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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.

Posted by Krista Rogers (Page 55)

Can these Japanese kitties accurately predict the advancing teams of the World Cup?

Krista Rogers
Jun 20, 2014
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You may remember that octopus named Paul whose accurate series of “predictions” during the 2010 World Cup about Germany’s matches and Spain’s victory shot him to worldwide fame.

Well move over, Paul, because you’ve got two new furry rivals! Stepping up to the challenge in 2014 are Munchkin kitties Kikunosuke and Rikimaru. Their owner had them “predict” which two teams from each of the initial groups A through H would proceed to the rest of the tournament. Japanese fans would be well-advised to listen to the cats, since Japan was picked to advance from group C.

Keep reading to find out which sixteen teams will advance, at least according to the cats!

Save space in a spaceship: KAKUREYA “cosy room” pod on sale now!

Krista Rogers
Jun 19, 2014

When life gives you lemons and you just need to escape for a bit, it can be hard to find somewhere to be alone if you’re constantly surrounded by people. But you’ll never find yourself in that situation again, thanks to a cool furniture-on-steroids invention on the market now.

Introducing the KAKUREYA, your very own private space that resembles the fusion between an internet cafe and a futuristic space pod. In fact, based on these pictures we’d have to say that the sensation of being inside it must be similar to what it feels like inside of a Gundam cockpit.

Lots of exciting photos after the jump!

“Attack on car”? When real life angry birds attack

Krista Rogers
Jun 19, 2014

Not unlike the “911 attack cat” that’s been making waves across the States, it looks like a peacock at the Singapore Zoo has also gone into an unstoppable rage! Only this time, the battlefield happens to be a road, and the peacock in question has challenged a car to a duel. Maybe its wrath was triggered after seeing its own reflection in the car’s shiny exterior, or by the driver’s attempt to get it out of the way by beeping the horn…but regardless of what provoked it, this is one angry bird. Who do you think emerged victorious after the fight?

Five words that sound completely different across Japanese regional dialects

Krista Rogers
Jun 18, 2014

If you’re American, do you usually drink at the “water fountain,” the “drinking fountain,” or (my personal favorite, all you Rhode Islanders) the “bubbler”? And how about that fizzy fountain beverage–what do you call it in your neck of the woods?

In the same way that the above-mentioned drink is known variously to American speakers of English as soda, pop, or coke, Japanese speakers also use different terms for the same thing depending on where they live. In fact, Japanese regional dialects, known as hōgen (方言), can differ so much from the standard Japanese (hyōjungo [標準語]) spoken in the Tokyo area and national media, that subtitles are often necessary when someone speaks with a thick local accent on TV. It’s not just the pronunciation that differs; often the form of words and syntactical structures are completely distinct.

To show you what we’re talking about, we’d like to introduce five examples of words that look and sound completely different from standard Japanese when said in regional dialects. If you’re a speaker of Japanese and you use one of these words when speaking to someone from a different part of the country, you may be met with a blank stare if your terms for the same thing are mutually unintelligible.

7-year-old turns cash into “art”, parents decidedly unamused

Krista Rogers
Jun 16, 2014

How did you first learn about the value of money as a child? Did you save up your allowance in a piggy bank until there was enough to buy a cool new toy? Or how about taking care of the neighbor’s cat for a small reward?

Or maybe you were never actually taught how to spend your cash wisely, and to this day keep a tall stack of credit card bills around in case you need to blow your nose.

Speaking of money going down the drain, that’s pretty much what one Japanese 7-year-old was found guilty of the other day. He was given a 1,000-yen note, worth roughly US$9.80, and told to “use it however you want.” While most other kids would have jumped for joy and rushed to the nearest toy store, this kid had a much more…creative idea.

What does blood type have to do with the Japan national football team?

Krista Rogers
Jun 16, 2014

At first glance, it may seem like Alberto Zaccheroni, the head coach of the Japan national football team, systematically screens his players’ blood types before letting them onto the team. After all, out of the total 23 players on the 2014 national team, only three of them have blood type B blood. That number was zero for the 2012 national team. So is this fact pure coincidence, or is there something larger at work here?

