It’s time to bid goodbye to discomfort while flying.
Chinese airline Cathay Pacific is considering starting an online auction program where customers could place bids to upgrade their seats, according to the South China Morning Post.
Okay, so the type of pen that you use in your daily routine may not be the most important detail in your life. But when you have a fun and attractive pen to write with, it helps to make your day just a little bit brighter, doesn’t it? In that spirit, we’ve already introduced you to a line of lovely Sailor Moon pens in one of our past articles, but this time, we’ve found some pens that may be a delight for those of you more into the robot/mecha genre. They’re Transformers pens, and yes, they actually change shapes — so Transformers fans, get ready to “transform and roll out” the letters!
Last spring, Japan Railways, operator of Japan’s fabled bullet trains, unveiled its design for a new Shinkansen that will whisk travelers to northeastern Japan as they relax at the onboard foot baths. Then came the announcement of an overnight train servicing Kyoto, Osaka, and Hiroshima with amenities rivaling those of a fancy hotel.
Now, it’s east Japan’s turn, as JR East has released new images of its upcoming luxury sleeper train for the region, plus its passenger suites that look genuinely large enough to live in.
You have to hand it to Coca-Cola. Despite being the best-selling cola brand and one of the biggest companies in the world, they certainly don’t seem to rest on their laurels. Like a hungry up-and-coming business, they’re always coming up with new gimmicks in each of the 200 countries they operate in, whether it be personalized bottles in Japan or, like now in Vietnam, a set of functional caps which can transform your empty bottle into a water gun, pencil sharpener, night lights and more after you’re finished with it.
If you thought being an anime director was all cosplay groupies and cool action figures, think again. Turns out it’s long, long hours in front of a computer, less-than-fancy convenience store dinners and tons of office all-nighters.
I’ve played my share of weird and psychedelic video games over the years. I’ve flown through space firing beams of energy to create musical beats while every colour of the rainbow zips by my face, played games that have sporadically erased the contents of my inventory to make me think I was losing my mind, and intentionally touched more fuzzies to get dizzier than most would ever dare.
But One Way Trip, an indie game coming to PlayStation 4 and Vita next year, looks like it’ll be one of the craziest rides I’ll ever have the pleasure of taking without giving the police cause to visit my home.
There have been several commercials pulled off the air in Japan that some have dubbed “racist” and plenty of online banter to add to the debate. But we’ve also seen anti-anti-Korean protesters in Tokyo willing to stand up against truly hateful right-wing activists and many other examples of Japanese citizens whose actions seem to show that Japan is not as xenophobic as some may believe.
So is Japan racist? It seems there isn’t a clear-cut answer, but leave it to “twin brothers” Ken Tanaka and David Ury to bring us a humors video confronting this long-standing question.
One month and more than 400,000 votes later, the people have spoken. Taiwan has chosen its best, cutest, most wonderful high school uniforms!
The huge online election was co-hosted by Koobii magazine and Uniform Map, an online searchable map of Taiwan and Hong Kong that collates photographs of school uniforms – and the girls wearing them. The winning school polled an impressive 100,000 votes. Let’s take a look at the top five!
It’s not easy being covered in fur. Especially when you have to endure the stifling heat of a Japanese summer! Now hot kitties are sure to get some respite, thanks to a new product that’s already selling out online. While it may look like an everyday bowl, this is actually a whole lot more, with a special ergonomic design that’s especially effective at supporting and cooling a cat’s body. It’s called the Cooling Aluminium Kitty-Cat Pot, and it’s sure to be your cat’s favourite piece of furniture this summer.
Japan is no stranger to natural disasters, and the world rose up in support after the devastating earthquake and tsunami in 2011 left thousands dead and millions homeless. Now it’s time for Japanese people to repay that kindness by supporting one of their greatest benefactors through their own period of crisis.
