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Anime-style boys’ love comes to South Park with yaoi-themed episode

Casey Baseel
Oct 30, 2015
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With its pudgy, simplistic character designs and sharp-edged humor dicing up current trends, American animated comedy South Park is about as different from anime as it can be in look and tone. But every now and again the show’s focus swings around to Japanese culture, and the theme of its most recent episode was none other than yaoi/boys’ love, the anime subgenre of male homosexual romance that’s loved by legions of female fans.

So while the episode featured the inane logic of South Park’s citizens and resulting laughs fans expect, it was also filled with anime-style artwork depicting its two male characters who had become the darlings of the city’s amateur artist community.

Japanese “lottery ticket booth” robbed by literal cat burglar, thief makes off with our hearts

Scott Wilson
Oct 30, 2015

If there’s one rule of the Internet, it’s that cats make everything cute: kimonos, headbands, air fresheners, and apparently even stealing things too.

Case in point: a kitty-sized lottery ticket booth was recently broken into by one greedy cat, and the owner caught the animal red-handed, posting the adorable evidence on Twitter. Stealing is bad, but these cats make being a thief look so cute!

Beyond bento — Amazing laser-cut seaweed makes its mark on the artistic world

KK Miller
Oct 30, 2015

Lunch-making parents in Japan have long been infusing their midday meals with fun characters designed to please the eye along with the taste buds. A common ingredient used for detail and decoration is the humble dried seaweed sheet called nori. The dark color makes it perfect for creating lines and patterns, and since it comes in a flat sheet you can cut out some fairly detailed shapes with a knife. If you quickly browse through some amazing character bento we’ve shared with you before, you’ll see the important role that seaweed plays in their design.

However, it’s not only good in a supporting role; world-renowned seaweed shop Kozen wants to elevate it to a star in the art world! Forget all the other ingredients you might find in a bento, “Nori Art” is all you need to turn your next meal into an unforgettable feast.

Say hello to the “Japanese Cotton Wife” who comes in two sizes and wears a suit of skin

Oona McGee
Oct 30, 2015

Novelty goods manufacturer Bibi Lab has been outdoing itself lately. They’ve given us everything from pillows shaped like anime pigtails, mosquito net jumpsuits and even sailor-style schoolgirl uniforms for men.

Now they’ve redesigned the concept of the huggy pillow, giving it a feminine shape and calling it the “Japanese Cotton Wife”. Available in two sizes, the manufacturers have worked particularly hard on perfecting the lady’s nude bodysuit, saying they’ve done an excellent job of making it look like it contains human muscle and subcutaneous fat. Because that’s not creepy at all…

Sailor Moon cloth masks are here to protect you from germs the magical girl way!

Casey Baseel
Oct 30, 2015

As we head into winter, you can spot more and more people out and about in Japan wearing cloth masks. The main reason is to prevent the spread of germs during cold and flu season, but recent research suggests that for women, wearing a pink mask could make them appear twice as attractive.

Based on that, we can only assume that anyone wearing one of these new Sailor Moon masks instantly becomes three times as good-looking.

Cute but creepy exploration game set in Japan releasing in time for Halloween on PS Vita

Cara Clegg
Oct 30, 2015

Are you afraid of the dark? Most children are, but as we get older we get used to going out at night and start to realize that the world during the twilight hours is the same as during the day, only a bit darker.

But that lingering fear of the darkness often remains somewhere deep inside, forgotten but never entirely gone. Bring those fears back to the fore again this Halloween with Yomawari, a cute but creepy new game for the PlayStation Vita.

Sailor Moon earns Guardian title with accessories that protect your smartphone jacks from grime

Casey Baseel
Oct 30, 2015

Although everyone just calls it Sailor Moon, the official title of the anime and manga franchise is Bishojo Senshi Sailor Moon, which translates out to Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon. A couple of years back, though, Sailor Moon’s producers decided they’d prefer for it to be called Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, a shift which irked anime purists and linguists alike.

Still, “Guardian” is a fitting title for the inspiration of these new smartphone accessories, which protect your phone’s plugs from dirt, dust, and grime while also adding a touch of Sailor Moon style.

Yo-kai Watch’s Western debut is upon us, but have the Yokai already become lost in translation?

