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We spend a morning with an expert wagashi chef creating no-bake traditional Japanese sweets!

Kay
Apr 20, 2015
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If you’re someone who enjoys making treats like cakes and pastries, then perhaps you have first hand knowledge of how baking can sometimes be a tricky affair. Well, in Japan, we have a whole category of wagashi, or traditional Japanese sweets, that aren’t baked at all, called namagashi (literally, “raw confectionaries”). Namagashi are typically made from various colorful bean pastes and often crafted into delicate seasonal-themed shapes.

Earlier this month, we participated in a seminar to experience what namagashi-making is like. Join us as we see how a master chef creates beautiful flowers from bean paste, and then try our not-so-expert hand at creating our own confections!

Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’ opens – We attended screening with voice actors, Momoiro Clover Z

Kay
Apr 20, 2015

Okay, folks! Remember what day this past April 18 was? Well, here in Japan, April 18 may be Invention Day, but this year, it was also the opening day of the movie Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’! Since we’d already reported a fair bit of information about the new Dragon Ball movie, we thought it was only appropriate that we go see it on opening day and give you our impressions.

This time, fortunately, we didn’t have to wait 17 years for a new Dragon Ball movie like we did for the previous film, Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods. What’s more, we managed to get a ticket to a screening with special appearances by voice actors and idol group Momoiro Clover Z! Join us for our take on the movie and a report on all the excitement on opening day.

Introducing the new PikaChu! Amusing character mash-ups bring the Japanese internet to giggles

Krista Rogers
Apr 20, 2015

Ever wondered what Pikachu would look like fused with other familiar characters from manga, anime, and video games?

Neither have we, to be honest, but now we can see what the love-children of those amalgamations would look like thanks to Japanese company Mountain Graphics, a maker of t-shirts and other apparel. “Cardcaptor Zakura,” “Wapire-chan”…their series of character mash-ups are sure to tickle your funny bone!

New anti-chikan cellphone stickers let you mark train gropers with sign of shame

Scott Wilson
Apr 20, 2015

As you probably know, Japan is infamous for chikan – people who grope others in crowded areas, like crowded trains and buses. As you also probably know, Japan has a long history of doing things in bizarre and not-very-effective ways.

So what do we get when the two come together? Ridiculous anti-chikan stickers for cell phones put out by the Saitama Prefecture Police department. And these aren’t just stickers you’re supposed to use to keep potential chikan away, these are stickers you’re meant to use offensively! Ka-pow!

Japanese Netizens think that European Central Bank protester looks like an anime character

Mike
Apr 20, 2015

Although the protester that managed to infiltrate the European Central Bank’s monthly press conference recently got plenty of media attention with her clever deployment of a so-called “Glitter Bomb” – that is, she scattered the notoriously-difficult-to-remove, fabulous substance everywhere – her protest method of choice came a few months too late.

Everyone knows, of course, that the disruptive substance du jour now is the dial-a-bag of dongs. Glitter is just so yesterday. But, our intrepid protester is still getting her due time in the spotlight in Japan because of her resemblance to a certain anime character.

Nine tips for surviving Japan’s hellishly crowded trains

KK Miller
Apr 19, 2015

If you have ever ridden a train during rush hour in Japan, you know it takes a certain amount of fortitude to survive it. If you are just visiting the country, sometimes you can avoid those super stuffed trains, buy if you live or spend an extended length of time in any big city in Japan you just can’t avoid taking a packed train. Whether it’s rush hour in the morning, rush hour at night, or the last few trains home, you will often find yourself in a position where you have to give up the luxury of personal space in exchange for a ride home.

It takes a certain amount of skill to stay upright as well as a bit of creative ingenuity to pass the time and avoid feeling claustrophobic in order to survive the crowded train. We’ve collated nine of the best tips to help you get through a hell-like train ride.

Heartbreaking photos inside the bedrooms of children who died in last year’s South Korean ferry disaster

BUSINESS INSIDER
Apr 18, 2015

A year ago Thursday, a ferry carrying 476 people sank off the coast of Incheon, near Seoul, South Korea, during a routine trip to the island of Jeju.

In all, 295 people aboard the Sewol perished, many of them high-school students and teachers who were on a field trip. Many of the bodies still have not been recovered.

Since the disaster, controversy has centered on the South Korean government’s response. Some argue the government attempted to whitewash its accountability in the incident; others have called for a thorough investigation.

Parents of the students who died in the catastrophe are still reeling from their loss a year later. Many still keep their children’s rooms intact to keep their memories alive. Reuters photographer Kim Hong-Ji visited their homes and documented the families and the rooms.

Apple would rather you not blow up teen couples on your iPhone, asks developer to edit video game

Casey Baseel
Apr 18, 2015

In a lot of ways, digital distribution of video games is a great thing, as it allows developers to easily add new content to a title after its release. It’s a double-edged sword, though, and that same streamlined pathway from programmer to player can also be used to quickly make changes that take things away.

A few weeks ago, we took a look at a smartphone game whose lonely, jaded protagonist and his mystical, jaded companion use their powers to make affectionate couples meet with a host of calamities, including straight blowing them up. Apple, however, is not cool with this sort of vengeful fantasy, and so the iOS version of the game is being toned down and given a new name since the original title, Explode, Real Types! no longer describes the game’s contents.

R2-D2 jet takes to the skies in the most dramatic airline commercial we’ve seen all year

Preston Phro
Apr 18, 2015

As you might have heard, that little indie film Star Wars is getting a squeal or something like that. And, like Pokemon and Hello Kitty before it, the franchise is getting its own themed plane with the R2-D2 jet, set to start flying international routes this fall.

