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Japan (Page 1124)

Angel Beats! itasha auction wraps up for unexpected sum

Japanese marketing ploys of using popular characters to sell everything under the sun isn’t a new concept by any means, but when it comes to itasha, they’re almost always custom works created by otaku for otaku.

However, as part of a game-changing move, publisher VisualArt’s recently announced it would be auctioning off a BMW with an official Angel Beats! wrap job, posing the question of just how high fans of the series would go to purchase a one-of-a-kind, official item from their favorite series. The result, however, probably wasn’t what anyone was expecting.  Read More

Charapedia’s online poll reveals the top 20 female anime/manga characters not to provoke

Japanese anime and manga informational site Charapedia is fond of making lists. For their latest poll, they asked 10,000 of their users to submit votes for the top 20 female anime/manga characters who are scary when they become enraged. The results are certainly telling, as all of the characters have one thing in common—you don’t want to push any of their buttons, because there’s no telling how you’d end up!

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Man arrested for scamming millions of yen with complaints of “soggy bread”

Soggy bread is the pits. A great sandwich is equal parts texture and taste, so there’s no greater let-down when your bread feels like a freshly opened bucket of tile grout.

Actually, forget that. A bigger let-down is when someone exploits our shared hatred of soggy bread for their own personal gain. That’s what Tokyo Metro Police are suspecting Takashi Ishimoto of doing by making fraudulent complaints of damp sliced bread and raking in an estimated 30 million yen (US$251,000) from unsuspecting retailers in the process.

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What stormtroopers and Boba Fett would look like if Star Wars was set in feudal Japan

With just under four months to go until we finally get Episode 7 of Star Wars, many people have a galaxy far, far away on their minds. Some people are clamoring for any and all kinds of movie tidbits, while other fans are desperately trying to avoid all spoilers. Which means it’s the perfect time to release some “alternate reality” Star Wars toys to the public.

Although, when your toy is this cool looking, any time is the perfect time.

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It stands to reason that, upon reaching the age of 60 years, a man will find himself in possession of knowledge that he wants to share with younger generations. As a matter of fact, he may even feel compelled to do so, especially if his vocation is one that involves the dissemination of important lessons.

That might have been a factor in the decisions made by Shoden Yamazaki, former head priest of the Choshoji Buddhist temple in Akita Prefecture. And, truth be told, the lesson he claims he wanted to spread, “If you’re not careful, people might steal your lingerie,” is a valuable one.

However, being a good teacher is as much about how you deliver the message as it is the message itself. While it drives the point home, warning people about underwear security by dressing up in a skirt and high heels, then stealing their bras and panties, probably isn’t the best, or even really legal, methodology, which is why Yamazaki now finds himself on trial for lingerie theft.

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Be the coolest (and brokest) fan at your next cosplay event with a US$5,000 Fate/stay night kit

Even though your mother would like you to know that it’s a silly, pointless hobby to spend your time trying to dress up like video game characters, and also, would it kill you to bring a girl home once in a while, Mike, instead of staying in your room all day reading those weird Japanese comic books?, cosplay is actually kind of hard work and requires a lot of commitment.

Sometimes that commitment comes in the form diligently researching every detail of a character, up to and including freeze frames from films and anime to get every dent, scratch and imperfection in your costume just right. Sometimes it’s commitment in the form of slaving away over the plastic pieces of your storm trooper outfit to ensure they fit together perfectly and are comfortable to wear and are appropriately badass.

And sometimes, it’s in the form of dropping the equivalent of a used car in cash to just buy a pre-made kit.

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Meet Takeshi Kamisato, Hawaii’s “koma” spinning top and yo-yo master 【Video】

Takeshi Kamisato is absolutely hypnotizing to watch. The Hawaiian native is a self-described “yo-yo superhero master,” not to mention a pro at the Japanese spinning top, as well as having been an avid skateboarder for over 20 years.

