Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
China (Page 32)
Air pollution in Beijing on February 25 was worryingly high, but one couple wasn’t going to let that spoil their special day. The brave pair risked the toxic smog to pose for their wedding shots, but took sensible steps to keep themselves safe. The results, however, are a little more creepy than they are romantic.
A man and woman pretending to be boyfriend and girlfriend in order to please their traditionally-minded, grandchild-expecting parents is one of the oldest clichés in romantic fiction. It’s right up there with the moody jerk with a heart of gold and the rich, dreamy architect who would love to spend more time with the heroine if only he wasn’t juggling so many projects.
In real life, though, often times once you peel back the layers of jerk a guy has wrapped himself in, all you’ll find he was hiding deep down inside was a smaller, more concentrated jerk. Architecture has one of the highest unemployment rates of any professional field. And talking someone you’re not dating into pretending to be your girlfriend? It’s not nearly as cute as movies and TV make it out to be, as proven by the ugly aftermath of a man in China’s unsuspecting parents giving a sizeable cash gift to his fake girlfriend.
This sentence is a mouthful: According to Japanese media, Chinese media is reporting that, according to German media, Chinese kids are getting a strange cosmetic surgery known as “Eiffel Tower nose” in record numbers in order to get ahead in their careers.
Despite the fact that we have no idea what “Eiffel Tower nose” is, it is apparently a surgery so extreme that some Chinese college graduates feel it helps set them apart visually from others in the job race.
I’m sure we can all agree that at the end of a long workday there’s nothing better than enjoying a nice glass of pig’s blood. I don’t mean that bottled crap you buy in the supermarket, chocked full of additives and high fructose corn syrup. I’m talking about the real-deal piping hot blood straight from a live pig.
However, before you go ahead and take a nice drink, take heed. As one young man from Guangxi, China learned, drinking too much live pig’s blood (i.e. any) can actually be bad for your health.
An unidentified Chinese man in his thirties or forties stole an alligator coat valued at approximately $128,000 from a Hong Kong Burberry store by putting it on and just walking out the front door on Wednesday, authorities told South China Morning Post.
What’s this strange contraption? Perhaps a headrest, or some kind of anti-cheating device? Maybe it’s something for the kids to hold on to when English grammar classes get too exciting to bear!?
Actually, this classroom has been fitted with these specially-designed desks as a measure of preserving their kids’ precious eyesight.
A bank teller in Shanghai kept a cool head when a would-be robber threatened her with a huge meat cleaver. Without showing even a hint of fear, the bank teller can be seen laughing and pointing at the man, as his bungled robbery ends in him being taken away by security guards.
While the silly news last year about a Chinese zoo trying to pass a dog for a lion made headlines around the world, the story this time is a lot more disturbing. A zoo in Xiamen (also known as Amoy) on the southeast coast of China reported earlier this week that one of its male fallow deer had suddenly died. As if its death wasn’t already tragic enough, upon conducting an autopsy, workers were surprised to discover the unexpected cause of death, something that could easily have been prevented. Keep reading to learn the unfortunate details.
On February 16, horrified onlookers watched as a Chinese man jumped into a bengal tiger enclosure at Chengdu Zoo in Sichuan province, south-west China. The man taunted the two tigers for twenty minutes, offering his flesh to them and asking to be eaten.
Nothing says fun like defacing one of your country’s beloved historical figures. Queen Elizabeth with a lightning bolt across her face à la glam rock band Kiss, George Washington with a Hilter mustache, and whatever it is that’s going on up in here are just a few examples of the lengths people will go to have a little fun with history.
Even Du Fu, often called the greatest Chinese poet of all time, isn’t immune to the idle hands of creative doodlers. Let’s take a look at 18 different Du Fu makeovers by Chinese artists.
Searching “Super Mario Theme” on YouTube will yield many unique renditions on a range of instruments including guitars, pianos, church organs, ukuleles, wine glasses, flutes, and 11-string basses. And while they’re all special and unique in their own way, no non-electric instrument can truly replicate that distinct 8-bit sound of the original game.
