Beautiful hiragana jewelry now available — express yourself by wearing Japanese letters!

If you’ve ever studied Japanese, you’ll know that the written Japanese language is basically made up of three types of characters: hiragana, the original Japanese phonetic alphabet, katakana, a variation of the same alphabet mainly used to write out foreign names and words (including foreign words that have been imported into the Japanese language) and Chinese characters referred to as kanji.

Now, calligraphy turns these letters into works of art on pieces of paper, but how would you like to be able to wear some Japanese characters as stylish jewelry? Well, that’s exactly what you can do with these beautifully formed earrings crafted by designer and calligrapher Saori Kunihro.

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Women get paid to ‘escort’ male online gamers, provide game instruction in growing Chinese trend

Remember those women in South Korea who get paid money to film themselves eating large meals to provide company for any lonely diners out there? It appears that a similar trend is growing in popularity in China, only this time with male online gamers who pay an hourly wage for online female escorts to play with them. 

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Rescued dog becomes rescue dog as Hiroshima stray joins search for survivors in Nepal

In the wake of the massive earthquake that struck central Nepal last week, non-profit organisation Peace Winds Japan sent a small team of six rescuers and two specially trained dogs to help with the search for survivors.

Remarkably, one of the search dogs who was dispatched to Kathmandu is himself a former rescue: Yumenosuke, a stray dog saved from euthanasia in Hiroshima.

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Japan Post, IBM, and Apple to develop senior-friendly tablets

On 30 April, a joint announcement was made by Apple, IBM and the nation’s private postal service Japan Post regarding a new project that aims to change the lives of Japan’s aging population.

The three companies are combining their expertise to develop a line of iPads with specialized apps for senior citizens. Designed by IBM in conjunction with elderly care services in the works by Japan Post, it is hoped that the tablet computers will help to reduce the burden on younger generations as they care for an increasing number of aged family members.

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Want socks with that? McDonald’s Japan attempts to win customers with fast food, toasty feet

McDonald’s hasn’t been doing so well in Japan for a while now, but they’re still plugging away at the Japanese market, trying to stay popular in a country that has plenty of burger chains of its own, and without any of those awkward food scandals at that.

It seems their latest gimmick – giving away free stripy socks akin to those Ronald McDonald wears – is doing more to win over customers than any of the special creations they’ve previously tried to use as bait, however…

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Are you a business owner? Do you have a product or service you’re selling, but aren’t sure how to market it? Is your target demographic pervy weirdos?

Tittygram has your number! For a nominal fee, Tittygram allows you to advertise basically anything you want on the breasts of an attractive, busty woman! Once again, the crossroads of porn and the Internet have yielded a major marketing innovation!

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It’s difficult to say if this Japanese power unicycle is cool or not

Starting this summer, Japanese company Onewheel will offer a limited number of these Onewheel i-1 motorized unicycles. Their revolutionary design and features are sure to make prospective buyers think long and hard about whether they’re actually really cool or incredibly lame. Even their catchphrase “What is this?” feeds the ambiguity.

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This Dragon Ball tribute is a great way to refresh your memory of the classic series

With a new Dragon Ball show announced for July, now is just about the perfect time to take a quick refresher on the original series! While you could spend a couple of hours browsing through recaps of all the old episodes, or even try rewatching the whole series before July, we have an easier way to remind yourself of all the animated fun.

Check out this awesome animated YouTube video, complete with authentic music clips from the show!

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Check out cool artwork of monsters that could have been in the Godzilla 2014 movie!

Godzilla, the gargantuan dinosaur-like creature that has starred in roughly 30 movies to date, has to be one of the most famous characters to ever come out of Japan. Since its first appearance on the screen in 1954, Godzilla has captured the fascination of fans around the world and has become one of the most recognizable symbols of Japan. Yes, there just seems to be something about Godzilla that we can’t get enough of, and even if you’re not a hard-core kaiju fan, we’re guessing that many of you saw the Hollywood movie that was released last year.

Now, the monster action in that movie was certainly spectacular to look at, but don’t you think it would be interesting to see some ideas for monsters that didn’t appear in the film? Well, that’s exactly what we’re sharing with you here today!

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Otaku assemblyman elected in Ōta-ku, Tokyo

Excitement was in the air all over Tokyo as the votes for regional elections to council seats were talli–hey where are you going!?

Sure, local politics aren’t all that electrifying aside from the occasional eccentrics who throw their shark-tooth necklaces into the ring. But it’s also sometimes the place where small but inspiring stories of success can happen.

