Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
March, 2014 (Page 5)
When I first started using Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3, almost everything about its enormous size annoyed me. I couldn’t text with one hand. It barely fit in my pocket, or didn’t at all. I felt silly holding it up to my ear to talk on the phone. It was the least subtle or elegant phone I’d ever seen.
Even my friends were horrified. I’d plop the Note onto a table or I’d whip it out to take a picture, and anyone I was hanging out with would double-take.
“What is that thing?!” they’d gasp.
Have you ever watched a sci-fi movie or played a video game and wondered what your home and neighborhood would look like if the human race were wiped out? If so you might want to seek counseling, or you can visit this website to seek closure on your thoughts of inevitable doom.
It’s called Urban Jungle Street View and it makes use of Google Maps interactive Street View system but decorates everything to look as if it hadn’t been touched by human hands for decades.
Once a common sight on the streets of Tokyo’s Shibuya youth district, women decked out in the alternative ganguro style are now rare…which makes it all the more strange that an online video of five ganguro girls dancing in a classroom has recently popped up!
Apart from its randomness, the video is actually pretty fun and infectious, and makes us nostalgic for other wacky Japanese street fashions. After seeing their moves, you might even want to get up and dance, too!
Projection mapping is a big hit in Japan. Used at festivals and big events, the colourful and creative light shows project moving images onto buildings and objects, bringing them to life with accompanying music and drawing in adoring crowds.
The latest object getting the laser treatment in Japan is a life-size Gundam figure in Odaiba, Tokyo. While the figure has travelled around and been subject to projection mapping over the past few years, a new tie-in promotional product that has crowds going crazy. It’s a simple little box that, when used in conjunction with your smartphone or PSP, fills up with lasers, sparks and music in an amazing 3-D light show you’ll have to see to believe.
Have you ever seen what happens when you pour beer onto a strongly heated frying pan? Probably not since few people are willing to waste it in such a way. But if you did you might have been surprised at the magical little show that takes place.
In the following video we can see that the beer takes the form of little spheres that seem to float over the surface of the pan. In fact, they are floating as a result of something called the Leidenfrost effect.
In Japan, there is a saying that goes, “25 years old is the turning point of the skin.” As you might expect from a nation with a multi-billion yen beauty industry, many Japanese women, especially those who are past 30, are in a constant battle to preserve their aging features. Of course we’d all like to stay young, but how does one go about keeping their skin looking fresh and youthful? We asked a 30-something Japanese TV and movie star to reveal her tips to better looking skin. Read on to learn her beauty secrets!
Just the thought of melon bread (or meronpan, as it’s called in Japanese), is enough to make my mouth water. It’s got to be the combination of that fluffy, sweet interior and the crispy, thin cookie dough outer coating…not to mention its heavenly aroma. Whenever I go to a new bakery in Japan, I always try out the melon bread first, and that inevitably sets the standard for me (by the way, plain old 7-11 melon bread is one of my favorites – who else agrees?!).
While it may seem contrary to fact, not all melon bread is actually made with melon flavoring. The name has more to do with the fact that its round shape and exterior grooves resemble a melon. However, we here at RocketNews24 have recently discovered an authentic, “ultimate melon bread” to beat all the rest! If you’re as big of a melon bread fan as us, keep on reading to find out where you can buy this little bun of happiness.
We’ve found the perfect snack to go with those cat marshmallow lattes! The best match for a cup of hot coffee or cocoa with a cute cat floating in it has to be hotcakes loaded with little wandering kitties! The best (or worst) part is, those cats aren’t just decorations, they’re completely edible! More pictures after the jump!
It doesn’t matter where you are in the world, if you’re an expat, there’s something from home you’re craving. Whether it’s chips and salsa or a good, strong beer, not having easy access to your favorite foods can put a damper on even the most enthusiastic of world travelers. That’s why knowing what to bring back after a visit home is so important, and Sharla, a university student living in Tokyo who makes videos about life in Japan, is here to help. Take a look at her video titled “What to Pack for JAPAN 日本に持っていくべき物!” and be prepared to take some notes. As an added bonus, Sharla speaks in English but includes subtitles in Japanese so anyone studying either language can get some extra practice.
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In Japan, there’s been a lot of talk about a new deep fryer developed by Noritz called AQTAS. Traditionally deep frying involved using oil and oil only. Adding water to the equation would often lead to destruction to property and/or serious bodily harm.
Then there’s AQTAS which somehow not only is able to take in water and ice without an explosion but all of the oil in the fryer is actually swirling directly atop a layer of water. We’re not really sure exactly why it works, but it does and there are a bunch of other benefits to it as well.
