Lifestyle | Trends in Japan

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Hotpots for Health and Beauty

Soymilk and Collagen and Tomato Feature in New Varieties of Nabe
No dish is better suited to Japan's cold winter nights than the nabe, or hotpot. Enjoying a huge wave of popularity at the moment are several new types of nabe with soups containing collagen, soymilk, or tomatoes.

Transforming Trucks

Vehicles Offer a Wide Range of Mobile Services
Innovative trucks have been hitting the roads of Japan recently, sporting trailers that have been converted for use as restaurants, offices, and other purposes. Their mobility gives them the advantage of being able to take their services to customers.

B-Grade Cuisine Gets an "A" for Taste

Home-style dishes previously known only to people in particular regions of Japan are increasingly finding favor nationwide. What these "B-grade" local specialties, as they are known, all have in common is that they are tasty, filling, and reasonably priced.

Virtual Golf Bars

Golf is one of Japan's most popular athletic diversions. However, it takes a great deal of time and effort. Golf simulators provide an easier option by enabling golf enthusiasts to squeeze in a realistic round on the way home from work or during other windows of leisure time.

Exploring The Heavens From Home

Japan has a great many astronomy enthusiasts of all ages, and there are over 200 observatories situated throughout the country. This year has seen a surge in both sales of Japanese-made telescopes and the number of stargazers.

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Rice-Flour Bread, Pasta, and . . . Jam!

Rice is a food that is close to the hearts of Japanese people, and has long been used to make mochi rice cakes and other sweets. New technology that allows rice to be milled as finely as wheat has opened up an array of new possibilities for this ancient staple.

Cool Ideas for Hot Weather

Japanese researchers and companies have used their ingenuity to devise a plethora of products that help to keep people comfortable even at the height of summer, including air-conditioned clothes and beds and odor-free underwear.

Cafes with a Twist

These days, many cafes provide more than just a place to enjoy a snack with a cup of coffee or tea. A growing number of distinctive "concept cafes" are catering to customers' needs in innovative ways.

The Quest for Beauty Continues Apace

The pillars of the Japanese beauty industry are its high standards of service and its use of new technologies. Here we highlight some of the new products and services that have found favor with Japan's discerning consumers.

Masked Masses

Masks have a variety of benefits: They help prevent colds and flu from spreading between individuals, and they also keep out airborne pollen. While many masks remain simple affairs of layered gauze, newer, hi-tech types are appearing, some of which are even capable of neutralizing viruses.

Hi-tech Winter Underwear

In an effort to combat global warming by conserving energy, many offices and shops have turned down the thermostats. This means people need to dress up warm even indoors. Newly developed hi-tech underwear, which is warm but not bulky, offers the perfect solution.

Ladies Behind the Lens

The evolving world of digital SLR cameras, with their ability to capture the essence of the moment without the fuss of traditional SLRs, is attracting new fans, particularly among women.

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