Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
Taiwan (Page 8)
If you ever wished you could visit the infamous candy house from Hansel and Gretel, then have we got the chair for you! Looking absolutely delectable and fairytale-ready, this “Hard Candy Stool” from Taiwanese designer, Jojo Chuang is the perfect combination of function and fantasy.
Following on from this post, we thought it might be appropriate to share some opposing opinions to the ice bucket challenge, which is still going strong and getting more column inches (not to mention YouTube minutes) than anyone could have ever dreamed.
The craze recently found its stride in Asia with an ongoing chain of Japanese business folk, as well as tycoons and celebrities across China. However, one Taiwanese sufferer of the ALS had some criticisms to voice.
I can only imagine what it would be like for a tourist from some far off country to inadvertently disembark in the United States right in time for the Halloween holiday. Stepping off the plane to be surrounded by blood-covered nurses, mad scientists and cackling witchcraft wielders would be extremely traumatizing for someone not specifically told that people are going to be walking around in costume like it’s no big deal.
Well, now I sort of have an idea of what that might feel like now that I’ve watched this YouTube video of a Taiwanese bus company that decided to replace its bus driver with a creepy zombie for Taiwan’s annual Hungry Ghost Festival.
When we were young, most of our parents or teachers probably taught us not to judge a book by its cover. Well, here’s the continuation that we didn’t see coming. Don’t judge a cat by its back.
The HOTAC (Heart of Taiwan Animal Care) recently chanced upon a really unique cat that made their staff burst out in laughter. Are you curious to find out why? Photos of the funny feline after the jump!
Scooters are a popular means of transportation in all Asian countries for their small size and fuel economy. In Japan not a day goes by where you don’t see a dozen or so small engine bikes puttering around the streets.
However this video taken from Taiwan is on a whole other level. What must be thousands of scooters pouring off the Taipei Bridge are simply making their daily commute. The roughly two-minute video is eerily reminiscent of the million-duck march in Thailand last month, and yet it’s also strangely relaxing to watch.
Pop idols and boy bands are ten a penny these days, with multi-million-dollar enterprises built on farming young talent, putting it on stage in matching outfits and telling it to follow a routine. Japan has more than its share of floppy-haired boy bands and short-skirted songstresses, many of them decidedly awful and with as much charisma as an emphysemic squirrel with a penchant for racism, but a new group from Taiwan called Ice Man is raising eyebrows all over Asia this week, not just because they’re “painfully uncool”, but because they have nevertheless garnered quite the following and are already making stacks of cash.
With all of the cool, capable characters in anime, it’s not too hard to see the appeal of cosplay. For many fans, literally spending a few minutes in the shoes of their favorite hero or heroine lets them feel every bit as strong, smart, or beautiful as the costume’s usual 2-D inhabitant.
Confidence boost aside, though, slipping on a costume sadly still leaves you with all of the shortcomings you have when you’re wearing an ordinary T-shirt and jeans. Dressing up as Attack on Titan’s Mikasa won’t really transform you into a highly skilled acrobatic swordswoman. Wearing the same nondescript school uniform of the newest harem series’ blank slate male protagonist make you irresistible to women.
Likewise, all the fictional computer power behind Gundam still won’t prevent you from getting lost in the real world.
Buying in bulk and freezing some of your purchase to cook another day is a great way to save money. But the problem with freezing things is that then you have to unfreeze them. That’s right, my friend. We need to talk about defrosting.
If I told you there was a super-fast way to defrost meat that doesn’t require a heat source, a microwave, or even hot water, you’d probably think I’d been drinking too much Lemon Coke or something. But, dear reader, never again will you feel depressed about the single-person servings lined up neatly in your freezer. Never again will a good steak go to waste for want of an eater. Never again. And it’s all thanks to the magic of physics. Yes. Magic.
So, do you like cats? Okay, that’s a silly question–of course you like cats. But how much do you like cats? Are you a one-cat-in-my-lap kind of person or are you a CATS-ON-ALL-THE-THINGS kind of person? Hopefully you’re more the latter than the former, because where we’re going today, there’s just about nothing but cats. And cat butts.
Taking a small jaunt out of Japan, we’ll be heading down to Houtong in Taiwan, a village with over 100 incredibly photogenic cats–and a major tourist destination for locals and travelers alike!
This man making an illegal turn on his scooter has a small kiddie pool (and a whole lot of luck) to thank for saving his life after a collision sends him flying through the air without a helmet.
Taiwanese websites have been swirling with a new food fad that has taken the nation by storm. We’re not sure exactly where it started, but it probably had something to do with two people shouting, “Hey! You got your pudding in my ramen!” and “Hey! You got your ramen in my pudding!” And thus pudding ramen was born.
As the news hit the shores of Japan, we felt this was a combination that needed to be tested. It turns out that pudding ramen is not only tasty, it’s really cheap and easy too. Well played, Taiwan!
One of the best things about living overseas is the opportunity to learn the local lingo. By learning to communicate with the locals, it’s easier to get by day-to-day, and you’ll be able to unravel much more about the country’s culture. A Spanish YouTuber living in Taiwan shared a list of must-know pet phrases that he picked up by observing the locals. If you’re learning the Chinese language, starting a new phase in life in Taiwan, or even just imagining taking a trip to the lovely country, hit the “read more” button!
One month and more than 400,000 votes later, the people have spoken. Taiwan has chosen its best, cutest, most wonderful high school uniforms!
