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Preston Phro

Preston Phro (or simply Phro as most know him) is a Coloradoan attempting to fit in in Tokyo. (Surely, he would succeed if not for his unruly hair.) He puts his master's in classical Japanese literature to good use by writing silly stories and articles for the Internet. Having lived in Nara, Osaka, and Yamaguchi before moving to the Kanto area, he's quite happy to finally have a place to call home! When not writing, he enjoys annoying his wife by plucking at his shamisen (a three-stringed Japanese instrument not entirely unlike a banjo) and pestering her with questions about Japanese history. He also occasionally attempts to remember all the stuff he's forgotten since university.

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Posted by Preston Phro (Page 33)

Tokyo teen attacked with pepper spray after making polite gesture

In one of the stranger criminal cases this summer–though not quite the strangest–a 29-year-old woman has attacked another woman in a Tokyo train station restroom with pepper spray.

The reason for the attack will leave you baffled.

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Public restroom inspires creative thinking, results questionable

No one likes using public toilets, do they?

With the smell, the uncomfortable and unfamiliar surroundings, and the fear of butt-cooties latching onto our heinies, it’s only out of desperation that most people will drop their pants and park their naked butts onto a public toilet seat. So when one of the more fastidious members of society is faced with a dire situation, what do they do?

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Safety Pin People: The beautiful photography of Junn.C

People have the amazing ability to see human traits in nearly anything. From the anthropomorphism of cartoons and nature to cursing at your car when it won’t start, there’s almost no limit to the things we see as human-like.

But safety pins? Surely only someone with a less-than-firm grip on reality could take a safety pin for person-like or even having any human qualities?

The following photo album might just convince you otherwise!

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New fad in Japan: Posting your phone number, bank account, and other personal information on Twitter

Even as more and more people complain about how unsocial social network services have become, some Japanese Twitter users have put their faith in humanity and opened up a new line of communication with their fellow Tweeters.

How? By publicly posting their phone numbers, some going as far as posting their bank account information and address.

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The new Hello Kitty suite: For a limited, cute time only!

A few weeks ago, we introduced you to some of Japan’s greatest themed-hotel rooms, but it seems we may have jumped the gun just a bit because The Prince Hotel located in Minato Ward of Tokyo has just opened up a brand new Hello Kitty-themed suite, and it might very well be one of the cutest rooms we’ve ever seen.

Check out the photos and details of the cutest room in Japan below.

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Subaru releases minicar commercial filmed in 60 hours without sleep: It’s dreamy!

In order to show off their new automotive technology called “Eye Sight,” Subaru recently released a commercial starring miniature cars. Filmed without a single frame of CGI or a blink of sleep for 60 hours, the wonderland of a commercial is surprisingly beautiful! We do hope that the actual cars in the dealer lots will fit normal-sized people though…

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Horrifying video shows gravity-defying bus accident

Somehow, seat belts often become a matter of contention. Some people buckle-up instinctively upon getting in a car, while others refuse to snap it even when it’s a legal requirement. For many, it’s just another hassle. But even if you think seat belts are stupid and would rather pay a fine than strap in, this video of a terrifying bus accident in Zhejiang, China will change your mind.

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New York-style Japanese ramen! We try Totto Ramen in Midtown Manhattan

So, you’re a loyal RocketNews24 reader. You’ve seen us posting about ramen, possibly the greatest food ever, and always wanted a nice big bowl of your own to scarf down. But an international flight to Japan is both expensive and exhausting, so it’s remained little more than a dream for you. You lie awake at night, tossing and turning, as thoughts of hot noodles, thick, delicious broth, and perfectly sliced pork dash through your head. Well, now you can finally put an end to your torture! If you live in New York that is. Otherwise, you’ll have to keep saving for that flight.

A few months back, one of our esteemed Japanese writers found himself in New York and decided to check out one of the city’s finest ramen shops: Totto Ramen. Here’s his thoughts on the Japanese restaurant! Does it measure up??

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Playing dress-up: Maison de Julietta offers the chance to be a lolita for a day

Who among us hasn’t dreamed of being a lolita? We mean the fashion conscience kind of Lolita, not the…other kind. The frilly little dresses, the bonnets, the ridiculous platform shoes, and all the cake and tea you can get in your stomach! Sounds great, right? Except for the price tag—buying all of those frilly little dresses yourself will set you back a lot of money! Well, here’s your chance to try out being a lolita for a day without breaking the bank or selling a few organs!

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Livescribe smartpen: Notes of the future!

While we do effectively live “in the future,” some days it can feel like we’re no more advanced now than we were 60 years ago. We still have to go to the store to buy food instead of having it materialize in little cubbyholes at the command of “Tea. Earl Grey.” Your car can’t fly, and, despite advances, we’re still not able to surf the Net with our brains. Heck, even just sitting in class or in a meeting, you still have to take notes by hand—and if you miss something important, well, that’s that. Try to write faster next time.