…Or can it? The sheng (shou in Japanese) is a Chinese musical instrument whose origins date back to 1,100 BC, and in a YouTube video that has recently taken Japan by storm we can see that this traditional instrument was way, way ahead of its time as it perfectly imitates the background music and sound effects of the original Super Mario Bros.
A CCTV security camera in Haikou, China captured what looks like a man shoving a woman down a manhole then covering up the spot with cardboard. The incident happened in mid-December but the video is making its way around the Internet right now.
The pair reportedly had a relationship and the man owed her $20,000.
The woman was rescued 60 hours later when she was heard crying for help. The manhole was three meters deep, according to TomoNews. The woman tried to make a ladder out of clothes but it didn’t work.
“I did not sleep at all the first night I fell in the manhole,” the woman, Guo, was quoted as saying. “I could see the darkness around me. I thought that I would not be choked to death if I looked up.”
Here’s the video of what appears to be attempted murder and of the rescue.
Making a snowman is one of the simple pleasures of winter (or a really great way to cope with the freezing cold). But would you ever buy a snowman that someone else has made? Several visitors to one city in China have and more are sure to follow.
These days, it’s not a rare sight to see people playing games on their mobile devices while riding the train or waiting for a bus, or even sneaking in a round or two at work when no one’s looking. It’s understandable that sometimes a worker might need a breather, and a few quick minutes crushing candies, battling monsters, or “farming” on the smartphone could be a great stress reliever. But guess what happens when the whole office is engrossed in games? Somebody shits in their pants.
Or at least that’s what happened at the Liquan County Public Office in Shaanxi Province, China. For real.
BBC Television’s Sherlock is, without a doubt, one of the best TV shows of the decade–nearly anyone who’s seen the contemporary re-imagining of the legendary Sir Connan Doyle character is bound to agree. From the mysteries themselves to any of the numerous brilliant aspects of the show, it can be a bit difficult to pin down exactly why it works so well.
Well, unless one you’re one of the many Chinese women totally enthralled with the sexual tension between Sherlock and Watson!
It’s a Monday and you might find yourself struggling to get back into work mode from the weekend. Sitting in your workspace you feel the urge to stretch your mouth into a satisfying yawn.
If you happen to be a tall thin man in young adulthood, STOP! That innocent little stretch might turn into something much more painful and kind of gross. Such and incident happened to a 26-year-old Chinese man last month.
Single women in China are under such intense pressure to find a mate that some are resorting to renting “boyfriends” online to accompany them on dates and trips to see their families.
On Taobao, China’s biggest online marketplace, women can choose from hundreds of temporary companions and reserve them for hours or days at a time by paying a deposit.
Melanie Lee, a news blogger for Alibaba — which owns Taobao — recently decided to give the service a try, and she shared her experience via email with Business Insider.
Some people like Valentine’s Day and some people don’t, but the least we can do is stay out of one another’s way. Gushy types can do their romantic stuff, and more cynical types can boycott in whatever way they like best. Everybody wins, right?
Well, a personal boycott wasn’t enough for one jilted lover in Shanghai. He decided to organize a mob of internet singletons to buy up odd-numbered movie seats for showings of a popular romance movie to ensure couples wouldn’t be able to sit together on the 14th.
Chinese dating company Baihe.com has taken the unusual step of producing an ad that attempts to guilt-trip young women into marriage. In it, an elderly woman who is steadily inching closer to death pesters her granddaughter to find a man and tie the knot, constantly asking, “Are you married yet?”
Eventually – and we swear we’re not making this up – the troubled young woman resolves that she should stop “being picky” and decides to marry right away.
The full WTF? video after the jump.
As much as we’re reluctant to feed into more negative stereotypes of an entire country, it’s – sadly – time for yet another gross food-related story out of China.
