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Japan (Page 1376)

Attack on Titan bag and shawl let you gear up for fighting giants, fashionable dates

Smash hit anime Attack on Titan has a full cast of compelling human characters, but most of the merchandising and promotions that have come with the series’ success are centered on the remorseless, pantless Titans themselves. Whether it’s figurines, burgers, or even beauty products, there just seems to be more love shown for the series’ ostensible villains.

Now, though, comes a way for you to show your loyalty to humanity while also scoring a few style points, with a fashionable Attack on Titan bag and shawl.

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World’s oldest kendo video is part martial arts, part Buster Keaton, all amazing

Kendo is a uniquely Japanese martial art. Like judo, karate, and aikido, this modernized version of a traditional art has numerous practitioners both in Japan around the world. And while some may approach it with more, um, zeal that others, it’s generally viewed as being more like chess than raw fighting.

But if you ever thought that kendo lacked in brutality or purely comedic tomfoolery, this 117-year-old video of a kendo practice session in Kyoto will put you in your place. And then smack you across the head with a big bamboo stick!

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“I will never forget again”: Nagasaki man gets back the cash he left at an ATM

What happens when you withdraw a ton of cash from an ATM in the middle of the city, only to walk away and realize later that you forgot to stick it in your wallet? Apparently nothing, if you happen to live in Nagasaki City. Earlier this week a Nagasaki native experienced the above situation, and was ecstatic to find the money untouched when he returned later. The killer part of everything? Wait until you hear his profession.

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These snowman milk mugs are so cute, we want them ALL!

The snow in Japan may be starting to melt (unless you live in Hokkaido), but that doesn’t mean the snowmen have to go away. Thanks to Megmilk Snow Brand Company, you’ll be greeted by a chilly friend every morning with their limited edition snow mug campaign.

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“RAAA”: The most appropriate name for a habanero pepper-flavored 34 percent alcohol drink

Hombo Shuzo is a prestigious distiller founded in 1872 in Kagoshima Prefecture, the birthplace of one of Japan’s most beloved drinks: shochu. The company had won several medals at last year’s International Wine and Spirit Competition including a gold medal for their exquisitely smooth one-year-old Arawaza Sakurajima.

And to celebrate, this distinguished group has released perhaps their classiest drink to date. It’s an imo shochu (sweet potato shochu) with a thick bouquet of one of the world’s spiciest peppers, the habanero, and it’s name is Satsuma No Haoh RAAA.

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Little witch Kiki and Little Mermaid Bakery bake three special pastries, we eat them all

The live-action Kiki’s Delivery Service is out now, and whether the movie should be judged on its own terms or if it can only be evaluated in comparison to the 1989 animated version is a matter of individual belief. One thing everyone can agree on, though, is that the new film will give you a craving for baked goods, as several scenes feature the breads and pastries made and sold by the bakery young witch Kiki boards at.

In anticipation of these cinema-induced hankerings, Little Mermaid, one of Japan’s largest and most popular bakery chains, has released an assortment of Kiki’s Delivery Service-themed goodies. As journalists (and hungry people), we were so excited that we decided to sample the whole lot.

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We try savory doughnuts inspired by miso, seaweed rice crackers and more

Mister Donut is one of the most popular doughnut chains in all of Japan, and their signature pastry, the Pon de Ring, is a delicious chewy concoction that is sought out by peckish snackers across the country. The chain has recently released a new savory version of their classic Pon de Ring, and in doing so, has incited a rivalry between eastern and western Japan. The “Pon de Senbatsu” campaign puts eight new regional flavors, four from both east and west, against each other in a battle for the best doughnut. Since our offices are located on Japan’s east side, we decided to try out our regional sweet potato, miso kiritanpo, seaweed rice cracker, and sweet sesame dumpling doughnuts.

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The world’s most expensive tissues? Might as well wipe your boogers on a $100 bill!

The Japanese paper company Daishowa First has announced their newest high-quality product: a tissue box containing soft and luxurious tissues of 12 different hues. The product is named ‘Juunihitoe‘, a traditional Japanese word that refers to a twelve-layered ceremonial kimono worn by a court lady. It’s a fittingly regal name for something that will probably only be bought by A-list celebs with too much money on their hands. We don’t all have 100 dollars to drop on our snot-catchers, do we?!

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English language education in Japan: Are native speakers essential?

Like so many foreigners living in Japan, I first entered the country as an eigo shidou joshu, more commonly known as an Assistant Language Teacher, or ALT for short. Although terms like “grass-roots internationalisation” and “globalisation” are uttered during ALT training seminars and by boards of education across the country with such frequency that you’d swear they’re being sponsored to use them, in reality an ALT’s role at a Japanese junior high school (where the majority in Japan are employed) is to go along to class with a non-native Japanese teacher of English (or JTE) and, as their job title implies, assist in teaching. The idea is that students, particularly those from rural areas, will benefit from the presence of and instruction from a native English speaker.