Actually, the answer may lie in Japan and other East Asian countries’ belief that blood type determines character traits. Still not convinced? Read on to learn why football players with type B blood may actually be at a disadvantage in the game.

Yes, the residents of Fukushima really are this “Happy”

Krista Rogers
Jun 16, 2014

If the rest of the world would have its way, they would have you see only the negative images of Fukushima. But if the citizens of Fukushima would have their way, guess what–they would want the world to know that they are quite happy, thank you very much, and more than keeping their chins up!

Japan’s third-largest prefecture has been at the center of controversy since the nuclear crisis occurred amid the devastating earthquake and tsunami of March 2011. But the producer of a new cover video inspired by Pharrell Williams’ megahit “Happy” is out to paint a different picture of Fukushima to the world. One that is not full of sickly people dying from radiation, nor terror-stricken families anxiously fleeing its borders.

She’s out to show the world, quite simply, a “Happy Fukushima.”

A new sophisticated take on the Moon Scepter from Sailor Moon R

Krista Rogers
Jun 13, 2014

It’s been a fantastic week for those slightly older, more sophisticated Sailor Moon fans (in other words, the original generation of fans), what with the introduction of Premium Bandai’s Miracle Romance line of quality Sailor Moon merchandise, which includes eau de toilette and Sailors Uranus and Neptune lip balm.

Now, we’re pleased to announce a new collectible toy designed for adults–Sailor Moon’s Moon Scepter (aka Cutie Moon Rod) featured in Sailor Moon R, the second season of the TV anime series!

“Singapore Da Por” confesses his love in a clever cover of Joyce Chu’s “Malaysia Chabor”

Krista Rogers
Jun 12, 2014

Singing that kimchi is delicious but that she prefers her familiar cendol (a traditional dessert) and keropok (shrimp crackers), 17-year-old Joyce Chu (also known as 四葉草) from Johor Bahru, Malaysia has become quite the YouTube sensation. It’s now approaching three weeks since her song and video Malaysia Chabor (“Malaysian Girl”) about her experiences being mistaken for a Korean in her home country was first published on YouTube, and since then the video has racked up 3.9 million views and counting.

With her good looks and sweet voice, it was inevitable that Joyce would pick up a few admirers after her sudden rise to fame. One man in particular seems to be quite smitten with her, and even went so far as to create his own original response video to her song.

Who is this mysterious admirer? Keep reading to find out more and watch his video for yourself!

A hilarious compilation of 12 problems people encounter while watching the World Cup

Krista Rogers
Jun 11, 2014

While avid football (or soccer, if you prefer) fans around the world are ticking down the days until Thursday (the start of the FIFA World Cup) a popular YouTuber in Singapore is doing his part to ease their anticipation with a few laughs. He and his group of friends put together a brilliant video in which they recreate some common situations people find themselves in while watching game after game of the tournament. You can definitely relate to their list whether you’re a staunch supporter yourself or if you’re surrounded by people who are.

Which of the parodied scenarios can you sympathize with most?

Park’s new water attraction is a dream come true for capybara lovers

Krista Rogers
Jun 10, 2014

Haven’t you ever secretly wanted to play with a pack of the world’s largest rodent? Even if you’re one of those people who don’t quite understand the allure of the water-loving capybara, a native of South America, the folks at Shizuoka Prefecture’s Izu Shaboten Park are on a mission to change your mind. The park is already famous for its capybara hot spring during the winter months, and it will soon add another capybara-themed attraction to its roster–the “Cabybara Rainbow Plaza,” in which you can actually engage in water play with the animals! How can you pass up this chance to play with Mickey Mouse’s bigger, perpetually spacey-looking cousins??

But don’t book your tickets quite yet, because the “Capybara Rainbow Plaza” opens on July 19. More details after the jump.

Japanese airline rolls out its summer 2014 Pokémon-themed travel deals!

