(Page 1123) Category: Japan | SoraNews24 -Japan News-

Featured

Japan (Page 1123)

Looks like it’s time to say good-bye, and maybe good riddance, to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics logo

Casey Baseel
Sep 1, 2015
Tweet

There hasn’t been a lot of love for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics’ logo, which was officially unveiled by the event’s Organising Committee at the tail-end of July. Almost immediately after getting their first eyeful of it, many in Japan called it unappealing and confusing, and just a few days later some were calling it plagiarized.

In other words, not too many people were looking forward to seeing the emblem plastered all over the city during the Games, as well as the years leading up to them. The good news for the logo’s detractors is that they probably won’t have to, as the organizers of the Tokyo Olympics seem ready to officially withdraw the design for their promotion.

Cosplay for pets! Dog fashion retailer selling Attack on Titan capes, uniforms

Casey Baseel
Sep 1, 2015

In recent years, it’s become increasingly popular for doting dog-owners in Japan to dress up their pets in little outfits when they head out for a walk. But since their canine companions are already equipped with a natural coat, all doggy fashion is really doggy cosplay, so why not dress your dog up like a member of the cast of smash-hit anime Attack on Titan?

KFC Japan celebrates Colonel’s birthday with all-you-can-eat fried chicken, free for some kids

Casey Baseel
Sep 1, 2015

One of the upsides to being a little kid is that you can get presents even on someone else’s birthday. But like getting your food pre-cut into bite-sized pieces and having older people carry you around when you’re tired, you can only expect to receive bags of party favors up to a certain age.

A rare exception to this, though, is the birthday of Kentucky Fried Chicken founder Harland Sanders. To celebrate Sanders’ birthday, KFC Japan is offering all-you-can eat fried chicken, but the unlimited bird is just part of the chain’s generosity on that special day.

Four-panel comic perfectly encapsulates returning to school after summer ends

KK Miller
Sep 1, 2015

Those dog days of summer are turning into sweet school days as students around the world are getting ready to go back to school for fall. In Japan, their summer vacation has already finished and a familiar scene is probably playing out in high schools across the country.

But don’t take our word for it, ding dong ding dong, there goes the bell. Here comes our teacher, Iron Man sensei!

Tokyo realtor will give you hundreds of dollars of anime decorations for your new apartment

Casey Baseel
Sep 1, 2015

There’s a huge variety of fees that need to be paid when renting a new apartment in Japan. In addition to an advance payment of your first month’s rent, there’s insurance, the security deposit, the realtor’s fee, and the dreaded “key money,” basically a sign-up cost that you pay to the landlord for the privilege of being allowed to start giving him money on a monthly basis.

Add it all up, and you’ll probably find yourself out several months’ worth of rent before spending the first night in your new home. But there’s a nice upside if you chose to go through one unique realtor, because while you’ll still have some fees to pay, you’ll also get a nice housewarming present in the form of several hundred dollars’ worth of anime merchandise.

Emoji is the new black: Could emoji fashion be the next “kawaii” trend?

TokyoGirlsUpdate
Sep 1, 2015

Recently, with elements of the Japanese language and its culture starting to be adopted by people in countries the world over, we hear the word “emoji” being used incredibly often overseas. In fact, both the word “emoji” and the digital images themselves have become pretty much universal.

And now, those emoji that I knew from my cell phone screen here in Japan have even been turned into fashion icons!

Muslim man accidentally served bacon while being detained at Japanese immigration office

Mike
Sep 1, 2015

A Yokohama area immigration office has apologized for mistakenly serving a Muslim man, who is interned there for unknown reasons, a meal that included pork, the consumption of which is forbidden by Islamic law.

For its part, the Yokohama immigration office says it attempted to accommodate the man’s requests for pork-free meals, but unknowingly served him a salad spiked with bacon pieces in an administrative foul-up.

We eat Electrical Udon and Blue Curry while watching guys shoot each other with electricity

Master Blaster
Sep 1, 2015

A little while back, we brought you news of Electrical Udon developed by Kurare of Arienai Rika (“Unbelievable Science”) for an event to be held in Osaka. Well, that event has come and gone, and we were fortunate enough to be there to get a taste of his technicolor noodles along with some other off-color foods like blue rice topped with even bluer curry and fried chicken with a secret green sauce.

We also got to see some of the DIY science that made Arienai Rika a cult hit with science and tech enthusiasts in Japan.

Radiation fears as report shows Fukushima fir trees to be growing strangely

Evie Nyan
Sep 1, 2015

Following the events of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami and the subsequent meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant complex, radiologists in Japan have been closely observing the area for potential changes. A new report by the National Institute of Radiological Sciences now suggests that the fir trees in Fukushima may be exhibiting strange growth patterns, with the radiation from the disaster being named as a possible factor.

Hokkaido’s “White Shell Road” is gorgeous, makes us want to take a road trip! 【Photos】

Evie Nyan
Aug 31, 2015

In Hokkaido, there is an area of hilly countryside along the Souya Cape in Wakkanai, with peaks reaching from 20 to 400 metres above sea level. The area, known as Souyakyuuryou, features an idyllic backdrop of the Soya Strait, and with its wind farm and rolling hills it’s said to be reminiscent of the Netherlands. (It also reminds some people of the Ghibli classic Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind!)

But by far the coolest thing about the area is that it also has a country road that used to be a plain old dirt road until they decided to make it pretty – with crushed white shells!

Japanese college has specialized anime song program, scholarships for international students

Casey Baseel
Aug 31, 2015

Even within the world of Japanese pop music, anime songs are their own special breed. Unabashedly sentimental, bombastically energetic, or sometimes both, not just anyone can grab a mike and belt out a performance that will capture the hearts of legions of otaku, which is why one Japanese music college has just announced a brand new course, aiming to provide students with the education and training they need to become anime vocalists.