It’s hard not to like a guy whose “passion for life is infectious,” and even harder to deny his unmistakable skills in the following video!

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No booze please, we’re Japanese: studies show Japanese people are drinking less than ever

One of the things you may notice when you come to Japan is how much drinking seems to be going on. Certain Japanese societal circles (the workplace, university clubs, etc) run more smoothly with the help of alcoholic lubrication in the form of after-hours “drinking parties” to facilitate team-building and bonding—it’s called nomication (or nominication), a portmanteau of “nomu” (to drink) and “communication”.

So we were quite surprised to discover recently that Japan’s level of alcoholic beverage consumption is actually way, way down. But why?

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Student takes mechanical pencil lead to the groin in a possible attempt to skip exam

When I was in school, it wasn’t an uncommon occurrence for a classmate to claim that his dog ate his homework or ask to see the school nurse about a stomachache only moments before a big test. I myself remember having to tell one of my elementary school teachers that I couldn’t turn in my math assignment because my cat had vomited all over it. (She didn’t believe me, so the next morning I bagged it and left it on her desk.)

Nowadays, it seems like students have become even more creative with their excuses, like one male university student who recently had to visit the hospital to get some pencil lead removed from his urethra.

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Sleeping Bag Pikachu wants to snuggle up with you under the stars on your next camping trip

Ah, summer. In Japan that means festivals, barbecuing on the beach, and smashing watermelons while blindfolded. It also means going on exciting camping trips in the wilderness with your friends… or maybe with Pokémon friends instead!

Camping with Pokémon is now totally possible, thanks to a new line of adorable sleeping bag plushies. Want to roast some marshmallows and tell ghost stories with Pikachu? Find out how after the jump!

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It’s 2015, and the DeLorean has already been spotted in Tokyo!

It’s the year 2015, and you all know what that means: self-tying shoes, flying cars, hoverboards… and a visit from Marty, Doc, and Jennifer! While they weren’t supposed to arrive until October, sightings of the DeLorean in Akihabara lead us to believe that Marty McFly and the gang have changed their travel plans to make their appearance a couple of months early!

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Antinomy: Talking to Urbangarde about their vision, music, and lying to fans

Urbangarde first caught my attention last year with the release of their video for “Sakura Memento”, a song off the 2014 album Utsukushii Kuni. I’ve been rocking out to their music and pondering their quixotic videos in the many months since then, enjoying their mix of pop, rock, and electronic music. So when a chance meeting resulted in the opportunity to sit down and talk with the band’s vocalists Yoko Hamasaki and Temma Matsunaga, I nearly popped out of my skin with excitement!

If you’ve ever wondered how they come up with lyrics, why they’re so “negative,” and whether they enjoy touring or recording more, read on. Also, be sure to check out their latest video for the new single, “Coin Locker Babies”, after the jump!

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In 2008, anime fans around the world would have loved to trade places with Catherine St. Onge, better known by her stage name, Himeka. The then-27-year-old Canadian singer had just won a national anime song contest in Japan, besting over 3,000 rivals to secure a recording contract and guaranteed theme song performance for an upcoming anime series.

Unfortunately, fame is a fickle thing. Unable to secure commercial success or a new work visa, Himeka had to return to Canada in 2014, even as she wistfully stated she wanted to remain in Japan forever. A year later, though, she’s singing a very different tune, tweeting that she “probably shouldn’t have come to Japan” in the first place and regrets her time in the country.

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The Super Mario Brothers take a warp pipe to the land of Rimpa art

What happens when you cross Nintendo’s Super Mario with a respected art form from Japanese history? Is it a brand new Mario Paint game? Nope, although that would be pretty cool.

What you actually get is the famous Rimpa folding screen “Wind and Thunder Gods” remade with Mario and Luigi. The results are so fantastic that it’s being put on display at a special exhibit at the Art Museum Eki Kyoto. Join us after the jump for all the juicy Mario art details.

