(Page 16) May, 2014 | SoraNews24 —Japan News—

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May, 2014 (Page 16)

Books meet beer – Man achieves dream of opening “night library” with help from crowdfunding site

Philip Kendall
May 8, 2014
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There are few things better than curling up with a good book, but one of them is doing so with a nice glass of wine or beer. There’s something about spending an entire afternoon reading that is so much more forgivable than losing the best part of a day to video games or sitting in a darkened room watching movies, and so even the addition of a cheeky alcoholic accompaniment – so long as you put a stopper in it before the words start to swim about on the page – barely registers as a sin.

A man who knows the pleasure of getting lost in literature is Shunsuke Mori. Since his junior high school days, he has dreamed of having his own private library and being surrounded by books. Now an adult, his vision has grown with him, and he has decided to open up a special “night library” in trendy Shibuya for grown-ups only to enjoy with, of course, a tipple or two to help them unwind. And thanks to like-minded netizens, his dream will soon be a reality.

Tokyo Skytree’s disappointing attendance: 6.19 million visitors

Casey Baseel
May 8, 2014

Tokyo’s two most compelling yet conflicting traits, the energy from its sheer number of residents and the solitude of its back alleys, are both best appreciated from ground level. The metropolis’ scale can only truly be appreciated from high above, though, which is why Tokyo has no fewer than five major observation decks within the city limits.

As the newest and tallest of the group, the Tokyo Skytree, which opened in the spring of 2012, is by far the most prestigious of the group, and it has quickly become a more vibrant symbol of Japan’s capital than Tokyo Tower itself. But even with the millions of visitors the Skytree saw last year, the attendance was still below what was expected.

Let’s go to a conveyor belt sushi restaurant — to enjoy delectable desserts!

Kay
May 8, 2014

Conveyor-belt sushi, or kaiten-zushi, as it’s called in Japan, is a popular and casual way to enjoy both traditional and not so traditional sushi. Unlike some of the upscale sushi establishments, you know exactly how much you’re paying for each plate, and you can choose from a wide and fun range of sushi, some of them even involving tempura or grilled meat. Recently, though, more and more people seem to be going to kaiten-zushi not just for unique sushi, but to satisfy their sweet tooth.

Yes, according to a recent post on information compilation site Naver Matome, desserts are increasingly becoming the big attraction for diners going to conveyor-belt sushi restaurants, and we have to agree, the sweets do look seriously tantalizing. So, why don’t you join us for a look at the treats available at some of the popular kaiten-zushi chains in Japan? They certainly aren’t what you would expect as a typical item on a sushi restaurant menu!

Japanese netizens share tips on how to be the ultimate bathroom creep

Scott R Dixon
May 8, 2014

While men and women may not ever agree to how to use the toilet or what the length of an appropriate bathroom visit is, we can probably all agree that nothing is worse than someone is standing right outside the bathroom door waiting for your visit to the porcelain throne to end. Yet, somehow a group of Japanese netizens have found several ways to make that terribly awkward moment even worse.

These netizens recently held an impromptu “contest” to find out the creepiest thing a man could say to a woman after she came out of the bathroom. Click below to find out who managed to come up with the worst phrase and why the only “winner” of this contest was bad taste.

The Pope might just be a Final Fantasy character

Angelina Lucienne
May 8, 2014

After pictures of the Pope at the weekly General Audience were circulated online, internet users everywhere have noticed something peculiar: it looks eerily like the entrance of the last boss in a Final Fantasy game. If you don’t believe me, read on!

Super cute Rilakkuma, Totoro and cat macarons! Can you bear to bite into them? 【Pics & Video】

Joan Coello
May 8, 2014

We here at RocketNews24 are completely amazed by all of the cute food that comes from Japan. From character donuts to hotcakes loaded with tiny cats, they’re constantly surprising us with doses of cute in the most unexpected forms, even in little bite-sized sweets such as macarons!

