Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
Japan (Page 1565)
For those who haven’t heard the news, Hayao Miyazaki, often referred to as “the Walt Disney of Japan,” is formally retiring from the feature film industry. To address the countless questions and concerns of disappointed fans, Miyazaki will be attending a press conference on Friday, September 6, to discuss the details of his retirement. This meeting will be streamed live on website, Niconico, for the whole world to watch.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of Kenji Miyazawa’s Death, and as a tribute to the celebrated writer a revival of the Ihatov Symphony was performed in his hometown of Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture on 29 August. The symphony was composed by Isao Tomita, a true originator of electronic music in Japan and features Hatsune Miku the iconic vocaloid who embodies the trail blazed by Tomita decades ago.
How much do you know about daruma? Historically, there was the man called Daruma-daishi (aka Bhodhidharma), a Buddhist monk who is credited with spreading the practice of Zen Buddhism into China. Then, there are the daruma dolls, paper mache prayer tokens made and distributed throughout Japan for the sake of health, longevity, and success. These limbless dolls have an approximate 400-year history of bringing encouragement and good fortune to the people of Japan. However, in recent years the production and subsequent purchase of daruma has fallen. People are losing track of their daruma dolls, forgetting the purpose for which they serve, or at a loss of where to buy them in the first place.
Now, in an effort to bring back appreciation for the humble daruma, the Kagoyaka company in Yamanashi Prefecture is modernizing the traditional doll into something they call the Koshu～Color Daruma.
Living in Japan, it’s easy to take safety and honesty for granted. This is, after all, the country where public trains make ideal spots for a nap.
That said, with over 150 million people in the country, you’re bound to have a few bad apples, such as the lowlifes who’ve decided there’s no better place for a crime spree than the town of Yamamoto, which was hit hard by the massive earthquake and tsunami of 2011.
With just two days to go until the host city for the 2020 Olympic Games is announced, sports fans and economists all over the world are busy listing each of the three candidates’ strengths and weaknesses in an attempt to guess the overall winner. According to the bookies, however, Japan’s capital city is already the odds-on favourite to clinch the title.
For the most part, people in Japan take pride in being well-groomed. Skin care gets particular priority, and individuals especially concerned about looking their best carry around packs of oil-blotting papers called abura torigami. When you don’t want to wait until you get home to wash a day’s worth of grime off your face, they’re handy little things, and we mean that literally.
Abura torigami tend to be pretty small, so much so that you’ll usually see people stretching them out with both hands to get the maximum use out of the precious surface area each one offers. Granted, this looks dainty and adorable when a cute girl does it. Other people, though, such as the RocketNews24 male writing team, are far too ruggedly handsome to ever be considered “cute.” Are there no larger abura torigami for the rest of us?
Indeed there are, thanks to a tie-up with anime smash hit Attack on Titan.
How cool would it be to be able to change into a towering giant at will? How many Shingeki no Kyojin: Attack on Titan fans have been wishing they could turn into a massive Titan, just like the series’ main character, Eren Yeager? Well Cospa, the online anime apparel and merchandise site, is here to help you transform into the wall-crushing, man-eating beast of your dreams with the newest addition to their Titan cosplay lineup!
*Super-strength and speed sold separately.
We here at RocketNews24 have got some exciting news for any fans of Doraemon who wish to take their love of the blue character that one step further. It comes in the form of two rather unique masks that are guaranteed to transform the wearer into the spitting image of Doraemon.
For many of us the smell of a new car is as sweet as a rose named victory, but for an increasing number of people it smells like a toxic dump. Those people may be on to something too, as there is also an increasing interest in the possible risks of that once beloved aroma.
Sure you could smoke cigars while your soaking wet dog rolls around in the back seat to get rid of that smell, but that’s time-consuming and only masks the potentially hazardous chemicals causing the scent. That’s why Japanese chemical company, Tosoh, are well on their way to producing an environmentally-friendly way to rid your car of its new smell.
