Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
Japanese Twitter user and possible existentialist @tommyneverdie recently posted an interesting sign he found on the street, which urges the local dog populace to keep their humans in line. It’s really quite cute so we thought we’d share it with you to ease you into the new week.
In the wake of the protests in the US over the controversial Ferguson decision and subsequently President Obama’s unfortunate choice of words galvanizing anti-immigration sentiments in Japan, the Chinese are facing a racism scandal of their own, but this time by their own people.
A Beijing store recently came under fire when they hung a sign outside of their shop proclaiming: “Chinese not admitted. Staff excluded.” Just so we’re clear, this is in China.
Since Japan is on the other side of the International Date Line from the U.S., while American families were sitting down for Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, it was already Friday, November 28 in Japan. Even still, there were celebrations going on simultaneously in the two countries, as November 28 is also known in some circles in Japan as Knee-High Socks Day.
We feel it’s important to spread the word about this unofficial holiday, so just as we did 12 months ago, we’re back again with the Japanese Internet’s best contributions to the day’s festivities. This year, though, Knee-High Socks Day is about more than just appreciating female thighs, as Twitter users are putting their own weird and humorous spin on just who or what can participate.
Japan, like many other countries, has no shortage of “unique” inventions and products. Sometimes they may seem useless or downright impractical, but other times they’re just clever enough to be useful.
So where does this USB-powered onigiri (rice ball) warmer fall on the spectrum of clever and bewildering? We’ll let you decide for yourself!
On 30 June, 2008 Yasushi Takahashi, or Yassan for short, quit his job and set out on a trek across Japan. He took with him a GPS logger to document the journey as he experienced the “Japan that [he knows] only in books.”
That might seem like a reckless choice for a man in his thirties, but as we can see, along with Japan he was also mapping out his future during this half-year travel. Yassan also recorded parts of the trip on video and uploaded it to YouTube in a video titled Tegami-Letter.
Nintendo’s Game Boy recently turned 25 years old and is fondly remembered by people of all ages the world over. With more than 118 million units sold worldwide, it’s fair to say that the monochrome portable was something of a hit, and there’s almost certainly a Game Boy or two lying around in a cupboard or attic near you at this very moment.
A pair of retro gaming enthusiasts are hoping to breathe new life into the Game Boy with a prototype product that allows gamers to hook their original 1989 portable up to their modern, high-definition TV sets with zero fuss. Dubbed the hdmyboy, the adaptor is still in development, but with the help of backing from Kickstarter users, the guys behind it are hoping to bring it to the world as early as next spring.
In Japan, it’s pretty common for high schools to prohibit students from wearing any sort of makeup. As a result, a lot of girls don’t get to use it on a daily basis until after they graduate, usually at the age of 18.
So perhaps it’s fitting that 18 years after its initial release, manga and anime franchise Cardcaptor Sakura is getting its own cosmetics set, meaning that everyone who came into the world as the same time as the series is now old enough to enjoy it.
Temperatures are dropping here in Japan and that means it’s prime time for one of my favorite Japanese foods. Sure, I love sushi and a nice hot bowl of udon sure doesn’t go amiss come December, but in winter nothing holds a candle to the old-fashioned Japanese communal cooking experience called irori. It’s like cooking ’round a campfire from the comfort of your home!
Okay, we know we’ve already introduced on our site countless Japanese treats which we think are irresistibly cute, but once again, we’ve found a little sweet something that we just had to share with you. Take a look at these lines of confectioneries sold by Japanese sweets maker Namikoshiken — they’re called the “Zoo” (dobutsuen) and “Aquarium” (suizokukan) series of sweet steamed buns, and when you see the confections, we think you’ll understand why.
Yes, the zoo and aquarium packages are a collection of animals and critters alright, and the only problem is that they just may look almost too cute to eat!
We all know that KFC is a big, big deal in Japan around Christmas-time. Families order huge Christmas platters for the holiday and singles celebrate by inviting friends over and bringing home a bucket of Special Recipe.
While it may strike Westerners as a delightfully quirky example of holidays getting lost in translation this side of the Pacific, to the Japanese, it’s a cherished tradition. And, of course, a multi-million dollar cash cow for KFC; one that convenience store chains are always eager to get a piece of.
