Sweet Bean Treats | Lifestyle | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
More and more health- and weight-conscious Japanese, and women in particular, are eschewing sweets made from sugar and flour and turning instead to delicacies made of beans, which tend to be a lot better for one's health.

Teaching Old Houses New Tricks | Lifestyle | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
The old townhouses of Kyoto are attracting renewed attention. Some are being used again as homes, while others are being remodeled into inns, cafes, restaurants, and boutiques.

The Pleasures of Paper | Lifestyle | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
Japanese paper is prized for the unique patterns of the fibers on each sheet. Today, washi is finding growing use in interior decoration schemes, reflecting a broader trend, particularly among young people, to get back in touch with Japanese culture.

Squeeze-and-Eat Convenience | Lifestyle | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
A new kind of packaging is taking the food and beverage industry by storm: plastic pouches with screw-off caps. Some people consider these pouches the greatest thing since PET bottles, the plastic bottles commonly used for mineral water and other beverages.

Back on the Tracks | Lifestyle | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
The number of cities served by trams is set to rise. Several cities, mainly in provincial areas, have built or are planning to build next-generation tram systems. The vehicles typically run within central city areas and supplement intercity rail services.

Tourists Flock to Tsukiji | Lifestyle | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
Tokyo's Tsukiji Fish Market is enjoying booming popularity among foreign tourists, who go there not only to take a look around the bustling marketplace but also to lunch on some of the freshest sushi in Japan.

Celebrating International Cooperation | Lifestyle | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
The government of Japan has designated October 6 International Cooperation Day, and to celebrate this, an International Cooperation Festival is held every year at the beginning of October.

Counter Culture | Lifestyle | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
More and more trendy bars and restaurants have been setting up standing counters, which have proven particularly popular among young women.

Vinegar Drinks Catching on | Lifestyle | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
Vinegar, known as o-su in Japanese, is considered to be good for the health, particularly for improving circulation and countering fatigue. Now more and more Japanese are seeking the benefits of vinegar by drinking vinegar-based beverages.

Lucky Charms for the Twenty-First Century | Lifestyle | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
Every New Year's holiday, millions of Japanese head to shrines or temples to pray for good fortune for the coming year. The shrine visits would not be complete without the purchase of a good-luck charm, called o-mamori in Japanese.

Japan's Queen of Homemaking | Lifestyle | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
When it comes to the art and science of Japanese homemaking, Harumi Kurihara reigns supreme. Kurihara's reputation went global in February when her English-language book, Harumi's Japanese Cooking, was selected as Best Cookbook of the Year 2004 at the 10th Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.

What Is Your Favorite Tourist Destination in Japan? | Lifestyle | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
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Job-Hunting Season Starts Early | Lifestyle | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
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Kyushu Shinkansen Line | Lifestyle | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
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Healthy with Bittern | Lifestyle | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
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The Return of the Samurai | Lifestyle | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
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What Places Would You Recommend to Foreign Tourists? | Lifestyle | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
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Who's the Loser? | Lifestyle | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
It was once rare for women to remain single and childless into their thirties, and those that did were often viewed with suspicion. But now that Japanese women are choosing from a much greater variety of lifestyles, a book of essays by popular columnist Sakai Junko that trumpets the advantages of the single life is flying off the shelves.

A New World Heritage Site | Lifestyle | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
The Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range have just been designated Japan's twelfth World Heritage Site.

Building Bridges | Lifestyle | Trends in Japan | Web Japan
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