Richard Simmonds

Originally from Sussex in the UK, Richard came to Japan for the first time in 2011 to teach English. Deciding that only one stint as a student wasn’t enough he returned to go to university in Osaka where he still lives, working slowly towards his inevitable destiny of being killed in an avalanche of manga and textbooks, surrounded by the discarded wrappers of assorted matcha-flavour sweets and biscuits. Whilst continuing his love-hate- hate relationship with the Japanese language he works as a translator, writer and sometime bar pet gaijin.

Posted by Richard Simmonds

JSDF doesn’t just protect from foreign invasion, it tackles sharks and obesity too【Videos】

We learn what to do when a shark attacks, and that the Japanese Self-Defense Forces enjoy giving each other piggy-backs. Read More

Gamer-friendly, non-instant yakisoba you can eat with your fingers【Sora Kitchen】

Make delicious yakisoba rolls you can stuff into your maw, without the use of chopsticks or cutlery!

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Food fight(ers)! Japanese artist turns food samples into fantastic instant noodle samurai

These plastic warriors are trawling for a brawling, cruising for a bruising, and sampling for a trampling.

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Tokyo Disney will give New Year’s Eve visitors the chance to party for 26 straight hours!

See in the New Year with some Disney magic, and maybe some sleep deprivation.

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Should the new Japanese national anthem be an anime song?

Japanese anime fans list their contenders for a modern-day Japanese national anthem.

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N64 controller cable tie-styles have Japanese Twitter harking back to a golden age of gaming

A blast of nostalgia with a N64 game controller cable guide.

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At half the price and with much more functionality than before, is it finally time to tie the virtual knot?

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Twitter artist brings the original Pokémon to life through mind-bogglingly amazing bead creations

At first glance it might look like a screenshot, but it’s actually a ton of magic beads.

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Not a fan of dishwashing? Get yourself an electric, plate-scrubbing robot appendage

The convenience of Japanese technology: making your life a little easier, and lazier, with every passing day.

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TripAdvisor reveals Japan’s top ten theme parks

There’s more to theme parks in Japan than just Disney Resort and Universal Studios; there’s also ninjas, go-karts and looking through your legs.

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Is the beauty of imperfection the secret behind the popularity of Pokémon character designs?

Ken Sugimori, art director and character designer for the Pokémon franchise, reveals the link between pocket monsters and wabi-sabi.

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Japanese chef gives customers a subtle hint to say thanks, by putting a sign on his back

What should you do when your customers take your extra large fried food portions for granted? Wear a poster pointing it out is one chef’s answer.

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Japanese travellers give their answers to the Hotel vs. Ryokan Japanese inn debate

Q&A website explains the good and the bad of hotels and traditional Japanese inns

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New hair pins let you look like you’ve been stabbed in the head with a classic Japanese icon

If your body is a temple, your head is a shrine? Provide easy access to your bonce for roaming Shinto gods with a torii gate hair accessory.

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Gay Japanese Twitter user comes out to family, mother’s response moves Twitter to tears

Amazingly open-minded mother wows son and Internet with words of wisdom.

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We go to Kyushu’s Miyazaki Prefecture to feel like giants in (on?) a tiny party train【Photos】

Going slightly loco-motive in the stunning scenery of Japan’s southern Kyushu island, with bubbles!

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Rain’s age of tyranny is over as we get back the use of our hands with an umbrella hat

Stay dry if not necessarily stylish, even as rainy season does its worst with a giant umbrella hat.

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Japanese Twitter user utilises photos to explain their love of girls with a little junk in the trunk, or loot in the boot.

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We try 7-Eleven Japan’s latest fancy desserts: ice cream macarons【Taste test】

Meringue meets ice cream in convenience store chain’s latest summer-themed dessert offering.

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10 reasons real life is like a terrible kusoge video game

It might have been made into a board game, but here are 10 reasons why the game of life shouldn’t get a PC or console port.

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