TOKYO - The 85-year-old server was eager to kick off his shift, welcoming customers into the restaurant with a hearty greeting: "Irasshaimase!" or "Welcome!" But when it came time to take their orders ...

TOKYO — First there were cafés that allowed pets. Then came cat cafés, where lattes took second place to feline interaction. The latest craze in Japan: The pig café. “It was wonderful. Very relaxing ...

Kissaten—retro-style cafés—are a beloved part of Japanese dining culture, with a dedicated following. Step into any kissaten—Japanese retro-style cafes—and you're immediately hit with the strong smell ...

Four years ago, Jerome Ito started searching for a space where he could fill what felt like a void on the Peninsula: a ...

Micro pigs play at a mipig cafe, Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024, in Tokyo. The Mipig Café in fashionable Harajuku is among 10 such pig cafes the operator has opened around Japan, including one in the ...

TOKYO (AP) — First there were cafés that allowed pets. Then came cat cafés, where lattes took second place to feline interaction. The latest craze in Japan: The pig café. “It was wonderful. Very ...