Featured

USA (Page 29)

Furikake rice toppings gaining popularity in US, but are Americans doing it wrong?

Until recently, rice-loving Americans looking to add a little zing to their favorite grain would need to trek out to the nearest Asian grocery store to pick up a pack of furikake rice topping. But now, according to Japanese media, the toppings are gaining traction on the US west coast and is becoming more widely available.

Furikake consists of a mish-mash of ingredients that have been dried and powdered and, in Japan, is intended specifically and only to be sprinkled atop a steaming hot bowl of sticky Japanese rice; which explains why many Japanese people are reacting with shock at how the Americans are choosing to deploy the condiment.

Read More

Hey! Listen! Official Legend of Zelda sword, shield, and Link costume now available

October is just around the corner and you know what that means: evil spirits and trick-or-treating. And whether you’re going on a quest to save the princess or just to get all the free candy you can, now you can do it in style with an official Legend of Zelda Link costume.

Have you ever wanted to bomb some Dodongos or rough up some Cuccos? Well, now’s your chance with your very own Master Sword, Hylian Shield, and Link outfit. Where can your procure these legendary items? Read on and get ready for adventure, brave warrior!

Read More

The Snack Poster: Illustrations to spread the love for authentic Japanese foods

For those unaccustomed to Japanese food, even the most common edibles may seem quite odd and, well, unappetizing, at first glance. The first time you saw monjayaki, did you not think it looked a little…weird? Of course, not all Japanese cuisine is unappealing to the eyes, but even the delicious-looking food is still not widely known throughout the Western world.

A California-based Japanese food blogger is trying to change that. Gaining momentum from the success of her Ramen Poster, artist Fanny has come up with another hand-drawn infographic displaying some of her favorite Japanese street foods and snacks: The Snack Poster.

Read More

Fourth-generation ikebana artist displays mastery of the Force with amazing new lightsaber rings

The world of custom jewellery has been impressing us lately, with Evangelion couples’ rings and designs based on Pokémon, The Legend of Zelda and even Sailor Moon.

Now it’s time to turn our attention to a galaxy far, far away, where lovers can carry the force on their fingers with matching Star Wars rings featuring gorgeous lightsaber details.

Read More

Game carts that plug into your phone – We took a peek at Pico Cassette at Tokyo Game Show

Not too long ago, we reported on Pico Cassette, a new device which will allow you to play retro video games on your smartphone via a cartridge which you plug into the headphone jack.

Since we absolutely love all kinds of gadgetry here at RocketNews24, and since we’re also big retro gaming nerds, we made a point to visit Pico Cassette’s booth at this year’s Tokyo Game Show in order to try it out for ourselves!

Read More

Pepper the robot is coming to America with an upgrade in snark!

SoftBank’s emotional robot Pepper could be considered a hit in Japan ,with the first wave of 1,000 bots selling out in a minute and another 1,000 ready to move at the end of this month. But is Pepper’s popularity peculiar to purely people in one part of the Pacific? Perhaps.

We may soon find out according to a report in MIT Technology Review. One of their writers visited Aldebaran Robotics, the company which made Pepper along with SoftBank, and learned that an American Pepper is already well into development and has been given a significant attitude adjustment of the smart-ass kind to better fit in there.

Read More

“Welcome argument?” Mr Sato really, really wants to know where Lily-Rose Depp got her kanji shirt

Clothing with incorrect and funny English (so-called Engrish) is everywhere in Japan, and has given many foreign visitors a chuckle over the years.  So it’s always nice to see the tables turned, and Japan having the opportunity to marvel at clothing with odd Japanese writing on it.

That’s what happened this week when our reporter Mr. Sato got wind that actress and model Lily-Rose Depp had been spotted in New York wearing a particularly nonsensical T-shirt with Japanese kanji characters on it. He had only one question: “Where did she get it?”

…only one question, Mr. Sato? We’ve got a few more questions than that! So let’s take a look at the shirt in question, and crack the code behind its oddball message.

Read More

Consider us teased! Upcoming Dragon Ball Z animation promises big things【Video】

DBZ Tribute is an upcoming animation that aims to pay tribute (the hint’s in the name) to the work of Akira Toriyama. A team of professional artists have come together to create a computer-generated animated sequence as a homage to the creator of Dragon Ball.

