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2014 (Page 211)

Michael Bay loses it on stage, pretty much ruins Samsung’s CES presentation

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2014 is currently underway over in Las Vegas, giving the industry’s big players a chance to flaunt their wares and drum up publicity for the coming year. With so much shiny new tech on show, it will be difficult to pick an overall winner, but Samsung’s presentation earlier today with special guest world-famous director Michael Bay will no doubt go down as most memorable, though not as the South Korean company might have hoped.

There to discuss Samsung’s gorgeous new 150-inch curved TV set, the Transformers director fluffed his lines and promptly marched off stage, leaving executive vice president Joe Stinziano with little left to do but ask the audience to thank Mr. Bay for coming, prompting one of the most awkward rounds of applause in CES history.

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We try Häagen-Dazs’ special edition Forêt Noire ice cream found only in convenience stores

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! Especially for everyone’s favorite, Häagen-Dazs. Even in the middle of winter, we can find happiness by eating ice cream in a warm room. We were curious what Häagen-Dazs’ new, hard-to-pronounce flavor Forêt Noire tasted like, so we tried it ourselves. Prepare to be tantalized by the following enticing photographs.

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Our Japanese reporter checks out a public bath in Budapest

With the winter days getter ever so colder, many Japanese people take refuge in onsen (hot springs) or sento (bath houses). Slipping into a pool of warm water and letting it soak deep into your body is a great way to beat the cold weather.

Even though Japan has thousands of onsen and sento, the experience might get a little tedious after repeated use. So, to take a dip in something totally new, our reporter went to the Szechenyi Thermal Bath in Budapest, Hungary to see how its done on the other side of the world and whether it can compare to Japan’s own incredible offerings.

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This lightning fast cat has us laughing out loud【Video】

Okay, who gave this cat coffee!?

Watch this short video to get your daily cat fix and start your week off on a (caffeine?) high – it’s sure to bring a smile to your face and dazzle your feeble human eyes.

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Traditional hot spring dance reminds us of locker room fights, 3rd degree burns

Kusatsu Onsen is a hot spring resort town in the mountains of Gunma Prefecture. Its spring is famous for both its prodigious daily output and its high sulfur content, which makes the entire town smell of rotten eggs but is said to cure a host of bodily ills. In fact, the locals say the hot springs in Kusatsu cure any sickness but love sickness.

Whatever its healing properties, you wouldn’t want to jump into the spring at the source, as it comes bubbling out of the ground at up to a scalding 95°C (203°F). You could add cold water, but that would dilute the beneficial mineral content, so the locals use a traditional method called yumomi, which involves splashing the water around with big tongue depressors while singing and dancing.

I love Japan.

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Sagawa Electronic’s newest robot suit in production, looks to be taller with bigger claws

A few months ago, we brought word of the Powered Jacket MK3 by Sagawa Electronics, a fully functioning robot suit valued at around US$125k. It was undeniably cool and even came with a funny promotional video, but I think I could take it in a fight, which is rarely a good sign as far as mecha exoskeletons go.

However, work is currently underway to produce its successor, the MK4. Although still in development it appears to be getting some upgrades in size and intimidation.

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North Koreans reportedly forced to memorize Kim Jong-un’s entire 26-minute New Year speech

All around the world, people celebrate New Year’s Day in different ways, most with a sense of optimism that a new year means a new chance at achieving their dreams. However, in North Korea it’s a time of enormous anxiety for the people. Reports out of China claim that North Korea’s New Year is rung in with a speech by Kim Jong-un, and by his order everyone in the country must commit the entire speech to memory.

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  • Jan 6, 2014

Renowned Japanese cosmetic surgeon comes out with … totally funky stationery!

The subject of plastic surgery has come up in a number of our past articles, but did you know there’s a certain cosmetic surgeon here in Japan who is practically a national celebrity? If you’ve spent some time in Japan, you may have heard of Dr. Katsuya Takasu, known for his chain of clinics for cosmetic procedures, the Takasu Clinic.  Although he’s strictly a cosmetic surgeon by profession and not a media personality or entertainer, his face and name are recognizable to virtually everyone in Japan, thanks in large part to a series of unique ads that have aired on TV over the years.

Well, it now seems the good doctor will be coming out with some goods that have nothing to do with plastic surgery, but still boldly feature pictures of himself, and the sheer visual impact of these goods have definitely caught the attention of Japanese netizens. But don’t take our word for it, see the pictures yourself!

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700-year-old swordcrafting ceremony lives on in Gifu Prefecture【Video】

While many people immediately think of samurai when Japan is mentioned, you might not expect to find many swordcrafters still working in the modern-day. And certainly not out in public for everyone to see!

However, the start of every year sees a gathering of swordcrafters in Gifu Prefecture where they ceremonially pound a piece of steel in a centuries old traditional ceremony. It looks cool and must be great exercise to work off all the osechi calories too!

