Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
Native to the sweltering lands of Singapore, Joan spent a substantial amount of her teenage years gnawing through translated versions of Japanese manga and dubbed anime. Picking up the language sparked off something in her to abandon years of education and experience in design to pursue a career in translation instead. After spending a couple of years localizing Japanese product packaging and mobile games for the English-speaking population, Joan gave in to her longing for the magical land of Japan and leapt into the arms of Tokyo (missing by a bit and landing in Kanagawa prefecture). In her free time, she continues to nibble on Japanese manga and anime, now savoring them in full authentic flavor.
Posted by Joan Coello (Page 12)
Even superheroes need a break from saving the world once in a while. This awesome ride may be made by a Batman fan, but if the creators at DC Comics ever drew the Dark Knight partaking in some sort of recreation on his day off, golf does seem like the perfect hobby for Bruce Wayne.
But just look at the quality and detail in this fan-made cart! No wonder it caught the attention of so many Japanese netizens this past weekend.
It’s IT Month in Taiwan right now, and the annual IT trade show just made its stop at the Taipei World Trade Center this week, boasting 350 exhibitors rolling out 1,765 booths showing off the shiniest tech-gadgets in town.
Sure, it’s nice to be in touch with the latest technology trends and stuff, but it’s even better when cute peachy girls are involved in the process, ain’t it! Who’s with me?
This is totally random, but if anyone ever told you that their pee is purple, they’re outright liars. According to the medical experts at the Cleveland Clinic, it’s possible to have reddish, brownish or even green pee (though neither of these are healthy pee colors), but nope, definitely not purple.
Also, did we mention that the hue of your piddle actually gives you a hint on your current health condition? Here’s a super easy health check that will cost you no money, and barely any time. So go ahead and empty your bladder, then check against the color guide after the jump!
Yesterday, we wrote about Mister Donut’s new Pon de Umaimon series, which are basically savory varieties of the doughnut ring leader’s signature product, the Pon de Ring. Speaking of savory doughnuts, some genius in the office thought, why not go all the way with it! So we attempted the ironic stunt of making a monjayaki with a monjayaki flavored doughnut to see if it blends in with the real deal.
Monjayaki is a Kanto dish, so we had our very own Tokyo native, Mr. Hatori, work the monja magic for us!
Winter is closing in on Japan, with recent temperatures dropping as low as three degrees Celsius in central Tokyo. When it comes to keeping food and beverages warm on a day out, the all-familiar Thermos brand comes to mind.
The globally famous makers of possibly the best vacuum flasks in the world have been keeping our soups and coffees warm for more than a century, but this year, their Japanese counterparts are taking a step further to warm the hearts and drinks of the locals in the style of a Japanese teacup!
A couple of months ago, we shared an article on “pet bird” flavored ice creams produced by the bird-loving folks at Torimi Cafe. Now we get to enjoy the bird-inspired frozen treats in the form of Doraemon’s favorite snack!
How long do you spend doing the dishes? It would probably take a good 10 to 15 minutes to wash up after dinner for a regular-sized family. Or perhaps you have a fancy dishwasher that takes care of the job for you. But can your shiny machine clean 50 plates in 10 seconds? This man can! Witness his crazy skills after the break!
We all know the police face dangerous situations chasing armed criminals and speeding vehicles, but sometimes, the dangerous opponents they face are barely even human.
Recently, the police in Busan, Korea, received a call reporting sightings of a tiger in a park. It’s common knowledge that tigers are ferocious animals, so the police rushed to the scene at once. But a twist of events left them in a very awkward situation.
If you were out and about one day and a foreign student randomly came up to you and asked you to dance to some Japanese pop song you’d never heard in your life, would you do it?
Four exchange students from Japan managed to get hundreds of people in Singapore, locals and tourists included, dancing to the catchy tune of Japanese idol group AKB48’s Koi Suru Fortune Cookie in various public places such as tourist spots and popular food establishments. If you’re planning a trip to Singapore, or have never heard of this tropical getaway, this informative video is a must-watch!
Some of us like experimenting with hair colors and styling methods, while others prefer finding a look that suits them best and sticking with that signature style throughout. Whichever category you fall into, the traditional Dahuojia (fire-heated clamps) hairdressing method might be something you would want to put on your bucket list. The ancient hair styling technique involving red-hot metal clamps is a dying trade though, so don’t wait too long to get to it!