September has finally arrived, bringing with it…well, not cooler temperatures, but promises of cooler temperatures. Maybe. Sometime soon, we’re sure it’ll cool down and we’ll all stop going from dry to drenched in sweat two seconds after stepping outside.
September also, obviously, means the approach of autumn–that glorious time of year when all the leaves explode into yellow and red hues. Though many think of sakura blossoms when they think of Japan’s beautiful trees, the country is no less proud of its fall colors. And Kyoto boasts more than a few excellent destinations for autumnal sightseeing. Here are 12 of Kyoto’s best places to enjoy the fall leaves!
There are a number of things you would never want to find hidden in amongst your parents belongings, but this one might just take the top spot.
When people think of Japan, they usually think of sushi, girls in kimono, otaku types camping outside electronics stores, and maybe this guy. But did you know that Japan is home to some seriously intense roller coasters? Yup, there are more corkscrews, loops and positive Gs in Japan than you can shake a paper fan at, so we decided it was about time we introduced you to 10 of the best roller coasters the country has to offer. We hope you had a light lunch!
Earlier this month, the Katamachi branch of the Chinese food restaurant Gyoza no Osho (King of Gyoza) in Kanazawa City, Japan, shut down after a group of men decided to drop in on the royal dumpling restaurant dressed in nothing but their birthday suits.
Given that the apparently rather promiscuous Hello Kitty will lend her likeness to just about everything, from doughnuts to assault rifles, it’s only a matter of time until the world is plastered in Hello Kitty spawn and our little human children are asking where all these frighteningly cute mouthless kitties come from.
Well, thanks to the curious mind of Moistproductions.com‘s Jason Freeny, you can now get your hands on a helpful tool to explain!
The movie Pacific Rim has been getting a lot of love around the actual Asian Pacific Rim recently, with China especially talking about it, though perhaps not for the best reasons. Japan too, being a lover of giant monster movies, has taken to Guillermo del Toro’s work, with praise from game makers Fumito Ueda (Ico, Shadow of the Colossus) and Hideo Kojima (Metal Gear, Zone of Enders) and manga artists Go Nagai (Marzinger Z) and Yoshiyuki Sadamoto (Neon Genesis Evangelion).
Also, in honor of the film a video was posted to YouTube titled “Pacific Rim Main Theme 8bit Arrange” which along with NES-tech rendition of the movie’s main theme gives us a nostalgic intro scene to what could have been a great video game adaptation of Pacific Rim. There are even some cute sprite versions of the Jaegers!
Well, it looks as if the people of Kansai may have been jerked around yet again. One month after the Japan Meteorological Agency sent out a blanket alarm of an imminent earthquake in Nara, astronomer Yoshio Kushida made the grim prediction of a large-scale quake as early as 6 September.
Now, in the wake of intense media attention, Kushida’s PHP Institute has made a follow-up report stating that until the end of September “there is no possibility of an earthquake.”
Where won’t Hello Kitty go? She’s already been in a hotel suite, on the side of an overpriced melon, and even in someone’s eye. Now it appears she’ll be heading to the inside of your camera soon.
Toshiba just announced that they will begin selling a new version of their Hello Kitty SD card later this month and it appears that the packaging may be even cuter than the black and pink card itself.
Long-running gaming site CVG revealed earlier today that Japan’s Sony Computer Entertainment is poised to unveil a new “virtual reality headset” at the upcoming Tokyo Game Show, stating that the unit will be the final piece in the company’s PlayStation 4 hardware strategy.
It really warms your heart to see more Japanese celebrities show their support for cosplay. It’s one of the flashier hobbies that anime fans can boast and is getting more popular by the day. Cosplay websites abound with fashion tips and suggestions for various costumes styles, poses, and makeup options for just about every conceivable costume on the market.
But AKB48 star, Haruka Shimazaki, might want to do a bit of rethinking before offering up her own anime makeup (AniMake for short) suggestions, as her most recent attempts caused a despairing cry to ring out from among her adoring fans…
Fall is right around the corner, and winter is around the corner after that, and after that… wait, back up, you’re just going to end up in the same place you started. Let’s focus on fall.
