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Taking the joke too far? Bloodied zombie subway prank in Shanghai raises eyebrows

Krista Rogers
Nov 12, 2014
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Shanghai prankster group Monkey Kingz is in some hot water after one of their latest stunts created mass chaos inside of a subway train and led several people to call the police. It was supposed to be a Halloween prank featuring a rogue zombie, but the additional touch of having the actor cough up a blood-like substance and stumble around in pain seemed to be crossing the line for some people, especially in light of a recent international medical scare. Take a look at the video for yourself and decide whether the prank was a smashing success or downright inappropriate.

Campaign against pick-up artist who harasses women gathers global momentum

Evie Nyan
Nov 12, 2014

Recently, we reported on professional pick-up artist/dating coach Julien Blanc, who has begun to attract the public’s attention worldwide after a video was uploaded showing him seemingly choking, grabbing and harassing women in Japan, and conducting seminars teaching others his methods. A campaign to block Blanc’s actions was swiftly set up by twitter user @JennLi123 with the creation of the hashtag #TakeDownJulienBlanc and a petition on Change.org helping to raise awareness.

As of this writing, the original petition has 45,829 signatures, and backlash has forced Blanc to cut short his Australian tour after multiple venues cancelled his events. Now, concerned residents of other countries on Blanc’s tour itinerary (including Japan) have begun to take action, as well.

New coffee-flavored potato chips “taste like chaos”

Casey Baseel
Nov 12, 2014

Just like how everyone gets excited about superhero crossover projects, two different companies combining forces is a sure way to get junk food fans in Japan fired up. We’ve seen this before with Kentucky Fried Chicken potato chips, and now spud lovers have a new flavor many people are used to getting amped by: coffee.

Since we’re always ready to add to our extensive resume of potato chip sampling, we picked up a bag to try some for ourselves, and they turned out to be even more surprising than we’d imagined.

Japanese band robot-dances their way around London in latest music video

Cara Clegg
Nov 12, 2014

Japanese band World Order robot-dances their way around London in their latest music video while locals look on amused and confused. Check out the full video plus screenshots after the jump!

Michael Jackson reincarnate found in rural China, moonwalks right into our hearts 【Video】

Master Blaster
Nov 12, 2014

An internet star was born yet again recently, this time surfacing in the deep south of China. As the legend goes, a traveler one day stumbled upon a farmer dancing most unusually amongst the lush greenery of the countryside and whipped out his camera to capture the scene.

After hitting the internet in China, the mysterious dancer was quickly crowned “The King of Farmers”. His incredibly tight moves, which mimic the King of Pop’s repertoire almost perfectly, drew acclaim from around the country, and his fame has only continued to grow since with a YouTube video earning him respect from all corners of the world.

Aerial athletes compete in the 2014 Wingsuit World Flying Contest in China

Krista Rogers
Nov 12, 2014

Introducing wingsuit flying, perhaps the most daring, adrenaline-inducing extreme sport ever to be performed on this planet.

“Wait, that kind of thing actually exists? Where can I join in the fun?” is what some of our more adventurous readers may be thinking right now. Well, we can confidently say that the sport exists – and already has quite the following, for that matter – though we’re not so sure about the fun part. Either way, you may want to check out just how crazy the competition is before you sign up for next year’s world event…

Tiny ninjas, lazy shellfish, and neglected children: It’s time to choose Toho Cinema’s new mascot

Preston Phro
Nov 11, 2014

If you live in Japan and love movies, there’s a good chance that you’ve been to a Toho Cinema at some point. One of the largest cinema chains in Japan, they show all the domestic and international blockbuster films you could possibly want. They also allow you to reserve a seat when you buy your ticket, so you can be sure to have a perfect view of Captain America’s pert derrière when the next Avengers movie comes out.

In addition to picking your seat, you now also have the opportunity to help choose the theater chain’s new mascot. With lazy shellfish, neglected children, and the absolute cutest ninja you’ll ever see, it may take you a while to choose–so it’s a good thing you can vote online!

Why, hello there, crow! How may I be of service?

Krista Rogers
Nov 11, 2014

In many Western cultures, the owl is often regarded as a symbol of wisdom. But when you stop to think about it, wouldn’t a more fitting bird for that title be the crow?

If you’re not convinced now, we’re pretty sure you will be after seeing what clever strategy this particular crow uses to crack open an acorn!

Japanese nerds pick the feudal warlord they’d most like to be their boss

Mike
Nov 11, 2014

Sometimes you just have to take a survey for the sake of taking a survey, no matter how seemingly random or inconsequential the contents of the survey may be.

For example, we now have the results of this survey, which we’re pretty sure no one asked for, that gauges which feudal warlord Japanese geeks would rather be working under. We presume this means in an office setting and not, like, on an old-timey Japanese Warring States-era battlefield.

Cat spotted seemingly being sucked face-first into car

Audrey Akcasu
Nov 11, 2014

This picture brings up a lot of questions, the biggest one being: “Where is your face, cat?!” Followed closely by: “What the heck is going on?!” Even one of his ears is folded the wrong way! Maybe he actually is being sucked into the car…?

