Casey Baseel

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Casey Baseel spent his formative years staring in frustration at un-subtitled Japanese TV programming shown on Southern California’s international channel. Taking matters into his own hands, he moved to Tokyo to study the language, then found work in Yokohama a decade ago teaching, translating, and marketing hotels he can’t afford to stay in. When not participating in the eternal cycle of exercising to burn the calories form his love of Japanese food, Casey scours used comic and game shops for forgotten classics, drags his wife around the country in a quest to visit all its castles, sings karaoke not nearly as well as he thinks he does, and counts the days until the summertime bars open on Enoshima Beach.

Posted by Casey Baseel (Page 432)

Japan gets a new stationmaster cat as Nitama is officially named successor to the departed Tama

It was a sad day for cat lovers and train fans alike when Tama, the cute calico that had served as stationmaster of Kishi Station in Wakayama Prefecture since 2007, recently passed away. Heartbroken as Tama’s many supporters were, though, life goes on, and Wakayama Electric Railway has announced that Kishi now has a new feline stationmaster, as Tama’s understudy, Nitama, has officially taken over the position.

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There’s no denying that the Attack on Titan manga and anime have become runaway hits, but reactions to the franchise’s recently released live-action movie have been far less enthusiastic. Some detractors have complained that the changes made to the series’ well-known characters and events don’t work, and more than a few purists are upset that any alternations were made at all.

We’ve seen the film’s director and special modeling director testily respond to harsh criticism, but what does series creator Hajime Isayama have to say about all this? Not only did he recently comment on the debate, he’s even offered a simple way to check if the live-action Attack on Titan is for you before you drop your hard-earned cash on a ticket for it.

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Osaka fried chicken is sibling devourin’ good, implies morbidly funny ad

Japanese culture has more or less made peace with the fact that the things we eat used to be alive. Part of the reason people in Japan say itadakimasu, literally “I will receive,” at the start of a meal is to verbalize their gratitude for receiving the life of the ingredients that make up the dishes. Sashimi that’s served still moving is considered a delicacy, because what’s fresher than seafood that’s arguable not even entirely dead?

Still, even Japan generally has limits of how much it wants to imagine the former life of the tasty morsels it’s dining on, which is why one startling fried chicken advertisement is drawing a mixture of gasps and chuckles.

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Remember that manga we talked about a while back which was a thinly veiled erotic retelling of beloved children’s story Doraemon? Or, perhaps more specifically, have you been unable to completely repress the memory and knowledge that it exists?

Nozoemon, which prominently featured an android of the same name that looked like an elementary school girl and whose moniker and design were clearly inspired by robot cat, was sure to be a decisive work. But while controversy can help generate attention and sales, it’s generally a good idea to keep the publisher on your side. Nozoemon, though, wasn’t able to do that, and it looks like the “Slightly Fakkin’” (the manga’s words, not ours) tale has come to an abrupt end.

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This is what ramen with 100 slices of chashu roast pork looks like

Earlier this month, we decided to find out just how many hard-boiled eggs you can fit into a bowl of ramen/human stomach, and found out that 10 was a doable and delicious number. But while an egg is a nice accent to a bowl of Japan’s favorite kind of noodles, the king of ramen toppings is chashu, the slice of roast pork that adds some heft and protein to the meal.

Most ramen in Japan comes with a solitary slice of chashu, but some places allow you to pile on more pork. Since we’d already gone with ten times the normal amount of toppings with eggs, we decided to raise the scale to the second power and chow down on a bowl of ramen with 100 slices of chashu.

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Two families brawl in a Kobe home center over diapers, likely rivals in resales to China

After a long, tiring week at work, most people don’t feel like jumping out of bed to be somewhere by 8 a.m. on a Saturday morning. The prospect usually doesn’t get any sweeter if the reason for dragging themselves out from under the sheets is as mundane as going shopping for diapers with their spouse and mother-in-law.

Nonetheless, that what not one, but two families living in Hyogo Prefecture did last weekend. Still, the trip wasn’t as dull as it could have been. As a matter of fact, if anything there was too much excitement, as the two families ended up getting into a seven-person brawl, since they appear to be rival factions competing for riches in the wild speculative trade sector of reselling Japanese diapers in China.

