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Krista Rogers

Starting with a love of J-Pop and J-dramas when she was 13, Krista Rogers has left her quiet New England hometown in the States both to study abroad in Tokyo and to work on the JET Program in beautiful Yamagata prefecture. She misses chatting in the local dialect and staging Kamehameha battles in the hallway with her students. Although she's currently working on her master's degree in Boston, she will without a doubt be back in Japan before long and buying way too much at Book-Off and Tower Records again. When she needs a break from schoolwork, Krista enjoys eating yakiniku, figure skating, finding cute cafes, watching Big Bang MVs, and continuing on her quest to catch 'em all.

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Posted by Krista Rogers (Page 49)

Is Studio Ghibli laying off part of its staff? Director Mamoru Oshii drills Ghibli’s Toshio Suzuki

On September 11, director Mamoru Oshii of Ghost in the Shell fame questioned Toshio Suzuki, general manager and long-time producer of Studio Ghibli films, in regards to the future of the beloved animation studio. Mr. Suzuki’s comments over the last month or so have been ambiguously vague, to the frustration of anxious fans everywhere. However, this latest exchange seems to have at least produced a new detail in the future of company, as Mr. Suzuki all but confirmed that the studio will be undergoing some restructuring, regardless of the future of its production division.

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“The best ryokan I’ve ever visited” – A photo tour of Akita Prefecture’s Miyakowasure inn

The ryokan [traditional Japanese-style inn] in Akita Prefecture called Miyakowasure (都わすれ; “forget the city”), also known as Natsuse Onsen, is unquestionably the best in all of Japan–at least according to our Japanese correspondent Yoshio. Out of all of the ryokan that he has ever visited, he can confidently say that this is his number-one pick.

Yoshio has stayed at literally hundreds of hotels and ryokan across the country for both business and pleasure, but he recently experienced an unparalleled level of hospitality and overall quality during his stay at this particular inn. He even thinks that hotel managers from across Japan and the world should spend a night there to learn a thing or two! That’s how enthusiastically he praises his most recent visit.

Join Yoshio for an in-depth look at this spectacular ryokan in northern Japan after the jump!

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When cycling and cosplay collide: Introducing the Good Smile Racing Cup

Who ever knew this was actually a thing? Then again, it’s Japan we’re talking about here, so we probably shouldn’t be surprised.

The cycling race known as the Good Smile Racing (GSR) Cup, took place this past Saturday (9/6) at the New Tokyo Circuit in Chiba Prefecture. As the official website for the event proclaims, “Bike racing while listening to anime songs, eating food, then back to racing! It’s an event for anyone who loves characters and bikes.” That sounds like a fun time to us! Check out pictures of a bike-riding Hatsune Miku and other costumes from the race after the jump.

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Our intrepid Japanese team tests out the air purifier at work…using flatulence

One of the most talkative and hardworking members of the RocketNews24 Japanese editorial team in Tokyo is none other than a Sharp air purifier.  

Not to be outdone by their mechanical coworker, our fellow (human) staff members recently decided to test out whether she was really pulling her weight in work or if she was just slacking off (we say ‘she’ because the machine is capable of speaking in a female voice). But to test an air purifier, you need dirty air…and what better way to make some quick, homegrown dirty air than to produce it in-house through farting! Will the air purifier actually respond to our team’s zany idea??

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Japanese internet user’s amusing interpretation of a sculpture in San Francisco

We’ve all seen a strange work of public art at some point while traveling–you know, that piece that makes you scratch your head and look at it upside-down to try to figure out just what the heck is going on. Fortunately for the residents of San Francisco, they have their very own bizarre–and ginormous–piece of public art to contemplate whenever they feel like it.

Japanese internet users recently stumbled across photos of this particular sculpture created by Chinese artist Zhang Huan and were quick to comment on its unique appearance. One fan even decided that it resembled nothing other than the final boss of a video game. While we’re pretty sure that’s not the interpretation that the artist was going for, the fan’s cleverly manipulated photo still gave us a chuckle.

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Chinese woman removes her bra in public at a luxury appraisal event in Beijing

As reported by China Youth Daily and Shanghaiist, during another typical day in Beijing, a woman whipped off her bra and handed it to a man in public. Wait, what??

You might think that this kind of erratic behavior means she was participating in some kind of women’s rights demonstration, or felt like getting a super early head start protesting the next World Cup like these other Chinese women did earlier this summer. But actually, the real purpose for her ‘liberation’ was for a completely unrelated reason–to prove that she was indeed the owner of a luxury item.