Ask a Westerner what their favorite Japanese food is and there’s a high chance that the answer will be sushi. The widespread popularity of the delicately crafted delicacy has made it almost synonymous with the word “Japan”, even though there now exist dozens of different varieties made by people from all over the world.
Many of you reading this will have had sushi, some of you might even love it more than your mom’s cooking, but even so, that doesn’t guarantee that you have the guts for sushi. We’re not talking about the courage needed to put raw fish in your mouth, but rather, the genes required to properly digest seaweed.
Confused? Here’s the science behind it.
The Volkswagen Beetle (often known as the Bug in the US) has been around since the 1930s, and is adored worldwide for its simplistic and cute rounded design. Though the German automobile has evolved over the years, it still keeps the characteristic bug-like shape that everyone recognizes at a glance.
But will you still be able to recognize a Beetle on the road if it had a Japanese bathtub in its backseat? We’re not kidding, the Beetle makers in Japan really did make such a car!
What do you do in the toilet? Of course, we don’t mean the obvious “business”, but things that people usually do out of the restroom. Reading, for example. And with media and entertainment made accessible with smartphones and tablets, many of us surf the internet, watch YouTube videos, or play mobile games while on the toilet. A minority of Japanese practice benjo-meshi, literally translated as “toilet meal”.
As the name suggests, it means to have a meal in the bathroom. We always thought benjo-meshi was something unique to Japan, but apparently not! We found evidence of some westerners having meals on their toilets too!
Since its release in 2007, the iPhone has taken the world by storm, garnering a massive following thanks to its simplistic design and sleek interface. Along with the gradual changes of its appearance, its operating system, iOS, has also made subtle changes with each update since the first version.
iOS 7, which was rolled out a couple of months ago, surprised users with a revamped look and feel which seemed to challenge the limits of simplicity with a flat user interface and bold colors. Doing away with excessive ornamentation, the explicitly simple design set some people thinking, was iOS 7 created in Microsoft Word? Václav Krejčí from the Czech Republic worked his magical skills with the word processing software to create an image replica of unbelievable quality, and you should really see it with your own eyes.
Nintendo Japan recently announced the release of two shiny new limited colors for the 3DS LL (XL in the West) – “Orange x Black” and “Turquoise x Black“, set to hit stores in Japan on 28 November.
On top of that, a special tie-up edition with The Legend of Zelda is also in the works, to be launched on 26 December.
The Japanese have a strange love for sinking their teeth into their favorite characters. We’ve seen Rilakkuma cakes and Hello Kitty doughnuts, next in line appears to be good-old Snoopy and his little yellow friend, Woodstock.
Mister Donut (or Misdo for short), the confectionary maker who brought us the jack-o’-lantern Hello Kitty doughnuts for Halloween, is already in the midst of preparing for the Christmas season, and boy does it look tasty!
You might be thinking we’ve been posting an awful lot of articles about cats recently, from stories about cat islands to black-cat cafés, and even one about wearable cats, but here’s one more to end the week with, because they told us to publish it and we’re too scared to disobey.
It would seem that Maru, possibly the most famous cat on YouTube right now, not only has a new friend to play with, but he’s found a novel use for his fluffy tail…
Being human, there are times when we lose control of ourselves in a state of extreme excitement. Some people scream, some dance, some cry, some may even wet their pants. On 12 October, Pokémon fans of the world rejoiced over the global release of two new titles, Pokémon X and Pokémon Y. Popular seiyuu voice actor and otaku idol Shoko Nakagawa (or more affectionately known as Shokotan) expressed her ecstasy by going on a Pokémon binge, literally.
Halloween has become one of the three largest Western-influenced events celebrated in Japan following Christmas and Valentines’ Day. Though the spooky festival’s cultural origins are not the reason why the celebrations are observed, the Japanese do enjoy getting decked in themed costumes, thus making it a major commercial celebration for many.
The widespread popularity of the festival has resulted in confectionary makers rolling out Halloween-themed goodies, restaurants preparing Halloween-inspired menus, fashion outlets retailing Halloween-related costumes and accessories, and of course, entertainment facilities going all out with Halloween events.
We’ve put together a concise guide to some of the Halloween festivities taking place this year, so if you’re planning a trip to Japan during this season, here’s what you can expect!
What’s better than a ripoff of a top-selling game? A ripoff of a top-selling game featuring characters ripped off a top-selling anime!