Oh, and the school also offers a scholarship for international students.

We explore the evolution of the toilet at Kitakyushu’s newly opened TOTO Museum

Krista Rogers
Aug 31, 2015

What would modern life be like without the humble toilet? Actually, we’d rather not think about that.

Many of us around the world should direct our thanks to TOTO Ltd., the world’s largest manufacturer of toilets and the very company that invented the washlet. In fact, Friday, August 28 marked the grand opening of the new TOTO Museum in Fukuoka Prefecture, where the company was originally founded in 1917.

Takashi Harada, our Japanese reporter who proclaims that he couldn’t survive a day without a washlet, immediately made a bee line to the new sanctuary to give thanks to the toilet gods and to learn a bit about the historical evolution of the toilet.

Nagano Prefecture’s Mishaka Pond offers mirror-like waters, inspiration for art lovers

Krista Rogers
Aug 30, 2015

Mishaka-ike, or Mishaka Pond (御射鹿池), is a hidden natural jewel located in Chino City, Nagano Prefecture. The pond’s tranquil beauty inspired a famous painting several decades ago, and Japanese visitors have been increasingly traveling off the beaten path to view its waters for themselves, as it’s a place where the four seasons are distinctly and perfectly expressed.

Escape from the city for a relaxing moment with the following photographic collection of Mishaka-ike in the Japanese countryside.

Love Livers spotted wearing biker-style coats at anime song festival, concertgoers not impressed

Krista Rogers
Aug 30, 2015

August in Japan is the month of summer concerts, from the internationally celebrated Summer Sonic series, to record label Avex Trax’s annual A-Nation festival. Of course, let’s not forget to mention the Animelo Summer Live series, known popularly as Anisama (an abbreviation of anime and the Japanese pronunciation of “summer”) by Japanese fans of anime songs.

This year’s opening day of the concert series saw an unusual display of love for hit anime series Love Live! in the form of a group of guys dressing up like old-school Japanese biker gang delinquents, complete with long coats depicting their favorite characters. However, it looks like a number of Japanese Twitter users are ready for the Love Livers to tone their passion down a notch, as the online critics were decidedly unimpressed with the outfits.

Our English writer rates 15 teas from Japanese conbini, is fully hydrated for the rest of summer

Meg Murphy
Aug 30, 2015

Walk in to any Japanese convenience store, and you’re bound to be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of choices at your fingertips. Even taking a stroll through the drink aisle will leave you open-mouthed as you stare at the myriad interesting flavors and varieties to be tried.

Of course there’s green tea, barley tea, roasted tea and more, but how do Japan’s black and flavoured teas measure up? We decided we needed an expert’s opinion, so we turned to one of our English writers for help. With a sampling of 15 different teas, we put our parched taste-tester to work.

Super Mega Important Debate – Japanese TV: is it just plain awful? 【Poll】

ロケットニュース24
Aug 29, 2015

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, Super Mega Important Debate is back! This weekend, we’re putting Japanese TV under the spotlight and asking you, our good-looking and never-shy-to-venture-an-opinion readers, whether you think the TV shows broadcast in Japan are wonderfully entertaining or a big bag of steaming horse poop.

The Pokémon Company sues organizers of Pokémon-themed party for copyright infringement

Anime News Network
Aug 29, 2015

The Pokémon Company International (TPCi) filed a lawsuit against two Seattle residents on Wednesday, claiming that the Pokémon-themed party they were organizing allegedly infringed upon TPCi’s copyright.

Online shop’s anime character personal seals look awesome, can be used for legal paperwork

Casey Baseel
Aug 29, 2015

Even now, most legal documents in Japan don’t ask for your signature, but rather that you stamp your inkan, or personal seal, to show approval or confirmation. Also called a hanko, the stamp, customarily used with red ink, leaves behind just the bearer’s last name, at least in the case of ordinary inkan.

But if that’s just too solemnly boring for you, you can also spice things up with a personal seal made that’s decorated with characters from hit anime series such as Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Clannad, and Fate/stay night that not only lets you display your love for those franchises, but is also legally binding.

Toyota ad about lonely father and dog has a twist ending, will tug at your heartstrings 【Video】

Scott Wilson
Aug 29, 2015

At this point it’s probably no exaggeration to say that Toyota Japan is the master of making automotive commercials. Their commercials thus far have been heartwarming, bizarre, even more bizarre, and are more like minute-long movies than advertisements.

And the same thing goes for the most recent Toyota commercial. It’s about a man whose daughter leaves to go to college, and suddenly feels a lot lonelier at home with only his pet dog. What’s the twist ending that has Japanese netizens talking? And how does this all tie back to making us want to buy a Toyota? Read on to find out!

Metal Gear cardboard box wedding ad full of crazy, bittersweet belly laughs, just like the games

Casey Baseel
Aug 29, 2015

For months, there have been rumblings of discord between video game publisher Konami and Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain director Hideo Kojima. First Kojima’s name, one of the most respected in the industry, was scrubbed from the game’s packaging, and now the popular opinion seems to be that once The Phantom Pain is a completely done deal, Kojima will pack up and leave the company where he’s worked for decades, meaning someone else would be tasked with carrying on the legacy of Metal Gear, a franchise so ground-breaking and successful it literally changed the industry.

But none of this drama seems to have adversely affected The Phantom Pain’s development, as advance reviews of the title have been glowing. And perhaps even more baffling is that even as this might be the end of an era, the series has in no way lost its sense of humor, as seen in this bizarre yet emotional Metal Gear Solid V TV commercial starring an about-to-be-wed bride and groom, dressed in their finest Metal Gear-style cardboard boxes.