The Popularity of Star Wars Pop-Up Shops Popping Up In Tokyo Continues But Why?!

Posted on October 3, 2025 by tokyofox

There was a time not that long ago when the only Star Wars products unique to Japan seemed to be the range of various lightsaber chopsticks and tenugui decorative towels but in recent times that has changed a fair amount with the franchise cashing in on the distinctive appeal of Japanese products. They’ve certainly been on the increase these last few years and that all came to a crescendo at the Star Wars Celebration Japan event back in April.

Since then there have been three Star Wars pop-up stores (that I’m aware of!) in Tokyo. The ‘Star Wars Galaxy in Shibuya’ exhibition in May was really good with a nice layout, and the one at Tokyu Plaza Ginza has become something of a regular occurrence in recent years which is always worth visiting. This most recent shop at Continue reading →

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My First Time To See British Band Muse Play Live In 19 Years!

Posted on September 30, 2025 by tokyofox

Throughout much of the 1990s I took note of pretty much every band or artist that appeared on the cover of the NME or Melody Maker music publications in the UK. If I wasn’t aware of them already then I’d usually be interested in hearing them but as we moved into a new century I gradually lost a bit of interest in such promotion of new acts, and one of the first bands I didn’t take too much notice of was a rock trio from Devon known as Muse!

Fast forward about five years and I realised I liked quite a few of their songs and kind of began to regret not taking more notice of them from the start. By the time Continue reading →

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A Double Dose of Tennis: Alcaraz In Tokyo, Big Balls, A Brit Appearance, Japan’s Rising Star, German Efficiency & Bjorn Borg!

Posted on September 27, 2025 by tokyofox

Recent U.S. Open champion Carlos Alcaraz has been the star attraction at this year’s Kinoshita Open a.k.a. the Japan Open. Sadly the stars did not align for me to see the man who currently has half a dozen Grand Slams to his name including two in 2025. I’d booked tickets for the morning session on the third day of competition and Continue reading →

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Heavy Rain At The World Athletics Championships Can’t Wash Away The Shine For Many Athletes & Spectators On The Final Day In Tokyo!

Posted on September 23, 2025 by tokyofox

My days of watching blanket coverage of sporting tournaments are long over due to work, family and living in what is often an inconvenient time-zone. However, with the 20th edition of the World Athletics Championships being hosted in Tokyo, and available on free-to-air TV, it meant I saw more of this event than the previous 19 versions!

Work and other things still got in the way at times but I managed to catch a fair amount of live action each night when back home. On top of that, the official 10 minute daily highlights package on YouTube kept me up to date in my native tongue. Oh and I was also in Continue reading →

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TF Flashback: 7 Days In Cambodia – Dark Tourism, Angkor Temples Aplenty, Eerie Movie Locations & A Birthday of Very Mixed Emotions! (2015)

Posted on September 20, 2025 by tokyofox

The first time I went to Cambodia was still one of my my most memorable trips as it was such a laugh travelling with mates but there were a few things I never really got to experience. Needing a greater appreciation and understanding of Cambodian history, culture and cuisine as well as taking in a few new places, I decided to return to the South-East Asian country about nine years later with my wife.

Day 1: Having arrived the night before, we spent our only full day of the trip in the capital city of Phnom Penh. It was also my birthday but it was a very sombre start as it began with Continue reading →

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The Long Wait To See Some Top Athletics Action In Tokyo Is Finally Over!

Posted on September 16, 2025 by tokyofox

Ever since Tokyo was selected in July 2022 to host the 20th World Athletics Championships this year, I have been excited about it and began my preparation for it two years ago by going to see my first ever track and field event in Yokohama. That was followed by a Japanese competition at the National Stadium just a couple of months ago. Both gave me a good idea of what it was actually like to see the sport in the flesh but they really were just warm-up competitions for the main event.

The World Athletics Championships have given the public a second chance to actually see some top-level athletes compete in the Japanese capital after the ill-fated Tokyo 2020 Olympics which were delayed by a year with spectators also not being allowed in due to the global pandemic of the time.

Tokyo being given the World Athletics Championships may have seemed like something of a consolation to try and make ammends for Continue reading →

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TF Top 10……Animal-Themed Playground Structures In Tokyo Metropolis

Posted on September 12, 2025 by tokyofox

When it comes to playground structures in Japan, the designers don’t always just go for the most generic design but sometimes incorporate mysterious and charming features to make them stand out as truly unique creations which are sights in their own right. Some of these extremely inventive structures include the likes of robots, seafood, insects, reptiles, buildings, yokai (Japanese supernatural entities and spirits) and of course animals.

The latter is the feature of this post as Tokyo Fox brings together the best ten animal-related playground structures in Tokyo Metropolis; the area comprising bordering prefectures Saitama, Kanagawa, Chiba and of course Tokyo itself. As ever, the ranking isn’t to be taken too seriously and if you do go to any of these places be very considerate and respectful about who they’re intended for.

10. Continue reading →

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The Sports Stadium In Yokohama With The Best Atmosphere?

Posted on September 8, 2025 by tokyofox

Even though I’m not really a baseball fan I have almost by default ended up visiting a fair share of the stadiums belonging to the 12 Japanese clubs which make up the Central and Pacific Leagues. Other than the Mazda Zoom Zoom Stadium in Hiroshima, all of the others have been based in Greater Tokyo but there was a fairly convenient one in Yokohama that could help add to my tally. Better than that though, I got to Continue reading →

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#WeStopAtNothing! Visiting All The Platform Zero Stations In Nagano

Posted on September 3, 2025 by tokyofox

There’s something slightly mystical and Harry Potter-like about these platforms and one has to wonder why some stations have them whether it be because it’s been added on that particular side of platform 1 or just because they began their numbering from zero! I’m not sure if I’ll ever visit all of them but certainly hope to tick a few more off as the years go by! The challenge continues with a visit to all the platform 0 stations in Nagano!

Located in central Japan, the landlocked prefecture of Nagano is joint second (along with Yamaguchi) when it comes to possessing stations with a platform zero. Neighbouring prefecture Niigata is the Continue reading →

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Tokyo’s Iconic Rugby Venue Hosts An American Football Match For The 1st Time Ever!

Posted on August 31, 2025 by tokyofox

Team personnel and fans of football and rugby can get pretty upset when their home pitch is used for different sports and thus “ruined” by different markings and types of game play. Whilst many multiple-sports venues exist in Japan, there are also plenty of stadiums principally used for a solitary sport.

One such example is the Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground (a.k.a. Chichibunomiya Stadium) in Tokyo’s Minato Ward. Apart from

Continue reading →

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