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Coin laundries in Japan are now more popular than ever, but what makes them so good?

If you’re used to using a dryer when you do laundry in your home country, you might be in for a surprise if you ever move to Japan. Despite the country’s numerous technological advancements to make your life easier, clothes dryers here pale in comparison to many overseas models, and they aren’t something you’ll find in your average Japanese household. Instead, most Japanese people prefer to hang their washing outside to air dry.

Sure it’s a more affordable and ecological way of doing things, but what do you do when the rainy and typhoon seasons make drying clothes outside impossible or you have too much laundry to hang outside all at once? It’s time for a trip to the laundromat, or what Japanese like to call a koin randorii (coin laundry).  In fact, they’re becoming so popular that over the past 10 years the number of coin laundries across Japan has almost doubled, despite little growth in the laundromat industry world-wide.

But why is the coin laundry business suddenly booming? We decided to find out!

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Think you’re a “super player”? Test your gaming habits against this Nintendo relic from the 80s

A rare legal video game document was unearthed recently by a Twitter user which outlines the eight laws that true “super players” must follow to be certified as such by the makers of the Japanese Super Mario Bros. 2, still known to this day as one of the most difficult games ever made.

However, like many constitutions this was made during different times and might not apply too well to modern life or in this case modern gaming. Still, if you want to see if you’re a true old-school super player take a look at the eight articles you must adhere to.

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“Unlimited Hand” controller aims to bring hand movement and physical feedback to your VR games

As ridiculously excited as we are about virtual reality and gaming, there are still a few sticking points such as how we’ll navigate these non-physical worlds. Right now, the main methods are either controllers or walking around a room—both are great for general controls, but what about reaching out and actually touching someone? Well, we’re not quite there yet, but Japanese company H2L may have the solution we’re looking for.

Only two days after posting their US$20,000 Kickstarter campaign, they’ve already achieved over 150 percent of their funding goal (over $34,000 at the time of writing). And when you see why people are so excited about backing this product, there’s a good chance you’ll be next in line to pledge!

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Studio Ghibli tattoos feature our favourites from Totoro, Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle

We here at RocketNews love Studio Ghibli and its cast of adorable animated characters. We save all our yennies to splurge on licensed merchandise and never miss a chance to visit tourist sites where we might bump into acclaimed semi-retired director Hayao Miyazaki.

One thing we’re yet to do is adorn our bodies with permanent ink tributes to the Ghibli stars. Thankfully, there are fans out there much braver than us who have made the leap, giving us a huge collection of beautiful tattoos for us to sift through. Take a look at 12 of our favourites, from the films My Neighbour Totoro, Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle.

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Minecraft builder creates gorgeous floating city of Laputa from Studio Ghibli’s Castle in the Sky

Minecraft has shown us time and time again that it’s much more than just a sandbox game made up of tiny blocks and flat-faced sheep. We’ve seen clever builders create everything from Super Mario Bros. gameplay to Japanese-language classes and even the entire country of Japan.

Today, we bring you something straight out of the world of Studio Ghibli: the floating city of Laputa from the animated film, Castle in the Sky.

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What do Japanese men think about dating foreign women?【Video】

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, dating is hard. This is very true in Japan as well, where a survey in 2013 showed that many Japanese aren’t really dating. Also, being a foreigner and trying to date in a country that is 98.5% ethnically Japanese makes it an even more daunting task for some.

But fear not! Though statistics may not be in your favor, there are certainly those that not only want to date, but date people who aren’t Japanese. Earlier this year we focused on what women thought about mixed-race relationships, but now it’s time for Japanese men to share their ideas about what they would like, as well as what challenges they would expect with a person who’s not Japanese.

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Insults from around the world: an “educational video” that crosses boundaries【Video】

Many people dream about learning another language, and the possibilities and opportunities a second or third language open up are incredible. However, for a lot of us, it’s difficult to put in the time and effort to properly learn an entire language so that we can use it proficiently. There’s grammar, vocabulary, speaking, writing and listening; it’s just a whole lot to take in.