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Japan is for bread lovers: top five Japanese breads best for cuddling, not eating

We here at RocketNews24 like to think of ourselves as gurus of internet love advice. From bird boyfriends to bringing virtual girlfriends to your own wedding,  one might say that we’ve got almost everything covered. But what happens when you’re hungry for something new? Well, isn’t it obvious?

When you’re feeling down in the dumps, which mass-produced wonder is always there for you? Sliced bread. Which food is readily available world-wide, and will always be there to absorb your tears? Sliced bread. Which food will never leave you for a younger, toastier love interest? Sliced bread!

Of course just like people, not all breads are created equal. We assigned our brave but heartbroken Japanese reporter to test out the top five Japanese breads for cuddling. So read on and see if your favorite loaf makes the cut!

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Japanese gamer posts entertaining review of “Play Station 2” he found at secondhand store

For gamers who aren’t particularly concerned with things like frame-rate and graphical resolution, the death of an older piece of gaming hardware can be just the push they need to finally upgrade to a slightly newer model. But for those who don’t have the money to splash out on a brand new system, pre-owned machines are a viable alternative—just keep in mind that if the deal looks too good to be true, it probably is.

One Japanese gamer recently spotted a used “PS 2” at a second-hand store for just 300 yen (approx. US$2.50). Fortunately for us, he took this as an opportunity to take a lemon and turn it into lemonade, and left us with a hilarious review that soon went viral on streaming site Nico Nico Douga.

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Photo of “Iron Man” rice cooker look-alike spreads like wildfire on Twitter

If we didn’t know any better, we’d say Japan is seeing red. Red and gold for Iron Man, that is. Following the footsteps of this amazing Iron Man Samurai rendition, this giant Hulkbuster figure release, and this awesome protective armor case for your iPhone 5, some electronic brands are even consciously or unconsciously taking design cues from Stark Enterprises.

At least, that would appear to be the case if you believe the claims of one Twitter user, who says his newly purchased rice cooker shares an uncanny similarity to the Marvel superhero. But could he just be imaging the resemblance?

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It stands to reason that you shouldn’t be moving around outdoors during a typhoon. At best you’re going to get soaking wet, and potentially injury-causing flying debris are be a legitimate safety concern.

As if to serve as a reminder, the typhoon currently battering Japan decided to remind everyone to stay put by using its 255-kilometer per hour (158.8 miles per hour) winds to dramatically wreck some Okinawan drivers’ cars.

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Rent an apartment with Leopalace, cover your walls with Samurai Warriors 4 decor!

If you’ve come to Japan as an ALT or to work at one of the many eikaiwa English conversation schools across the country, you’re probably familiar with Leopalace apartments. Known for their compact, cookie-cutter design, they’re popular among expats for their comparatively easy application process, foreign language support, and overall foreigner friendliness.

Now, in case you needed more incentive to choose Leopalace for your apartment provider, the company is now running a campaign for first-time renters, who will be entered into a drawing to win a wall customized with Samurai Warriors wallpaper?!

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Japanese Netizens share Italian friends’ “most Italian moments”

Throughout the world, the Japanese are known as being a particularly diligent and hardworking people, perhaps even to a fault. They are viewed as being bound by honor to devote their lives to their company and inner circle of closest friends and family.

Italians, on the other hand, are often thought to be, shall we say, extremely laid-back. Insofar as these things can be quantified, Italians work, on average, a bit less than those in many other countries, are quicker than many to hug and show affection, and are generally understood to be considerably less formal (and more, um… amorous) than the Japanese and others in both work and personal life. And with Japan being one of the most homogeneous countries in the world, and also being an island nation, it’s pretty common for the Japanese to exaggerate stereotypes even more than people from the rest of the world, as interaction with foreigners tends to be limited.

Which is why these “OMG, that’s soooo Italian!” Twitter stories Japanese Netizens shared about their encounters with Italian friends and acquaintances are apparently considered the pinnacle of comedy here in Japan. Let’s take a look.

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