“Please can I give you a tip? In America, we have this custom, you know. I have to tip the pizza guy. And you came all the way out here in this weather…”
The rain-drenched delivery man on the doorstep of the Japanese apartment looked mildly embarrassed as he waved away my friend’s money. It was a typhoon day – classes cancelled, school closed, and the English teachers from my school had piled into one apartment for a party. Not wanting to brave the lashing wind and rain to go out and get food, we had ordered pizza, but hadn’t counted on the guilt we would feel when the delivery guy turned up on a moped looking like he’d just jumped into a swimming pool fully clothed.
In Japan, there’s no custom of tipping. In fact, leaving a tip could potentially be considered rude, as the cost of the service is already supposed to be included in the price you pay. My American buddy’s attempt to follow his home custom in Japan ended in the delivery driver apologising profusely for not accepting the tip! In New York City, meanwhile, Japanese restaurants are bringing the no-tipping custom Stateside, as Restaurant Riki becomes the latest Manhattan establishment to ban their customers from tipping.
The concept of plant factories is not a new one. Especially in space-strapped Japan, the idea of a compact garden that can simulate a natural environment in a tight urban area is highly desirable.
Keystone Technologies is one Japanese company that has been constantly refining their LED garden technology. Currently they boast a system that can fit about a quarter acre’s worth of crops into a space of a hotel’s single-room, and that’s just the beginning.
Peeing one’s pants is a problem that knows no borders. Well except for the parts of the world that don’t wear pants at least. Nevertheless, it affects all races, religions, genders, and ages.
However, when a video of Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos apparently releasing urine into his unfortunately brightly colored slacks hit YouTube, it was like no one had ever seen such a thing before. Granted it was relatively rare coming from a world leader, but they pee their pants one leg at a time just like the rest of us.
And yet this video has spread across the globe like so much discharged fluid into a cotton polyester blend, and many people’s reactions to it were equally uncomfortable once more was understood about the man – Japan being no exception.
Imagine dropping vast sums of cash on plastic surgery in an effort to make yourself appear more attractive, only to be told by a host of female celebs on national television that they wouldn’t touch you with a barge pole.
In classic Japanese variety show fashion, that’s precisely what TBS’s Watashi no Nani ga Ikenai no!? has in store for viewers next week, according to a recently released teaser trailer.
Most haulage vehicles have snug little sleeping compartments for their drivers to crawl into after many hours on the road, but if you take a look around an average Greyhound or overnight bus you’ll notice no such place to hunker down.
So if a driver needs a little shut-eye between trips, where do they get it? Motels? Some kind of depot? Sitting up in their seat with a neck pillow? According to the following video, night bus drivers in Japan actually have another alternative, and it’s a lot closer than we thought.
We all know break-ups can be a painful, gut-wrenching experience. Even long after the actual traumatic event, you may suddenly be seized with thoughts such as, “Oh, we were supposed to see that movie together,” or “We were going to go to that beach this summer,” and find yourself weeping uncontrollably at the most unexpected and usually inopportune moments.
And what can really be a bummer is deciding what to do with all the things your ex-boyfriend (or ex-girlfriend) gave you. Birthday presents, letters or even pictures of the two of you together — all items that were irreplaceable treasures at one time — can bring back painful memories and possibly even prevent you from moving on. But now, there may be an ideal solution to this problem, and one that can help change the world for the better.
A tragic scene unfolded at the Inter World game center in Iwatsuki, Saitama this week. The lobster claw game, in which players get a chance to catch a live lobster became a grizzly spectacle as every single crustacean was found dead.
Japan has its own version of Yahoo! Answers, the question and answer site where you can ask anything and receive a quick reply from other users. The Japanese site is named Yahoo! Chiebukuro (“Yahoo! brains” or, more literally, “knowledge bag”), and as this collection of the best Q&A sets shows, the questions people ask range from the bafflingly inane to the unexpectedly profound!
As we’re about to see, Japan has its fair share of loveable idiots as well as geniuses!
Cats are always sticking their noses…and heads and butts and, well, their whole bodies where they just don’t belong. Working on an important business report? Cat on the keyboard! Trying to cook? Cat face in your mixing bowl! Strange noises in your closet freaking you out at night? Cat doing…something in there. We still have no idea what.
While we all love a cute kitty, it’s impossible to avoid the fact that they simply have an innate desire to get in the way or into just about everything. One Japanese Twitter user learned this the funny way when his cat just…disappeared!
