And just like that, 2015 was no more! It’s now January 1 all the way across Asia, which means it’s officially the Year of Monkey! Happy New Year, everyone!
We’ll be putting our feet up for the rest of today, but we promise we’ll be back tomorrow with more of the news, cuteness, cats, food, fukubukuro, Mr Sato and all the weird and wonderful stuff from Japan and Asia that you know—and hopefully love—us for.
Thank you for continuing to visit our site, share our stories and follow us on Twitter and Facebook (281K and counting!!), and for helping us to grow and grow. 2015 was very good to us, but here’s hoping that 2016 will fill us all with the sprightly energy of a whole mess of merry monkeys and that we can continue to make our little site even better—although hopefully without any poo-slinging.
Stay tuned, Rocketeers, and have yourselves a great New Year’s Day!
In order to change yourself for the better, one Japanese website is offering a simple way to identify your own faults based on your date of birth.
Moe-style anime NEW GAME! gets new official website with TV broadcast and cast reveal info.
With so many celebrities and businesses with their own social media accounts, how can you make sure you attract users and get them to follow you? McDonald’s does it by making you see their food in a whole new way.
A metro operator set up a monitoring device and announcement system to single out individual commuters caught using their smartphones while walking near escalators or passing trains.
Live out your fantasies of love-making in Japan’s bygone eras at this unusual love hotel in Osaka.
Coming to Japan and dressing up like a geisha is a bit like going to the USA and dressing up as a confederate soldier. Sure it’s fun, but it doesn’t really reflect modern society. What you need to feel the Japan of today is leopard print…and lots of it!
This is what happens when you combine centuries-old traditional Japanese painting with modern anime, and we love it!
Our favourite family of Munchkin cats (and a dog!) do battle with a motorised duelling Yoda in this adorable video!
Philippine residents can now get their hands on a plethora of Japanese items at TOKYO STYLE.
Nine years after his dog went missing, a Singaporean professor received a phone call that his long-lost companion had finally been found.
We asked expats living in Japan if they thought that simply living here has made them a better person. Find out the results: the good, the bad and the ugly!
Toy manufacturer Takara Tomy A.R.T.S continues its line of bizarre “gacha” capsule toys with cute (?) animals that have developed enormous underbites.
Comiket 89 is now underway at Tokyo Big Sight from December 29-31. Check out our photo montage of the best cosplays from Tuesday’s opening day!
This pigeon got on the wrong train. What happens next is probably exactly would happen to any of us!
One artist’s crossover artwork featuring the Sailor Scouts in Saint Seika-style costumes is currently going viral—and it’s easy to see why!