January is the time for New Year’s resolutions and bettering yourself and what better place to start than with your journal - where all the organizational magic happens. As Japan is the undisputed king of all things stationery, we suggest that you take some inspiration from the Land of the Rising Sun when it comes to getting a planner. Read on to see Japan’s offerings for planners and other innovative organizational stationery! Hobonichi Techo The Hobonichi Techo is one of the most well-known planners to come from Japan, produced and manufactured by the company Hobo Nikkan Itoi > Read More
10/01/2019
Fukubukuro 2019 – Japan’s Lucky Bags
What is fukubukuro? Every year hundreds of brave shoppers flock to Japan’s shopping districts in order to participate in “hatsu uri” (初売り), or the first sales of the new year. You can expect great bargains during this time, but Japan also adds their own twist to new year’s shopping with fukubukuro! Fukubukuro (福袋), or “lucky bags” in English, are Japan’s answer to the humble grab bag. Stores bundle a variety of goodies into sealed bags and sell them at a heavily discounted flat-rate price. Traditionally what is inside the fukubukuro is left a mystery until opening, but recently many stores > Read More
28/12/2018
Yahoo! Auctions Shopping Guide: How to buy from Yahoo Auctions Japan
What is Yahoo! Auctions Japan? Yahoo! Auctions (often abbreviated to Yafuoku or Y!A) is Japan’s most popular auction site, with millions of items being bought and sold every day. With both companies and individuals selling their wares, the variety available on Yahoo! Auctions is unbeatable. If you are looking for rare Japanese second-hand items or want a second chance on a release you missed, Yahoo! Auctions is the place for you! From popular streetwear like BAPE and Supreme to otaku goodies, Yahoo! Auctions has tons of great items for great prices. Unfortunately, these auctions are > Read More
13/12/2018
Holiday Item Roundup 2018: The must-have Japanese Christmas merch of the festive season!
How are you spending the holidays this year? If it’s anything like us then you’ll have a wishlist full of otaku goodies this year too. If you need some help writing up your Christmas list to send off to the North Pole, we have you covered. Read on to see our “nice list” for this season’s festive releases. Enjoy! Pokemon Christmas Collection 2018 Whether you are looking for the perfect present for a Pokemaniac or want to put a nerdy twist on your holiday celebrations look no further than this year’s Pokemon Christmas collection! Pikachu and Eevee join Mew and the Kanto Starters in > Read More
10/12/2018
Surugaya Shopping Guide: How to buy from Surugaya
What is Surugaya? Surugaya is a top Japanese retailer offering a wealth of games, books, DVDs, CDs, trading cards, figures, collectibles, and much more. They stock both new and pre-owned products sourced from across Japan, meaning it is one of the best places to shop for both new releases and rare items on your otaku wishlist. Navigating and purchasing on Surugaya can be a little difficult if you don’t understand Japanese, so we’ve decided to create this guide for the would-be Surugaya shopper. We will show you how to search for items and even how to order on Surugaya without needing a > Read More
12/11/2018
Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee: the cutest duo in Pokemon!
The latest video game installment of the Pokemon franchise is just around the corner with the release of Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu! and Pokemon Let’s Go Eevee! on the Nintendo Switch on November 16. Returning to the Kanto region first seen in Pokemon Red and Blue, the game promises to be a joy for those new to the Pokemon world and hardcore Poke-fans alike. The Pokemon Center has been releasing many product lines featuring Pikachu and Eevee in the run-up to the release, and they don’t disappoint with their cuteness! To celebrate the game’s release, we have collected some of our favorite > Read More
05/11/2018
Top 5 Anime Available for Streaming on Netflix
The Netflix catalog is ever expanding and recently the streaming service has also been upping its otaku game by offering a vast range of high-quality anime. From classic series to in-house-produced productions, there is something for the hard-core anime nerd to the newbie just getting into the genre. We know how easy it is to fall victim to endlessly scrolling to find the perfect show but look no further, as we have chosen our top five picks of anime currently available on Netflix. Enjoy! This titles below were available on US Netflix as of late October 2018. Aggretsuko Sanrio’s > Read More
19/10/2018
Ditto Transforms! The weirdest and most wonderful Pokemon merchandise series
The past few years have been somewhat of a Ditto renaissance in the Pokeworld. The Pokemon Center releases more and more Ditto-featured merchandise every season and he is even the missing link to catching the previously undiscovered Meltan and legendary Mew the in recent Pokemon Go events. This little critter has managed to gain celebrity status from his humble beginnings as a gimmick Pokemon from Generation One, but it’s no surprise, as he’s just so gosh-darn adorable! We want to spread some Ditto love at FROM JAPAN, so enjoy our collection of some of the most adorable and charming products > Read More
10/10/2018
Happy Halloween 2018! Spooky Goodies Hot from Japan
It’s already the spookiest time of year again! Even though celebrating Halloween has only just gained traction in Japan in recent years, department stores and supermarkets have gone all out with Halloween decorations, decking their shelves with ghoulish goodies. We want to sprinkle some Halloween spirit into your lives too, so we have collected some of the cutest and fun Halloween collections from Japan. Enjoy! Pokemon Halloween 2018: We are Team Trick and Team Treat While unfortunately there has yet to be an announcement on a Pokemon Go Halloween event, Pokemon Center has pulled out > Read More
01/10/2018
Hypnosis Mic – Division Ranking Result
If you are a regular on the Otaku Twittersphere, then you will already know about Hypnosis Mic - Division Rap Battle - (known by fans as HypMic). But for those living under a rock for the past year, Hypmic is a mixed-media project that combines anime visuals and rap music with a dystopian background where eponymous Hypnosis Mic is used to harness the human voice as a weapon. The 12 original characters divvied up into three MC groups, rap-battling it out across Tokyo to expand their territorial “Divisions”. The unique concept has been a hit, amassing thousands of dedicated fans around the > Read More