The huge online election was co-hosted by Koobii magazine and Uniform Map, an online searchable map of Taiwan and Hong Kong that collates photographs of school uniforms – and the girls wearing them. The winning school polled an impressive 100,000 votes. Let’s take a look at the top five!
You’ve been semen bombed!: 27-year-old Huang played a disgusting prank on women because he had been dumped by his girlfriend and claimed that he needed a way
“to release”.
An autistic man playing on a calculator was mistaken as a murderer by incompetent Taipei city straphangers who called police.
We here at RocketNews24 take pride in introducing you to all manner of strange things to come out of Asia, which most definitely includes news about any bizarre inventions we see floating around.
This time, our “Pointless Asian Invention of the Week” is sure to make you chortle. Introducing the Napkin Table, the perfect portable table for whenever you find yourself out in the wilderness with your partner and need a place to picnic!
Director Gareth Edwards’ new take on Godzilla takes full advantage of the latest advancements in CGI technology to bring the iconic monster back to life, bigger and badder than ever before, and the promotional posters and teaser trailers stirred up plenty of hype before the movie’s release. But would you be rushing into the movie theater if you saw the above poster?
Earlier this month, YouTube user NorniTube uploaded a controversial video of a social experiment which looked at how a person’s appearance can affect the responses they get from the general public. One two different days, he pretended to collapse on a Paris street to see if anyone would come to his aid, on one occasion wearing shabby clothes, on the other dressed in a smart suit. (We’ll leave you to watch the video to find out how it went!)
After watching NorniTube’s video, YouTuber Hei Nan decided to test the reactions of his fellow Taiwanese citizens by doing a similar experiment on the streets of his city. Were the Taiwanese more or less likely to help out that the Parisians in NorniTube’s video? Find out after the jump!
One of the golden rules of the road revolves around the right-of-way. Dig up memories from high school driver’s ed, and you’ll recall that the manual says something like, “the right-of-way is something you give, not take.” In Japan, a term often used to instill defensive-driving skills is yuzuri-ai no seishin, which can be translated as “the spirit of compromise/yielding”.
But we all know people who think that’s crap.
So today, we’re introducing you to a video of a vehicular standoff in Taiwan that is fast racking up hits online. There are no guns or flaming crashes here; rather, the scene is a quiet, humorous one, the like of which probably plays out across the globe on a daily basis.
Super-salty pizza sends six kids to the hospital in Japan, linguistics blamed
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Foreign tourists in Japan will get free Shinkansen tickets to promote regional tourism
It’s illegal for yakuza to go to professional baseball games in Japan, Tokyo arrests remind us
Room 404: What happened when we stayed in an unlucky hotel room in Japan
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura Frappuccino for cherry blossom season 2026
Tokyo’s best ramen breakfast? Restaurant two minutes from Tokyo Station is a strong contender
Can you eat lunch in Tokyo for less than 500 yen?
Take a trip to Japan’s Dododo Land, the most irritating place on Earth
Starbucks opens outside Imperial Palace with a Frappuccino you can’t get anywhere else in Japan
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Foreigners accounting for over 80 percent of off-course skiers needing rescue in Japan’s HokkaidoStarbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026Take a trip to Japan’s Dododo Land, the most irritating place on Earth
Downloads of 39-year-old Guns N’ Roses song increase 12,166 percent thanks to Gundam
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting the lines at a popular Tokyo gyukatsu restaurant?
A look back on 40 years of Japanese schools banning stuff
New Family Mart cinema opens inside Japanese airportStarbucks Japan unveils new sakura Frappuccino for cherry blossom season 2026
Man arrested in Japan after leaving car in coin parking lot for six years, racking up three-million-yen billJapan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s DayForeigners accounting for over 80 percent of off-course skiers needing rescue in Japan’s Hokkaido
Japan releases first official sakura cherry blossom forecast for 2026
Archfiend Hello Kitty appears as Sanrio launches new team-up with Yu-Gi-Oh【Pics】
China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning looks to be affecting tourist crowds on MiyajimaIs China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting the lines at a popular Tokyo gyukatsu restaurant?
Studio Ghibli releases new “komorebi” plush toys from Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away
Yokai are descending upon Tokyo this spring in the latest immersive art experience
Japan’s Naruto theme park now offering real-world version of Minato’s kunai ninja weapon
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 TokyoStarbucks 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
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your homeJapan’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
Starbucks Japan reveals new sakura drinkware collection, inspired by evening cherry blossoms
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura Frappuccino for cherry blossom season 2026
Tokyo’s best ramen breakfast? Restaurant two minutes from Tokyo Station is a strong contender
Can you eat lunch in Tokyo for less than 500 yen?
Take a trip to Japan’s Dododo Land, the most irritating place on Earth
Starbucks opens outside Imperial Palace with a Frappuccino you can’t get anywhere else in Japan
Smallest hotel room in Tokyo? This cheap stay for two will turn friends into lovers
Elderly Japan man arrested for stealing toilet, using it in his home for three months
Mr. Sato shows us what happens when you try to cook rice with only eggs 【SoraKitchen】
Japan’s first all-matcha ramen restaurant is now open in Kyoto【Photos】
Japan now has cat-shaped cheesecake – Too cute to eat, or too delicious not to?
How to make fancy matcha sake chocolates with just 15 minutes of real work【Recipe】
How to order snacks on a Shinkansen bullet train in Japan
China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning seems to be affecting Osaka’s Namba and Dotonbori neighborhoods
