Japanese study shows that persimmon tannin juice may render the coronavirus...
But wait – don’t run to the supermarket just yet! It’s a little complicated. While COVID-19 vaccines are still in development and many parts of the world are still on lockdown and social distancing to...
View ArticleNara deer “addicted” to rice crackers, lose weight with no tourists to feed them
The coronavirus is affecting the health of Japan’s deer population at Nara Park. The city of Nara in Nara prefecture is famous for its free-roaming deer population, who’ve been known to cross at...
View ArticleFamily cheated out of 54 million yen by man impersonating Japanese rock star...
Suspect also convinced his own mother he was the Dir En Grey frontman for 10 years. In the annals of Japanese music Dir En Grey is often identified as just another visual kei band, but really they’re...
View ArticleNo school trip? No problem! Japanese students to go on a virtual school trip...
Junior high school students at one school are learning Japanese culture by recreating historical sites in the popular game. Autumn is a popular season for school trips, when whole grades of students...
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Four photos, five years – A father’s beautiful pictures of his daughter...
Loving dad also has a heartwarming idea for what to photograph next. The biggest sightseeing draw in Nara is Nara Park, with its herds of free-roaming deer and adjacent historical buildings. But the...
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Pokémon come to real-life Johto region with new Pokémon manhole covers for...
Gen-II Legendary Pokémon is in its natural habitat as Pokéfuta project comes to Ikaruga. When you stop and think about it, it’s pretty amazing just how densely populated the Pokémon world is with wild...
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Nara asks visitors to stop feeding the deer
Goodwill of strangers now threatens to do the deer more harm than good. One of the most popular tourist sites in all of Japan is Nara Park in Nara Prefecture, where people can walk amongst...
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21-year-old Nara woman arrested for sending hundreds of nude selfies to woman...
“I still like her,” suspect tells police. When hearing about a story involving stalking or sexual harassment, it’s hard not to assume the typical pattern of a man victimizing a woman. However, every...
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Japanese man donates bags of cash to local schools, disappears without a trace
The school staff even chased after him, but to no avail. Three schools across Nara City received a surprise visitor on the afternoon of February 24th. A man, believed to be in his 70s, briefly spoke...
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Deer killed by man with axe in Nara
Police say the man lost his temper when the animal hit his car. Nara Park in Nara Prefecture is home to over 1,200 deer, with the animals being allowed to roam freely in the area due to their sacred...
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Starbucks releases 47 Frappuccinos around Japan, we try the one for Nara...
Can this Frappuccino capture the flavour of a region famous for deer and the giant Buddha? Earlier this month, Starbucks surprised us with the announcement that they would be celebrating their 25th...
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This Nara workshop has been making deer crackers for more than 100 years and...
The oldest shika senbei maker in the city gives us an inside look and a fresh-cooked taste. Nara has several temples, shrines, and statues of historical significance, but arguably the biggest draw to...
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Traditional noodles undergo a cute evolution in Kawaii Company’s new rainbow...
These five flavors of cute and colorful Miwa somen are just in time to brighten up your summer. Felissimo, the company that offers the most awesome feline-themed products, has partnered with Japanese...
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Deer in Nara Park mysteriously disappear during this year’s shikadamari season
Free-roaming deer continue to baffle visitors and experts with their unusual behaviour. For the past two years, our Japanese-language reporter K. Masami has been monitoring the free-roaming deer in...
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We tackle a titanic bowl of pork cutlet katsudon and (just about) live to...
When you begin to suspect that your bowl is a portal to the pork dimension… As we grow older, our chances to take risks will diminish. Instead of seeing the inherent delight in drinkable whipped...
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Nara deer stampede into marathon, hit runner in their path
It’s like they’d been training all year for this moment. The Nara Marathon, held in Nara on the second Sunday in December every year, is a 42.195-kilometre (26.2-mile) long course that’s known to be a...
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Capsule machine found in Nara with mystery edible insects
Mama always said life is like a capsule of bug food. Normally, when taking a turn of the capsule toy machine, people are filled with the hope of getting a certain item among the random selection...
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Nara Park’s first baby deer of the year has been born, is totally...
Local animal welfare association has important request for people visiting the park during birthing season. Japan celebrates Mother’s Day on the second Sunday in May, making last weekend a special day...
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Why isn’t there more deer poo in Nara Park? This very strange museum has the...
Deer aren’t the only animals with a huge population in the city. When people think of Nara, one of the first things that comes to mind is deer. Nara Park, located right in the center of the city, is...
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Miss school field trips? Now adults can go on a “school trip” too with new...
With lots of tour-like features and educational experiences, you’ll learn a lot and have fun, too! You may already know that, in Japan, schools organize an annual “shugaku ryoko” for their students: a...
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