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Otaku oasis of anime and manga discovered in the Dubai Mall 【Photos】

Growing up, I spent many a weekend fighting traffic to drive into downtown L.A. or Orange County to check out the manga, magazines, and other publications imported from Japan at one of the area’s handful of Kinokuniya bookstore branches. But Southern California isn’t the only place where you’ll find fans of Japanese pop culture looking for a fix. Over the last few decades, anime and manga fandom has spread around the globe, and travelers to the Middle East are sometimes surprised to find that there’s a gigantic Kinokuniya branch in Dubai helping Arabic and expat otaku keep up to date on all their favorite series.

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Disney’s Japanese Twitter account calls anniversary of Nagasaki bombing “Nothing Special Day”

It’s hard to overstate what an excellent job Disney does with its marketing in Japan. In a country that produces more mainstream animation than anywhere else on the planet, Disney still manages to stand out from the domestically made competition, winning the hearts of Japanese audiences and turning them into life-long fans.

At least part of that success is thanks to the company’s willingness to adapt to local tastes, as Disney’s two Tokyo-area theme parks put a greater emphasis on shows, parades, and seasonal events than their counterparts in the U.S. On the merchandising end, there are not only high-class items created specifically for Japan, but entire retail divisions.

Still, everyone makes mistakes, and Disney made a big one when it sent out a message from its official Japanese Twitter account declaring the date of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki to be Nothing Special Day.

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Clever Japanese toilet paper holder keeps your fingers clean and public restrooms stocked 【Video】

For the most part, Japanese society places a high value on cleanliness. But as you might have deduced from it being the country that gave the world children’s literary classic Everyone Poops, even in Japan nature calls, and when it does, sometimes you’ll need to duck into a public restroom.

Japan’s high-tech toilets have become the stuff of legend, what with the adjustable angles and temperatures of their bottom-washing water sprays. But there’s another welcome bit of user-friendliness waiting in many Japanese restrooms in the form of an extremely clever, and sanitary, toilet paper holder design.

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Rules of tea, business cards, and bowing – 10 Japanese business manners young people are tired of

The corporate culture at RocketNews24 is pretty casual, but before I joined the team I spent several years working in the service and hospitality sectors. As a country that takes both work and etiquette very seriously, it’s probably not a surprise that Japanese business etiquette has a detailed code of proper conduct, all in an effort to foster an atmosphere of mutual respect and smooth cooperation.

Still, even for some people born and raised in Japan, the list of dos and don’ts can feel a little too long, and those who’d rather not have to stand on ceremony compiled a list of their own of the top 10 Japanese business manners young adults could do without.

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Cardcaptor Sakura becomes Day Planner Sakura with this cool anime organizer

We recently talked about an elegant iPhone case inspired by anime/manga franchise Cardcaptor Sakura, and judging from the enthusiastic response, it seems like many of you still have a special place in your hearts for creative team Clamp’s magical girl series. We couldn’t help but notice that a few of you mentioned you don’t have an iPhone to put inside the case, though.

So if you’re iPhone-less but looking for functionality in your anime merchandise, or simply prefer to keep track of your appointments the old-fashioned way, we recommend this Cardcaptor Sakura day planner.

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Foreign otaku stars in How to Survive Comiket instructional video

If you’re the outdoors type or athletically minded, summer might bring to mind trips to the beach or ballpark. But for anime and manga fans, summer means heading to Comic Market, also known as Comiket.

The country’s largest dojinshi (independently produced comics) convention will run from August 14 to 16 at Tokyo’s Big Sight. And while fun and passion are what draw the half-million-plus attendees, with so many people in one place it’s important for everyone to follow some basic rules of conduct, as explained in this English-subtitled video titled How to Survive Comic Market that follows one foreign otaku on his trek to the dojinshi paradise.

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A lot of gamers have a soft spot for Resident Evil 2. Maybe it’s because the second chapter of Capcom’s survival horror franchise introduced us to fan-favorite Leon Kennedy, or because of its unique dual scenario system that added longevity to the game by slightly altering its events depending on whether you choose to begin play as Leon or fellow zombie fighter Claire Redfield.

In recent days, we’ve seen a group of Italian fans start crafting a remake of the classic title, but they’re not the only ones channeling their love of the game into creative endeavors, as one Japanese cosplayer has put the finishing touches on an incredible cosplay outfit of Resident Evil 2’s last boss.

