Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
2014 (Page 208)
Meet Shiro and Mimi, just two of the stars of Kago Neko, a blog all about one Japanese cat fan’s pets. Sadly, the pair were not, in fact, born with such luscious barnets, but their owner, perhaps sensing their inner glam rock star, provided them with a couple of rather fetching blonde wigs. We think you’ll agree that they look pretty rockin’.
One of the biggest obstacles of traveling in a country where you don’t speak the local language and English is not commonly spoken is ordering food. If you could read maps, you would probably be able to navigate around even if you don’t understand the native language, but if you can’t read the restaurant menu, ordering at meal time would be like playing a round of Russian Roulette.
Some restaurants attempt to make things easier for their patrons by including English translations on their menu, which could be a lifesaver for foreigners. But somebody ought to tell this restaurant’s owner that Google translate isn’t the foolproof method…
Despite the thriving grey market that has existed since the ban was put in place 14 years ago, both gamers in China and console manufacturers outside the country will no doubt be excited to learn that China’s State Council yesterday lifted restrictions on the importation and sale of foreign video games consoles, albeit on a “temporary” basis. That’s right: China may soon became a legitimate market for Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft once again.
Have you ever looked over while riding the Yamanote Line and saw the coolest guy you’ve ever seen? Sure he was probably wearing fashionable clothes and had great hair, but what was he doing? A poll conducted by Japanese mobile phone provider, NTT Docomo, reveals the top 10 things cool guys do on the train.
After a month or so of breathless preview coverage, the brand new Dark Souls Cafe, based on the award-winning, but notoriously difficult, From Software action game is finally open for business.
The new cafe channels the next game in the series, Dark Souls 2, which is slated for a March 13 release in Japan.
Rilakkuma, whose name is a combination of the words “relax” and “kuma” (meaning bear in Japanese), is one of Japan’s more deserving popular characters. Created back in 2003, the lazy little bear with a zip on his back became an instant hit with a series of picture books and cuddly toys, and continues to be adored almost 10 years on–a feat that few cute-for-the-sake-of-it mascots besides Hello Kitty could ever boast.
Now, a furniture maker in Japan is offering Rilakkuma fans the chance to purchase an original order-made sofa based on their favourite po-faced bear. But with a price tag of almost US$2,000, their bank balances will have to be just as healthy as their love of all things cute and cuddly to afford it.
Meet Leo-chan, an American shorthair cat living in Japan who is a master at being both annoying and adorable at the same time. Check out this video of her adorable poses as she begs for food.
Starting this year, the town of Mamurogawa in Yamagata Prefecture is offering up their mayor’s office for those generous enough to hand over one million yen (US$9,600) in furusato tax (hometown tax). It’s the latest move in an increasing trend of offering premiums for tax revenue in rural areas struggling with decreasing populations.
Offering something in exchange for taxes seems like an odd concept without knowing what furusato tax is, so let start with that. Don’t worry it’s simple.
Everyone, do you know where the world’s northernmost McDonald’s is? Here’s a hint: you can sometimes spot the aurora borealis from there. Our Japanese reporter recently headed up north to check it out and brought back some very cool photos that we wanted to share with you.
It’s no secret that the apartments and houses in Japan are incredibly small, especially in saturated areas such as Tokyo. But even Japan’s tiny homes are no match for this extremely narrow “paper building” in Shanghai, China! How do people even live in there?!
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We see a lot of weird stuff on the internet, but corn snacks made to taste – and fizz, no less – like the carbonated soft drink Mountain Dew are undoubtedly the oddest thing to happen since millions of adults across the globe simultaneously lied to their children about a bearded man sneaking into their home and leaving gifts for having refrained from murdering anyone or punching an otter since the previous December.
Nevertheless, as the internet chatter suggests, Mountain Dew corn snacks really do exist here in Japan, and so despite imagining that they’d taste about as good as minty orange juice, we tracked some down and, along with a can of actual Mountain Dew (or “Mtn Dew” as it’s now being branded in the US, because who has time fr vwls?) for comparison, conducted a little taste test of our own.
Full impressions after the jump.
There are lots of websites out there that invite artists to post their works for all to see. However, there are a great many artists out there, and over time a build-up of paintings, drawings, CGIs and photos can become too much for the average person to know where to begin, let alone anyone scouting for new talent.
