Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
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 170)
Get ready to say goodbye to staples. Not the office supply chain, those little metal pins we’ve relied on for so long to fasten papers together. Japan is currently undergoing the no-staple revolution thanks to some innovative new products that have surprisingly been around for a long time – stapleless staplers!
The Chinese Football Association (CFA) has had their hands full for a long time with their lackluster international national team. To add insult to injury, fans of Chinese soccer have grown even more disillusioned due to allegations of corruption in recent years.
Chinese media reports that the longstanding woes of the national team were due to some bad qi floating around the CFA headquarters. Apparently, having a building facing North by Northwest makes your executives degenerate gamblers.
However, by applying the principals of feng shui to their new offices perhaps the association can flow into a reversal of fortune.
Mercedes-Benz seems to be pulling out all the stops to advertise their 2013 model of A-Class car, the A 180. In fact they have created a six-minute animated feature starring the A 180, in a rollicking race for the ultimate prize titled Next A Class.
Luckily, I grew up in the era of advertisements thinly veiled as cartoons. All the Noids or Cavity Creeps in the world couldn’t sway my purchasing preferences. Years of Chester Cheetah and Fido Dido have hardened my mind to the subliminal messages animations can carry.
So although this anime short was well made and entertaining, it in no way swayed my opinion of this sleek new A 180 that perfectly combines the high performance of a sports car with the economic sensibility of a compact.
Our collective rears were tickled with the teaser trailer for a new Dragon Ball Z movie penned by its original creator, Akira Toriyama this past summer, and now a new glimpse of the new movie has arrived – the official title. Along with the announcement comes a once in a life time offer!
Japan is well known for both its love and skill of robots. Free of the terminator-induced prejudices of western cultures, they have blazed the way for robotic tour guides, waitresses, fish, singers, hairdressers, waste baskets, cyclists, rock-paper-scissors players, cockroaches, butts…
With so many robots, it’s hard to come up with an original one. But they are still out there. Tokyo University’s Center for the Study of Robotics came up with Denta-kun, the calculator using robot. Just to make it clear, the robot does not calculate. It just uses a calculator.
Last week, on 11 November, Ezaki Glico celebrated Pocky & Pretz Day (11/11) with the Try World Record campaign in which the snack maker hoped to gather the most tweets containing the name “Pocky” in one day thus entering the Guinness World Records.
The goal was set at 1.11 million tweets, for obvious visual reasons, and to defeat the previous “The Brand Name Most Tweeted in 24 Hours” record holder, iPhone5, which got 1.08 million tweets on its release day. And the winner is…
Since its construction finished in 1958, Japan’s National Stadium in Shinjuku, Tokyo has served its nation proud. It was the field of play for the 1964 Summer Olympics and survived the 2011 Tohoku earthquake unscathed.
However, with the 2019 Rugby World Cup scheduled, it was time for a makeover to the tune of (pinky finger to lips) a billion dollars!
Everyone heard about the thousands of people who were affected by a great disaster in the USA recently. Of course, I’m talking about ultra-conservatives and the re-election of Barack Obama.
For all the people moving into Unabomber-style shacks and waiting for the inevitable collapse of American society, we have great news! Sugoi Battery is exactly what you need to survive a disaster in the wilderness comfortably!
The name is derived from the Japanese word sugoi, which means great, awesome, kick-ass, and all that. So you can imagine it’s quite the power supply.
A lucky Twitter user came across a pamphlet the other day outlining some great deals on smartphone services. These people will go through the painstaking task of installing your smartphone apps for you at the low low price of 1,000 yen (US$12) an app!
In fact, they offer a wide range of useful services, such as installing Facebook, Twitter, or Skype— also for 1,000 yen each! And I always thought those were apps too. Boy, is my face red. I’m going to leave it to the professionals from now on.
The latest installment of the Animal Crossing series Animal Crossing: New Leaf was released in Japan on 8 November and sold out across the country soon after. It was such a success that the president of Nintendo had to issue assurances via Twitter that more copies were on the way.
For those unfamiliar with the franchise, Animal Crossing is a game with no set objective. You simply exist as the only human in a quaint forest village of anthropomorphic animals. You live out your days there any way you want, fishing, landscaping, shopping, and so on.
For one man, the new game ushered in an age of darkness for his household. His wife had become a slave to the friendly sheep and dogs who inhabit Animal Crossing. Rather than spending time with her husband, she was fishing for a trout to trade to Tom Nook for a lava lamp.