Evie Nyan
Oct 30, 2015

We’ve been telling our fine readers for literally years now about Yo-kai Watch, the Pokémon-esque game/manga/anime series that’s full of adorable yet mischievous collectible yokai monsters. And now that the series has been newly localised and adapted for the West, you’re finally going to see for yourselves what’s been driving Japanese kids to ritually torch bonfires of old Pokémon goods in favour of worshipping the new yokai overlords. Okay, we’re exaggerating, but only a little bit.

Of course, the success of any Japanese import into the Western market hinges on a heartfelt and thorough localisation process. It happened to Pokémon—Satoshi became Ash Ketchum, and many Pokémon were entirely renamed—and now it’s happening to Yo-kai Watch, too.

But is the very Japanese charm of the new franchise about to be seriously lost in translation?

Thai university trials “mobile phone lane” in effort to increase student safety

Jamie Koide
Oct 30, 2015

I’m sure you’ve all been there: you’re walking behind someone who’s engrossed by their smartphone, constantly jabbing at its screen while strolling along, when suddenly they stop dead right in front of you and you have to take evasive maneuvers to avoid crashing into them.

You’d think that, as a country known for its impeccable manners, Japan would be immune to such inconsiderate behavior, but smartphone zombies are just as common here as anywhere else in the world. It really is a global epidemic.

One university in Thailand is taking steps to remedy the problem, however, introducing the first ever “mobile phone lane” for pedestrians who can’t seem to take their eyes off their cellphones while walking to and across campus.

“Caterpillar Rugby” aims to level the playing field for people with and without disabilities

ロケットニュース24
Oct 30, 2015

Sports are supposed to bring people together, giving a group a common goal to work towards and developing community spirit. Nevertheless, it can be difficult to find sports that everyone can enjoy, with many left out due to physical disabilities. However, the World Yuru Sports Association, which goes by Yuru Sports for short, has developed a game intended to level the playing field for everyone so people with and without disabilities get on the ground and play together.

And we mean get on the ground literally: the name of the game is caterpillar rugby and it’s incredibly accurate!

Can’t make it to the Rurouni Kenshin musical in Japan? Preview video gives a taste of the action

Casey Baseel
Oct 30, 2015

We recently took a look at the first photos of the upcoming Rurouni Kenshin stage musical cast in costume, and looking at the comments for that article, more than a few fans of the hit anime and manga franchise are wishing they see the show in person. But if a trip to the Takarazuka theater in Tokyo or Hyogo Prefecture doesn’t fit into your schedule, there’s still a way to get a taste of the all-female performing troupe’s live-action spectacle, as the theatre company has released a preview video of the cast showing off their fighting moves and crossing swords!

Japanese kids’ show a big hit overseas for strangely moving Rube Goldberg machine story【Video】

Master Blaster
Oct 30, 2015

I often enjoy watching the educational programming of NHK’s E-Tele in the mornings with my family while we get ready for the day. It’s full of fun and educational shows that teach everything from English to geography, and Pitagora Switch (Japanese pronunciation of “Pythagora Switch”) is a big crowd favorite. It showcases cute little machines similar to Rube Goldberg devices where a ball travels along an array of painstakingly arranged cups, springs, ramps, pulleys and whatever else they can cram in to get to the other end.

My two-year-old daughter always gets a kick out of its blend of physics and fun, and now apparently so does much of the Western world after a segment of the show posted onto YouTube has received rave reviews on Reddit for its unique combination of story-telling and Rube Goldberg machinations.

Happy Java sparrow Day! Pet owners celebrate their adorable birds on Twitter【Photos】

KK Miller
Oct 29, 2015

October 24 may be seven days before Halloween to most people, but for those in Japan with a Java sparrow (called buncho in Japanese), it’s the day to celebrate your cute little buddy.

Last year the hashtag #文鳥の日2014 (#buncho no hi 2014) was trending and owners all over the country shared pictures of their pet birds. Luckily, this year we were treated to even more pictures of Java sparrows as proud owners wanted to share their joy with the Twitterverse.

Enjoy the best selection of these adorable little guys, after the jump.

Yamaha shows off Motobot, the motorcycle-driving robot created to surpass us, at Tokyo Motor Show

Preston Phro
Oct 29, 2015

With all the companies working on self-driving cars right now, it can be difficult for companies to differentiate themselves from competitors.

Yamaha, however, is sure to stand out from the crowd with their newest project Motobot, a robot designed to ride a motorcycle on its own. But simply riding a motorcycle isn’t enough—the company’s hope is to eventually create a machine that can “surpass” humans!

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

KK Miller
Oct 29, 2015

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.