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KK Miller

Writer After falling in love with Totoro and always thinking how delicious Satsuki’s bento looked, KK Miller continued to study about Japan all the way through university. Frequent time was spent between learning about Japanese history and rereading Harry Potter for the bajillionth time. A year abroad in Japan only cemented her decision to live in Japan, so she moved here right after completing her degree. Dressing up as a Harry Potter character every Halloween since being in Japan, KK continues to spread the magic and her love of Totoro and Harry Potter to everyone around her. While Satsuki’s bento turned out to consist of all the Japanese foods she doesn’t like (umeboshi, dembu, and whole grilled fish), she continues to enjoy Japan through traveling, photography and writing.

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Posted by KK Miller (Page 30)

World’s smallest dinosaur egg just discovered in Hyogo Prefecture

Everyone has got dinosaurs on their mind at the moment since most of the world is going crazy for Jurassic World. The exception to this is of course, Japan who can’t watch the movie until August 5. (Why Japanese movie people? Why?!?!) Not to be left out of the giant lizard game, officials in Hyogo Prefecture have confirmed the discovery of a brand new dinosaur egg. By analyzing the fossil, it is estimated that this new egg is the world’s smallest dinosaur egg ever. That’s a gigantic discovery of the tiniest kind.

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Upcoming announcement for a Moomin theme park has fans clamoring for info 【Update: Confirmed!】

Over two years ago, the Finnish Ambassador to Japan announced that a Moomin theme park was being developed in Japan with the expected opening date in 2015. Some of our readers might be asking, “What the heck is a Moomin?” but these hippo-like fairies who originated in Finland have a very strong following and fan base in Japan. You might not be familiar with Moomin before you come to Japan, but once you get here, you grow to welcome them at your dining table.

Well, it’s already halfway through 2015, and there is still no Moomin theme park ready to take our money. Or is there? There might be a forthcoming announcement that has us all in a tizzy.

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We substitute mirin for sugar in pudding and then taste it ourselves 【Rocket Kitchen】

If you’re in the mood to cook but running short on ingredients, there’s always the old tactic of asking your neighbor for a cup of sugar. If you are in Japan though, why don’t you ask your neighbor for a cup of mirin, or sweet sake used for cooking, instead?

The Sanshu Mikawa Mirin Distillery has recently been promoting sweets made with mirin. This notion is bound to turn some heads as there doesn’t seem to be a correlation between mirin and sweets in Japanese cooking, where it’s instead often used to add a flavorful touch to grilled fish or sushi. So how is it that this seemingly savory flavor can be substituted for the sweetness of sugar? The RocketKitchen is going to get to the bottom of this and eat some pudding too!

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Blackboard art contest produces entries that will take your breath away

Idle hands are the devil’s play things, so why not occupy them with a monetary prize incentive? Japanese blackboard maker Nichigaku noticed that students have been creating some very impressive artwork on school blackboards. So what better way to promote Nichigaku’s product than to sponsor a nationwide chalk art contest?

Students all over the country submitted incredible pieces of art that turned that “boring thing you stare at every class” into something beautiful that you can’t believe was created with just chalk. Join us after the jump as we show you some of the best submissions from the Nichigaku Blackboard Art contest.

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Wargo Nippon and One Piece team up for the perfect “one piece” to keep your hair up

Move over Sailor Moon, it’s the age of pirates! While there have been a huge influx of Sailor Moon related products to promote the new Sailor Moon Crystal, everyone knows that in a battle between sailors and pirates, the pirates will win. Accessory maker Wargo Nippon has a new collaboration with One Piece to give all the fans a special way to show off their pirate pride. If you’ve got long hair and have been waiting for a stylish way to keep it out of your face, the wait is over.

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Full cast revealed for the third Black Butler musical – did the butler do it again?

You know something is popular when it starts getting adapted into anime, drama CDs, movies and games. But maybe one of the biggest and strangest adaptations is the musical. Oddly enough, staged musicals are popular enough in Japan that plenty of series get live-action singing and dancing versions performed for ecstatic fans in packed theaters. If you’re not convinced that a musical means a popular title has hit the big time, how about a third musical?

