SoraNews24 -Japan News-

Featured

Class up your backyard with your very own Nazca hummingbird that smells so good!

KK Miller
Oct 29, 2015
Tweet

Over the summer, people around the world were really excited over a mosquito coil from Japan that gained notoriety because it was shaped like the Nazca Lines in Peru. Unfortunately, it only looked like a mosquito coil and was actually made from wood, but people still clung to the idea that if it was a real product, it would be really awesome.

Months rolled by, and no more news was released about this uniquely shaped mosquito repellent. Many people thought it would be impossible to make a coil in such a shape without it crumbling to pieces. But where there’s a will, there is always someone industrious enough to try to figure it out. It only took them until the seasons had changed, but we are finally seeing the release of “Nazca’s Summer, Peru’s Summer” right in the heart of fall. You won’t be repelling any mosquitoes with this coil, but everything will be smelling fantastic!

We check out Japan’s zecOO, the black-and-gold electric “Akira bike”, at Tokyo Motor Show【Pics】

Preston Phro
Oct 29, 2015

The zecOO electric bike made a splash online when it officially went on sale earlier this year, though it’s been known by people all around the world as the Akira bike for a few years now.

It’s still a little pricey at 8.88 million yen (roughly US$73,600), so we doubt any of our staff will be cruising around town on this bad boy until we’ve filled up a few more piggy banks, but fortunately the electric vehicle was on display at the Tokyo Motor Show and our very own Mr. Sato was able to check it out in person.

Take a look at his photos below and find out what clever new addition the bike is now sporting!

Citrus-packing “Pepsi White” coming to Japan for the winter snow season

Oona McGee
Oct 29, 2015

When it comes to limited-edition beverages, Pepsi continues to rise to the occasion year after year. And just when we thought we’d seen the last of Pepsi’s seasonal releases for 2015 with their mystery-flavoured Halloween range, they go and announce a special Christmas present, with the release of a new Pepsi White Cola for this year’s winter season.

Don’t call it Boys’ Love! Japanese fujoshi finds a new term for her favorite anime trope

Casey Baseel
Oct 29, 2015

The international anime fan community has adopted a number of Japanese loanwords for concepts that originated in Japan and don’t have succinct, ideal vocabulary equivalents in other languages. English-language discussions between foreign fans are peppered with terms like otaku (fans whose enthusiasm for their hobby is so strong it affects their life balance), tsundere (a person whose expressions of emotion towards an object of affection run hot and cold), and moe (a feeling of devotion and protectiveness, often in response to a display of innocence or purity), just to name a few.

Now, though, the shoe’s on the other foot, as one woman in Japan with a soft spot for anime showing deep, emotional bonds between male characters is calling for the popularization of an English loanword to help her avoid being mistaken for a fan of homoerotic anime and fan fiction.

Kagawa’s Udon Monster joins Japan’s other local kaiju to help save the environment

Oona McGee
Oct 29, 2015

Did you know that each of Japan’s 47 prefectures has a designated monster that represents their region? The larger-than-life beings were born from the “Gotouchi Kaiju” (“Local Monsters”) multimedia project helmed by Professor Hiroshi Sagae, who’s worked on a number of kaiju-centric films such as Godzilla Millenium, Ultraman Saga and Gamera the Brave.

Now there’s a special crowdfunding campaign that’s calling on the masses to support the plight of the monsters as they strive to protect nature and promote greenery in their towns. Patrons who contribute to their favourite beast will be rewarded with cards, T-shirts or even a 3-D kaiju figurine but best of all, the funds raised for each prefecture will go towards supporting environmental projects in the region.

Maru the cat enthrals us with his adorable animal costumes【Video】

Jamie Koide
Oct 29, 2015

Gearing up for Halloween, we’ve already seen our share of humans dressing up like cats, but how about some costuming felines? Of course, as we’re sure all you cat people out there already know, getting kitty dressed up in a ridiculous outfit is a lot easier said than done.