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Here’s what every PlayStation game released in Japan looks like, and how much the bundle sold for

Many people tend to forget just how huge the volume of games released for the original PlayStation was. Sony’s first dedicated console conquered the gaming world in a way that hasn’t been seen since, and with a massive user base all clustered around the same hardware and the lower production costs of the CD format attracting large and small developers alike to the market, the PlayStation’s vast library meant that many titles slipped by even the most die-hard gamers of the day.

Some twenty years later, collectors now scour used shops and online auctions for the elusive treasures they missed out on buying new. Of course, such quests take a lot of time and energy, especially when you add in the legwork of making the rounds to brick-and-mortar stores, but for gamers with classic tastes, it’s all worth it when they finally unearth that forgotten gem.

Or, you can do what one Japanese collector did, and just buy a massive bundle of every game ever released for the PlayStation in Japan.

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Japanese designer’s Maid School Swimsuit is two cosplay classics in one eye-catching package

There are only so many days in a year, so if you’re busily trying to check each and every costume off the ever-growing list of cosplay staples, it can be hard finding time for them all. But if your schedule is looking pretty tight, you’ll be happy to know there’s a way to double your efficiency, with this new outfit that combines two established cosplay favorites: the school swimsuit and maid uniform, in one innovative piece of swimwear.

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Japanese women’s magazine takes the average of 500 desirable guys, comes up with one strange list

As in most countries, magazines aimed at young adults in Japan spend a lot of time talking about the opposite sex. Just as publications aimed at men often wax poetic about their image of the ideal woman, so too do women’s magazines write up collections of traits of desirable guys.

But one recent list has Japanese Internet users scratching their heads over its oddly specific list that includes such minutiae as foot size and social media preference.

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Real-life Ghibli clouds appear as awesome thunderhead forms in the Tokyo skies 【Videos】

If you’ve ever spent the summer in Japan, you know that it’s not the heat, but the humidity that makes many people want to take refuge indoors with the air conditioning blasting. But the silver lining to this cloud is the clouds themselves, as all that moisture in the air can turn Japan’s summer skies into a stunning puffy white landscape.

On the evening of August 5, skywatchers in the Tokyo/Yokohama area that turned their eyes to the west saw a towering, lightning-spitting thundercloud so powerfully majestic it immediately drew comparisons to one of Studio Ghibli’s most beloved anime.

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Evangelion lingerie is sure to help your otaku partner get into Beast Mode

No anime in history has generated the amount of discussion that Evangelion has, as audiences have now been debating the finer points of the franchise’s content and production for two decades. Was the TV series’ unorthodox ending strictly a case of budgetary constraints, or is it the purest version of Eva’s true message? In the closing scenes of End of Evangelion, has protagonist Shinji accepted or rejected the rest of human existence? Is creator Hideaki Anno ever going to actually make that fourth, and supposedly final, Rebuild of Evangelion theatrical feature?

For today, though, let’s brush aside those nebulous issues, and instead look at a question that has a definite answer: What would official Evangelion lingerie look like?

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Thanks, Konami! Brand-new Silent Hill game coming in October…to pachinko parlors?!?

From the consumer end, it’s easy to mistakenly assume that video game publishers’ only concerns are creating art and providing fun. The reality, though, is that like with any human endeavor, time and money are always limiting factors in game development, and while an abundance of one can sometimes help cover for a lack of the other, at the end of the day there are only so many resources to go around, and companies can’t greenlight every project pitched to them.

But that just makes it all the more heart-warming when a major publisher gives the go-ahead to a new installment of a fan-favorite. Remember how a few months ago Konami halted digital distribution of horror sensation P.T. and the associated Silent Hills, the daydream-come-to-life collaboration between game and film directors Hideo Kojima and Guillermo del Toro? All water under the bridge, because there’s a brand new Silent Hill game coming in October, and it’ll cost less than a buck to play!

Konami is even being bold enough to take the franchise into an entirely new genre: pachinko.

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Sometimes, the best cat toy is another cat 【Videos】

If you’re a cat owner, you’ve probably bought a few toys for your pet to play with. But actually, your feline housemate might not need that ball of yarn or radio-controlled mouse, since it turns out that sometimes the best cat toy is another cat.

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