An aquarium in Tokyo has created a new app that’ll help you find your way, with the help of…penguins!
When the stress of work has gotten to be too much, we all like to take some time off and just enjoy ourselves for a while. But the question remains, what to do? The weather is great outside, but going out sounds so tiring right now. You could read a book, but right now that feels too close to studying. That’s when the idea hits you – the idea to watch anime. But what should you watch? Well never fear, because goo Ranking has taken a survey asking fans what they think is the best anime to watch on their day off.
While we rarely think about it, the way our atmosphere works is pretty amazing–filtering out all that cosmic radiation and keeping us alive. It also has tons of moisture in it, which, in addition to giving some nifty lightning shows, is also what gives us really cool stuff like sun dogs and rainbows. While it’s nothing special to see a piece of a rainbow or even half of one in the sky after a rainshower, it’s quite another thing to see a full rainbow shimmering in the sky.
But that’s exactly what appeared over Tokyo on Friday, setting Twitter ablaze with photos of the beautiful phenomenon. And because we’re ready for some uplifting fun this weekend, here’s all the photos we could find! Guaranteed to make your day 200% more magical or your leprechaun back.
The Japanese have long had a fascination with rocks. In fact, rock worship is an integral part of Shinto, Japan’s original religion. Iwakura (sacred rocks) can be found all over Japan. Rocks can be found in any Japanese garden, whether as stepping stones or objects of admiration themselves in dry landscape gardens or Zen rock gardens. One thing is for sure: Rocks are an integral part of the Japanese psyche.
So it’s no wonder that sacred rocks are popular among the Japanese as power spots. By harnessing the energy of these rocks, the Japanese are rediscovering their roots and the power of nature. But before we tell you about the three top rock power spots in Japan, we investigate how these monoliths and boulders gained their rock star status. Our rockin’ reporter uncovers the history and folklore of iwakura in Japan and gives suggestions on how to access the power of these rocks!
Most of us probably don’t mind seeing girls in cute swimsuits, right? But these swimsuits in particular seem to have attracted a good deal of attention on the Japanese Internet. Why? Well, other than that they look awfully charming, they manage to combine swimwear with another fetish fashion item that’s extremely popular in Japan — the sailor uniform. And they’re apparently selling quite well too! So, let’s see just how cute they really are.
It is not uncommon to hear that many people don’t like bugs. Those tiny, many-legged creatures are the source of our worst nightmares. Robots, on the other hand, are fantastic. Whether they come to us as Furby-sized companions or giant robot protector of the Earth Gundams, they amuse and entertain us to no end. So when we heard of the open source project combining insect-like parts and robotics, we timidly decided to check it out.
With more and more women identifying themselves as otaku, Japan’s super hardcore fans of things such as anime and video games, the odds of an otaku male finding a like-minded girlfriend aren’t so bad. Recently, there have even been professionally run matchmaking events to help romantically compatible anime-loving singles find one another.
Still, it’s human nature to always want more. Not too long ago many guys would have considered a girl a keeper simply for accepting their otaku lifestyle, but one group of illustrators has thought up four specific ways they’d want their girlfriend’s otaku leanings to manifest.
After topping the Japanese box office for 16 weekends in a row, Disney’s Frozen can add one more feat — its very own PlayStation 4. The PlayStation 4 Frozen Limited Edition takes the standard jet black console with a 500GB hard drive and adds a Frozen laser-etched hard drive bay cover with the sisters Elsa and Anna.
Japan is known, fairly or unfairly, for weird music. We’ve introduced plenty of bands that simply produce great music and other groups that are a bit out there. And make no mistake–we love them all! Sometimes “weird” is just part of the music–after all, David Bowie wouldn’t be David Bowie if he didn’t leave us wondering what planet he was really born on.
Namakopuri, an “art idol” group that consists of two young artists dressed in nurse costumes, is certainly on the weird end of the spectrum. In fact, we might even go so far as to say that their new video, “Namakopuri’s Trap,” is the weirdest thing we’ve seen all week. It’s also insanely catchy; we promise you’ll be hearing it in your dreams–or maybe nightmares–tonight!
Running a restaurant is tough work, as anyone who’s ever worked as a server, cook, or manager can tell you. Especially in Japan, a country where a good meal is considered one of the best things that can happen during your day, we try to give the staff the benefit of the doubt that they’re preparing our food as quickly as they can, while still maintaining the levels of flavor and presentation customers expect.
