Japanese retailers are vying to cash in on the country's drive for energy-savings this winter season by offering a new selection of thermal underwear. Major clothing retailer Uniqlo is expanding its lineup of popular winter underwear to include products for toddlers. Retail chain Seiyu has developed a new line of thermal underwear at a 20 percent discount to last year. Stores are expecting higher demand for winter underwear as consumers prepare to turn down the heat in the face of power rate hikes.

AKB48 has reshaped the landscape of youth culture in modern Japan. The pop-idol group's rapid rise to stardom across a wide array of formats has provided the country's children with a fairly straightforward path to commercial success: fame is ultimately achieved by attracting a broad fan base via popular vote. Such a strategy encourages young people today to chase dreams of being in the spotlight that many Japanese would have shunned years ago.  

Visitors to Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea increased on a year-on-year basis in August, recovering from the sharp dropoff following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, the president of operator Oriental Land Co. said in a recent interview. Oriental Land will be able to book a profit for the business year to next March despite a loss of ¥3.8 billion in the April-June first quarter "if the number of visitors continues to increase," Kyoichiro Uenishi said.

An exhibition in Osaka, western Japan, is giving visitors a chance to see real-life renderings of inventions and gadgets featured in the popular comic and animated series "Doraemon." In the long-running series, the titular cat-shaped robot from the 22nd century uses a variety of devices dubbed "secret tools" to help Nobita, a schoolboy in present-day Tokyo.

When first-time visitors arrive in Japan, a few things they may notice right off the bat include the juxtaposition of the high-tech and the ancient, the unfailing politeness of locals, and a curious fixation with cuteness — to wit, all the cute mascots that promote regions, historic sites, local specialties and events, the police, you name it.

TSUKUBA, Japan — It giggles and wiggles its feet when you shake its rattle, but will get cranky and cry from too much tickling: Meet Yotaro, a Japanese robot programmed to be as fickle as a real baby.

Households with an annual income of 8million yen (60.180 €) or more spend three times more on their children's extracurricular activities, such as cram schools and sports lessons, than those with less than 4million yen (30.090 €) annual income, according to a survey by a correspondence education company.

An IC card security system that tracks kids is now being offered by Tokyu Land Corp. Homeowners who purchase a Tokyu Security home security service plan have the option to enable the Tokyu Kids Security system which sends messages to the parents mobile about where the child is. For this Tokyu has partnered with PASMO Co. which issues rechargeable contactless PASMO IC smartcards for rail and bus systems in Japan.