Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
Japan (Page 1619)
MOS Burger, the Japanese fast food chain famous for being a fresher, slightly healthier alternative to other hamburger joints, has recently announced that it will release a new hamburger sandwich to go alongside its existing range of plain and cheese “Tobikiri” hamburgers. The exciting twist? This one’s loaded with French demi-glace sauce and aligot, a sumptuous mix of potato and cheese that’s sure to send you to premium burger heaven.
Fans of anime and manga are most certainly acquainted with the ever-popular adventure series, One Piece. Now, the brand that brings us all of our favorite pirate-themed products is teaming up with the water label, FRECIOUS, to deliver some totally cool One Piece water dispensers.
Don’t worry, though the story of One Piece takes place on the ocean, these water coolers deliver only the freshest grade-A water from the forests of Mount Fuji. Read More
With character design and a visual style worthy of a Disney production, when we were introduced to this short animation by the staff at our sister site RocketNews24 Japan, we almost didn’t believe them when they said it was made not by a world-famous animation studio but by students of the National Taiwan University of Arts. Half an hour of replays later, we managed to tear ourselves away from the video just long enough to share it with you, our dear readers, too!
It’s cute, it’s emotive, and it’s absolutely gorgeous; this is Deathigner.
Ishigaki Island has a few well known specialty foods such as Ishigaki beef and Yaeyama soba noodle, but aside from these delicacies a little-known snack food has been making waves across the nation. They call it onisasa.
Onisasa should be mistaken for some gimmicky new flavor the city of Ishigaki has concocted just to drum up tourism. This little hidden gem had been around for a long time in the region before getting the attention of greater Japan. So just what is onisasa?
It feels like yesterday when our reporter Kuzo travelled deep into China for find the fabled “melt-proof ice pop” named Banana – a vanilla ice cream encased in a protective gummy sheath. However, this year Banana has come to the world (under a variety of names such as Bennana in Japan), and this October it will reach the shores of Japan.
To celebrate, Banana’s maker Nestle held a “Banana Day” event in Harajuku, Tokyo on 7 August. Yet another punny Japanese holiday on a Japanese reading of “8/7”, it involved the giving away of free monkey ears, T-shirts, and of course Bennanas.
It’s summer in Japan and that means everyone is on the lookout for ways to cool down and cope with the stifling heat. For many Japanese, relief comes in popsicle form, and one of the most popular and refreshing is the Suika Bar, literally “watermelon bar”, which featured in our recent Japanese convenience store ice-cream ranking.
But what happens when you have a craving for the crunchy watermelon treat and the blistering walk to the shops is too much to bear? Our Japanese reporter recently faced this dilemma and tried to recreate the popsicle with just the fruit instead. How will the humble frozen watermelon measure up next to its manufactured cousin? We bring you the answer to this summer’s most pressing question after the break.
It’s come to that time of the year again when many of us will be thinking about getting in shape (or wishing we already had!) as our garments become skimpier and the amount of flesh on show sees an increase. For some, this means planning well ahead of the summer season and going through heavy exercise or muscle training sessions at the gym. However, I’m sure that if you came across the 80-year-old Japanese man in the photo above, you’d find it hard to believe that he was a professional bodybuilder. Perhaps the most natural response would be, “An old man keeping himself active.” But wait until you see the body that he’s hiding under that tracksuit.
The 2013 Summer round of Comic Market (Comiket) began on 10 August, drawing flocks of anime, manga, and cosplay fans from Japan and abroad. The three-day event draws around half a million attendees on average.
For one resident of Odaiba where the event is held, this time of year is an absolute nightmare as he claims an abnormal smell emanates from the convention every time. The following is an translated open letter from the office worker in his 30s, who we’ll refer to as Mr. A.
Every culture in the world has different standards and social norms surrounding blossoming romance. But first kiss stories are a worldwide constant… or are they?
