Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
Japan (Page 1577)
Something attracting quite a bit of attention on the net at the moment is an incident involving a 25-year-old homeless man in Japan who put himself up for sale as an “item” on the Yahoo! Auctions website. Anyone winning the bid would in theory have been able bring the man into their home and provide him with accommodation.
Ever heard a phrase on TV or in a comic that shocked you right to the core? Maybe a particular line that struck a cord with you and forever afterward you found yourself repeating it? If you’re an avid anime fan, then you might have an answer to that question.
Recently, a survey was conducted among Japanese fans online regarding whether manga character lines left lasting impressions on their viewers. Out of over 700 inquiries, about 31 percent answered that yes, they’d been moved by particular phrases from manga. Here are some of the most heart-wrenching, go-getter phrases picked by fans.
The world of traditional Japanese music is incredibly varied–there’s exciting min’you folk music, austere gagaku ancient imperial court music, and the ethereal tunes of Noh plays. But one genre in particular stands out among the all others: tsugaru-jamisen.
A fast, lively style of playing born out of min’you as performed by traveling entertainers, tsugaru-jamisen hails from Aomori Prefecture and is the youngest genre of “traditional” Japanese music. And, from Hiromitsu Agatsuma and the late Takahashi Chikuzan to the Yoshida Brothers and Kevin Kmetz, there is no shortage of talented, inspiring performers in the tsugaru-jamisen world.
But for us, one duo in particular stands out: Ki&Ki.
Even if you don’t recognize the name, you may already be familiar with these two incredibly talented young women thanks to their numerous YouTube videos. Recently we got the chance to sit down with the pair to learn a little bit about their history with tsugaru-jamisen.
July and August tend to be the seasons where summer festivals get kicked into full swing. Much like festivals in any country, the festivities are often accompanied by various stalls selling drinks and snacks. Other stalls can be found offering games that you know are probably rigged, but just can’t help trying.
For one such stall runner, 45-year-old Tsutomu Morikawa, poor price planning led to a date with the police.
Fancy a shark, a squid or a manta ray floating in your highball?
Now you can, without all the bother of hauling them out of the ocean. Cute miniature versions perfectly formed from ice that will swim on the surface of your beverage.
Fireworks festivals are held across Japan during July and August, despite summer being the country’s wettest season. The inevitable result of this game of atmospheric roulette is that sometimes the pyrotechnic display gets rained out.
Such was the case last Saturday at Showa Park in Tachikawa, the westernmost of Tokyo’s major population centers. Last year’s show drew over 750,000 people to the park and surrounding streets, so when the skies opened up shortly before this year’s similarly-scaled festivities kicked off, it sent a horde of people dashing back to Tachikawa Station, where they were greeted by a leaking roof that only added to the confusion.
Given the situation, it’s easy to understand how someone might drop some of their belongings, like a wallet or cell phone. How a piece of intimate apparel ended up unaccounted for, however, remains a bit of a mystery.
It’s that milestone of life that every young man waits for. When the moment comes he takes a breath, bows his head and asks for something that will change his life for ever.
We’re talking, of course, about getting 10,000 retweets on Twitter. This amazing dream came true for another lucky man in Japan recently. He also happened to get engaged too – which we think is super.
We saw how monster parents can ruin the lives of rural potato farmers, but how do their demands impact the teachers closest to them?
Horribly of course, as some Tokyo area teachers have revealed, particularly when it comes to swimming class. According to an interview with Excite News Japan, school staff are growing increasingly worried with parents’ request to put their sons in one-piece swimsuits.
We don’t mean something cool like wetsuits either. These moms insist that to the best way to combat the indecent exposure of a topless boy is to put him in a girl’s swimsuit. How’s that for logic?
Sure, that’s not a huge challenge, but they went well above and beyond your standard tractor design. Fresh off celebrating Osaka-based heavy manufacturer Yanmar’s centennial anniversary, designer Ken Okuyama felt it was time to inject some well-overdue fresh style into the generally conservative world of agriculture.
However, these tractors are more than just a pretty face, as we’ll soon learn.
April 25 was a sad day for Japanese ice cream lovers, as that was the day the final Japanese Häagen-Dazs store closed shop. The company had achieved its goal of spreading their packaged ice cream through convenience stores and supermarkets, and, after thirty years, decided that the Japanese locations were no longer necessary.
Many a frozen, delicious tear was shed that day.
But you can stop your crying, at least until September 2, thanks to a collaboration between Häagen-Dazs and j.s. pancake cafe!
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Up until now, if you were asked to think of the most efficient hybrid car on the market, surely what would have been at the top of your list is the Toyota Aqua. After all, it boasts a 35.4 km/L (83.2 miles per gallon) spec. that really cannot be ignored. However, the latest offering in hybrid vehicles from Honda, named the Fit Hybrid, goes one step beyond in redefining the notion of fuel efficiency. Boasting energy efficiency levels of 36.4 km/L (85.6 mpg), it steals the lead from the Toyota Aqua. Honda’s Fit Hybrid is expected to be introduced and go on sale in September 2013 in Japan and in terms of hybrid cars, if you exclude the Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles (PHV), is set to become the most fuel efficient car in Japan. We’re sure many hybrid car enthusiasts can’t wait to hear more, so check out the juicy details right after the jump.
As one of Japan’s largest train stations, Tokyo Station is the central hub for many of the JR lines as well as the Shinkansen (bullet train). You can expect some standard grub in most stations, but Tokyo Station has plenty of food places that go beyond the basics. Before setting out on a trip, why not arrive a bit early and enjoy a delicious breakfast before boarding your train? It’s the perfect start to your adventure. Here we introduce five of the best breakfast spots within the station itself.
