japanup_akane - JapanUp! magazine

EVENT EVENT IN LOS ANGELES POPULAR

[GIVEAWAY] Win a Pair of Tickets to Yuki Saori’s Concert! 🎁 Saturday, August 22

japanup_akane 07/30/2026

YUKI SAORI in LOS ANGELES ~From 1969 to the Future~8/22(sat) in Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center YUKI SAORI in LOS ANGELES ~From 1969 to the Future~ Concert tickets are now on sale and receiving great attention 🎙️‼️ After achieving a worldwide hit through her collaboration with Pink Martini, Saori Yuki has captivated audiences around the globe with her timeless and enchanting voice. This will be her first U.S. performance in approximately nine years — a special opportunity you won’t want to miss. 🗓 Saturday, August 22, 2026　3:00 PM — Doors Open　4:00 PM — Concert Begins 📍 Redondo Beach Performing Arts…

Exterior of the Square Enix Cafe Los Angeles in Little Tokyo

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

Square Enix Cafe Los Angeles Is Now Open in Little Tokyo

japanup_akane 07/29/2026

The Square Enix Cafe Los Angeles is open in Little Tokyo, the first permanent, officially licensed Square Enix cafe with a full menu in the United States. Inside, you will find official menu dishes, drinks, and desserts themed around popular games, along with official merchandise and cafe-exclusive novelty items. It is a destination where fans can soak in the worlds of Dragon Quest and other beloved titles while enjoying a special outing. What to Expect at the Square Enix Cafe Los Angeles The menu draws on franchises like Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and NieR:Automata, with themed food, drinks, and desserts…

mizukake gohan water over rice Yamagata Japan summer dish

FOOD Fun Facts LEARNJAPAN POPULAR RECIPE

Japan Now! Mizukake Gohan? Japan’s 1,000-Year-Old “Water Over Rice” Hack Is Back, Thanks to Record Heat (and an Idol Radio Show) (7/29)

japanup_akane 07/29/2026

For Americans, “rice with cold water poured over it” sounds less like a recipe and more like a kitchen accident. However, in Japan’s record-breaking summer of 2026, it is suddenly the most talked-about dish on late-night radio. It is called mizukake gohan, a nearly forgotten regional tradition from Yamagata Prefecture, and it is having a viral moment after members of idol group Nogizaka46 championed it on their All Night Nippon show, with member Nagi Inoue taste-testing it live on this week’s broadcast. Quick Answer: Mizukake gohan (literally “water-poured rice”), known in Yamagata as mizu mama, is chilled cooked rice rinsed…

One's Rent-A-Car special plan for Dodgers games in Los Angeles, with car, tickets, and parking

EXPERIENCE TRAVEL WHAT’S HOT

One’s Rent-A-Car Brings Japanese-Quality Service to Dodgers Game Days

japanup_akane 07/28/2026

One’s Rent-A-Car is now offering a special plan for fans heading to a Dodgers game, and it comes with something the big American rental chains do not: the attentive, Japanese-style service you would expect back home. The plan bundles a rental car with game tickets and stadium parking in one deal, and every location is staffed by Japanese-speaking team members, so booking, pickup, and any questions along the way all happen in your language. Why Rent from One’s Rent-A-Car For anyone who misses the reliability and thoughtful touches of renting a car in Japan, this is the closest thing in…

Koshien 2026 Japan high school baseball championship stadium

EVENT EVENT IN JAPAN EXPERIENCE Fun Facts LEARNJAPAN POPULAR

Japan Now! Koshien Is Coming. Japan’s Legendary High School Baseball Tournament Starts August 5 (7/28)

japanup_akane 07/28/2026

For Americans, the gold standard of sports drama is March Madness. However, Japan runs a tournament every August that makes March Madness look forgiving, and if you have ever watched a sports anime, you already know its name. It is Koshien, the national high school baseball championship, and as of today all 49 teams for the 108th edition are set. Thousands of schools entered regional qualifiers this summer. Forty-nine survived. Starting August 5, one loss sends anyone home. Quick Answer: Koshien, officially the National High School Baseball Championship, runs August 5 to 22 at Hanshin Koshien Stadium near Osaka. The…

Kumamoto earthquake 2026 magnitude 7.1 Kyushu Japan safety information

EXPERIENCE POPULAR TRAVEL

Japan Now! Magnitude 7.1 Earthquake Strikes Kumamoto. What Travelers in Kyushu Need to Know Now (7/28)

japanup_akane 07/28/2026

For anyone following Japan today, the news is serious. A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture in southern Japan at 4:27 PM local time on July 28, registering the maximum intensity of 7 on Japan’s seismic scale, the first quake to hit that level since the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake. Rescue operations are underway tonight, including at a shopping mall where an explosion followed the quake. This article covers what is confirmed so far, the essential context, and, most importantly, what to do if you or someone you know is traveling in Kyushu right now. The Kumamoto earthquake 2026 is…

Daikokuya spicy chili mazemen topped with ground pork, corn, jalapeno, and a poached egg

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

Daikokuya’s Limited-Time Spicy Chili Mazemen Has Arrived

japanup_akane 07/27/2026

A new spicy chili mazemen has landed at Daikokuya for a limited time, made in collaboration with the Japanese noodle brand Myojo. Mazemen is a soupless, sauce-tossed style of ramen, and this one comes loaded with ground pork, corn, jalapeño, and a poached egg for a spicy, appetite-stirring bowl. Be sure to try the “oikameshi” finish too: add white rice to the leftover sauce and toppings for a second round of flavor. What’s in the Spicy Chili Mazemen The bowl piles on ground pork, fried onions, green onions, corn, seaweed, jalapeño, and a poached egg, all brought together by Daikokuya’s…

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

EXPERIENCE TRAVEL WHAT’S HOT

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

EXPERIENCE Fun Facts LEARNJAPAN POPULAR

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

EXPERIENCE FOOD Fun Facts LEARNJAPAN POPULAR

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

EVENT AND NEWS IN LA EXPERIENCE WHAT’S HOT

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

EXPERIENCE Fun Facts LEARNJAPAN POPULAR

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:…