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Oysters’ amazing cleaning skills shock Japanese netizens who question their shellfish habit

Scott R Dixon
Nov 4, 2014
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You may be familiar with oysters as the delicious seafood best eaten raw (or as ice cream) and served in months ending in “r,” but did you also know the little guys have impressive filtering skills that can clean even the dirtiest water?

Eating its fill of plankton and other particles floating around, a fully grown oyster can filter more than 50 gallons (189 liters) of seawater in one day. After seeing a few videos demonstrating this cleaning ability, some Japanese netizens started to question just how appetizing this made the once delicious-looking oyster.

10 misconceptions Japanese people think foreigners have about Japan

Krista Rogers
Nov 3, 2014

Unintentional cultural misunderstandings became the subject of great debate in Japan recently following a new round of commercials produced for cup noodle manufacturer Nissin. Although intended to be entirely tongue-in-cheek, some people have raised the issue that it is precisely these kinds of advertisements that compound incorrect notions about a country and lead to further stereotyping, which led to a survey being taken which asked Japanese to list the things that they perceive to be the most common stereotypes about their own culture.

Think you can guess what made the list? Keep reading after the jump to find out!

Classy pipes, intestines, and a taste of the past all can be yours from Asakusa vending machines

Master Blaster
Nov 3, 2014

If you ever visit Tokyo, the district of Asakusa is a worthwhile spot to wander around in. It has a healthy mix of tradition, entertainment, food, and shopping that should please anyone looking for a small but all-encompassing Japanese experience.

But there’s one other unique feature that Asakusa has and it’s one that’s surprising even the most entrenched Tokyo residents. Apparently, Asakusa is home to an enormous selection of wildly unusual vending machines. And coming from a land positively peppered with automatic vendors, that’s saying a lot.

Sweet Holidays! Cupcakes and doughnuts bring in the festive season at Mister Donut Japan

Kay
Nov 3, 2014

Now that Halloween is over, and without Thanksgiving being celebrated in Japan, shops here are already getting ready to bring in the Christmas season in earnest. Yes, that means the lights, the ornaments, winter landscape displays … the works.

And of course, there are the holiday sweets to look forward to. In that department, you can certainly have your pick of expertly created luxury cakes from celebrity pastry chefs, but for more casual occasions, Mister Donut Japan is offering a selection of beautiful Christmas cupcakes and doughnuts that promise to be just as delightful. Let’s see their newest line of treats that look festive enough to be displayed under a Christmas tree!

Korean students give their textbook characters fantastic fashion makeovers

Hayashi 'Fang' Hougi
Nov 3, 2014

I’m sure most of us have had the experience of doodling in our textbooks while the teachers droned on about all the math that we realized later in life we would never use. In fact, my personal specialty was decorating large chunks of text with elaborate frames of vines and flowers. Sometimes I even added fruits.

But some creative students in Korea took their doodling to a whole new level by giving the textbook figures clad in outdated fashion complete makeovers. Some of these doodlers were so talents the final result even looks like manga or manhwa!

Cosplaying Utah man was shot 5 times from behind by police

Anime News Network
Nov 3, 2014

An autopsy performed on Darrien Hunt, the 22-year-old man shot and killed by police in Saratoga Springs, reveals that Hunt was shot five times from behind and had no drugs in his system.

The autopsy report shows that Hunt was shot once in the back, two times in the left hip, and three times in the upper arm. Five of the shots entered from behind, and one of the shots in his hip entered from the side toward the back. A total of seven shots were fired by police, six of which struck Hunt. The fatal shot to his back traveled in an upward direction.

Japanese high school holds annual contest to decide the prettiest “girl” in school

Mike
Nov 3, 2014

The whole concept of an all-boys high school is kind of cruel when you think about it. You take a bunch of young men who have only recently hit puberty and are practically oozing hormones out of their pores and lock them in a prison-like environment filled with nothing but other males for the majority of their teen lives.

So it’s understandable that at least one Japanese all-boys high school, faced with an utter lack of girls to ogle, chose to get a little creative… by holding an annual beauty pageant to determine the prettiest “girl” in school.

6 people bitten by wild boar in Tokyo

Japan Today
Nov 3, 2014

Six men and women were bitten by a wild boar in Akiruno and Fussa cities in Tokyo on Friday morning.

Queens of stage and screen: Thailand’s transgender beauty pageant kicks off for 10th year

Fran W
Nov 3, 2014

In many ways, Miss International Queen is just like any other pageant: finalists parade in evening gowns, swimsuits and national dress, and the winner will perform twelve months of promotional and charity duties. There’s one major difference, though: all the contestants are transgender women, and the top prize includes cosmetic surgery for the winner – if she wants it.

As the world’s largest transgender pageant hits the stage in Thailand (where else!) for its 10th anniversary year, we take a look at this unique contest.

Yowamushi Pedal set to delight fangirls with karaoke rooms, mocktails and men’s boxers

Joan Coello
Nov 3, 2014

Anime series Yowamushi Pedal has set off on its second season, titled Yowamushi Pedal Grande Road, and its creators have shifted gears with new goods and collaborations to up the game.

Starting with a collaboration with karaoke chain Karaoke no Tetsujin (AKA Kara-Tetsu), the series’ makers also have plans to release men’s boxer shorts, however ironically, at an event targeted for girls. Whether they expect their fangirls to wear men’s undies themselves or are hoping the girls will buy them for their boyfriends, we haven’t got a clue, but we have all the details about this peculiar collaboration after break!

The results are in: Poll asks if Japanese people would want to be reborn in Japan

KK Miller
Nov 3, 2014

Have you ever thought about where you’d like to be born if you were reincarnated? It may be an odd question, but in Japan this has been asked every five years to citizens around the country since Showa 28 (1953). It seems like a pretty unassuming survey, but it appears to be a cleverly phrased poll that is able to determine how the citizens really feel about their home country.

