How many of you are familiar with the restaurant Bubba Gump Shrimp, based on the 1994 Oscar-winning film Forest Gump? Speaking as a sweet ol’ Southern girl, raised in the Heart of Dixie, USA, I’m well acquainted with both the movie and the real-life restaurant that it inspired. Bubba Gump Shrimp, with its American Cajun-style cooking, has branches scattered all across the globe, including three within Japan. As the name would imply, the menu features an abundance of shrimp, making it an irresistible spot for seafood lovers. Read More
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Over the weekend, a Korean businessman got into hot water when he complained about his in-flight meal on a trip to the United States. Apparently, he wasn’t satisfied with the taste of his ramen or with the service, and expressed his displeasure by assaulting one of the cabin crew. As a result, he was turned over to the FBI and prevented from entering the country.
Here’s what we know about this bizarre incident. Read More
Facebook, possibly in an attempt to outpace Asia’s reigning chat program king LINE, updated their iOS Facebook Chat program on April 17, adding “stickers” that can be used in chat conversations much like LINE’s “stamps” (also called “stickers” in English language versions).
Fox Sports Japan is offering a freely downloadable “Foul Ball Armor” papercraft helmet for people with a lot of free time and an iron will (papercuts are serious business and you should expect a lot of them building this thing).
You’ll also obviously need access to a printer, or if you have no sense of shame, a nearby Kinko’s.
Fox Sports introduced the Foul Ball Armor in a new television ad campaign to coincide with the March 29 start of the 2013 baseball season.
Apparently Japan is under the impression that Mattel’s Fijit Friends toy is actually America’s favorite new diet tool.
The below video – which we pray to God, Buddha and Zombie Jesus is a misguided parody of some kind – shows Japanese women going nuts over the new “fijiet” trend.
Elementary and high school students from Miyagi Prefecture were given a special send off at Japan’s Narita Airport yesterday afternoon as they set off for the U.S. in order to convey messages of thanks for the efforts of those involved in relief operations following the 2011 earthquake and resulting tsunami in Northeast Japan.
Below is an account from Sayaka, a reporter over at our sister site Pouch. It is an intriguing look at differences in business culture between Japan and the west. It makes one realize that there is no perfect business strategy as such but by incorporating the best parts from each culture, one can get pretty close to their own perfect business model. Moreover, Japan’s business culture has to be one of the most unique in the entire world.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of Tokyo Station as well as Grand Central Station, New York: two titans of transportation who have served their respective metropolises proud.
To honor this centennial, Grand Central hosted “Japan Week” which drew crowds to the already crowded terminal. Hearing of this, RocketNews24 sent a reporter to investigate the centerpiece of Japan Week; the ekiben counter!
No doubt there to promote the release of new Nintendo 3DS game Luigi’s Mansion 2 (known as Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon in the West), Shigeru Miyamoto – the creator of Super Mario, Zelda and Donkey Kong among others – was spotted hanging out with staff from Nintendo America in New York yesterday, not to mention looking exceptionally green. If only he’d arrived a few days earlier, this get-up would have worked pretty well for Saint Patrick’s Day, too.
A chart surface on the Internet recently titled: 100 American College Music Majors Analyze Japanese Musical Talent and the Relationship with the Number of Members.
How exactly this information came together is unknown, but the name suggests that 100 American music students were surveyed about several Japanese music acts past and present. Those results were then plotted against the number of members in each band.
The results certainly do suggest that there is a correlation between the number of members in a music act and the perceived crappiness of said act. So lets examine this more deeply with some samples and a translated version of the chart above.
55 contestants… 110 funbags!
Surely the main attraction of world-famous restaurant Hooters is the waitresses and their gigantic…appreciation for quality customer service. Now you can help select the cream of the Japanese Hooters crop in the Miss Hooters Japan 2013 by voting for your favourite “pair” online. The first round of voting runs from February 1-14, and the lucky finalists will be announced on the website Feb 16.
Space: the final frontier. This is the voyage of a homemade rocket carrying the fearless Hello Kitty as its sole passenger. Its mission: to explore the effects of altitude on air pressure and temperature, and to boldly go where no Kitty has gone before… Read More
Slappy Cakes is a popular pancake restaurant in Portland Oregon that lets customers create their own custom pancakes at their tables. It’s a fun time for those who want a completely new pancake experience. However, its popularity has resulted in some long wait times.
Luckily, Slappy Cakes’ success has allowed it to expand, but rather than add another location in Portland they decided to set up shop in completely uncharted DIY pancake house territory: Shinjuku, Tokyo. We sent Mr. Sato to a pre-opening demonstration for a report.
Propaganda is an ugly art. History is full of distorted and racist imagery of one nation’s enemies during times of war. Looking back on them now we can chuckle at the absurd lengths people went to in an effort to instill hate in one another, but they often remain shocking nonetheless.
This series of paintings from North Korea surfaced on the internet around 2010, but it’s uncertain exactly when they were created. Judging by the American uniforms they’re most likely Korean War era. We can also see this by the one where US soldiers are depicted sawing open a guy’s head (they got lasers to do that nowadays).
Salty tears roll down your cheeks as you spend yet another night alone eating instant ramen. You despondently stare at the ripples formed as you continue to sob into your noodles. The broth takes on a miserable taste you are all too familiar with.
Singles rejoice! Your nights of eating alone will be made a little less lonely thanks to this new invention: the anti-loneliness ramen bowl!
