Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
Korea (Page 11)
Sony’s film studio, Sony Pictures, was hit by a massive hack that resulted in the leaking online of a huge trove of documents from the company.
Re/code reports that one of the files posted online was the email archive of Amy Pascal, the company’s co-chairman. Her inbox contained emails sent by Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai in which he instructs Sony Pictures staff to make an important change to the ending of coming comedy “The Interview.”
Criticism of South Korean naval authorities has intensified as it is revealed that the country’s only salvage and rescue ship was equipped with a fish-finding sonar instead of military-grade equipment.
ATS-II Tongyeong, a naval rescue vessel, was completed in 2012 at a cost of 159 billion won (US $150.7 million). But when the Sewol ferry sank on April 16 this year, Tongyeong was back in the construction yard, unable to be deployed to the rescue mission.
Now, defence suppliers face allegations that in the weeks following the ferry disaster, they knowingly attached a commercial sonar only suitable for salmon-fishing to Tongyeong, and tried to pass it off to the navy.
While I don’t think of myself as the world’s most patient person, I generally don’t get too riled up about air travel. Part of that is thanks to my strategy of getting to the airport early enough to enjoy enough beer that I’m sleepy and relaxed, yet not so much that I’m surly and combative. Mainly, though, it’s because living in Japan and having family in the U.S. means I’ve been on plenty of long flights, and after a while you learn to roll with the punches of a few inconveniences along the way.
So you’d think someone with even more experience flying, like, say, the vice president of Korean Air, who is also the daughter of its owner, would be even more serene when taking a plane from point A to point B. Maybe she ordinarily is, but that certainly wasn’t the case last week, when Cho Hyun-ah went nuts over a bag of nuts.
This video of a skinny guy trying to push a chubbier woman into water has been going viral online this week. The girl, donning a jersey with the name ‘Satan’ written on it, was ambushed from behind, but just when you thought she was about to fall into the water…
Hello Kitty has been quite the busy cat celebrating her 40th birthday. Earlier this year, she was making rounds at theatres in Japan dressed as characters from Rurouni Kenshin, and now she has crossed the ocean to make an appearance at McDonald’s in Korea. This time, she’s cosplaying as some of her fellow Sanrio mates. Check out the cute kitty after the jump!
North Korea has put together a secret army of computer hackers that it uses to disrupt South Korean military options and break into US military computers.
It might seem strange that North Korea has a dedicated cyber-warfare army unit. After all, only a few hundred people in the country even have access to the internet. But the country has worked to establish an elite group of hackers.
North Korean defectors say that the country actively searches for schoolchildren who display mathematical talent, and then trains them up in elite universities to become experts in hacking.
Our faces are not symmetrical, and that’s probably why some selfie lovers spend hours on end getting into odd poses and taking shot after shot in order to find their best angle. Some of us might have entertained the thought of perfecting our appearances to be like dolls or sculptures so that we’d look perfect from every angle. But lo and behold, sculptures have their “photogenic” angles too!
There are many Japanese products that are popular overseas, such as Japanese snacks, beauty products, character goods… the list goes on. Character franchises aside, some of the more common reasons why people living outside of Japan purchase Japanese products is because they generally tend to be produced under higher quality and hygiene standards, and more often than not come in temptingly beautiful or cute packaging.
Japanese zakka (sundries/miscellaneous goods), however, are popular for entirely different reasons. Check out these Japanese zakka that a Korean retailer has picked for their website to get a clearer idea of what tempts the purse strings of Korean consumers!
Asian consumers are in love with the iPhone 6 Plus, according to a report published Thursday by AppLovin, a mobile ad network.
AppLovin looked at data from the more than 25 ad requests it processes every day, and found that the global split between iPhone 6 and 6 Plus users is about 80/20 right now.
But in some Asian countries, the 6 Plus is much more popular.
Creating costumes for idol singer groups can’t be an easy job. If you’re going for cute, designers already hit the limit for the number of frills a single item of clothing can hold sometime around October of 1986. Hot pants are an easy way to achieve short-term crowd-pleasing sexiness, but that might interfere with the girl-next-door image the most successful acts cultivate.
So instead of sweet or sultry, you might settle on snappy. That’s what the four members of Korea’s Pritz have been doing in some of their recent appearances, where they’ve shown up in matching black skirts and crisply pressed black shirts buttoned at the collars. Oh, and to add just a dash of attempted systematical genocide to the ensemble, what look like Nazi armbands.