Raunchy manga title isn’t quite what it seems…or it is?

KK Miller
Nov 11, 2014

We often say “don’t judge a book by its cover,” but that’s precisely what many of us do when scanning the shelves of a book shop or comic store looking for a new read. With so many titles to choose from, how do you know what is going to be worth your time? Perhaps the cool cover art is what catches your eye, or maybe an interesting title?

Manga writer Onta Sakai clearly felt that the latter was the best way to get his newest manga series noticed. Opting to go with the title “Ane no onaka wo fukuramaseru no wa boku” or “It is me to fill the stomach of the sister” in its slightly awkward English form, this highly suggestive title already has tongues wagging and could only be about one thing…

“Wait…what?” That’s not Japanese! Clever American car commercial tricks viewers 【Video】

Audrey Akcasu
Nov 11, 2014

Honda, Toyota, Subaru, Nissan, Mazda; American car companies have always had fierce competition with their Japanese counterparts. But the American car company Chrysler is trying to change that with the recent release of a very clever commercial for their 2015 Chrysler 200 that respectfully acknowledges Japanese quality while at the same time turning heads in their own direction.

Just a bunch of adorable cats riding on trains in Japan

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Nov 11, 2014

Sometimes, after a long day of napping and begging for treats, a cat’s just gotta get out of the house. And what better way to get around than by Japan’s famously on-time and impeccably clean railway? If you’re still walking or taking taxis to your desired destination, take a lesson from these street-smart felines and hop on a train!

Nikon repairs deceased Mount Ontake hiker’s broken camera, returns photos to family

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Nov 11, 2014

The unexpected eruption of Mount Ontake on September 27 claimed the lives of 56 hikers, leaving family members to try to understand why their loved ones had been taken so suddenly. But out of this tragedy comes a heartwarming gesture, giving the family of one victim the chance to get back a small piece of their father who never made it down the mountain that day.

Somebody call mall security! Grown man dressed as little girl shows off for shoppers

Evie Nyan
Nov 11, 2014

Last weekend, shoppers at Q’s Mall in the Abeno district of Osaka were treated to an appearance by this (unidentified) middle-aged man dressed in the typical garb of a Japanese junior school student. Unfazed by the public gaze, he posed for pictures and smiled for shoppers who paused to take in his… unusual choice of attire.

We think he’s purr-fect! Meet Monty, the cat born without a nose bone【Photos】

Fran W
Nov 11, 2014

Monty is a four-year-old rescue cat who’s amassed fans from all over the world. He suffers from a rare chromosomal abnormality causing him to be born without a nasal bridge. And Monty’s owners are hoping their cat will show the world that ‘looking different doesn’t mean you can’t be fantastic!’

Join us after the jump for more adorable photos of this happy little chap!

Pretty anime boys are here to save the world, and they brought a wombat

Evie Nyan
Nov 11, 2014

The “magical girl” anime trope is well-established in Japan. Usually, a high-school girl discovers she has magical powers and bands together with her classmates who also have magical powers in order to save the world from evil forces. But what if, instead of pretty magical girls, we had boys instead? Pretty, magical boys? Well, new series Binan Koukou Chikyuu Boueibu LOVE (Pretty High School Boys Save The World Club LOVE) is here to break down gender stereotypes (or just pander to the female love of pretty boys) with their brand-new anime show which launches in 2015 (and, oh, there’s a video game, too…)

In wake of meat scandal, McDonald’s Japan losing not only customers, but employees, too

Casey Baseel
Nov 11, 2014

It’s been a pretty rough year for McDonald’s in Japan, in the same way that getting hit by a bus on your way to work would make for a rough morning. Following a widely reported scandal in which the chain had been supplied with expired chicken by a meat processing facility in China, McDonald’s has been trying everything it can think of to lure diners back, such as giving away Chicken McNuggets for free, replacing the meat with tofu, and trying to take our mind off the incident entirely by pulling our attention towards pork cutlets instead.

After all, a restaurant chain can’t survive without customers, right? There’s one other thing you need to run a business though: employees, and these days McDonald’s is finding itself losing those, too.

Tokyo Station lists departing train’s destination as…New York?!

Casey Baseel
Nov 11, 2014

Foreign visitors and residents who haven’t yet gotten far off the beaten path in Japan might not recognize all of the final destinations of trains that depart Tokyo Station. Some of the various lines that intersect at the rail hub lead to places like Takao, Choshi, and Kurihama, none of which are exactly world-famous (even if the last one does have an awesome Godzilla slide).

The other day, though, one of the platform displays at Tokyo Station announced a train destination plenty of non-Japanese passengers are familiar with: New York.

First nuclear power plant set to restart in Japan after 2011 meltdown

Cara Clegg
Nov 11, 2014

Against much public backlash, two reactors at a nuclear power plant in Sendai are scheduled to be restarted. These will be the first to restart operations after all the country’s nuclear plants were shut down indefinitely following the meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi plant in 2011.