Latest news with #Shibuya
Time Out Abu Dhabi
a day ago
- Time Out Abu Dhabi
UAE citizens can now go to Japan for 90 days visa-free
And yes, that's triple the time for sushi, sakura and Shibuya adventures. If Japan's been sitting on your travel bucket list, here's your sign to book that flight. Starting Saturday June 1, UAE nationals with ordinary passports can now enjoy visa-free stays in Japan for up to 90 days per visit – up from the previous 30-day limit. The update marks a major moment in UAE-Japan relations and is set to open doors for more than just tourism. Whether you're heading to Tokyo for business, Kyoto for the culture, or Okinawa for a beachy escape, this extended visa-free entry makes it easier than ever to soak up the Land of the Rising Sun. According to the UAE Embassy in Japan, the decision paves the way for more travel, trade, education and cultural exchange between the two nations. Expect closer ties, new opportunities – and maybe even more wagyu in our lives. It's also another feather in the cap for the UAE passport, which is regularly ranked among the top 10 most powerful globally. Emiratis can already travel to more than 180 countries without a visa or with visa-on-arrival perks and this latest move only adds to that elite global access. More going on in Abu Dhabi You can now get a robotaxi from Zayed International Airport Trips to the airport just got an upgrade Abu Dhabi's best restaurants: Everywhere you should eat at least once Your dinner inspo is sorted 20 incredibly fun ways to explore Abu Dhabi after dark The city is at its most fascinating once the sun goes down
NHK
2 days ago
- General
- NHK
Tokyo police appeal to public to help stop train gropers
Tokyo police have appealed to the public for help to stop the problem of groping in trains and other places at an event near the capital's Shibuya Station. Police have set June 1 to 15 as a period for a campaign to tackle the problem ahead of the summer when molestation cases tend to increase. Last year, police uncovered 725 groping cases in Tokyo. More than 70 percent of these took place inside trains or stations. Police says many victims find it difficult to seek help because they are afraid, among other reasons. The event organizers explained how to use an anti-groping smartphone app developed by the Tokyo police. The Digi Police app can display a message asking other people for help and blast a voice telling the molester to stop. Flyers were also distributed to commuters and passersby. They call on people to offer help if they spot any potential victims. Actress Imoto Ayaka is encouraging people to download the app. She says the app is easy to use even when it's difficult for victims to raise their voices.
Japan Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Japan Times
Atsuko Okatsuka's brings big 'dad' energy to new special
It was a dad joke that nobody saw coming. There stood comedian Atsuko Okatsuka, sporting her signature bowl cut, beside a man she hadn't seen in decades — her estranged father — under the dim lights of Tokyo Comedy Bar in Shibuya. Looking at his shoulders, she suddenly says, 'This whole time I've had the body of an engineer!' This was back in April 2023, at a 'secret' stand-up set advertised with only a silhouette — and that bowl cut, an obvious giveaway to anyone who had seen the comedian's viral videos or her first special, 'The Intruder,' which had come out a few months prior on HBO Max. What the small crowd gathered to see her didn't realize was that they would get a rare chance to witness a family reunion, too. The comedian's previous special, 2022's 'The Intruder,' won her rave reviews and in some ways led to an unexpected family reunion in Tokyo. | JOHAN BROOKS Okatsuka — who is Japanese on her father's side and Taiwanese on her mother's — was only 8 when she last saw her father. At that time, she was living with him in Chiba Prefecture, attending elementary school there. One day, her mother and grandmother took her for a holiday to Los Angeles and simply never brought her back. As comedians often do, Okatsuka now finds the humor in her complicated history, joking about her life as an immigrant with both daddy issues and Stockholm Syndrome. 'My vibe is kidnapped. That's what I'm giving,' she says on stage with an exaggerated wail. 'I could have had a whole different life in Japan. Now I am an American ... with a story. You don't want to be that.' Grandma and the 'drop challenge' Her story will be a major part of her new comedy special, titled 'Father,' set to be released worldwide via Hulu and Disney+ on June 13, just in time for Father's Day weekend. 'I didn't want to leave and I had no choice,' Okatsuka says earnestly over an early morning video call from her home in LA. 'I lost my friends. I lost some family. And then I had to become a famous comedian to be able to come back.' Okatsuka, now 37, changes her voice as if to mimic her grandmother, 'I'll take her to LA, she'll be a star!' While she doesn't necessarily use the word 'grateful' when it comes to these past parental decisions, she clearly isn't resentful either, even referring to grandma as her 'best friend.' She backs the sentiment with actions, too. Fans will recognize her grandmother from many of the videos she posts to her million-plus following on Instagram, including her viral 'drop challenge' clips, which see her sink to the ground during a beat drop inspired by Beyonce's 'Partition.' Okatsuka says giving people a relatable look into her life during the pandemic is what helped build her fanbase, which in turn enabled her to tour. 'I had been doing stand-up for so long. I was ready to tour but you need an audience to tour,' she says, adding that eventually the audience grew to allow her 'to go back to places that I came from ... Taiwan, Japan.' Okatsuka's complicated family history — which included living as an undocumented immigrant for seven years and living with her mother's schizophrenia — is laid bare in her comedy. 