Ginza is a fancy place…just look at the elevators!

Michelle Lynn Dinh
May 8, 2014

The Ginza area of Tokyo is by far the ritziest of all of Japan’s districts. With stores such as Chanel, Cartier and Bulgari (not to mention an extremely overpriced bar staffed by former and current porn stars), you’re going to have to have a lot of yen in your pockets if you want to do more than window shop and people watch. Yes, there are exceptions and cheap eats to be found nestled amongst the luxury items, but overall, Ginza is dominated by fancy things. Just look at the elevators…

Spooky shots of the abandoned Fukushima disaster area taken with a drone

BUSINESS INSIDER
May 8, 2014

Japanese aerial photography company HEXaMedia flew a drone equipped with cameras through Tomioka, Japan, the largely abandoned town that played host to the Fukushima nuclear meltdown.

It edited together a number of spooky shots into a 7-minute video that you can watch here. Check out the most stunning shots in the gallery below.

Arina Tanemura finishes Sailor Moon drawings with Sailor Saturn

Anime News Network
May 7, 2014

Arina Tanemura (Full Moon O Sagashite, Kamikaze Kaitō Jeanne) is on a roll recently, showcasing her impressive fanart for Sailor Moon, Mars and Mercury, and most of the others. It seems she’s finally completed the cast with Sailor Saturn.

Here comes a new challenger: Will Brazilian “human Ken doll” ascend to the doll people throne?

Mike
May 7, 2014

A Brazilian cosmetic surgery addict admits that he has spent around US$150,000 chasing the dream of looking like a Ken doll come to life.

Rodrigo Alves, who recently acknowledged that he suffers from body dysmorphia and is seeking therapy, says he’s undergone around 20 separate surgeries to achieve his goal. Just some of the operations included: arm fillers and pectoral implants, ab implants, calf reshaping, numerous nose jobs, botox injections and several rounds of liposuction. Presumably he also paid good money on eye surgery to get that perfect Ken doll “soulless gaze.”

Aliens attend baseball game, thrown out, never heard from again

KK Miller
May 7, 2014

“Could there be life somewhere else in the universe?” The recent discovery of the Earth-sized planet (Kepler 186f) is about the same distance to its sun as the Earth is to ours. Is it possible that life does exist outside our planet?

A recent picture from Twitter only helps to increase our hopes while also dragging them away as the aliens are seemingly escorted from “America’s favorite pastime”.

Tour alleged yakuza hideouts on Google Maps

Michelle Lynn Dinh
May 7, 2014

As Google Maps expands its reach across the globe, netizens are finding more and more hidden treasures amongst the usual images of street signs and roadways. Sure, we catch a flock of human pigeons every now and then, but this next photo gallery is a little subtler than mobs of masked people purposely trying to live on forever in Google Maps. No, this is a different kind of mob…the mob. The yakuza, rumored to number in the hundred-thousands in Japan, have landed themselves on Google Maps more than a few times and we’re not quite sure they appreciate being photographed.

YouTuber combines original and latest Godzilla in cool mashup trailer

Jessica
May 7, 2014

With the release date of Gareth Edwards’ new take on Godzilla fast approaching, there’s been a lot of chatter on the Net comparing the original kaiju with his latest incarnation in terms of his size, his abilities, and even the amount of pee he would produce.

YouTuber Broad Strokes wasn’t interested in comparing the two, though. He wanted to combine them, and the result is a mashup trailer for a Godzilla movie we would very much like to see.

Kyoto Sanga F.C. takes the cheekiest free kick ever with long line of dummies

Philip Kendall
May 7, 2014

Football, or soccer if you will, is sometimes accused of being a dull spectator sport on account of the limited number of goals that are often scored in games and its propensity to end in stalemate.

