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Master Blaster

Writer / Translator

Master Blaster is the two-man translating team of Canada’s Steven Le Blanc and Japan’s Masami M, a pair who in addition to writing work are in English education and created the StudyNow app for Japanese students of English.

Together they have written somewhere around 1,500 articles for RocketNews24 covering such diverse topics as Chinese men selling sanitary napkins to each other and a Japanese guy dragging an ear of corn around the Tokyo train system. A few of these were actually good, but don’t take our word for it! Here’s what our beloved readers had to say:

“One isn't always in the mood for bold tastes. But when I'm in the mood for bold flavor I turn to you.”
“Stupid article. Who cares what the Japanese think it's cool. You don't call a monkey, "gorilla".”
“You know, this is about the most cogent explanation of how a turbocharger works that I have ever seen in the non-motorsports world.”
“Thanks for the article peter!”
“It's people like you who make exploitation possible.”
“It looks yummy and the story was great. Thank you for the smile.”

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Posted by Master Blaster (Page 166)

Yahoo! Japan releases app that tricks girls into making a “kissy” face and takes their photo

With the plethora of applications available across all the major platforms, it seems there’s nothing a smartphone app can’t help you with. And now for those who to spend part of their days exploiting the insecurities of people for their own amusement, Yahoo! Japan has released Kisushiyo!, an app that secretly photographs women as they would look when going in for a smooch.

Granted it’s a novelty app that might not appeal to those without a sweet tooth for schadenfruede. However, the story of how this app became available to Android phones everywhere is an interesting look into the state of the internet.

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We cook a Christmas cake in a rice cooker to ring in the holidays

When discussing Christmas in Japan it would be remiss not to mention the traditional cake that families and individuals buy during this time of the year. RocketNews24 also purchased a cute Santa cake to please our collective sweet teeth and warm our bellies in the cold winter.

However, it wouldn’t be a RocketNews24 Christmas with cooking that bad boy up in a rice cooker. Heck, if Big Macs or Oreos work, then rice-cooker-cooked Christmas cake should be a grand slam. Unsurprisingly (for us at least) the results were both festively pretty and delicious!

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Captain EO to close again at Tokyo Disneyland, will be replaced by Lilo & Stitch attraction

There few pieces of cinematic brilliance that come close to matching Captain EO. The star power of Michael Jackson guided by the directing talents of Francis Ford Coppola in a George Lucas Production all come together in a space-operatic masterpiece that taught us all to dream again.

However, the film was taken from us after a fleeting 11-year run at Disney theme parks around the world. Then in a bittersweet moment it was reopened in tribute to the king of pop’s passing in 2010. And now again we in Japan will have to mourn the 17-minute film’s closing in 2014.

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“Extreme going to work” looks to change the way business is done in Japan

Ever consider going having a meal with friends or watching a movie on your way to work? While many of us can’t help reaching for the snooze button in the morning, there is a growing number of people who are waking up hours earlier and having a social life before they go to work.

The movement is called Extreme Shussha (extreme going to work) and as of this summer it has been getting increasingly popular in Japan. The rules are simple: Don’t be late for work; don’t bother anyone; and don’t fall asleep when you get there. Beyond that you can do whatever your heart desires.

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Japanese phonetic character catching on as emoticon in the Middle East

Sometimes obvious things are hidden right in plain sight and it takes the fresh perspective of someone in another part of the world to point it out. One Twitter user stumbled on such a hidden gem recently when searching the Japanese character for “tsu” , which in the katakana alphabet is written ツ.

As you can probably see from the image above and in the text of the previous sentence, the letter looks quite a lot like a smirking face. This may appear obvious to many Western readers, but according to online reaction most Japanese netizens were taken by surprise at this discovery and had never noticed the similarity. Perhaps even more surprisingly, the character is also apparently getting an unusual amount of use in Middle Eastern countries.

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Lady Gaga Hello Kitty put under the virtual hammer, only two in the world born this way

We often like to cover the more absurd things that get put up for bid on Yahoo! Auction Japan, but this time something has come up that may be of genuine interest to either Lady Gaga or Hello Kitty fans. If you happen to be a fan of both then this is downright priceless.

Currently an extremely limited edition Hello Kitty doll is the subject of fierce bidding. This Hello Kitty is done up in fashion inspired by one of the biggest musicians in the world today, Lady Gaga.

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Our reporter makes himself too sexy for his face with Line Camera’s “beauty” function

Naver Corporation’s Line has been steadily becoming a juggernaut of smartphone apps in recent months. Starting out as a mild-mannered free text and voice chatting application, it has since expanded into a drawing app, games, and even a recently launched Q&A service.

Now, the company’s free camera app has hit the scene and is causing a bit of a stir for its rumored ability to enhance anyone’s beauty. Our Japanese writer GO, who’s always looking for ways to improve his already stunning features, took it out for a spin.

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Baskin Robbins Japan accepting pre-orders for Kagami Mochi Ice Cream Cakes

With New Year’s just around the corner supermarkets and department stores all over Japan are displaying kagami mochi. These are mounds of the popular Japanese food mochi which is made from rice and has a gummy consistency.

They can serve as household decorations up until 1 January when they may then be happily, and hopefully safely, devoured. However, mochi has a subtle sweetness that some might find rather bland. If that’s the case for you then Baskin Robbins is hoping you’ll enjoy their Kagami Mochi Ice Cream Cakes.

