Back by popular demand! The “JAPAN RAIL CAFÉ Los Angeles” pop-up store is returning to Tokyo Central Gardena for three days only, from February 6 (Fri) to February 8 (Sun).
View More JAPAN RAIL CAFÉ Los Angeles Returns! JR East Pop-up Store at Tokyo Central Gardena (Feb 6–8)
Great news for Bay Area residents! Tokyo Central is celebrating the Grand Opening of its new location at the Bay Street Emeryville mall on Saturday, January 31, 2026.
View More Tokyo Central Grand Opening in Emeryville!Opening Specials on Jan 31!
Simultaneous Interpreter and Assistant Professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies: Chiyo Mori
View More [Japanese Interviews: Life in LA] Chiyo Mori, Simultaneous Interpreter
Walk into a Tokyo station, and you will see a giant map with hundreds of station names. Trying to find your fare is stressful. The truth is, most locals don’t buy paper tickets. They use IC Cards (Suica or PASMO). And the best part? You can add them to your US iPhone or Apple Watch right now! You do not need a Japanese phone number or Apple ID.
View More Why Smart Travelers Don’t Buy Paper Train Tickets in Tokyo?
Shopping in Japan is already affordable due to the weak Yen, but you can make it even cheaper. Look for the “Tax-Free” logo (usually a cherry blossom icon) at shops like Don Quijote, Uniqlo, and drugstores. As a tourist staying less than 6 months, you are exempt from the 10% consumption tax. It’s an instant discount!
View More Get 10% Cash Back! The Ultimate Guide to “Tax-Free” Shopping
In NYC, walking with a slice of pizza is normal. In Japan, walking while eating is generally considered bad manners. It is seen as “sloppy” and risks spilling food on others or the clean streets. If you buy a snack from a convenience store, the polite thing to do is to stand outside the store, eat it quickly, and throw the trash in the store’s bin before moving on.
View More Is It Rude to Eat on the Street? The Truth About “Tabearuki”
Celebrate the arrival of 2026 with Japan Deluxe Tours! They are currently offering a special “New Year Travel Promotion” where you can get 10% OFF select tour packages booked by Saturday, January 31st.
View More Japan Deluxe Tours: New Year Travel Promotion — Get 10% OFF Spring Cherry Blossom & Cultural Tours! —
Ever marveled at the realistic plastic food displays in Japan? Now you can make your own! Handmade artist FAUX SWEETS is launching a special “Food Replica” workshop at Albion Garden in Venice.
View More Free Samples! Taste Japan’s Premium Niigata Rice
Engineer in the Semiconductor World: Yuko Hamamoto
View More [Japanese Interviews: Life in LA] Yuko Hamamoto, Sr. Applications Engineer
You might have “Dollar Stores” in your country, but Japanese “100 Yen Shops” (like DAISO, Seria, Can Do) are on a completely different level. They are not filled with cheap junk; they are treasure troves of high-quality, cleverly designed products. From ceramics and stationery to kitchen gadgets and cosmetics, the quality is often so high you won’t believe the price tag.
View More Everything is $0.70? The Wonderland of “100 Yen Shops”
Get on a train in Japan, and you will see a shocking sight. Businessmen in suits are slumped over, heads bobbing, sometimes leaning completely onto the shoulder of the stranger next to them. Are they okay? Yes. They are practicing “Inemuri,” which translates to “sleeping while present.”
View More Why Do Japanese People Sleep on Trains (And Nobody Steals Their Stuff)?
You just finished a bottle of Green Tea or a wrapper from a Rice Ball, and you look for a trash can. You look, and look… and realize there are none. Despite Tokyo being one of the cleanest cities in the world, public trash cans are almost impossible to find on the streets. For tourists, this is the biggest mystery (and frustration) of traveling in Japan.
View More Why Are There No Trash Cans on Japanese Streets?