But for every 10 minutes of dull passing, frustrating off-sides and tedious throw-ins, there’s usually at least one moment of heart-racing sporting magic to be had, and this amazingly cheeky goal scored yesterday by J-League team Kyoto Sanga FC against Yokohama FC undoubtedly provided plenty of entertainment value for supporters of both sides.

Sharp’s Ocha-presso brings traditional Japanese flavor to your kitchen

Angelina Lucienne
May 7, 2014

Coffee and espresso drinks are quite common in Japan, but green tea will always have a special place in Japanese hearts, as evidenced by the availability of green tea flavored doughnuts, ice bars, beer and even curry. Now, Sharp has announced a new machine for home use that makes perfect matcha (green tea made from powdered tea leaves). They are calling it the Healsio Ocha-presso (or Healthy-o Tea-presso, if you prefer).

Real, functional Attack on Titan swords: This man’s year-long project will blow your mind

Preston Phro
May 7, 2014

As popular as Attack on Titan is, it’s hardly surprising how many great cosplay outfits have been made by fans. And with a live action movie in the works, we wouldn’t be surprised if the level of pure awesome of AoT cosplay explodes a few hundredfold.

But it’s going to be tough to top these real, functional swords one university student made in his free time over the course of a year. The best part is, he might even make a pair for you!

Tohoku man honors brother killed in tsunami with hundreds of blue carp streamers

Jessica
May 7, 2014

In an empty field in Higashi-Matsushima, Miyagi Prefecture, where many homes stood before a tsunami swept them away, there are hundreds of blue carp streamers floating in the breeze. Kento Itoh, 21 years old, has collected them from all over the country in honor of his brother Ritsu, killed in the March 11 disaster when he was just five years old.

On that day, Kento was in Sendai, his middle brother was at school and his father was in the hospital, so none of them were at home when the tsunami struck their small town. Ritsu, his mother and his grandparents were carried off by the surging waters. Only Ritsu’s body was ever found. The rest are still officially missing.

With his father ill, it fell to Kento as the oldest son to identify his brother’s corpse at the morgue and to search among the ruins for his missing family. He did not find them, but among the mud and muck, he did find something: Ritsu’s beloved blue carp streamer.

“It came out of nowhere!” Traffic cam catches poorest excuse ever【Video】

KK Miller
May 7, 2014

Who is the scariest driver out there? The people who drive 50 over the speed limit? The one who swerves through all the lanes? The slow guy who can’t go any more than 20 under the limit causing you to swear up a storm? Or how about those people who drive the giant trucks, who can’t see anything around them? Yeah, those are pretty scary, and a new video from China shows what happens when those big trucks don’t pay attention!

“If I don’t download free music, I’ll get bullied!” – IT worker’s experience with net-using kids

Master Blaster
May 7, 2014

The internet has completely changed the way we work and live, but for those of us having children it can be hard to understand how different life has become for them as information technology natives.

Having some shoes that could be pumped full of air was the deciding factor of our social status in school at one time, but what are kids thinking about today? Kakurega Komyo is an IT worker in Japan who caught a glimpse of this life while setting up the internet in someone’s house.

How to win at rock-paper-scissors: A three-step guide

Fran W
May 6, 2014

Rock-paper-scissors. Scissors-paper-stone. Roshambo. Elephant-man-ant. Whatever you call it, chances are you’ve played it at some point. In Japan, the game is known as janken, and is used to settle any kind of dispute or awkward situation, from who gets the last cookie to which parents have to sit on the PTA that year.

It’s not hard to see why janken is so popular in Japan: it’s simple, and everyone knows how to play. It’s also efficient (particularly if the thing being decided is trivial anyway). Decisions made by janken are stuck to religiously: in three years teaching Japanese schoolkids I never once saw a student complain about the result or demand a rematch. It’s seen as a fair way to make decisions, because the game is based on luck.

Or is it? A group of researchers from Chinese universities has published a paper that shows sure-fire ways to win at rock-paper-scissors. Join us after the jump as we explore how to outsmart small children at their own game!