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Japanese School Lunch Fail【You, Me, And A Tanuki】

You, Me, And a Tanuki is a weekly featured blog run by Michelle, a Californian who is currently one of only two foreigners living in Chibu, a tiny fishing village on one of the Oki islands in Japan. Check back every Saturday for a new post or read more on her website here!

When I first got to Japan, I made a goal to try any food that was offered to me.  Sea snails (freshly cracked out of their shells and still alive), check.  Sea cucumber, check.  Shiokara (fermented salty squid), check.  I’ve encountered some of the grossest edible things I’ve ever seen, but stuck to my goal, tried not to think about the slimy mess in front of me, and ate the new food.

To up the ante on my food challenge, I told myself that I would eat every dish  that was served in kyuushoku (school lunch).  The main reason I took this challenge is that I think it sets a good example for the kids, who are made to sit at the lunch table until they finish every bite of their food.  Usually, completing my goal isn’t a chore at all.  I’ve had some of the most delicious meals I’ve ever encountered in Japan served to me in the lunchroom at school.  But it hasn’t all been easy.  I’m not a fan of shishamo (pregnant smelt fish) which are eaten with head, eyes, tail, bones…everything, intact.  As unappealing as shishamo is to me, I still manage to eat all of them when they are served in the school lunch.

Unfortunately, my undefeated school lunch record has come to an end.

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With the debate over the ownership of the Senkaku islands remaining heated, tensions continue to run high across mainland China. There have been numerous instances of attacks on those being seen to support Japan, and Japanese-owned businesses have been hit hard, with many, including world-famous fashion store Uniqlo, ordering their Japanese staff to remain at home for the time being.

On this side of the water, however, both Japanese and Chinese alike are going about their daily lives with relatively little conflict or stress… Read More

A Mini Car You Can Ride On: My 7-year-old Self Rejoices!

When I was a kid, my dad’s 300 gallon fish tank overflowed and dumped a quarter of its contents onto my mother’s clean kitchen floor. Like any logical child would do, I stripped down buck naked and had a slip n slide party in the kitchen. It was awesome.

While insisting that my sister push me in a baby doll stroller, the dang thing snapped in half and I was rewarded with a metal rod scraping the length of my shin.  I still have a scar to prove it.
Having outgrown my white, teal, and bright pink roller blades (ah, the 90’s), I tried strapping the neighbor boy’s Playskool dump truck and school bus to my feet, attempting, in vain, to find a substitute.

Forever on a quest to find the newest and funnest (hey, Microsoft, funnest is a word!) mode of transportation, the seven-year-old in me wants to go out and do everything in her power to find this amazing mini car that a full grown adult can ride on!

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Rocksmith’s Japanese Commercial Seems to Defy You to Buy It, Employs Aki Toyosaki

After mastering Guitar Hero years back, I was left with an empty feeling.  I had taken my plastic 4-button guitar controller out on the street to perform One by Metallica but no one paid any attention to me.  In fact, passersby seemed to be intentionally avoiding eye contact.

This is why I was excited to find Rocksmith would be released in Japan on October 11.  The game that actually lets you practice a real guitar in a fun way so you can walk away from it a better person with an entertaining skill!

However, my excitement took a bit of a hit when I saw the first Japanese commercial for it.

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Junior College Establishes Idol Department, Courses Include Make-Up and Dancing

 

The post-secondary education business has entered dire straits in Japan.  With the ever declining birth rate, schools across the nation are struggling to keep enrollments up.

In Fukuoka, Nishi-Nippon Junior College believes it has an attractive solution to this problem: the “Department of Media Promotion,” more casually referred to as the “Idol Training Department.”

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  • Sep 28, 2012

It seems there’s no shortage of news when it comes to world-famous digital diva, Hatsune Miku. Just recently, we were amazed that an avid fan was willing to shell out 369,000yen (US$4738) for a Hatsune Miku walkman with a premium serial number. Now, we’ve found a shockingly funny picture of, shall we say, an unique recreation of the “Hachune Miku” steamed buns which went on sale from convenience chain Family Mart in August. Read More

Life-Saving Multitasking Made Possible: Massage Your Face While Playing Nintendo DS Games!