Krista Rogers
Jun 10, 2014

Pikachu invites you to create wonderful memories with your family this summer as part of All Nippon Airways (ANA)’s 2014 Pokémon-themed travel campaign! The summer campaign has proved popular with families with small children in the past (and with the adults, too…), and 2014 promises to be no exception. Some of the notable features include the chance to fly in a one-of-a-kind Pokémon jumbo jet, a special in-flight animated video, hotel rooms decked out in Pokémon paraphernalia, and other cool surprises! If you’re a Pokémon fanatic, this might just be the perfect vacation plan for you.

New Shampoo Bar shop in Tokyo promises you a nap, or your money back!

Krista Rogers
Jun 8, 2014

Do you dread that feeling of drowsiness that creeps up on you in the afternoon? Are you sick of having to fight that urge to pass out at work? Well, maybe you should consider using your mid-afternoon break not to down another cup of caffeine, but to give in and catch some z’s–at the local Shampoo Bar!

In another one of Japan’s ingenious solutions to life, the “Shampoo Specialty Shop Shampoo Bars” aim to give their clients, most of whom are frazzled salarymen and office ladies, a few minute’s respite from the chaos of work with–you guessed it–a relaxing shampoo treatment and head massage! The chain has locations in both Tokyo and Fukuoka City, and a new shop just opened last week in Tokyo’s Akasaka district. In celebration, the Akasaka branch has been offering a new menu item since June 1 which is geared especially towards all of the exhausted office workers out there: a “Shampoo Napping” course!

And here’s the best part: If you don’t manage to take a snooze, your money will be fully refunded!

Déjà vu? Japanese baseball’s movie poster spoof is sure to get fans’ attention

Krista Rogers
Jun 6, 2014

When we first saw the above poster advertising a Hanshin Tigers farm league baseball game, we did a double-take and sat there scratching our heads for a few minutes. “That poster looks so familiar…but something seems just a little off,” we mused. After mulling it over for a few minutes, it finally dawned on us: “Oh, that image is almost an exact copy of a recently released movie’s promotional poster!”

Can you figure out which movie this poster is parodying?

Find 707 animated frames in the “Haruhi Hunting” campaign to unlock a new animated clip!

Krista Rogers
Jun 5, 2014

Gotta find ’em all! should be the catchphrase for the campaign attached to the new The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya animated video. Even though it’s the first new Haruhi animation in four years, its creators aren’t just screening it for free–they’re making fans actually work to see it! That said, the campaign is actually more like a treasure hunt than anything else. Introducing “Haruhi Hunting,” in which the residents of Japan must work together to unlock the new promotional video.

Do YOU have what takes to find all 707 missing frames of the animation?

Brazilian man spends over $3,000 on plastic surgery to look ‘Korean’

Krista Rogers
Jun 4, 2014

We’ve looked at plastic surgery in South Korea from pretty much every angle there is, but this is the first time we’ve come across something quite like this!

The Korean Wave (Hallyu) of pop culture has been steadily gaining strength around the world over the last few years as more and more people discover the infectious sounds of K-Pop and the addictive plot lines of K-dramas (seriously, I double dare you to watch only one episode before going to bed). South America is no exception to the trend, with starstruck female fans swooning over the dreamy Korean men and soaking up the trademark dances that go with each song. Which is perhaps why one 25-year-old Brazilian man decided to undergo a series of cosmetic surgeries to make himself look more Korean.

We’ve heard of Korean citizens getting work done to look more like Western models and stars, but this is a first for us. Join us after the jump for a slew of photos from this man’s amazing transformation.

Feeling sweaty? Grab yourself a cooling underwear vest, designed using space suit technology!

Krista Rogers
Jun 2, 2014

Have you ever wanted to dress like an astronaut? Well, you’d better get your moon walk on, cause now you can–in terms of your undergarments, at least.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has announced a new line of cooling underwear vests designed using cutting-edge technology applicable to space research. A limited supply of the product, known by the slightly awkward yet wonderfully Japanese moniker “cooling by the space technology,” went on sale to the general public on May 30. While each vest will set you back 60,000 yen (US$590), isn’t knowing that you’re wearing the same thing as an astronaut enough to justify the price? More details after the jump.