Flipping through any travel guide about Japan you will learn that Japan is a country where tipping is non-existent. Leaving your change on the table at a restaurant may result in the waiter chasing you down to give it back. But in Japan there actually is a system of tipping that exists but is tangled in a mysterious system of formality that no one really seems sure of.  In an interview with Yahoo! Japan, Nobuko Akashi of the Japan Manners & Protocol Association attempts to unravel this system so we can all know when and where it’s appropriate to tip in Japan.

Starbucks Coffee Japan plans to open new outlets at an accelerated pace while shifting its focus from urban centers to suburban areas. Over the next three years, the company will spend roughly 15 billion yen ($146 million) to open 260 new coffee shops, which is 60% more than were opened during the last three years. Starbucks now operates some 1,000 stores in Japan, of which around 10% are located in suburban areas along main streets. 

Attempting to read and understand food labels in Japan can be a tricky thing. Even when being able to read hiragana, katakana and some kanji, the majority of the food labels are still confusing to many consumers -- EVEN JAPANESE !!  Japan-based blogger Ashley (Surviving Japan) wrote this awesome guide on how to read food labels in Japan which we are now sharing with you. Enjoy to realize what you're eating in Japan! Thanks Ashley !!

FOODeX JAPAN is the largest annual food and beverage trade show in Asia and has been a highly successful trade event since its debut in 1976 serving not only Japan’s $700 billion food market but many lucrative Asian markets. Over 75,000 professional visitors attend FOODEX 2013, including over 6,500 from Korea, Taiwan, China, Thailand, and Hong Kong. Location: Tokyo, Makuhari Messe Chiba Exhibit Profile: Food, beverage products Visitor Profile: Supermarkets, hypermarkets, wholesalers, grocery stores, food service hospitality, fast food chains, convenience stores, distributors, importers, agents and brokers No. of Exhibitors: 2,500 producers from 73 countries

McDonald's Company (Japan) Ltd. on Monday opened its first cafe-style outlet, which will serve special brewed coffee and other products to compete with rivals such as Starbucks Co. The McCafe by Barista outlet opened in Tokyo's posh Omotesando district in Shibuya Ward. 

Time for us to admit another entrant into the hall of unnecessary, but cool inventions. Installed at Tokyo's Shinagawa Station yesterday, this latest spin on the vending machine dispenses with those silly windows unto what you're buying and furnishes its user with a 47-inch touch panel from which to make his (or her) selection. An embedded camera will recognize your gender and age, allowing the machine to recommend a beverage suitable to whatever stereotype is attached to your particular circumstances. 

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Psychological research suggests the new look was designed with an eye on China--and beyond. Was last week's redesign of the Starbucks logo an unmitigated disaster (cf. Gap, Tropicana), or a surprisingly canny move? There's always the hue and cry of the blogosphere to gauge a quick reaction, but for a more measured approach, we have something called science. 

 "Wow! Just look at this!" is a typical reaction when customers get a look at the unusual ice cream served at a shop in Tokyo. There is the cone, of course, and the coiled ice cream above, and something that looks like a tail rising higher, aiming for the ceiling.

The annual Foodex Japan is one of  Asia’s largest food and drinks fairs. Foodex is the go-to event for  Japanese and foreign companies to network and show off their products . . . and for everyone else to sample their wares.

Transplanting Italian café culture to Japan is a big challenge, but it’s one that Gen Saito relishes. Saito, director of marketing & planning and new business development for Pronto Corporation, took on the job two years ago and in a market dominated by big chains such as Starbucks, Tully’s and traditional Japanese “kissaten,” he and his team have managed to create a niche for the relatively new brand of espressamente illy.