Japan’s three most beautiful festivals. Travelers get an up-close look at the lavishly decorated floats and the karakuri puppet dedication, along with the lively traditional performances that fill the streets during the celebration. What the Takayama Festival Tour Includes The next departure runs from October 5 to 14, with an itinerary that travels through Tokyo, Nagano, Takayama, Kanazawa, and Kyoto. Check the link below for full details. About the Tour Operator Japan Deluxe Tours ・Website: japandeluxetours.com Related ArticlesJapan Now! The Three Views of Japan, a…

ANA aircraft, marking 40 years of the ANA Los Angeles route since 1986

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ANA Los Angeles Route Marks 40 Years With a Commemorative Ceremony

japanup_akane 07/23/2026

The ANA Los Angeles route has reached its 40th anniversary, and the airline marked the milestone with a commemorative ceremony at Los Angeles International Airport that opened with a taiko drum performance. General Manager Yoshiyuki Hirooka took the stage to express his gratitude and to reaffirm the airline’s commitment to safe operations. Four Decades of the ANA Los Angeles Route ANA launched international service in 1986, and the Los Angeles route took off on July 16 of that same year. Today, counting flights out of Haneda, three daily flights connect Tokyo and Los Angeles. About the Airline ANA (All Nippon…

bakudan onigiri giant rice ball michi no eki Japan

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Japan Now! Japan’s “Bomb” Rice Balls Are Going Viral, and They Live at Highway Rest Stops (7/23)

japanup_akane 07/23/2026

For decades, American road trip food has meant one thing: gas station snacks you eat out of mild desperation. However, in Japan, the roadside stop is a destination in itself, and this week the internet found its new proof. A photo set of two enormous “bakudan onigiri,” literally “bomb rice balls,” sold at roadside stations in Tokushima and Hokkaido has racked up over 7 million views, under a caption every Japanese driver understood instantly: “This is why I can’t quit michi no eki.” Quick Answer: Bakudan onigiri are oversized rice balls, often bigger than your face, stuffed with premium local…

Onigiri Sun rice balls with Japanese rice and nori, opening at CAL Marketplace in DTLA

EVENT AND NEWS IN LA EXPERIENCE FOOD RESTAURANTS WHAT’S HOT

Onigiri Sun Opens Its Second Location in DTLA on July 24

japanup_akane 07/22/2026

Onigiri Sun, the Little Tokyo shop known for its plump, generously filled rice balls made with Japanese ingredients, is opening a second location on July 24. The new shop is inside CAL Marketplace at 2CAL in Downtown Los Angeles, the building that houses the Consulate General of Japan. It opens at 7am on weekdays, which makes it an easy stop for breakfast or a quick lunch during the workday. What Makes Onigiri Sun Different The shop is serious about the basics. The rice, nori, and salt all come from Japan, and each onigiri is hand-shaped rather than pressed tight, which…

Unagi don with grilled eel over rice and pickled ginger, the July special set at Kimukatsu in Torrance

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Kimukatsu’s July-Only Special Unagi Don Set in Torrance

japanup_akane 07/22/2026

A special unagi don set has arrived at Kimukatsu in Torrance, available for the month of July only, in celebration of Doyo no Ushi no Hi. The set pairs a generous bowl of plump, expertly grilled eel over rice with a salad, a hearty house-made tonjiru (pork and vegetable miso soup), and pickles. Normally $23.75, the full set is $20.75 for a limited time. Why Unagi Don in Midsummer Doyo no Ushi no Hi is the midsummer day when people in Japan traditionally eat eel to build stamina for the hottest stretch of the year. In 2026 it falls on…

Tatsuya Fujiwara lettuce campaign Japan food waste viral

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Japan Now! A Famous Actor’s Face on Your Lettuce? Japan’s Weirdest Grocery Campaign Has a Genius Reason (7/22)

japanup_akane 07/22/2026

For years, American grocery stores have tried everything to move produce: coupons, recipe cards, the occasional mascot. However, Japan just escalated the game to a place no one saw coming. Since July 21, supermarkets around Tokyo and Osaka have been selling the now-viral Tatsuya Fujiwara lettuce: heads wrapped in plastic film printed with the intensely staring face of one of Japan’s most famous actors. If that name sounds familiar, it should: he played Light Yagami in the live-action Death Note films and starred in the cult classic Battle Royale. And yes, there is a completely serious reason his face is…

sudachi soba chilled noodles green citrus slices Japan summer

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Japan Now! Sudachi Soba Is Trending, Japan’s Prettiest Way to Survive Summer (7/21)

japanup_akane 07/21/2026

For most Americans, summer noodles mean one thing: a heavy bowl best eaten in air conditioning. However, Japan is currently obsessing over the exact opposite, a dish so light and photogenic it looks like edible stained glass: chilled soba topped with a full spiral of paper-thin green citrus slices. It is called sudachi soba, it is trending on Japanese social media this week, and it might be the most beautiful thing you can do to a bowl of noodles. Quick Answer: Sudachi soba is cold buckwheat soba in chilled dashi broth, covered edge to edge with thin slices of sudachi,…