Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
S Asia (Page 3)
The Maldives has always been a popular honeymoon destination, known for its crystal clear waters, gorgeous beaches and glamorous, resort-style accommodation. As if the area wasn’t romantic enough, at night there’s a breathtaking natural phenomenon that transforms its shores into glimmering waves of iridescent blue. One visitor who stumbled on the unbelievable sight likened it to the starry night skies of the Milky Way and took to the internet to find out the cause of the mysterious occurrence.
A U.S. satellite operator is enabling anyone with Internet access to help search for the Malaysia Airlines flight that disappeared in the South China Sea days ago.
A volcanic eruption is terrifying on its own, but we just learned that, even more terrifyingly, the avalanche of hot rocks, ash, and gas that volcanoes spew can spawn giant tornado-like twisters.
This was caught on video after a pyroclastic flow from Mount Sinabung, a volcano in Indonesia that’s recently started spewing again after more than 400 years of dormancy.
They say America is the land of opportunity, but India seems well on its way to taking that crown. Where else can a man acquire a group of followers for having a 37cm (14.5 inch) tail of hair growing just above his butt crack?
China’s smog — which routinely engulfs major cities like Beijing and Shanghai — is notorious, and it’s recently reached “danger levels.” But the the smog in New Delhi, The New York Times reports, is actually worse.
The air in New Delhi “is more laden with dangerous small particles of pollution, more often, than Beijing’s,” Gardiner Harris writes, and “a very bad air day in Beijing is about an average one in New Delhi.”
The capital city of this island nation is said to be the most densely populated major city in the world, with a mind-boggling 35,000 people living per sq km. Can you guess which country it’s in?
Like something out of a biblical tale or Slayer song, parts of India and Sri Lanka have been experiencing occasional rainfalls colored mostly red and recurring over several years. Sometimes the coloring is so deep the drops look like blood and can stain clothing.
Since the first modern fall in 2001, several scientists have followed their curiosity to find out what exactly is causing the red rain. Many felt they have come to a conclusion but for every proposed answer more questions seem to emerge.
A new advertising spot from Pantene Philippines is taking on the big issue of gender parity in the workplace. Playing on how the same behaviors are labeled positively for men and negatively for women, it encourages women “not to let labels hold them back.” Presumably by buying the correct label when it comes to shampoo…
Clothing stores which quickly and cheaply offer fashions based on the latest trends such as H&M and Zara have been enjoying a high level of popularity, especially in the last decade. Shops following this model known as “fast fashion” can also be found in Japan with its largest by far being Uniqlo.
Recently we ran an article speculating why Japanese companies are slow to take risks, but that’s not always the case. In the highly competitive and globalized world of fast fashion sometimes you have to make big moves. That’s just what Uniqlo did, and they moved right into Bangladesh, which has been deemed a “least developed country” by the UN.
On 13 November, Google India posted a three-minute advertisement on YouTube titled Google Search: Reunion. In the span of only two days it reached nearly one and a half million views and as of this writing is swiftly approaching four million.
All along the way, it’s received overwhelmingly positive reviews such as “NOT just an ad”; “This little 3 minute video is better than all the movies I have seen this past year”; and “I am not from India, but I still appear to have something in my eye that is making it water.”
In 1994, the product design company, Propaganda, was established in Thailand to fill the need for playful products in home and work environments. Since then, the fun-loving brand has expanded immensely. Stores can be found in more than 30 different countries, including Japan, the US, and many parts of Europe.
Today we’d like to focus on one of Propaganda’s many tongue-in-cheek trinkets. This peculiar lamp is certain to brighten your day.
If you were asked to think of the most loved fast food restaurant in the world, surely it would have to be the big M. After all, it is a place that, regardless of age and status, anyone can relax in the laid back atmosphere and indulge themselves in guilty fast-food pleasures.
In the Philippines there is one style of McDonald’s that arguably defies all traditional views of what a Mickey D’s represents. Its unique point lies in the fact that it is just like a food stall you’re likely to come across walking down your local street, and you won’t find a single hamburger or carton of fries on the menu.
Having emerged from a turbulent childhood into a successful entrepreneur and government advisor, Kirby de Lanerolle has done a lot to be proud of. Currently he and his wife Fiona are the founders of the Warehouse Project, a Non-Profit charity which handles food distribution and microloans along with a cooking and recreation space for the impoverished families of Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Oh, and he also claims to go several months at a time without eating a single thing except wind, light and the power of god.
Microsoft’s forthcoming Xbox One console will not be released in Asia until late 2014, despite the fact that it will launch in the West in November this year, it was revealed last night.
One of the most enduring images of Japanese pop culture in the past few years is that of the maid café, where customers are served by waitresses with personalities to match the careful craftsmanship of their cute, frill-covered outfits. Maid cafes have become something of a cultural export, popping up in the U.S., Canada, and, as RocketNews24 previously showcased, Russia. The phenomenon has also reached Southeast Asia, as showcased by reporters from website Post Seven who recently visited a maid café in Vietnam.
Over the years, Thailand has gone by many names. Until 1939 it was Siam, and the country’s friendly citizens have earned it the nickname “The Land of Smiles.”
For a few days each year though, Thailand is also “The Land of the City-Wide Splash Fights.” Read More
The blue robot cat from the future known as Doraemon has long entertained generations of Japanese people for decades.
Despite becoming an entrenched cultural icon in Japan, people in some parts of the world might not be familiar with the franchise. The story is centered on a young boy named Nobita who through various mishaps lands himself in trouble. However, an anthropomorphic robot cat had been sent from his descendant in the future to prevent him from becoming a total screw-up. Doraemon is equipped with a pocket on his stomach from which he can pull a seemingly endless array of tools to help his young friend. Usually the tools are misused by Nobita which comically worsens the situation.
