The stairway to "Heaven's Station" is a hell of a climb

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Nicknamed "Heaven's Station," Uzui Station's platform is a 30 meter climb up 10 flights of stairs, making it the tallest in Japan. Located in Ōnan, Shimane Prefecture, the second least populated prefecture in the country, Uzui Station currently gets less than one passenger a day on average, down from its peak of 4 in 2003. The rural station has no lifts or escalators and no vending machines to replenish your fluids after your agonising ascent. There is, however, a single bench upon which to rest as you wait... and wait... and wait... for one of the four daily services to pick you up.

A rare look inside the Japanese Imperial air raid shelter

On August 1st, the Imperial Household Agency released floor plans, photographs, and video of the World War II imperial air raid shelter. The shelter, an annex of the former imperial couple's residential quarters, is situated within the Imperial Palace grounds in Central Tokyo. It is the first time since 1965 that views of the inside or outside of the shelter have been shown to the public.

All aboard the Evangelion Shinkansen

From this Autumn, to commemorate both the 40th anniversary of the opening of the Sanyō Shinkansen line and the 20th anniversary of Evangelion's first television broadcast, Hideaki Anno has teamed up with mechanical designer Ikuto Yamashita to design the "500 Type Eva" shinkansen for JR West.

Hayao Miyazaki to direct Ghibli's first fully CG animated short, 'Boro the Caterpillar'

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Since his (most recent) retirement from directing feature films, Miyazaki has been working on a short CG animation to join the collection of short films shown at the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, Tokyo, Studio Ghibli Producer Toshio Suzuki announced on the 10th of July. The project, entitled 'Boro the Caterpillar' (Kemushi no Boro), is based on an idea for a feature film Miyazaki envisioned prior to working on Princess Mononoke. The 10 minute film is expected to take 3 years to complete.

While Studio Ghibli regularly employs the use of CG to compliment its 2D animations, the new short film will be the studio's first fully CG work. Mr Suzuki said that Mr Miyazaki is very excited about the new project.

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宮崎駿監督、短編を制作中　ジブリ美術館用の初ＣＧ作品
Hayao Miyazaki at work on computer graphics short

Bartkira, the animated trailer

Ryan Humphrey and James Harvey's Bartkira project is finally an animation! The call for animators for the Bartkira trailer went out in November 2014 and the completed trailer, produced by Kaitlin Sullivan, features the work of 31 individual animators.

Google celebrates Eiji Tsuburaya's 114th birthday with interactive tokusatsu doodle

Today's Google Doodle celebrates the 114th birthday of tokusatsu legend, Eiji Tsuburaya, best known as a co-creator of Godzilla and creator of Ultra Q and Ultraman.

Electirc fan precursor found in ukiyo-e print.

A precursor to the modern electric fan can be spotted in the right panel of "Ooku of Chiyoda," one in series of mid-1890s prints by Toyohara Chikanobu (1838-1912) depicting the daily lives of the ladies of the inner chambers of Edo Castle. Uchiwa (paddle-shaped hand fans) are placed at an angle into the wheel of the device which is cranked by hand. Word has it that the woman operating the fan went on to make a fortune in the national arm wrestling league.

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'Hiroshige Fan Prints,' by Rupert Faulkner. 

A fire-breathing Godzilla rises from the sea in Akita Prefecture

As the sun sets in Oga City, Akita Prefecture, a ferocious, fire-breathing Godzilla rises from the sea. 

The Godzilla Rock, which sits off the south-western part of Shiosezaki Peninsula in the Sea of Japan, is a small, inconspicuous rock formation during daylight but when viewed from the right angle at the right time of day transforms into the king of the kaijū. 

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"Greetings" from WORLD ORDER choreographer's group Hidali (feat. Nonstop)

Choreography group, Hidali, was formed by former WORLD ORDER lead choreographer, Ryo Noguchi, choreographer Takeatsu Nashimoto, and beat maker Yu Imai in 2013. Since then, membership has grown to include choreographers Tsutomu Sasao, Mikako Kano, and Aya Terasoma. Between them they have choreographed music videos and live performances for the likes of Will.i.am, Nicki Minaj, Missy Elliot, SKE48, Girls Generation, and SHINee, and have become regular choreographers for FEMM and Arashi. 

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Hidali have put together a collection of playful short videos to celebrate Japan's holidays on their official Youtube channel, featuring lifesavers, a funky grandma, a human Christmas-tree factory, and an incredibly strong-necked bather who could be the answer to Japan's dwindling sentō culture. The 7th installment, T.G.I.F., is a collaboration with Californian popper, Marquese Scott, aka Nonstop, famous for Youtube video 'Pumped Up Kicks.'

Add some kaijū to your kimono with Tōhō Kaijū Netsuke

Figure company Chara-Ani began releasing its Tōhō Kaijū Netsuke line this last February which already includes 3 Ultraman and 3 Godzilla series kaijū. Beginning in June, another 7 Godzilla series netsuke will be released.

Japan's 10 Most Terrifying Yuru-kyara Mascots

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Yuru-kyara (ゆるキャラ), literally "soft characters", are usually cute, anthropomorphic amalgams of the local products and landmarks of regions and cities that are intended to help boost tourism. They're seriously big business in Japan with approximately 1700 yuru-kyara entered into the 2014 Yuru-Kyara Grand Prix and still others that weren't. Amid all this cuteness, however, there exists a truly terrifying category of yuru-kyara that is the product of a designer's sense of humour, a tactic to enliven a town's dull image, or the unfortunate and unintentional result of a sincere attempt at cuteness.

For your consideration, in no particular order, the top 10 most terrifying yuru-kyara Japan has to offer.