Featured

Global (Page 50)

The country may be on the shy side when it comes to the exchange of digital information, but thanks to cheap labour costs and an enormous workforce China’s exports can be found in practically ever corner of the world. Assembling and distributing everything from U.S. flags to iPhones and laptop computers, since childhood many of us have been familiar with the imprint “Made in China” on the underside of our action figures or dolls. But even if we chuckle at the sometimes shoddy workmanship or gasp at counterfeit goods that never work, arguably few — if any — western countries could survive as they do today without their neighbours in the east.

It would seem, however, that the familiar old “Made in China” stamp is gradually being phased out. Looking at a number of goods assembled in China in recent times, “Made in PRC” is instead becoming an increasingly common sight on boxes and labels. Needless to say, the change is setting tongues a-wagging in Japan.

Read More

Lifehack for Cooks: How to Remove Garlic Skins Quickly and Cleanly

Ah, garlic. It’s so fragrant and delicious. These days, cooks are using fresh garlic even for everyday dishes because it’s just so tasty and relatively easy to use. There’s just one small problem: getting that papery skin off the clove without ending up with bits of it all over the kitchen! More people would probably use that delicious, delicious garlic if it didn’t make such a mess.

No need to worry about that any more, though, because we’ve discovered a simple tip that will remove those pesky skins cleanly and easily. Read on to discover how. Read More

Perfect the Art of Laziness! Get Your Sloth On with New Eyewear from Sanco


Everyone’s had one of those days when they just don’t feel like getting out of bed. Well “rare things” online store Sanco is now offering a must-have item for just such occasions: GORODEY2 Eyewear, glasses that allow you to remain flat on your back and still be entertained.

Read More

The Five Most Popular Places to Kill Oneself or The Top Five Places to Save a Life

Japan often gets a reputation as a suicide-heavy nation but the social problem of self-destruction is something all parts of the world have to tackle.

The following is a list of five places in the world where suicides have most often occurred. It’s a bittersweet honor in that they are all either places of extreme natural beauty of impressive feats of engineering.

On the other hand, they are also places and countries that clearly do too little to prevent either the mental illness that leads to suicide of the act itself.

Read More

We Prove We Are Culinary Wizards by Turning Cup Ramen Ingredients into Delicious Gourmet Meals

Cup Ramen, known to Westerners as “Grade A college student feed,” is perfectly formulated with enough sodium and other preservatives to both fuel late-night study sessions and cure massive hangovers, but nobody’s ever accused it of being a gourmet food.

Read More

China Releases Knockoff iPhone5S Before Actual iPhone5S Goes on Sale

Just like every other Apple release, scores of eager Apple fanatics will wait in line for hours (or days) in order to be one of the first to get their hands on the new iPhone5S. But for those who are so eager they can’t wait for the rumored August 2013 release, there is now an alternative to waiting: purchase the Goophone i5S, China’s knockoff iPhone5S, on sale now.

Read More

Risk Monster, a credit management outsourcing service that calculates bankruptcy risk, recently announced the results of its first survey asking, “Which Japanese Companies Do You Expect to Still Exist in 50 Years.” The survey was conducted over the Internet on Feb. 25 and 26, and received 1,000 valid responses from influential individuals between the ages of 20 and 69.

Coming in third was Honda, second place went to the East Japan Railway Company, and grabbing the top spot was…
Read More

Kimchi is a fermented cabbage dish from Korea that is often referred to as “Korea’s national dish.” It’s so pungent that those who enjoy eating copious amounts of kimchi have been known to purchase a separate fridge dedicated to storing it. For decades, Korean mothers have sworn by the health benefits of adding kimchi to one’s diet, but now it seems scientists agree as well. New research published in the Journal of Medicinal Food suggests that eating even a small amount of kimchi every day may help lower cholesterol, LDL (“bad cholesterol”), and fasting blood glucose levels.

Read More

For those whose work has them chained to a desk, concerns about whether or not they are getting enough exercise often creep into their minds.

In Japan, it is estimated that an average adult male should burn about 2,000 calories a day while an adult female should use around 1,700 (numbers vary according to age and build). Even armed with that knowledge, many people still consume more calories than they burn by indulging in snacks between meals and eating excessively late into the night. A lot of desk jockeys are probably wondering what they should do to better their situation.