Fall in Japan, like every season in Japan, is a chance for companies to come up with new seasonal convenience store items with fancy color-coded packages. And in summer’s case, tons and tons of salt. In the fall, especially, manufacturers gear up with all kinds of crazy concoctions because it’s (probably) a verifiable fact that everybody eats like a damn starved pig in the fall and they know you’ll eat or drink just about anything if they put some pretty fall leaves on the package.
Starbucks Japan releases a new Cream Puff Frappuccino for a limited time
Is this Tokyo government office still one of the best places in the city for a curry rice lunch?
Is Japan’s Crab-shaped Cup Ramen Timer worth the hype?
Pikachu and Eevee become handmade Lladró porcelain sculptures to celebrate Pokémon’s 30th birthday
Nine great places to see spring flowers in Japan, as chosen by travelers (with almost no sakura)
Silicone testicle covers banned from Japanese sauna following cups being left behind and on shelves
Starbucks Japan unveils new S’mores Frappuccino and latte for Christmas 2025
3 reasons why you should buy this coffee drink at Tully’s instead of Starbucks in Japan
How do fans in Japan feel about the new One Piece Netflix live-action trailer?
Starbucks Japan offers special sakura picnics at Reserve Roastery Tokyo beside Meguro River
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura cherry blossom collection for hanami season 2026
Japan’s cherry blossom season predicted to start earlier than we’d thought, especially in Tokyo
Japanese government planning higher ticket prices for foreign tourists at Tokyo National Museum
Is Tokyo Station’s startlingly expensive wagyu bento boxed lunch worth its high price?[Taste test]
One Piece creator has hidden secret of anime treasure’s identity in chest at bottom of real-world oceanStarbucks Japan releases a new Cream Puff Frappuccino for a limited timeSilicone testicle covers banned from Japanese sauna following cups being left behind and on shelves
Studio Ghibli now sells Ursula’s backpack from Kiki’s Delivery Service at its anime shop in Japan
Live-action One Piece’s Luffy teaches Sesame Street’s Elmo a Japanese word for friendship[Video]
Mister Donut unveils new sakura doughnuts for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura cherry blossom collection for hanami season 2026
Foreigners accounting for over 80 percent of off-course skiers needing rescue in Japan’s Hokkaido
Super-salty pizza sends six kids to the hospital in Japan, linguistics blamed
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura Frappuccino for cherry blossom season 2026
Foreign tourists in Japan will get free Shinkansen tickets to promote regional tourism
The 10 most annoying things foreign tourists do on Japanese trains, according to locals
Take a trip to Japan’s Dododo Land, the most irritating place on Earth
Naruto and Converse team up for new line of shinobi sneakers[Photos]
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your homeJapan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Silicone testicle covers banned from Japanese sauna following cups being left behind and on shelves
Starbucks Japan unveils new S’mores Frappuccino and latte for Christmas 2025
3 reasons why you should buy this coffee drink at Tully’s instead of Starbucks in Japan
How do fans in Japan feel about the new One Piece Netflix live-action trailer?
Starbucks Japan offers special sakura picnics at Reserve Roastery Tokyo beside Meguro River
Studio Ghibli now sells Ursula’s backpack from Kiki’s Delivery Service at its anime shop in Japan
Swapping seats on Japan’s bullet trains is not allowed, Shinkansen operator says
Japan’s cherry blossom season predicted to start earlier than we’d thought, especially in Tokyo
Japanese schoolgirls’ hemlines are still up, but socklines are way down
Busty Japanese YouTuber chef sells ad space on her chest, fans enthralled by cooking videos
Playing ‘The Deep’ on Sony’s Project Morpheus was terrifying【RN24@E3】
We try Ajinomoto’s European Chicken Katsu Curry Style frozen gyoza that has no katsu in it
Book of over 200 Hayao Miyazaki Totoro pre-production illustrations, some never published, now on sale
Summer in Japan doesn’t sound like summer in Japan right now