Tag: Tokyo

Tateishi Burger Vending Machine: a charming, homemade vending machine that dispenses burgers at this hole-in-the-wall bakery

Nathan

There are vending machines for books, jeans, salmon, pecan pies, a vending machine to support mourners during funerals, so it’s only natural that vending machine burgers would pop up somewhere. And that somewhere is Japan. Since it first opened in 2000, Tateishi Burger has been a favorite of those who enjoy oddities, which are known in Japan as “B-spots.” Located in a Tokyo’s quiet neighborhood, its raggedy façade may not lure in a lot of passersby, but it never ceases to attract “B-spot enthusiasts” from around the country. It’s about…

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Obake Kaidan: a flight of this “ghost staircase” has 40 steps on the way up, but only 39 steps on the way down….

Nathan

In the Nezu district of Tokyo there is a stone staircase know for a really strange feature. Known as Obake Kaidan, literally “Ghost Stairs”, it has 40 steps on your way up…but 39 when you go down. The staircase was once very narrow and dark, probably deserving of its nickname but, after an expansion work a handrail was added to it and the width of the stairs was doubled. However, the staircase on the left trails off halfway for no reason, and its steps are uneven. Of course many urban…

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Who is the genius behind japanese new transparent public toilets?

Danijel90

Apparently, a number of people are apprehensive about using public toilet as it is, so making them completely transparent would just boost their anxiety, right? Well, apparently, in Japan is the exact opposite. Despite japanese public toilets generally have a higher standard of hygiene that other public restrooms around the world, also in this country some people dread the thought of having to walk into a dark, probably smelly and possibly unsafe facility to do their physiological needs. But what would happens if you could see how clean or safe…

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Takao Shito: the farmer who lives in the Middle of Japan’s second largest airport

Pavel

Living in an airport isn’t easy. Try to imagine the sound of planes taking off and landing both early morning and late at night, or simply the mess. However, for one stubborn Japanese farmer it’s the only place worth living in! Takao Shito’s family has been growing vegetable on the same farm for over 100 years. His grandfather was a farmer, his father as well and, rightly, he followed their footsteps…even if things are “a bit” different than they were for his ancestors. At the time, the Shito farm was…

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In Japan, coronavirus pandemic inspired haunted house drive-through experience

Robin

A haunted house tour operator in Japan has announced the world’s first horror drive-through experienced as a responsible way of providing horror enthusiasts with summer scares also during the Covid-19 pandemic. While restaurants and shops remain the most affected business by the coronavirus, amusement parks and events aren’t fairing much better either. Regarding haunted house attractions, It’s hard scaring someone without getting up close, but some companies are starting to adapt to the situation and trying out new things. As a result, haunted house design company Kowagarasetai has created what…

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Mocha Cat Café. Take a break, with Japanese Cats!

Anya016

Mocha Cat Cafè it’s a brand very popular in Japan. With ten branches and counting, this popular chain knows how to deliver a cat-cafe experience to every cat lover. It seems that the cat-cafè located in Akihabara (in photo) is one of the most larger. Given the neighborhood, it’s especially popular also with tourists, and staff are prepared to accommodate visitors in English (more or less). There are 28 resident cats, including a lot of very fluffy and pretty cats and exotic breeds. There are three spacious playroom areas, with…

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Tokyo’s Akihabara Electric Town

Anya016

A great place to walk around and absorb the japanese metropoli’s sights and sounds is Akihabara (秋葉原) district. Just two stops from Tokyo Station, Akihabara is a neighborhood known for its electronic superstores. There’s a reason that it’s known as Electric Town, but the neighborhood is so much more. Originally this Tokyo’s neighborhood was a gateway used mainly by merchants to enter into the city proper, and was born out of a devastating fire in 1869. After the disaster locals began reconstruction with a shrine to a fire protection deity,…

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Exclusive: the sad fate of the historic Tokyo’s Tsukiji Fish Market.

Anya016

The Japanese capital prepares itself for the 2020 Olympic Games, and the historic Tsukiji fish market is now closed forever. Following years of delays and plenty of controversy, Tokyo’s Tsukiji wholesale fish market, one of the city’s most popular destinations for tourists closed definitively its doors. A revolution that, it seems, did not like anyone, not because of passatism, but because of identity. Saturday 29 September 2018 was the last day of the largest and most famous fish market in the world. And from that day on, the public could…

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Tokyo Skytree: an incredible view from 451 meters high!

Anya016

Tokyo Skytree, is a broadcasting and telecommunications tower in Tokyo, and at a height of 634 metres, it was the world’s second tallest structure, after the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. It was inaugurated on May 22, 2012, and it is also the world’s tallest freestanding tower, exceeding the height of Tokyo Tower, previously the city’s tallest structure, by 301 metres. The major role of Tokyo Skytree is to transmit electric waves in a stable manner free from influences of super tall buildings that have been increasing every year. The area…

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