A Japanese cosmetic company, T-Garden, recently came out with a line of new lip gloss called ChuChuMagic, taken from the Japanese sound effect of kissing (“Chu!”). To further their new ad campaign, the online makeup store, Luvlit, started a ChuChuMagic survey on the online market research site, “Girl’s Monitor,” that asked Japanese men and women about their various kissing experiences. After questioning 1,000 users who registered for the survey, Luvlit reported their findings.
In order to show off their new automotive technology called “Eye Sight,” Subaru recently released a commercial starring miniature cars. Filmed without a single frame of CGI or a blink of sleep for 60 hours, the wonderland of a commercial is surprisingly beautiful! We do hope that the actual cars in the dealer lots will fit normal-sized people though…
What’s your 100m sprint time? If it’s over 23.8 seconds, then you’re slower than a 90-year-old! Last month Japan’s Turbo Granny smashed the Japanese record for her age category and now has her sights set on the world record.
Ah, Japan. Land of the world’s best vending machines. It’s hard to go anywhere in the country without finding one, including the summit of Mount Fuji. With over five million scattered around the country, someone should put those hunks of metal to work. Three organizations in Japan are doing just that, teaming up to turn the machines into a lifesaving tool in the event of a disaster, and we aren’t talking about the devices giving out free beverages.
With dozens of websites dedicated to videos of their cute antics, there’s no denying that the Japanese love their pets. But when a pet owner also happens to be a rather talented craftsman, you can be sure that when their skills and love for their pet come together, the results will be terrific.
Check out this miniature ninja house that YouTuber heibonkinoko made for his pet hamster, which comes complete with hidden doors, fake walls and escape tunnels. It’s positively epic in tiny proportions.
Many of us have heard legends about Japanese vending machines. It’s said that you can get practically anything, not just pop and candy bars, from some of these mechanical beauties. Sadly, much as I hate to be the bearer of bad news, most vending machines in Japan only serve your typical fare of soda, water bottles, tea, and corn soup. I was personally quite disheartened on my first trip overseas when I was unable to find a single novelty vending machine during my entire visit. However, this upcoming fall season, a popular bra company in Japan is inviting women to buy their brand new bra directly from a vending machine.
It’s the dog days of summer and your poor little poochie is sprawled out on the hardwood floor, trying to suck up as much coolness as possible. She’s looking up at you with those pleading, puppy dog eyes, hoping for some sort of relief from the heat because you’re too cheap to turn on the air conditioner. Sure, humans have handheld fans, fancy cooling sprays, and delicious ice cream, but what does Fido get? If you’re in Japan and have enough extra cash, your dog could be chilling out this summer in its own personal air conditioner box.
Like many people who grew up in America, when I hear the word “Asahi,” the first thing I think of is beer. Of course, beer also happens to be the first thing I think of when I hear “breakfast,” but that’s a story for another time.
However, there’s also an Asashi Newspaper in Japan. And while the news outlet has no connection to the identically named brewer, that didn’t stop it from recently handing out the kind of parenting advice you’d normally expect from a dad who’s also a violent problem drinker, suggesting that parents “accidentally” smash their kids’ video game consoles in order to keep them focused on their studies.
A friend of mine once shared an image with me of the product recommendations section from Amazon.com, which showed a copy of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 paired with a bulk pack of adult daipers. Apart from shut-ins who would rather soil themselves than leave their military-based shooter and go to the bathroom, it’s hard to imagine why Amazon’s super computers would suggest that the two products were a perfect match.
An equally odd product pairing appearing on Amazon JP caught the attention of Japanese netizens earlier today, but rather than giving them a good chuckle it has quite freaked them out.
Japan is a rich country when it comes to specialty treats and dishes. Small towns all over the nation can offer up unique foods and drinks you’ll never find anywhere else.
Shigenobu Matsuzawa who has uncovered Japan’s hidden treasures such as Digital Kowloon City, The Life and Sex Museum, and Gunma Cycle Sports Center now has found one such snack in Mie Prefecture that you’re unlikely to find in most places: Maple Tempura.
