Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
Japan (Page 1579)
Is your PS Vita a little too pedestrian? Looking for something to brighten your portable PlayStation up? Well if you’re in Japan or happen to know a decent importer, you might want to grab the latest issue of Dengeki PlayStation as the magazine comes with a free set of skins based on Katamari Damacy creator Keita Takahashi’s Tenya Wanya Teens and Alphabet games.
As Japan sees more and more people being exposed to English through making foreign friends, working with colleagues from overseas or even just watching more American films, some Japanese people feel left behind in this English “boom.” They see more and more of their friends picking up certain habits that some may see as cosmopolitan, but they interpret as bragging about a new “international” lifestyle.
Click below to find out 10 things English-speaking Japanese do that make their friends and family roll their eyes!
Generally it’s nice to have your country or town be number one in something. Even if it’s for something as despicable as bag snatching, you can at least gain a slightly twisted sense of pride for toughing it out in such a rough-and-tumble locale.
However, when a recent study reported by Bloomberg Japan declared that Japan had overtaken the U.S. in smartphone and tablet app purchases, people we less than enthused leaving comments such as “Japan’s screwed,” and, “This is sad news indeed.”
It’s Monday again and you know what that means! Your Monday Kickstart video is here to get you going through another week.
This week, we found a cute cat that seems more interested in lounging around being a kitty than living up to his bushy lion mane.
When I was a kid, I used to watch Japanese anime that were dubbed in English or Mandarin because the original versions were not broadcast on the local TV channels. Most of the time, the theme songs of these anime remained in Japanese, and I had fun singing along to the catchy tunes even though I had absolutely no idea what the lyrics meant. However, it isn’t entirely uncommon for international versions of anime series to have theme songs localized to the audience’s native language and tastes for music.
Recently, a clip of the Arabic version of the popular anime series, Arupusu no Shojo Haiji (Heidi, Girl of the Alps) has been making waves among Japanese netizens due to its localized opening song, which was starkly different from the Japanese original. Videos after the jump!
Do your eyes light up with excitement at the prospect of exploring remote land untouched by humankind? Even if your idea of adventure is a new brand of cup ramen, we think everyone can be impressed by Japanese explorer Yasunaga Ogita, who will make a second attempt at a gruelling solo trek to the North Pole. And the nearly 800-km journey will be made all the more difficult since Ogita plans to hike through some of the world’s coldest and harshest terrain without any supplies other than what he alone can carry.
Bessatu Margaret, a spin-off of Margaret, a manga magazine for girls, is coming up on its 50th year of publication and the astounding cover of superstar characters for their special tribute has just seen the light of day. Featuring work by artists from Shonen Jump, Young Jump, and more, it’s a must-see for any manga fan!
So, let’s say you wake up one morning, unlock your smartphone, and find yourself bombarded with all caps texts from friends about some “zombie apocalypse.” And probably a few Instagram selfies, too, just to mark the occasion.
You look out the window and, sure enough, there go a few zombies shuffling down the street, moaning about brains.
What would you do??
Utsunomiya City in Tochigi Prefecture is famous nation-wide for its Chinese fried dumplings known as gyoza in Japan. The capital city boasts over 200 gyoza shops many of which are densely located near Utsunomiya Station in what is known as “Gyoza Town.”
Our reporter, Usagi, braved the imminent threat of deliciousness and boarded a Tochigi-bound train. Next stop: Gyoza Town!
Remember all of those umbrellas that were abandoned in train stations in October and November this year during the typhoon season? Well at least one station in Tokyo definitely does, but thankfully they’re putting a few of them to good use: by turning them into surprisingly pretty Christmas trees!
If you or someone you know is expecting or has just given birth to a tiny person, and you’re looking for a gift that’s both cute and a little bit quirky, we may have the perfect item for you right here: Japanese online retailer Akasugu has just announced that it is now stocking baby and maternity items featuring collaborative designs between Japan’s Hello Kitty and classic kids’ picture book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
For those living in colder climates using a smartphone creates a major dilemma. We want to check our messages but wearing gloves often renders our touch screens useless. Sure, there are specialized smartphone compatible gloves, but going that way severely limits your choices of style and color.
Driven to the edge with this problem, Yoshiaki Owari of the Daily Portal Z came up with a groundbreaking way to keep your hands warm, stylish, and functional. In addition, you’re left with a tasty dish at the end of the day when you use Sausage Gloves!
If you’re ever looking for the Japanese equivalent to “John Smith,” the go-to name is decidedly “Tarou Yamada.” And yet, if you look at today’s population, neither of those names top the popularity charts! Yamada, though simple to write and stereotypically Japanese, isn’t even in the top five for family names!
Now that we mentioned it, we’re sure you’re all curious to know now, so here’s a list of the five most common family names in Japan, as announcement by the Meiji Life Insurance Company.
MonoMax, a Japanese fashion magazine for men in their thirties, is giving away a free Coach travel clock in their January issue to celebrate the magazine’s six year anniversary. The issue was released on December 10 for 890 yen (US$8.90). Nine bucks for a designer clock?! We had to buy one and check it out!
The biggest star from Japan has got to be Hello Kitty, the adorable cat character that’s easily recognized by nearly everyone. And as the epitome of cute, Hello Kitty has garnered female fans from around the world.
It is this same Hello Kitty that became a contact lens fit to stick in your eye. When production of this bizarre incarnation of everyone’s favorite white cat was announced back in August of this year, the delicate purple contacts were all over the news. Just as strange, My Melody was also made into a contact lens, enabling people across Japan to stick not one, but two beloved Sanrio characters in their eyes.