If you own a smartphone and occasionally (or heavily) dabble in mobile games, you should have come across Puzzle & Dragons, one of the top grossing puzzle games available on both iOS and Android platforms. The Japanese developed mobile game’s tremendous success worldwide has led to many envious game developers producing “inspired” games of a similar genre.
Now, it is almost common knowledge that the Chinese are geniuses at creating imitations of anything and everything, so everyone would have expected them to make a pirated version of the monster-battling puzzle game eventually, but they have yet again managed to exceed expectations, incorporating characters and themed events based on one of the year’s hottest anime, Shingeki no Kyojin: Attack on Titan.
Bad tourist manners at Mt Fuji Lawson photo spot prompts Japanese town to block view with screens
Foreign traveler caught trying to sneak into Japan by climbing down rope from cruise ship
Foreigner’s request for help in Tokyo makes us sad for the state of society
Studio Ghibli unveils new goods that tip the hat to The Cat Returns
Orange Juice Crisis ’24 – Japan’s OJ supplies drying up
W.T.F. Japan: The top five “sora” references of all time! 【Weird Top Five】
All-you-can-drink deal for US$4 in Shinjuku is one of the best finds in Tokyo
Starbucks at Shibuya Scramble Crossing reopens, but is it really bigger and better than before?
One of Japan’s oldest castles now lets travelers spend night on the grounds, drink in its keep
Icon’s Mac & Cheese Burger contender for best burger in Tokyo【Taste test】Foreigner’s request for help in Tokyo makes us sad for the state of societyBad tourist manners at Mt Fuji Lawson photo spot prompts Japanese town to block view with screens
McDonald’s Japan’s new pancake pie is a taste sensation
Red light district sushi restaurant in Tokyo shows us just how wrong we were about it
Japanese city loses residents’ personal data, which was on paper being transported on a windy day
McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Japanese ramen restaurants under pressure from new yen banknotesOne of Japan’s oldest castles now lets travelers spend night on the grounds, drink in its keep
Ghibli Park now selling “Grilled Frogs” from food cart in Valley of Witches
Two things to do, and two things not to do, when leaving a traditional Japanese innMcDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goodsForeigner’s request for help in Tokyo makes us sad for the state of society
New definition of “Japanese whiskey” goes into effect to prevent fakes from fooling overseas buyers
Our Japanese reporter visits Costco in the U.S., finds super American and very Japanese thingsJapanese ramen restaurants under pressure from new yen banknotes
All-you-can-drink Starbucks and amazing views part of Tokyo’s new 170 meter-high sky lounge
More foreign tourists than ever before in history visited Japan last month
New Pokémon cakes let you eat your way through Pikachu and all the Eevee evolutions
Disney princesses get official manga makeovers for Manga Princess Cafe opening in Tokyo
French Fries Bread in Tokyo’s Shibuya becomes a hit on social mediaMcDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Sales of Japan’s most convenient train ticket/shopping payment cards suspended indefinitely
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
Ghibli founders Toshio Suzuki and Hayao Miyazaki contribute to Japanese whisky Totoro label designForeigner’s request for help in Tokyo makes us sad for the state of society
Doraemon found buried at sea as scene from 1993 anime becomes real life【Photos】
Tokyo’s most famous Starbucks is closed
One Piece characters’ nationalities revealed, but fans have mixed opinions
We asked a Uniqlo employee what four things we should buy and their suggestions didn’t disappoint
W.T.F. Japan: The top five “sora” references of all time! 【Weird Top Five】
All-you-can-drink deal for US$4 in Shinjuku is one of the best finds in Tokyo
Starbucks at Shibuya Scramble Crossing reopens, but is it really bigger and better than before?
One of Japan’s oldest castles now lets travelers spend night on the grounds, drink in its keep
Icon’s Mac & Cheese Burger contender for best burger in Tokyo【Taste test】
All-you-can-drink Starbucks and amazing views part of Tokyo’s new 170 meter-high sky lounge
Studio Ghibli unveils massive T-shirt collection featuring top anime movie characters
Yakuza lieutenant arrested in Tokyo for stealing Pokémon cards
McDonald’s Japan’s new pancake pie is a taste sensation
Miss Universe 2021 Japan entry slammed for wearing “dead person’s kimono”
Eat all of your rice! Culture connections with Japan’s favorite food
Our Japanese reporter visits Costco in the U.S., finds super American and very Japanese things
This super-compact raincoat from one of Japan’s 100-yen stores can literally fit in your pocket