It’s a weird quirk of the global economy that sometimes the exact same item can sell for very different prices depending on what country you’re in. For example, in the U.S. Levi’s jeans cost about half what they do in Japan.
As a result, I always wait until I’m taking a trip back to L.A. before I buy a pair of Levi’s. Unfortunately, that’s probably not an option for travelers who want to take back furniture from IKEA, which in Korea sometimes costs 80 percent more than it does in the U.S.
Have you ever twirled a pencil between your fingers, drawn on an eraser, or chewed on a pencil? Most of us have done at least one, if not all, of the above-mentioned things when we were in school. But have you ever considered the feelings of these objects? If inanimate objects had any feelings, that is…and we bet you can’t guess what happens when a pencil and an eraser tie the knot! See the humorous vid after the jump!
The idea of the “lifehack” – at least as far as the Internet knows it – has been around long enough that we’ve long since progressed from wide-eyed, childlike wonderment at the simple genius of saving a bagel in a CD spindle, to dubiousness and bafflement at the increasingly complex and hit-or-miss lifehacks folks are tossing out these days.
So, forgive us for still being on the fence about how we feel towards this next lifehack: Behold, the “Baby Wipe Lid Chip Saver.”
At RocketNews24, we’ve covered how English education in Japan is currently faring, with many people agreeing that much can be done to improve it. Of the many problems, one improvement could certainly be the textbook, which many people believe is bland, uses English improperly and teaches English that feels very outdated. What’s needed is something that surpasses all those inadequacies and features English students would encounter in real life.
Well, how about a textbook that includes dialogues where people use bribes, exploit other people’s weaknesses and make giant broad stereotypes about countries as a whole? Yes, let’s try something like that!
In perhaps the one case in which broadly dismissing an entire group of exotic-looking people by saying, “Eh, they all look the same to me,” maybe isn’t all that offensive, the 2014 Miss Korea contestant lineup once again looks eerily like a lineup of I, Robot-style doppelgangers.
This year saw around 50 finalists, whom the agency holding the competition saw fit to line up in a photo roster for our viewing pleasure:
Everyone loves a good corn dog. From freezer burned to deliciously golden brown in about 30 minutes in the oven, it’s the all-American snack for both kids and adults. Japan has its own version of this classic, known simply as the “American dog”, but instead of a corn-based batter it uses a wheat-based one. Many argue over the superiority of corn vs. wheat, but the fighting is about to end, because Korea has swooped in with its own version and it is mighty impressive. Introducing the Kogo!
I like looking at beautiful things, and bishounen (which literally means beautiful youth/young man) characters in anime and manga are one of my favorite types of eye candy. Cosplayers, whom I like to think of as mysterious fairies capable of transcending past the boundaries of gender, age and reality, are the amazing people who bring these beautiful 2-D characters into our 3-D world.
Here at RocketNews24, we’ve seen many male cosplayers who sometimes look even prettier than actual girls when they’re dressed in their costumes, so we’re turning the tables this time for a change. Meet Lita LY, a South Korean female cosplayer who looks cute dressed as female characters and bishounen characters as well!
The last time we saw the Double Down, KFC’s burger that swaps buns for fried chicken patties, was in the form of KFC Japan’s Kentucky Chicken Rice, which eliminated the burger patty in favor of a disc of rice. Now Korea is taking a stab at the popular chain’s meat monstrosity with the Zinger Double Down King. Get ready for some photos of this burger of fried chicken, bacon, and beef!
Teaming up with the South Korean ad agency Innored, popular outdoor brand The North Face set out to promote their slogan, “Never Stop Exploring,” by challenging unwitting customers to prove that they are worthy of the pricey goods that they were trying on.
Based on their expressions of confusion, shock and utter fear, none of these customers were planning on being especially adventurous that day, but as the floor opened up beneath them and a selection of The North Face goods was dangled before their eyes as they clung to the wall, they soon found their inner adventurer.
Japan gets all kinds of delicious seasonal and limited-edition treats, so it’s not often that I find myself wishing I lived in one of its neighbouring countries instead. Today, though, I have most definitely been paid a visit by the green-eyed monster, as South Korea’s Pizza Hut has just launched a brand-new pizza with a crust filling that looks so mouthwateringly delicious that I can honestly say I wish I were having lunch in Seoul rather than Tokyo today.