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Train-inspired rice cookers for all the railroad lovers out there

Last spring, pictures of a series of Japanese train-themed rice cookers surfaced online. Die-hard train fanatics were quick to rejoice, and eagerly awaited the products’ release date. After all, what better way to show a love of your hobby than in the form of a practical, everyday object that feeds you?

There was just one little problem–these awesome appliances are actually only fan-made inventions.

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Living tree bridges and other breathtaking scenery at the rainiest place on Earth

Now that we’re well into the sweltering, cicada-droning final days of summer in Japan, can you even remember what it felt like during the rainy season earlier this summer? If you complained nonstop about having to leave the house day after day with an umbrella in tow at the time, you may actually be thankful for those comparatively ‘dry’ rainy days after seeing these pictures from the rainiest place on Earth.

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Our Japanese correspondent tries sushi in San Diego and falls in love with the authentic flavor

During our Japanese correspondent Yoshio‘s recent trip to San Diego’s Comic-Con, he was struck by an insatiable craving to eat some quality sushi. From what he’d previously heard, while most American sushi restaurants offer western-inspired uramaki ‘inside-out’ rolls such as the California roll, it would be harder to find nigirizushi (the kind with a topping over a block of rice) on the menu. So what’s a hungry guy far from home to do?

After asking several Japanese people living in the area, Yoshio headed over to the highly recommended Sushi Ota. He went in with some reservations about the authenticity of the sushi, being outside of Japan and all, but left after a mind-blowing experience–in fact, he now considers Sushi Ota to be in the top three sushi restaurants he’s ever been to!

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Shark Cat entertaining Shark Baby while riding a Roomba? Why not!

While some people escape to the beach during the sweltering days of August, others jump in front of the TV to feast their eyes on all the glorious carnage that the Discovery Channel’s annual Shark Week has to offer. And now we can add a new form of entertainment to that summer bucket list–watching cats cosplaying as sharks.

Some of you may have already seen this video of a cat dressed in a shark costume riding a Roomba floating around the internet, but don’t let that stop you from giving it another watch!

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These photos from the ‘richest village in China’ will positively blow you away

How would you like to receive a villa, cars, health care, education, and other services virtually for free? That’s all part of the deal if you happen to be one of the lucky citizens of Huaxi Village, China.   

Huaxi Village (華西村, or 华西村 in simplified Chinese) of Jiangyin City is located near the east coast of China and a slightly northwest of Shanghai. It’s famous for supposedly being the richest agricultural village in all of China, though it wasn’t always that way. All of the approximately 2,000 registered citizens in the village are said to have an annual income of at least 100,000 euros (US$131,830), and are able to enjoy the full perks of living in such a wealthy area. Even Japanese citizens have been taking note of some of the jaw-dropping features of this village–wait till you see the pictures for yourself!

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Yamagata high school baseball team becomes Twitter sensation with their impeccable manners

The 96th National High School Baseball Championship, better known as Summer Koshien, is now underway in Hyogo Prefecture. In other words, Japan is once again swept up by baseball fever.

The championship takes the form of a single elimination tournament between the regional champions from each of Japan’s 47 prefectures (Hokkaido and Tokyo are both allowed two teams each). One of the teams this year, which hails from northern Japan’s Yamagata Prefecture, has become an especially hot topic online, even though they were recently knocked out in the third round. The reason for their popularity is not only because of their skill, but also for their unbelievably well-mannered conduct off of the field. Introducing the team that has now become known as the most polite high school baseball team in all of Japan.

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We try recreating Lady Gaga’s signature look using only stuff bought at a 100-yen store

On August 12, Lady Gaga arrived in Tokyo to kick off the Japan leg of her worldwide artRAVE: The ARTPOP Ball. The pop icon is no stranger to Japan, and has proclaimed her love for the country on multiple occasions in the past. Not to mention the fact that her quirky fashion style seems perfectly at home with some of the bizarre outfits you’d find in Tokyo’s Harajuku district.

One of the reporters from our Japanese sister site happens to be a dedicated ‘Little Monster’ himself. Although ‘Lady Jun’, as we’ll call him from now on, is fascinated by Lady Gaga’s eccentric fashion statements, one question has always bothered him–is it possible for a normal person to create an outfit in Lady Gaga’s signature style without breaking the bank?

