Cool Japan - Episode Guide

Products related to diet is full of the "zero food" ... town "diet book", the food corner in the bookstore! Foreigners seem to wonder, the Japanese who wants to lose weight to a normal figure no matter how you look at it. To such alien, I had explored the idea was born from there also feelings, to figure unique to the Japanese. Female foreigners, challenge to some diet regime this time further. Really the result! ? ... Stay tuned!

Conditions of a country is plain to see America and high health care costs, the Italian ... "household" to stick South Korea, the education-minded fashion. Spending habits of the Japanese, is there any features in sense of the value of money? The program, to cover the sideline and you can get your wallet circumstances of office workers to make ends meet hard for the family and 100 people questionnaire, a little revenue. prolonged recession, what in the eyes of foreigners in Japan "household"! ?

The change to wear the "slippers" to walk in the "health sandals" morning, go to work and wearing "leather shoes" and come back, I wear a dedicated "sandals" in the veranda. The rainy day "boots", of course the kimono "sandals". It seems obvious at first glance, but the foreigners who came to Japan, that surprised the large number of types of footwear. How foreigners or are you looking at, these colorful footwear culture? I introduce the latest situation in Japan of "footwear".

Japan's world-class "security". Gad children alone, apparently one of your female customers, passengers on the train to sleep seems to be comfortable is the scene of daily life in the downtown area at night. The coverage from a variety of angles of Japanese foreign envy the "safe" this time! Such a thing is? Not a certain foreign me this! ? Such as, I introduce become apparent through the eyes of foreigners, the efforts of Japan to "safety".

So opening ceremonies, exhibitions, shops, Common to these ... gifts, "flower". How to be admired simply because it is Japan there are four seasons of "flower", how fun. How is this different from the sense of Europe, Asia, Oceania for "flower"? I pick up and festival of flowers there is a history of more than 100 years, and flowers that are produced in cultivation technology of world-class, Japanese indispensable throughout the life the "flower".

I do not notice too much and has been living normally, but around us is filled with a variety of music. Such as the time signal of the evening flowing through the city to the melody to inform and acoustic signal at the intersection, BGM in the shop, the departure of the train. This time, high-tech instrument which made full use of music and of such a familiar city, a state-of-the-art technology of Japan, the forthcoming popular song of Japan to "Enka" further. Weaving heart of Japanese from the lyrics, such as liquor, tears, rain, snow "Enka" or be accepted really. Staring at the Japanese music scene in the eyes and sensibility of foreigners, and begin to look for cool.

I cast this question to foreigners who are participating in the "COOL JAPAN". Foreign most people reply "bread of Japan! Delicious world" and then "? Feel deliciously 's bread in Japan". Favorite things French also with the taste of the assent fluffy, of glutinous "bread", stuck a mince and fried noodles "side dish pan" and "French bread". But were some foreigners deny squarely as "taste bread of Japan is impossible!" The introduction of Japan that was the first in the world to develop a "bread machine", the bread making serious this time. Alien who had been denied, or accept the bread of Japan! ?

Tourist season of spring came. One of the pleasure to come made, some were born on the land "souvenir". Human family and friends, and at work, buy would also be large. From a foreigner, Japanese seems to buy a souvenir well. The program, to introduce the development secret story of the product to be sung and souvenirs school trip Namara chose, the "souvenir in Japan". In addition, I asked them to show off also souvenir of Japan to return foreigners to buy. With souvenir story, foreign or go home what you have! ?

Start "COOL JAPAN" of the sixth year. The announcement in one fell swoop the Japanese cool unearthed in 2010. I decide cool in the cool "Cool of Cool 2010" from that. In addition, I introduce cool goods culture gap in the world and Japan Studio has to heat up, foreigners brought back to home country, a video message of foreigners watching a program in international broadcasting.

The theme was "make-up of Japan". Foreigners surprised to figure that Japanese makeup beans cosmetics and variety. Makeup brushes and Japanese top model of the world actress and Hollywood know and love. It will not be stopped if I use it once a feel is soft. Foreigners to visit the manufacturer of Hiroshima, I approach the secret of its popularity. In addition, makeup not only to clean, has the effect of tension and out in life, or heal the heart. Foreigners to experience "out of energy" make-up.

Not only delicious, sweets taste the season from the appearance. Popular with foreigners and Japanese sweet variety arranged in a convenience store, the sweet far from relaxing comfortably. And Ge to be prized as a material of Japanese sweets. I repeated the work called kakkonto dug up in winter, and quite common cold to a litter made. kudzu eating after the foreigners saw a job that requires patience taste of the best. Introducing the German woman who was apprenticed to the well-established Japanese confectionery shop in Kyoto further. The Fascinated by the elegance that you put to lend a sense of the seasons, you are working hard in training.

Japanese young and old hairstyle various drift by. Assortment is rich in hair accessories and hair color. And development secret story surprised the alien the world's first "hair film". But instead of wear like a wig far, put on the hair loss part a thin film that planted the population hair. In addition, beauty salons Japan bathe rave reviews of foreign services and high technology. Training system of its own supported the technology. For the Japanese say, "hair life" up to, and foreigners who do not particular about hair often.

People to bring a lunch to work that is increasing. When you visit a company in the lunchtime foreigners, and handmade bento box lunch my mother, beloved wife to lunch. Lunch healthy that thought about nutritional balance in many cases. "The Day of lunch," which is done in elementary school in Utsunomiya. I do it yourself to pack the children shopping, cooking, the lunch box. Likes and dislikes is eliminated, thanks to the parent would deepen. Ekiben of overheating formula container to be warm just pull the string. I will introduce the development story. Lunch in Japan Cool?

Japanese are said to be polite. But sometimes it strange countries and cultures have different common sense in the Japanese. When I rode the elevator and when you are walking down the street, Japanese can not write a voice to people who do not know. The pictures were taken with the blunt, or is thought to be dangerous sometimes abroad. Japanese have been taught to be heard in silence the story of people. So there is also that it would have been thought whether not interested to talk. I will verify the courtesy on the theme greeting, conversation, grooming, four of the meal.

How foreigners wonder looking at the Japan that was hit by the earthquake of unprecedented. Action tenacious calm Japanese, bullish mind to trying to help people and without regard themselves, foreigners who appeared in the "COOL JAPAN" so far, are increasingly in awe again. I visited the affected areas of Tohoku, who has lead a calm report to their home country who has. Their words, is also a Yale to the Japanese embarked towards reconstruction. Special issue to tell the thought of foreigners.

What is convenient and easy to use is often kitchenware Japan. Foreigners and bother you at home in Japan, I admire surprise, to have skillfully mastering it kind of kitchenware to rich. Paper pack burning fish easily in the microwave. When asked of the company which has developed, it was something that was created at the end of pains in mind that single employees want to eat grilled fish easily at home. Santoku knife meat fish vegetables cut with a kitchen knife one. Foreigners enjoy the number of dishes people you have built up in the kitchen knife.

Japanese television are interesting to listen to foreigners. But this is not that native also that many. But what are the differences? One of these things is often variety show. We also play an active part "talent" is that it is the presence of a uniquely Japanese. Efforts to become a multi has been hidden behind the ornate world. Another feature that the ingenuity thoroughly for clarity also difficult. Foreigners in close contact with the behind-the-scenes program production.

There is a cheerful shopping street to to sell the features of a friendly community and humanity. Shops and housing department are integrated lined, and people store and customers are intimately Furea~tsu the shopping district of downtown Tokyo. Event of shopping district of Nanao, Ishikawa Prefecture is "bride goodwill", managed to attract tourists taking advantage of the tradition. Elderly local has also been active in the management. Kyoto Muko "super-hot shopping street" is planning to boost the development of the area having started the theme of "super-hot" with a new idea. How foreigners will see the shopping district of Japan.

Advanced toy busier adults end up hooked in Japan. Adult toy love, men seem more especially when I asked in the city. On the other hand, some moms enjoy a dish using cooking toy and daughter. Tournament to compete the skill of drift which runs while skidding the tires of a car radio control. Foreigners in close contact with the adult work toward victory. And men of retirement age after fix the broken toys of children "toy hospital". To adult Japanese love toys reaction of foreigners?

Turn off the smell of body odor and bad breath toilet, and room "deodorant goods" is sold in Japan. And such as he would cheat in a strong smell such as perfume than in Europe and the United States. And aims for sales up by issuing an artificial smell of curry in the supermarket, businesses that actively use smell has begun. In addition, at the request home, hospital, hotel, etc., licensed smell examiner is working on getting rid of bad smell. How foreigners would think the Japanese lifestyle and sensitive to smell?

Countries where water comes out for free are not many you enter the dining room. Countries where ready-to-drink water from the tap of the water supply not many. Delicious water are everywhere in Japan. You are carrying from Kyoto all the water that is used for cooking in the well-established in the Kyoto cuisine in Tokyo. Taste of Kyoto that because not come out otherwise. And "digging Kazusa" transmitted to the Chiba Kazusa district. Technology well 500 meters Horeru only human power are serving in countries around the world suffering from lack of water. Foreigners stare of Japan "water".

Countries that shed easily there are many breakfast, but the Japanese tradition to eat well from the morning. Affection and nutrition full breakfast of Japanese home. Service in the morning, such as limited morning meal and morning service are substantial in the city. Experience the breakfast of enhancement at the inn is popular by foreigners delicious breakfast. I visited the production center of the breakfast attendant Japanese "plum" further. Breakfast consisting of vitality day with a healthy and delicious. Foreign people would talk about what kind of impression?

Well, ride the bullet train is popular among foreigners at high speed. I made a trip to Kagoshima foreigners use the Tokaido Shinkansen, Sanyo Shinkansen, the Kyushu Shinkansen from Tokyo. Pleasing the individual is interior design and style of the vehicle, respectively. And visited the linear railway museum in Nagoya, check the safety of the Shinkansen, which is supported by the maintenance of night and Doctor Yellow. The close contact with the photographer to keep track only Shinkansen In addition, the approach also attractive as a subject.

It is Japan's consumption sluggish revenue is not increased in recession, but a variety of services shake the minds of consumers, such as Women's Day and point card in the "money" is being performed in the city. I aim to Barker in the event "all-you-can-dress Children's Clothing" and "all-you-can-packed goods" in a furniture store. By using a coupon, you can If you do not feel like taking the rickshaw, you can experience the baked rice cracker in Hida Takayama package tour of a travel company. How foreigners would think the Japanese ride it and businesses using the "money"?

Japan is prone country world's best aquarium. People who go to the aquarium often repeatedly when I tried to ask in the city. What you see and collaboration of art school of sardines swim to the music, dolphin show, fish and also pleasing colorful. Along with the renovation, aquarium in the roof of the building plus a new charm with a tunnel aquarium jellyfish and donut-shaped water tank seen from below the sea lions swim. The close contact with your veterinarian to address health management of marine mammal further. What foreigners do see the aquarium in Japan?

Foreigners surprised to dexterity the Japanese fold the laundry. I want to experiment any difference whether out Japanese and foreigners and pack a suitcase the same clothing in the studio. The space yacht Japan has succeeded for the first time in the world, "Icarus". It is a dream of spacecraft forward in response to the solar sail, but launch How do I fold a huge sail, what problem was or spread in space. Technology of origami that had been utilized in the development. Culture Folding Japanese tradition, I will visit the production site of Odawarajochin further.

Season of the palate, fruit of many greet the season. Luxury brand of Miyazaki mango specialty. When asked the farmers, mango is enclosed in a net one by one in the house. That we're increasing the sugar content is allowed to ripe on the vine until it falls to the net. Delaware Seedless grape was born from the accidental discovery of fruit trees in the test site. I have made bunch of one immersed in gibberellin growth hormone. Fruits and Japan look and beautiful delicious, foreigners stare favorite Japanese the fruit.

There are several how to read the numbers, some Chinese numerals, Arabic numerals, Roman numerals and characters that are used in Japan. How is the proper use bother foreigners. In addition, the speed of mental arithmetic of Japanese that seem mysterious to foreigners. Was in the abacus that I learned as a child is the secret. And specialty store which attracted only product of top ranking. Japanese stick to rankings wonder cool. How foreigners see Japanese to offertory of the shrine from the amount of your celebration, stick figures?

I surprised that the Japanese would love ramen foreigner goes out of the city to many. Families create a matrix in popular ramen shop, downtown at night crowded with people enjoying the ramen of the wet after drinking. Ramen new species of radish and tomatoes were also included appearance, noodles soup ingredients and I have continued to evolve. If you visit the famous Fukushima Kitakata in Gotochi ramen, to until the ramen far from the nation's leading, there is a strategy to apply to economic development projects in the area. Foreigners close to deep relationship ramen and Japanese.

Special version that went to Iwate Hiraizumi to jump out the studio. Hiraizumi capital of Northeast boasted glory of 100 years Oshu Fujiwara is built in the late Heian period. I was registered as a World Heritage Site in June this year. Raise the voice of admiration to the beauty of the Golden Hall Chusonji shining gold, foreign party felt the peace of mind on the mezzanine of the Pure Land garden Motsuji. He also touched the heart to experience the rice cake is taught to you in local, will have to treat the cuisine of specialty, to cherish the warm hospitality.