A 58-year-old woman in Jiangsu Province was admitted to the hospital with severe abdominal pains after a marathon binge eating session left her with a ruptured stomach. The rupture was allegedly so bad the woman’s entire stomach had to be surgically removed for an emergency replacement, leading some of the more sensational news outlets and our click-hungry headline to refer to the woman’s stomach as having “exploded.”
New Pokémon anniversary song is 22 minutes long, features all 1,025 Pokémon species [Video]
Lego PlayStation recreates Sony’s original console, makes unusual choice for games to salute
New Japanese convenience store rice balls taste like instant noodles [Taste test]
Kyoto temple bans visitors from wearing kimono
7-Eleven Japan releases new Tsukimi Moon-Viewing range for autumn, with a must-try daifuku and teriyaki burger
Japan’s revolving sushi restaurant king Sushiro coming to U.S. this fall with high prices, no tipping
Starbucks Japan releases new coffee table book featuring 18 of the most unique stores around the country
Japan’s Tsukimi One-hand Bento’s name is all wrong, but it still looks entirely delicious
Kobe middle schools begin abolishing extracurricular activities, shift to community programs
Join Naked in the Niwa garden: Kyoto Station’s newest spot to craft traditional art
Solo travel in Japan: Hidden beer garden in Tokyo is a haven for single visitors
Studio Ghibli unveils new anime calendars and diary planners for 2027Kyoto temple bans visitors from wearing kimono
Family Mart releases new Human Made Cup Noodle in Japan, with freebies for Nigo fans
A real-world Pokémon Poké Ball hotel is opening in Japan at a still-secret location [Video]
Japan’s first fall color forecast for 2026 is here!Lego PlayStation recreates Sony’s original console, makes unusual choice for games to salute
One Piece Day 2026 brings new art, music, and new cast announcements
Tamagotchi evolves into a ring for its 30th anniversary, preorders now open
Hobonichi unveils new 2027 planners, diaries and stationery with One Piece, Suica Penguin, Hello Kitty and a must-buy Mini Techo
12-year-old British girl who went missing in Tokyo found safe after visiting anime sites around Yokohama
7-year-old boy left behind on Mt. Fuji by his own dad
Japan’s final Penguin Suica train cards have already shipped, and when they’re gone, they’re gone
Sushi Bus: Japan’s first conveyor-belt bus lets you eat sushi while sightseeing around TokyoStudio Ghibli unveils new anime calendars and diary planners for 2027
Japanese toilet aims to attract foreign tourists but not everybody is happy about it
New Japanese vending machine at Shinkansen station sells cups of ice on platform
Study finds hundreds of people in Indonesia legally named after Naruto, Inuyasha, other anime stars
Japan approves foreign resident visa renewal fee increases of up to 967 percent, starts soon
Japan tripled its departure tax to fund tourism but is using the money on cherry blossoms and bears
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
Japan’s revolving sushi restaurant king Sushiro coming to U.S. this fall with high prices, no tipping
Starbucks Japan releases new coffee table book featuring 18 of the most unique stores around the country
Japan’s Tsukimi One-hand Bento’s name is all wrong, but it still looks entirely delicious
Kobe middle schools begin abolishing extracurricular activities, shift to community programs
Join Naked in the Niwa garden: Kyoto Station’s newest spot to craft traditional art
Starbucks Japan reveals new Tsukimi Moon-Viewing drinkware and gifts for autumn 2026
Studio Ghibli unveils new My Neighbour Totoro Yearly Plate for 2027
Amid foreign sex tourist rise, Japanese government considering outlawing paying for prostitution
Japan’s first fall color forecast for 2026 is here!
Onsen Egg Bukkake Udon Ice Cream makes us rethink everything we thought we knew about sweets
Starbucks Japan adds new Sweet Potato Frappuccino and Latte to the menu, but do they deliver the taste of autumn?
Tamagotchi evolves into a ring for its 30th anniversary, preorders now open
Foreign shop clerk and Japanese customer fail to communicate because of Japanese language quirk
A real-world Pokémon Poké Ball hotel is opening in Japan at a still-secret location [Video]