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Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Gets Explosive New Multiplayer Map Set in Kyushu

Philip Kendall
Apr 17, 2013
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Players of the Call of Duty series are no strangers to downloadable content in the form of additional maps on which to shoot, stab and detonate. Ever since downloadable map packs were released for Call of Duty 3 back in 2007, console gamers have been treated to (or blighted by, depending on your stance on DLC) regular releases of additional content to purchase or risk being the one guy in their group of friends who can’t play on the same maps as everyone else.

This time around, developers Treyarch are dropping virtual soldiers and screaming headset-wearing pubescents on Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan’s four main islands. As well as being situated in the shadow of an erupting volcano, the town featured in the map is absolutely covered with cute cultural references and written Japanese which, we’re happy to say, is not riddled with mistakes.

Sayonara Taxis? Tokyo to Consider Operating Trains, Buses Around the Clock

John Stuart Translations
Apr 17, 2013

Whether working late or partying late, people lacking the stamina for an all-nighter and missing the last train home in Japan are primarily left with two rather expensive options: taxi or hotel.

Well, in the not-so-distant future, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government may provide a more wallet-friendly third option, buses and trains operating 24 hours a day.

Taiwanese Cosplayers Appear in their Droves, Show All-Out Passion for Hatsune Miku

Rachel Tackett
Apr 17, 2013

Ever since Japan started its whole Cool Japan kick, it’s been pushing manga and anime to a world-wide audience like never before. Near the forefront of it all is the software program turned pop icon, Vocaloid, with Hatsune Miku stealing most of the spotlight. Just last week, more than 20 real-life Mikus gathered together at a park in Kaohsiung, Taiwan! It was a truly magnificent spectacle, perhaps the highlight of our year thus far. Read More

New Fujitsu Technology Lets Users Scan Objects and Manipulate Data with Their Bare Fingertips

Master Blaster
Apr 17, 2013

Imagine putting a travel brochure on the table, touching the word “Hawaii” and having a video of sandy beaches appear next to it. Better yet, image tossing some Post-it notes onto the table and tapping them with your finger to instantly digitize and upload them to your computer. Sounds like something from a movie set in the distant future, doesn’t it?

Fujitsu Labs has made this and more possible with a new interface system that may let us toss out our mouse and scanner in a single throw.

Watching the video below, you might think cutting edge sensors are required, but all it takes is a run-of-the-mill webcam and an on-the-market projector.

Time-Lapse Tokyo: Stunning Video Captures the Captial City’s Hidden Beauty

Philip Kendall
Apr 17, 2013

“Seen this way, Tokyo really is beautiful.”– A comment from the Japanese Niconico Video user who originally posted photographer Samuel Cockedey’s video “Inter States” to the social video site.

The time-lapse video shows splashes of neon interspersed with orange street lamps, streaking red taillights and rushes of black figures, painting detail onto the concrete canvas that is Japan’s capital city. Hives of energy and movement, it sometimes takes an outsider’s perspective to recognise that even a sprawling metropolises like Tokyo can be quite breathtaking when we stop to notice them. The full video after the jump.

Doraemon’s Nobita Spotted Taking the Train in Tokyo, Photo Goes Viral in Minutes

Philip Kendall
Apr 16, 2013

Anyone familiar with the hit Japanese comic and animation Doraemon will likely know the character Nobita. Cursed with terrible luck, the schoolboy receives help from an earless robotic cat sent back in time by his own great-grandson in the future. Nobita is a lovable character, but “cool” is rarely a word that people use to describe him.

Throwing caution to the wind, however, one young man was spotted riding Tokyo’s trains yesterday dressed exactly like the hapless character. Cosplay or just quirky fashion sense, we don’t know, but the Internet had plenty to say about the rare sight.

Simple and Delicious Recipe for Herring and Pumpkin Pot Pie as Seen in Kiki’s Delivery Service

Rachel Tackett
Apr 16, 2013

Inspired by a recent re-watching of the classic Studio Ghibli film Kiki’s Delivery Service, we decided to try our hand at making grandma’s signature dish, herring and pumpkin pot pie. Why? Because the movie made it look so tasty!