Foreigners who came to Japan's surprised that Japan is clean and tidy. Garbage does not fall to the city, and I also seen figure of cleaning in a group, such as neighborhood association. In the season of spring cleaning, cleaning goods and detergent rich are lined up and go to the store end of the year. Japanese tidy developed a fiber that I kneaded the silver with the antibacterial action. It is utilized for clothes for nurses and infant clothes. It is said that recently renovated proceeded restroom of highway, comfort and the cleanliness of the hotel seems to foreigners.

Satoyama is a word that represents Japan's unspoilt scenery co-existing with local life and nature. Our foreign guests experienced Japan's Satoyama--natural thickets, rice paddies, and brooks; as well as the native bio-diversity--herons, frogs, and dragonflies. Many city families enjoyed rice planting using a rice paddy ownership system in Kamogawa City in Chiba Prefecture. Also featured is Niigata Prefecture's Sado City, where the Japanese crested ibis was born; and the community of Sado, where Satoyama preservation and semi-organic cultivation is promoted.

Japanese people are extremely excited about the Olympics. Our interviews revealed that everyone loves the Olympics in Japan. Our foreign guests are surprised by Japan's enthusiasm. In Europe and South America, World Cup Soccer seems very popular. There are a number of big TVs ready to be sold at home electronics stores and a great demand for London Olympic tours. Japan's filming technology leads the world in delivering the true dynamics of the Olympics. What do our foreign guests think about Japan's Olympic craze?

Karaoke, born 40 years ago, has become a major leisure activity enjoyed by men and women of all ages. Karaoke boxes compete in providing customers with a variety of services such as dress-up costumes, voice dubbing experiences, online duet singing with strangers, etc.. Even on the streets, most Japanese would sing boldly upon request. Where does their passion come from? How will our foreign guests view their enthusiasm?

Foreigners say Japan is an easy place to live as singles. You will find food packed in small quantities at supermarkets and many restaurants for singles to casually enjoy. And, More businesses like "Single Karaoke", "Single Hotpot Menus", "Single Japanese Bars" etc., are active in the market. Travel agencies now promote "Single Trips for Women", not so much available in the past. And there's even condominiums equipped with full facilities for residents to enjoy various activities with meals included. Let's find out how life is as a single customer in Japan!

Sumo is also very popular among foreigners. Our foreign guest explored Sumo town, Ryogoku and found 1 pound steaks to King size clothing stores. A Stable master introduced us to the Kokugikan and Sumo Training School where the newly entered Sumo wrestler learned about Sumo for 6 months. Visiting Sumo Stable is a whole new experience to see their life style living together and their hard training. Our foreign guest also went to meet a child sumo wrestler who is aiming to become Yokozuna in the future. Let's rediscover what is fascinating about Sumo through foreigners eyes.

Japanese use trees for many things such as building houses, a wooden bath tab for relaxation and having meals with wooden chopsticks. Even Tokyo's concrete jungle has plenty of trees and greens. Japanese roadside trees give colorful flavors to each season. And you can also see advanced roof greening. The rock-breaking cherry tree, Ishiwarizakura, its beauty and strength has been drawing attention to local people to reflect on their lives. A foreigner fascinated by bonsai came to Japan under apprenticeship. Let's see how foreigners see Japanese people and their relationship with trees.

The birthrate has been decreasing in Japan but giving birth has become more precious. Pregnant women stay in long line ups to pray for an easy delivery on "The day of the dog" at Suitengu in Tokyo. The first gift from parents to their baby is a "Name." Let's take a look at the difference of baby naming in Japan! And introducing "Ikujii" -- Grandfather is keen on helping with child-raising. What will our foreign guests say about grandfathers who help child-raising? Let's find"Cools"on "Pregnancy and Childbirth."

The best season for learning, Autumn is here. Foreigners notice calligraphy writing is used for various signs. We asked people on the streets to write in calligraphy and it was something. We found out that many Japanese wrote well with a calligraphy brush. We visited a stationary manufacture that promoted their brush pens throughout Japan to learn their development story. We then visited a high school calligraphy performance team that will participate in the "Shodo Performance Championship." How will our foreign guests feel about many characteristics of Japanese calligraphy.

The tender and high quality of Japanese marbled beef is now well-known as "Wagyu" in the world. Our foreign guests are surprised to see that high-grade beef is sold for 8, 000yen per 100g! Also, thin-sliced beef is well-accepted in Japan and Japanese eat beef such as Sukiyaki or Steak on special occasions, which made them surprised. They visited a massive factory to find out the secret behind the reasonable and tasty Beef Bowls. How will foreigners respond to the Japanese beef innovation of "Mold-coated aged beef"

Autumn, the season for traveling has arrived! Expectations of traveling in Japan and overseas are quite different. Our foreign guests went on a one-day bus tour visiting 5 places you see a factory and enjoy grape picking which was very busy and surprised our foreign guests. One type of tour in Nagoya features gOmotenashi Bushotaih--Hospitality Warlords, which attracts more tourists. What is the secret of their popularity? Our foreign guest also tried the Shikoku 88 Pilgrimage and was deeply moved by the warm hospitality of locals, gOsettai.h How do our foreign guests feel about Japanese tours?

Cool Japan special--Stepped out of the studio and explored Kyoto with our foreign guests! We didn't visit typical Kyoto attractions such as Kiyomizu-dera or Kinkaku-ji but visited places recommended by foreign residents of Kyoto. Kyoto Studio Park has been made for movie productions and you can also enjoy the period play attractions. We even experienced a newly opened haunted house there! We've also visited a Manga museum which stores approx. 300,000 mangas as well as their history. And we visited Machiya --A traditional Kyoto styled house which shows old Kyoto life style as preserved and renovated nicely to modern Japan.

Do Japanese people like dolls? When you take a walk in the city, you see mascot dolls and people hold mobile phones with doll straps around every corner. A Japanese fashion doll that has been loved in Japan had numerous observations and innovations repeatedly to create the little girl's world with the dolls family and friends. And Ningyo joruri was handed down in Nagahama city in Shiga prefecture, an American who is fascinated by dolls has been under apprenticeship there. Our foreign guests will see and discuss the latest updates of Japanese dolls and Japanese doll lovers.

"Joshi Power"is refocused after impressive performance during the London Olympics. In these days, we hear the word "Joshi" quite often such as "Joshi power boost", "Joshikai."What is "Joshi" really? We had conducted the survey in the city to find out. And we visited a car manufacture that has developed a car targeted for women. We interviewed the "Joshi" team that developed the car for women. Also, we followed the "Joshikai" that is happening in the city. How does Japanese "Joshikai" differ from "Girls night out." Our foreign guests will look into true meaning of "Joshi."

Foreigners are always surprised to be served, "Oshibori" and free water at restaurants in Japan. They are also impressed with courteous taxi drivers, and information attendants available at many of the train stations. Japan is overflowing with the spirit of "omotenashi" hospitality. We will introduce a world famous cosmetics company that is spreading Japanese "omotenashi" hospitality around the world with its beauty consultant competitions. Our foreign guest new to Japan to spend the night at a Japanese familyfs home in a village in Nagano with spectacular natural beauty, to experience real Japanese "omotenashi" hospitality.

"Cool Japan" makes its debut on NHK General TV! 50 foreigners come together in the studio to discuss the different and strange behaviors and habits of the Japanese. "Why do Japanese people sleep everywhere?", "Why do Japanese cry in public?", "Why don't Japanese talk in elevators?" Through foreigners' reports from real Japanese peoples' daily lives and heated discussions, we rediscover the appeal the Japanese and their culture have to offer. Singer Kumiko Mori will join as a guest.

Foreigner's questions towards the behaviors and habits of the Japanese can't be answered in only one night. The fun in the studio continues for a Part 2. "Why are Japanese so particular about the time?" "Why donft Japanese women show cleavage?" Through a passionate discussion, differences are highlighted between different countries cultures, daily habits, communication, and ways of thinking. Will Japanese behavior be understood by foreigners? We re-examine the Japanese through the fresh viewpoint and sensibility of foreigner's pers.

Everyone carries tissues around with them, and houses use papers in "Shoji" and "Fusuma". In cooking, the techniques of the "Paper Hot Pot" and "Kamijio" use Japanese paper. Our foreign guests are surprised at the abundant use of paper in Japanese people's lives. Soft, "hoshitsu" tissue is gentle on the skin when blowing one's nose. This was the result of honest, hard work. Origami has taken off from Japan to the world. A group of students rearrange origami into modern art. Our foreign guests see the Japanese culture of papers.

special shooting was taking place at Kanagawa University. Foreigners often say that Japanese universities have lots of surprising aspects. There are "Physical Education," classes where many sports can be enjoyed. In the "Cafeteria," students can eat cheap and delicious food. At the "School Festivals," local residents can join in the fun at these grand scale events. We also shine light on the development of cutting edge humanoid robots, and the impeccable assistance the university provides to help students find jobs after graduation. International students of Kanagawa University participate as well. MCs are Shoji Kokami and Rie Uozumi.

This is the second public shooting special at Kanagawa University and 200th anniversary for "Cool Japan"! The theme is "Television" which started broadcasting 60 years ago. Our foreign guests find out how much Japanese love TV as they even own several of them at home. Take a close look at the Japanese "Announcer" who is in charge of variety programs to News or even music programs. Discover the secret of the NHK morning dramas which have been on for more than 50 years. What is the difference between Japanese Television and the rest of the world? MCs are Shoji Kokami and Rie Uozumi.

Japanese manufacturing has been supported by craftsmen. Our foreign guests visited the Edo Shitamachi Crafts Museum where over 50 kinds of products such as woodcarvings or silverware are displayed. You can even see the craftsmanfs demonstration there. The shipyard which has been operating over 200 years since the Edo period is introduced and the ship carpenter is full of wood knowledge and is now challenging to build wooden bicycles. A Canadian lives in a old folk house in the mountains and is raising silkworms to make thread which is dyed indigo and then weaves cloth. How will our foreign guests see the remarkable Japanese craftsmanfs skills?

Salt Ramen and Salt Yakisoba are popular in Japan. Our foreign guests seem to be mystified because they don't have any dish named after Salt. And they use salt only as an ingredient. They are surprised by sprinkling salt over watermelon or even knowing salty sweets. The madam of the traditional Koji(Malt) shop has produced a new style of Shio-Koji which became a big hit. They promoted it by sharing the recipes and having seminars. Our foreign guest went to Izumo City in Shimane prefecture to explore the root of purifying salt and experienced "Drawing Seawater". These features relate the unique relationship between Japanese and salt.

Tempura donburi (Ten-don), Katsu-don, and Gyu-don are just a few of the well-known types of, "Donburi," a rice bowl dish. Recently, newcomers such as the famous Turkish kebab have even been transformed into "Kebab don". Because of its ease to make and voluminous portions, it is also enjoyed at many homes. Toki City in Gifu Prefecture is Japan's number one producer of donburi dishware. There, we can see the wisdom and techniques of Japan's craftsmanship. At Atsumi Peninsula in Aichi prefecture, over 40 restaurants come together for "Donburi Road", which has become popular. How will foreigners respond to the appeal of Donburi?

Foreigners sometimes say that Japanese are stylish regardless of age or gender. Our foreign guests explored the town to see what makes Japanese stylish. It seems like featuring tips of 'Mix-and-Match' on fashion magazines are very unique to Japan and we take a close look at the magazine production. And we met a group of people who enjoy being stylish and wearing Kimonos. They gather once a month in Ginza. Let's explore the world's attention on Japanese sense of style.

The first episode of "COOL JAPAN'" as we move into its 8th year! We are introducing a variety of "Best of Cool" chosen in its previous year and the coolest one will be announced as "THE COOLEST OF THE COOL 2012". Also video letters from our former foreign guests will be shown to introduce their favorite Japanese items that they had brought to their homes. The top five from the feature, "The moment I felt I became Japanese," on Cool Japan's Facebook page which earned over 17,000 likes will also be announced. An episode with a year's worth of highlights packed!

"Harajuku" now has much global attention with its continuously born new fashion trends from Gothic & Lolita and Girly at Takeshita Street to young designers' one-and-only styles at Ura-Harajuku. In February, the local merchants' association with 500 shops as its member organized "Tokyo Fan Week", an event to attract more foreign tourists. Here, guided tours and culture experience programs were much enjoyed by the participants. Introducing the newly built shared apartment where work and living space coincides creating business chances and opportunities to meet others. How will our foreign guests react?

Tokyo station building has everything you could imagine from famous confections and goods from across the country to even an art museum and a hotel. You also find condominiums and hot springs facilitated to station buildings in various areas. Today, we'll look at the Kichijoji station building's behind-the-scenes. The operational staff work hard to provide customers with a comfortable experience by their everyday guiding services and occasional events. Toyama's Etchu-Funahashi station has a library inside with a rich content of children's picture books, books on child raising and cook books for mothers. It is very busy with families. How will our foreign guests' react to convenient Japanese station buildings?