But are native speakers entirely vital to English language education in Japan? And should native English speakers, rather than Japanese teachers of English, be the ones taking the lead role in the classroom?

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Lycra-clad Super Sentai descend on Taiwan to… pick up trash?!

Japan sure knows how to say thanks in a unique way! Super Sentai (not to be confused with hentai!) were on hand to save the day in Taiwan by rescuing an area from rubbish, in a street-cleaning event that began as a way of showing gratitude for Taiwan’s contributions to the Tohoku disaster relief effort. And what expresses those feelings better than people running around in flashy skin-tight suits?

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Special subway cars in Kyoto are perfect for travelling anime fans

Kyoto is best known as a bastion of Japan’s traditional past, where the visual and performing arts developed during the feudal era still command the highest respect. Japan’s former capital is also making a bid to become a center for modern popular culture as well, though. 2006 saw the opening of the Kyoto International Manga Museum, and the city also plays host to the annual Kyoto International Manga Anime Fair.

Kyoto’s love for anime is truly a two-way street, as the city serves as the setting for numerous animated series. Apparently the relationship between anime and Kyoto has progressed to a point where the two feel comfortable with an overt display of public affection, in the form of a special subway train plastered with anime graphics.

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A complaint commonly lobbed against manga made for young men is that the main character is just a blank slate for the reader to project himself onto, allowing him to vicariously live out his fantasies. That may be oversimplifying things quite a bit, but it’s also hard to deny that many male Japanese comic heroes possess three traits that men almost universally aspire to, namely being strong, cool, and surrounded by women in incredibly short skirts.

But what about women who are manga fans? If given the chance, which female character would they like to be?

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Ridiculously tiny apartment may be downtown Tokyo’s cheapest (with good reason)

Before marriage compelled me to look for nicer living quarters, I lived in a an apartment that was….less than spacious. At first, I ate my meals off the top of my microwave, since it took several months of rearranging my belongings to create enough floor space for a low-lying table.

In the five years I lived in that bunker, I never did figure out a configuration which would allow me to cram a chair into it, but eventually I got used to having an extremely Spartan home. Even still, I don’t think I could manage living in the apartment of one Tokyoite, which measures just under five square meters (54 square feet).

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Eva Store offers official replica Misato gun holster

Arm yourself with this replica holster, modeled after the one used by NERV’s Misato.

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Bizarre deep-sea shrimp or delicious sushi? Japanese netizens weigh in

Strange, almost otherwordly creatures have been discovered in the depths of the world’s oceans. But none have ever made someone immediately scream, “I wanna eat it!” That is until now.

Currently the topic of discussion on forums across Japan, this deep-sea shrimp-like crustacean seems to remind many netizens of nigiri sushi.

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It’s less than a month until Japan’s consumption tax jumps from five to eight percent–a change few, if any, ordinary citizens are looking forward too. Practically everything is set to become more expensive in April, including some of the most fundamental necessities of life in Japan, such as train tickets, rice, Ebisu Beer, Asashi Beer, and even microbrews such as Doppo Beer.

An extensive search has produced exactly one thing related to the tax hike for us to look forward to: these adorable supplemental postage stamps.

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Entry-level ninja needed to teach kids in Japan

Have you spent years mastering the arts of ninjutsu and poring over ancient scrolls, learning secret techniques and studying under august masters, and practicing stealth tactics over and over and over again…. only to find out, to your horror and despair, that there just aren’t any jobs out there for a ninja? Well, don’t worry! The Japanese government has a job for you.

You could teach elementary school kids!

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71-year-old driver of 2-ton truck arrested in Kobe, “never had a licence” in 50 years of driving

Police in Kobe arrested a 71-year-old man on suspicion of driving without a valid licence on Monday this week after a local police officer recognised the vehicle’s number plate following a prior incident. When questioned about the offence, however, it transpired that the wily old truck driver had not simply forgotten to renew his documents, but had never held a licence in the 50 years he’d been behind the wheel.

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Revolving sushi comes to, and around and around, your house with this home-use set

For me, one of the darkest days of 2013 was when the revolving sushi restaurant near my apartment closed down. Sure, I could always hop on the train and ride to another neighborhood for my fix, but that’s small comfort for those times when I want a selection of delicious raw fish and vinegared rice parading past me right now.

On that day, building a revolving sushi experience of my own replaced “supermodel grotto” and “garage filled with classic Mazda sports cars” as my eccentric millionaire daydream. But it turns out I actually don’t need such a hefty bank balance to fulfill this ambition, thanks to this sweet home-use revolving sushi set.

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Japan Railways looking for love in all the weird places again with the Love Love Bench

Last month, the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) installed a single pair of heart-shaped hand straps on one of its lines in hopes of sparking romance among their passengers. However, with Valentine’s Day behind us it seems they aren’t through playing matchmaker.

This time JR Shikoku is strapping on some cupid wings by installing “Love Love Benches” in two of their stations. The seat of the bench slopes inwards so that no matter how two people sit on it they will quickly be brought together thanks the marvel of gravity.

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