So while absolute fluency is the goal we all aim for, just being able to insult someone in a different language is a nice second place prize. This isn’t just a crass video about spouting off all the improper words, though. As one person puts it, this is “So the world will know if someone insults a foreigner.” The more you know!

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Japanese PM Abe accidentally thanks the inventor of the retweet while trying to reach Indian PM

Some of you may have noticed during the royal rumble that ensued in the Japanese Parliament late last week, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe quietly slipped out while members of his party continued to fight back a horde of angry legislators so that they could usher in changes to the way the constitution is understood. At first, I wondered why he would duck out at such a moment, but then I remembered: it’s his biiirthdaaay♪

Yes, on 21 September, Japan’s fearless leader turned 61. Unfortunately his age is really starting to show in his lack computer savvy. We already know the PM has his own Twitter account after Abe revealed that he pays his Twitter fees just like the rest of us. But apparently he still hasn’t grasped how to use the “@” symbol properly when a message of thanks to the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi accidentally went to the wrong guy, who also just happened to help develop Twitter.

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Awesome lunch boxes full of Disney’s Tsum Tsum characters are almost too cute to eat!【Photos】

As we expect you already know, character lunch boxes or “chara-ben,” short for “character bento,” are all the rage in Japan. And their creators are rarely shy about sharing their awesome work, so you can find hundreds of examples of how to make lunch time more adorable on social media networks like Instagram and Twitter.

One of the biggest themes for chara-ben right now is Disney’s Tsum Tsum, a line of stuffed toys that has been adapted into a smartphone game by Line. There were so many great photos, we had to compile our favorite Tsum Tsum chara-ben shots from Instagram for you to check out. But don’t forget to grab a snack, because you’re definitely going to get hungry!

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Is this the oldest cat in the world? Japanese kitty Ai-chan turns 27 【Pics】

Many of the world’s oldest living people are Japanese. Whether it’s down to a healthy diet, good healthcare, or simply the support of friends and family, we can’t say for sure, but all those things certainly help. And now it turns out that even Japan’s kitties are living long lives—Japan’s oldest cat, Ai-chan, has recently celebrated her 27th birthday, and she did it in style!

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We’re pretty sure this woman won Tokyo Game Show cosplay with amazing Raiden headgear

Sadly, Tokyo Game Show 2015 is now over, but the buzz created by the event is still tingling in our bellies and in our hearts! Kind of like indigestion, but awesome. We saw and tried a lot of cool stuff, but we couldn’t catch it all, unfortunately. Thankfully, the Internet somehow managed to do just that, including one of the most amazing cosplays we’ve ever seen, hands down.

We’re not sure if anyone can really “win” cosplaying, since everyone wins when you’re having fun, but if there is a champion among all of TGS 2015’s cosplayers, we think it might be this woman’s take on Metal Gear Solid’s Raiden.

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Catbus from Studio Ghibli’s My Neighbor Totoro found in Finland!

Out of all the things we wish would spring to life from Studio Ghibli’s animated films, the catbus from My Neighbor Totoro would have to be at the top of the list. Who wouldn’t want to ride an enormous, fluffy, bright orange cat over hills and through forests on their daily commute?

As with all great things, if it can’t exist in real life, it can at least exist in the imagination. And there’s one imaginative lad who’s found a way to bring the catbus to life in the cutest way possible. All it takes is two ingredients: a fluffy, compliant cat and some Finnish beer.

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An ad you won’t want to skip: Honda’s animated short is dropping jaws【Video】

Honda has come a long way since being founded in 1946. Now world-renown, the company has moved on to become the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles, as well as internal combustion engines. Automobiles aren’t the only things it produces either, with lawnmowers, planes, and robots among its list of products.

This new short animation, created by stop-motion masters PES, illustrates Honda’s unique transformation and accomplishments over the years. The two-minute film took a team of dozens of animators and illustrators four months and thousands of original drawings to complete. Keep in mind the fact that absolutely none of this is computer generated—a rarity in this day and age—which makes the animation all the more jaw-dropping.