Foreigners wonder,‘Why do Japanese people apologize easily?' From our on-the-street interview, we found many apologizing for not living up to others' expectations, on behalf of the mistakes made by people working under you, and some even for the mistakes made by others. Closely following a day of a businessman, we found him making apologies one after the other. Workers at a customer center also apologized repeatedly, and we even found elementary school children learning about apologizing in class. How will our foreign guests respond to such Japanese culture of making considerate apologies?

Japanese home cooking enjoys a variety of styles such as Japanese, Western, Chinese, and more. Supermarkets here have an excellent selection of products from vegetables/fish packed in small quantity for single use, some even precooked, to various choices of delis. They even have a section introducing how to cook with seasonal ingredients. There also is an extremely popular website where users could post their original recipes. And we also encountered a home cooking class at an elementary school. By comparing to their own countries, our foreign guests will take on a hot debate over Japanese home cooking!

In the previous episode "Karaoke", many Japanese people sang when they were asked to sing at the pedestrian paradise in Ginza. How do Japanese people react when they are asked to dance? Not only singing but also dancing is important for Japanese Idols.We took a close look at a choreographer to see how popular choreography is born."Dance" became compulsory class in PE at Japanese Jr. High schools. Our foreign guest went to see how the dance class is like. Will foreigners receive Cool on Japanese dance?

Japanese buses have a high reputation among foreigners. Route buses are praised by for their punctuality, clean interior, and politeness of the drivers. Our foreign guests visited a training course for the newly employed drivers and participated in a bus tour exclusive to foreigners visiting highlights of Tokyo. How will this tour where English-speaking guide provides a thorough guide be received? In Tamaki-cho, Mie pref., an on-demand bus system was playing an outstanding role for the elderly. In the program, an update on Japanese buses will be examined through the eyes of foreigners.

The program will clarify why Japanese people are stress tolerant. It will compare Japan and other countries looking at circumstances people feel stress and how they evaluate stress. It will also search for and have our foreign guests experience some of the popular ways of relieving stress. One such way is participating in a meet-up event for. male fans of an idol group and jogging home from work together. Are Japanese people stress tolerant? Or are they simply good at relieving them? Let's find out where our guests' discussion will lead us!

Foreigners are amazed to find Japanese parents so enthusiastic about education. In town, we found many young children engaging in activities such as swimming, gymnastics, piano, ballet, English, etc... Children at kindergarten learn to act in groups through numerous curriculums such as exercising, singing, and studying Japanese hiragana characters. Our foreign guest visited a company popular for producing and delivering to homes picture books, educational toys, and DVDs all-in-one. And we explored its developmental stage. How will our foreign guests see Japanese children and their parents' learning efforts?

Foreigners too have a hard time with the hot humid Japanese summer. However, Japan's traditional ideas and latest technologies help beat the heat. Strolling down the downtown area, you'll find things like water sprinkling, bamboo blinds, gold fish, wind chimes, and agar noodles to help cool down through one's five senses. We'll also explore how yukata (Japanese summer kimono) keeps you cool at the studio of Ojiya-chijimi in Ojiya city, Niigata, as well as the developmental stage of the new paint to prevent temperature rise on roads developed as part of the urban heat-island countermeasures.

Cool Japan's facebook attracts a huge number of visitors worldwide whenever it uploads pictures of Japanese castles which tells how much interest foreigners have on them. Found at Hikone castle under its beautiful curvaceous ornamental roof were numerous measures taken for military purposes. Kumamoto castle was using traditional methods for the currently undertaking reconstruction to commemorate its 400th anniversary. The program will also introduce an American captivated by the appeals of Japanese castles who visits castles in Japan and posts information of its history and characteristics with photos on his blog.

Many foreigners would agree wabi-sabi to be the king of Japanese cool! In what things do foreigners sense wabi-sabi? Some mentioned a stone garden and pottery, and some even the most unexpected things! The wabi-sabis our foreign guest discovered through strolling down Yanaka were things like protruded trees and stone statues on the roadside. The German temple master of a Zen temple was pursuing ascetic training with his disciples aiming to reach the height of wabi-sabi. This program will feature wabi-sabi anew through the eyes of foreigners.

Japan is now a big advertisement power next to U.S. with its market exceeding 5 trillion yen. You find advertising signs aligned in town, on escalators' handrails, inside restrooms stalls, and even in the most unexpected places such as on dried seaweed inside ramen noodles and on the backside of copy paper. We will also cover, up close with a salesperson in search for new advertisement spots. And, some of the rapidly growing digital signage system which allows one to communicate with the characters being displayed. The program will search for Japanese cools in advertisements through the eyes of foreigners.

Many ride bicycles regularly considering them to be "healthy", "economical", and "ecological". Our foreign guests discovered in town a Mamachari easy to ride with small children on. Child seats and baskets were installed on bikes in bicycle shops and they were amazed at the extremely convenient underground bicycle parking. The program will feature the behind-the-scenes development of "power-assisted bicycles" popular among women for allowing them an easier ride. And also cover the Children's bicycle safety competition of Fukushima's prefectural tournament where elementary school children compete.

Foreigners are amazed to find so many restaurants in Japanese towns, many of them specializing in particular dishes such as Tonkatsu, Eels, Buckwheat noodles, etc. They also find self-cooking restaurants like Okonomiyaki and as well as restaurants where the chef cooks in front of the customers like Teppanyaki and Sushi, very curious. Our foreign guests will visit a chain restaurant for Champon noodles to discover the secrets of equalizing the taste for all its stores. We explore behind the scenes of publishing a restaurant guidebook. We will show you the restaurants selection process which involves legwork and the unique ways for shooting its dishes

Classical martial arts are considered cool among foreigners. Being a necessary set of skills mastered by samurais for fighting purposes, it is quite different from Budo such as Kendo and Judo established as types of sports in the Meiji period. We found many foreigners working hard to acquire the skills of classical martial arts at the training hall which carries on its tradition even to this day. Our foreign guest visited a high school basketball team who made it to the national championships by incorporating its movements. And we will introduce a man from New Zealand fascinated by the art of Naginata. What's the secret behind the magnetic appeals that classical martial arts have on foreigners?

It's amazing to find through our interviews in town so many people actually use Otoriyose. A system to have local specialties delivered to your home. Fruits and sweet treats seem to be popular among women and alcohol beverages and seafood products, for men. It's also often used as gifts. An established restaurant in Kamaishi city, Iwate, has survived through the crisis of the great earthquake disaster with the sales of their Otoriyose seafood products. Package delivery companies support Otoriyose through their efficient cool delivery system of frozen and refrigerated products. How will foreigners value Japanese Otoriyose culture?

Japanese pickles are indispensable in Japanese cuisine. There are pickles and sauerkrauts in the West, too, but Japanese pickles come out on top when it comes to abundance in variety having different ingredients pickled in the rice bran and soybean pastes, sake lees, and many more. More than 100 types of pickles were being displayed at a department store's food section. "Just cut, pickle and knead." Introducing behind-the-scenes of how an epoch-making idea lead to creating a smash hit for vegetable pickle marinade. Also our foreign guest visited a household where rice bran paste is being handed down from parents to children for over 130 years. How will this appeal to our foreign guests?

"Expressing gratitude," a Japanese culture of sending gifts and appreciation letters in recognition to the care received. Through on-the-street interviews, our foreign guests discovered Japanese politely reciprocate gifts when receiving gifts for a wedding, baby's birth and in hospital. At a department store, our foreign guest found rules related to sending gifts in return for a funeral offering or in appreciation to the kindness received while one is ill. Also, students in search for jobs were sending appreciation letters to companies after an interview. By comparing to other cultures of the world, the program will explore the Japanese culture of "expressing gratitude".

This is a special episode with our foreign guests stepping out of the studio to explore Mt. Fuji, a recently designated world heritage site.　The host and our guests will visit appealing places recommended by foreigners who've been mesmerized by the beauty and riches of Mt. Fuji. These places such as; Oshino Hakkai, clear spring water ponds made of snow and rain water filtered from the mountain, Aokigahara Sea of Trees, a young forest created after the Jogan Eruption in 9th century, as well as an American resident enjoying his life at the foot of Mt. Fuji. You will experience the appeals of Mt. Fuji along with our foreign guests.

We'll search for cools in Japanese cleaning utensils through the eyes of foreigners. Our foreign guests are amazed by a wide selection of exclusive cleaning utensils for the kitchen, bath, toilet and more. Traditional Japanese brooms are still used at established Japanese-style restaurants and hotels even today. We saw its handmade techniques being handed down at a local production area. We also saw the entire bullet train being washed in an enormous washing machine. How will foreigners see Japanese creativity in cleaning?

Asakusa is attracting an increasing number of tourists especially now with the TOKYO SKYTREE in place. What's so appealing about it? We asked the tourists to film their time spent in Asakusa. The unique design of colorful bamboo rakes for good luck caught our foreign guest's attention at the "Tori no Ichi" festival. Compact yet nostalgic rides are found in an amusement park with a 160-year history that is very much loved by locals. The program will rediscover the charms of Asakusa where retro and modern flavors coincide.

Foreigners are marveled when encountering "all-you-can eat/drink" services in Japan. Its buffet style enabling customers to eat what they want as much as they wish is enjoying wild popularity. The city is full of "all you can" services from "all you can stuff clothing", "all you can bowl", to "all you can sing karaoke" and more. Housewives who love "all you can eat" taught us the secret to enjoy this service to the fullest. The hotel in Beppu Hot Springs in Oita Pref. revived itself from a management crisis by adopting an "all you can eat" service. How will our foreign guests respond?

The Japanese-English term "cosplay", meaning to disguise oneself in animation or game characters, is spreading throughout the world attracting attention. Our foreign guests visited shops for cosplay costumes and props in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. A studio in Osaka was gaining popularity by providing services for cosplayers. They enjoy a photo session in their costumes standing in the stage sets of schools, churches and many more. We also encountered a young man in cosplay during his volunteering activity. How will Japanese cosplayers and its culture be captured in the eyes of foreigners?

Casual and inexpensive Japanese Izakayas are considered cool among many foreigners. What's most appealing is the freedom to order all you want any time and to be able to share dishes among friends and colleagues, which is something they won't find at home. Our foreign guests visited both the traditional and the latest Izakayas where orders are made through touch-screen panels. And we discovered an Izakaya enjoyable to the entire family gaining popularity. The program will also feature a Bangladeshi owner of a well-reputed Izakaya serving international dishes in a cozy atmosphere. Let's take a close look at the appeals of Izakayas in Japan.

Washoku, designated as UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage of humanity, is regarded highly from foreigners for being healthy and delicious. The program focuses on a nursery school in Fukuoka city, Fukuoka Pref., popular for its continuing efforts to serve school lunches centered on Washoku. The backbone to its taste is Dashi soup stock. A foreigner visiting a dried bonito factory in Yaizu, Shizuoka Pref. was amazed to find its process of production lasting to date since the Edo period. It will also show the business of leaf decorating Washoku, in Kamikatsu town, Tokushima Pref., where housewives and the elderly were actively participating. The program will rediscover the appeals of Washoku together with our foreign guests.

Many foreigners find Japanese construction sites really cool. What's so cool about them? Foreigners are surprised to find schedules and rendering illustrations posted at construction sites as well as to find apology signs for causing inconvenience. Also, they found Tobi professionals serving as the leader of the entire team building foothold and framework at the construction site for a high-rise building. And the world's first double-arm power shovel, a distinguished machine enabling 2 different jobs to be conducted simultaneously. The program will explore cools in its techniques and consideration shown at Japanese construction sites.

Many people communicate on-line in both overseas and Japan. Foreigners wonder about the way the Japanese communicate on-line. Why do the Japanese post so many food pictures? We followed a family who uses more stamps to communicate than actual words. Also, we followed a man who has been using a SNS for the elderly people and enjoys making new friends on-line. We will discuss about the Japanese on-line communication compared to overseas.

Japanese stationery, with its high-performance and playful spirit, is gaining a reputation overseas. Considerable attention is also given to it as souvenirs by foreigners visiting Japan. Also, a major stationery store amazed foreigners with its wide variety of products. "We could spend a whole day there!" was their impression of the place. Unique erasers elaborately replicating sweets and vehicles were being produced at a rubber factory where many children come to visit. The program will also introduce a story of 7 years worth of tenacity in developing a groundbreaking mechanical pencil that facilitates writing by keeping the tip of the lead always sharp and pointed.

Shinjuku is where foreign tourists visit the most on their trip to Japan. The Metropolitan Government Building Observatories gives a bird's-eye view of the city of Tokyo free of charge. Electronic stores provide a fine lineup of convenient products. There are also unique places like cat cafes and 100-yen shops. Foreigners shared many places they like about the town through the interview. They also enjoy new encounters at Golden Gai where the good old atmosphere still remains. Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden rich in nature yet located near tower buildings is another appealing spot for them. Foreigners truly enjoy the colorful elements that the city has to offer.

On-the-street interviews revealed how so many Japanese people are interested in Yuru-chara. 'Sanomaru' from Sano city, Tochigi Pref., ranked top in its nationwide popularity contest. This character wearing a ramen bowl cap and carrying a potato fried sword, both the city's specialty, play an important role in revitalizing the local town. We also encountered a perfect combination of high technology and craftsmanship at the factory manufacturing fully-body costumes, an item indispensable to Yuru-chara. How will Yuru-chara, the latest fad in Japan, meet the eyes of our foreign guests?