Between the mentally satisfying sense of accomplishment and physical exhaustion of spending a whole day crossing three islands by bike, plus the after-dinner beer we treated ourselves to, we slept like babies after covering 30 kilometers of the Shimanami Kaido cycling course on day one. We still had more than half the distance to go before we were back on Japan’s main island of Honshu, though, and between us and our destination in Hiroshima Prefecture lay breathtaking vistas, historical artifacts, delicious food, and even a dinosaur.
We recently journeyed by rental bike across the beautiful Shimanami Kaido, the cycling road that island hops across Japan’s Inland Sea between Ehime and Hiroshima Prefectures. If you missed the first day of our 70-kilometer (45.5-mile) ride you can find it here, or read on for the second and final day of the trip.
Although the technology has been talked about for quite some time now, the concept of using oxygen and hydrogen to power an automobile seems poised to finally hit the market.
According to reports, the Toyota Motor Corporation has recently declared that their sedan-type Fuel Cell Vehicle (FCV) will begin production at the end of this year. At the moment Toyota claims this would make them the first automaker in the world to market such a vehicle to the public at large.
Advertising agency Dentsu recently released the results of its annual Japan Brand Survey, in which it asks people from around the world for their opinion on the country. This year’s study involved 3,600 men and women living in 17 different countries, whose responses were used to compile a list of 10 things they feel Japan does better than anywhere else in the world.
Ask anyone in Japan if they love the shinkansen, and they’ll probably say yes. Commonly known as the bullet train, it’s convenient, handsomely designed, and the train’s aerodynamic nose is surprisingly an artisanal masterpiece, carefully formed by hand out of numerous metal plates in order to achieve the perfect curves.
Becoming a conductor of one is a typical kindergarten dream, and while a lot of kids grow out of that phase, some emerge as bona fide train fanatics who go by many monikers: tetsu-ota, tetchan, tetsu-kichi (as in “crazy”), you name it. Unfortunately, travel by shinkansen may be fast and luxurious, but it’s generally not cheap—for example, a three-hour one-way ride from Tokyo to Ōsaka can cost around 14,300 yen (US $140).
So what’s this about a 240-yen ticket in Nīgata Prefecture that has train enthusiasts all abuzz? A seasonal train station that’s actually part of a ski resort? A place called “Cowabunga” 125 miles north of Tokyo? Let comedian and self-declared train otaku, Ayako Suzukawa, be your guide today!
Gotta find ’em all! should be the catchphrase for the campaign attached to the new The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya animated video. Even though it’s the first new Haruhi animation in four years, its creators aren’t just screening it for free–they’re making fans actually work to see it! That said, the campaign is actually more like a treasure hunt than anything else. Introducing “Haruhi Hunting,” in which the residents of Japan must work together to unlock the new promotional video.
Do YOU have what takes to find all 707 missing frames of the animation?
Japan probably has the world’s largest and most bizarre selection of Kit Kat flavours on offer, but this latest release is about more than just tickling your tastebuds. Nestle Japan is offering a specially-packaged version of their classic biscuit to help recovery in areas destroyed by the devastating tsunami of March 2011.
You’ve been semen bombed!: 27-year-old Huang played a disgusting prank on women because he had been dumped by his girlfriend and claimed that he needed a way
“to release”.
The dark magical girl anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica has a release history as complicated as its title. Originating as a 12-episode TV series in 2011, the show became so popular that it was released as two compilation movies in theatres during 2012. Most recently, there was a third theatrical feature that premiered in 2013, featuring the original cast with evolved or corrupted powers and personalities.
So it’s only fitting that the fashion designer 2 PM Works’ Madoka Magica shoes, which sold out during their initial production run, are back again, this time with two new, upgraded pairs of pumps.
We’ve looked at plastic surgery in South Korea from pretty much every angle there is, but this is the first time we’ve come across something quite like this!
The Korean Wave (Hallyu) of pop culture has been steadily gaining strength around the world over the last few years as more and more people discover the infectious sounds of K-Pop and the addictive plot lines of K-dramas (seriously, I double dare you to watch only one episode before going to bed). South America is no exception to the trend, with starstruck female fans swooning over the dreamy Korean men and soaking up the trademark dances that go with each song. Which is perhaps why one 25-year-old Brazilian man decided to undergo a series of cosmetic surgeries to make himself look more Korean.