But one company is aiming to bring us into the future and revolutionize note-taking at the same time!

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When setting up shop around famous landmarks, it never hurts to blend in. Especially in Japan, where tourism accounts for roughly five percent of the GDP. You wouldn’t want to destroy the tourist attraction by ruining the ambiance, right?

On the other hand, there’s not really very much that’s “traditional” about Family Mart convenience stores, so we had to wonder what kind of disguise would get slapped on their store near Ise Grand Shrine…

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Children’s shows are generally the weirdest things you can find on TV. We don’t really know why, though our assumption is that the writers and illustrators come up with ideas by pointing at random words in the dictionary. Either way, it seems that the weirder a show is, the more fans they have, and that means more toys! Which, of course, is scary for parents and their ever-shrinking wallets.

But sometimes those toys are enough to scare kids too…

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Ki&Ki: The new face of traditional Japanese music

The world of traditional Japanese music is incredibly varied–there’s exciting min’you folk music, austere gagaku ancient imperial court music, and the ethereal tunes of Noh plays. But one genre in particular stands out among the all others: tsugaru-jamisen.

A fast, lively style of playing born out of min’you as performed by traveling entertainers, tsugaru-jamisen hails from Aomori Prefecture and is the youngest genre of “traditional” Japanese music. And, from Hiromitsu Agatsuma and the late Takahashi Chikuzan to the Yoshida Brothers and Kevin Kmetz, there is no shortage of talented, inspiring performers in the tsugaru-jamisen world.

But for us, one duo in particular stands out: Ki&Ki.

Even if you don’t recognize the name, you may already be familiar with these two incredibly talented young women thanks to their numerous YouTube videos. Recently we got the chance to sit down with the pair to learn a little bit about their history with tsugaru-jamisen.

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We try Häagen-Dazs pancakes and love ’em!

April 25 was a sad day for Japanese ice cream lovers, as that was the day the final Japanese Häagen-Dazs store closed shop. The company had achieved its goal of spreading their packaged ice cream through convenience stores and supermarkets, and, after thirty years, decided that the Japanese locations were no longer necessary.

Many a frozen, delicious tear was shed that day.

But you can stop your crying, at least until September 2, thanks to a collaboration between Häagen-Dazs and j.s. pancake cafe!
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If you pay attention while walking around Japan, you’ll eventually see signs warning pedestrians to be careful of purse snatchers. While the average person may never be involved in such an incident, many take care to walk with their bags held away from the street to avoid scooter-riding thieves.

Unfortunately, one 80-year-old woman wasn’t prepared for a purse snatcher while riding an escalator, but she also wasn’t about to just throw her hands up and cry either.

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Cats may rule the Internet, but who rules the cats?

Baby white lions, of course! And if you happen to be in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, here’s your chance to see them in the fur.

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It’s Monday, which is the worst way to start the week, isn’t it? So, how about some heart-warming news to get things going?

Let’s see, what have we got? Oh, yes, a story about how, while alighting from a train in Japan’s Saitama Prefecture, a woman slipped and became pinned between the train and the platform.

Wait, that’s not the heart-warming part!

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From the eyes of an idol, developer debuts video of Hatsune Miku and Oculus Rift

Oculus Rift is surely one of the most highly anticipated devices of this gaming generation. In case you’ve somehow not heard about it, Oculus Rift is a virtual reality headset that is already garnering rave reviews from industry insiders and little old ladies who are more hardcore than you. What makes Oculus Rift so exciting is its high-quality dual display that uses motion detectors to dynamically show users the game world as they turn their head. Basically, it’s supposed to be a completely immersive experience. Right now, the device is still mostly limited to developers hard at work trying to take advantage of its full power, but most of the demos we’ve seen have been great. One Japanese developer decided to create an adorable mini-game staring everyone’s favorite fictional idol: Hatsune Miku.

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Summer vacation is in full swing now, meaning everyone’s at the beach drinking lots of cold beer, in the park drinking lots of cold beer, or in the mountains drinking lots of cold beer. Basically, breweries are getting rich and we’re happy to help.

But, as one Chinese man recently found out, you need to be careful! Too much beer can have…explosive results. Read More

Woman accidentally tweets new iTunes card codes, the obvious happens

There are quite a few people who immediately turn to the Internet for advice, which, in general, isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Posting a quick question on Twitter or Facebook can net you a large pool of helpful responses, provided you have the right friends.

That said, you really need to be careful about what you post and how, as one Japanese woman learned the hard way after posting her brand new iTunes card numbers when seeking advice about how to register them.

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