Sure, monkeys bathing in natural hot springs are cute and famous and all, but they’re just monkeys, not giant rodents! Who doesn’t want to watch the world’s biggest rodents bathe in hot water? No one, that’s who. Thankfully, the annual capybara hot spring (onsen) event at Izu Shaboten Park will reopen on December 20!
But wait! After 32 years, the capybara at Izu Shaboten Park in Shizuoka finally got word out to their rodent relatives at the other zoos and now animal parks all over Japan have hot water baths for their capybara.
World opinion of the United States goes up and down like a giant see-saw. Sometimes the US is seen as a world leader in economics, science and technology, yet there is no denying the fact that around the globe, there are some groups that harbor negative feelings towards Americans. Post WWII, there has been an incredibly strong bond between the USA and Japan, but has public opinion been swayed in recent years? If this small sampling of college students is representative of how the youth of Japan feel about the US, relations between the two countries will continue to be solid.
If you’ve been playing Pokémon Omega Ruby Alpha Sapphire, you’ll be familiar with cute little critter, Mudkip, one of the three starter Pokémon in the new game. Mudkip may start life as an adorable water-munchkin, but many Japanese fans felt that things take a turn for the worse when he evolves into Marshtomp.
Gone are the big doe-eyes and baby features, replaced by a glassy-eyed stare that Japanese Twitter users are calling “too scary for words”. Obviously, the only thing to do was to start Photoshopping Marshtomp’s head onto things. What else is the internet for?
Confusion broke out online in Japan recently as people weren’t sure what to make of a comment uttered by US President Barack Obama on 25 November. During a speech regarding immigration reform in Chicago he cited Japan as an example of a country which doesn’t “have problems with certain folks being discriminated against.”
In Obama’s mind, the remark must have been an innocuous comment meant to lighten the crowd. Little did he know that it would wind up mentioned in the Japanese press and through a chain of misunderstandings would lead some to comment: “Look at that. So he admits the evils of immigration after all!” It’s as if Aaron Sorkin wrote an episode of Three’s Company.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa might be able to draw huge crowds due to the fact that it’s a bit on the wonky side, but generally we prefer our buildings to stand upright. It’s no surprise, then, that locals in Shanghai, China were quite rightfully a bit flustered when these two apartment buildings decided to lean on each other for a bit of a rest. But what prompted these separately-constructed buildings to start nuzzling each other, and is this really safe?
If you’ve turned to E-cigarettes to reduce the damage of your smoking habit or help you quit, you may want to avoid Chinese brands unless you’re prepared to turn your computer into a smoking, sputtering paperweight as a sacrifice to your improved health.
That’s because there seems to be mounting evidence that some Chinese E-cigarettes can literally infect your computer with viruses and malware.
Japanese customs dictate taking your shoes off when entering homes, and also some restaurants. But while this practice helps keep the floors clean, there’s a downside to it too, as kicking off your kicks means there’s one less layer between your possibly stinky feet and the people around you.
So when we heard about a method to reduce your feet’s bouquet, we decided to give it a shot, especially since it’s as simple as changing the type of socks you wear.
Context is everything in determining what constitutes a long time. For example, if your boss rewards you for finishing up a long, difficult project by permitting you to take a seven-second vacation, I’m guessing you’d find that amount of time to be less than sufficient. On the other hand, if I asked you to calm a hamster that’s both frenzied and weaponized by pressing it firmly against the warmth of your breast for seven seconds, I have a hunch that’s longer than you’d be willing to hold out for.
Seven seconds is also way too long to be chilling in the middle of the road as you cross the street. That sort of lollygagging is liable to get you hit by a car, or, if you’re this man in China, three of them.
While you won’t see any blood or gore, be aware that this article’s title is not a clever play on words, and it really does contain video of a dude getting hit by multiple automobiles.
He’s known for his outspoken and often controversial opinions, from saying that civil servants who have tattoos should resign, to denying the forcible recruitment of South Korean “comfort women” during the second world war.
But it was an intense debate about whether students should be allowed to have furikake seasoning with their school lunch that left city mayor Tōru Hashimoto scratching his head this week as he asked the Osaka Board of Education: “What’s wrong with furikake?!”
The Japanese work environment might qualify as a something of a business paradise because Japanese workers so rarely take a day off. They are instead known to put in tons of free overtime and often don’t use “sick leave“. There is even a word in Japanese for “death from overwork”: karoshi.