It’s not an official project, but if the production values in these teasers are anything to go on, it’s going to be a really high-quality “tribute”.

Read More

Fists of Absinthe: Short film about samurai, ninja and drinking is just what your life’s missing!

Devoted readers will remember that we spoke with Japan’s first full-time foreign stuntman Chuck Johnson earlier this summer, visiting his stunt class and learning about the industry in Japan. At the time, we mentioned that Chuck was working a short film called Fists of Absinthe, which ended up being a collaboration between YouTube and Toei Studios.

We are happy to say that Fists of Absinthe is now available on YouTube for your viewing pleasure! We just sat down and watched it, and it was equal parts comedy and action—definitely a must-see for anyone who likes martial arts, samurai, ninja, or laughing their butts off. Check it out below!

Read More

“So wrong!” Elders react to hairy schoolgirl-fronted Ladybaby with shock and amusement 【Video】

Here at RocketNews24 we love Ladybeard, everyone’s favourite heavily-bearded, muscular, precious flower. And as a natural side-effect of our Lady-lovin’, we’re also nuts about his newest venture, performing as part of pop trio Ladybaby. Something about the combination of cute Japanese idol teen vocals combined with Ladybeard’s growls just gets our toes tapping, and not to mention those funky dance moves!

So we couldn’t stop laughing at this new video titled “Elders react to Ladybaby”. Just what do America’s seniors think of this new mashup of cultures, genders, and musical stylings?!

Read More

Star-struck American otaku run into Nicolas Cage while shopping for anime in L.A.

When you stroll into an anime specialty shop in the U.S., there are a couple of demographics you expect to see among the customers. Teenagers with brightly dyed hair. Thirty-somethings digging through discounted single-volume VHS and DVD releases for those elusive remaining episodes of Maison Ikkoku or Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team. Maybe a handful of Japanese expats.

But if you happen to be shopping for anime goodies in Los Angeles, just a stone’s throw away from the world’s leading film studios, you also might spot a famous Hollywood actor, like these Californian otaku who ran into Nicolas Cage.

Read More

“I can’t believe I ate this!” American kids try nigiri sushi for the first time 【Video】

Believe it or not, sushi has been available in the US since the 1960s. In fact, the first American sushi restaurant opened in 1966 in Los Angeles. But while sushi is booming now, it took some time to really take off in the States and still isn’t necessarily a family-friendly dining option, with many kids (and adults) not so keen on eating the raw fish delicacy.

REACT, a light-hearted YouTube channel featuring kids, teens, and older adults reacting to a variety of things, recently released Kids vs. Food – SUSHI, a video showing a few American kids trying some popular nigiri sushi and some of these Japanese favorites didn’t all sit well with the kiddos.

Read More

Seth MacFarlane’s Ted tones down language, cashes in with edited Japan version for 12-year-olds

If there’s one defining aspect of the star of raunchy comedy Ted, it’s that he doesn’t give a damn what anyone thinks about him. As a matter of fact, if he were describing himself, Ted’s first instinct would probably have been a stronger word than “damn,” but being neither a magical living stuffed animal nor the on-screen avatar of massively influential and wealthy comedian Seth MacFarlane, I have to be a touch more careful in my choice of vocabulary.

But shockingly enough, it turns out Ted is capable of self-censoring, as the recently released sequel Ted 2 is being edited into a family-friendly picture aimed at kids as young as 12 in Japan.

Read More

Etsy shop sells anime Starbucks mugs featuring all our favourite characters!

Etsy, the online marketplace filled to the brim with unique handmade goods, can be an absolute treasure trove for people who want to stand out from the crowd with special items that can’t be found in regular stores.

Case in point: these amazing mugs from Californian seller Howard Le. From Naruto to Sailor Moon and Cowboy Bebop to The Legend of Zelda, there are dozens of Starbucks-esque mugs to choose from. And if none of them take your fancy, he’ll even custom make your order for you!