A Chiba area high school teacher, presumably cackling wildly the whole time, has perfected a system to transfer chicken embryos from their eggs to clear plastic containers and raise them to birth. Surprisingly, Tesla coils are in no way involved in the process and the chickens are born perfectly healthy and are not, in fact, zombie chickens.
Tea is the first beverage that comes to mind for most people when they think of Japan, followed closely by sake, beer, chu-hi, and a plethora of other alcoholic beverages for those who spent time at a Japanese university. There are plenty of coffee drinkers in the country too though, with Yuki Jirushi (“Snow Mark”) Coffee’s café au lait being a steady seller in supermarkets and convenience stores for 50 years.
With such a long history, however, the company thought the product’s image could use an updating, and they asked artists to submit their designs for a new mascot to be called Yukiko-tan (-tan being an even cuter version of the already cute Japanese name suffix –chan). Six finalists remain in the contest, and Yuki Jirushi recently held a promotional event to help the undecided pick a favorite by utilizing the tentpole that seemingly all major Japanese marketing campaigns are built around: cute girls.
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
Nagoya’s famous Shinkansen platform noodle shop has other, better branches nearby
Winnie the Pooh cosplays as Yuzuru Hanyu for new plushie collaboration
Osaka Starbucks has one of the city’s coolest photo vantage points, but it’s going away soon
Japan’s double-decker portable rice cooker/bento maker is better than ever with new version
We recommend not buying one pack of Japan’s new convenience store corn soup-flavor fried chicken
Data suggests increased bear sightings have led to a decrease in mountain climbers across Japan
Narita Airport Transit & Stay Program returns after six years with free tours and festival experiences
Ohaw? Ruibe? Pocche? While traveling in Japan’s north, we try Ainu cuisine for the first time
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
12-year-old British girl who went missing in Tokyo found safe after visiting anime sites around Yokohama
Studio Ghibli unveils new interactive stationery dioramas that bring anime movies to life on your desk
Studio Ghibli composer Jo Hisaishi just set three Guinness Records
Anime fans can now wear a Seiko watch inspired by Japan’s One Piece Shinkansen
7-Eleven Japan brings back best-selling flat croissant that became a hit on social media
Foreign hiker on Mt. Fuji loses consciousness and dies, becoming climbing season’s second fatality
Universal Studios Japan partners with manga horror master Junji Ito’s Tomie
Japanese workers reveal their top five mysterious rules they wish would disappear【Survey】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 heat
Pokémon Center Online designates first Pokémon items that will require Japanese ID card to buySushi Bus: Japan’s first conveyor-belt bus lets you eat sushi while sightseeing around Tokyo
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】
Japan’s double-decker portable rice cooker/bento maker is better than ever with new version
We recommend not buying one pack of Japan’s new convenience store corn soup-flavor fried chicken
Data suggests increased bear sightings have led to a decrease in mountain climbers across Japan
Narita Airport Transit & Stay Program returns after six years with free tours and festival experiences
Ohaw? Ruibe? Pocche? While traveling in Japan’s north, we try Ainu cuisine for the first time
KFC Japan unveils new Tsukimi collection that takes moon-viewing to extreme levels
Sushi Bus: Japan’s first conveyor-belt bus lets you eat sushi while sightseeing around Tokyo
Pikachu and other Pokémon evolve into hydration types with Thermos drinkware collaboration [Pics]
Turn octopus, spaghetti, and more of your favorite foods into crackers with Senbei Maker 2
Wait, some Shinkansen trains already have private booths that only cost 1,500 yen for an hour?
Universal Studios Japan partners with manga horror master Junji Ito’s Tomie
The Japanese government is ending its Cool Japan Fund program
Anime fans can now wear a Seiko watch inspired by Japan’s One Piece Shinkansen
Japanese airlines set to cut fuel surcharges for international flights in September and October