A 75-year-old man from Saitama Prefecture, Japan, has died after being refused treatment as many as 36 times at 25 different hospitals in an around the prefecture, Japanese website The Mainichi has revealed.
Japan (Page 1659)
Fans of the manga and animé smash JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure and its notoriously ill-mannered dog Iggy will be pleased to know that they can now get their hands on a doorstop modeled on the pooch.
Set to be published on 10 April is My Little Sister Can’t Be This Cute and Brush Up on Middle School English by Chukei Publishing.
As the name suggests, this book lets students bone up on the required English curriculum set to the backdrop of the My Little Sister Can’t Be This Cute popular series of erotic game (eroge) otaku themed light novels. Yes, someone actually made this.
The world may well be completely besotted with iPhones and Samsung-made Android devices right now, but Sony isn’t prepared to take a back seat and watch its profits and reputation go down the U-bend. In a recent conference, head of Sony Mobile Kunimasa Suzuki pledged to step up and reclaim ground lost in recent years. Rather than making unrealistic promises and declaring out-and-out war on the iPhone, however, the Japanese tech giant is keeping things realistic and is aiming at third place in the world’s mobile market.
With almost 40 percent of mobile phones in Japan now smart phones, people are constantly striving to find new ways to jazz up their iPhones and Android devices. As we’ve seen over the last few weeks here on RocketNews24, the popularity of character-based earphone jack plugs continues to rise, with even Disney hoping to cash in on the trend. The imaginative video game lovers over at Japan’s Gold Rush, however, have something better in mind.
It’s famously said that there’s no such thing as a free lunch, and while that may be true, you can at least get some of the ingredients without laying down a penny. We check out a new website that claims to offer free produce, straight from the farmer to you. Swag!
Read More
Back in the day, delivering the morning newspaper was an honor bestowed on one lucky neighborhood child who could earn some cash and tips of peanut-butter M&M’s in exchange for providing their neighborhood with news from the world. Now, the local paperboy is a rare, if not extinct, breed.
In Sakai City, Osaka, one father has been arrested on suspicion of violating the Child Welfare Act after allegedly deciding to instill the values of hard work and responsibility which come with a paper route in his own children.
When you hear the word, “Japan,” what comes to mind? Mt. Fuji? Animé? Cherry blossoms? Those of us who have lived in Japan came to this country with ideas of what we might encounter and many of those preconceived impressions turned out to be completely false. We asked foreigners who have been living in Japan for at least three years to share what they thought about Japan before ever stepping foot inside the country. Take a look at their answers:
The Japanese word “karoushi”, meaning “death from overwork”, is a term that has gained recognition across the globe and is arguably testimony to the zeal with which many Japanese people carry out their work. Westerners observing Japan’s high standard of living and yet long labour hours often struggle to fully comprehend the Japanese mindset. The prevailing ideology for many in the west is that we “work to live”, in Japan, however, many appear to live to work.
Take a good look at this cover for the 28 Feb. issue of noted science journal Cell. If you can tell me what this image means without reading the article then I’ll give you a shiny nickel!*
We see two young women wearing kimonos each with a hand on the minute hand of a giant clock. There are various letters and numbers printed on them, but what does it all mean?
Founded in 1872, Shiseido, one of the world’s oldest cosmetics companies and the fourth largest, announced on Feb. 28 that from April onward it would put an end to all testing on animals in the development of raw materials for its cosmetic and quasi-pharmaceutical products.
Lone Japanese Golf Putter Craftsman Flooded with Orders from around the World Including Barack Obama
Yamada Putter Workshop in the city of Yamagata has previously been known in pro-golf circles, but through a twist of fate it has become the maker of the most sought-after putters in the world.
In otherwise economically depressed Japan, Yamada Putter Workshop has received up 300 orders in a single day from 20 countries around the world.
Needless to say, business is booming for the small outfit, but there’s just one problem – Yamada Putter Workshop, since opening in 1986, has only one employee: 57 year-old President Toru Yamada.
Ahh, the things we do for love … but of course, love takes many forms, sometimes with astonishing results.
Just a month ago, we brought to you the story of the amazing cosplay diet that had the Japanese internet buzzing. Now, there’s another young lady who achieved equally incredible results dieting — motivated by her love for a manga comic, no less. And we have to say our hats were off to her when we learned how she shed off the weight. Read More
Someone finally “went there.”