Still, we have to admit our patience was tested when we walked into a restaurant in Sapporo and ordered a single parfait. We were pretty surprised when well over an hour later, it still hadn’t come.
Then we were even more shocked when we finally got to eat our dessert and found out it was well worth the wait.
While the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka is a truly whimsical place, transporting you into the magical world of animator Hayao Miyazaki and friends, an adult may feel that their immersion is incomplete. In particular, the children-only play area that features a “life-size” cat bus practically begs you to step over the velvet rope and throw the makurokurosuke in the air like a kid on a sugar high, but to do so would likely result in your ejection from the building.
But fear not! There is one other place in Japan where even grown-ups can wander happily through the imaginary world of My Neighbor Totoro: The Teddy bear Museum in Tochigi Prefecture.
Although still relatively unknown in the West, Naver Company’s Line is by far the most popular messaging application in Japan right now, with millions of active users. But when an app comes to be embraced by so many people, it’s often only a matter of time before someone with too much time on their hands decides to spoil the fun for everyone by hacking users’ accounts in an effort to make money.
Cases of Line accounts being taken over have been on the rise since May this year, with many people claiming to have received messages from both anonymous users and those already in their contact list, asking them to purchase pre-paid WebMoney cards and send a photo of the card’s number over to them so that they can claim it.
Thankfully, most Line users are bright enough to recognise a scam when they see it, and know exactly how to respond…
We talked recently about a creative smartphone case inspired by Love Live, the current standard bearer for the “cut girls strive earnestly to be the best at something” genre of anime. But while it’s all well and good to be able to dress your phone up in the same uniform worn by the show’s teen idol singers, it doesn’t create a direct connection between fans and the show.
Love Live attire isn’t just for smartphones, though, as there’s now a line of shoes based on the popular franchise.
Here at RocketNews24 we’re always on the lookout for cases where life meets art, whether it’s characters from video games spliced into real-life falling-over gifs, or animals hanging out with giant fluffy figures at Disneyland. So when we saw this video that’s been dubbed “the anime fall in real life”, we knew it was the one for us.
These two handball players ended up in an awkward position when they collided on the court. Unfortunately for them, the moment – as well as their amused reaction – was captured and replayed in slow motion all over the internet, giving teenage boys the world over plenty to think about and anime fans reason to believe that their preferred medium of entertainment isn’t quite so removed from reality after all…
Here at RocketNews24, we’re no strangers to the culinary charms of extremely meaty hamburgers. Time and again, we’ve seen chefs in Japan push the burger envelope by offering increasingly massive sandwiches.
Today, though, we’re looking at the polar opposite: a bun-based sandwich with no meat at all. While a lack of beef may run counter to our baseline burger beliefs, there’s one important detail that turns this from sacrilegious to scrumptious.
The patty has been replaced by potato chips.
The beds and couches at Ikea are communal nap spots in China. Photographer Kevin Frayer captured the phenomenon for Getty Images.
Eight of the world’s 10 biggest Ikea stores are in China, where the home goods store is expanding to accommodate the growing middle class.
“The stores are designed with extra room displays given the tendency for customers to make a visit an all-day affair,” according to Frayer. “Store management does not discourage shoppers from sleeping on Ikea furniture, even marking them with signs inviting customers to try them out.”
The stores are a refuge in the summer heat.
Seoul, South Korea’s War Museum announced on Thursday that it has cancelled a planned exhibition centered around Eiichiro Oda‘s One Piece manga due to protests of the Japanese flag appearing in art being displayed, among other reasons.
What child hasn’t run around swinging a giant sword at imaginary enemies? We did it when we were kids and we’ll bet dollars to doughnuts that you did too! It’s just too bad that you can’t do it as an adult–at least not without someone calling the police! (Don’t ask how we know.)
Except that you totally can! Iaido, a Japanese martial art which uses real swords, is all about swinging blades at imaginary enemies–and it’s a hell of a lot of fun. Of course, most iaido schools don’t use “giant” swords, since, in reality, an arm can only stretch so far. But certain styles have told reality to go jump in a river and given practitioners swords big enough to make Sephiroth blush.
Check out the awesome “giant sword” videos taking the Japanese Internet by storm below!
Following the first semifinal game of the World Cup, German football fans draped in black, red, and gold were seen celebrating in Japan’s busiest intersection, the Shibuya scramble crossing. And they sure had a lot to celebrate about.