In real life though it seems the formula has reversed for Doraemon as he is tangled in two awkward situations at once, involving the languages of Bangladesh and what (if anything) exists between his legs.
In many countries around the world governments and health organizations have been tightening the noose ever more around the already choking necks of average smokers. By taxing the hell out of them and limiting smoking areas to under the floorboards of your house, smokers can scarcely relax with their favorite addiction.
Then we have the warning labels. Japanese cigarette packs have very minimal labels – for now – with some classy embossed printing. Other countries such as Canada have been using graphic labels for quite some time. They are rather unpleasant images of rotten teeth and people with tubes in their throat.
As bad as those images are they tend to lose their shock value quickly to the point that most smokers hardly notice them anymore. Thailand, however, has taken the graphic label concept beyond unpleasant and into nightmare territory.
Take a quick look around your home. See anything gathering dust? Any old books sitting on the shelf unloved? That AKB48 CD you bought last year but are too embarrassed to listen to? How about those Playstation2 games that you never got around to playing before your console died?
Well now’s your chance to have a good old clear-out. Grab a cardboard box and turn that stuff into an education for a less fortunate child.
Japanese recycling giant Book Off is working in conjunction with Shanti Volunteer Association (SVA) to provide books and learning materials for children who have found themselves homeless as a result of war or natural disasters. As well as donating the in-store buy-back value of any books, CDs, DVDs and videogames donated by regular folk like you and me, Book Off is pledging an extra 10% of that value to the charity.
In short, some less fortunate kids get an education; you make some space in your home and get to feel warm and fuzzy. Read More
You know when you have one of those dreams in which everything seems perfectly normal at first, but then you notice that something isn’t quite right? A tiny little hole in your otherwise immaculately woven subconscious tapestry opens up, and within seconds you realise that none of it is real. The image unravels like a fake Burberry cardigan thrown to a litter of kittens, and before you know it you’re wondering how you ever fell for it in the first place.
Techno-management festival Concetto’s Super Mario Bros. themed website had exactly the same effect on me the first time I saw it. As a man who, since the age of 7, has probably finished the original game about a hundred times, the effect of seeing much-loved videogame imagery used as a third party website is at once captivating and unsettling. Read More
Gundam teams up with 300-year-old daruma maker for wood-carved anime mecha figures[Photos]
Tokyo’s new extra-expensive ramen restaurant is dividing opinions, so we tried a bowl
Used chopsticks upgraded from “waste” to “valuable material” by Kawasaki City thanks to ChopValue
Japan’s instant ramen snack theme park features an athletic course even adults can enjoy
Pizza Hut Japan’s drinkable curry pizza is here – Is it all we dreamed it would be?[Taste test]
Japanese temple burns to the ground, fire burning inside for 1,200 years unharmed
Bizarre Japanese vending machine sells “Peace and Equality” and “Angels and Demons”
Starbucks Japan hoping fans will go bananas for its new mottainai banana affogato Frappuccino
Kanji ice cream becomes a sell-out hit in Japan
Krispy Kreme Japan is bringing two special donuts to the most-forgotten big city in the countryKanji ice cream becomes a sell-out hit in Japan
Japan has a new cute and clever sunblock for cat lovers
Tokyo’s life-size Gundam anime mecha statue will be removed this summer
This Tokyo Station sweets sensation sells out daily, but we finally got our hands on it
Japan’s izakaya pubs closing at record pace, failing to attract foreign touristsKrispy Kreme Japan is bringing two special donuts to the most-forgotten big city in the country
Ichiraku Ramen-inspired ramen sets from Naruto anime pay homage to Naruto, Sasuke, and SakuraJapanese temple burns to the ground, fire burning inside for 1,200 years unharmedStarbucks Japan hoping fans will go bananas for its new mottainai banana affogato Frappuccino
The story of our reporter P.K. Sanjun’s heart attackTokyo’s life-size Gundam anime mecha statue will be removed this summer
The average age of Japan’s hikikomori shut-ins is getting older, survey shows
Japan enters Golden Week vacation period, survey shows one in three plan to ride it out at homeIchiraku Ramen-inspired ramen sets from Naruto anime pay homage to Naruto, Sasuke, and SakuraKanji ice cream becomes a sell-out hit in Japan
New Kyoto Converse sneakers celebrate Japan with traditional kimono fabrics for your feet
Japan’s new Pokémon jackets give you the look and powers of the Kanto starter trio
Japan now has gyoza doughnuts, and they taste like no other doughnut we’ve tried before
Tifa’s Final Fantasy VII bar is going to pop up in real-world Tokyo
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
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
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
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visaJapan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
Japanese temple burns to the ground, fire burning inside for 1,200 years unharmed
Bizarre Japanese vending machine sells “Peace and Equality” and “Angels and Demons”
Starbucks Japan hoping fans will go bananas for its new mottainai banana affogato Frappuccino
Kanji ice cream becomes a sell-out hit in Japan
Krispy Kreme Japan is bringing two special donuts to the most-forgotten big city in the country
The story of our reporter P.K. Sanjun’s heart attack
McDonald’s Japan adds curry French fry flavor, regional-taste burgers to its menu with Gotochi Mac
Tokyo’s life-size Gundam anime mecha statue will be removed this summer
Japan’s izakaya pubs closing at record pace, failing to attract foreign tourists
Man in Japan calls in bomb threat because he doesn’t want to go to his own work farewell party
10 tips to remember for your first trip to izakaya, Japan’s awesome traditional pubs【Video】
Japan has a new cute and clever sunblock for cat lovers
Japanese vending machine find introduces us to a new drink you can’t get anywhere else
Memorial bell inside Hiroshima’s Peace Park has been silenced, but for a sweet reason