What better way to find out if Japan is doing right by their youth, by asking them if they’d be willing to do it all over again! Find out what they learned after the jump.

18 Japanese words understood around the world

Krista Rogers
Nov 2, 2014

If you’re an enthusiastic linguaphile like myself, you probably spend a good part of each day A) Thinking up ways to make your friends groan yet again with all your linguistic knowledge (e.g. dressing up as a “dead language” for Halloween), and B) Getting super excited whenever you discover the etymology of a new word (also, C) Debating which flavor of ice cream to buy based solely on how witty its name is).

One of my favorite linguistically related topics to contemplate is the constant borrowing of words and shifts in meaning that takes place among the world’s languages. Students of Japanese are often surprised to discover the huge inventory of ‘loan words’ in Japanese that were borrowed from English which have often either changed drastically from their original pronunciations or are combined in different ways to create new, Japanese-made English terms.

But how about the flip side of that–Japanese words that have been imported into other languages? Join us after the jump for a look at some of them!

Another Japan-meets-ice cream creation from Häagen-Dazs — this time it’s strawberries and azuki!

Kay
Nov 2, 2014

Yes, we love our Häagen-Dazs here at RocketNews24, but you really can’t blame us when they keep throwing creative and tantalizing flavors at us, can you? Like this newest installation in their Japonais line of cup ice cream — in a strawberry and azuki (red bean) flavor!

That’s right, another delightful frozen creation with a Japanese twist is coming out from the masters of ice cream. And we really can’t see any reason why we wouldn’t find the new flavor thoroughly delightful!

A little late for Halloween, here are some haunted photos from Thailand

Mike
Nov 2, 2014

So we might be a little late to the party on this one – on account of being at other parties that involved a lot of drinking – but we’re still taken with the Halloween spirit, and it looks like Thailand is too, because we managed to scrounge up a bunch of spooky, possibly “haunted” photos from the area recently.

Akita judge rules man’s drunk driving somewhat justifiable, gives him his job back

Master Blaster
Nov 2, 2014

Some people see things in black and white while others tend to judge each incident as a unique situation with its own parameters of right and wrong.

Take drunk driving for example. There are many who would say that under any circumstance getting behind the wheel of an automobile with significant levels of alcohol in the system deserves punishment. And then there are some that say there may be exceptions to the rule.

Luckily for some government workers who got picked up by police for drunk driving, more than a few district court judges appear to belong to the latter camp.

Woman’s $71,000 breast enlargement treatment leaves her with “fluffy” chest hair and anger

Master Blaster
Nov 2, 2014

For a woman, breasts can be a double-edged sword. On one side they stand as a symbol of femininity, but on the other they can be the source of anxiety and self-consciousness.

Each woman has her own way of living with her breasts, be it accepting them for how they are or searching for ways to improve them. To each her own we say, but if you do choose some kind of augmentation procedure, please take the proper precautions and research it thoroughly.

But don’t take our word for it. We just happen to have a cautionary tale to illustrate this point. So sit back and enjoy: The tale of the woman who went in for larger breasts but instead got a bunch of pillowy black chest hair.

Late-night all-you-can-eat yakiniku for only 980 yen? Yes, please!

Krista Rogers
Nov 2, 2014

Imagine that you’re in Tokyo and having so much fun that you miss the last train home without even realizing it. You consider all the ways to kill time until the morning, but nothing appeals to you at all…so might we suggest some late-night all-you-can-eat yakiniku?

Join our intrepid reporter Mr. Sato as he tries out a yakiniku restaurant in Shinjuku, Tokyo which offers a special late-night all-you-can eat yakiniku deal. Even if you can’t make it there in person, don’t be afraid to live vicariously through his mouth-watering photos!

Do you know what to look for in a guy? Take this quiz and find out!

Cara Clegg
Nov 2, 2014

For Japanese women on a mission to get married to the perfect guy it’s important to know what to look for in a man, but there’s a lot of women out there who don’t know if they’re picking up on the right things. This quiz from a Japanese TV show is designed to help. There are nine simple questions with two possible answers for each. One answer is the good trait to look for while the other is the one to avoid. Do you know what you should be looking for in a potential husband?

Note: Take this quiz with a huge helping of salt.

Here’s wishing you a Happy 40th, Hello Kitty!!

Kay
Nov 2, 2014

Exactly 40 years ago today, on November 1, a very special mascot character was born. The cat with an adorable oversized head, named Hello Kitty, has since been an excellent ambassador for the Japanese “Kawaii” culture, and as we all know, has come to be loved around the world. And in honor of what can arguably be called Japan’s most famous export ever, we wanted to wish Hello Kitty a heartfelt Happy Birthday on this special day. Plus, we even have a delightful little video from Sanrio to share with you that takes you through 40 years of Hello Kitty’s history!

10 things that make Japan female-friendly【Women in Japan Series】

Amy Chavez
Nov 1, 2014

We at RocketNews24 previously told you about 10 Things Japan Gets Awesomely Right. Now we want to tell you about ten more things that are equally awesome, but especially for women in Japan. It doesn’t mean that men don’t also find these things impressive, but we’re betting that some of these have never been noticed by men, because, well, they were designed with women in mind.

Every woman likes to be pampered every now and then, and in Japan it’s just too easy to get used to some of the every day niceties we enjoy! Of course the Japanese are known for being polite, which helps tremendously to get through any stressful day, but Japan goes that extra step sometimes to make things that much nicer. After all, it’s the little things in life that matter, right?

So here’s our list of 10 things that make it so darn nice to be a woman in Japan. Get ready, ’cause you’re gonna love these!