"Local gourmets" are surging popularity in Japan. The local gourmet event where over 300 shops throughout Japan participated was a huge success when we visited. Here, one can enjoy a variety of local dishes while being presented with its related stories. We hopped down to Hiroshima to discover how an itinerary for a tour highlighting local gourmets is being developed. Then moved onto Fukuroi city, Shizuoka Pref. where a 200 year-old gourmet dish was revived to revitalize the town. How will these Japanese so passionate over local gourmets appear to foreigners?

Foreigners are surprised to find vending machines all over town with a variety of items sold from bread to fruits and T-shirts to stamps. Some vending machines supply its items free of charge during the time of a disaster. We went behind the scenes to see the development of machines that serve both hot and cold temperature drinks in one. Another type of vending machine set in a depopulated town with no convenience stores, provided not only drinks but sweets and snacks, was much valued by the local people. The program will explore cools in Japanese vending machines!

Tempura is one of the favored Japanese cuisines to foreigners visiting Japan besides sushi and ramen. The crispy texture of the batter despite a lot of oil being used surprise foreigners. Over 20 kinds of tempuras are lined up at the deli section of supermarkets and so much creativity was seen in home cooked tempura for children to enjoy. At a classic tempura restaurant, the chef serves fine quality tempura by altering the thickness of the batter and oil temperature according to the ingredients. Also, introduced is the hidden story behind the development of tempura flour that helps families cook delicious tempura at home easily.

Foreigners find Japanese "furoshiki" convenient and stylish. They are also astounded by the speed and the beauty of the wrappings when shopping at department stores. From chewing gum wrappers to book covers, Japanese wrapping culture is extremely unique. The evolving cardboard packaging packs bottles and high-tech products nowadays, and some are even water-proof. "Kyogi", Japan's traditional material used to wrap "natto", is an extraordinary product that brings out the best of wooden quality. This episode will explore Japan's wrapping culture.

Foreign visitors to Japan are amazed to find Japanese love of ships; from the excursion ship on Lake Ashi to houseboats on Tokyo Bay and Sumida River. The "block construction method", where each block constructed separately are ultimately fabricated into one piece, is a method developed to build the battleship Yamato on a short-term basis. At a shipyard in Tamano City, Okayama Prefecture, foreigners found a cargo-carrying vessel being constructed in 60 separate blocks. Japanese luxury liners are calm and they seldom scend. Foreigners took on a 3 nights 4 days cruise departing Yokohama calling at ports in Toba and Sukumo.

This year marks the 1200th year since Kobo-Daishi founded the 88 holy grounds in Shikoku. This time, we'll step out of the studio with our foreign guests to explore the appeals of Ohenro. The temples visited are Iwaya-ji, the No. 45 temple where Kobo-Daishi went under ascetic training and Ishite-ji, the No. 51 temple consisting numerous national treasures and buildings designated as important cultural properties. They also enjoyed hospitality for Ohenro pilgrims provided by the local people at the free rest house. Why do people take on the Ohenro journey and what are their discoveries?

Long traditions of diverse local performances with joyful sounds of musical accompaniment and elegant dances are found throughout Japan. "Kiyari" and "Binzasara dance" are ones performed at the Asakusa Sanja Festival. Ogano Kabuki in Saitama Pref. is handed down from parents to children for approximately 200 years since the Edo period. We watched this Kabuki performance where a total of 40 town's households cover every role from background to actors. We also discovered the secret behind the sound essential to local performing arts on our visit to a craftsman of a traverse flute. How will such Japanese tradition be seen in the eyes of our foreign guests?

Japanese have always loved imitating. The Japanese learned to develop various skills of their own by imitating. Also, the impersonation shows on TV are extremely popular. Many people were quite willing to show us their best impersonation in town upon our request. We also visited an authentic-recreation of an English town where the students learn English from native speakers. Japanese sweets are usually known for its motifs of the beauty of nature. However, its artisan visits the studio with his surprising sweet imitations! How will Japanese imitating culture be seen in the eyes of foreigners?

Foreigners see Japanese as real photo lovers. An average of 2,500 photographs were kept in mobile phones of people we asked in town. Many people enjoy modifying their photos enhancing their beauty by enlarging the eyes, or even turning themselves into manga characters by using smart phone apps. And we've explored the developmental efforts made behind-the-scenes at app manufacturers. Also we made a visit to a master at restoring old and faded photographs that brings new life into them as if taken anew. What are some of the unique ways the Japanese enjoy themselves with photographs?

Natural stones are found in town and used for monuments inscribed with poems as well as at open-air bath. These stones that surround us are accepted naturally by the Japanese although foreigners find it quite strange. Grindstones are absolutely indispensable to Japanese blades. We visited a craftsman creating natural grindstones, one of the few remaining nowadays. Suiseki, shapes and designs of natural stones are appreciated and resemble landscape. We'll introduce an American diving into its secrets. How will Japanese's unique aesthetics and admirations for stones be seen in the eyes of foreigners?

Some manners Japanese are used to are found quite strange to foreigners. "Why see people off until they are out of sight?", "Why can't we sit cross legged?", "Why can't we drink before a toast is made?", "Why can't we talk on cell phones on trains and buses?". Foreign guests will discuss over the differences in manners compared to their countries. Will such Japanese manners gain understanding from foreigners?

Japanese people contrive ways to protect against the cold to get by their chilly winter comfortably. In town, we found people with scarves and ear muffs on, several socks worn on top of each other, and those with exothermal underwear on. We visited a family living comfortably in their house covered with heat insulator over their exterior walls all the way down to 1.5m beneath the house, saving heating expenses by making good use of earth thermal and solar heat. And disposable heating pads, products which have now come into use worldwide. We made a visit to a company developing new products one after another.

There are over 10 million pet dogs throughout Japan. Foreigners find many surprising things in the relationship between dogs and Japanese people. Amazed at the owners carrying shovels and bags as they walk their dogs and astounded to see dogs in clothes. At the shop for tailor-made dog clothes, a dog was being measured over 10 points from their legs to tails and were being checked even on their constitution and condition of the skin before they had their outfit customized. Also made a visit to a dog-show for Akita Inu and its breeding site to explore the appeals of the dog that's becoming popular even overseas.

Traffic safety in Japan is full of surprises for foreigners. It's strange for them to see pedestrians dutifully waiting at red light until it turns green when no cars are coming and impressive to see cars yielding, each taking turns to enter junctions. A driving school equipped with training roads on the premise providing a detailed course from driving skills to even manners is rarely seen abroad. And how will foreigners respond to road safety classes where the stunt men ‘reconstruct' accidents with their convincing performances?

"Miso" is an indispensable condiment to Japanese cuisine. Foreigners are amazed by the great variety of miso, referred to as "as many miso flavors, as many miso storehouses" . New waves are seen in new shops specializing in miso soup being developed as well as miso being used even in French cuisine. Miso prepared during the cold winter slowly enhances the its flavor. We visited Takayama in Gifu Prefecture, to a traditional Miso storehouse with 120 years history, to watch their careful and thorough production methods. We also focused on the freeze-dried miso soup ready to serve by simply pouring hot water.

Cool Japan is going into its 10th year. In its first episode today, the "Coolest of the Cool" will be chosen from among all the best of cools of the previous year which will once again be reviewed here under the categories of "technology", "food" and "tradition". The program will also highlight all scenes where cultural gaps between Japan and other countries stood out. Also, video letters from our previous foreign guests will introduce their favorite Japanese items they took back home with them. It's a year-end roundup you can't miss it!

Foreigners often find ways Japanese people look for love to be quite odd. Japanese tend to find their partner somewhere close by such as at work which Europeans and Americans consider strange coming from countries separating work life from personal life. Our foreign guest watched a matchmaking party, the standard way for Japanese people to look for love nowadays. We also visited a school where men build skills on communicating with women. Looking for love is a universal theme yet methods vary. The theme gives rise to a heated debate!

Many Japanese visit their family graves on the verna equinox. Paying a visit to graves, a place where they feel strongly attached to seems to create an opportunity to strengthen family bonds. Lately, an increasing number of people are relocating their graves closer to home from afar to enable more frequent visits. There are also people referred to as "Haka Miler" who visits graves of prominent figures going as far as foreign countries. The program will explore the differences between Japan and other countries people's passion toward graves and their feelings toward ancestors, as well as trends in graves.

Japanese primary schools are filled with surprises for foreigners. Students commute to school in groups with lower-graders being led by upper-graders. Children also break into teams to take on the tasks of cleaning and lunch duty. Japanese primary schools are not only a place to study but also a place to learn communal life. At a primary school in Saitama pref., children were having a jump rope challenge in teams formed with students from all grades, (one to six). At a primary school in Nagano Pref., a "rural education system" was being conducted where children from the city come to live together with schoolmates away from home in the heart of nature's bounty.

Japanese Kawaii culture takes the world by storm! Our foreign guests explored its latest trend in town. There they discovered different categories established for Kawaii like "Busakawaii (adorably ugly)" and "Kimokawaii (cute and disgusting)". In the "Kawaii Science Project" at Nagaoka University of Technology, cute items are incorporated into science experiments to make science fun for students reluctant to study the subject. And up close with the work of Sebastian Masuda, the initiator of Harajuku's Kawaii culture, to explore its very roots.

Many Japanese are said to have "great love for rail travel". More trains that serve to make the train ride itself enjoyable rather than a simple means of transportation are being developed. Our foreign guests who experienced such rail travel were astonished by the delicious lunch from in-car sales and the announcements made on the views from the window. Taking the opportunity afforded by the extended opening of Hokuriku Shinkansen, travel agencies keep themselves busy planning new package tours for the fall season. The restaurant train of Hisatsu Orange Railway, connecting Kagoshima and Kumamoto prefecture, aims to revitalize the area by attracting travelers with their specialty dishes cooked with plenty of locally-grown ingredients.

Yokai has always been something the Japanese people feel very close to. And they are very popular. They appear not only in traditional folk tales but also in manga and animation. When we requested people in town to draw their favorite yokai, many of them drew kappa, ittan-momen, and the latest animation characters very skillfully. Sakaiminato City in Tottori Prefecture, the birthplace of Shigeru Mizuki, is experiencing a boost in visitors through their successful revitalization of the town. Yokai is considered as part of the local ethnologic and cultural studies at Kyoto Gakuen University where its students conduct interviews with the local people.

May is the season for new tea leaves. Japanese tea is now gaining popularity abroad as a healthy drink taken with no sugar or milk. And matcha tea flavored snacks are highly acclaimed as souvenirs among foreign tourists. In the program, we made a visit to a store specializing in tea and a restaurant with a concept of ‘eating tea', as well as a Gyokuro farm to have a look at their elaborate work. We also made a visit to a manufacturer of Tokuho a Specified Health Use green tea beverage certified by the country to close in on behind-the-scenes of its development.

Japanese people are known to be precise about time. The punctuality of trains that arrive on time as well as Japanese people who aren't usually late to meeting places astounds our foreign guests. They also praise the estimated time of arrival of the car navigation system. A foreign guest experienced the latest car navigation system which provides the shortest route to a destination by catching traffic jam info updated on a moment-to-moment basis. Rapid cooking spaghetti was developed especially for Japanese people who wish to save time even for cooking. After much trial and error, 3-min boiling time was realized by creating a pinwheel shape on the cross-section of the noodle. The program will share the story of its development.

When foreigners visit Japan they are surprised by Japanese people living surrounded by high tech machines as if it is a matter of course. Fully automatic toilets whose covers open when you go near them, electronic money cards that can be used for trains, convenience stores, and vending machines with just one card, and high tech electric appliances that talk at home. Even if these are a matter of course for Japanese people, foreigners say that such high tech living is quite surprising. What is Japan's forefront aiming for actual use of self-driving cars, which the world is competitively researching, for the Tokyo Olympics? We close in on the lives of Japanese people and investigate high tech living from the perspective of foreigners.

Brand new uniforms are familiar in March, right before newly starting school and job hunting. Foreigners often think that uniforms lack individuality. Recently there are people who have favorable impressions of uniforms of high school girls, which are the starting point of kawaii and possess the world of manga. We investigate the particularity of Japanese people toward uniforms in Kojima, Okayama, a uniform-manufacturing town. The "Scruffy Cheerleading Squad" of a traditional school in Iwate wears worn out school uniforms all year round, and works hard in their studies and cheerleading. What feelings are in the uniforms that have been passed down from seniors for generations? Is Japan, uniform heaven, cool? We investigate from the perspective of foreigners.

The "Best of Cools" are chosen during each broadcast of Cool Japan as one of the coolest aspects of Japan. We will introduce all the best of cools broadcasted in 2015 by genre. We will then choose the coolest among them as the "Coolest of the Cool 2015." In addition, we will quiz you on unexpected answers given by foreigners in town to whom we asked what in Japan surprised them. This is a special project in which we review the previous year and discover new Japanese cools.

