Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
Japan (Page 1662)
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.”
One of the most popular anime and mangas around the world in recent times has got to be Naruto. With such fame often comes fan fiction, and thanks to the development of easily available production equipment, fan movies are an ever improving art form.
The fledgling American production team Thousand Pounds Action Company has put together a YouTube movie with an original story based on the Naruto universe. A follow-up to their celebrated Street Fighter X Tekken video, the Naruto movie has been getting an equally good reception and then some.
However, would Naruto fans be offending with their handling of the source material, and could this tiny movie company grab the attention of non-fans with their talents? We take a look at it from both sides to see.
The following is a list of the 30 most sold video games in Japan in the history of video games across all platforms. Western Gamers may be surprised that violent shooters take a rather large backseat to RPG’s, mushroom stomping, and Pikachus in the minds of Japanese game consumers.
Tokyo University’s Wildlife Research Center has discovered that a group of monkeys living on Awaji Island are more laid-back than all other monkeys in Japan. The cause of this, they claim, is a gene that dictates our gentleness.
Researchers put an ample supply of monkey bait within an 8 meter circle marked out on the group and then observed the monkeys. Of the monkey population on Awaji Island in Hyogo Prefecture a whopping 180 monkeys came out to enjoy the treats inside the circle together with minimal conflict. Read More
This past Fourth of July, while Kentucky Fried Chicken was celebrating Independence Day in the US, KFC Japan was busy commemorating the anniversary of the fried chicken chain’s entrance into the Japanese market.
On this day they held a one-day all-you-can-eat sale where customers could get 45 minutes of non-stop chicken for 1,200 yen. A very generous deal but how much did KFC stand to lose on such an offer, or did they lose? Let’s crunch the numbers and see.
Sony is releasing a new product, their HF Series cassette tapes. There will be 10, 60, and 90-minute versions and prices are expected to range from around 100 to 230 yen for individual tapes, though they’ll also be available in 10-packs. Possibly in consideration for its target clientele (hint: not the young), Sony has made the printed font big, as well as made the labels and index sheets easy to write in big letters. As could be expected, the netizen response to this unveiling has been colorful … Read More
According to a post on the official Tokyo Disney Resort Blog, “Little Green Man” will be making an appearance at Tokyo Disney Sea starting July 5th. So, does this mean that the theme park will be overrun by aliens? No, but it does mean that there will be some tasty new snacks available at Disney Sea, and you’ll love them if you’re a fan of the Toy Story series. Read More
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
Japan’s awesomely beautiful Alpen Route snow corridor is now open
Gold-dust topped instant noodles on sale in Japan for the end of Heisei Era
Mr. Sato shares his own secret Ministop hack to help save the ailing convenience store
Pokémon hot spring footbath opening in Japan this spring
Immerse yourself in TeamLab Yoro Valley’s outdoor nighttime art exhibition in Chiba’s wilderness
Japan’s plus-sized idol singer group releases new video about the joys of eating【Video】
Japanese-style afternoon tea in this Japanese manor house outside downtown Tokyo is something special
New Totoro carabiner pouches are ready to clip/tag along with you on all your adventures[Photos]
Wisteria season starts early with blooming of Japan’s Great Wisteria in its beautiful garden
Brand-new Pokémon manhole covers coming to help the recovery of a disaster-stricken part of JapanJapan’s awesomely beautiful Alpen Route snow corridor is now openWisteria season starts early with blooming of Japan’s Great Wisteria in its beautiful garden
Injuries on stairs in Tokyo highlight an overlooked design flaw
Move aside, convenience store egg sando – there’s a better version of the iconic sandwich in JapanJapan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
Japan’s popular bead bonsai kit is as beautiful as it is gruelling to make
Japan’s best conveyor belt sushi restaurant of seven years ago has now, finally, come to Tokyo
Final version of Sanrio: Beginning of Kawaii exhibition opens in Tokyo[Photos]
Japan has new rules for bicycle riders, and these 14 things could get you a fine or a court date
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration eventsWisteria season starts early with blooming of Japan’s Great Wisteria in its beautiful garden
Japan now has a special desk for people who work at home with a pet cat[Photos]Japan’s best conveyor belt sushi restaurant of seven years ago has now, finally, come to TokyoBrand-new Pokémon manhole covers coming to help the recovery of a disaster-stricken part of Japan
Famous Tokyo cherry blossom spot installs view-blocking screens to fight overcrowding[Video]
Uniqlo announces new T-shirts for One Piece, Naruto and more for manga publisher’s 100th birthdayJapan’s awesomely beautiful Alpen Route snow corridor is now open
Krispy Kreme releases Super Mario doughnuts in Japan for a limited time
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
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
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
Immerse yourself in TeamLab Yoro Valley’s outdoor nighttime art exhibition in Chiba’s wilderness
Japan’s plus-sized idol singer group releases new video about the joys of eating【Video】
Japanese-style afternoon tea in this Japanese manor house outside downtown Tokyo is something special
New Totoro carabiner pouches are ready to clip/tag along with you on all your adventures[Photos]
Wisteria season starts early with blooming of Japan’s Great Wisteria in its beautiful garden
Burger King releases a Pickleball Burger in Japan
Temple with 600-year-old tree near busy Tokyo station is like a tranquil pocket dimension
Right now, this amazing Japanese park is bathed in beautiful blue from 4.5 million flowers【Video】
A Kyoto factory vending machine sells gourmet mystery meals at bargain prices
Our Japanese language reporter visits a U.K. sushi chain, is blown away by its original “sushi”
Mt. Fuji decorated with a 500,000-flower pink carpet is Japan’s ultimate spring view
McDonald’s Japan’s Gurakoro burgers, like a cup of hot soup in sandwich form, return this month!
Government statistics reveal the most common Japanese surnames, makes Mr. Sato sad
Getting a driver’s license in Japan the hard way: The first driving test