We don’t care what that the old woman’s granddaughter had to say, Kiki worked hard to help make that pie and deliver it in pouring rain, and… all right, so perhaps some of our desire to cook actually came from a need to understand how the young lady in the movie could possibly hate her sweet, sweet grandmother’s homemade birthday present. It took a bit of research, but we think we may have found the perfect recipe!

Bizarre Comedian Egashira 2:50 Publishes Bizarre Yoga Book

Jessica
Apr 16, 2013

Egashira 2:50, or Ega-chan for short, is a Japanese comedian with a very unique style. He’s a scrawny, partly balding middle-aged man, who usually appears bug-eyed and disheveled in a diaper or skin-tight pants to perform very physical, usually very dirty gags. His motto is “It’s better to appear once and become a legend than to be a regular all season long,” and his appearances are certainly memorable.

Now, for our viewing and reading pleasure, he’s taking his bizarre style to the publishing world, with a instructional yoga book released this week titled Ega Yoga.

Sony Launches World’s Fastest Internet Service, Boasts Download Speeds of 2 Gbps

Philip Kendall
Apr 16, 2013

And here we were feeling smug about our regular fibre optic Internet connection…

Sony Corporation announced yesterday that its own Internet service provider So-net Entertainment has launched what is thought to be the world’s fastest Internet connection for home use, with download speeds clocking in at a massive 2 Gbps, on average twice as fast as competing high-speed fibre connections in Japan.

The Five Most Popular Snacks in Japan

Oona McGee
Apr 16, 2013

Have you ever opened a pre-packaged snack and then, before realising it, found you devoured the whole thing?

This was the question put to 906 readers of an online news site in Japan. Out of the 906 people in the survey, 618 said they had unwittingly scoffed the lot. But what are Japan’s most irresistible snacks? And what makes them so impossible to resist? Take a look at some of the comments from respondents as we bring you an inside look at the top five…

Sword-Wielding Father Kills Man in Street Fight, Japanese Media Focus on Sword’s Provenance

Jessica
Apr 15, 2013

This week in Beijing, the trial began for a 45-year-old man accused of killing a man with a samurai sword after he picked a fight with the man’s 23-year-old son. The incident occurred on October 19 last year and started over an argument on the bus. Read More

Spend a Day with Ice-Cream, Ramen and 30,000 Comics at Tachikawa’s Amazing New Manga Park

Philip Kendall
Apr 15, 2013

One Piece, Dragon Ball, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure; whatever your paper-based poison, Tachikawa City’s Manga Park has you covered. With an incredible 30,000 comics to relax with for just 400 yen (US$4) per day, the only way this could possibly be better for manga fans would be if the staff also dressed as your favourite characters and gave free foot massages.

Make Your Own Yoshinoya Beef Bowl at Home, Even Better Than the Original 【Recipe】

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Apr 15, 2013

Yoshinoya has been serving “tasty, low-priced and quick” gyudon (beef bowls) in Japan for over a century. In recent years, the chain’s bright orange signs can also be found at around 600 locations throughout Southeast Asia and the United States. It seems the world has fallen in love with the original Japanese fast food.

Now anyone can enjoy the beefy goodness of gyudon from the comfort of their own home thanks to this easy recipe. It’s the closest you’ll get to an authentic Yoshinoya beef bowl without having to put on pants.

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Japanese Permanent Resident Status to be Awarded to Overseas Students? A New Appeal by the Mayor of Kyoto

Andrew Miller
Apr 15, 2013

On April 10, the mayor of Kyoto Keiji Yamada made public his intentions to appeal to the government to award overseas students who graduate from Kyoto University with the right to permanent residence. It is a proposal entitled ‘Kyoto University Special Ward’ and also incorporates other supportive measures for foreign students. With a decrease in student intake within Japan in recent years, it is hoped that by providing incentives for academically skilled overseas students, Kyoto will not only be able to compete with other cities like Tokyo but will also be able to add a new lease of life to its cultural city.