Ladies and gentlemen of the internet, prepare to feel very, very hungry.
FUK COFFEE?!? Japanese cafe has a perfectly innocent reason for its startling-looking name
Two things to do, and two things not to do, when leaving a traditional Japanese inn
Orange Juice Crisis ’24 – Japan’s OJ supplies drying up
Should married couples in Japan be allowed to have different family names? Survey investigates
Pokémon Cafe serves up a green tea ceremony in Japan with Poltchageist and Sinistcha matcha menu
Japanese cosplayer creates amazing outfit: Sailor Moon’s transformation sequence!【Photos】
Bad tourist manners at Mt Fuji Lawson photo spot prompts Japanese town to block view with screens
History’s largest force of Samurai Colonel Sanders deploying to KFC Japan branches
Studio Ghibli unveils new goods that tip the hat to The Cat Returns
Enjoy a Pokémon tea ceremony with new matcha goods featuring Poltchageist and Sinistcha
Foreigner’s request for help in Tokyo makes us sad for the state of societyBad tourist manners at Mt Fuji Lawson photo spot prompts Japanese town to block view with screens
McDonald’s Japan’s new pancake pie is a taste sensation
Japanese city loses residents’ personal data, which was on paper being transported on a windy day
One of Japan’s oldest castles now lets travelers spend night on the grounds, drink in its keepTwo things to do, and two things not to do, when leaving a traditional Japanese inn
Ghibli Park now selling “Grilled Frogs” from food cart in Valley of Witches
Red light district sushi restaurant in Tokyo shows us just how wrong we were about itStudio Ghibli unveils new goods that tip the hat to The Cat Returns
Studio Ghibli unveils massive T-shirt collection featuring top anime movie characters
McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goodsForeigner’s request for help in Tokyo makes us sad for the state of society
New definition of “Japanese whiskey” goes into effect to prevent fakes from fooling overseas buyers
Our Japanese reporter visits Costco in the U.S., finds super American and very Japanese things
Japanese ramen restaurants under pressure from new yen banknotes
All-you-can-drink Starbucks and amazing views part of Tokyo’s new 170 meter-high sky lounge
More foreign tourists than ever before in history visited Japan last month
New Pokémon cakes let you eat your way through Pikachu and all the Eevee evolutions
Disney princesses get official manga makeovers for Manga Princess Cafe opening in TokyoBad tourist manners at Mt Fuji Lawson photo spot prompts Japanese town to block view with screensMcDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Sales of Japan’s most convenient train ticket/shopping payment cards suspended indefinitely
Sold-out Studio Ghibli desktop humidifiers are back so Totoro can help you through the dry season
Japanese government to make first change to romanization spelling rules since the 1950sForeigner’s request for help in Tokyo makes us sad for the state of society
Ghibli founders Toshio Suzuki and Hayao Miyazaki contribute to Japanese whisky Totoro label design
Doraemon found buried at sea as scene from 1993 anime becomes real life【Photos】
Tokyo’s most famous Starbucks is closed
One Piece characters’ nationalities revealed, but fans have mixed opinions
We asked a Uniqlo employee what four things we should buy and their suggestions didn’t disappoint
Japanese cosplayer creates amazing outfit: Sailor Moon’s transformation sequence!【Photos】
Bad tourist manners at Mt Fuji Lawson photo spot prompts Japanese town to block view with screens
History’s largest force of Samurai Colonel Sanders deploying to KFC Japan branches
Studio Ghibli unveils new goods that tip the hat to The Cat Returns
Enjoy a Pokémon tea ceremony with new matcha goods featuring Poltchageist and Sinistcha
Icon’s Mac & Cheese Burger contender for best burger in Tokyo【Taste test】
Foreign traveler caught trying to sneak into Japan by climbing down rope from cruise ship
Japanese city encouraging visitors and locals to cosplay as ninja for annual Ninja Festa
Japanese city gets its very own Starbucks Frappuccino for a limited time
Cappuccino Ramen becomes super popular in Japan, but is it worth the hype?
Who wins in a battle of McDonald’s and Komeda Coffee’s chicken tatsuta burgers?【Taste test】
Pizza Hut releases a turtle pizza that looks like a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle
How should you respond when a Japanese person gives you a compliment?