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A perfect blend of fashion and function: the Tokyo Subway Map Necktie!

Even for those living in Tokyo, its plate-of-spaghetti-like tangle of train lines can be overwhelming to navigate. Worse for visitors, it’s hard not to get lost, but you also don’t want to walk around gawking at a map like some touristy chump. So, for basically anyone in Tokyo, we humbly present the Subway Map Necktie.

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Shut up and take my money: “Kung Fury” brings martial arts, vikings and Hitler together at last

For many, the ’80s was a decade of the best fashion, movies, and music known to humanity. For the rest of us, it was a painful embarrassment that we’re still trying to forget by drinking heavily.

Still, we’d be lying if we said there wasn’t something magical and stupidly fun about the cinema and games of that decadent decade. Which might explain the recent resurgence in ’80s-centric media like the critically acclaimed Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon and, now, the too-insane-to-actually-get-made-but-totally-will movie Kung Fury!

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This is what happens when you order ramen with “200 times” the regular spiciness

Ramen is a popular comfort food in Japan because, unlike many Japanese foods, there’s very little formality in eating it, it’s not especially good for you and therefore tastes wonderful, and you’re generally free to customize to your heart’s content, choosing a broth of your liking and then heaping on the toppings until you can barely see the noodles if you so desire.

Spicy ramen varieties aren’t uncommon, either, with many popular chains such as Ichiran offering customizable spiciness levels from one to ten. Of course, if you’re the right combination of bored, crazy and rich, you can pay extra to exceed the tenth level of spiciness; right on up to 200 times normal.

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Amazing Attack on Titan sand sculpture captivates and terrifies tourists 【Video】

The overseas resurgence of photos of a spectacular Attack on Titan sand sculpture has fans bursting with excitement again. If you haven’t seen it already, you won’t believe the detail of this sand art!

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10 ways shopping at Wal-Mart in China is completely different from how it is in the US

Wal-Mart just recalled donkey meat in China because it contained meat from other animals, including fox.

Despite the recent scandal, the mega-retailer has become wildly popular in China. Wal-Mart plans to open 110 additional stores there in the next few years.

Shopping at a Chinese Wal-Mart is totally different from shopping in one in the U.S.

We highlighted some notable contrasts.

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Osaka Castle backdrop for brain-melting 3D light show【Photos and Video】

If you happen to be in Osaka in the next month and feel up to braving the chilly nights, there is an interesting event taking place at Osaka Castle as part of the Art Festival of Light. In addition to the castle gardens being decorated with thousands of twinkling bulbs and a giant cube of swirling light constructed with LEDs, the castle itself will be the canvas for a 3D mapping projection guaranteed to confuse your brain.

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It’s the year of the horse, so let’s… eat a horse!?

2014 is the year of the horse, according to the Chinese zodiac. The Chinese zodiac animals play an important role in Japanese new year traditions, even though they no longer follow the Chinese lunar calendar. Themed goods featuring the zodiac animal of the year can be seen almost everywhere you go when the new year comes around. Yokohama originated bakery Pompadour created this adorable horse character bun for the occasion!

Wait, what? There’s real horse meat in it?!

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Hang in there, Baby!: Cat clinging to wall in Tokyo caught on Google Maps

Here’s a real-life motivational poster for you. Spotted in the Katsushika ward of Tokyo, this little kitty was precariously clinging to a small wall just as those crazy Google cameras came rolling by. Now he is forever immortalized on Google Maps, able to be seen by billions of people around the world.

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Ugoita fashions musical umbrellas and game cartridges for your low-fi pleasure

A white Christmas in Osaka is a rare thing and this year was no exception. All week has been back-to-back rainy days – par for the course in this neck of the world. If you happen to live in a similar climate, then these cold and damp days might have you feeling a little bummed out.

To help turn your mood around is a cute little invention by Ugoita. This umbrella has sensors attached that convert the impact of raindrops into tones. However, that’s just one of many unique electronic creations that worked.

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Test your might with our weekly quiz of weird and wonderful news from Japan and Asia

So, you think you know your quirky Asia news, huh? Visit our site every single day, do ya? (Thank you!) Well let’s see how closely you’ve been paying attention! Starting this week, we’ll be running a multiple choice quiz each weekend, based on 10 of our writers’ favourite articles from the week, asking you one question about each of them.

Do you know your Japanese cultural traditions? Have you been paying close attention to the adventures of our beloved Mr. Sato? How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if he had the required paperwork for the job? Take our quiz and find out!

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Fly in a pink whale shark to Okinawa!

The Churaumi Aquarium in Okinawa is renown for its massive whale sharks. Now tourists can enjoy riding inside a whale shark on their way to seeing a whale shark thanks to the decorated JAL planes. What’s more, the company has just announced the addition of a pink plane featuring the huge fish. Let’s take a closer look!

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