Walkie Bits - What's Cool - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
Miniature toy turtles small enough to fit in the palm of the hand are this winter's hottest toys. Kids love the adorable way that the turtles slowly plod along, stop, and plod along again.

Nodame Cantabile - What's Cool - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
A comic about classical music has become hugely popular among children who used to think that this type of music was too difficult and hardly ever listened to it. Nodame Cantabile is a serial manga (comic) that has appeared in the girls' comic magazine Kiss since 2001. The manga is a comedy about a group of students at a music university who study classical music, including instruments like the piano, violin, timpani, and oboe, as well as conducting.

Snowball Fights - What's Cool - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
Kids who live in cold places have always enjoyed making snowballs and having snowball fights (yuki-gassen in Japanese). Recently, rules for snowball fighting have been drawn up, and people are having snowball fights as a kind of team sport. In this sport, players throw snowballs at their opponents and try to capture their flag.

Board Games Make a Comeback - What's Cool - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
Board games that were big hits in the age before video games became mainstream are experiencing a resurgence in popularity. Among these games, which groups of family and friends enjoy playing together, are Yakyu Ban (Baseball Board) and Jinsei Game (The Game of Life).

Aero R/C Cars - What's Cool - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
Remote-controlled model cars are usually expensive toys that most kids can't afford to buy with just their pocket money. But a new remote-control car that is much cheaper than previous models is now on the market, and thanks to its affordable price tag it has become a big hit with car-loving kids and adults alike.

Arashi no Yoru ni - What's Cool - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
The animated movie Arashi no Yoru ni (Stormy Night), released at the start of 2006, portrays the budding friendship between May the wolf and Gav the goat. Many of the estimated 1.5 million people who have seen the move in Japan are children. A lot of these kids read the illustrated book on which the film is based before going to see the movie.

Brave Story - What's Cool - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
Several major anime movies were released in the summer of 2006, but one movie in particular captured the imagination of children across Japan. Brave Story took four years to make and features a thrilling adventure story and spectacular images.

Learning History and Geography Through Card Games - What's Cool - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
Two new kinds of playing cards are proving very popular with Japanese elementary school kids. They help the kids learn about Japanese history and geography, as well as being fun.

Shizuku-chan - What's Cool - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
A theme park called Kidzania lets kids experience doing different kinds of work. Kidzania Tokyo opened in October 2006 in the Toyosu area of Tokyo. Every day since its opening, the park has been packed with kids visiting from all over the country.

Konapun - What's Cool - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
A toy that lets kids create imitation snacks that resemble the real thing is very popular in Japan today. The toy, called Konapun, first went on sale some 20 years ago, but the new version can make even more realistic copies of food. Konapun can be used to produce miniature replicas of a wide range of foods, including donuts, cakes, and ice cream.

Brain Clinic: IQ Supplement - What's Cool - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
Many families in Japan enjoy gathering around their TVs in the living room in the evenings to watch quiz shows. Kids and parents love to say the answers and compare their performances. One recent smash hit among kids and their families is a program called Brain Clinic: IQ Supplement.

Tenpo Ibun Ayakashi Ayashi - What's Cool - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan
It is 1843, the fourteenth year of the Tenpo era. The shogunate is in a financial crisis, and in the city of Edo (present-day Tokyo), which is plagued by famine, riots, and other alarming events, ayashi fighters battle horrific beasts from the otherworld known as yoi. This is the plot of Tenpo Ibun Ayakashi Ayashi, a mystical anime series that has been on the air since October 2006.

Functional but Chic | Fashion | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
Trends in Japan | Web Japan Functional but Chic Winter Outerwear Combines Snugness with Style This site uses JavaScript. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings. 中文 search Go to the

Fashion | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
Trends in Japan | Web Japan Functional but Chic Minis for the Cold?! "Wa" Is with the Latest Fashion? Berry-Tinted Winter Wild about Animal Prints Cute and Punk Vest Is Best A Winning Combinaison "Sa

Pop Culture | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
Trends in Japan | Web Japan Mascots Making Waves "Element Girls" Bring Chemistry to Life Tokyo Character Street Otaku Tourism Comic Essays Offer Glimpses of Otaku Life Bumper Year for Japanese Cinema

Masked Masses | Lifestyle | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
Trends in Japan | Web Japan Masked Masses Masks Used to Keep Out Germs and Pollen This site uses JavaScript. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings. 中文 search Go to the main text.

Hi-tech Winter Underwear | Lifestyle | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
Trends in Japan | Web Japan Hi-tech Winter Underwear New Thermals Help to Combat Climate Change This site uses JavaScript. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings. 中文 search Go to th

Minis for the Cold?! | Fashion | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
Trends in Japan | Web Japan Minis for the Cold?! Mini Skirts Become "Hot" Winter Fashion This site uses JavaScript. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings. 中文 search Go to the main

"Element Girls" Bring Chemistry to Life | Pop Culture | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
Trends in Japan | Web Japan "Element Girls" Bring Chemistry to Life Book on the Periodic Table Attracts Readers of All Ages This site uses JavaScript. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's sett

Mascots Making Waves | Pop Culture | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
Trends in Japan | Web Japan Mascots Making Waves "Loose" Characters Employed to Boost Local Development This site uses JavaScript. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings. 中文 search