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Fukuoka man ordered to pay over one million yen for peeing in elevator…every day for half a year

On 16 December, Judge Ryosuke Takahashi of the Fukuoka District Court ruled in favor of Japan Rail Kyushu and ordered a Higashi Ward resident to pay 1.3 million yen (US$13,000) to compensate for damages brought about his near daily urination routine over the course of six months.

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Gotta catch a spouse! Pokémon engagement rings

One day while I was playing Pokémon in my parent’s basement, my uncle Sam came down and asked me to help him. He handed me a Womédex (a smartphone loaded with online dating apps) and a set of Woméballs (tennis balls painted red and white) and told me it was time to catch one of these magical creatures for my very own.

Luckily, Trisha was kind enough not to press charges after I threw a tennis ball at her head inside a Starbucks during our first date, but my quest has so far still been left unfulfilled. Thankfully, I found something more suitable for catching high-level Womémon like Trish being sold online by a talented jeweler named Paul Michael.

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Man arrested for year-long terrorism campaign against manga “Kuroko’s Basketball”

On 12 October, 2012 a plastic container was left on the second floor in the gymnasium of Tokyo’s Jochi University (aka Sophia University), one of Japan’s most prestigious schools and alma mater of Tadatoshi Fujimaki the writer of the hit manga series Kuroko’s Basketball (aka The Basketball Which Kuroko Plays).

Inside the container was a liquid capable of releasing poisonous hydrogen sulphide. Attached was a note which read, “I hate Fujimaki.”

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“This is embarrassing” – Japan named number one market for smartphone apps

Generally it’s nice to have your country or town be number one in something. Even if it’s for something as despicable as bag snatching, you can at least gain a slightly twisted sense of pride for toughing it out in such a rough-and-tumble locale.

However, when a recent study reported by Bloomberg Japan declared that Japan had overtaken the U.S. in smartphone and tablet app purchases, people we less than enthused leaving comments such as “Japan’s screwed,” and, “This is sad news indeed.”

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RocketNews24 office left in disarray at startling Apple iOS discovery

On December 13… RocketNew… I’m sorry.

It’s just I can’t stop staring at it. None of us can. How many times have we looked at the menu screens of our iPhones or iPads? Too many times to count, but we could never see what was going on right in front of us all this time.

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We try some “First Love” flavored gyoza in Tochigi’s “Gyoza Town”

Utsunomiya City in Tochigi Prefecture is famous nation-wide for its Chinese fried dumplings known as gyoza in Japan. The capital city boasts over 200 gyoza shops many of which are densely located near Utsunomiya Station in what is known as “Gyoza Town.”

Our reporter, Usagi, braved the imminent threat of deliciousness and boarded a Tochigi-bound train. Next stop: Gyoza Town!

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Sausage Gloves combine high tech, high fashion, high cuisine, even high environmental awareness

For those living in colder climates using a smartphone creates a major dilemma. We want to check our messages but wearing gloves often renders our touch screens useless. Sure, there are specialized smartphone compatible gloves, but going that way severely limits your choices of style and color.

Driven to the edge with this problem, Yoshiaki Owari of the Daily Portal Z came up with a groundbreaking way to keep your hands warm, stylish, and functional. In addition, you’re left with a tasty dish at the end of the day when you use Sausage Gloves!

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From Cardigans to Carjackings: The best sellers of Amazon Japan in 2013

With the end of this year fast approaching, we now enter the season of reflection for 2013 via ranking lists. In these last fleeting days let’s take a moment to see which albums, apps, shoes, books, and cockroach traps Japanese shoppers flocked to buy online in the largest numbers. Perhaps then we can form a clearer picture of what life in Japan was like for this two-thousand thirteenth year of our lord.

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Red rain creeps out South Asia, intrigues scientists

Like something out of a biblical tale or Slayer song, parts of India and Sri Lanka have been experiencing occasional rainfalls colored mostly red and recurring over several years. Sometimes the coloring is so deep the drops look like blood and can stain clothing.

Since the first modern fall in 2001, several scientists have followed their curiosity to find out what exactly is causing the red rain. Many felt they have come to a conclusion but for every proposed answer more questions seem to emerge.

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Godzilla remake trailer released! Aims to stay true to the original movie【Video】

On 10 December, the trailer for next year’s much-needed Godzilla remake came out online along with a new poster for the film. The somewhat campy 1998 American remake of the tokusatsu classic was more of a whimsical adventure featuring baby Godzillas and the cast of The Simpsons.

However, this new attempt helmed by Gareth Edwards looks to be a much darker and grittier portrayal of the carnage that a giant monster such as Godzilla would create in the real world. One of the stars, Hollywood-go-to Japanese actor Ken Watanabe also insists that this film keeps true to the original 1954 version. Let’s take a look:

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Let’s learn a little Japanese with this dead squid in a parking lot

Unlike the creature it features, the above image has been floating around online for a few years, but recently has returned back to Japanese shores. However, here such a situation has led to a decidedly punnier outcome. Let’s read what Japanese people have to say about it and maybe learn a little unusual Japanese along the way.

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Sexy sapphire Santas smoothly shave Sato’s stubble

It’s been said that Christmas in Japan is for lovers, and that’s bad news for someone like our Mr. Sato. That’s not to say he’s unlucky with the ladies, but whenever he goes in for that first kiss his prickly stubble never fails to repel them.

However, Christmas is also a time for miracles, and while walking through the Akihabara streets last week, a blue Oasis appeared before him. Staffed by several sexy women clad in cute blue Santa outfits stood the Gillette Skin Diagnosis Event.

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