Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
It’s been a long time coming, but Star Wars fans will soon get to see the seventh installment in the long-running franchise when Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens in theaters next month. While waiting for the theatrical release, fans living in Tokyo can experience the thrill of the series firsthand by venturing over to Tokyo Disneyland, where the Star Tours: The Adventures Continue attraction is now open to the public!
Sono & Sons is a building maintenance company that also specializes in pest control. Their SEARCH (We Safeguard our Environment with Alpha Roach Control Helper) system promises to leave any roach intruding on the sanctity of your home dead as Dillinger.
Despite their cold efficiency as slaughtering cockroaches, Sono & Sons also owe them a debt of gratitude. After all, roaches played a large role in building the company. So out of respect, they commissioned a memorial statue for all the cockroaches who have succumbed to their poisons and filled the company’s bank account as a result. They spared no expense either because everyone online is agreeing that it’s one cool statue.
Kutani porcelain ware, which has its origins in Ishikawa Prefecture in central Japan, is a craft with a history of nearly four centuries. In recent years, we’ve seen makers of the traditional ware produce more modern and pop looking items in efforts to broaden their appeal to the public, with some beautiful results.
Now, we have another example of Kutani ware with a modern twist and it comes from a someway unexpected source — toy maker Bandai. Yes, in a brilliant case of pop culture meeting traditional craft, Bandai will be coming out with a line of Gundam Kutani ware!
On Friday night, illustrious RocketNews24 reporters Mr. Sato and P.K. Sanjun ventured out into the streets of Shibuya, Tokyo’s hub of youth culture. Both dressed as Marge Simpson, they were there to check out this year’s collection of crazy costumes. While Halloween as a holiday is still only catching on in Japan, they were thrilled by the number of like-minded, costumed revelers they found.
Join us for a photographic tour of some of the costumed people they ran into on the streets of Shibuya!
Some say that baking is therapeutic, but for first-time bakers, making something as basic as plain bread can be a bit of a challenge, even with a recipe. Let’s also not forget the tabletop full of flour you’ll have to clean up after kneading the dough.
But our Japanese reporter Meg recently experimented with a super-simple recipe to make some quick yet yummy ice cream bread. No kneading required, and no messy flour-covered surfaces (well, unless you get clumsy in the kitchen)! Get the recipe after the break!
The Evangelion Store Tokyo-01 is celebrating four years this November as the one-stop-shop for everything Evangelion. The store has sold a number of snazzy clothes, fashion accessories, and of course, hordes of merchandise featuring characters from the series over the years. To celebrate their success, they’re rolling out the cast in a new lineup of clothes that you can wear too! Check out the new shoes, skirts and more, after the jump.
You may have already heard about rice field art: Those complex works that use dyed or naturally colored rice grains to create gorgeous patterns, or that turn the whole rice field into a canvas for a massive “painting” that can only be fully appreciated from the skies. Also, because Japan, Ultraman is sometimes involved.
But the phenomenon, once a niche practice for small Japanese cities that otherwise had nothing in the way of tourist destinations, has caught on to the point that the Guinness Book has actually recorded, for posterity, the current world’s largest work of rice field art.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is a classic game that is considered by many as the greatest video game of all time. Needless to say, it’s pretty popular and people play it over and over and over. One gamer in particular, Runnerguy2489, has played it so many times that he can, in fact, beat it with his eyes closed.
The last couple of years have been benchmark ones for Halloween in Japan. What was once a holiday marked mostly by the infrequent sighting of a handful of mildly embarrassed-looking, costumed foreigners on the Yamanote Line train has grown into a massive industry.
In fact, Halloween has become just as much a holiday about 20 and 30-somethings dressing up as sexy nurses, sexy zombies, sexy superheroes, and other sexy-choose-a-nouns as its American counterpart. But while those costumes were no doubt getting plenty of attention on Shibuya Crossing last night, the Japanese Internet had already decided the undisputed Queen of Halloween was this far more conservatively dressed “once-in-millenium beauty”.
