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Starbucks Japan to release frozen drink maker for homemade cool refreshments

Audrey Akcasu
Apr 27, 2015
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Who’s ready for the hot and humid summer? We’re approaching the second half of spring here in Japan, so that means it’s almost time to get out those Cool Biz clothes and your sweat towels, because this summer is bound to be as uncomfortably muggy as always.

Starbucks has your back this year though. Later this month they’ll be releasing the “Starbucks Frozen Drink Maker” – a reusable mug that doubles as a super simple frozen coffee mixer. It’s easy, it’s cold and it’s delicious. Let’s take a look!

University students in Gifu Prefecture can now earn credits while working at Aeon shopping mall

Krista Rogers
Apr 27, 2015

On April 15, representatives from Gifu Prefecture’s Chubu Gakuin University and its affixed junior college reached an agreement with Japan’s major retailer Aeon that will allow university students to earn credits while working part-time in paid internships. The deal was born out of a desire to provide students with more practical work experience while at the same time strengthening ties to the surrounding community.

Are they all duds!? Another defective Attack on Titan Eren official figurine leaves us wondering

Krista Rogers
Apr 27, 2015

Despite the Attack on Titan franchise being massively popular on an international scale, why is it that the toy companies just can’t seem to get the darn character figurines right?

We’ve already seen the shoddy Levi figure that surfaced last year, and now there appears to be another disappointing officially licensed Eren model on the market, too. And we have to say, we really can’t blame one fan for lamenting the poor quality of her new toy at all…

Dragon Quest Super Light Cafe draws near! Command?

Master Blaster
Apr 26, 2015

Beating on smiling blue slimes for single points of experience and coins of gold is taxing work. So for those famished dragon questers and/or warriors in the Tokyo area Square Enix and TBI are set to open the Dragon Question Super Light Cafe (DQSL Cafe).

The cafe is expected to be modeled after the Dragon Quest world and feature dishes based on its characters. This may be the only time that you can nibble on a metal slime (risotto) and sip on a killing machine at the same time. But there are more secrets to be had here as well! Command?

We love Gudetama so much, we turn him into adorable okonomiyaki pancakes and eat him!

Kay
Apr 26, 2015

Remeber Gudetama, the lazy egg character from Hello Kitty owner Sanrio? Well, it turns out that the unmotivated egg with an extremely unmascot-like personality has gained quite a following in Japan. Apparently, his soft appearance and to an even greater extent, his lazy disposition, which prompts him to mutter phrases like “I have no strength” and “I can’t feel motivated enough to do anything” have earned him considerable popularity. In fact, he’s popular enough to have had his very own character cafe for a limited time in the past, and recently, he’s been collaborating with Dotonbori, a chain of restaurants that serves okonomiyaki, which are Japanese pancakes containing various ingredients such as cabbage, meat and seafood.

That’s right, at Dotonbori, you can use actual eggs to add realistic Gudetama faces to your food. Now, that sounded like too much fun to pass up, so our reporters from our Japanese sister site went to one of the Dotobori shops and actually tried it! Read More

We take the Toyota i-Road electric vehicle out for a spin, find out it’s awesome 【Video】

Philip Kendall
Apr 25, 2015

Not quite a car, not quite a motorcycle, the Toyota i-Road is a three-wheeled electric vehicle designed just for urbanites. Small, sleek and ultra slim, on paper the i-Road seems like the perfect solution to Tokyo’s traffic jams and woefully limited – not to mention expensive – parking.

But what’s it like to actually drive one of these things? Our Japanese team headed out to try an i-Road for themselves. Check out their video after the jump!

Shawn Wasabi’s digital mash-up samples Pikachu, Final Fantasy, Perfume

Anime News Network
Apr 25, 2015

Shawn Wasabi mashed up a list of his favorite songs and sound effects to create the original track “Marble Soda.” Wasabi uses a Midi Fighter by DJ Techtools to assign 153 different sounds used during the song. Among them are “Fushizen Na Girl” by Perfume, “PONPONPON” by Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, “Prelude” from Final Fantasy VII, and Pikachu’s iconic “Pika!”

Sailor Shoes and Luna too! Sailor Moon pumps are the latest way for anime fans to get their kicks

Casey Baseel
Apr 25, 2015

You could argue that it’s silly for the heroines of Sailor Moon to wear heels, seeing as how, like clockwork, they’re required to head into battle against dangerous monsters once a week. But while the Sailor Senshi are the defenders of humanity, they’re also five fashionable young girls, so you can see how they (or series creator Naoko Takeuchi) would be reluctant to go with, say, combat boots instead.

If you’re a Sailor Moon fan living in the real world, though, fighting evil probably doesn’t figure into your footwear choices, leaving you free to step out in these heels inspired by the Sailor Senshi, or the sensible flats modeled after their feline mentor Luna.

Love Ghibli? Meet Kurosuke, the man who just might have the most amazing Ghibli collection in the world!

Kay
Apr 25, 2015

Needless to say, the magical animated works of Studio Ghibli have long enchanted fans around the world. But today, we’d like to introduce to you one very special Ghibli fan in particular.

Meet Kurosuke, who at first glance may not seem like an exceptional Ghibli enthusiast. In fact, we’d say he looks like an average 40-year-old man who happens to work as a production operator. But take one step inside his apartment, and you’ll immediately see that his home and the way he lives is far from ordinary. You see, his entire home is filled with countless Ghibli memorabilia, and what’s more, most of them are rare, not-for-sale items. RocketNews24 visited him for a personal interview, and of course, to see his amazing Ghibli collection!