That’s right, Black Butler is set for its third musical and the final cast photos have been released!

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It’s not the Grand Line, but One Piece has conquered a Guinness World Record

One of the biggest manga hits of the past 15 years is most certainly One Piece. You can talk about ninjas or titans, but the perennial favorite for top manga has been about those pirates of the Grand Line. Of the many treasures they have encountered during their journey, they have now uncovered something that is truly one of a kind, a Guinness World Record. The official One Piece website was happy to announce that author Eiichiro Oda and the manga One Piece are going in the record books as the comic book with the most issues published by a single author.

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Japanese Internet users amused by CIA Twitter feed, led there by United States Forces

Public programs and government agencies are going out of their way to reach and connect with people as much as possibly, creating mascots and getting on social media like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. The United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) joined Twitter a year ago, and while many may fear the agency, the CIA saw this #Twitterversary as the perfect occasion to reach out and try to find common ground with the people of the Internet. So, they compiled a list of five reasons why you should be following them on Twitter, and it didn’t take long for Japanese users to find the tweets! Can you guess which one caught their attention and got them all aflutter?

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There’s a reason why there are fewer green Lego bricks than any other color

Lego building blocks are a fantastic toy for growing kids and adults alike. These snap-together bricks allow you build pretty much anything, regardless of whether you follow the instructions included in the box or throw caution to the wind and build whatever pops into your head. With the success of The Lego Movie and a sequel and spin-off movies in the works, the outlook for this 65-year-old toy has never been better.

But there is an alleged little-known secret hidden in the core of Lego’s sensibility. If you take a random sampling of Lego bricks, you will notice that there are far fewer green ones than any other color. The reason why may surprise you.

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The changing face of Tokyo’s Shin-Okubo and the decline of Japan’s biggest Korea Town

If you are looking for some Korean food while in Tokyo, the place to go is Shin-Okubo. The famed “Korea Town” in the middle of the metropolitan Tokyo area has served as a gathering place for fans of Korean TV dramas, K-pop music and Korean cuisine. Sadly, though, what was once was a bustling consumer zone for people who loved all things Korean, though, has seen its fortunes decline in recent years, and there are a number of theories as to why.

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7-Eleven ups its coffee game, introduces new iced cafe latte with the help of magic white beads

Up until fairly recently, convenience stores may have not been your first thought when it came to procuring a cup of hot coffee. But in the past year or so in Japan, the likes of 7-Eleven and Lawson have begun offering some really great tasting and affordable fresh coffee options with the help of nifty self-service machines positioned near the register. Sure, there are plenty of bottled and canned coffee options in the back, but there’s something about holding a steaming cup of joe in your hands and being able to smell that coffee aroma that makes it hard to resist.

Now, a mysterious new black cup has made an appearance alongside the regular clear iced coffee cups sold in 7-Eleven stores. Get ready for a classic coffee flavor with 7-Eleven’s new iced cafe latte.

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Naruto themed cafe in Akihabara is where all the ninjas eat

Time and time again we have professed the end of Naruto. While the original manga has certainly finished, there always seems to be something new for Masashi Kishimoto’s ninja clans. If you haven’t gotten your fill of Naruto yet with the new manga featuring Naruto’s son or the live-action theater production of the series, you should ninja run to the Adores building in Tokyo’s Akihabara. Their collaboration cafe is currently featuring the boisterous boy ninja and all his sneaky pals, but you better get there quick before the whole cafe ninja vanishes!

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Super Mario is turning 30, Nintendo celebrates with a trip down memory lane and a new project

Do you remember where you were when you played your first Super Mario Bros. game? If you’re old-school like us, you’ll probably remember the feel of that rectangular gray NES controller in your hands, or if you’re Japanese old-school, then the burgundy Famicom controller probably means a great deal to you. If you are a bit younger, perhaps your first time with Nintendo’s rotund plumber was with Super Mario World or Super Mario 64. Or how about Super Mario Sunshine or Super Mario Galaxy? Needless to say, if you are a gamer, you’ve got a Mario memory somewhere in there!