If a guy yells “Hey, fattie!” at you, the natural reaction from many girls would be a good slap in the face. But apparently when it comes from the perfect lips of a hot guy, it’s just motivation…
Mmmm, a frosty cold glass bottle of Coca Cola on a summer’s day. The cool, solid feeling of the glass as you raise it to your lips, the satisfying heft of the bottle in your hand. What could be better? A plastic bottle? I don’t think so.
A special limited edition glass bottle is now available in Japan in select supermarkets. The announcement was posted up on Coca-Cola Japan’s Facebook page on 24 July, along with the above picture. Other than on Facebook, the glass bottles weren’t especially publicized or promoted. However, they soon gained more than 10,000 likes. Why do people in Japan seem to crave Coke in a glass bottle so much?
The dust has settled and a week has already passed since we saw the last of the Quarter Pounder Jewelry Series, McDonald’s Japan’s trio of luxury burgers. We had a lot of fun trying out truffle sauce, spicy chorizo, and rings of golden pineapple and enjoyed the experience, like most had, in spite of the high prices.
But many commenters from around the world who gazed upon these special Quarter Pounders couldn’t help but shake the fact that it appeared as if the packing was what took up most of the money. Japanese website Byokan Sunday was one such observer and decided to break down the cost of luxurious Jewelry Series’ bags and boxes to see how much of the ten dollar price tag went into making them.
That’s right, Kodansha’s super popular manga series Shingeki no Kyojin: Attack on Titan has teamed up with Yahoo! Japan to bring Japanese smart phone users a terrifying titan-themed search engine!
Imagine the world overrun with enormous humanoid monsters whose sole purpose seems to be extinguishing the human race. What can anyone do to stop the carnage? The answer to that question is what the remaining humans on the planet have to find out in Hajime Isayama’s manga-turned-anime series, Shingeki no Kyojin: Attack on Titan.
While we Japanese are not generally a strictly religious people, willing to incorporate customs and celebrations from various religions into our daily lives, it’s also a fact that you can find many shrines dedicated to a diverse range of deities across the country. But we have to say this particular shrine, which one of our reporter visited recently, is most definitely not your average place of worship. Why? Because it’s a shrine that pays homage to the male phallus! And no, it’s not a joke; everything about this shrine is quite serious, and our reporter tells us all about it below.
Part of our job here at RocketNews24 is to demystify Japan. It’s not that we are trying to make it seem less special, but we would like to turn it from a land of social and cultural barriers into the participatory place our team loves and calls home.
Today we’ll be covering how to tie the sash (or obi) on a man’s yukata summer kimono. Yukata is a look you can rock at festivals, fireworks shows, or just about any entertainment venue during the warmest months of the year. Despite the tradition involved, putting on a yukata isn’t really any harder than tying a necktie (and if you haven’t mastered that yet, you really should have your dad teach you before you go off to college).
If you pay attention while walking around Japan, you’ll eventually see signs warning pedestrians to be careful of purse snatchers. While the average person may never be involved in such an incident, many take care to walk with their bags held away from the street to avoid scooter-riding thieves.
Unfortunately, one 80-year-old woman wasn’t prepared for a purse snatcher while riding an escalator, but she also wasn’t about to just throw her hands up and cry either.
Many visitors to Japan land in Tokyo, spend a few days in the capital, then hop aboard the shinkansen bullet train to see the sights in other regions of the country. The most common route is head west to Kyoto, but travelers shouldn’t overlook the northern prefecture of Akita.
With verdant forests, unique folklore, Japan’s deepest lake, and plenty of regional delicacies, Akita is well worth a trip, especially with the new Super Komachi shinkansen that makes the trip from Tokyo to Akita Station in just under four hours. Plus, to make the time fly by, the Super Komachi serves up its own microbrew.
Silicone testicle covers banned from Japanese sauna following cups being left behind and on shelves
Starbucks Japan offers special sakura picnics at Reserve Roastery Tokyo beside Meguro River
Tokyo Station staff share their top 10 favorite ekiben
Starbucks Japan releases a new Cream Puff Frappuccino for a limited time
Is Japan’s Crab-shaped Cup Ramen Timer worth the hype?
Spring pollen may be damaging your skin, so what’s Japan’s best moisturizing anti-hay fever spray?
7 great places to see Mt. Fuji from without having to climb it
Visiting Japan’s one-and-only, and only-for-a-limited-time, Dragon Ball noodle restaurant[Photos]
Kagoshima conveyor belt sushi chain Mekkemon rises above the rest with its special secret weapon
Foreign tourists in Japan will get free Shinkansen tickets to promote regional tourism
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 2026Foreign 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
Spring pollen may be damaging your skin, so what’s Japan’s best moisturizing anti-hay fever spray?
7 great places to see Mt. Fuji from without having to climb it
Visiting Japan’s one-and-only, and only-for-a-limited-time, Dragon Ball noodle restaurant[Photos]
Kagoshima conveyor belt sushi chain Mekkemon rises above the rest with its special secret weapon
Foreign tourists in Japan will get free Shinkansen tickets to promote regional tourism
Daiso’s 100-yen ramen egg makers even better in smaller sizes
One Piece creator has hidden secret of anime treasure’s identity in chest at bottom of real-world ocean
The 5 best Iwate foods and drinks to buy at the prefecture’s antenna shop in Tokyo
Act of Japanese kindness touches one man’s heart, provides hope for elevator etiquette
Is this Tokyo government office still one of the best places in the city for a curry rice lunch?
Japanese photographer captures tiny whimsical water worlds in macro【Photos】
I can’t believe it’s not fish eggs? Taste-testing Japan’s imitation “almost ikura”【Photos】
Force cute anime boys to crossdress in new mobile simulation game
New line of modern samurai fashion for fall/winter will make you warm and cool
