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Noodles before dumplings? Argument over ramen and gyoza ends in arrest

Meg Murphy
Nov 10, 2015
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If you’ve ever worked in a customer-facing role, you know just how demanding some people can be. There are times you get talked down to, bossed around, and treated like you’re sub-human just because you’re the employee and they’re the one spending the cash.

On the flip-side, as a customer, you expect to be treated respectfully and get what you pay for. Most of the time there’s a fairly even balance—interaction between customer and employee goes smoothly, both parties are polite and respectful, and all’s well that ends well. But sometimes that balance can be upset, and things can get way out of hand. Like what happened at this ramen restaurant in Japan’s Hyogo Prefecture, when an argument turned into a three-hour sit-in that ended with local police making an arrest…

Japanese high school student becomes the talk of the Internet with magic “floating desk” trick

Preston Phro
Nov 10, 2015

Wherever there are classrooms, you are sure to find class clowns. From making fart noises to intentionally giving absurd answers, these resident jokers are often the best (and worst) distraction for a hard-working teacher. But we doubt many of them have taken their hijinks to the heights of this Japanese student!

Muji enters the tiny house game, showcases its line of wonderfully minimalist ‘Muji Huts’

Philip Kendall
Nov 10, 2015

Japan does small better than pretty much any other country in the world. From intricate origami to beautiful bonsai to sushi made with barely a dozen grains of rice, the Japanese people are known for their dexterity and attention to detail.

It should come as no surprise, then, to learn that Japanese retailer Muji is now getting into the tiny house movement and recently showcased its range of prefabricated ‘Muji Hut’ minimalist homes and hangouts.

Japan’s nine-year-old karate champion returns—in Australian singer Sia’s new music video【Video】

Casey Baseel
Nov 9, 2015

Let’s say you’re producing a music video. A tried-and-true method is to simply splice together some clips of the artist’s last concert tour. Or, if the song hasn’t been performed live yet, you could do a “behind-the-scenes” sort of thing with footage of the singer in the studio.

But here’s what happens when you take a third option: Making a music video starring Japan’s most amazing nine-year-old karate expert.

Super Mario Maker update doubles down on creepy “Skinny Mario” with weird easter egg【Video】

Mike
Nov 9, 2015

Super Mario Maker, the toolkit/game for Wii U that allows Mario fans to build their very own levels using a vast array of items and characters from the games’ universe, is without a doubt a huge hit. Players had been craving the ability to DIY their own levels for the classic series pretty much since the original handful of games were released for the original NES.

One addition to the game that players never expected to see was the inclusion of the crazy “Weird Mushroom”—originally a glitch in the first Super Mario Bros.—which turns Mario into “Skinny Mario,” a creepy, distorted Mario whose lanky limbs wiggle about all over the place with each (giant) jump.

Skinny Mario was, to put it lightly, not well-received by the gaming community, and Nintendo had a golden opportunity to fix it when it released the first update to the game a few days ago. Except, instead of doing away with Skinny Mario, Nintendo actually decided to include even more, super creepy, Skinny Mario appearances.

Attack on Titan game reveals new characters, story details

Anime News Network
Nov 9, 2015

The official website of KOEI Tecmo‘s game based on Hajime Isayama‘s Attack on Titan manga revealed new characters and story details about the game on Sunday.

Capcom opens its first directly operated character cafe with exclusive Monster Hunter X menu

Oona McGee
Nov 9, 2015

Have you ever wanted to refuel like a character from your favourite video game? Well soon you’ll be able to, thanks to the new Capcom Cafe that’s set to open in Saitama Prefecture later this month.

Capcom, the Japanese video game developer and publisher who brought us hugely successful hits like Resident Evil, Street Fighter and Devil May Cry, will be offering exclusive merchandise and tie-in menus to promote various games at their new cafe, and for their opening they’ll be celebrating with meals, sweets and drinks in honour of their next big video game release, Monster Hunter X.

Monday Kickstart: No one loves their job quite like this dancing traffic director【Video】

Preston Phro
Nov 9, 2015

Hey, it’s Monday! Aren’t you happy to roll out of bed and head to work? No?! Well, maybe you need a new perspective—maybe something like this guy directing traffic in the style of Michael Jackson!

Love your iPhone? Then wrap it in one of these individually carved wooden cases from Hiroshima!

Preston Phro
Nov 9, 2015

These individually carved and lacquered wooden iPhone cases aren’t cheap, but they are gorgeous! With a design as gorgeous as it is simple, your phone will look great wherever you might play Candy Crush.

Mail your cute Sanrio-style self to all your friends and family with Chanrio New Year’s cards!

Preston Phro
Nov 9, 2015

Earlier this year, we saw that Chanrio Maker is the easiest way to reimagine yourself as a Sanrio character. Now that the end of the year is approaching, it turns out you can use your own Chanrio to make the cutest New Year’s cards ever!