We’ve heard of Korean citizens getting work done to look more like Western models and stars, but this is a first for us. Join us after the jump for a slew of photos from this man’s amazing transformation.
How far are you willing to go to save a life? While some people think twice about helping a shabbily dressed man lying in the street, an elderly woman in Shanghai didn’t hesitate to bring home a baby she found abandoned in the bushes, nurse him back to health, and eventually adopt him into the family despite racial differences.
Join us after the jump to read the story of this Chinese granny’s incredible selflessness and compassion.
MOST POPULAR
Now
FUK COFFEE?!? Japanese cafe has a perfectly innocent reason for its startling-looking name
Should married couples in Japan be allowed to have different family names? Survey investigates
Orange Juice Crisis ’24 – Japan’s OJ supplies drying up
Studio Ghibli unveils new goods that tip the hat to The Cat Returns
Enjoy a Pokémon tea ceremony with new matcha goods featuring Poltchageist and Sinistcha
Two things to do, and two things not to do, when leaving a traditional Japanese inn
Bad tourist manners at Mt Fuji Lawson photo spot prompts Japanese town to block view with screens
Japanese-style accommodation at the new Premium Dormy Inn hotel in Asakusa will blow your mind
Foreign traveler caught trying to sneak into Japan by climbing down rope from cruise ship
One of Japan’s oldest castles now lets travelers spend night on the grounds, drink in its keep
Weekly
Foreigner’s request for help in Tokyo makes us sad for the state of society- Bad tourist manners at Mt Fuji Lawson photo spot prompts Japanese town to block view with screens
McDonald’s Japan’s new pancake pie is a taste sensation
Japanese city loses residents’ personal data, which was on paper being transported on a windy day- One of Japan’s oldest castles now lets travelers spend night on the grounds, drink in its keep
- Two things to do, and two things not to do, when leaving a traditional Japanese inn
Ghibli Park now selling “Grilled Frogs” from food cart in Valley of Witches
Red light district sushi restaurant in Tokyo shows us just how wrong we were about it- Studio Ghibli unveils new goods that tip the hat to The Cat Returns
Studio Ghibli unveils massive T-shirt collection featuring top anime movie characters
Monthly
McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods- Foreigner’s request for help in Tokyo makes us sad for the state of society
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
Japanese ramen restaurants under pressure from new yen banknotes
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
Disney princesses get official manga makeovers for Manga Princess Cafe opening in Tokyo- Bad tourist manners at Mt Fuji Lawson photo spot prompts Japanese town to block view with screens
Yearly
- McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Sales of Japan’s most convenient train ticket/shopping payment cards suspended indefinitely
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- 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
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
RECOMMENDED STORIES
Two things to do, and two things not to do, when leaving a traditional Japanese inn
Bad tourist manners at Mt Fuji Lawson photo spot prompts Japanese town to block view with screens
Japanese-style accommodation at the new Premium Dormy Inn hotel in Asakusa will blow your mind
Foreign traveler caught trying to sneak into Japan by climbing down rope from cruise ship
One of Japan’s oldest castles now lets travelers spend night on the grounds, drink in its keep
A visit to the best UFO catcher arcade in the universe!
Studio Ghibli unveils massive T-shirt collection featuring top anime movie characters
Manga artist Kenya Suzuki convicted of child pornography charges, given suspended prison sentence
Kura Sushi adding premium tier pricing for better chance at capsule machine game
Japanese driver in traffic jam gets the worst possible vehicle stuck behind him【Video】
What’s wrong with English education in Japan? Pull up a chair…
Pokémon Cafe serves up a green tea ceremony in Japan with Poltchageist and Sinistcha matcha menu
Ghibli founders Toshio Suzuki and Hayao Miyazaki contribute to Japanese whisky Totoro label design
-