…Or is it? Turns out the owner of Maru, “the most famous cat on the internet” has devised an easy way to get even the most stubborn of felines to get into the Halloween spirit with these cute animal costumes.

“Smash Bros. and chill” is disturbing, borderline not-safe-for-work【Pics】

Meg Murphy
Oct 29, 2015

Ever since Twitter user @itsIsaaaaaaac tweeted those famous words, “Netflix and chill“, internet meme-dom, and indirect invitations to have a “good time” with it, were forever changed.

As a result, the internet is now packed full of hilarious and awkward examples of what can happen when one puts out that particular call. But what if, mused one net user, instead of offering to Netflix and chill one was to make a similar offer to “Smash Bros. and chill“? What would that even look like?

Thanks to the work of the Internet masses, we now have the answer. And it’s hilariously inappropriate.

13 Chinese customs that are shocking to foreigners

BUSINESS INSIDER
Oct 29, 2015

Every country has its own culture and unique customs that come with it. Understanding the social etiquette of the country before visiting can help to make the experience less overwhelming.

In China, you might be surprised to find that burping is considered a way of complimenting the chef or that a gift will be refused several times before it is accepted.

Here are 13 customs to know before traveling to China.

Japan is so polite that even this adorable raccoon dog gives thank-you presents

Casey Baseel
Oct 29, 2015

There’s an annual autumn event in Japan called Shichi-Go-San, which is a celebration for children aged three, five, and seven. My brother-in-law’s youngest daughter is seven this year, so on the special day my wife and I gave her a small monetary gift. Sweet kid that she is, she immediately thanked us, but as we left the party my brother-in-law handed us a small cake to express his appreciation as well.

This pattern of giving someone a gift to say thank you for the gift they previously gave you is fairly common in Japan, where gracious manners are always held to be of the utmost importance. As a matter of fact, it’s such a part of life in the country that apparently even one animal, a thankful tanuki, is following the custom.

The latest work by Japan’s hottest anime studio…is on the new Toy Story Blu-ray?!? 【Video】

Casey Baseel
Oct 29, 2015

I’ve actually never seen any of the Toy Story movies. I hear they’re entertaining and poignant, but my extremely busy lifestyle only leaves me so much time for watching cartoons, and I generally prefer my animation to be hand-drawn and Japanese.

But I may just have to check out the newest Toy Story Blu-ray release, since it contains a piece of original animation from Trigger, one of Japan’s hottest anime studios.

Check out these white balls of cuteness — irresistible java sparrow coin purses!!

Kay
Oct 29, 2015

It appears these white little critters have recently been creating a bit of a”flutter” in the Japanese Twitterverse, and we guess that should come as no surprise, considering how utterly cute they look. But what exactly are these fluffy white balls? They’re actually coin purses made by craft artist Piyoyama, and people who have fallen in love with the little birds are asking where they can get their hands on one of them!

Japanese high school boys hold annual beauty pageant, look as cute as ever【Pics】

Scott Wilson
Oct 29, 2015

Beauty pageants for boys dressed up as girls are kind of a thing in Japan now. Whether you think they’re awesome or kind of confusing, you can’t help but admit that the entrants usually manage to pull off the cute girl look surprisingly well.

This month marks the annual Miss Komaba High School Pageant, a contest that has been going on for several years now and which invites young men to dress like their female peers . Last year’s contestants were pretty good, but can this year’s pretty boys give them a run for their money? Let’s find out!

Hold the Force in the palm of your hand with limited edition Star Wars plushies from Takara Tomy

Oona McGee
Oct 29, 2015

Japan is really putting on a show for the upcoming release of the Star Wars: The Force Awakens movie. From cute, bite-sized character sweets to samurai figurines and even a special train, welcome celebrations in the Land of the Rising sun are proving to be the best this side of the galaxy.

Fortunately for us, the special releases just keep on coming. And now, Takara Tomy Arts have joined the party by metamorphosing our favourite characters into adorable plush toys that are small enough to sit in the palm of your hand!