The Japanese word "bukatsu" has been spreading around the world in recent years. This is due to the influence of the worldwide popularity of manga and anime that are set in school clubs, but one of the reasons for their popularity is because many overseas countries do not have school clubs. How do foreigners view Japanese school clubs, which are so abundant that students undergo inter-district enrollment?

Foreigners' big questions for the Japanese series. This time, we thoroughly discuss differences in the way foreigners and Japanese people think about actions in public places. We look at differences between Japanese people and foreigners, such as "Why are Japanese people hammered drunk on the streets?" and "Aren't Japanese people embarrassed to read erotic books on trains?" Japanese people can't tell the difference between sexy and erotic!? Why have differences in actions in public places emerged? We close in on cultural gaps regarding "actions in public" while mixing in opinions of the Japanese in response to foreigners' questions.

It is said that Japanese bento are very popular all around the world. Bento, which have a full course meal in a small box, accurately symbolize Japan. Bento such as convenience store bento, train station bento, airport bento, and high-quality department store bento are Japanese culture itself. Japanese bento boxes that are sold online are very popular in the West. We investigate various cools surrounding Japanese bento, such as homemade bento nowadays, a bento catering store with an astonishing disposal rate of less than 0.1% while selling 60,000 meals in a day, and a French person who was fascinated by the appeals of bento boxes

Cats have currently reached an unprecedented level of popularity in Japan. However, the Japanese phenomenon of the popularity of products in which cats are personified and commercials and photograph collections of star cats seems strange in the eyes of foreigners. On the other hand, cat related products from Japan such as cat robots and characters resembling cats have gained popularity worldwide with their unique atmosphere. It is said that cat islands, where there are more cats than people, are now bustling with foreign tourists. We visit the backstage of a cat magazine that creates star cats and a cat island and investigate the relationship between Japanese people and cats from the perspective of foreigners

Japanese cosmetics, beauty goods, and makeup techniques are very popular overseas. Half face makeup is livening up the world on video websites. Half of the face is natural while the other half has full makeup, showing a completely different person. What's this shocking makeup technique!? In addition, Japanese women's wigs are a world-class technology. What's the latest technology of partial wigs, which are rare overseas? We investigate from the perspective of foreigners, why Japanese cosmetology is gathering attention around the world.

Cool Japan has searched for cool Japanese culture from the perspective of foreigners for ten years since it began broadcasting. We will broadcast the 300th anniversary special. More than 300 foreigners have appeared on the program and more than 1,000 Japanese cools have been taken up. We took a survey of foreigners who have appeared on the show before, asking what they think is currently cool. We announce the top 20 cools of Japan. With Maasa Takahashi as our guest, we thoroughly discuss Japanese cools with ten foreigners.

The senior citizens of Japan, which has the highest average life expectancy in the world, are full of energy. There are many secrets to their longevity. There is an idol group with an average age of 84 who found something worth living for themselves as well as comprehensive health screening, which foreigners come touring for and supports Japan's longevity. Furthermore, a prefecture successfully undertook a sodium reduction initiative and became the prefecture with the highest average life expectancy in Japan. We investigate the secrets of Japan's senior power that surprised foreigners.

Kisoji of Nakasendo has been introduced in overseas tour guides and is very popular among foreign tourists. Every year 20,000 foreigners walk the 8km mountain path from Tsumagojuku to Magomejuku. This time, all of the cast will visit Tsumagojuku with its beautiful fresh verdure, actually walk Kisoji, and, together with the residents of Tsumagojuku, who have left the appearance of Edo as it is, thoroughly talk about the appeals and themes of touring spots that Japanese people are likely to miss. A 49 minute extended regional special.

Japan has changed and uniquely evolved dishes from around the world. Tempura, which originated in Portugal, India's curry rice, China's ramen, etc. Such Japanized foreign dishes that have originated in Japan are becoming popular overseas as well. What's cool about Japanized foreign dishes that are unique to Japan and continue to evolve? Naporitan, cod roe pasta, and dressed bread that sandwiches anything from yakisoba to croquette. We investigate Japanized foreign dishes, which surprise foreigners, where they are made.

The Tsukiji Market will be relocating in November. It is introduced even in international travel guidebooks as a place where fresh seafood is gathered from around the world. With Tsukiji facing its end, we thoroughly investigate what about Tsukiji is loved by foreigners through a survey of foreign tourists! We created a ranking of cools found by foreigners. We investigate what's appealing about Tsukiji and differences between Japanese and overseas markets.

With the age for voting rights being lowered this summer, 18-year-olds are gathering attention. In most countries, 18 is the age of adulthood. Are Japanese 18-year-olds adultlike or childish compared to foreign 18-year-olds? We survey foreign and Japanese high schoolers living in Japan about topics such as money, family, and romance and compare. We discuss with foreigners with the unique answer as the doorway. Are Japanese 18-year-olds cools? We investigate from the perspective of foreigners.

Foreigners are surprised by the wide variety of leisurely day trips that effectively use short holidays at nearby locations in Japan. Japan is full of leisurely day trips that can be enjoyed by both children and adults, such as day trip bus tours, fishing ponds, theme parks, and factory tours. Are leisurely day trips that are unique to Japan cool? We rediscover the goodness of familiar leisurely activities that Japanese people don't realize from the perspective of foreigners.

Japanese patterns are gathering attention for a checkered pattern being used for the Tokyo Olympics emblem. There is a wide variety of Japanese patterns, such as chidori, karakusa, and mameshibori, and they are unique. Patterns have evolved in ancient Japan as something to feel and enjoy the four seasons. It's the same in the present age, and patterns are depicted on various items such as cellphone covers, stationery, and umbrellas. Foreigners are surprised that Japanese people pursue patterns even for manhole covers and brocade carp. We investigate such appeals of Japanese patterns from the perspective of foreigners.

Until now we have broadcasted Japanese people's customs and ways of thinking that foreigners think are strange as the "Big Questions for the Japanese" series. However, foreigners also have many actions and customs that are hard for Japanese people to understand. So we are beginning a new series, "Big Questions for Foreigners!" Why do people say "I love you" every day? Why don't people use umbrellas when it's raining? We thoroughly pursue a variety of questions. We also discuss customs and ways of thinking that are unique to Japanese people, who think the actions of foreigners are strange.

Apparently, Japanese wives are amazing from the perspective of foreigners. They are perfectionists in both parenting and housework. They are highly praised with compliments such as "they are beautiful even though they are tired" and "they even manage the family budget." In one survey, more than 50% of housewives said they have no days off. But what they desire is a day off each week and a monthly salary of 150,000 yen. It appears that they aren't perfect because they like to be. We thoroughly discuss whether Japanese wives are cool with foreigners.

Recently, Japanese soba is popular among foreign tourists. At one standing soba restaurant, nearly half of the customers on days off are foreigners. Japanese people have pursued soba from long ago. What's the style of soba that we see in rakugo? Why do middle aged people become absorbed with the depth of soba making? Does Japanese soba have the potential to spread around the world? We investigate from the perspective of foreigners

Autumn is the season for reading. Foreigners are surprised that Japanese books are so cheap that they can be bought for the price of a cup of coffee. Book covers hide what you're reading and are a part of a culture of taking good care of books. High-quality paper and having many pictures in guidebooks is unique to Japan. We rediscover the world of books that Japanese people think is a matter of course from the perspective of foreigners.

Games are a popular culture that is representative of Japan. What draws foreigners to Japanese games? What's the secret behind arcades still being popular? What's the world of "Let's Play" that is popular online? Japanese RPGs are representative of good storylines and worldviews full of fantasy, which are highly rated by foreigners. We investigate why Japanese games are taking the world by storm.

Mushrooms are a representative food of autumn. Japan is a major mushroom country, so much so that it is said to eat the most mushrooms in the world. Japanese people have enjoyed a diversity of mushrooms through a variety of dishes from long ago. Mushroom hunting has become a leisurely activity for autumn that even children can enjoy. A mushroom that tastes and smells just like matsutake, which has been said to be impossible to artificially cultivate, has appeared. We investigate the cools of Japan's mushroom culture.

Alongside the popularity of Japanese cuisine, Japanese tableware is drawing attention from around the world. Japanese tableware, for which usage is separated according to ingredients, cuisine, and season, is considered to be rare from the world's perspective. Since people hold tableware and bring it to their mouths, making it easy to hold and the feel of it on your lips are considered to be important. Having your own bowls and chopsticks is also unique to Japanese tableware. We investigate the appeals of Japanese tableware from the perspective of foreigners.

Japan is top-class when it comes to the number of times laundry is done and cleaning expenditures. Multifunctional washing machines and detergents appear one after another, and new types of machines that can wash futon have appeared at laundromats. Foreigners are surprised by same day service at dry cleaning shops. Japan's laundry culture supports the Japanese people, who like cleanliness. Is it cool from the perspective of foreigners?

When disasters occur, volunteers gather immediately. Universities are full of volunteer groups. Foreigners are surprised by Japanese volunteer activities such as senior citizens teaching skills they have learned for free and people striving to pick up trash in the streets. Japan, which helps others for free in secret, and the West, which raises funds with extravagant parties. Why are they so different? We hotly debate the differences between Japan and the world in volunteering!

Returning home, Christmas, preparing for New Year's, and New Year's money gifts – for one thing or another, expenses pile up over the New Year's holidays. So we will thoroughly compare things relating to money with overseas countries. While foreigners praised how bills and coins are clean and easy to use. Also payment methods are convenient, and they never got the wrong change when we asked them. The way Japanese people use money, such as not investing, doesn't make any sense to them. Is Japan's money culture, which everyone is curious about, cool from the world's perspective?

Many people must have thought, "This will be the year that I start keeping a diary!" A diary culture has been developed in Japan since long ago during the Heian period. A variety of diaries are displayed in storefronts at the end of the year, and picture diary homework and class journals are common at schools. Foreigners are surprised at how much Japanese people like diaries. Our foreign guests visit a wind orchestra that became united through club diaries and a housewife who keeps a picture diary only of good things that happen each day. We investigate the cools of Japanese people who love diaries.

Japanese furniture such as kotatsu and tatami beds are currently said to be very popular overseas. Study desks for children, skinny sukima furniture, and Paulownia cabinets, which are made like new by craftsmen when they become old and are passed down from generation to generation, are rare overseas. Will such Japanese furniture really be accepted by foreigners? Is Japanese furniture cool? We close in on the secret to its popularity!

Japanese people love bags. Compared to people overseas, they own more of them and carry them around more frequently. Mothers carry brand bags, fathers carry business bags or backpacks, and children carry randoseru or bags for cram school. Foreigners are surprised by the wide variety and large number of bags people have. On the other hand, they have many objections such as "It's strange for men to carry bags on days off!" and "Why do women carry bags on their elbow? Is Japan's bag culture cool?

In the "Big Questions for Foreigners!" series, we close in on actions of foreigners that Japanese don't understand. This time, we conducted a big survey of Japanese people who are familiar with the everyday lives of foreigners, such as people who have been transferred overseas. Why don't foreigners apologize? They iron their underwear? We thoroughly elucidate such questions for foreigners. The differences in actions, cultures and ways of thinking between Japanese people and foreigners is hotly debated in the studio!

It's not widely known domestically, but there are many Japanese companies that are world-class. We search for Japanese cools among companies that make familiar products and succeeded precisely because they are Japanese. The secret that created ultraviolet LED that support ATMs is the power of cleaning? The development of vegetable seeds that stormed the world was due to the perseverance of Japanese people? What Japanese cools are there in companies that spread to the world through development capabilities and elaborate work that are unique to Japanese people?

The number of foreign tourists visiting Niigata, Japan's preeminent region with heavy snowfall, for winter tourism and skiing is quickly increasing. Furthermore, Niigata is gathering the world's attention for being a region at the forefront of using snow for energy and various resources. This time the Cool Japan studio will go on an outing to Niigata. Together with 89 foreign students studying at International University of Japan and with the wisdom of people living in snow country and using snow as themes, we will search for cool Japanese culture that will surprise the world.

Wasabi, which used to be disliked in the West, is currently very popular among foreigners. People overseas have realized how delicious wasabi originating in Japan is and are quickly increasing domestic production. Foreign tourists purchase foods and snacks that use wasabi, and cuisine that use wasabi are spreading around the world. Why did the world fall in love with wasabi? We focus on the popularity of wasabi among foreigners and elucidate its appeals.

Kyoto is consistently popular among the continually increasing foreign tourists. However, they are attracted to unexpected places that are different than those that are classic Kyoto tourist spots for Japanese people and foods that make you wonder "why in Kyoto?" are popular. So we asked foreign tourists visiting Kyoto about the charms of Kyoto and ranked the top ten charms that are most popular. Unexpected places that Japanese people wouldn't think of made it in the ranking. We investigate the charms of the continually changing Kyoto from the perspective of foreigners.

Figurines are representative of Japanese pop culture. Day after day foreign tourists who say the quality and detail of Japanese figurines are amazing visit the biannual Wonder Festival held during summer and winter. Furthermore, we investigate the secret to the molding of a popular figurine sculptor who makes kaiju of popular movies, figurine technology that was diverted to medical settings, and the world of figurines, which is a major weapon of Cool Japan's strategy.