Disheartened, the man took the last resort of the damned. The one place wretched souls go to for answers before giving up completely – Yahoo! Answers.
Looking back at the violence that occurred in the anti-Japan protests in September, I’m still baffled at why those regular people got so crazy over a land dispute between two governments in some remote area. Maybe I’m the only one who lacks that patriotic spirit that compels one set fire to a factory over zoning issues.
Or perhaps like almost every world event in history, there are more complex – usually economic – factors at play beneath the surface. At least that’s what a group of Japanese writers and journalists claim. According to them, the stage was set for this explosion of anger years before it happened.
Boy that Gangnam Style is one catchy tune. The Korean smash hit has transcended international boundaries like few others before it. When I fry my eggs in the morning I “flip’em Gangnam style” and when I’m retiling the bathroom I can’t help but “grout’em Gangnam style.”
One day, a railway worker in China was feeling down about his job and needed to let out some emotions about it. Unfortunately, he decided to “vent’em Gangnam style” and record it… and upload it to a popular Chinese video sharing site. You can probably imagine what happened from there – imagine it Gangnam style.
Gather around boys and girls, we’re going to hear a frank and serious story about smelly farts, butts, underpants, and old people smell. More importantly, this story is about the man who may make all of these things extinct.
This story follows the creation of Inodore, a Japanese-made material that did something to stop not only fart smells, but a range of other body odors deemed “unpleasant” by society. This company has found a method to eliminate foul smells from the body without the use of any harmful chemicals or powerful perfumes.
Their clothing products currently on sale can trap and eliminate everyday body odors like sweat and gas by over 95%, 80% of which is erased in the first 30 seconds of contact.
Snowboarding is still a young event in the Olympics, yet Japan hasn’t been able to score a medal. This has been frustrating for the country that hosted the first snowboarding event in ’98 and as whole has widely embraced the sport on a recreational level.
Well, here comes a new challenger! Out of Kumamoto Prefecture, 14 year-old prodigy Miyabi Onizuka is tapped to be the next big thing in Japanese snowboarding.
Every year on 11 November people in Japan celebrate Pocky & Pretz Day. In case you don’t already know, Pocky are thin cookie sticks with chocolate, strawberry, or other flavored frosting. Pretz are a more mature stick with salty flavors. Their simplicity is matched only by their sheer addictiveness.
Because of the date’s resemblance to the snacks (11/11), every year, their maker Ezaki Glico cooks up a special campaign. In 2011 on Pocky & Pretz Day if you tweeted a special sentence using Pocky and a particular hashtag you could have won free snacks.
However, for Pocky & Pretz Day 2012, Glico has their sights set on entering the Guinness World Records.
In Asian countries, working on an airplane is considered a highly skilled occupation. Aside from the usual flying skills and regulations, both pilots and staff also need knowledge of another language (particularly English). On top of that, physical limitations like height and vision make for a rather shallow pool of candidates.
In China, a country often given a bad rap for lax regulations, the restrictions are even tighter as having smelly underarms is grounds for expulsion from becoming a pilot.
Every once in a while a story comes along about a flying car or helicopter that fits in a briefcase, but they always disappear into the ether never coming to fruition. It’s understandable since everyone having their own mass produced flying machine would be a safety and law enforcement nightmare.
This time, however, Hirobo in Hiroshima Prefecture may be rolling out a personal helicopter that will actually get off the ground.
Everyone wants a little KFC, but Asia in particular has embraced the greasy wings served up by everyone’s favorite self-made restaurateur Colonel Sanders. In Japan, the Colonel is so beloved his statues can be found outside of nearly every franchise – often in costume. He even enjoys the same privacy rights as other citizens.
He is also the victim of various copycats this side of the Pacific. In Korea there is said to be a knock-off restaurant operating right next to a legitimate KFC in broad daylight. We sent Kuzo in for reconnaissance.
As this autumn is just flying by, we’ll all have to break out our winter gear soon, if not already. For one woman in China it was time to buy a new winter coat to cope with the lowering temperatures.
Little did she know, that new fluffy down jacket was a ticking time bomb that went off right inside of her home washing machine.
*For maximum enjoyment please read this article in the husky hushed voice of Brad Pitt. Thank you.*
It’s not a journey, it’s Sushi, a scent developed by Demeter Fragrance Library. The scent maker is hoping to catch the freshness of Japan’s signature dish so you have it with you all day.