Enlisting the help of his fellow reporter and amateur Sailor Venus cosplayer Yoshio, the two headed over to a Japanese 100-yen shop (the equivalent of a dollar store in the States) to find out for themselves. The end result of their mission? Well, let’s just say that their creation was a bit puzzling. 

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Looking for a fun way to spice up your bath? Try this at home, kids!

It’s such a simple idea, but you’ve probably never thought of it before–why not throw a glow stick into your bathtub or pool to create an exciting, luminescent atmosphere?

The trend has suddenly become a hot topic in the Japanese Twitterverse, and over the past few days many people have been testing it out and posting pictures of their lit-up baths for others to be envious of. If you have some leftover glow sticks from a concert or party, this could be the perfect way to get rid of them. More pictures after the break.

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Hello Kitty will deliver your messages as part of a special campaign…from space!

Sanrio’s beloved character has embarked on a special mission this year–all the way to space!  

The “Let’s Send a Message from Space! Campaign” (「宇宙からメッセージを送ろう！」キャンペーン) is part of the festivities to celebrate Hello Kitty’s 40th anniversary in 2014. Our favorite feline friend was even launched into space back in June, and her makers are now taking applications from anyone in the world to display messages on the digital display board inside her satellite. Wouldn’t it be cool to see your very own message delivered from space?

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The Amazing Eggman – This net user’s long-lost picture book will brighten your day

If your closet is as jammed-packed with stuff as mine is, you’re bound to come across some old school papers or pieces of artwork sooner or later. And when you do, those papers can be your ticket to a hilarious trip down memory lane as you reminisce about the good old days and wonder, “Just what was I thinking at that age?”

Take this Japanese guy, for example. Recently he unearthed a handmade picture book from his elementary school days about a superhero he created called Eggman (sounds like the stuff of legends, right?). He then uploaded the story onto an online forum, where it was quite rightly met with overwhelming praise and no end of ‘kawaii~!’ comments.

If you’re in need of something to put a smile on your face or are just in the mood for an adorable kids’ story, join us after the jump for the heroic adventures of Eggman as he attempts to put an end to the evil plans of Frying Pan Kingdom!

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It’s that time of the year again! Comiket, the world’s largest dōjinshi fair that’s held twice per year, is currently in full swing again at Tokyo Big Sight on Odaiba, the artificial island located in Tokyo Bay. Manga fans from around the world are lining up in droves and enduring hour-long waits in the hot sun just to get into the exhibition rooms that are jam-packed with merchandise.

Naturally, a comic festival as big as Comiket draws a ton of cosplayers, and while there are some truly impressive costumes out there, there are some other, shall we say, more unusual sights to be seen. Take the above picture, for example–what on earth is happening here??

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A collection of 20 creative ‘sushi’ rolls that were invented outside of Japan

Love it or hate it, every country has their own take on sushi. While some of the creations, such as the California roll, are fairly tame and are now accepted as part of a normal sushi menu, we’ve also seen some of the odder versions out there, such as Hong Kong’s ‘killer sushi’, Nutella sushi in France, and my personal favorite–the absolutely adorable but sadly inedible cat sushi!

The quintessential component of sushi is vinegared rice, so while these creations can’t technically be called sushi, they’ve definitely taken a stylistic cue from the rolled shape of makizushi. And we have to admit, some of those fillings do look tasty…

Which of the following creations do you find most intriguing?

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Japanese people reflect on examples of irritating, excess customer services in Japan

Unless you grew up in Japan, you may be baffled by the emphasis that Japanese employees place on customer service. Customers in Japan are treated as royalty from every possible angle, even if they’re just out buying a few pieces of fried chicken at the local convenience store. If you’re not used to it, you may find the special treatment to be endearing, but after a while you may come to think of all the excess services as unnecessary and annoying.

It turns out that some Japanese people feel the same way about their own country’s customs regarding customer service. Have you ever felt the same about any of the following situations?

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This summer, Japanese gaming site Dengeki Online invites you to vote for the No. 1 beautiful girl game app character in a swimsuit!

There are 85 entries in all, from a total of 35 games and 22 companies. We’ve got beach cuties, busty babes, and goddess types, all waiting for your viewing pleasure. Even if you don’t have a thing for anime-style girls, you can at least admire the gorgeous artwork! Which character do you think looks the cutest in a swimsuit?

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