As you may expect, a project this big demands a big announcement. And ANA (All Nippon Airways), the company bringing this themed jet to the skies, is more than happy to oblige! Check out the commercial, complete with the jet soaring majestically through cloudy skies, below.

Live-Action Attack on Titan films’ poster, 2nd movie title unveiled

Anime News Network
Apr 18, 2015

The official website for the two Attack on Titan live-action films unveiled a new poster for the movies on Friday. Theaters in Japan will begin displaying the poster on April 25.

The first movie will open on August 8, and the second movie will open on September 19.

e.l.f. Cosmetics delights Frozen fans with an Elsa makeover in a book

Joan Coello
Apr 18, 2015

I subscribe to a handful of beauty gurus on YouTube, and the moment Frozen turned out to be such a mega hit, I knew I had to brace myself for a rush of Elsa-inspired makeovers taking over my subscription list. True enough, the Elsa-themed tutorial videos came in like a wrecking ball and suddenly my YouTube feed was flooded with women sporting blonde braids and smokey purple eyelids.

The thing about these makeup tutorials is that many of these YouTube beauty gurus have a rather extensive collection of makeup palettes and tools, so they can easily create different looks, but the average person might not own products in all the colors required to replicate Elsa’s look. That, was until e.l.f. launched their Disney Elsa makeup series that provided the full package at affordable prices. Check out the lineup after the break!

Attack on Mega Shark? New foe for American B-movie icon looks suspiciously familiar to anime fans

Casey Baseel
Apr 18, 2015

American film studio The Asylum is the “creative” team behind some of the movies with the closest names ever to blockbuster hits. The company’s catalogue features standouts such as Snakes on a Train, The Da Vinci Treasure, Transmorphers, The Day the Earth Stopped, and, in perhaps its greatest feat of coming as close as possible to just outright copying another movie’s title, The Terminators.

There’s a point at which imitation gets to be so blatant it stops being flattering, and ordinarily we’d be appalled at The Asylum’s lack of artistic integrity. We’ll give the studio a pass this time, though, since it’s about to give us an unofficial crossover as compelling as Mega Shark fighting an obvious copy of an Attack on Titan giant.

Man, inspired by IS video, threatens to behead ex-girlfriend

Japan Today
Apr 17, 2015

Police have arrested a 33-year-old Yokohama man on suspicion of threatening to kill his former girlfriend in a series of messages on the LINE app.

Disgruntled Japanese men share a list of common male woes before and after marriage

Krista Rogers
Apr 17, 2015

Ladies, do you think that life is all fun and games for your male counterparts? As a multitude of men would have you know, that’s certainly not always the case.

The following list chronicling all the expectations and financial burdens placed on Japanese men both before and after marriage has been circulating the web. Of course, not to rule out the many challenges that women also face, myself being a woman, perhaps it would be better to just say that life can be a real drag for everyone.

Nightingale floors: The samurai intruder alarm system Japan’s had for centuries

Casey Baseel
Apr 17, 2015

For centuries, Japan has taken pride in the talents of its craftsmen, carpenters and woodworkers included. Because of that, you might be surprised to find that some Japanese castles have extremely creaky wooden floors that screech and groan with each step.

How could such slipshod construction have been considered acceptable for some of the most powerful figures in Japanese history? The answer is that the sounds weren’t just tolerated, but desired, as the noise-producing floors functioned as Japan’s earliest automated intruder alarm.

Chinese company Ninebot buys out Segway

Master Blaster
Apr 17, 2015

It’s hard to imagine life before 2002 when the Segway standing scooter thing hit the scene completely revolutionized the way we get about, just like everyone predicted it would.

Its staggering success has made it an American institution. Like many of you, I have fond memories of making out with that special someone in the back of my Segway at the Segway-in movies during those hot summer nights.

But now, the vehicle we have all welcomed into our lives is entering a new chapter having been bought out by Beijing-based Ninebot Inc. I guess we won’t be able to use the old cliché “it’s as American as a Segway” anymore.

Onsen in Nagano will now welcome foreigners with tattoos, as long as they patch ’em up

Evie Nyan
Apr 17, 2015

Many foreign visitors to Japan are curious about taking a dip in one of Japan’s many hot springs or sento public baths, but are deterred by two factors: the embarrassment of being naked in public, and the worry that even having a small tattoo – very much taboo in Japan – might result in being ejected from the premises. While the first issue is something that can be overcome with a little bravery, the second issue is undoubtedly a problem.

However, a resort inn in Nagano has now publicly stated that they will allow foreigners with small tattoos to enter, providing they cover up the offending ink with a patch.

Do play with your food: “Dam curry rice” looks dam tasty to us!

Evie Nyan
Apr 17, 2015

Recently, we shared five tips for extra-yummy curry rice with our dear readers, because we believe that everyone should be able to enjoy the very best of this mildly spicy, sweet and hearty Japanese comfort food the right way. But one thing we forgot to mention is that presentation is an important part of the curry experience. You can’t just slop spoonfuls of the yummy brown stuff all over the rice and expect it to look appetising.

Luckily, we’ve now stumbled upon a new serving method that’s gaining popularity in Japan: “Dam curry”!

Digimon Adventure tri. teases new info, but still no release date

Cara Clegg
Apr 17, 2015

Digimon Adventure tri. is one of the most hyped anime series this year, but so far not all that much info has been released. However, the official website has finally unveiled some tantalizing details … of when we’ll be able to find out more details.