Awesome Japan

Have you ever played with one of those toys where you had to catch a ball in a cup? It takes a little practice. Now, try catching 40 of those balls in 40 cups at the same time. Thirtyz “Jaa-chan” of the Japanese Kendama performance group DEN-SHOW proves it’s possible to pull it off with one smooth move.

Designed by a motorcycle builder, this is machined from Duralumin – a lightweight aluminum alloy used to make aircraft. Made in Japan, the pen features a retracting system that deploys with the flick of a knob, and a clip that can be opened to peer into its mechanism. The matching Duralumin storage box is as awesome as the pen.

This immersive nighttime video was shot on the streets of the Harajuku district during a heavy downpour. Captured in 4K HDR, Soul Healing’s footage is as close to being there as you can get and provides a first-person view of the shops, cafes, and youth culture in the popular area. We’re impressed that they kept the camera lens dry the whole time.

With timers built into phones, the need for hourglasses has declined. Kaneko Glass Craft is home to one of only two craftsmen who make hourglasses in Japan. ProcessX shows us how Isao Kaneko makes each hourglass, blowing the glass forms and filling them with the right amount of fine, hand-sifted sand. Turn on captions for an explanation of each step.

Japanese instant noodle dishes are one of our guilty pleasures. If you love these tasty, cheap, and easy meals as much as we do, why not curl up under one of these noodle-inspired blankets? They come in Tanuki Ten Soba (red) and Kitsune Udon (green) designs and are officially licensed by noodle maker Maruchan. Shipped worldwide by Japan Trend Shop.

Gamers and feudal Japan fans: this samurai-themed snack box is packed with Japanese treats inspired by protagonists Nate and Yasuke from the upcoming game Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Inside are 15 Japanese snacks, limited-edition Japanese KitKats, a Tenugui towel, and an in-game digital trinket, redeemable when the game drops 2.14.2025.

No stop at this Japanese restaurant is complete without a visit to the women’s bathroom. The HiPoPo PaPa restaurant in Akashi, Japan, features a toilet that’s surrounded by a massive aquarium. It looks unassuming from the outside, but as soon as the door slides open, an aquatic wonderland appears. The fish definitely get the raw end of the deal in here.

As part of the brand’s 50th anniversary, Casio will release a nice little watch you can wear as a ring. But it’s not some fancy gadget with a sleep tracker or anything of the sort. The CRW-001-1JR is simply an LCD watch that fits on a finger, like a scale replica of a normal watch. At least it has a stopwatch and alarm. Fits ring sizes from 8 to 10.5 (Japan sizes 16 to 22).

We’ve never heard of the song Bling Bang Bang Born, but it sounds pretty amazing played on this 27-note street organ. Like a player piano, this music-making machine reads notes from a roll of paper, but it plays them on pipes like a calliope. Yuki Kojima has filled his YouTube channel with covers, including Thunderstruck, The Entertainer, and the Nyan Cat theme.

For the last 12 years, Google Japan has been having a little fun with silly and impractical keyboard designs. Their latest concept is a keyboard that’s basically a Möbius strip – a twisted keyboard that loops back onto itself. It has 208 keys and has to be picked up to access them all, but it’s also awesome. Best of all, you can build your own. Turn captions on.

The sequel to the hit samurai action game Ghost of Tsushima features breathtaking vistas that flex the power of the PS5. Set more than 300 years after the events of the first game, Ghost of Yōtei not only has a new setting and protagonist. It also appears to have more open-world exploration and more interactions with animals. Drops 2025.

The latest edition of editor Julius Wiedemann’s coffee table book offers an A-Z catalog of some of the most influential manga creators ever. The 576-page hardcover book includes biographies and bibliographies, example art, and character descriptions from greats like Osamu Tezuka, Katsuhiro Otomo, and more.

“High speed, high impact, and hitting hard as hell.” Great Big Story made this short profile of Thekla and Momo Kohgo. They’re two of the most popular members of Joshi Pro-Wrestling, a women’s pro wrestling league in Japan. Watch them talk about starting out, their challenges, and more. We can’t wrap our heads around the calm and silent crowd.

Since college, instant noodles have been a go-to for a cheap and easy meal. ProcessX visited the Sanpo Foods factory to see how they make Japan’s most popular Yakibuta (braised pork) cup noodles. The highly automated factory uses an army of machines to produce countless noodle strands, package ingredients, and visually inspect each bowl for quality.

Time to hit up your favorite Japan shopping proxy. adidas’ luxury brand Y-3 teamed up with the Japan Football Association to create a collection based on the theme of the 2024 national team’s uniforms: fire. The jerseys are definitely the highlight of the bunch, with large, fiery graphics printed all over the retro shirt and shorts.

This custom metal stamp features a surface that disappears into its face. The Process visited Iwai Press Co., Ltd. to see how they make them. They start with an artist brushing a design on paper, scanning it, and turning it into vector art. The factory then machines the parts using EDM wire cutting and hand assembles them. The stamps sell for over $1000 each.