Japan

Seattle – October 06, 2026 -- REI Co-op and Japanese retailer BEAMS today launched the BEAMS x REI Co-op Expedition Parka, a limited-edition jacket based on an original 1986 design found in REI's archive. Only 500 units were made, and the parka goes on sale October 6 for $599 online and at select stores.

The jacket pairs 1986 styling with 2026 materials

The parka uses WINDSTOPPER by GORE-TEX LABS fabric, 650-fill-power down insulation and recycled materials. Its durable water repellent coating is made without PFAS, and the jacket is produced in a Fair Trade Certified factory. A coordinating stuff sack and co-branded details are included.

Osaka – October 02, 2026 -- MIMARU Osaka Namba Station Annex opened its doors on October 1, bringing 68 apartment-style guestrooms designed for families and groups to Japan's Namba district. Half the units sleep up to six guests, while the other half accommodate up to four, and every room comes with a kitchen, dining area and in-room washer-dryer.

The property is operated by Cosmos Hotel Management Co., Ltd. under its MIMARU brand, which positions itself as Japan's apartment hotel chain for families and larger travel groups.

A 100-square-meter suite tops the building with a private terrace

The standout accommodation is the Sky Garden Three-Bedroom Suite, a 100-square-meter apartment on the top floor built for six guests. It includes six single beds, three washbasins, two toilets, a bathroom and a separate shower room, plus a private outdoor terrace overlooking Osaka. Room sizes across the property range from 39 to 100 square meters.

Kanazawa – – September 30, 2026 -- Roughly 40 vendors will gather at Shiinoki Ryokuchi park in Kanazawa, Japan, for the two-day KANAZAWA Oishii Festa 2026, running Saturday, October 17 through Sunday, October 18 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This year's theme centers on fermented food, with 23 food vendors serving dishes made exclusively for the event under the banner "Local Ingredients and Fermentation." Dishes will feature Kaga vegetables, heirloom varieties grown in the region since before 1945, alongside local seafood, all flavored with Ōno soy sauce brewed in Kanazawa's Ōno district since the early 1600s and Kaga miso made with rice koji.

Visitors Can Sample Local Sake, Craft Beer and Original Cocktails

The drink lineup includes sake from Kanazawa, craft beer and original cocktails, giving attendees the option to eat their way through the festival or simply relax on the lawn.

Tokyo – September 21, 2026 -- Netmarble let fans go hands-on with three unreleased games at Tokyo Game Show 2026, marking the South Korean publisher's second consecutive year at the event.

The company expanded its booth from 56 units in 2025 to 63 units this year, swapping last year's lineup of MONGIL: STAR DIVE and The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin for three new titles: Shangri-La Frontier: The Seven Colossi, Solo Leveling: KARMA and Pearl in Blue.

Shangri-La Frontier makes its playable debut

Shangri-La Frontier: The Seven Colossi, the first game based on the popular Shangri-La Frontier anime and manga, appeared in playable form for the first time at the show. Attendees tested its tag-based collectible RPG combat, while stage sessions with the development team and anime voice actors walked through its strategic elements.

Tokyo – September 19, 2026 -- Tanseisha Co., Ltd. has relaunched the official website for THE TOKYO PASS, a digital pass granting access to over 50 of Tokyo's cultural attractions, gardens, and landmarks through a smartphone QR code. To mark the renewal, the company is running a limited-time 50% discount campaign this autumn exclusively for international visitors to Tokyo.

The pass eliminates ticket lines with a single QR scan

Travelers using THE TOKYO PASS can skip advance bookings and ticket-counter queues by scanning a QR code directly at each venue entrance. Tanseisha positions the pass as a way to move seamlessly between contemporary art museums and historic gardens across the city.

Tokyo – September 19, 2026 -- The Tokyo Metropolitan Government launched a new English-language tourism website on Monday, September 14, 2026, designed to help international visitors extend their trip beyond the capital into the northern Kanto region.

The site, called "KITAKANTO x TOKYO," was developed by the Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau (TCVB) in partnership with the prefectures of Ibaraki, Tochigi and Gunma. It is available at kitakantoandtokyo.org.

The site highlights destinations one to two hours from Tokyo by train

Beyond Tokyo's major attractions, the website showcases natural scenery, historic sites and hot springs across the three northern Kanto prefectures. It combines suggested travel routes with practical tourism information from each participating local government, along with details on rail and other transportation links.

Tokyo – September 16, 2026 -- Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo has finalized its lineup of drop-in cultural workshops running from September through December 2026, letting guests craft their own souvenirs on-site without a reservation.

The program includes flower arranging inspired by the mid-autumn full moon and tsumami-zaiku ornamental hairpins

Sessions take place regularly in the Lobby on the 3rd floor of the hotel's Main Tower, part of a series called "Journey into Japan: A Workshop of Cultural Discovery." Each monthly workshop is led by Japanese artists and tied to a seasonal theme, giving participants a finished piece to take home.

Tokyo – September 12, 2026 -- Casio Computer Co., Ltd. has announced a new addition to its G-STEEL line of shock-resistant G-SHOCK watches, the GST-W1000, which pairs the brand's signature durability with a refined metal case built from multiple finely finished components.

Four metal pieces replace the single bezel design

Instead of a single bezel covering the case, the GST-W1000 uses four separately finished metal elements on its exterior. The design hides fixing screws along the sides while maintaining shock resistance, giving the watch a seamless look from bezel to band. Four distinct finishes -- linear brushing, circular brushing, mirror finish, and polishing -- are applied across the surfaces to highlight the metal's texture.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING -- June 6, 2026 -- Lexus has pulled back the curtain on the TZ, its first-ever three-row battery electric SUV, and the story behind how it was built is just as compelling as the car itself. The world premiere took place on May 7 at Toyota Technical Center Shimoyama — a sprawling development hub straddling the cities of Toyota and Okazaki in Aichi Prefecture — drawing media from across Japan and around the world to witness a significant milestone for the Lexus brand. From the way the rear seats cocoon passengers to a quietly refined drive that left testers genuinely surprised, the TZ is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious electric vehicles to come out of Japan, and the infrastructure to support it is growing alongside it.