An 8th-century tortoiseshell vanity box, said to be a gift from the Tang Dynasty palace to Japan’s Emperor Shomu, will be auctioned in Hong Kong and may fetch more than HK$40 million ($5 million).

The octagonal box, measuring 35.6 centimeters across and embedded with mother-of-pearl and amber in shapes of flowers, is the highlight of Sotheby’s planned sale of antiques, gems and paintings on April 8.

The item had once resided at the repository of the Todaiji, or Great Eastern Temple, in the southern Japanese prefecture of Nara.

The yokozuna Asashoryu has appeared in the Shibuya Girls Collection show in Tokyo this week and entertained a crowd of 20,000 mostly teenage girls.

He was wearing a school uniform as a reference to him starring as a high school student in a recent TV commercial. Source: Relaxnews

Last time, Lipton teamed up with Pierre Herme and this time, collaborate with the Westin Tokyo!

These freebies are named “Tea time accessory collection”. Eight kinds of faux cakes or cuties are ready for tea time. Via: 8tokyo

A sales clerk for Japan’s Takashimaya department store displays a ￥10 million (US$100,000) music CD called “Woman, Sweet 10 Diamonds,” made with a platinum case and studded with 10 2-carat diamonds, in Tokyo yesterday.

Universal Music unveiled the “world’s most expensive CD,” produced by Universal Music and jeweler Nagahori, for a commemorative album showcasing 18 songs by female vocalists.

Via TaipeiTimes / AFP

Fancy an “icy” outdoor bath during your next holiday?

At Alpha Resort-Tomamu’s ice village in Shimukappu town, you can stay in a hotel where dining room, bedroom and bathroom are all made out of ice.

Even dinner is served on an ice plate.

Room charges are at 80,000 yen ($900) for two per night. The hotel was open until Feb 15, 2009 but it will certainly re-open in 2010.

Temperatures in Shimukappu range between -1 to -10 degrees celsius during this period. Via Kineda. More pictures after the break.

Access to French macarons is not readily available if you live in the US for the most part.

However if you are lucky enough to live in Japan, things are different.

Not only are French macarons shops on almost every corner But also there is a ton of macaron toys and souvenirs to be had!