Cool Japan has entered its 12th year. We will introduce the "best of cools" chosen during each episode in the past year all at once and determine "the coolest of the cool 2016"from among them. Further, we locally report on how Japanese culture is spreading overseas with things such as used bookstores and shiitake. We investigate how not only ramen and sushi but Japanese culture is spreading around the world and evolving.

Foreigners are surprised by packages when they come to Japan. Japanese packages, such as condiment packages that discharge ketchup and mustard just by folding them so your hands don't get dirty and tetrahedral packages that can be opened easily and even used as plates, continue to evolve every day. How are they developed and sent out to the world? We investigate new Japanese cools.

Japanese home delivery is fast and careful, and its services such as time designation and redelivery, which are polite and attentive to detail, are said to be world-class. The number of domestic deliveries increased 30% in the last ten years. The kinds of items they handle has continued to increase, and services such as same-day shipping and next-day delivery are improving. Our foreign guests experience package management and home delivery systems that use the latest technology. We close in on the cools of Japanese home delivery services.

Art museums are very popular among foreign tourists visiting Japan. Japan has many small yet unique art museums, and anime and manga museums can only be found in Japan. Our foreign guests report on an art museum that makes perfect replicas of famous works of art from around the world in their actual size and the aesthetic of the particularity of Japanese gardens that pursue natural scenery even to the point of purchasing mountains in the background. We thoroughly discuss what is attractive about Japanese art museums with our foreign guests.

Japan is in an unprecedented rush to build hotels in preparation for 2020. Foreign tourists are surprised by Japanese hotels. Japanese hotels continue to uniquely evolve with business hotels and capsule hotels that pursue low prices and comfort, excessively luxurious breakfasts, and the ultimate hospitality. Are Japanese hotels cool or not cool for foreigners? We investigate the latest state of affairs surrounding Japanese hotels from the perspectives of foreigners.

Our "Big Questions for the Japanese" series is popular. This time the theme is "Marriage." Why do people look for a partner at marriage hunting events? Why don't people dance at weddings? Foreigners have many questions about marriage in Japan. Things get complicated in the studio due to cultural gaps regarding marriage between foreigners and Japanese people. We perform our established custom of businessman senryu with "married life" as the theme. Will foreigners have their questions answered?

June 4th is cavity prevention day. Many foreigners who visit Japan are surprised by the wide variety of toothbrushes and toothpastes. Also, brushing teeth after lunch even at work or school is unique to Japanese people. There are more dental clinics than convenience stores, and treatment costs are below the world standard. There is a clash of values between westerners who say that teeth should be straightened with braces and Japanese people who say that double teeth are cute. Is Japanese culture related to teeth cool?

According to the Japan Tourism Agency, in purchase rate rankings among foreign tourists, snacks and sweets are by far the most popular, surpassing electronics, cosmetics, and clothes. What's different about Japanese snacks and sweets compared to the world? Snacks and sweets for children like dagashi are rare overseas, and it is only in Japan that various textures can be enjoyed and there are complex combinations of tastes. We investigate the appeals of Japanese snacks and sweets from the perspective of foreigners.

In Japan, bonsai has often been thought of as a hobby for the elderly, but it is now known around the world. Bonsai vocational schools have been opened in Italy and France, and bonsai exhibitions have been held in South Africa and Argentina. Exports from Japan have grown tenfold in the past ten years. Bonsai is now a universal word. People came from around the world to attend the World Bonsai Convention in Saitama. Why is it popular among foreigners? We search for cools of traditional Japanese culture through bonsai.

The location for this time's "Cool Japan Outing" is Boso Peninsula in Chiba Prefecture. Chiba is one of the prefectures that is most visited by foreign tourists. However, that is mainly due to Narita Airport and amusement parks, and Boso Peninsula is passed by. How will the tourist sites, good food, nature, and lifestyle of Boso that is appealing to Japanese people appear to foreigners? We investigate the appeals of Boso that Japanese people hadn't realized together with foreigners who live there.

Ueno in Tokyo has been getting increasingly popular among foreign tourists in recent years. Half of the people who went to Ueno for this year's hanami season are said to be foreigners. So we surveyed 150 foreigners who visited Ueno about the appeals of Ueno and determined the top 5. Other than standard spots such as the zoo and art museums, locations in Ueno that are surprising to Japanese people made it into the ranking. What cools of Ueno did foreigners choose?

The theme for this time's "Big Questions for the Japanese" series is "Homes". Japanese homes are full of strange things from the perspective of foreigners. Why does their value go down when you live in them? Why are people particular about newly built houses? Why are homes so cluttered? There are differences in values as well as lifestyles. We hotly debate cultural gaps concerning homes of Japan and those of the world through questions about homes.

Fishing is a common and popular leisurely activity in Japan, but overseas there are few cultures where women and children enjoy it easily and regulations concerning conservation of nature are strict. Germany has a licensing system where you are required to take written and practical examinations. Further, catching and releasing is common, unlike Japan where you eat what you catch, and people don't make gyotaku to brag about their catches. Is Japan's fishing culture, which can be called a fishing heaven, cool? We investigate from the perspective of foreigners.

Cold noodles such as hiyashi chuka, somen, zaru soba, and chilled udon are very popular during the summer in Japan. However, cold noodles are rare elsewhere in the world. China and Italy don't have much cold ramen or pasta. Why aren't there any other cultures that look to cool the body by eating cold food? We investigate the differences in food culture between Japan and overseas regarding cold noodles, a standard dish during the summer in Japan.

Kaidan is a feature of Japan's summer. Japanese people enjoy scary stories as a form of entertainment, which is a sense that is different from foreigners. Kaidan have been standard in kabuki and rakugo from long ago. In the summer there are events all around Japan, such as gathering to tell each other kaidan and kaidan tours. Unique sounds that express scariness, such as "hyudoro" with flutes and drums, are also different from overseas. Are Japanese people who enjoy kaidan in the summer as a form of entertainment cool?

Manga is popular worldwide, but recently shojo manga are gathering attention. Shojo manga, which are centered around romance and are aimed at female middle and high schoolers, are said to be unique culture of Japan. How are munekyun gestures such as "kabedon", which are indispensable for shojo manga, created? Foreigner report on the secrets to the popularity of shojo manga. How does the world see this pop culture unique to Japan? We investigate the world of shojo manga.

Foreigners are surprised by and don't understand why Japanese people like bugs. During summer vacation children run around fields collecting bugs, and expensive rhinoceros beetles and stag beetles being sold at department stores is unique to Japan. Bugs have deeply permeated Japanese culture and life from long ago. However, foreigners who see live rhinoceros beetles in the studio go into a panic! Will Japanese people's love for bugs be accepted by foreigners?

Onsen are popular even among foreign tourists. Nowadays onsen districts around Japan and day-trip onsen and sento near Tokyo are full of foreigners. Our foreign guests report on the appeals of the latest super sento and secret onsen deep in the mountains. What do they think is cool about Japanese onsen? We excavate cools of onsen that further spread the appeals of Japan to the world.

Foreigners are surprised by the cheapness of glasses in Japan and how quickly they are made. People with good eyesight wearing glasses for fashion are unique to Japan. At its root is not just poor eyesight but Japan's cultural love for glasses. Even words such as "meganemoe" have been created recently. We investigate the secret behind Japanese people's love for glasses from the perspective of foreigners.

Sengoku warlords, along with ninja and samurai, are currently very popular among foreigners. Foreigners who are introduced to Sengoku warlords through games and anime and become more knowledgeable about them than Japanese people are now appearing one after another. Foreigners who visit places related to warlords are increasing, and warlord goods such as swords and armor are very popular. Local municipalities are passionately endeavoring to revitalize towns through warlords, riding the waves of their popularity. What about Sengoku warlords do they feel is appealing? We discuss Sengoku warlords with foreigners in the studio.

What can be done to draw foreign tourists to the countryside? Local governments all around Japan are trying to figure out how to attract inbound tourism. So Shoji Kokami from Cool Japan visited a location. He discovered appeals of towns that Japanese people don't realize from the perspective of foreigners who live there. This time the stage is set in Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture, which has few tourists while Kyoto has an increasing number of lodgers. What are the appeals of Otsu recounted by foreigners who live there?

Japan has a culture of subtractive aesthetics. By pruning and eliminating that which is unnecessary, the greatness and beauty of the essence is accentuated. This culture has been passed down to modern lifestyles and has deep roots. Words are simplified in email and conversation, and cities are full of convenient goods for saving time on housework. What eliminatory aesthetic is the world of Noh filled with? Is the eliminatory culture of Japan that is still maintained cool from the perspective of foreigners?

Since the Great East Japan Earthquake, Japanese people have become more cognizant of disaster prevention, disaster prevention related books and websites have increased, and emergency supplies are evolving daily. The tweets about emergency supplies by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department are very popular. At the time of the earthquake, the world was astonished that roads were restored in only a few days. Behind this recovery were the efforts and struggles of people in local construction industries. What's the secret behind all the people of a town daily working on disaster prevention? We investigate how much Japan's disaster prevention has evolved from the perspective of foreigners.

Three deep fried foods – tempura, chicken karaage, and tonkatsu – made it into the top ten of "Favorite Japanese Foods" ranked by foreign tourists. Japanese deep fried food is currently gathering attention from around the world. We investigate the secrets to the popularity of deep fried food through a tonkatsu shop where foreigners line up and karaage powder that doesn't use oil. How is it different from deep fried food overseas and what's cool about it? What is appealing about deep fried food that is leading the way to a new Japanese food boom?

The concept of senpai and kohai is rare in the world. "Why do you have to obey senpai?" "Why do senpai have to pay for kohai?" Relationships between people that are normal in Japan seem strange to foreigners. Foreigners rushed to criticize the senpai and kohai culture that exists not only in schools but in the world of hobbies and parents of children! Are senpai and kohai cool? We investigate from the perspective of foreigners.

This is the 13th year since Cool Japan started. "Slurping noodles is gross!" "Taking pictures of food is weird!" How have things that all the foreigners said are not cool in our 12 years of broadcasting changed as time has passed? We cover street interviews and report on the current circumstances through a thorough 2-week investigation. What does the world think of Japanese culture now?

How have things that all the foreigners said are not cool in our 12 years of broadcasting changed as time has passed? In part 2 we perform a thorough 2-week investigation. Is it cool? Or is it not cool? We cover street interviews and report on the current circumstances. We discuss how the way foreigners think and feel about Japan and Japanese people has changed.

Japanese people ask others what their blood type is and discuss blood type personality assessment as a replacement for greetings. Although this is common among Japanese people, it seems strange to foreigners. When we asked foreigners in the city, many of them didn't even know their own blood type. We thoroughly investigate habits that are common among Japanese people but seem strange to foreigners around the world. Why do Japanese people tend to XXX? We elucidate these mysteries.

Glass products are one of Japan's surprisingly unknown world-class technologies that it is proud of. A Japanese glassmaker boasts a top-class market share of plate glass in the world. There is non-reflective glass as well as super thin glass that is hard to break and started a revolution in smartphone cover glass. Even crystal eyes made by Buddhist sculptors during the Edo period that give life to Buddhist statues. We close in on the cools of Japanese glass where tradition and evolution intermingle!

Japanese fashion is gathering attention from around the world. With not only women but men using makeup and there being fashionable seniors, How does the world see Japan's fashion that continues to evolve daily? What are the things that Japanese people are particular about that can be seen through investigating the latest fashion trends? We investigate the differences in how foreigners and Japanese people think about fashion.

With foreigners swarming to the Arashiyama bamboo forest in Kyoto, Japanese bamboo is very popular right now. Japanese people have used bamboo for various daily necessities from long ago and have smacked their lips at bamboo shoot dishes. However, other countries don't use bamboo as much as Japan does. Is Japanese bamboo, which is used for various things and whose taste is savored, cool? We search for cools in the bamboo culture rooted in Japan from the perspective of foreigners.

Many foreigners have been visiting Kagurazaka these days. It's not a tourist location for Japanese people, but that's exactly what is appealing to foreigners. They say that it has a good mix between tradition and modernity and is stylish. So we surveyed 130 foreign tourists who visited and foreigners who actually live in Kagurazaka and announce the top 5 recommendations. We investigate the appeals of Kagurazaka from the perspective of foreigners.

With a desire to do hanami in Japan, foreign tourists who come to Japan just as cherry blossoms go into full bloom are increasing. This time's theme is "Flowers" that color Japan's four seasons. What are the appeals of flower parks that many foreigners have been visiting in recent years? Giant ikebana that greet people at entrances – how are they different from flower arrangements overseas? With a focus on the relationship between Japanese people and flowers, such as flowers that show up in daily life, we close in on their cools.

Gyoza originated in China. However, grilled gyoza is now becoming popular around the world as a Japanese food. A gyoza bar where people line up appeared in France, and in China, its birthplace, grilled gyoza at a Japanese chain restaurant is very popular as "Japanese-style". With stylish evolved types and local gyoza, Japanese gyoza continues to evolve daily. We close in on the secret to the popularity of Japanese-style gyoza, which captivates foreigners.

