From a young age, I was a very sexual person. I knew I wanted to have a lot of sex, and I also figured that to do that, I would need to meet women who felt the same. I never considered making sex my career. Or at least not until one day in Tokyo, when I was with a friend who got a call about a job.
Clothing that bears the name of a city near or far has become a closet staple for many consumers in recent years, evolving from impulse purchases to mainstream fashion.
This was no accidental clash of shoulders in a crowded place, but one of the most visible examples of a spate of butsukari otoko bumping man shoving incidents in Japan that experts attribute to a combination of gender dynamics and the stresses of modern life.
Virtual Cram School Wish High is a new online school by Tokyo-based company Luminaris. According to the publication, all teachers are "active VTubers," meaning streamers who use digital avatars to represent themselves instead of showing their real faces. Tuition at the online academy is the equivalent of around $63 per course per month, on subjects including mathematics, English, physics, chemistry, world history, Japanese history, and geography.
We can now look back on November 28, 2025, as the start of a mass-psychosis event. In an era of neo-puritanical television slop, a fresh, horny breeze swept in from Canada: Heated Rivalry, a six-episode series about two professional hockey rivals turned lovers, Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, stirred something deep in the American psyche. Ordinary taxpaying adult women, many of them my friends, suddenly lost control of their faculties over "the gay hockey show."
The restaurant group behind Goodman, Beast, Pinna, Chelsea Grill and Wild Tavern, has added a Japanese izakaya to its roster with the opening of Wild Izakaya in the City. Inspired by the establishments found all over Tokyo, Wild Izakaya features an open kitchen with counter seating, larger tables for groups, classic Japanese films on a projector, and a drinks list including Japanese beers, sake and cocktails.
Available for a one-time payment of the equivalent of $1.15 in US dollars, the app - with the evocative name of "Are You Dead?" - is basically a large countdown timer that you have to reset regularly, and which alerts an emergency contact if you let the time run out. As the BBC reports, the app's counter is set to two days by default. After downloading, a user simply has to open the app and tap a large button to reset it.
but thanks to the opening of Pokemon's first ever amusement park on 5 February, this year, they are likely to come earlier. Unlike the rollercoaster-filled thrills of Tokyo Disney Sea or Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, PokePark Kanto is essentially a forest populated by models of the creatures from the perennially popular games. Nestled in the quiet Tokyo suburb of Inagi, half an hour from the city centre, the park is a walkable forest with more than 600 Pokemonin it.
And while the convenience and amenities of a hotel stay may be tempting, renting an Airbnb just off the beaten path is an even better way to experience the city like a local. The bustling capital encompasses a dynamic mix of cultural sights, impressive culinary experiences, and globally-renowned shopping landmarks-from the vibrant Harajuku district to the Edo-era Senso-ji Temple-that make it one of the most bucket-listed travel destinations in the world.
Somewhere between truffle fries and fully loaded fries, we crossed a line. What began as indulgent extras has turned into a full-blown flavour arms race. Carrots arrive drenched in hot honey and chilli. Cabbage is glossed with XO. Potatoes are crushed, confit, fried twice, showered in herbs, spice blends and something crunchy for good measure. Sides aren't padding. They're flavour bombs, competing with starters and mains for attention.
Finding your way with digital maps, making online bank transfers, looking things up on search engines Our digital habits are recent, yet so ingrained that going back to their analog versions feels unthinkable. Even something as ancient as flirting can now seem inseparable from screens. But a recent trend on social media suggests the story isn't over. A few months ago, a video titled Sit at the Bar September went viral.
They text daily, sleep together, cook on Sundays, and know each other's friends. When she asks what they are building, he says he dislikes labels and is not ready for anything more. She stays anyway. She feels anxious, loyal, confused, and quietly ashamed for wanting a relationship. When it ends, there is no breakup, only silence where daily connection used to be. Grief and self-doubt consume her, but she feels ashamed because they were never "official."
Kyle was incredibly panicked when I opened the door, and he saw it was me. He begged me not to say anything to his wife. According to Kyle, he has been miserable in his marriage, and seeing other women on the side helps him "maintain his sanity." I was so flustered in the moment that I agreed to keep my mouth shut.
An explorationship is when you and someone else are exploring the possibility of a committed relationship. You've gone a little-or maybe a lot-beyond the just-going-out-on-dates-with-each-other phase. There may already be kissing and holding hands. There may already be couple-ish things that you do together. There may even be a little bedroom rodeo stuff or a lot of it. But you still aren't quite ready to call each other a significant other yet-even though the two of you are giving such a possibility significant consideration.