Nintendo is excited to celebrate the 30 years of Mario this year, and they want you to head down the warp pipe to check out the history of Mario and what is coming up next.

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Look into our crystal ball; we see a Pokémon that’s right for you!【Pics】

Every pokémon trainer has their special pokémon. Whether it’s one of the starter pokémon that you kept with you all over the Kanto region, or one of the hundreds of pokémon you can catch along the way, there is always that one particular friend that you just can’t bear to leave in storage.

If you’d like to immortalize your poképal, or if you are just a fan of the Pokémon anime or video games, then you have to take a look at these one of a kind pokéballs on Etsy that will crystallize the memory of your pokémon forever.

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Japanese toymakers collaborate on amazing Hulkbuster you can call your own

Superhero movies mean big business for toy makers, and whenever Marvel releases a new movie, a slew of action figures are made to fulfill everyone’s toy needs. There are the cheap small figures that anyone of any age can play with, and there are also the larger, more expensive, but extremely poseable figures for those who want to seriously play. Then there are the really expensive versions that boast incredible detail and size. This Hulkbuster is one of those ones.

Many toy makers are producing their own version of the Hulkbuster from Avengers: Age of Ultron, but Bandai is taking its time and attaching all the bells and whistles including LEDs and real metal parts.

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Brand new City Hunter animation to be released celebrating manga rerelease, City Hunter XYZ

Quick! What do Jackie Chan, Lee Min-ho and Akira Kamiya have in common? They have all played Ryo Saeba, the main character of action/comedy series City Hunter. What better way to celebrate the acclaimed manga by Tsukasa Hojo than a 30th Anniversary Edition of the City Hunter comic along with a brand new original animation DVD to go along with it?

Fans should break out their wallets, though, because it’s not going to be as easy as walking into the shop and buying the disc.

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The next fad for UFO catcher prizes: tiny pufferfish!

UFO catchers occupy a major portion of Japanese arcades nowadays. If you happen to walk by an arcade, the flashing lights and fun prizes all beckon customers to try their luck at these “skill” testing games. Normally, the prizes are figures and stuffed animals from popular TV shows and manga, but you will often see snacks and food. Most recently, a UFO catcher at the Amuseum Oizumi caught our eye because of its prize, a real live pufferfish!

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Get a look at the Avengers with a floral Chinese twist!

Avengers: Age of Ultron has been a huge hit all over the world, and with ticket sales recently passing US$1 billion, it seems that everyone has been flocking to cinemas to find out how old Ultron really is. Not in Japan though, with the movie – typically late – set to be released on July 4, Avengers fans are desperately trying to avoid spoilers, but also would love to join the rest of the world in seeing the movie.

But fear not, Japanese Avengers fans; this post contains no spoilers so you can click on through and get a look at what the Avengers would look like if they were participating in a Beijing fashion show.

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Famed art director Nizo Yamamoto exhibition open in Tokyo – but you’ll need to be quick

If six exhibitions weren’t enough for your Studio Ghibli pilgrimage around Japan, RocketNews24 has another one to add to the list. If you’re a fan of Castle in the Sky, Princess Mononoke and The Girl Who Leapt through Time then you better pack your bags and head to Tokyo quick, because this exhibition is only open for 10 days.

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Relive the 90s as seen from China, thank the stars you didn’t live in China back then

For anyone who has seen the VH1 show I Love the ’90s, they know it’s a fantastic way of remembering just how ridiculous the times were back then and seeing visually how much has changed since. There was Nirvana, Friends, grunge fashion and some of the most beloved video games including Pokémon and Final Fantasy VII.  Well it’s 2015 and everyone is streaming Friends on Netflix, there’s going to be a new album featuring Kurt Cobain, and Pokémon and Final Fantasy titles continue to dominate the sales charts. So has anything changed?

Maybe not for the West, but China, which was recovering from the strict ruling of Mao Zedong, really started to find itself in the ’90s. Their impoverished nation was beginning to discover fashion and entertainment and experience what the rest of the world was experiencing. And now that the Internet has taken over the world, how has China changed from the ’90s to now? Watch an amazing video after the jump to find out.

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