Anime Contact lenses will give you the shimmering eyes of a manga heroine 【Photos】

Casey Baseel
Oct 28, 2015

The first thing that many people notice about the eyes of anime characters is how big they are, but that’s not the only thing that makes those 2-D peepers special. Through the magic of Japanese animation, anime eyes shine so brightly they almost look like they’re made of crystal or some other equally lustrous precious stones.

Of course, real eyes aren’t so reflective, but if you’ve got your heart set on your eyes sparkling like your favorite anime heroine, you can now achieve the look with the just-released line of anime-style contact lenses.

Japan mourns the loss of legendary illustrator Noriyoshi Ohrai

Oona McGee
Oct 28, 2015

It has been announced that Noriyoshi Ohrai—the Japanese illustrator best known for producing remarkable poster art for Metal Gear Solid as well as for films including the Godzilla series and Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back—passed away from pneumonia yesterday morning at the age of 79.

With a career spanning over half a century and an impressive portfolio of artworks for novels, games and well-known international movie releases, fans around the world are mourning the loss of a great talent and taking a look back at his extraordinary body of work.

Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto wanted everyone to kiss and make up at the end of GoldenEye

KK Miller
Oct 28, 2015

Nintendo’s last cartridge-based home console, the Nintendo 64, was home to a long list of games that no doubt played a big part in many of our lives, and none more so than GoldenEye 007. A first-person shooter that followed the storyline of the James Bond movie of the same name, GoldenEye’s all-guns-blazing split-screen multiplayer mode made and broke many a friendship over the years, and was considered the epitome of fun in back in 1997 when it launched.

But the game was an odd choice to appear exclusively on a console made by Nintendo—a company with a reputation for squeaky-clean fun and family-friendly software. And it turns out that the violent nature of GoldenEye was a matter of deep concern for Shigeru Miyamoto, Nintendo’s most influential director and producer and the creator of Super Mario. So much, in fact, that he suggested an alternate ending to the game: one where everyone shook hands and made up.

Old tires and shoe soles said to be being used in bubble tea tapioca pearls

Meg Murphy
Oct 28, 2015

Bubble tea, also called boba, or pearl-tea, had its beginnings in Taiwan but has spread in popularity throughout the world. The creamy milk-tea dotted with chewy, gummy-like tapioca pearls and endless flavor possibilities makes this the perfect snack when you can’t decide if you want something to drink or something to eat.

The tapioca pearls that give these milky drinks their fun texture are made from cassava root. Or, at least they should be. But an investigation in China has turned up a “tapioca” plant that makes pearls from materials that aren’t even edible…

Japanese boys love game wants players to unleash their libido, match some man-nipples

Joan Coello
Oct 28, 2015

Japanese game makers and gamers take their chosen medium of entertainment very seriously, and there are titles out there for just about every conceivable audience, even niche genres such as “BL” (boys love). Although it may seem like the audience for such titles may not be so big, there are numerous BL titles on the market to satisfy the desires of fujoshi gamers.

Even among the many titles, however, one particular game titled Out Division has managed to catch its players unaware with a unique take on the classic memory game. Fancy playing a game of nipple matching, anyone?

Patlabor AV-98 Ingram anime mecha arrives in Niigata, residents welcome their giant robo-cop

KK Miller
Oct 28, 2015

For anyone who lives in Niigata or is planning on heading there in the next couple of days, please be sure to obey all the laws and regulations of the prefecture. It’s not that they have odd rules that are going to catch you off guard, it’s the fact that there is a gigantic, police labor robot, or Patlabor, that has arrived in the prefecture. Its appearance has caused a bit of a commotion and the robot is, potentially, fully prepared to take out any criminals while it’s stationed there.

Oh, and if you think you might be able to commit some sort of crime out of sight of a robotic police presence, the human officers have a very speedy patrol car in the area as well.