Presenting SmartPants, a pair of underpants that covers up your iPhone’s home button. I guess if your iPhone were to have private parts, they would be located on the home button…
Like collecting comics? Like collecting stamps? If you happen to like both, then just try keeping your hoarding urges in check for this news.
Japan Post will be releasing three sets of stamps honoring the works of manga and anime legend Osamu Tezuka. The sets celebrate 40th, 50th, and 60th anniversaries of three of his biggest successes.
It’s well known that within every Disney Park, small Mickeys are hidden throughout the grounds. If you look close enough, Mickey Mouse seems to be everywhere; on buildings, carpets, and even the vehicle speakers on Space Mountain.
But you would never expect Mickey to be hidden on a helmet used by ancient Japanese warriors and samurai. You also wouldn’t expect it to be made of silver and cost a staggering 250,000 yen (US $2,697).
We have to hand it to Sharp Electronics, no matter how many times industry pundits herald its downfall, the company pulls something innovative out of the bag. This time, the people that brought you ion cluster photocopiers and solar panel windows has unveiled a new ceiling light that it claims can actually help people in the room maintain focus while studying, and actually inspire productivity.
From November last year until this January, Nozato Elementary School in Osaka City had been the scene of a string of robberies. In 16 different incidents, up to 235,000 yen (US$2,500) was stolen from the wallets of teachers who worked there.
However, thanks to the efforts of one vigilant teacher, the culprit was finally identified and dealt with on 28 February.
Speakers and learners of the Japanese language will no doubt be familiar with giongo and gitaigo, onomatopoeic words that are used to imitate or describe real-world sounds or sensations, respectively.
For many English speakers, sentences like “And the rain was falling like ‘tccccchhhh’, and my heart was going ‘boom boom boom,'” might come across as informal at best, or perhaps even suggest that the speaker is not especially articulate. In Japanese, though, onomatopoeia is employed far more frequently in both spoken and written communication, and this new commercial from Sony announcing a price cut for its Vita portable games console has it in droves.
MOST POPULAR
Today
We recommend not buying one pack of Japan’s new convenience store corn soup-flavor fried chicken
Japan’s double-decker portable rice cooker/bento maker is better than ever with new version
Ohaw? Ruibe? Pocche? While traveling in Japan’s north, we try Ainu cuisine for the first time
Nagoya’s famous Shinkansen platform noodle shop has other, better branches nearby
Narita Airport Transit & Stay Program returns after six years with free tours and festival experiences
Osaka Starbucks has one of the city’s coolest photo vantage points, but it’s going away soon
Winnie the Pooh cosplays as Yuzuru Hanyu for new plushie collaboration
Wait, some Shinkansen trains already have private booths that only cost 1,500 yen for an hour?
Anime fans can now wear a Seiko watch inspired by Japan’s One Piece Shinkansen
Sushi Bus: Japan’s first conveyor-belt bus lets you eat sushi while sightseeing around Tokyo
Weekly
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】
Monthly
- 12-year-old British girl who went missing in Tokyo found safe after visiting anime sites around Yokohama
- 7-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 buy- Sushi 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
Yearly
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】
RECOMMENDED STORIES
Osaka Starbucks has one of the city’s coolest photo vantage points, but it’s going away soon
Winnie the Pooh cosplays as Yuzuru Hanyu for new plushie collaboration
Wait, some Shinkansen trains already have private booths that only cost 1,500 yen for an hour?
Anime fans can now wear a Seiko watch inspired by Japan’s One Piece Shinkansen
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
German woman rescued from Mt. Fuji after suffering altitude sickness symptoms, hiking to peak anyway
The Japanese government is ending its Cool Japan Fund program
7-year-old boy left behind on Mt. Fuji by his own dad
Masturbatory aid maker Tenga releases officially licensed anime versions in Japan and U.S.
Studio Ghibli composer Jo Hisaishi just set three Guinness Records
Universal Studios Japan partners with manga horror master Junji Ito’s Tomie
KFC Japan unveils new Tsukimi collection that takes moon-viewing to extreme levels
Japanese airlines set to cut fuel surcharges for international flights in September and October
-