Despite the health risks, many won’t take the day off if they are feeling a little under the weather. But what do Japanese people consider “a little sick” and “really sick”? A survey was conducted aiming to answer that question. Do their answers line up with your own, or would you file them away under “only in Japan”?
Studio Ghibli releases new insect whistle necklace from Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno returning to anime with new project for 50-year-old franchise
We go on our own hunt for “the biggest mountain” to climb in the style of Tokyo Swindlers
Japan’s favorite cheap sake is now an alcoholic ice cream
Three beautiful outside-the-cities places to visit in Hokkaido with a connection to Golden Kamuy
This non-sweet matcha treat is one of our new favorite Kyoto snack souvenirs【Taste test】
Studio Ghibli releases cute new blanket socks for winter
McDonald’s Japan brings out new sweet potato caramel chocolate pies for autumn
KFC Genshin Impact fried chicken combo meals now on sale in Japan
Starbucks Japan releases first flower drink in exclusive, hard-to-find chilled cup series
Japanese convenience store Family Mart announces abolishment of eat-in spaces
Japanese government wants to acquire original anime and manga art for creation of national archive
After 21 years, Harajuku’s famous Lolita fashion and cosplay shop is permanently closing
This Tokyo rice ball takes 20 years to make and 2,000 yen (US$14.30) to buy, but is it worth it?
Ultimate lazy sukiyaki – Can you make the king of Japanese hot pots in a rice cooker?【Taste test】KFC Genshin Impact fried chicken combo meals now on sale in Japan
Give yourself a Totoro belly with Studio Ghibli’s Marshmallow Haramaki belly wraps
Pizza Hut adds a “Guilty Secret” sandwich to its menu for a limited time
Pizza Hut Japan creates Landmine-type Pizza to celebrate Japan’s dark jirai-kei fashion
Japanese chanko ramen restaurant contains a moving relic from the World Trade CenterJapanese convenience store Family Mart announces abolishment of eat-in spaces
Studio Ghibli releases free-download board game — Here’s how to play it without reading Japanese
Studio Ghibli lets you cosplay as Howl from Howl’s Moving Castle with cosy anime fashion range
New Hello Kitty McDonald’s Japan Happy Meal toys are here, and Kitty’s sister is part of the set
Starbucks teams up with the oldest of Japan’s Six Ancient Kilns to create a Bizen ware coffee mug
One of Tokyo’s most beautiful gardens gets its own moon for moon-viewing seasonPizza Hut adds a “Guilty Secret” sandwich to its menu for a limited time
Right now is the peak time to go to Tokyo’s most-beautiful-view beer garden【Photos】
Super budget-friendly retro Tokyo hotel feels like having your own 1960s Asakusa apartment
New Jimmy Choo x Sailor Moon collaboration brings anime magic to bags, shoes and accessories
McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Foreign tourists on Shinkansen bullet train break suitcase etiquette, angering local passengers
[Deleted] Article written for April Fool’s Day 2018
Japanese government to make first change to romanization spelling rules since the 1950s
Foreigner’s request for help in Tokyo makes us sad for the state of society
Ghibli founders Toshio Suzuki and Hayao Miyazaki contribute to Japanese whisky Totoro label design
Doraemon found buried at sea as scene from 1993 anime becomes real life【Photos】
Tokyo’s most famous Starbucks is closed
Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in JapanJapanese convenience store Family Mart announces abolishment of eat-in spaces
This non-sweet matcha treat is one of our new favorite Kyoto snack souvenirs【Taste test】
Studio Ghibli releases cute new blanket socks for winter
McDonald’s Japan brings out new sweet potato caramel chocolate pies for autumn
KFC Genshin Impact fried chicken combo meals now on sale in Japan
Starbucks Japan releases first flower drink in exclusive, hard-to-find chilled cup series
We try to buy a retro Japanese coin-operated arcade machine at this secondhand shop near Tokyo
Street Fighter sushi bento boxes are here so you won’t have to fight on an empty stomach
Japan voted Best Country in the world for second year in a row in Condé Nast Traveler poll
Kyoto becomes City of Yokai, with Night Parade of One Hundred Demons festival this autumn
Which Japanese conveyer belt sushi chain has the best steamed egg custard? 【Taste test】
10 things you should buy at 7-Eleven in Japan
All-you-can-eat Häagen Dazs among 200 other frozen foods at Osaka’s Chin! Suru Restaurant【Pics】