There are millions of people living in Tokyo, and most of them moved from somewhere else to Tokyo in order to find work in the bustling city. Among these millions is a large number of people who choose to forgo a long commute and live on their own in a tiny apartment, so we’re sure many share very similar experiences at home.
A whimsical CG film entered in the 17th DigiCon6 ASIA Supreme Short Movie Contest has captured a ton of popularity for its animation style, which many say is reminiscent of a Pixar movie. But what really sets it apart is the fact that the short film shares Pixar’s playfulness as well.
It’s been months of events and marketing in the making, and Halloween has finally arrived in Japan. Our own Mr. Sato and P.K. Sanjun decided to hit the streets of Shibuya in costume to report on the festivities at hand.
Well actually, they went a day early, but as we’ll soon see, October 31st ain’t nothing but an ordinal number assigned to anachronistically named month, because in Japan, Halloween comes whenever you want it to.
Michelangelo’s marble interpretation of David is without a doubt one of the most iconic statues in history. I’m sure every one of you out there is familiar with that stony gaze and perfectly-chiseled, rock-hard body as David stands poised and ready to face the giant Goliath.
But after centuries of standing and waiting to fight, David is now ready to strike a few new poses, with your help, as he makes an appearance as your very own personable, posable action figure!
Being a parrot is tough. You can easily get stuck in things, and you might find that repeating what the humans tell you can get you in a lot of trouble. Sometimes it feels like the whole world is against you.
But all that hasn’t stopped one parrot from doing everything she can to look her best. This little bird loves carefully tearing small pieces out of magazines and then stuffing them into her tail feathers, making her look like the fanciest parrot on the block.
Her Japanese owner managed to catch her doing it on camera, and you’ve got to see it to believe it!
It seems like Bandai really wants us to get better at drawing. First they released the totally awesome and totally-not-just-for-kids Magic Illustrator, and now they’ve announced that they will be selling life-like posable figures for all of your human-sketching needs.
And what’s more, these figures come with dozens of sweet accessories, making it easier than ever to draw a someone wielding a sword, a deadly cellphone, or their own awesome lightning fists. Ready to never again lose friends by asking them to hold a pose while you carefully draw it? Then read on!
Although the internet has revolutionized our lives in countless ways, one of the most appreciated is the simple yet outside-the-box recipes that appear on it from time to time. Where else can we discover that a rice cooker can be used to make mind-blowing pancakes or crème caramel on top of instant ramen makes for a delicious flavor boost?
Now, a Twitter user going by the handle of @rea941 has unveiled a new way to enjoy Japan’s favorite instant food, Cup Noodle. With the leftover soup you can make a delicious chawanmushi egg custard. It’s so easy the entire recipe could fit in a single tweet!
With easy, delicious, and cheap being the trifecta of RocketNews24 gourmet bliss, we couldn’t help but make some for ourselves.
Think cat ears are only appropriate for cosplay and on Halloween? Think again!
Thanks to a highly successful crowd funding campaign, these amazingly awesome cat ear headphones are now, after what feels like an age since we first discovered them, hitting the market, and just begging to be worn just about anywhere.
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Everyone knows the story of Cinderella, right? It’s a classic tale of a young woman who’s transformed into the most enchanting lady in the kingdom when her fairy godmother shows up and gives her a beautiful dress, loose-fitting footwear, and a pair of shapely, ample breasts.
Wait, that last part actually isn’t in the traditional version of the fairy tale. Nevertheless, one Tokyo-based cosmetic surgery clinic is offering something it calls the Cinderella Breast Augmentation procedure, which can increase your bust size by up to one and a half cups. But just like Cinderella’s magic ended at the stroke of midnight, so too do your breasts return to their normal size the next day.
Have you ever wondered what the most spectacular views in Japan are? Allow us to enlighten you!
Recently, we told you about Japan’s top three night views according to the Night View Summit 2015. You may have also heard about Japan’s Three Scenic Spots, one of the many lists of the top three this or that in Japan. So, what’s the deal with all these lists? And who designates them? Find out while checking out some of the best scenery Japan has to offer.