Have you ever wanted to increase your productivity? Do you, like me, save time by brushing your teeth in the shower, ironing a shirt while eating toast, or taking your horses out for a morning canter while penning a poem about clouds?

Today’s your lucky day!

Japan Trust Technology (JTT) is now marketing a time-saving, relaxing beautification tool that every Nintendo DS owner should have- The Germa Roller Touch Pen! Read More

Hilarious Comic About Room-Sharing Jesus and Buddha, “Saint Onīsan”, to Become Animated Movie

It was revealed yesterday that Saint Onīsan, quite possibly this writer’s favourite manga right now, is to become an animated feature film.

For the unfamiliar, Saint Onīsan (lit. Saint young man), is Hikaru Nakamura’s serial comic that tells the tale of Jesus and Buddha, who come down to Earth from heaven for a little rest and relaxation, setting up camp in a small apartment in Tachikawa, Tokyo.

Constantly on a budget but always keen to explore, Jesus and Buddha do their best to keep their true identities secret while experiencing as much everyday human life as possible. Doing everything from experiencing local festivals to shopping for a rice cooker, the pair often find themselves getting into genuinely hilarious mishaps. Read More

I don’t know about other guys, but even if I’m in a healthy relationship I will sometimes encounter a girl who completely grabs my attention and doesn’t let go.

Maybe she’s stunningly beautiful, maybe she exudes charisma and style; whatever it is, there’s just something about her that captivates me—but that doesn’t necessarily mean I’m romantically interested.

It’s like I’ve been trying to tell my wife for the past three hours while she’s locked herself in the bathroom with my wallet and phone: there are some girls you want to date and there are some girls you just want to look at.

Just take a look at the illustration above, which sparked an online debate over ideal girlfriends vs. ideal eye-candy after being poster to Twitter earlier this week.

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RocketNews24 Original Scatch and Sniff: Aaah, That New Game Console Smell!!!

At 00:00 a.m. on March 1, 1997, a 14-year-old version of this writer- extremely lanky and awkwardly dressed- was standing outside a videogame store alongside his mother and a few slightly bedraggled-looking young men, clutching the pocket-money he’d saved for nearly 18 months, absolutely desperate to give it away.

This was undoubtedly the nerdiest moment of my life, and I’ve never since gone to a midnight launch of a videogame console, despite owning about a dozen since. But when I’d waited more than a year for the UK launch of the Nintendo 64, and, having convinced my infinitely-patient mother to drive me into town in the middle of the night, I was excited. Incredibly excited. Perhaps more excited than a night before Christmas with Santa, Willy Wonka and a dozen sugar-rushing puppies, even.

Back at home, opening my new console on my bedroom floor (it’s called “unboxing” now, and people post painfully long videos of it online…), I was hit by that curious smell of new electronics. But not just any old electronics smell; this was the smell of a new Nintendo 64. Clean, new, professional, yet somehow extremely welcoming…

Up until now, I had thought I was the only one who noticed these things- that videogame consoles, new mobile phones, whatever- had a distinct smell of their own, not just ‘electronics’.

But over at our Japanese site, Mamiya-san has written a great little article about his own experiences with much-loved games console the PC Engine (perhaps known to some as TurboGrafix-16), and, in particular, its own very special smell. Since the machine remains relatively unknown outside of its native Japan, I can’t help but share his experiences with our English-speaking readers. Read More

Is It Possible to Take a Photo of Mount Fuji from Kyoto? One Teacher Says Yes

Alright all you photographers, this might be your chance to take a historical, never-before seen shot of Mt. Fuji taken 261km (162mi) away in Kyoto.  Although it was calculated to be possible by a geography teacher at Tsukuba University High School, Hiroshi Tashiro, it’s certain to be easier said than done.

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Starbucks Espresso Journey in Harajuku Provides a Unique Coffee Experience at the World’s First Starbucks Pop-up Store

Starbucks Japan invites you to enjoy a “supreme espresso experience” at the chain’s first-ever pop-up store in Tokyo.  Created by designer Oki Sato, co-founder of design company Nendo, and nestled in the trendy Harajuku district of Tokyo, this unique Starbucks event is aimed at providing visitors with a memorable coffee drinking experience.  Visitors can enjoy back-to-basics coffee drinks which highlight the richness of Starbucks espresso and are even able to try their hand at making Starbucks coffee and sample Starbucks Via flavored coffee in the second floor’s “experience space.”