The blowout match against Brazil saw seven goals scored by the German team, four of which came within six minutes. Most of the action took place nearest Brazil’s keeper who had to try and fend off the German forwards who were crossing the ball multiple times in front of the net as if the Brazilian defense wasn’t even there. So yes, their team through to the championship match, these German fans had every right to be celebrating and Japanese Twitter users were quick to upload their elated antics.
It’s no secret that Japan is seriously into cuteness. Accordingly, in most situations, deeming something kawaii, or cute, is seen as high praise.
This is especially true when it comes to women. Whereas in English-speaking countries some may take issue with what they perceive as a diminutive or demeaning connotation to the word “cute,” in Japan, calling a girl kawaii is almost universally considered a compliment. Even actresses and models who would ordinarily be described as “beautiful” by English speakers earn kawaii cred if they have a kind smile, or any other sort of soft warmth to the aura they project.
But while just about any Japanese woman is happy to be called kawaii, things aren’t quite so simple for men.
MOST POPULAR
Now
Japanese ramen restaurants under pressure from new yen banknotes
New private rooms on Tokaido Shinkansen change the way we travel from Tokyo to Kyoto
McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Beautiful Red and Blue Star luxury trains set to be Japan’s new Hokkaido travel stars
French Fries Bread in Tokyo’s Shibuya becomes a hit on social media
Mt. Koya planning to instate visitor’s tax to cope with huge tourist numbers
Sakura tree falls on man at Sannenzaka near Kiyomizu temple in Kyoto 【Breaking News】
Japanese company starts project to restore Nakagin Capsules to capsule hotel
Studio Ghibli releases new action figures featuring Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind characters
Secret Kitchen bento serves Japanese flowers, birds, wind and moon in a box, but is it worth it?
Weekly
- McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
All-you-can-drink Starbucks and amazing views part of Tokyo’s new 170 meter-high sky lounge
More foreign tourists than ever before in history visited Japan last month
Starbucks reopens at Shibuya Scramble Crossing with new look and design concept- Studio Ghibli releases new action figures featuring Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind characters
- French Fries Bread in Tokyo’s Shibuya becomes a hit on social media
Studio Ghibli glasses cases let anime characters keep an eye on your spectacles
Is the new Shinkansen Train Desk ticket worth it?- New private rooms on Tokaido Shinkansen change the way we travel from Tokyo to Kyoto
Beautiful Ghibli sealing wax kits let you create accessories and elegant letter decorations【Pics】
Monthly
- McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Studio Ghibli releases Kiki’s Delivery Service chocolate cake pouches in Japan
New definition of “Japanese whiskey” goes into effect to prevent fakes from fooling overseas buyers
Our Japanese reporter visits Costco in the U.S., finds super American and very Japanese things
Studio Ghibli unveils Mother’s Day gift set that captures the love in My Neighbour Totoro
Domino’s Japan now sells…pizza ears?
New Japanese KitKat flavour stars Sanrio characters, including Hello Kitty- All-you-can-drink Starbucks and amazing views part of Tokyo’s new 170 meter-high sky lounge
- More foreign tourists than ever before in history visited Japan last month
New Pokémon cakes let you eat your way through Pikachu and all the Eevee evolutions
Yearly
Sales of Japan’s most convenient train ticket/shopping payment cards suspended indefinitely- McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Sold-out Studio Ghibli desktop humidifiers are back so Totoro can help you through the dry season
Japanese government to make first change to romanization spelling rules since the 1950s
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
One Piece characters’ nationalities revealed, but fans have mixed opinions
We asked a Uniqlo employee what four things we should buy and their suggestions didn’t disappoint
Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
RECOMMENDED STORIES
Mt. Koya planning to instate visitor’s tax to cope with huge tourist numbers
Sakura tree falls on man at Sannenzaka near Kiyomizu temple in Kyoto 【Breaking News】
Japanese company starts project to restore Nakagin Capsules to capsule hotel
Studio Ghibli releases new action figures featuring Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind characters
Secret Kitchen bento serves Japanese flowers, birds, wind and moon in a box, but is it worth it?
We tried Korea’s way-too-big King Tonkatsu Burger at Lotteria 【Taste Test】
Family Mart makes matcha dreams come true with new lineup of strong green tea sweets in Japan
Kyoto’s 100 Demons yokai monster parade returns!
Remember: Japanese kombucha is nothing like American kombucha
Sales of Japan’s most convenient train ticket/shopping payment cards suspended indefinitely
There’s a new world’s largest anime robot statue, and it’s not in Japan【Photos】
Studio Ghibli unveils Mother’s Day gift set that captures the love in My Neighbour Totoro
-