Tokyo exhibition on cultural impact of anime and video games adds list of series to be examined

Casey Baseel
Apr 25, 2015

On any given day in a Tokyo summer, you can expect the weather to be hot, rainy, or a sticky mixture of the two. As such, it’s usually a good idea to have a couple of indoor activates in mind in case you need a break from the sweltering heat.

Thankfully, Japan’s capital is filled with museums, and one will be holding a special exhibition on the cultural impact of anime, manga, and video games. We’ve been looking forward to this event for a while, and now there’s even a partial list of titles that are scheduled to be highlighted.

Top 20 anime photobombs in historical photographs

Scott Wilson
Apr 24, 2015

If you haven’t heard of the Twitter account Anime in History yet, then you need to follow them right away. They put out near-daily pictures of anime characters flawlessly Photoshopped into historical photographs, making you swear that they were actually there.

With over 100 pictures and counting though, we figured it was about time to do a list of the best pictures released so far. So we here at RocketNews24 present to you the top 20 anime photobombs throughout history, as made possible by Anime in History.

Like a boss – Anime fans pick the top 30 characters they’d like to work for

Casey Baseel
Apr 24, 2015

It’s well known that many anime fans, in the midst of watching a show, start to develop a crush on their favorite character (and sometimes that crush becomes a full–on obsession). But the admiration fans feel towards a 2-D character isn’t always tied to romantic rumblings. Sometimes, they see an anime icon and instead of “I wish that was my girlfriend/boyfriend,” they find themselves thinking “I wish that was my boss!”

Tochiotome 25 invite you to a unique onsen experience in the music video for “Yu”! 【Video】

TokyoGirlsUpdate
Apr 24, 2015

Tochigi local idol group Tochiotome 25 have once again released a music video showcasing the charms of their rural home town with “Yu” (release date: April 22). This one’s… a little different.

Toddler Evangelion Rody rompers now come in more colors

Anime News Network
Apr 24, 2015

The slightly sinister line of children’s clothing crossing Evangelion and Rody from Premium Bandai just got updated with more colors. The original included Unit 01 and Unit 00 with matching bibs. The new onesies are based on Asuka’s Unit 02, Mari’s Unit 05, Kaworu’s Unit 06, and the Yuru-Shito mascot.

These Japanese cat masks both enchant and terrify

Meg Murphy
Apr 24, 2015

Cats have been our free-willed companions for centuries, even revered as gods in some cultures, and in modern times still have our hearts (and the internet) wrapped around their little kitty toes. But despite their closeness to our hearts, there is still so much about them that remains mysterious, and it is this mystery that captured the imagination of Japanese artist Junko Koguchi as she rendered these gorgeously enchanting cat masks.

Japan’s awesome, eco-friendly, old-school water heaters (and how to use them)

Casey Baseel
Apr 24, 2015

Japan may seem like a futuristic wonderland, what with its high-tech toilets and their array of functions that clean your bottom, heat your cheeks, and even provide sound effects to cover the natural ones that accompany your bathroom business. But technology is constantly evolving at a rapid rate, and each new innovation replaces something that used to be cutting-edge.

Case in point; every spring, thousands of young Japanese people leave home and move into their first, low-rent apartment to start school or a new job, and you can expect at least a couple will be shocked when they go to take a shower, discover this giant contraption next to the tub, and have no idea what it does.

Who has better manners? Blogger lists three things foreigners do that impress even the Japanese

Evie Nyan
Apr 24, 2015

One of the first things you notice when you visit Japan is how nice and polite everyone seems to be. Shop staff bow to you, people greet you in the hotel lobby, even the guy at the combini sprints across the store to open up the second register when there’s more than one person waiting to be served.

But spend any prolonged amount of time here and you’ll realise that there are plenty of rude people here too (just like in the rest of the world…). And there are even a few niceties we in the west generally perform as a matter of habit that just aren’t part of the Japanese way of doing things.

So just how are Westerners unintentionally schooling the Japanese in manners?

Bacon-fried Oreos make a greasily delicious appearance in Japanese kitchens

Audrey Akcasu
Apr 24, 2015

Where Japan has taken Kit Kats (originally an English treat) to a whole ‘nother level with seasonal flavors, regional flavors, even “adult sweetness” varieties, America has taken a similar road with another chocolate goody: Oreo cookies.

Intrigued by America’s fascination with Oreos, one Japanese cook took her chances at making a fantastically American concoction: Bacon Fried Oreos. But how does the Japanese palate react? Find out after the jump.

Big dudes CAN jump: Frolicking sumo means it’s officially springtime again in Japan!

Master Blaster
Apr 24, 2015

It’s been a rather hard winter, with some areas up north experiencing heavy snowfalls and other parts with hard-hitting low temperatures. But, as heralded by the ume and cherry blossoms, spring has finally sprung.

And what could be a better symbol of these sunny days coming to Japan than some scantily clad sumo taking advantage of the pleasant warmth.

Eight ways to troll your fellow passengers while flying economy class: An illustrated guide

Scott Wilson
Apr 24, 2015

Flying to japan takes a long time. Depending on where you’re flying from and how many layovers you have, it can take 10 hours, 20 hours, or even more. And if you’re not rich, then chances are you’re stuck in economy class, cramped, uncomfortable, and forced to listen to at least three nonstop crying babies going off like sirens.

But no more! We here at RocketNews24 have assembled a list of eight ways to make your next economy flight much more enjoyable. Nothing gets the good vibes flowing like a good trolling, so get out from under your bridges and grab your clubs: it’s time to mildly annoy your fellow passengers.