Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
Japan (Page 1650)
A new restaurant modestly named “Robot Restaurant” has opened in Shinjuku on 18 July but already has generated a lot of buzz on the internet. Its quick surge in popularity may have to do with the rumored post-apocalyptic giant robot show that goes on while you eat and is said to cost 10 billion yen (US$127M) to create. We had to go and see if this is for real.
The baseball world in Japan has been shaken to its core by a pitch so fast it stands among the fastest in the world – and it was done during a high school game.
The pitch, thrown during a televised semifinal match between Ichinoseki Gakuin and Hanamaki Higashi, has focused all the attention of professional baseball onto young Shohei Otani, the pitcher for Hanamaki Higashi High School.
It seems you can buy just about anything on the internet these days, and here’s another bit of proof to put on the pile. What’s the one thing you could add to your home and garden that would make you stand out among your neighbors?
You got it; an 18 meter (59’) tall, 3 ton (2205 lbs) Brachiosaurus statue.
A new online service called Bemool has just been launched in Japan targeted at men who don’t know how to dress themselves. For a meager service fee of 5,000 yen (about $60 US), a stylish and pretty expert will go out and buy some outfits for you, something that is no doubt a god-send for shopping-averse–hell, going-out-in-public-averse–net denizens. Read More
You may have read our previous report about how Japan’s top sword makers had been called upon to bring your favorite weapons from the hit anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion off the screen and into reality.
Well, the day has finally arrived as the Bizen Japanese Sword Museum has at long last opened their “Evangelion & Japanese Sword Exhibit” utilizing traditional sword making techniques to create swords of the future Evangelion universe.
It seems the days of keeping novels or magazines on a stand by the toilet are slipping away from us as more and more people are taking their smartphones into the loo to pass the time. On top of this, social media has paved the way for everyone to update the world on all their daily minutiae.
And what could be minuter than broadcasting our bowel evacuations to the world. On an individual basis such information might be meaningless to others but when analyzed en masse we can learn something about the pooping habits of a nation.
Okay, is everyone ready for summer? You may already have vacation plans, but if you’re going to be in Tokyo this summer, you may want to consider visiting the Sunshine Aquarium in the Ikebukuro area. Why? Because you’ll be able to see “flying penguins” there this summer! Read More
Who doesn’t love Lego? It’s a toy that has certainly stood the test of time and transcended all boundaries of gender, class and geography with its simple yet endless possibilities.
And who doesn’t love Tokyo? It’s a city that has certainly stood the test of time and grown into quite the cultural mecca of food, science, and art. However, it’s a big city that requires time to explore fully. So why not head down to Decks in Odaiba, Tokyo Beach to see the best of it in everyone’s favorite medium – Lego! But that’s not all Legoland Tokyo has to offer.
It seems that some of life’s simplest yet most widespread problems never have solutions. Millions of men worldwide have to watch their hair fade away with no reliable cure. Or how about that man or woman who somehow manages to sit next you on the subway or bus making your eyes water with their biological curse of body odor, better known by bacteriologists by its scientific name: “pit stank.”
Pit stank doesn’t discriminate. The victims are our fathers, sisters, children, and spouses. However, thanks to the pioneering efforts of a legal rep for an NPO in Sendai working with Tohoku University’s New Industry Creation Center the world is one step closer to a cure for this socially scorned affliction.
A recent first round qualifying game for the high school league national championship between rivals Nichidai Fujisawa (Japan University’s High School) and Buso ended in controversy after a botched infield fly ball was mishandled causing a Nichidai runner to steal home and earn a walk-off victory for their team.
According to South Korea’s Far East Daily newspaper, China’s public radio broadcast an interview with a currently active Major General who spoke like many Generals do, with much aplomb and sabre rattling to be heard. Let’s see what he has to say.
On first hearing about this story, it’s easy to be skeptical that a review for a can of cat food could possibly be as unnerving as one buyer’s comment on Rakuten (Japan’s answer to Amazon) was purported to be.
Most of us have spent enough time on the internet and saw our share of Goatses and blue waffles. So how could an online review for a tin of Mon Petit Whitefish & Tuna For Kittens possibly turn our web-hardened stomachs?
It did.
All right, this video should delight and impress all of you Gundam fans out there. And even if you’re not a Gundam fan, I think you’ll still find the video pretty amazing! You have to admit that it takes a huge amount of dedication, perseverance and love for the anime, not to mention time, to actually do what was done in this video. The end result is a full-color drawing of the Gundam mobile suit machine from the well-known anime series, and while the picture itself is an excellent effort, what is truly impressive about it is the unconventional way it was drawn. Read More
A few months have passed since our resident reporter Mr. Sato consumed a Whopper loaded with 1050 strips of bacon. Now the smell of bacon grease has finally faded from the office and Mr. Sato seems to have learned his lesson after spending countless hours curled up in the fetal position, praying his arteries would hold out another day.
At least, that’s what we thought until he walked into the office the other day carrying a Whopper with 1000 slices of cheese in his hands.
Cheesus Christ.