Japan Pop Culture Subcommittee Formed to Show the World ‘Cool Japan’

Master Blaster
Apr 15, 2013

On 9 April the Cool Japan Promotion Conference and Pop Culture Subcommittee was assembled to discuss and strategize ways to encourage growth in Japan’s popular culture sector. The session dealt with all of Japan’s notable influences around the world from Gundams to soccer.

Fox Sports ‘Foul Ball Armor’ Papercraft Helmet Takes Five Hours to Build, Might be Effective at Your Little Brother’s Wiffleball Game

Mike
Apr 15, 2013

Fox Sports Japan is offering a freely downloadable “Foul Ball Armor” papercraft helmet for people with a lot of free time and an iron will (papercuts are serious business and you should expect a lot of them building this thing).

You’ll also obviously need access to a printer, or if you have no sense of shame, a nearby Kinko’s.

Fox Sports introduced the Foul Ball Armor in a new television ad campaign to coincide with the March 29 start of the 2013 baseball season.

Mister Donut and Hello Kitty Now Serving up Cute Doughnuts!

Oona McGee
Apr 14, 2013

When we heard that Mister Donut was teaming up with Hello Kitty to celebrate the opening of a new Hello Kitty cupcake ride at Universal Studios Japan, we knew there would be a sweet surprise. The result? An insanely cute doughnut range featuring Ms Kitty’s signature bow and a few unique mini cupcake-inspired creations. Plus, a Hello Kitty ribbon headphone jack charm for purchases over 600 yen (US$6)!

But what would a Hello Kitty-approved doughnut taste like? We were seduced by the cute kitten and headed down to our local store to try out her wares. Join us as we take you through the range, bite by delicious bite…

200 Years Old And Still Irresistibly Adorable! A Timeless Image of “Cute” From the Edo Period

Kay
Apr 14, 2013

Okay, this little fella is seriously cute! (And I’m not talking about the big black bull in the painting above, but the small white ball of fur in the bottom center — see him?) It’s hard to believe he’s more than 200 years old, or at least his picture is. Yes, dogs have been man’s best friend for a long time, and this particular picture that has been capturing the heart of modern internet users of late goes to prove that our love of dogs (and all things furry and adorable for that matter) truly transcend time. Just look at the little guy’s fluffy white coat and innocent puppy eyes. No wonder the image has been making net users go all gooey! Read More

The Worrying Aging Effects of Too Much Computer Work

Andrew Miller
Apr 13, 2013

In the past decade or so, the widespread use of computers in both the public and private sphere has seen the personal computer become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Whether it be creating a chart of company expenditures or simply recording important appointments in a software-based diary, almost all of our work has been a layer of digital varnish. The birth of the laptop computer has meant that work can be done virtually anywhere, with a wealth of information available in a few clicks and taps of the keyboard. As wonderful as all this is, it’s easy to overlook some of the problems that arise from a computer-centric life. Here we’ll take a good, hard look at the downside to spending the vast majority of our day plugging in and screen-facing.

Tochigi Prefecture University Offers Free Breakfasts to New Students

Philip Kendall
Apr 13, 2013

April in Japan is a month of changes. As well as the beginning of the new tax year, the new school year begins, staff are rotated between departments, and new employees enter companies wearing plain black suits and fixed smiles that are betrayed only by the thin layer of sweat on their foreheads and nervous, darting eyes. It’s also the time of year that millions of university students experience life away from home for the first time, installing themselves in halls of residence or nearby apartments with no one to check up on them.

In an effort to help their students settle in and start their studies off on the right foot, a university in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, is operating a free breakfast initiative, inviting all new students to stop by the cafeteria from eight o’clock each morning to eat a nutritious, home-cooked meal, thus ensuring that they consume at least one meal during the day that hasn’t come out of a plastic cup or a convenience store microwave.