Tokyo News

🍺 Japan invented a beer glass that forces you to drink water 💧 Brewery YOHO Brewing has created a glass designed to prevent hangovers, literally. The catch: if you only drink the alcohol, the glass loses its balance and spills water all over the table (and anyone nearby). So you're forced to alternate sips of beer and water just to keep it upright. 📍 The glasses are already showing up in Japanese bars. The creators insist it's not just a gimmick — it's a genuine way to fight dehydration and next-day hangovers. @TokyoNews

🇯🇵 Not your typical Tokyo 📍 Tokyu Plaza Omotesando “Omokado” 👍 Hidden above the busy streets of Omotesando, Tokyu Plaza Omotesando “Omokado” offers a completely different perspective of the city. A great spot to take a break from the crowds, enjoy the rooftop views and see a more stylish and peaceful side of Tokyo. @TokyoCity

🛁 Tokyo sento fees hit record high 🎫 Adult admission at Tokyo's public bathhouses rose 50 yen to 600 yen on August 1 — the largest single increase on record. Officials say it's now the highest sento price in Japan. Operators blame soaring fuel costs; some customers say they'll cut back visits. 📉 The bigger picture: only 417 traditional bathhouses remain in Tokyo, part of a decades-long decline in sento culture. @TokyoNews

🗼 Tokyo Retail News 🛍 Swiss watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre is opening a new flagship boutique on Tokyo's Namiki-dori on August 20. The brand – known for its Reverso and Memovox lines – is relocating from its current Ginza Namiki Boutique into a new four-story building featuring a Japanese-inspired exterior and a Vallée de Joux-themed interior. Tokyo Weekender 📍 Namiki-dori, Ginza 📅 Opens August 20, 2026 @TokyoNews

🇯🇵 Kyushu earthquake, July 28, 2026 😔 A powerful magnitude-7.1 earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture on Kyushu Island, with its focus about 10 km deep. A second strong aftershock (M6.1) followed less than an hour later. 💥 Damage: Shaking hit the maximum level 7 on Japan's seismic intensity scale in some areas. A shopping mall floor collapsed in Kumamoto, and around 40,000 homes lost power. In Yatsushiro, the ground reportedly shifted by 84 cm. A tsunami warning was issued, then lifted. ☠️ Casualties: Death toll climbed fast — from 13 to 28 to 34, with dozens more injured, some seriously. 🏕️ Now: ~9,000 people remain in evacuation centers; many sleep in cars, fearing aftershocks and struggling with the heat. Officials warn more strong quakes could follow. 📌 This is the region's worst quake since 2016, when a series of tremors in Kumamoto killed 278 people. @TokyoNews

6️⃣ #places to go in @TokyoCity 📍

✈️ Japan just opened the world's first Pokémon airport 📍 Noto Satoyama Airport in Ishikawa reopened on July 7 as "Noto Satoyama Pokémon With You Airport" — the only airport in the world to officially bear the Pokémon name. A giant Pikachu balloon floats above the atrium, and all 111 Flying-type Pokémon discovered as of May 2026 appear throughout the terminal. ℹ️ The heart part: it's tied to disaster recovery. The project supports children affected by the deadly 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake while boosting local tourism. 📆 Theme runs until September 2029. @TokyoNews

🇯🇵 Japan has quietly become one of the cheapest developed countries to live in 📍 Tokyo – one of the world's biggest cities – is now 2-3x cheaper than other major global cities for everyday things: a cappuccino, internet, a 3-room apartment rental, electronics. 📱 And here's the kicker: Japan is currently the only country in the world where a new @iPhone costs less than in the US – an iPhone 17 Pro (256GB) runs about $1,121 in Japan vs. $1,181 in the US. Yen weakness meets decades of domestic deflation – and the result is a developed economy running on emerging-market prices. @TokyoNews

💴 Сash is king again in Tokyo 📰 Zentoshin, a payment processor used by bars, clubs and restaurants across Japan, just collapsed with ¥115 billion ($710M) in debt – the country's biggest bankruptcy this year, reportedly after years of cooked books. 💸 Around 200,000 shops relied on it. Now handwritten "cash only" signs are popping up all over Tokyo. In Kabukicho, one club owner said card payments made up 40% of his sales – and found out his processor vanished the same way everyone else did: from the news. A reminder that even in one of the world's most digitized cities, the yen in your wallet still matters. @TokyoNews

🏟 July Grand Sumo Tournament – Nagoya 🎌 One of Japan's 6 major sumo tournaments (basho) — 15 days of intense bouts, running Sunday to Sunday. Weekdays are quieter and roomier, weekends bring more crowds and energy. 📍 Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium 🚇 Shiyakusho 🌐 sumo.or.jp/en How to get there from Tokyo: 🚄 Shinkansen (fastest & most convenient) Nozomi — ~100 min, Hikari — ~110 min Departs from Tokyo or Shinagawa Station ~¥10,560–11,000 one way 🚌 Bus (budget option) From Tokyo/Shinjuku Station, from ~¥2,000 6–7 hours, overnight options available ✈️ Flight ~1 hr to Chubu Centrair Airport (from Haneda/Narita) With check-in and transfers, about the same as the shinkansen From Nagoya Station, take the subway to Shiyakusho Station – and you're there #events #culture @TokyoNews

🏮 30,000 lanterns light up Tokyo 🗓 July 13–16, 5pm–9:30pm 📍 Yasukuni Shrine, Tokyo 🚈 Kudanshita or Ichigaya Station ✨ The annual Mitama Matsuri at Yasukuni Shrine – arguably Tokyo's most beautiful summer lantern festival! Every corner of the shrine grounds, inside and out, glows with over 30,000 lanterns. P.S. Don't miss: Nebuta floats + Awa Odori dance on July 16 from 6:30pm. @TokyoNews

8️⃣ activities you can't miss in Tokyo @TokyoNews