Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
2014 (Page 145)
So, is everyone excited about the FIFA World Cup in Brazil coming up next month? While Japan is practically on the opposite end of the world from Brazil, there’s sure to be plenty of devoted soccer fans here who will be watching the World Cup games intently. And just to make sure everyone in Japan gets even more excited about the event than they already are, Baskin Robbins Japan is coming out with a new, colorful sherbet flavor — the “Trio de Janeiro“!
If someone in Zama, Kanagawa Prefecture, tells you to go fly a kite, don’t be hurt. They are probably just inviting you to the Odako Matsuri or Giant Kite Festival! And with hundreds of years of history, 13-meter paper and bamboo kites, and a bonfire using said kite as the finale, you’ll be glad you were invited.
Electronics giant LG has announced that its line of “HomeChat”-enabled appliances — a refrigerator, washing machine, and Lightwave oven that can be communicated with and operated via messaging service Line — is now available to buy in its native South Korea.
By using the popular smartphone app, users can chat with their various gizmos as if they were ordinary human contacts, asking them questions as well as providing additional information to alter their functions. Thanks to the technology built into the appliances with which the app communicates, it’s possible not just to remotely check the temperature inside the fridge or put on a load of laundry, but to find out how many beers you have or delay your usual wash cycle by 30 minutes simply by telling the machine you’ll be home late.
Back in 2012, we brought you news about Omote 3D Shashin Kan creating extremely detailed figures of yourself! We brought you the story from the store opening, to our intrepid Mr. Sato’s visit, and the final unveiling of the mini-Sato! For those who were interested in getting their own figure, but didn’t live in Japan, or couldn’t book a reservation in time, or thought it was too expensive, we’ve got some great news for you! And believe us when we say, it might be your wildest dreams come true!
When traveling abroad it’s always advised that you look into the country’s rules and regulations before departing. You never know what activity, considered perfectly acceptable in your homeland, might turn out to be taboo or even a crime in another.
So it’s nice when your hotel sends you a “Warm Notice” like the Star Hotel in China had, which outlines what you may and may not do in your room. The note is dated from 2013 but it was recently posted on Imgur where it gained a lot of attention for it’s simple but important message…
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’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.
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!
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.
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!
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…
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 (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.
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.”
“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”.
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.
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.
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.
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).
One of Japan’s most beautiful hot spring towns announces new limits on number of day trippers
Best all-you-can-eat okonomiyaki in Japan? Restaurant chain serves up a feast for under $14
Mario Kart Happy Meal toys arrive at McDonald’s Japan, and SoraNews24 has the whole set!【Photos】
Flying dango: Unique tourist site where Japanese sweets are flown to you over a gorge
Domino’s Japan has all-you-can-eat pizza isn’t an Internet rumor, but it is hard to find
Cheeseburger rice bowls arrive at Japanese beef bowl chain Matsuya, and in our stomach【Taste test】
Snuggle up to a Japanese Shiba Inu that looks real but is actually a cute hot water bottle cover
The Japan Poop Society is making movements to protect people’s health
Japan’s new frozen sushi DIY kit – Great foodie fun, or cold-hearted abomination?【Taste test】
Do bears strike first with their left paw when attacking people? Japan wants to knowOne of Japan’s most beautiful hot spring towns announces new limits on number of day trippers
Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke teams up with Foxfire for outdoor apparel collaboration【Photos】
Japanese job-quitting service contacted by other job-quitting service because employee wants to quit
After cancelling Halloween, Tokyo’s Shibuya neighborhood cancels New Year’s Eve tooMario Kart Happy Meal toys arrive at McDonald’s Japan, and SoraNews24 has the whole set!【Photos】
Sanrio and magical girl anime PreCure join forces for new merch line【Photos】
Tokyo park’s sea of clouds, nighttime illumination, and cosplay days make now perfect time to visit
Beautiful Japanese garden green tea crepes waiting in Tokyo’s historical Asakusa neighborhood
Samurai ritual suicide contest cancelled by organizer in west Japan
American jackass tourist arrested after carving name into gate at Tokyo’s Meiji Shrine【Video】
Nintendo’s controller capsule toys are so cool, even the machine you buy them from is awesome【Pics】One of Japan’s most beautiful hot spring towns announces new limits on number of day trippers
Tokyo Disneyland loses top-attendance crown for Japanese theme parks for second year in a rowGhibli’s Princess Mononoke teams up with Foxfire for outdoor apparel collaboration【Photos】
Ghibli Park debuts first winter illumination display with Howl’s Moving Castle theme
Pringles releases a limited-edition sweet flavour in Japan
What’s the deal with akebi, the perfectly purple, alien-like fruit that’s in season now in Japan?Sanrio and magical girl anime PreCure join forces for new merch line【Photos】Japanese job-quitting service contacted by other job-quitting service because employee wants to quitAfter cancelling Halloween, Tokyo’s Shibuya neighborhood cancels New Year’s Eve too
McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Foreign tourists on Shinkansen bullet train break suitcase etiquette, angering local passengers
[Deleted] Article written for April Fool’s Day 2018
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
Japanese convenience store Family Mart announces abolishment of eat-in spaces
Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
Life-size vibrating Legend of Zelda Master Sword for sale from Nintendo【Photos】
Studio Ghibli releases free-download board game — Here’s how to play it without reading Japanese
Cheeseburger rice bowls arrive at Japanese beef bowl chain Matsuya, and in our stomach【Taste test】
Snuggle up to a Japanese Shiba Inu that looks real but is actually a cute hot water bottle cover
The Japan Poop Society is making movements to protect people’s health
Japan’s new frozen sushi DIY kit – Great foodie fun, or cold-hearted abomination?【Taste test】
Do bears strike first with their left paw when attacking people? Japan wants to know
History’s highest sumo wrestling and geisha dance to take place at Tokyo Skytree observation deck
Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke teams up with Foxfire for outdoor apparel collaboration【Photos】
Daiso opens massive new 25,392-square foot Tokyo flagship store with its two sub-brands included
Harajuku looks eerily quiet during the coronavirus outbreak 【Photos】
Tokyo Space-out tournament draws nearly 100 competitors, finds who’s the best at doing nothing【Video】
Japanese job-quitting service contacted by other job-quitting service because employee wants to quitTokyo Space-out tournament draws nearly 100 competitors, finds who’s the best at doing nothing【Video】
We put the internet’s “techniques for emptying your bladder with morning wood” to the test
Made In Japan Fender Limited Edition Hello Kitty Stratocaster now on sale in Japan