On 6 January, a new website called Slash Temp (stylized “/temp”) was opened that lets illustrators freely post whatever creation they like on one condition: a ticking timer will be attached that deletes the image in 24 hours. This isn’t just some random image dump though. There is a way to preserve drawings that get a rise out of viewers for better or worse…
OK, we’ve all been there. Maybe it was the venti coffee this morning or maybe you’ve caught a bug, but one thing is certain: you need a bathroom right now or a change of pants is going to be in order. Most of us manage by hook or crook to find a toilet or at least a concealing clump of trees in this situation, but one guy decided that the middle of the road seemed like a nice place to drop a deuce and he wasn’t going to let anything – even an emergency vehicle – disturb him.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Right now is the peak time to go to Tokyo’s most-beautiful-view beer garden【Photos】
Nintendo Museum’s official merch includes awesome giant controller cushions【Video】
New Jimmy Choo x Sailor Moon collaboration brings anime magic to bags, shoes and accessories
Kyoto temple suffering from littering tourists claiming not to understand Japanese verbal warning
Japan’s super-cheap corn snacks apologize for second-ever price increase in 45 years
The 5 best Iwate foods and drinks to buy at the prefecture’s antenna shop in Tokyo
Why don’t busty Fatal Fury ninja girl Mai’s clothes ever tear? We ask the developers
Japanese rice-flour donut line added to permanent menu at Krispy Kreme Japan
You don’t have to go all the way to Haneda to find a vending machine that sells airplane meals
Japanese green tea vending machine has a puppet show that tells the story behind the drinkNew Jimmy Choo x Sailor Moon collaboration brings anime magic to bags, shoes and accessories
Some of the best Japanese fried chicken in Japan comes from this shack in the middle of nowhere
Japanese cat island reveals all its cats will soon be gone
Starbucks Japan releases a new Matcha Latte with Reusable Cup for the tourist market
One of Tokyo’s most beautiful gardens gets its own moon for moon-viewing season
New Japanese Food Sample Making Cafe opens in Asakusa, Tokyo
The perks of drinking root beer at A&W in Japan
Tokyo Skytree to be lit up in Jujutsu Kaisen colors on Halloween in months-long art collaboration
New Hello Kitty McDonald’s Japan Happy Meal toys are here, and Kitty’s sister is part of the set
Starbucks teams up with the oldest of Japan’s Six Ancient Kilns to create a Bizen ware coffee mug
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 rangeNew Hello Kitty McDonald’s Japan Happy Meal toys are here, and Kitty’s sister is part of the setStarbucks teams up with the oldest of Japan’s Six Ancient Kilns to create a Bizen ware coffee mug
Japanese government suspends plan to pay Tokyo women 600,000 to move away to get married
Starbucks Japan unveils new limited-edition Frappuccino for autumnOne of Tokyo’s most beautiful gardens gets its own moon for moon-viewing season
Matsushima restaurant offers all-you-can-eat sashimi in as many ways as you can dream it【Photos】
Super budget-friendly retro Tokyo hotel feels like having your own 1960s Asakusa apartment
Support Hayao Miyazaki’s real-world Totoro forest with hoodies featuring exclusive anime art
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
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
The 5 best Iwate foods and drinks to buy at the prefecture’s antenna shop in Tokyo
Why don’t busty Fatal Fury ninja girl Mai’s clothes ever tear? We ask the developers
Japanese rice-flour donut line added to permanent menu at Krispy Kreme Japan
You don’t have to go all the way to Haneda to find a vending machine that sells airplane meals
Japanese green tea vending machine has a puppet show that tells the story behind the drink
Dining with Totoro — 400-year-old ceramics company makes Studio Ghibli chopstick rests【Photos】
Disney young adult novels get new beautiful shojo anime-style covers for Japan
Is Kyoto’s raindrop cake as good as the original from Yamanashi?
When is it OK to take a naked hot spring bath with your Japanese girlfriend/boyfriend?
We visit Japan’s “cave of death,” said to end the life of those who dream of it
Kyoto’s breathtaking, mouthwatering matcha parfait bars get new autumn-only flavor
Are Japan’s Three Bs actually bad boyfriend material? We find out!
Top cosplayer Enako cosplays at Tokyo Game Show for SNK’s City of the Wolves【Photos】