But does it smell like raw fish? Does it have the eye-watering aroma of wasabi? Demeter says of course not, but what it does smell like is the source of some controversy.
Possessing Harry Potter’s Sword of Godric Gryffindor is now illegal in Japan
Eight unforgettable hot springs, as recommended by Japan’s “Professor Bath”
Mt Fuji convenience store becomes “lawless zone” as tourists hurl abuse at security guards
Uniqlo announces first-ever collaboration with horror manga master Junji Ito【Photos】
Yakuza family speaks out against rise in organized crime
Big dam Godzilla appears in Japan as power-washer art on side of 195-foot dam【Video】
Japanese bank’s founders blood-signed promise to commit samurai-style suicide if they committed fraud
Doujinshi manga/anime chain announces moratorium on Visa/Mastercard credit card payments
Japan’s workplace drinking party communication is unnecessary, says majority of workers in survey
Late-night cake cafe in Tokyo’s hostess/host bar district will satisfy your confectionary desires
Studio Ghibli releases new range of cardigans for anime fansMt Fuji convenience store becomes “lawless zone” as tourists hurl abuse at security guards
Kyoto Whopper divides customers at Burger King Japan
Celebrating Good Couple’s Day in Japan…by getting our significant others to dress us
7-Eleven Japan releases fukubukuro lucky bags filled with convenience store surprisesEight unforgettable hot springs, as recommended by Japan’s “Professor Bath”
Japanese burger chain no longer serves onion rings, but offers intriguing replacement【Taste test】
Travel tip: Fukuoka has a great luggage delivery service that’s cheaper than a coin locker
Starbucks Japan reveals new holiday goods for the 2024 festive seasonPossessing Harry Potter’s Sword of Godric Gryffindor is now illegal in Japan
Nintendo’s controller capsule toys are so cool, even the machine you buy them from is awesome【Pics】
One of Japan’s most beautiful hot spring towns announces new limits on number of day trippers
Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke teams up with Foxfire for outdoor apparel collaboration【Photos】
Ghibli Park debuts first winter illumination display with Howl’s Moving Castle themeStudio Ghibli releases new range of cardigans for anime fans
Sanrio and magical girl anime PreCure join forces for new merch line【Photos】
Pringles releases a limited-edition sweet flavour in Japan
Japanese job-quitting service contacted by other job-quitting service because employee wants to quit
After cancelling Halloween, Tokyo’s Shibuya neighborhood cancels New Year’s Eve too
Berserk T-shirts coming to Uniqlo for launch of new Manga Curation line【Photos】
McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Foreign tourists on Shinkansen bullet train break suitcase etiquette, angering local passengers
[Deleted] Article written for April Fool’s Day 2018
Japanese government to make first change to romanization spelling rules since the 1950s
Foreigner’s request for help in Tokyo makes us sad for the state of society
Ghibli founders Toshio Suzuki and Hayao Miyazaki contribute to Japanese whisky Totoro label design
Japanese convenience store Family Mart announces abolishment of eat-in spaces
Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
Life-size vibrating Legend of Zelda Master Sword for sale from Nintendo【Photos】
Studio Ghibli releases free-download board game — Here’s how to play it without reading Japanese
Big dam Godzilla appears in Japan as power-washer art on side of 195-foot dam【Video】
Japanese bank’s founders blood-signed promise to commit samurai-style suicide if they committed fraud
Doujinshi manga/anime chain announces moratorium on Visa/Mastercard credit card payments
Japan’s workplace drinking party communication is unnecessary, says majority of workers in survey
Late-night cake cafe in Tokyo’s hostess/host bar district will satisfy your confectionary desires
Bad tourist manners at Mt Fuji Lawson photo spot prompts Japanese town to block view with screens
Japanese job-quitting service contacted by other job-quitting service because employee wants to quit
Japanese Prime Minister once criticized deploying military to fight Godzilla
Majority of Japanese women in poll support idea of men-only train cars
Starbucks Japan reveals new holiday goods for the 2024 festive season
McDonald’s Japan’s Gurakoro burger faces a giant rival in Komeda’s Gurakuro
Doraemon found buried at sea as scene from 1993 anime becomes real life【Photos】
Freaky veggies trending in Japanese groceries, possible precursor to real-life “The Last of Us”