Thinking how great it would be to hide an adorable character in such an inconspicuous place, ninja style, our Japanese writing staff bought a pair of Hello Kitty and My Melody contact lenses. Here are the results…
With the end of this year fast approaching, we now enter the season of reflection for 2013 via ranking lists. In these last fleeting days let’s take a moment to see which albums, apps, shoes, books, and cockroach traps Japanese shoppers flocked to buy online in the largest numbers. Perhaps then we can form a clearer picture of what life in Japan was like for this two-thousand thirteenth year of our lord.
Gamers in Japan who have yet to place an order but are hoping to pick up Sony’s newest console when it finally launches next February may well be disappointed come launch day. Amazon Japan is already reporting that it has sold out completely, and although it is hoping to guarantee more units soon might not be able to meet demand.
As with most new must-have items, numerous retailers offering the console at considerably inflated prices are already starting to appear online. Whether or not for its own gain, Amazon Japan has urged its customers via Twitter to be aware that those paying more than 40,000 yen (US$385) for a PlayStation 4 are being ripped off.
Airline meals once had a pretty bad rap, but in-flight food has improved quite a bit since Seinfeld was wondering what its deal was. And really, isn’t it kind of amazing that you can get a hot meal at all when you are barreling through the sky at 600 miles per hour in a small metal tube?
For everyone that has ever wondered how that perfectly portioned food turns up on your tray, we’ve gone behind that scenes at the in-flight meal production center for Japan Airlines (JAL) to get the scoop.
Christmas is just around the corner, and ’tis the season to be giving! While some of us have yet to even start on our Christmas shopping, an anonymous Santa has already presented three schools in Hokkaido, Japan, with a whopping gift of over 3,000 books in total!
Japan approves foreign resident visa renewal fee increases of up to 967 percent, starts soon
Japan tripled its departure tax to fund tourism but is using the money on cherry blossoms and bears
Tokaido Lumière Express: Stay overnight inside the Shinkansen from Osaka to Tokyo
McDonald’s Japan reveals exclusive new Tsukimi moon viewing collection for 2026
Nike x One Piece collection brings Devil Fruits to sneakers and streetwear in Japan
Nephew of Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki serves up Totoro Shaved Ice in Tokyo
Data suggests increased bear sightings have led to a decrease in mountain climbers across Japan
Ministop brings bulked up Okinawan-style rice balls to mainland Japan for one week only
Starbucks Japan adds new Customisation Bar to stores, with free ways to hack your food and drink orders
Domino’s puts a new spin on moon viewing with Tsukimi dango-inspired tarts in Japan
7-year-old boy left behind on Mt. Fuji by his own dad
Sushi Bus: Japan’s first conveyor-belt bus lets you eat sushi while sightseeing around Tokyo
Studio Ghibli unveils new interactive stationery dioramas that bring anime movies to life on your desk
Anime fans can now wear a Seiko watch inspired by Japan’s One Piece ShinkansenJapan tripled its departure tax to fund tourism but is using the money on cherry blossoms and bearsNike x One Piece collection brings Devil Fruits to sneakers and streetwear in Japan
7-Eleven Japan brings back best-selling flat croissant that became a hit on social media
Studio Ghibli composer Jo Hisaishi just set three Guinness Records
Foreign hiker on Mt. Fuji loses consciousness and dies, becoming climbing season’s second fatality
We recommend not buying one pack of Japan’s new convenience store corn soup-flavor fried chicken
12-year-old British girl who went missing in Tokyo found safe after visiting anime sites around Yokohama7-year-old boy left behind on Mt. Fuji by his own dad
Air-conditioned dress shirts arrive in Japan to save working professionals from sweltering heatSushi Bus: Japan’s first conveyor-belt bus lets you eat sushi while sightseeing around Tokyo
Pokémon Center Online designates first Pokémon items that will require Japanese ID card to buy
Japanese toilet aims to attract foreign tourists but not everybody is happy about it
Tokyo’s newest viral dessert is like a Japanese parfait inside a bread bun [Taste test]
New Japanese vending machine at Shinkansen station sells cups of ice on platform
Study finds hundreds of people in Indonesia legally named after Naruto, Inuyasha, other anime stars
Japanese vending machine sells freshly squeezed lemon juice with a futuristic light show
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
Nephew of Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki serves up Totoro Shaved Ice in Tokyo
Data suggests increased bear sightings have led to a decrease in mountain climbers across Japan
Ministop brings bulked up Okinawan-style rice balls to mainland Japan for one week only
Starbucks Japan adds new Customisation Bar to stores, with free ways to hack your food and drink orders
Domino’s puts a new spin on moon viewing with Tsukimi dango-inspired tarts in Japan
We recommend not buying one pack of Japan’s new convenience store corn soup-flavor fried chicken
Amid foreign sex tourist rise, Japanese government considering outlawing paying for prostitution
Police in Japan looking for who’s responsible for dumping 80 loaves of bread on side of road [Video]
Pikachu and other Pokémon evolve into hydration types with Thermos drinkware collaboration [Pics]
Dragon Ball Z theme park, financed by Saudi Arabia, to be built in France
Winnie the Pooh cosplays as Yuzuru Hanyu for new plushie collaboration
Sushi Bus: Japan’s first conveyor-belt bus lets you eat sushi while sightseeing around Tokyo
Japan’s double-decker portable rice cooker/bento maker is better than ever with new version
Anime fans can now wear a Seiko watch inspired by Japan’s One Piece Shinkansen