The fourth "Cool Japan Outing" is in Fukui Prefecture. Fukui Prefecture is one of the prefectures with the fewest foreigner visitors, being domestically ranked 46th for the number of foreign lodgers. On the other hand, it is Japan's happiest prefecture, taking first place in a happiness ranking in 2016. Further, the prefecture has various other things that are number one in Japan, such as the number of company presidents produced and the number of hospitals. This time we again gathered eight foreigners who live in the area. They bring the appeals of Fukui that they know precisely because they live there and want to communicate to the world and thoroughly debate with Shoji Kokami.

The summer season for excursions has arrived. So this time's theme is "Outdoors". There is currently an outdoor boom in Japan. The car camping population increases every year, reaching 8.3 million people in 2016. Outdoor goods have evolved, and fashionability has also become a topic of conversation with camping girls and mountain girls. However, foreigners booed Japanese camping sites that have everything prepared and leave nothing to be desired! Are the Japanese outdoors cool or not cool?

The fifth Cool Japan Outing is in Yamaguchi Prefecture. Yamaguchi's unalterable gourmet food is pufferfish. However, it is very unpopular among foreigners, who wonder why you would eat a poisonous fish. Tourist spots such as Akiyoshidai and Kintai Bridge are known among Japanese people, but foreigners have a different perspective. Motonosumi Inari Shrine, with its torii lined up along the coast, was chosen by an overseas broadcasting station as the most beautiful place in Japan. Eight foreigners who live in Yamaguchi gathered to search for surprising appeals of Yamaguchi that even Japanese people don't notice. We thoroughly discuss cool spots that the world will understand.

Currently, Showa retro is popular not only among the young but among foreigners as well. They go to retro izakaya and dagashi bars, and some get excited about Showa songs. When asked why, they answer, "Because there you can find Japanese life prior to being colored by Western culture." We put the spotlight on Showa retro, which may be called the representative culture of the times, and thoroughly investigate its appeals. What are Showa retro's appeals that foreigners speak of?

Fabric is one of Japan's industrial products that are popular among foreigners. There are textiles, dyes, and patterns that have remained unchanged from long ago. Recently, new materials with excellent functionalities such as protection against the cold, drying quickly, and absorbency are drawing attention. We close in on the secret behind the development of silk underpants that can be washed in a washing machine. What is the intention behind Japan's traditional noren? We investigate the culture of Japan's unique fabrics and their appeal.

Restaurants under train tracks including those of Yurakucho are currently very popular among foreigners. They are gathering attention as a place where you can feel the culture of Japan's commoners, for example their retro atmospheres. On the other hand, there are fashionable shops and art galleries under train tracks, and new businesses such as nursery schools, drugstores, and dry cleaning shops are being created by using locations near stations. We investigate the appeals of areas under train tracks in Japan from the perspective of foreigners.

The thing that foreigners living in Japan are incomparably impressed by is repairs. Is it only Japan that responds to lock and plumbing repairs 24/7? The passion of Japanese people for repairs is amazing; fixing clothes so that holes cannot be seen and thoroughly training new employees at a road service company. How do foreigners view the Japanese culture of using and fixing things with care?

The sixth episode of Cool Japan Outing is in Miyazaki Prefecture. It used to be the number one honeymoon destination and the standard location where professional baseball players went to practice during the off season, but honeymoons were taken overseas and practice locations were taken by Okinawa, and its foreign visitor rate hangs low at 39th place in Japan. Something must be done! So we gathered eight foreigners living there. They will search for Miyazaki's unusual appeals and cool spots that the world will understand and thoroughly debate them with Shoji Kokami.

Foreigners have many questions for young Japanese people, such as "Why don't you hit on girls?", "Aren't you interested in politics?", and "Why don't you have any ambitions?" So we investigated the present situation of young Japanese people by interviewing them on the streets and observing them in the city. We elucidate their mode of life. What differences are there between young Japanese people and young foreigners? Will the foreigners' questions be answered and will they consider young Japanese people to be cool!?

A series where we rediscover the appeals of Tokyo in anticipation of 2020. Repeat foreign tourists are increasing. Recently, unexpected places are gathering attention more than tourist locations. One of them is Nakano ~ Koenji. It's a normal district to Japanese people, but there are unexpected appeals to foreigners. We surveyed 1９0 foreigners in Nakano and Koenji, and we will announce the top 5 recommended spots. We reveal the appeal of this Japanese district that foreigners seek after.

The 7th COOL JAPAN Outing is in Nara Prefecture. It has the most national treasures and important cultural properties in Japan and, along with Kyoto Prefecture, it is a common destination for school excursions for Japanese people. The number of foreign tourists is increasing every year. However, about 80% of foreigners go to Nara to see deer and the Great Buddha. The average number of nights and money spent by foreigners at the destination are at the lowest level in Japan. So this time we gathered 8 foreigners living there. We investigated the surprising appeals and spots of Nara that the world considers to be cool and that Japanese people haven't noticed, and thoroughly discuss them.

"Japanese people tend to press the ‘close' button on elevators." "Japanese people tend to wear big shoes." "Japanese people tend to care about change." These things are normal for Japanese people and they don't notice them, but foreigners say that these actions and habits are humorous and strange. We will investigate such things that foreigners feel are "so Japanese" and thoroughly discuss them in the studio. We will intermingle things that are both cool and not cool and elucidate why Japanese people tend to do them!

Our established custom of the New Year's Day 2 hours special. In the world of online videos introducing Japan, cool things about Japan that Japanese people don't notice are disseminated daily. Entertaining popular videos chosen by foreigners that are hilarious and shocking appear one after another. What's cool? What's strange? We get in a heated discussion with 56 foreigners in the studio. Once again we rank popular videos in 6 categories. We excavate Japanese cools that will serve as hints for new inbound tourism.

Japanese people's daily lives are filled with engi. With ceremonies for obi tying, name giving, and 60th and 90th birthdays, Japanese people are surrounded by lucky objects from birth to death. They are always mindful of engi, for example with tea with standing tea stalks and visiting spiritual sites. They eat a lot of New Year cuisine, draw fortune slips on each year's first visit to a temple or shrine, and pray to the gods for success in romance each year. We investigate the mysteries of Japanese people and engi from the perspective of foreigners.

Rediscovering Tokyo 2020—a series where we rediscover the appeals of Tokyo. This time's theme is Tokyo Bay. It's a world leader of and key location for marine traffic where 500 large ships come and go daily, and it's full of places in the surrounding area that foreigners are curious about. So we surveyed 200 foreigners and determined the top 5 cool spots of Tokyo Bay. We rediscover the surprising appeals of Tokyo Bay from the perspective of foreigners.

Japanese cuisine has taken the world by storm. What's especially becoming increasingly popular is chicken dishes. Both karaage and yakitori made it in a ranking of the top 10 Japanese dishes that foreigners like. Unlike sushi and ramen, it seems like chicken is just grilled or deep fried, but they are very popular among foreigners. There are chicken dishes around the world, so what is it about Japanese chicken dishes that captivate foreigners? How are they different from chicken dishes overseas? There are secrets to the chicken dishes that even Japanese people don't know about...

The Tsukiji Market, which was popular among foreigners, ended its 83 years of history and moved to Toyosu. Actually, in recent years markets all around Japan have been very popular among foreign tourists. The reason is that markets are a gathering of small shops that are closely related to daily life. You can find rare foods, cuisine, and miscellaneous goods, and you can catch a glimpse of the region's lifestyle and diet. Above all, the energy from the people gathering attracts foreign tourists. We investigate the appeals of such Japanese markets.

"The 2.5th dimension" has been a trendy term among young Japanese people recently. It refers to a new form of entertainment between the 2nd and 3rd dimensions in which anime, manga, and games are made into live-action versions and connected to the real world. Young women are rushing to 2.5th dimension musicals, in which manga and anime are turned into stage plays, and towns are enlivened through "holy land pilgrimages", where people visit places that became the setting for anime. Why does the 2.5th dimension captivate the hearts of young people? Our foreign guests visit the actual locations.

Rural areas are being revitalized and regaining their splendor. The reasons are furusato tax payments, people moving there, and apartment complex revitalization projects. Such things are attracting the attention of young people and foreigners. Why do things related to revitalization become popular? In fact, the true goodness of Japan that finds value in old things is hidden there. We investigate differences between cultures through various examples of regional revitalization.

In our Cool Japan outings, we have foreigners living in a region introduce its appeals that Japanese people don't notice and search for hints for regional revitalization. This time is a collaborative project with The Directhon, a show that viewers participate in. Local viewers think of a project for attracting foreign tourists, and based on that we produce videos and have a thorough discussion with 8 foreigners living in Shizuoka Prefecture. We investigate the surprising appeals of Shizuoka and spots that the world will think are cool.

Onsen are popular even among foreign tourists. Nowadays onsen districts around Japan and day-trip onsen and Sento near Tokyo are full of foreigners. Our foreign guests report on the appeals of the latest super Sento and secret onsen deep in the mountains. What do they think is cool about Japanese onsen? We excavate cools of onsen that further spread the appeals of Japan to the world.

The cultural gap between early childhood education in Japan and in other countries is mountainous. So this time we thoroughly dig into the differences between early childhood education in Japan and in other countries. We get into a heated discussion with foreigners about the differences between Japanese and overseas kindergartens. What's the sales strategy of a magazine for children that is unique to Japan? We close in on the differences between Japan and the world regarding little children. Will we be able to find cools of early childhood education in Japan?

Currently, flour foods are captivating foreigners. In particular, takoyaki, which are grilled while being flipped, have become a representative dish that foreigners want to try. Dishes that you "cook yourself," which are rare overseas, such as Okonomiyaki and Monjayaki are also very popular. Supporting the popularity of flour foods is the sweet and spicy sauce that foreigners love. Is the specialized sauce that supports the taste of flour foods cool? Will Japanese flour foods be the next dish that spreads to the world?

Along with samurai and ninja, Japanese swords are very popular around the world. Even in Japan, sword fans mainly composed of young women are quickly increasing due to a game in which famous swords are personified. The female fans, who are called sword fan girls, visit museums and art museums, and sword exhibitions and events are packed full. Many foreigners visit Japan just to see swords. Why are people fascinated with swords? We investigate their appeals.

Despite neighboring Tokyo, Saitama Prefecture has been belittled for being lame for many years. It ranked 43rd in Japan in terms of its appeal as a prefecture. Further, Tokyo is ranked 1st, Chiba Prefecture 3rd, and Kanagawa Prefecture 6th for the number of foreign visitors, while Saitama is far behind at 22nd. We want to find appeals that the world will accept and free Saitama from being called lame. So we gathered 8 foreigners living in Saitama in the studio. They find cool spots that we Japanese don't notice and discuss them thoroughly.

Foreigners say that fruit sandwiches are inconceivable and sandwiching side dishes between bread is strange. However, people who become hooked on cutlet sandwiches once they eat them are rapidly increasing. What's the aesthetic of Moedan sandwiches that are particular about the beauty of cross sections? Following ramen, sushi, and tempura, will they see a boom that spreads to the world? We investigate the cools of Japan's sandwiches.

Tying is a culture that is unique to Japan; beauty and prayers are created just by tying one piece of string. Foreigners are surprised that it is alive and well in modern society. Even today, things are tied for clothing, food, housing, martial arts, sumo, and gifts for ceremonial occasions. From the beautiful Mizuhiki to obi knots, which continue to evolve even today, and the ropework skills of "modern ninja" firemen that are extolled overseas. Our foreign guests search for cools in Japanese tying.

Zoos are always popular as a place that people want to go to during summer break. In fact, relative to its national territory, Japan has the most zoos in the world. Japanese people go to zoos for excursions, dates, and with family on days off. Perhaps because it doesn't have much land, zoos specializing in particular species such as monkeys, bears, and reptiles are increasing. In recent years, animals have been aging in zoos. We close in on vets who face problems that zoos have. Are Japanese zoos cool compared to the world?

Sneakers are indispensable for exercise, especially during autumn, the season of sports. Japan is experiencing an unprecedented sneaker boom. The average Japanese person owns 6.8 pairs of sneakers. Further, Japan's sneaker culture is attracting attention from around the world. Sneakers aren't just fashionable but practical, and behind the boom were a variety of factors that are unique to Japan, such as functionality for making children run faster. We investigate the cools of Japan's sneaker culture.

Japanese people's daily lives are filled with Engi. With ceremonies for obi tying, name giving and 60th and 90th birthdays, Japanese people are surrounded by lucky objects from birth to death. They are always mindful of Engi, for example with tea with standing tea stalks and visiting spiritual sites. They eat a lot of New Year cuisine, draw fortune slips on each year's first visit to a temple or shrine and pray to the gods for success in romance each year. We investigate the mysteries of Japanese people and Engi from the perspective of foreigners.