At the moment there’s a picture book that’s very popular in Japan called “A Picture Book of Hell.” It’s intended to teach kids good manners, and it’s become something of a hot topic, if you’ll excuse the pun. Popular illustrator Akiko Higashimura even mentioned it in her manga series “Mama wa Tenparisto”, loosely translated as “Momma With a Short Fuse”. As you can imagine, there’s been a lot of interest among mothers and educational professionals.
I suppose terrorizing your kids with two-dimensional representations of hell is OK, but did you know there’s a place you can take them to experience it in real life? Read More
Awesome Course Schedule, an app released last year by Japanese content provider Labit, has been rapidly gaining traction with students at Japanese universities, because it allows them to rate and review their courses. Read More
Established by a 10 member team including journalists, activists and University professors, the committee for the “Most Evil Corporation of the Year” (in Japanese “Black Corporation Award”) has made a shortlist of nominees each vying to be the blackest of businesses.
In Japanese, the term “black business” refers to companies who rake in huge profits while exploiting their own work force by discrimination, harassment, unpaid overtime, and short-term contracts. This type of business is a widespread problem in Japanese society but often goes on undiscussed in mainstream media.
If you’re a fan of Japanese manga, you may be familiar with the comic magazine “Weekly Shonen Jump” (“Shukan Shonen Jump in Japanese”), one of the longest running and most widely read comic magazines in Japan. Well, you might be interested to know that a mystery countdown has been going on the magazine’s website, and until recently, the page showing the countdown contained just a short Japanese phrase (“最強、始動” which roughly translates to “The Truly Mighty are Getting Ready for Action” ) followed by the letter D covering the page. Read More
We recently posted a story on the new Toy Story snacks and goodies that have become available at Tokyo Disney Sea in advance of the opening of the new attraction, “Toy Story Mania!“. Well, now that Toy Story Mania! has officially opened on July 9th, we wanted to let you know what the crowd was like on opening day. Okay, the attraction was highly anticipated, with excellent advance reviews, so a huge crowd was fully expected. But who would have imagined that the wait time for the ride at 10:30a.m. on opening day would be a staggering 400 minutes? That’s a 6 hour 40 minute wait! Read More
With the recent opening of the Tokyo Sky Tree, it’s older little brother, Tokyo Tower has its work cut out for it to gather tourists. In an effort to break out of the shadow of the tallest tower in the world, Tokyo Tower plans to add “Japan’s first autonomously moving robot with a signboard.”
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura cherry blossom collection for hanami season 2026
Is Tokyo Station’s startlingly expensive wagyu bento boxed lunch worth its high price?[Taste test]
Sakuramochi festival sweetens things up at Tokyo’s Seibu Ikebukuro this season
Sakura Festival in Chiyoda mixes illuminations, boats, music, and Rilakkuma in the heart of Tokyo
Lawson adds doughnuts to its convenience store sweets range, but are they good enough to go viral?
Viral Japanese cheesecake from Osaka has a lesser known rival called Aunt Wanda
One Piece creator has hidden secret of anime treasure’s identity in chest at bottom of real-world ocean
Foreign tourists in Japan will get free Shinkansen tickets to promote regional tourism
Ichiran Ramen opens new premium branch in Ginza with high-class boxed noodles
Telecommute with Pikachu! Over 250 Pokémon video chat backgrounds now free to download
Starbucks Japan releases first-ever Hinamatsuri Girls’ Day Frappuccino
Japanese restaurant chain serves Dragon Ball donuts and Senzu Beans this spring
Japan Extreme Budget Travel! A trip from Tokyo to Izumo for just 30,000 yen [Part 1]
Highest Starbucks in Japan set to open this spring in the Tokyo sky
Japan’s craziest burger chain takes menchi katsu to new extreme levels
Japan Extreme Budget Travel! A trip from Tokyo to Izumo for just 30,000 yen [Part 2]
Japan has only one airport named after a samurai, so let’s check out Kochi Ryoma【Photos】
Japanese drugstore sells onigiri at pre-stupid era prices, but how do they compare to 7-Eleven?Viral Japanese cheesecake from Osaka has a lesser known rival called Aunt Wanda
Which convenience store onigiri rice balls are the most popular? Survey reveals surprising results
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom 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]
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting the lines at a popular Tokyo gyukatsu restaurant?
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
Viral Japanese cheesecake from Osaka has a lesser known rival called Aunt Wanda
One Piece creator has hidden secret of anime treasure’s identity in chest at bottom of real-world ocean
Foreign tourists in Japan will get free Shinkansen tickets to promote regional tourism
Ichiran Ramen opens new premium branch in Ginza with high-class boxed noodles
Telecommute with Pikachu! Over 250 Pokémon video chat backgrounds now free to download
Tokyo Station staff share their top 10 favorite ekiben
Take a trip to Japan’s Dododo Land, the most irritating place on Earth
The etiquette rules for visiting Shinto shrines in Japan
Great Gundam news! Japan’s life-size moving giant robot statue won’t close down this year after all
Starbucks Japan reveals new sakura drinkware collection, inspired by evening cherry blossoms
We go to bed with Coca-Cola’s new Sleep Water to test its snooze-inducing effects
The cold getting to you? Have a warm drink — from a vending machine!