Counterfeit coins and bills are hard to make and with the advancement of technology, hard to pass for genuine money. Store clerks are armed with a variety of techniques, from special pens to knowledge of watermark placement, making it even more difficult for those looking for undeserved cash to score big.
However, with the proliferation of vending machines across Japan and the circulation of a high-value 500 yen (US$5) coin, counterfeiters have a perfect mark for cashing in their fake coins, as a recent photo on Twitter confirms.
Studio Ghibli releases free-download board game — Here’s how to play it without reading Japanese
Studio Ghibli lets you cosplay as Howl from Howl’s Moving Castle with cosy anime fashion range
Pikachu/Game Boy manhole cover installed at Nintendo Museum, not viewable by general public
Kyoto becomes City of Yokai, with Night Parade of One Hundred Demons festival this autumn
One of Japan’s oldest castles now lets travelers spend night on the grounds, drink in its keep
6 surprising things about having a baby in Japan
Pizza Hut releases a turtle pizza that looks like a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle
Japanese train driver and conductor duo melt hearts with behind-the-scenes friendship【Video】
How to make a Japanese convenience store bento look like a meal from a restaurant
Tokyo’s newest hot spring bathhouse and foodie spot opening next to Japan’s biggest fish market
Support Hayao Miyazaki’s real-world Totoro forest with hoodies featuring exclusive anime art
Matsushima restaurant offers all-you-can-eat sashimi in as many ways as you can dream it【Photos】
McDonald’s Japan’s new Tsukimi Moon-Viewing Pie receives mixed reviews online
Starbucks Japan releases special range of drinkware goods to celebrate the moon and the siren
These beautiful Studio Ghibli 10,000-year calendar figures are actually good forever【Photos】
Wrong Exit Exploring – The serene solitude of taking the wrong exit at Tokyo Disneyland’s station
7-Eleven combines two Japanese convenience store sweets into one for an epic treat
Japan’s cat testicle calendar is here for nyantama fans to go nuts with
Tiny chocolate croissants cause a big stir at popular bakery cafe in Japan
Ice cream in fried tofu? Taste-testing ice cream inari, a substitute for ice cream cones【Taste test】
Foreign tourists on Shinkansen bullet train break suitcase etiquette, angering local passengers
Japanese government suspends plan to pay Tokyo women 600,000 to move away to get married
Japanese government wants to remove tax-exemption limit for foreign tourists on consumables
Starbucks Japan unveils new limited-edition Frappuccino for autumn
The heartwarming story of Japan’s “Weakling Gundam” and the fans who supported it in its hour of need
Foreign tourist in Japan arrested for having sex on shrine grounds in broad daylight
Japan’s Mt. Fuji convenience store view-blocking screen has finally been taken down, on one conditionMatsushima restaurant offers all-you-can-eat sashimi in as many ways as you can dream it【Photos】Support Hayao Miyazaki’s real-world Totoro forest with hoodies featuring exclusive anime art
Japanese public toilet in Tokyo has windows that change colour when you use it
McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goodsForeign tourists on Shinkansen bullet train break suitcase etiquette, angering local passengers
[Deleted] Article written for April Fool’s Day 2018
Sold-out Studio Ghibli desktop humidifiers are back so Totoro can help you through the dry season
Japanese government to make first change to romanization spelling rules since the 1950s
Foreigner’s request for help in Tokyo makes us sad for the state of society
Ghibli founders Toshio Suzuki and Hayao Miyazaki contribute to Japanese whisky Totoro label design
Doraemon found buried at sea as scene from 1993 anime becomes real life【Photos】
Tokyo’s most famous Starbucks is closed
Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
6 surprising things about having a baby in Japan
Pizza Hut releases a turtle pizza that looks like a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle
Japanese train driver and conductor duo melt hearts with behind-the-scenes friendship【Video】
How to make a Japanese convenience store bento look like a meal from a restaurant
Tokyo’s newest hot spring bathhouse and foodie spot opening next to Japan’s biggest fish market
Thieves invade Osaka office and steal 10 million yen worth of trading cards
New sushi restaurant hidden inside Tokyo Station is a secret gem
Spice up boring Japanese classroom vocab with the cooler words in this cute video【Video】
Foreign tourist in Japan arrested for having sex on shrine grounds in broad daylight
Studio Ghibli director Goro Miyazaki creates charity character T-shirt for Japan’s 24-Hour TV
New Attack on Titan theme park attraction coming to Fuji-Q Highland
Penguin escapes from wildlife exhibit in Japan, found at beach 45 kilometers away【Video】
Where’s the very best seat to sit in on Japan’s Shinkansen? Our expert has an answer