'Nothing is private with me,' she says. If you've been following Atsuko Okatsuka, you'll be familiar with her complicated past. "My vibe is kidnapped. That's what I'm giving," she says. | JOHAN BROOKS As a comedian who built her career over social media during the pandemic, Atsuko Okatsuka says by giving people a look into her 'relatable' lifestyle she was able to acquire fans, which in turn led her to being able to tour internationally. | JOHAN BROOKS In 'Father,' she also riffs on her husband (and the special's director) Ryan Harper Gray's vasectomy, and, judging by sets she tried out in Tokyo during her month-long stay in January, we're likely to hear about naked bathtime awkwardness with her grandmother as well as her dentist's suggestion to have a threesome. Don't mistake Okatsuka's candidness for an intention to shock, though. Her delivery is whimsical, even naively child-like at times. She says she learned English from watching cartoons, which might explain her style, the vibrant and colorful outfits she's known for, and her comedic physicality: She often pulls funny faces or suddenly freezes on stage, a la 'Scooby Doo.' (Come to think of it, Velma had short hair and wore bright colors, too!) When Okatsuka talks about wanting to do something wacky, like ride a tandem bike with her husband, it's not that hard to imagine her doing it. Her humor is sharp, but never cruel. 'Male comedians come up here and what do they want to know? 'Are you two together? Are you fucking?'' she says to the audience in 'Father.' 'Nuh-uh. Not me. I want to know, 'How did you become friends?' That's all I care about.' Okatsuka's draw isn't just about childish observations, eccentric outfits or that bowl cut — which is a common look with schoolchildren in Japan. It's also about the relatability of struggling with grown-up responsibilities — failing at 'adulting.' 'I didn't know how paperwork works, so me and Ryan didn't know we weren't married for the past seven years,' she says, explaining how the couple had forgotten to turn in the right forms at City Hall — which they finally got around to doing last year, filming it all for social media. In one of her comedy routines, she admits that she doesn't do laundry because, well, it baffles her. Her husband does it, though, 'and that is ... feminism.' Call her daddy In addition to touching on her family history, Okatsuka says, ''Father' is also a bit about the idea of gender role reversal. 'My fans call me 'mother,' but to me, mothers have it together. So, I'm more ... 'father' — thriving in life but clueless about the basics.' She pauses, remembering her own mother isn't the nurturing type either. 'What does it mean for her to be a normal woman? Nobody is normal,' she says. 'There is no being one kind of person, let alone one kind of woman. So, yeah, call me 'father.'' With that 2023 homecoming show under her belt, and visits to Japan on her international 'Full Grown' tour the year after, it seems like Okatsuka has been getting reacquainted with her homeland. She and her husband were back in Tokyo around the New Year's holiday period to live here for a month. During that time, she did multiple shows at Tokyo Comedy Bar where she made her audiences sing the Japanese national anthem and flexed her improving Japanese skills, courtesy of Duolingo or, as she puts it, 'that owl that told me I was good.' It's a reminder to know your audience — language-learning struggles are something a Tokyo crowd will understand well, whether they're new to Japan or locals who've tried to improve their English. 'So many people live in places they did not come from. So many people feel they don't belong anywhere,' she says. 'That feeling is in my comedy. That feeling is home for all of us. So we have each other, right?' Atsuko Okatsuka waits backstage before performing in Tokyo earlier this year. The Japanese comedian who grew up in California has been making more and more trips to Japan as of late. | JOHAN BROOKS Yurie Collins, a comedian who is bilingual and bicultural, and opened for Okatsuka during some of her 'Full Grown' tour dates, says she can relate to those themes on many levels. Collins says watching Okatsuka perform was 'nothing short of inspiring.' 'She reminded me that when you're a true entertainer, there are no borders,' Collins adds. 'The audience's familiarity with English or stand-up comedy didn't matter; she connected with everyone in the room. She proved that if you bring heart, charisma and craft, you can win over any crowd.' Future reunions? During her holiday stay, Okatsuka won over the crowds at Tokyo Comedy Bar testing new material ahead of the 'Father' release. It was yet another family anecdote where she got the most laughs, though, telling the story of meeting her half-brother for the first time. She insisted they meet at a theme park, 'her own turf,' as she puts it. So, they decided on Edo Wonderland Nikko Edomura in Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture. 'I needed distractions. Samurai and ninja chasing after us,' she says. One thing they have in common? An odd sense of humor: He asked her to pose like a cat for a photo as soon as they met. 'Are you kidding me?' she recalls. 'We are the same person!' For those in Tokyo, we can only hope there are a few more relatives that Okatsuka has yet to meet. Maybe then she'll keep doing sets at Tokyo Comedy Bar. While remaining noncommittal, she doesn't rule out future visits. 'Anyway, if you have an apartment you want to let us rent, let us know,' she laughs. Atsuko Okatsuka says her comedy caters to those who feel like they 'don't belong anywhere.' | JOHAN BROOKS 'Father' premieres in Japan on Disney+ on June 13. For details, visit
NHK
6 days ago
- Business
- NHK
Tokyo's Shibuya Ward to tighten rules for street go-kart businesses
Tokyo's Shibuya Ward is planning to tighten rules for businesses that rent go-karts to tourists who want a driver's view of the sights of the Japanese capital. The small, open vehicles are popular with inbound tourists. But there have been complaints about poor driving manners and loud noise. The ward says it has decided to revise the related ordinance to ensure the safety and security of its residents. The revised draft calls for firms planning to open go-kart rental offices to notify the ward at least 30 days in advance, and to provide details of their operations such as business hours. It also requires the firms to hold meetings for residents to explain their operations, and to respond sincerely to inquiries. Shibuya Ward says it will not set penalties for violating the ordinance. The ward says it plans to submit revisions of the ordinance to its assembly in June and hopes it will take effect in July.