Well, there might be some good news. The number of calories burnt at the click of a mouse has recently been calculated.
Read More

A while back, we reported that Tokyo Disneyland had agreed to offer its wedding packages to same-sex couples in Japan. This month, the very same lesbian couple that encouraged the company to do so became the first to get hitched at the park, with Mickey and Minnie in attendance, of course. Read More

Latest Edition of Cell Highlights Ground Breaking Research on… Two Girls in Kimonos Pushing a Clock Around

Take a good look at this cover for the 28 Feb. issue of noted science journal Cell. If you can tell me what this image means without reading the article then I’ll give you a shiny nickel!*

We see two young women wearing kimonos each with a hand on the minute hand of a giant clock. There are various letters and numbers printed on them, but what does it all mean?

Read More

Founded in 1872, Shiseido, one of the world’s oldest cosmetics companies and the fourth largest, announced on Feb. 28 that from April onward it would put an end to all testing on animals in the development of raw materials for its cosmetic and quasi-pharmaceutical products.

Read More

Lone Japanese Golf Putter Craftsman Flooded with Orders from around the World Including Barack Obama

Yamada Putter Workshop in the city of Yamagata has previously been known in pro-golf circles, but through a twist of fate it has become the maker of the most sought-after putters in the world.

In otherwise economically depressed Japan, Yamada Putter Workshop has received up 300 orders in a single day from 20 countries around the world.

Needless to say, business is booming for the small outfit, but there’s just one problem – Yamada Putter Workshop, since opening in 1986, has only one employee: 57 year-old President Toru Yamada.

Read More

Sony Unveils its Vision for the Future of Video Games with PlayStation 4

Just a couple of hours ago, Sony Computer Entertainment began streaming its worldwide presentation being held in New York. In it, the console giant invited dozens of acclaimed game developers to give us brief glimpses of their upcoming titles and to discuss the ethos behind the new console.

Curiously, the company did not give attendees and viewers at home a peek at the console itself – something that we’re sure will disappoint many fans – but in many respects, perhaps this is in line with Sony’s new mission statement as the company focuses less on physical hardware and more on the online interactive experience as a whole. With streaming, remote play and even the ability to watch and remotely operate a pal’s game from thousands of miles away, Sony is promising gamers “the fastest, most powerful network in the world,” and aims to bring gaming and social networks together in a big way.

Read More

Japanese are generally perceived as being particularly fastidious when it comes to bodily cleanliness, what with the special toilet slippers and showering before getting in the bath and all. But it turns out that doesn’t keep some of them from engaging in a much debated activity: peeing in the shower. Read More


  • Feb 20, 2013

The Surprising Truth Revealed! Now We Know Why Hello Kitty Has Been Working So Hard

We’ve brought to you many stories previously about how Hello Kitty isn’t picky at all about her jobs. Collaborating with other popular characters, operating hotels and restaurants, changing herself into various foods (and even going nude!) — you name it, she’s probably done it. Yes, she’s the internationally loved cat of all trades. And you may love her even more once you find out just why she’s been working so hard. Read More

“All Asians look the same.” Whether or not you agree with this incredibly broad statement, you’ve no doubt heard it before. Now, thanks to a website called All Look Same, you can test your ability to differentiate between Japanese, Korean, and Chinese faces, turning the statement into a question: “Do all Asians look the same to you?”

Read More

 

This one’s for the girls (and guys) who watched Beauty and the Beast as a kid and wished they could visit that gorgeous library. Check out this compilation of the 15 libraries to visit before you die according to Trip Advisor Japan.

Read More

A few days after a mysterious list of the 51 busiest train stations in the world emerged on the Internet an expanded version listing the 100 busiest train stations around the globe has shown itself.

Although other countries such as China and Germany made appearances, the densely populated island of Japan still holds 82 of the bustling transport hubs. And while Japan seems full of stations that resemble Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, only the top 10 are really that freakishly large and chaotic.

Read More

PlayStation 4? Sony Teases Fans with Mysterious Video and Conference Announcement *UPDATED*

Despite Sony Computer Entertainment’s head honcho Kazuo Hirai going on record just 10 days ago to state that he thinks it better to let competitors make the first move when it comes to releasing details of new consoles, a sudden official announcement from Sony earlier today has whipped gamers and tech fans alike into a frenzy.

Although the electronics giant’s video, simply titled “PlayStation 2013”, does not show any actual hardware footage or make any promises, it looks a lot like a teaser for a big forthcoming announcement if you ask us.

Read More

  2. 1
  3. ...
  4. 46
  5. 47
  6. 48
  7. 49
  8. 50
  9. 51
  10. 52
  11. 53