All those calendars for next year that show the Emperor's birthday as December 23rd are going to need to be revised: https://japantoday.com/category/politics/Emperor-Akihito-to-abdicate-on-April-30-2019

I guess the people that live in Ginza feel like they have an image to uphold: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-42999569

Interesting article on life in Japan's train stations: https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2018/05/the-amazing-psychology-of-japanese-train-stations/560822/

Speaking of trains, Hello Kitty Shinkansen arriving on June 30th:https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/hello-kitty-shinkansen-train-japan/index.html

To paraphrase Scotty from Star Trek IV, "There be a whale in Tokyo Bay": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuPSqDF27HE

Yesterday, a typhoon, Kansai Airport flooded. Today, a 6.7 earthquake in Hokkaido. Did I really say I wouldn't mind living there???

Maybe I should put this under "Japanese Culture" since vending machines are so much are part of Japan. Anyway, in Hiroshima they now have pizza vending machine: https://soranews24.com/2018/08/11/the-first-ever-pizza-dispensing-vending-machine-in-japan-is-now-operating-in-hiroshima/

If you can't make it to the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, maybe you can get to the Osaka World Expo in 2025: https://www.expo2025-osaka-japan.jp/en/

Got a baby that's fussy or cranky? Honda, yes, Honda, has just the thing for you: https://japanesenostalgiccar.com/news-honda-thinks-the-sound-of-revving-cars-will-soothe-your-baby/

Watch the video, it's really cute.

It's never to young to "GO": https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20190105/p2a/00m/0na/019000c

Sayonara "Heisei", hajimemashite "Reiwa": https://www.npr.org/2019/04/01/708648297/new-era-name-reiwa-defines-japan-as-emperor-akihito-prepares-to-abdicate

Well, it's officially the Reiwa era now. Although it looked to me like a lot of people were just using it as a excuse to go drinking.

Maybe they're just making up for not having an Emperor's Birthday holiday this year. (Naruhito's birthday was back in February.)

Wonder how long before this shows up in the plot of a drama: https://pressfrom.info/us/news/science-and-technology/-279720-anti-groping-smartphone-app-highly-popular-in-japan.html

First major tournament, first major win: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/04/sports/golf/hinako-shibuno-womens-british-open.html