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November, 2015 (Page 9)

Hotel guest leaves origami for cleaning staff, back-and-forth folding battle ensues!

Tipping is a custom often debated in the world of customer service. Proponents of the practice believe workers are more motivated to give better service knowing that they will be paid better for doing so, while opponents argue that it shouldn’t be up to the customer to determine how much the employee gets paid.

But whether working for tips or not, if you treat the one serving you with kindness and respect, they are more likely to go out of their way to give you better service. Take, for example, this poster on Twitter, who left a little origami crane with a tip for the hotel cleaning staff, and in return got an even bigger surprise!

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Java sparrows are pretty popular pets in Japan, where they’re called buncho. But even though buncho literally means “literature bird,” some of the cute little creatures apparently have more of a gift for music, like in this video of one Java sparrow dancing adorably to the sounds of one of Japan’s most popular rock bands and singing along like he’s at karaoke.

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Why do Japanese gamers spend so much more money on mobile games than anyone else?

Japanese smartphone and tablet gamers spend a disproportionate amount of money on mobile games compared to the much larger mobile markets of North America and China, according to a new report from EEDAR – a video gaming analytics consultancy. This is despite the fact that the Japanese mobile gaming population is just a third of that of North America and a mere eighth of the Chinese gaming population.

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Plus-sized Naomi Watanabe is Japanese netizens’ latest fashion inspiration

Naomi Watanabe is the comedian-turned-model and fashion designer largely responsible for Japan’s pocchari, or chubby, trend which is still going strong, and paving the way for large and lovely girls nationwide, from idol group la BIG 3 to the more recent Shangrila maid cafe.

Now, Watanabe is making waves across Japanese social media for her fashion-forward hair.

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Survey by Japanese ministry reveals high rates of “maternity harassment” in workplace

A new survey conducted by the Japanese government found that nearly half of female temp workers faced discrimination as a result of being or becoming pregnant while in employment.

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When running a full marathon, you want to make sure you’re outfitted with the proper equipment, like supportive, well-cushioned athletic shoes, sunglasses to keep the glare out of your eyes, and, of course, a frilly anime magical girl skirt so you can cosplay as you run.

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Work-in-progress Japanese AI program could probably get into 474 universities in the country

Now in its third year of testing, the artificial intelligence just earned its best mock entrance exam score yet.

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Park Hyatt Hotel honors hotel guest’s request to stay in Bill Murray’s “Lost in Translation” room

On vacation in Tokyo but feeling a little “lost in translation”? Well, if you’ve got the cash to splash, why not make your Japan experience even more memorable by paying homage to the classic comedy-drama of the same name by staying at the Park Hyatt Hotel, considered by some to be Tokyo’s best luxury hotel.

For those who are extremely fortunate, as one Reddit user recently found, you might even score a fabulous night in the suite used by Bill Murray in the movie.

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Muscly Italian men perform Sailor Moon music video, complete with senshi transformations【Video】

A muscular, all-male Sailor Moon senshi group has just released a live-action music video in honour of the hit anime from Japan.

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Drumming prodigy Senri Kawaguchi wows in new video supporting the Japan National Football Team

Teenage drummer Senri Kawaguchi, famous for her enthusiastic YouTube videos, appears in a stunning new video for the Japan National Football Team! 

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10 factors that make Japan a safe country

We’ve all heard about how safe Japan is. But unless you live here, you may not understand why Japan is considered so safe. The uninitiated may presume that safety is enforced through a rigid society that doesn’t allow freedom of expression, that Japanese people are too worried about losing face to commit a crime, or that the government comes down unnecessarily hard on people who step out of line. In reality, none of these rings true.

But we can’t deny that there’s one thing that Japan does better than anyone else. Join us after the jump for some insights and our own observations.

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Gantz manga gets ‘full 3DCG’ anime film in 2016

Hiroya Oku‘s 37-volume manga already inspired TV anime series, 2 live-action films.

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Hatsune Miku-inspired figure has no need for pants or panties 【Photos】

There’s a long backstory to this figure inspired by virtual idol Hatsune Miku, but here’s the condensed version: She’s got no pants, or underwear, for that matter.

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Tokyo airport to test megaphone translator

Translates announcements into English, Chinese, Korean.

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Fashion retailer ZOZOTOWN hires unexpected, but familiar, model for “L” size hoodie

ZOZOTOWN, the Japanese fashion retailer with a name that kind of sounds and looks like they’re shouting at you, is a pretty big deal in Japan.

The company, which operates an online marketplace, primarily markets to women – so much so that you’d be hard pressed to find a Japanese teen or 20-something girl that doesn’t have at least a few items of clothing purchased there – which makes their choice of a certain bearded model for a new clothing line all the more unexpected.

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Last weekend, Tokyo’s two most famous structures switched their usual lighting to blue, white, and red in a showing of solidarity with the French people.

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Pikachu joins cast of Sesame Street and Disney characters in satirical look at fame and celebrity

We’ve seen Pikachu’s skeleton and Disney princesses as flirty pin-up girls but now it’s time to see all our favourite childhood characters take a walk on the wild side with this nightmarish trip down memory lane.

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We check out the awesome Tokyo restaurant sandwiched between two active train tracks

Earlier this year, we shared news about a restaurant in Tokyo where you can dine between the train tracks of the busy Chuo Line. One of our Japanese-language reporters finally got the chance to visit the location for himself, and we’d like to share his thoughts about getting up close and personal with some trains!

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Barbapapa opens its first cafe in Japan with exclusive menu of cute characters

Joining the amazing anime café openings this month is Café Barbapapa in Saitama Prefecture, with a gorgeous lineup of sweets, sandwiches and drinks all featuring cute character details from the series.

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