Author: Editor in Chief

A baby otter was born on October 5 at Aqua Toto Gifu, the world’s freshwater aquarium (1453 Kawashima Kasada-cho, Kakamigahara City, Gifu Prefecture). Prior to the opening of the exhibit, the one-month growth of the baby was announced. Four babies were born to the pair of Miyama and Sakura, a pair of otters kept at…

I am in Phu Quoc, a resort in southern Vietnam, on a Vietnam Airlines inspection tour. The lodging for the day is the JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Resort & Spa. The hotel was designed by renowned architect Bill Bensley. The hotel was designed as a tribute to Lamarck University, an imaginary and venerable…

Laforet Hakone Gora Yuno-sei (1320 Gora, Hakone-cho, Ashigarashita-gun, Kanagawa Prefecture) will offer the “Relaxing Onsen Sansan Plan” from December 1 to February 28, 2025. Prices start at 30,808 yen per person for a double occupancy room. The plan includes a dinner supervised by a hot spring advisor and a non-alcoholic after-bath drink. The menu includes…

3COINS will release collaborative products on November 11 to commemorate the distribution of the drama series and the release of the movie of [guess who] on November 11. The products will be available at stores nationwide and on the official online shopping site, Parcel Closet. The lineup includes three types of products: a pouch, a…

Eye-Topia’s “Megane Store,” a chain of eyeglass stores, launched “Kerorin Bathroom Glasses,” glasses for baths and saunas, on November 7. The glasses are designed in the motif of a “Kerorin tub” printed with advertisements for Toyama Megumi Pharmaceutical’s antipyretic analgesic “Kerorin,” and are priced at 6,578 yen. Three colors are available: yellow, clear, and black….

Hakone Retreat före & villa 1/f” (1286-116 Sengokuhara, Hakone-cho, Ashigarashita-gun, Kanagawa Prefecture), operated by Hotel Management Japan, opened seven new villas this August. I recently had the opportunity to stay in one of the villas. The facility is located in the Sengokuhara forest along Route 138, which connects Hakone and Gotemba. The facility is divided…

Sun Frontier Hotel Management has announced plans to open Tabino Hotel lit Sakata (3-1-15 Nakamachi, Sakata City, Yamagata Prefecture), its first hotel development and operation in Yamagata Prefecture, in December 2026. Tabino Hotel lit” is a brand positioned one rank higher than “Tabino Hotel” for business and tourism, and is the third facility in Japan…

Delta Air Lines is offering special fares to celebrate the first anniversary of its Haneda-Honolulu route. Basic Economy tickets start at 64,000 yen (including fuel surcharge and excluding tax and service charge) and Main Cabin tickets start at 70,700 yen (same as above), and the deadline to purchase tickets is November 29. Award tickets using…

Amazon (Amazon Japan) is having a time sale on the Dyson V12 Detect Slim Fluffy Plus cordless vacuum cleaner. Normally priced at 72,600 yen, it is 25% off at 54,800 yen at the time of writing. This cordless vacuum cleaner is equipped with the Laser Slim Fluffy, a laser light head that makes dust visible….

Lime, a provider of electric micromobility sharing services, announced on November 6 that it will form a business alliance with JAL. Lime will become JAL’s second partner in Japan, following Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance. A briefing was held on the same day to explain Lime usage trends, future initiatives by the two companies, and the launch…