In Japan, people generally eat jellyfish, not decorate with them, but if you are the kind of person who eschews conventional interior design, you’ll want to have a look at these charming hanging lamps made by California-based Roxy Russel Designs. Faithfully modeled on real jellyfish, these translucently luminous creations will enchant even the most jelly-phobic decorators. Read More
Son, have you been drinking tonight?
Yes officer, I must say I’ve enjoyed a few libations this evening.
Well, I think you’d better step out of the car; we’ve got some pretty strict laws against that kind of stuff in this state.
But I wasn’t driving officer!
Isn’t anyone else in the car, son. Seems you’ve had more than just ‘a few’.
Honestly, Officer! Mr. Toyota has been at the controls the whole time…
Toyota Motor Corporation announced it would be unveiling a self-driving car at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) being held in Las Vegas January 8 to 11, 2013. The car, a Lexus LS600, is outfitted with radars, cameras and an array of sensors that allow it to be cognizant of its immediate environment.
Read More
Robotic Firm Boston Dynamic working with the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) made a splash with a demonstration video of a highly functioning quadrupedal robot called LS3 (Legged Squad Support System).
When many internet fiends in Japan laid eyes on it they couldn’t help but think of Homo, a parody of girls into homoerotic art (fujoshi). It was developed on Twitter from ASCII art (┌(┌^o^)┐ホモォ). Since then it has become something of a subculture phenomenon spawning various merchandise.
A few months later, has the US military improved LS3 enough to quell the giggling of otaku everywhere? Let’s see.
It’s winter and by now your feet probably turn to icicles as soon as they hit the hardwood floor in the morning. Wouldn’t it be nice to slip into something warm and comfy to protect your feet from the winter chill? But why settle for plain old boring slippers.
The folks over at ITmedia have discovered an etsy shop in the US that offers 100% handmade sushi slippers!
For those who can’t get enough, the sushibooties etsy shop also offers sushi baby booties, nunchuck pillows and rattles, and fortune cookie baby booties and slippers.












New Pokémon anniversary song is 22 minutes long, features all 1,025 Pokémon species [Video]
Lego PlayStation recreates Sony’s original console, makes unusual choice for games to salute
New Japanese convenience store rice balls taste like instant noodles [Taste test]
7-Eleven Japan releases new Tsukimi Moon-Viewing range for autumn, with a must-try daifuku and teriyaki burger
Kobe middle schools begin abolishing extracurricular activities, shift to community programs
Kyoto temple bans visitors from wearing kimono
Starbucks Japan releases new coffee table book featuring 18 of the most unique stores around the country
Japan’s revolving sushi restaurant king Sushiro coming to U.S. this fall with high prices, no tipping
Japan’s Tsukimi One-hand Bento’s name is all wrong, but it still looks entirely delicious
Join Naked in the Niwa garden: Kyoto Station’s newest spot to craft traditional art
Solo travel in Japan: Hidden beer garden in Tokyo is a haven for single visitors
Studio Ghibli unveils new anime calendars and diary planners for 2027
Family Mart releases new Human Made Cup Noodle in Japan, with freebies for Nigo fans
A real-world Pokémon Poké Ball hotel is opening in Japan at a still-secret location [Video]
Japan’s first fall color forecast for 2026 is here!
One Piece Day 2026 brings new art, music, and new cast announcements
Tamagotchi evolves into a ring for its 30th anniversary, preorders now open
Hobonichi unveils new 2027 planners, diaries and stationery with One Piece, Suica Penguin, Hello Kitty and a must-buy Mini Techo
12-year-old British girl who went missing in Tokyo found safe after visiting anime sites around Yokohama
7-year-old boy left behind on Mt. Fuji by his own dad
Japan’s final Penguin Suica train cards have already shipped, and when they’re gone, they’re gone
Sushi Bus: Japan’s first conveyor-belt bus lets you eat sushi while sightseeing around Tokyo
Japanese toilet aims to attract foreign tourists but not everybody is happy about it
New Japanese vending machine at Shinkansen station sells cups of ice on platform
Study finds hundreds of people in Indonesia legally named after Naruto, Inuyasha, other anime stars
Japan approves foreign resident visa renewal fee increases of up to 967 percent, starts soon
Japan tripled its departure tax to fund tourism but is using the money on cherry blossoms and bears
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
Kyoto temple bans visitors from wearing kimono
Starbucks Japan releases new coffee table book featuring 18 of the most unique stores around the country
Japan’s revolving sushi restaurant king Sushiro coming to U.S. this fall with high prices, no tipping
Japan’s Tsukimi One-hand Bento’s name is all wrong, but it still looks entirely delicious
Join Naked in the Niwa garden: Kyoto Station’s newest spot to craft traditional art
Starbucks Japan reveals new Tsukimi Moon-Viewing drinkware and gifts for autumn 2026
Studio Ghibli unveils new My Neighbour Totoro Yearly Plate for 2027
Starbucks Japan adds new Sweet Potato Frappuccino and Latte to the menu, but do they deliver the taste of autumn?
Onsen Egg Bukkake Udon Ice Cream makes us rethink everything we thought we knew about sweets
Japan’s first fall color forecast for 2026 is here!
Is Tokyo’s Odaiba, once one of its trendiest neighborhoods, becoming a ghost town? [Photos]
Studio Ghibli adds new finger puppets to its anime merchandise collection in Japan
Solo travel in Japan: $3 all-you-can-drink deal at this conveyor belt restaurant is a fun time for one
A real-world Pokémon Poké Ball hotel is opening in Japan at a still-secret location [Video]