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Sharp Corporation Potentially Not Doomed After All, Unveils Amazing New Solar Energy Panels

Not seven days ago, netizens were chuckling away at the expense of electronics giant Sharp Corporation’s efforts to install anti-bacterial air purifiers on top of photocopiers, with many forecasting the end for one of Japan’s once greatest innovators.

But recent news of affordable, ultra-efficient and easy-to-install solar panels from the very same company has brought those fervently blogging fingers to a sudden halt.

Solar panels, while very effective in the right environment and conditions, are hardly the most reliable of energy sources. Add to this the cost involved to purchase and install the panels, as well as their less-than-appealing aesthetic design, and it’s little wonder that few people take the idea seriously or are willing to invest the capital to get their home hooked up.

Sharp, it seems, has come up with solutions to the majority of these problems, and have a few extra surprises for us… Read More

Hello Kitty Gets Naked with Giant Anthropomorphic Mushroom on Your Chest

From baked goods to blue hedgehogs, there’s nothing international superstar Hello Kitty won’t do to make a quick buck.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, our beloved “Kitty of All Trades,” the face of untainted feline innocence herself, has gone full-frontal.

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The Perfect Gift for New Parents: 20-Year Birthday Card Box-Set Guaranteed to Jerk a Few Tears

In my native UK, while we’re permitted to drink, smoke, vote and watch (reasonably) naughty movies from the age of 18, our 21st birthday is still recognised as the moment when we become real adults, and are expected, as a result, to stop getting upset when Simba’s dad dies in The Lion King, and to brush our teeth a minimum of twice a day.

In Japan, a seijinshiki (coming of age ceremony) is usually held for a birthday boy or girl on their 20th birthday. They may have long since left school, found a job, started smoking and staying up later than their own parents, but until a person is 20 years old, they are not considered a true adult.

With this in mind, Japanese “Woman Smile Company” Senshukai’s “mama & baby for baby” catalogue has recently listed a new item: a special wooden box-set of 20 birthday cards that a mother (or father!) can pass over to their child upon their “coming of age”.

Already proving to be a big hit with young parents, the box-set has seen a sudden and huge increase in customer orders. Read More

Alright, let’s recap.

Last Tuesday, a flotilla of Taiwanese fishing boats was rumored to have set off for the disputed Senkaku islands, located near the Japanese islands of Okinawa, seeking to assert their ownership among China and Japan.

At around 6 a.m. on Sept. 25, the 50-strong Taiwanese flotilla arrived in the disputed waters. At least eight patrol ships were sailing alongside the fishing vessels and many of the boats were displaying banners reading “We swear to defend the Senkaku islands!”

Japanese coastguard patrol boats moved in to intercept the tiny fleet and warned them to vacate the area. However, the Taiwanese boats maintained their position, asserting that they were in Taiwanese waters and their presence perfectly legitimate. Tensions were running high and it seemed only a matter of time before the conflict turned hostile.

And that’s when Japan decided to bring out the big guns.

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It’s been a funny sort of week here at RocketNews24. While it was never agreed upon at any of our meetings, the issue of our private parts and their relative size has cropped up more than a couple of times within the space of a few days. And this post is no exception.

“Penises on the brain…” as The Office’s Dwight Schrute, a personal hero of mine, once put it…

We’ve talked about breasts and how they, and attitudes towards them, have changed over the years, and we’ve seen innovative Chinese methods of calculating the length of a man’s old chap without need of a ruler or any special equipment.

But Japanese website News Post Seven, it seems, has struck upon some rather interesting information that, potentially, blows all other theories out of the water when it comes to the issue of John Thomas’ dimensions. Read More

Korean Baby Got Back for About Twenty Bucks at the Market

South Koreans like big butts and they cannot lie, but those Japanese brothers try to deny.  That’s right. It looks like the big butt trend has finally hit this side of the Pacific.  The first nation to fall victim to a big ol’ badonkadonk: South Korea.

One of our reporters got a first-hand experience while travelling there recently, when she stumbled across a pair of padded panties designed to give you that extra junk for your trunk.

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