Such is the case with Minoru Ogino who was recently elected to Ōta Ward (aka Ōta City) or Ōta-Ku in Japanese. It’s a fitting district to win in as Assemblyman Ogino is Love-Live-lovin’ Kankore sailing otaku himself.

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Students of Japanese despair – you’ve probably been writing some of the simplest kanji wrong

Remember when you decided to study Japanese because kanji characters are just so much fun to learn? No, me neither. While it’s true that kanji can be fascinating, and they do get easier to learn and make more sense as you progress, sometimes you’ll come across something that makes you feel like you’ve been sent all the way back to the beginning again.

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Our Japanese reporter’s US trip goes horribly wrong when his luggage somehow ends up in Ecuador

Today, we’d like to share with you the experience of one of our reporters on a domestic flight in the United States. Hailing from Japan, home of the airport that hasn’t lost a piece of luggage in 20 years, our reporter Yoshio wasn’t expecting the unthinkable to happen on his brief 45-minute flight – but somehow, his bag went missing. And ended up in Ecuador!

Join us after the jump to hear his story, featuring insurance claims, flight changes, and at least one trip to buy new underwear.

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Fashionista, DJ and androgynous style icon Usuke Devil is breaking hearts all over Japan

It’s no secret that Japanese women go crazy over cute, pretty, stylish things. And a lot of them like their men to be cute, pretty, and stylish, too. Take Usuke Devil, for example. He’s a model, DJ, and style icon who works at a boutique in Harajuku and drives girls wild with his lithe, androgynous beauty. Check out these pics and see for yourself!

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Pikachu instant ramen costs less than a buck, would be awesome even without the free stickers

If you have a penchant for eating right, you’re no doubt familiar with the importance of a balanced diet that includes all of the major food groups. But even if you’re making sure to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, have you got the Pikachu food group covered?

Sure, you already know how to make a Pikachu burger, but if you’re looking to up your Pokémon intake (and skip having to do any real cooking yourself), you can now buy quick, convenient, and adorable Pikachu ramen.

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Dunked your smartphone in your drink? Now you can bring it back to life!

Smartphone addiction is a worldwide problem, with many of us unable to keep our eyes off our little magic boxes long enough to cross the street safely or make occasional eye contact with loved ones.

So what happens when your beloved pocket companion takes an accidental dip into your drink (or, heaven forbid, the toilet)? Well, before you start gnashing and wailing, you might want to try out Reviveaphone, the new “magic” product that claims to bring your electronic hand buddy back from silicone heaven…

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Mizupica, the flashlight that runs on… water?

With recent fears that Japan might be due another sizeable earthquake in the coming months, it’s little wonder that people have been checking that their emergency kits are properly stocked, just in case. Even without these supposed warning signs of an upcoming disaster, in a country like Japan where earthquakes are common, it’s always a smart idea to be prepared and keep an emergency stock of food, water, and other necessities.

A flashlight and spare batteries are often recommended items to keep in an emergency kit, but what if you could have a light source that doesn’t even need batteries? That’s where the Mizupica comes in – a flashlight that can last up to a week on only a small amount of water.

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This convention attendee’s Hestia outfit takes cosplay to new, unparalleled heights

At Niconico Chokaigi, the annual convention held near Tokyo last weekend, one cosplaying attendee was gaining more attention than most. This particular enthusiast’s glorious Hestia costume – with, of course, the magical blue ribbon we’ve heard so much about recently – has won its owner followers, fans, and the love and respect of Hestia fans everywhere. Kind of.

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Would you vote for this man?

Elections are a serious business everywhere in the world. In Japan, as election time draws near, huge boards go up around town where each local candidate has a square for their poster. (Also, since door-to-door canvassing is forbidden, they instead drive around with a loud-speaker at all hours of the day shouting about how great they are, which is totally not annoying at all.)

But don’t worry, this isn’t a boring politics post! Apparently not everyone takes the decision to stand as a candidate as seriously as they’re expected to.

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“Nintendo 64!!!!” meme kid grew up to be super excited about everything, even Taco Bell

Remember Nintendo 64 Kid? That tiny ball of energy that got so worked up about his Nintendo 64 Christmas present that his ecstatic reaction, so over-the-top that people actually thought he was possessed, became an Internet meme even though the footage was captured before Internet memes were really even a thing?

Well, Nintendo 64 Kid is all grown up and it looks like his meme fame has turned him into an overall cool dude who just gets excited about everything, even the disgusting “meat” of questionable provenance purveyed by Taco Bell.

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