In recent years, the number of vegetarians has been growing around the world. Healthy meals in which vegetables are central are popular in the West, where lifestyle related diseases are becoming more serious. What's receiving attention amidst such circumstances is Buddhist cuisine. Buddhist cuisine exists in Asian countries such as China and Korea as well, but Japan's Buddhist cuisine is attracting attention coupled with the Japanese food boom and the popularity of tourism in Japan. There are casual Buddhist cuisine restaurants, and new styles for foods such as sweets and ramen are appearing one after another. We uncover the appeals of Japan's Buddhist cuisine from the perspective of foreigners.

Japan is one of the few countries with heavy snowfall in the world. It holds the top 3 spots in the annual snowfall ranking for cities with populations over 100,000 people. Regions nationally designated as having heavy snowfall covers about 50% of Japan. Many foreign tourists who visit during the winter come seeking this snow. Snow itself is becoming a tourist attraction with things such as experiencing blizzards in Tsugaru and snow shoveling tours in regions with heavy snowfall. We compare Japan's culture related to snow with the world's. We discover what's cool about Japan's snow culture.

Fukushima Prefecture was significantly damaged from the Great East Japan Earthquake. The number of foreign tourists fell to under one third of the previous year. However, 6 years later the number of foreign tourist lodgers increased over fourfold, surpassing the numbers prior to the earthquake. This time, the cast goes on an outing to Fukushima Prefecture. What was it that restored a disaster-stricken area to a popular tourist destination? We search for new hints for Cool Japan to send out to the world.

Foreigners who come to Japan are surprised by the many variety stores. Japanese people love to decorate their everyday lives. Bookends, tableware and cushions are all cute, of course. Masking tape, which was originally a construction material, has now become stationery for decorating various items. Also, Kazari metal fittings, which are indispensable for shrines and mikoshi, are filled with Japanese people's decorative ideas. How will foreigners view Japanese people who decorate everything in a cute way?

2019 was the year in which the name of the era changed from Heisei to Reiwa. What kinds of wishes do parents infuse the names of their children with? Differences with the world emerge one after another. The culture of Shumei in Japanese traditional performing arts and long-established shops, in which names are inherited, is full of strange things from the perspective of foreigners. 8 foreigners in the studio introduce cool Japanese names. Seals, people's names and the names of colors. We investigate the cools of Japanese names that surprise foreigners too.

Fermented foods are popular among young people right now. The size of the natto market has reached a record high, and the number of restaurants and cafes using fermented foods is quickly increasing. "Fermentation girls" who dearly love fermented foods for beauty and health have emerged. Japan has created a wide variety of fermented foods, from traditional seasonings that have many local flavors such as soy sauce, miso and fish sauce to over 3,000 kinds of pickles. Foreigners get excited over the smells that you need to get accustomed to, solid umami, and intense acidity. We investigate the fermentation culture of Japan.

The first episode in our series on SDGs (sustainable development goals). Foreigners have repeatedly pointed out that Japanese people use too many plastic bottles, wrap snacks more than they need to, and have been half-hearted about environmental problems. So this time's theme is "Recycling." How will the world see Japan's recycling initiatives, such as middle and high school students working to reduce marine debris and a town sorting garbage into 27 different categories?

Japan is going through an unprecedented muscle boom. People go to the gym, buy salad chicken to build muscle, and watch muscle exercises on TV. Why are Japanese people fascinated with muscles right now? Are what is appealing to foreigners and what Japanese people consider to be ideal different? The differences between the muscles that Japanese people and foreigners like and the admiration for muscles not only by men but Japanese women as well. Is Japanese people's muscle worship cool from the world's perspective?

Consolidating in small spaces and functional. "Compact" could be said to be Japan's specialty. Japan beat the world to invent a portable audio player and established the ultra-compact car genre called the Kei car, which doesn't exist overseas. Recently, small yet functional things such as ultra-compact handy fans and clothing compression bags continue to be created, and foreigners lavish praise on Japan's spirit of compactness. Foreigners search for new cools with Japan's "Compact," which is gathering attention from around the world, as the theme.

There's currently a bit of a boom in Japan for escaping the city and moving to the countryside. The number of people who moved to the countryside increased fourfold in the 5 years since 2009. The style in which people move is also changing. It used to be senior citizens who had retired from work moving to the countryside to live a second life, but recently young people are also moving. How do foreigners view life in the Japanese countryside? We investigate the differences between how the world and Japan think about the good life while looking at the actual circumstances of life in the Japanese countryside.

Japanese schools are packed with events such as the opening ceremony, field days, culture festivals and school excursions throughout the year. Autumn is the season that's especially filled with events. School events are standard for Japanese people, but in fact they are uncommon in the West. There are no opening ceremonies after the end of long vacations, and it is common for school to resume as if nothing had happened. We discuss school events, which can be said to shape the orderliness, cooperativeness and national character of Japanese people, from the perspective of foreigners.

Historical plays have become rarer on terrestrial TV. In fact, they are very popular on satellite TV and specialized channels. Japanese people love historical plays. When the hero of a large-scale TV series is announced, related locations are enlivened and people get excited about revitalization. Are there any other countries that love historical plays as much as Japan? We investigate the cools of Japanese historical plays in Japanese people whose hearts are captivated by historical plays and their productions sites at the end of this year in which they were a hot topic. 

Fruits produced in Japan are attracting the world right now. The secret to their popularity is their superior sweetness. In America, Japanese strawberries are cultivated in greenhouses and sold at multiples of the price that they are sold in Japan. Russian tourists take back mountains of strawberries on airplanes as souvenirs. However, foreigners find it strange that Japanese people don't eat the skin of fruits. Our foreign guests report on Japan's dried persimmons, whose popularity in Europe is quickly rising, and the strawberry development wars, in which sweetness and appearance are pursued. Will Japan's fruits become the next flavor of the world? 

Japan is an Osozai heaven where you can easily find Osozai anywhere, including convenience stores, supermarkets and basement floors of department stores. Osozai has recently been popular among foreigners too due to its wide variety, deliciousness and healthiness. There are many foreign tourists who not only go to restaurants but go out to buy popular Osozai, and some basement floors of department stores have become tourist locations. At the front lines of Osozai, which is bound to become increasingly popular in the future, we close in on the capabilities of Japan's Osozai, including container technology that supports it in the background.

Japanese people love fortune telling. Foreigners find the fortune telling mansion in the city of young people and dispatch fortune telling at shopping malls to be strange. The latest types of fortune telling on smartphone applications and social media are also popular, and the fortune telling market is growing year by year. Fortune telling can be found in all parts of life in Japan, for example Omikuji for the year's first visit to temples and shrines, and fortune telling on TV every morning. What do foreigners think of Japan's fortune telling?

Various Japanese foods such as sushi and ramen have become popular around the world, and the category of Japanese food that the world is currently focused on is Teishoku. In just 10 years, a Japanese Teishoku chain restaurant has opened 110 restaurants in 8 countries around the world. They are always fully occupied in New York, and you'll be waiting for a few hours if you don't have a reservation. The secret to Teishoku's popularity is their cheapness and nutritional balance. In comparison to foreign cuisine, which has many single dish items and course meals on the menu, Teishoku are popular for allowing you to eat many dishes at the same time and being healthy due to there being many vegetables. We investigate the appeals hidden in Japan's Teishoku.

As foreigners become increasingly interested in Japan, Japanese characters continue to draw attention. There are foreigners in the city with T-shirts and tattoos that have kanji and katakana. What about Japanese characters do they think is cool? Japanese people are particular about beautiful handwriting and believe that written characters express personality, but foreigners feel that handwriting shows individuality even if it's messy. What differences are there in the way that they sense characters? As the eyes of the world turn to Japan, we investigate the appeals of Japan's characters.

Otaku, a term originating in Japan, has evolved a surprising amount in the past ten-plus years. Otaku, who love anime, games and manga in the limelight, used to just be seen as strange people. That has now turned into a nation-wide otaku era. 60% of university students identify as an otaku and 80% of high school girls have a positive impression of otaku. Otaku is now an internationally recognized word. What has changed in the past ten-plus years? We investigate the latest occurrences in the world of otaku.

Paper has been used in many aspects of life from long ago and is indispensable for the daily lives of Japanese people. Japanese paper has excellent quality and durability and has even gathered attention from around the world and has been used for repairs in overseas museums and libraries. Further, Japan is said to have the greatest variety of paper in the world. People from around the world will be able to see a variety of Japanese papers during the Tokyo Olympics. How does Japan's paper compare to the world's? We search for cools down to paper-thin differences.

One thing that foreigners living in Japan notice is that Japanese people always seem to be smiling. The way they smile when they share their opinion, fail at something, and even when they say "no" is unique to Japan. There are many kinds of smiles that are rooted and expressed in Japanese culture. We rediscover Japan's emotive smiling culture with various smiles such as fake smiles, slight smiles, bitter smiles, embarrassed grins and laughing with ridicule from the perspective of foreigners.

With aging, health consciousness and the pandemic, medicine is indispensable in our lives. Japan is actually third place in the ranking of the number of new drugs developed by a country. Further, development of drugs and quasi-drugs that are intimately tied to daily life is also common. There are over 58,000 drugstores in Japan, which is more than the number of convenience stores. Are Japan's medicine situation and the way Japanese people relate with medicine cool compared to the rest of the world? We investigate the cools of Japan's medicine in comparison to the situations in other countries.

Kappabashi Utensils Street, where there are all kinds of kitchen utensils, and kitchen sections at 100 yen shops are very popular among tourists in Japan. Foreigners are taken in by slicers and peelers at specialty shops that can cut things into unbelievable shapes. 100 yen shops have containers that can cook rice in microwaves and peelers that prevent skin from going all over the place. Japan is a kitchen utensils heaven. How will foreigners view Japan's kitchen utensils that perfect convenience?

The third installment in our series on sustainable development goals (SDGs) is "Life on Land." Each year 13 million hectares of forest are lost and 40,000 species go extinct. However, Japan is full of wisdom left from predecessors for protecting life on land. There's a sacred shrine forest in the city that took 100 years to build, slash and burn agriculture that doesn't destroy ecosystems, and people who protect endangered species. We search for ways to maintain the abundance of life on land while looking at Japan's initiatives and the situation overseas.

The restaurant industry has been significantly damaged due to the long pandemic. Takeout menus have become popular as a way for restaurants to create new opportunities, and demand is increasing. Demand for takeout has increased among those who aren't married, got married late in life, or live alone, and the available dishes and containers are evolving. Shopping streets that expand their takeout menu, takeout containers that take deliciousness and the environment into consideration, ramen takeout, etc. How is Japan's takeout different from overseas? We investigate from the perspective of foreigners.

Japanese pianos, wind instruments and guitars have the greatest share in the world. The secret to their popularity is the uncompromising craftsmanship of sincere craftsmen and the inquisitive minds of Japanese people who continue to make improvements without end. In one of the world's top 3 musical competitions, 5 out of 10 finalists chose Japanese instruments. Instruments made in Japan are becoming representative of the next generation of Japan. So we put the spotlight on Japanese instruments and investigate Japanese people's relationships with instruments.

Much of Japanese culture that has attracted attention from around the world was born during the Edo period. Even the fundamentals of Japanese cuisine, which was registered as a world cultural heritage, were completed during the Edo period. It has garnered global renown through its unique expressiveness and techniques. Forms of cultural entertainment such as ukiyo-e and kabuki blossomed during the Edo period and have a significant impact even today. What about Edo culture was unique and revolutionary? We take apart Edo culture from the perspective of foreigners. We investigate the roots and backdrop of the creation of its unique culture and find hints as to what makes Japan cool.

When foreigners come to Japan, they say they are surprised by how clean roads are, how little garbage there is, and how vegetation on median strips is well-kept. The level of detail in the maintenance of highways is unique to Japan. This is symbolized by traffic professionals called traffic forecasters. Also, Kumano Kodo Street is highly praised by foreigners as a miracle for existing without changing for over 1,000 years. Foreigners are realizing the appeals of Japan's roads more than Japanese people. We investigate the cools of Japan's roads.

Bonsai is a Japanese culture praised by the world. Bonsai recreates the worldview of nature in a small pot, and plastic food models faithfully reproduce dishes and have become popular as souvenirs. What they have in common is "recreation." The types of skills are diverse, and the world is surprised by Japan's refined and advanced recreation technology, from fixing broken bags and furniture to the decorative metal fittings of castles and towers. How is Japan's recreation different from other countries? We rediscover the cools of recreation that Japan is proud of.

The world's 4 largest motorcycle manufacturers are all Japanese. They account for 50% of the global market, far more than India in 2nd place. The secret to their popularity is the overwhelmingly high quality. Even domestically, a motorcycle boom for old models that were popular in the 80s has reignited the passion of middle-aged and older people for motorcycles. Further, people have high expectations for off-road motorcycle police due to their motorcycle's high mobility during disasters. How are Japan's motorcycles different from the worlds? We investigate the cools of the motorcycle kingdom Japan.

As the pandemic continues, people have spent more time at home. What do Japanese people consider to be a comfortable home? Home builders are already making new houses that cater to living in a pandemic. Japan's aging population problem also affects housing. Is there a secret plan to save the increasing vacant houses? Is Japan's current housing situation cool from the perspective of foreigners? Everyone is curious about Japanese houses right now. We investigate the latest culture while comparing it to the world.