Discover insider tips, travel guides, and inspiring stories for your next adventure in Japan
The virtual hall app SloPachi Spirit has expanded its official web payment system "AppPay" with two new payment methods, bringing full support to all three major Japanese carrier payments, and is celebrating with a limited campaign offering 50 free Stars to users who access the payment site.
AEON Entertainment and Sony Creative Products are opening SNOOPY Playful PARK, a Peanuts-themed indoor playground, at AEON Mall Tsudanuma South in Chiba this summer.
SEGA has released a Japanese-language arrangement of the Sonic the Hedgehog 35th anniversary song, featuring virtual singer Hatsune Miku on vocals and sound producer Yunosuke on arrangement. The song is also available for download and streaming on all major platforms.
SOU・SOU わらべぎ's "Isemomen Kodomo Jinbei," a children's summer garment made from traditional Ise cotton with vibrant Kyoto yuzen dyeing, has sold over 110,000 pieces since its 2010 launch and continues to grow in popularity.
Nintendo Switch 2 title Splatoon Raiders — the first spin-off in the Splatoon series — is now available for pre-order at AmiAmi, which is offering an exclusive A2 clear poster as a bonus. The game is priced at 7,480 yen (tax included) and launches on July 23, 2026.
Stand Umineko 3tR (Stand Umineko Mittela), a standing bar serving craft beer and house-made pork buns, opens in Osaka's Minami district on June 26, 2026 — the first new Stand Umineko location in the Osaka area in about eight years.
Starting July 2, 2026, JR-Cross Retail Company is launching a special collaboration collection between Suica's Penguin and OJAGA DESIGN, a handmade leather brand known for hand-stitching layered leather pieces into three-dimensional works of art.
JR Kyushu will release a summer-limited version of the "Enjoy! Huis Ten Bosch Ticket," bundling a round-trip JR ticket with a Huis Ten Bosch 1 DAY Passport voucher at an even greater discount for travel from August 1 to September 30, 2026.
The popular goods brand SWIMMER is releasing a new lineup at Seria 100-yen shops across Japan from late June 2026, following the previous wave of new arrivals in early May.
TARLESS X is a new e-cigarette from the TARLESS brand, designed specifically for gamers with six game-scene flavors, a black skeleton body with RGB illumination, and an automatic inhalation system.
TCG GATE and Japan's largest online oripa service, Nihon Toreca Center, are holding their second collaboration event starting June 24, 2026, featuring a lineup of highly sought-after PSA 10 graded Pokémon cards.
The "Asymmetric Universe" space at teamLab Borderless in Azabudai Hills, Tokyo reopens on July 8, 2026, featuring two new series and a special exhibition running through October 8.