Read More

Couple weds in a dreamy, Final Fantasy-themed wedding ceremony【Video】

Ever wondered what a wedding planned around your favorite video game franchise would look like? Newly married couple Grace and Chris have an answer to that question in the form of the following video taken at their stunning Final Fantasy-themed wedding ceremony filmed in Hawaii! 

Read More

Life Is Strange is coming to Japan, gets new voice cast & dubbed trailer 【Video】

The last few years especially have seen a notable increase in the number of western-developed narrative-driven video games. Notable entries include Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead, The Wolf Among Us, and of course Game of Thrones, which deliver their respective stories in downloadable chunks once every few months, leaving players itching to play the next episode and find out what happens.

Telltale pretty much cornered the market on this genre until French development studio DONTNOD Entertainment released the absolutely captivating five-part supernatural high school story game Life Is Strange. The game has been a surprise hit, selling over a million copies to date, with players falling in love with the endearingly complex characters, time-travelling mechanics, mellow game atmosphere, and killer soundtrack. In fact, the game has done so well for itself that publishers Square Enix have decided it’s time Japan got a piece of the photo-snapping, heavy decision-making, time-rewinding fun for themselves. Yep, Life is Strange is being released in Japan, and it’s getting an entirely new Japanese voice cast, too!

Check out the reveal trailer to hear Max, Chloe and the rest of the characters speaking Nihongo!

Read More

MegaBots wants your help to ensure American victory in the first ever giant robot fight

Earlier this summer, RocketNews24 brought you the breaking news that the United States’ MegaBots had built a giant robot and had challenged Japan who, to no one’s surprise, already had a giant robot themselves. This challenge for robot supremacy was quickly accepted and the ante was upped to include melee combat.

MegaBots couldn’t back down from a challenge they issued first, so it was back to the drawing board in preparation for next year’s battle for national pride. They have some ideas, but are going to need your help to “kickstart” an American victory.

Read More

Dine with Snoopy and pals at the new Peanuts themed cafe opening in Tokyo soon!

Did you know that Peanuts is almost 65 years old? Yup, the much-loved comic strip featuring the mini adventures of Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Lucy and Woodstock is celebrating its 65th birthday on October 2 this year! It’s the perfect opportunity to indulge in a little nostalgia over one of America’s favourite cartoon series.

In Japan, Snoopy is part of a menagerie of cute animal characters (including Elmo, Minnie Mouse, Jack Skellington, Moomins, Miffy, and Marie from the Aristocats) who were originally foreign creations yet have been seen decorating kyara-goods aimed at Japanese tween girls in recent years. Peanuts, and Snoopy in particular, are therefore pretty well-known in Japan, so the brand-new Peanuts Cafe due to open this year is bound to be a big hit!

Read More

Japanese breakfasts, just like Japanese lunches and dinners, can be extremely tasty. Granted, miso soup and grilled fish might not be as filling as bacon and eggs, but they make for a palate-pleasingly healthy alternative that will give you energy for the rest of the day without a bloated feeling for the rest of the morning.

But depending on where you live, a Japanese breakfast can be hard to come by, as most overseas Japanese restaurants specialize in heavier fare for lunch and dinner crowds. If you live in New York, though, you’re in luck, as the restaurant Okonomi is giving local diners a chance to make their most important meal of the day a traditional Japanese one.

Read More

Did video game developer Capcom just give Street Fighter V’s “shockingly ugly” Cammy a face-lift?

The fighting game community is pretty psyched about Street Fighter V. Even though the title isn’t scheduled for release until early next year, developer Capcom has been regularly updating gamers with a series of preview videos highlighting its cast. So far, there’s been a dearth of new characters, but long-time fans of the series have been happy to see the challengers they know and love rendered in the game’s updated art style.

Well, most of them have been happy. A vocal group of dissenters, though, are the disgruntled gamers who’ve been grumbling that Cammy, Street Fighter’s pigtailed pugilist from the U.K., doesn’t have a particularly attractive face in her reveal video (one displeased commenter even went to far as to call the character “shockingly ugly”). But now new images of Cammy have been released, and it looks like she may have gotten a face-lift months ahead of the game’s actual release.

Read More

  2. 1
  3. ...
  4. 26
  5. 27
  6. 28
  7. 29
  8. 30
  9. 31
  10. 32
  11. ...
  12. 48