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Twitter users request anime analogies to better comprehend the magnitude of Japan’s rugby win

Last weekend, the rugby world was shaken to its very foundations by a historically massive upset when Japan defeated South Africa. I read that it was an amazing game where the Japanese team did these things called “tries” or something…and then did an “over” at some point…

You might guess that I have no idea how rugby works. I have nothing against the sport—it actually looks interesting—but it and I have never really crossed paths. And apparently I’m not alone, as some in Japan have taken to Twitter to ask that the significance of this win be explained to them in terms they can better understand. Terms like Evangelion and Dragon Ball Z.

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4chan creator hands reins over to 2channel’s Hiroyuki Nishimura

Right before the internet entered a new millennia, Hiroyuki Nishimura launched 2channel, an online community website that would eventually change the face of otaku and internet culture in Japan. The simple layout and anonymity later went on to spark the creation of an English language version of the website, called 4chan, which would similarly impact the international online community as 2channel had in Japan.

In a curious turn of events according to a recent announcement by 4chan’s founder and former sole administrator, Nishimura has been named as the owner of the English spinoff community to his original creation.

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Reminisce on over 30 years of Mario games with this sweet Evolution of Super Mario tribute【Video】

This month, the whole world is celebrating 30 years of Mario, only the most famous video game character of all time. It’s been a long time since the Italian plumber’s humble beginnings as Jumpman, and Nintendo is pulling out all the stops to make this anniversary year as special as possible for long-time gamers who got their start playing as starry-eyed kids back in the 8-bit era.

To continue the festivities, we’d like to share with you this nifty video tribute which tracks the evolution of Mario over the past three decades of video gaming history. Prepare yourselves for a nostalgic trip down memory lane!

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A tongue-in-cheek way to pick up the guy of your dreams 【Video】

Dating is hard. No, let’s back that up. Meeting people is hard. We can even go a little further and say talking to someone for the first time is hard. Some of us lack the courage and confidence to approach someone who we like and start talking to them.

It’s a problem that has plagued humanity for centuries, and even though human civilization has shown, through constant population growth, that people are getting things done, it’s always nice to have a little bit of help. While there are plenty of websites and books that offer you tips on how to present yourself, this handy video is much more suited for our busy modern lives, since in just four minutes it tells you how to pick up all the guys.

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Game carts that plug into your phone – We took a peek at Pico Cassette at Tokyo Game Show

Not too long ago, we reported on Pico Cassette, a new device which will allow you to play retro video games on your smartphone via a cartridge which you plug into the headphone jack.

Since we absolutely love all kinds of gadgetry here at RocketNews24, and since we’re also big retro gaming nerds, we made a point to visit Pico Cassette’s booth at this year’s Tokyo Game Show in order to try it out for ourselves!

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In the classic battle of cat versus paper, who will win? 【Video】

Even if you haven’t been with us for very long, it’s not hard to see that we here at RocketNews24 love cats. Big, small, fit, fat, even stretchy, cats of all shapes and sizes win our hearts! We even love them when they’re wreaking havoc on small towns of people, like the devilish little cutie in this feline remake of a man versus monster flick…

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The trailer for Tearaway Unfolded is the best kind of crazy!【Video】

You might recall the PlayStation Vita release Tearaway, an adventure game in which players control a messenger on a mission to deliver a letter to themselves. The game, set in a world made entirely of paper, was widely praised by critics and won a number of awards.

Originally released on the PlayStation Vita, Sony’s handheld game system, Tearaway has received a remake for the PlayStation 4, titled Tearaway Unfolded. In the lead up to the October Japanese release date (the game is available in the US now), Sony has produced an absurd-but-awesome commercial to foster excitement among fans. The unusual trailer, which breaks away from many of the typical tropes of game launch videos, has received significant attention online. And we have a feeling it’ll put a smile on your face, too!
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