If you’re walking into a branch of KFC, it’s a pretty safe bet that you’re there to eat fried chicken. You could even argue that the whole process of ordering is partially redundant, since the question isn’t whether you want some of the Colonel’s deep-fried bird, but simply how much.
And if your answer to that query is “All of it,” then head on over to Osaka, where the first all-you-can-eat Kentucky Fried Chicken buffet is about to open.
Hayao Miyazaki film buffs will appreciate the popular video documentary “Hayao Miyazaki – The Essence of Humanity” created by Lewis Bond, an English film maker. The 16-minute video, featuring a montage of Miyazaki’s much-loved animated films, beautifully explores human nature, Miyazaki’s vision, and the universal appeal of his movies.
The average age of Japan’s hikikomori shut-ins is getting older, survey shows
Japanese hair salons going bankrupt in record numbers
Samurai Coffee: Try Edo period coffee once enjoyed by Japanese warriors
Uniqlo’s high-end sunglasses are a fashion minefield for anyone who isn’t Mr. Sato
Beard Papa goes beyond just matcha with its new premium green tea cream puffs
Studio Ghibli releases crystal glass paperweights featuring Totoro and the Catbus
Eating cheap sushi in a narrow building in Tokyo is an adventure for bold diners
Hayao Miyazaki’s Whisper of the Heart concept art revealed in new Ghibli illustration book
Japan’s new Pokémon jackets give you the look and powers of the Kanto starter trio
Japan enters Golden Week vacation period, survey shows one in three plan to ride it out at homeJapan enters Golden Week vacation period, survey shows one in three plan to ride it out at homeThe average age of Japan’s hikikomori shut-ins is getting older, survey showsJapan’s new Pokémon jackets give you the look and powers of the Kanto starter trio
Studio Ghibli releases new anime keychains that are like miniature figurines
Brand-new Square Enix Cafe to open in Tokyo…and in Los Angeles too!Studio Ghibli releases crystal glass paperweights featuring Totoro and the Catbus
Dorayaki from 89-year-old Japanese confectionery shop is one of the best sweets hidden in Tokyo
What are the worst things about living in the Japanese countryside?[Survey]
Retro-style Evangelion T-shirts coming to Uniqlo sister brand GU[Photos]
Viral tweet suggests Japanese convenience store ripping off customers with donuts, so we investigate
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
Wisteria season starts early with blooming of Japan’s Great Wisteria in its beautiful garden
Japan’s best conveyor belt sushi restaurant of seven years ago has now, finally, come to TokyoJapan enters Golden Week vacation period, survey shows one in three plan to ride it out at home
New Kyoto Converse sneakers celebrate Japan with traditional kimono fabrics for your feet
Brand-new Pokémon manhole covers coming to help the recovery of a disaster-stricken part of Japan
Japan’s awesomely beautiful Alpen Route snow corridor is now open
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration eventsThe average age of Japan’s hikikomori shut-ins is getting older, survey shows
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency saysJapan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Studio Ghibli releases crystal glass paperweights featuring Totoro and the Catbus
Eating cheap sushi in a narrow building in Tokyo is an adventure for bold diners
Hayao Miyazaki’s Whisper of the Heart concept art revealed in new Ghibli illustration book
Japan’s new Pokémon jackets give you the look and powers of the Kanto starter trio
Japan enters Golden Week vacation period, survey shows one in three plan to ride it out at home
Is Mister Donut’s all-you-can-eat Donut Buffet still worth it?
Police in Osaka file charges against resident for serial pigeon/crow feeding
Studio Ghibli releases new anime keychains that are like miniature figurines
Seaweed bread is one of the most unusual baked goods in all of Japan
Sega opening 65th anniversary store in downtotn Tokyo with deep-cut game merch
49-year-old Japanese shut-in spends weeks living with corpse of mother who died at home
Viral tweet suggests Japanese convenience store ripping off customers with donuts, so we investigate
Retro-style Evangelion T-shirts coming to Uniqlo sister brand GU[Photos]
Japan’s two-month Shut-in Pilgrimage – A 1,200-year-old way to deal with a modern issue