Drink Green! We check out the amazing “Green Tea Party” presented by Isetan and Ito En! 【Pics】

Kay
Nov 9, 2015

Green tea has always been a popular drink in Japan and is widely consumed here even in plastic bottles. Visitors to Japan are sure to have seen a variety of green tea drinks at convenience stores or vending machines, including those from major tea and beverage maker Ito En.

Now, Ito En and department store Isetan have teamed up to put on a delightful promotional event which they’re calling the “Green Tea Party“, and the event is exactly that – one big tea party, where you can have so many different types of green tea and tea-based beverage creations that you’ll feel like you stepped into a wonderland of Japanese tea. Naturally, we weren’t about to stay away from a good tea party, so we made our way to the branch of Isetan in Tokyo’s Shinjuku neighborhood. Let’s take a look at what we saw and tasted at the event, shall we?

Can Mr. Big’s greatest hits get you a discount at Burger King? We investigate

Master Blaster
Nov 9, 2015

Some of you may remember us reporting on a new promotional campaign by Burger King for their new Big King 4.0 burger. Called the Big ( ) Discount it is assumed that bringing in a Big Mac or receipt from a Big Mac will knock 120 yen (US$1) off the price of a Big King.

However, aside from pictorial allusions nowhere do they explicitly state that it has to be a Big Mac. They simply offer a discount for a “big something-something,” so our reporter Seiji Nakazawa went to his local Burger King with a bag full of “big” stuff such as candy and Mr. Big albums in the hopes of big savings. You’ll be surprised how for it got him.

Keep your head as warm as your buns this winter with a “panty-hat”

Audrey Akcasu
Nov 9, 2015

Autumn is in full gear and day by day the weather is getting chillier. Sooner than you know, you’re going to be needing to keep your head warm, so why not grab a pair of underwear to wear on your head? Oh, your usual underwear is too breezy? Don’t worry, because now you can buy hats that look just like underwear!

Costco Japan wants all English speakers to know they’re holding a “Tuna Roadshow”

Master Blaster
Nov 8, 2015

Yes sir! A much beloved Tuna Roadshow was scheduled to be held at Costco on 7 November according to the English on their advertisement. It would seem that the English was designed to attract foreigners who might not be familiar with the concept of Tuna Roadshows, which we imagine would include…everyone.

I’m guessing it’s a show where people dust off that old fish lying in their attic and take it to tuna experts to see how much money they’re worth. Either that or someone did a half-assed job on the translation.

Ramen Jiyujin serves up ramen and attractions to fill your appetite【Photos】

Jamie Koide
Nov 8, 2015

According to a program that recently ran on TV, there are more than 100,000 ramen shops across Japan, and because competition is so fierce, most are lucky to survive for even two or three years. In order to succeed in the chaotic ramen business, many shops are starting to come up with ways to offer not only a good bowl of steaming noodles and broth, but also a one-of-a-kind experience that will keep customers coming back for more.

And Ramen Jiyujin, based on theinr overwhelming number of supporters on social media, has managed to accomplish just that, with a take on ramen that is only limited by your imagination. Take a trip with our Japanese reporting team to Yokohama to see the shop for yourself!

Win your very own ramen-bowl chair and spice up your cooking with the help of some dashing men

Krista Rogers
Nov 8, 2015

With the slogan “Delicious ramen is in your house,” Toyo Suisan Kaisha, Ltd., the Japanese company best known for producing the Maruchan brand of ramen noodles, announced the second round of their ongoing ramen campaign on November 5, which will culminate in one lucky person winning a super stylish, one-of-a-kind, ramen donburi [porcelain bowl] chair.

As if the thought of owning your very own ramen-bowl chair wasn’t exciting enough, the campaign also comes complete with four handsome characters ready to teach you all the secrets behind cooking a perfect bowl of ramen!

High school students create amazing musical arcade game for their school festival

Krista Rogers
Nov 8, 2015

Autumn is the season of school cultural festivals (bunkasai) in Japan. Students pour hours and hours of their time into creating the best possible attractions, food stands, and performances and proudly display these efforts of love for the surrounding community to enjoy.

There must be something in the water because, starting with the teacups ride we introduced last month, Japanese students seem to be showing some unprecedented creativity this year. Just take this musical arcade game that was built entirely by high schoolers, and which many stunned guests have proclaimed to be “good enough to be in a real game center.”

Cracked smartphone screens could be a thing of the past far sooner than we thought

Jamie Koide
Nov 7, 2015

Every year, tech giants like Apple, Samsung and HTC give us more features and better, often bigger, displays to look forward to in our smartphones. But so far they still haven’t managed to come up with a way to tackle perhaps the most common problem users have, which is dropping your phone and cracking the screen.

However one research team at Tokyo University is hoping to change that by creating glass that is nearly indestructible. If the team achieves its goal, the glass could be used in everything from buildings to consumer electronics as soon as 2020.