SoraNews24
24-05-2025
- Business
- SoraNews24
Japan's favorite ramen chain is vanishing from Tokyo, but its ramen sauce ice cream is a must-try
We visit a local store to show support and end up falling in love with a bizarre dessert. While ramen chain Ichiran often dominates social media feeds, it is Tenkaippin (literally 'best product under the heavens'), with its famously thick and rich ('kotteri') broth that holds the title of Japan's most popular ramen chain. So, you can imagine our shock when we learned that many of the stores in Tokyo are set to close on June 30. According to a news report, the stores that will be closing include: Shibuya, Shinjuku West Exit, Ikebukuro West Exit, Tamachi, Meguro, Kichijoji, Kamata, Kawasaki, Ofuna, and Omiya East Exit. Being a regular source of sustenance for some of our reporters, we became worried about the possible implications of this news, fearing this might be a sign of more closures to come. Feeling compelled to do something to help, we set out to a nearby store in Nakano in a show of support for the chain, and to get a good meal while we were there. However, we weren't prepared for our surprise encounter with a dessert that had quite an unusual pairing with ramen sauce. Sitting in the restaurant, our eyes were drawn to a poster that raised many questions when we read it. The name of the product, Kotteri Yukimi, seemed self-explanatory: Tenkaippin often uses the word 'kotteri' in its product names to refer to its rich broth, and 'yukimi' elicits the image of ice cream covered in a thin, chewy, rice cake layer, due to a popular Japanese ice cream dessert called Yukimi Daifuku. So far, so good, but looking at the picture and an accompanying note in the corner, it encourages pouring ramen sauce onto ice cream. ▼ The message says: 'If you pour a little ramen sauce onto it, it gets even tastier. Be careful not to add too much.' Surely it's just a gimmick, right? It couldn't be that delicious, could it? Intrigued, we ordered one for 330 yen (US$2.30) to find out for ourselves. It soon arrived on the table in an assemble-it-yourself configuration. ▼ The first step was to put the dessert into the provided zip-lock bag. ▼ Add some kinako (roasted soybean flour). ▼ And shake… A simple, yet fun, process. Looking at the delightful balls sitting there in front of us, we couldn't resist the urge to pop one straight into our mouths, and sure enough it was as delicious as we had been expecting it to be. We briefly contemplated eating the other two in the same manner, but our eyes kept being drawn back to that little message about ramen sauce, so we poured a few drops onto the ice cream, and nervously took a bite… Amazing! The sauce combined with the surrounding kinako to bring out the sweetness of the ice cream with just the right hint of saltiness. The poster was not lying when it said it was more delicious with the ramen sauce: it was shockingly good. We apologized in our minds for doubting the store, and quickly enjoyed the last of our dessert. Leaving the restaurant, we can't recommend Kotteri Yukimi strongly enough. However, the dessert is only available at select stores which, according to the website, are: Kyoto Gojo Katsura Reboot, Route 1 Shimotoba, Kumiyama Shiga Katata, Ogotohama, Toyosato, Karasaki, Zeze Tokyo Koenji, Nakano Saitama Misato Interestingly, none of the stores that will be closing are on the list, so we couldn't help but make a connection: could it be that the stores were closing because they weren't selling unique products like Kotteri Yukimi? It's unlikely to be the sole reason, but we think it's entirely plausible to say it could be a contributing factor. With the recent report of Tenkaippin's closures, the stores will no doubt see a surge of visitors, but if you happen to be in the vicinity of one of the stores selling Kotteri Yukimi, be sure to give it a try. Store information Tenkaippin Nakano-ten / 天下一品中野店 Address: Tokyo-to, Nakano-ku, Arai 1-9-3 Grace Hill TMY 101 東京都中野区新井1-9-3 グレースヒルＴＭＹ101 Open: 10:00 a.m.-11:30 p.m. (Fridays and Saturdays until 3:00 a.m.) Closed: Tuesdays Website Related: Tenkaippin, J-Cast News Article Photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! [ Read in Japanese ]
