Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
As we’ve previously discussed, Japan is chock full of cool little cafes. Obviously, not every single cafe in the country is going to be spectacular, but we have to say that we have found no end of fun places to sit down and order a coffee. But if you’re a Sailor Moon fan, we may have found the ultimate place to enjoy a latte: Cafe Talisman.
Back at the start of the year, we all had the urge to go out and fight some monsters when we saw Hollywood blacksmith Tony Swatton recreate the massive sword wielded by Final Fantasy VII’s Sephiroth. Of course, Sephiroth is just one member of the gigantic collective cast of the long-running video game franchise. With so many more iconic weapons to choose from, it was only a matter of time until craftsmen went to work on armaments from the other games in the series, and next up is a real-life version of Squall’s gunblade from Final Fantasy VIII.
This limited edition 2014 Rilakkuma onesie might just be the most outrageously warm and snuggly thing we have ever seen. It also answers the burning questions that fans of the character have been wrestling with for years: if Rilakkuma is a bear, why does he wear a bear suit? Is he even a bear at all?
Sure, you could wrap yourself in a blanket to keep warm this winter. Or, you could become Rilakkuma with this luxurious loungewear. Wrap yourself up from head to toe in furry goodness, and solve the mysteries of the cartoon bear universe at the same time.
Wednesday has to be the least exciting day of the week. Your energy boost from the weekend is likely spent, and you’ve still got a couple more days of work until your next chance to cut loose and have some fun.
At least, that’s how things generally are. This week, we’re psyched about Wednesday, because October 8 is bringing a lunar eclipse to Japan, and as part of the celestial show, the moon is turning red.
If you’re like us here at RocketNews24, you probably don’t spend a lot of time sitting in first class on airplanes. The cabin attendants always seem so grumpy when they have to come around with brooms and shoo us to the back of the plane where our seats are.
Aside from the legroom and complimentary champagne (or whatever first class fliers get), there is one other big difference between sitting at the front and in the back in economy: Your fellow passengers. Now, don’t get us wrong, everyone cramped in the back with us is great…but have you ever wondered what those fancy-shmancy passengers are like? Well, wonder no more! A Japanese cabin attendant has dished on the top six things she’s noticed about the wealthier passengers. And none of them are what you might be expecting.
In some ways, Sailor Moon is a strange choice for a character to build an anime franchise around. Her natural tendency is to be lazy and whiney, which isn’t exactly what you’d expect from a magical heroine.
But what endears Sailor Moon to so many fans is that, when the chips are down, she’s loyal and brave. Whether you’re being attacked by monsters or just feeling down in the dumps about bombing your math test, she’ll be with you through any rough times.
That’s a promise that even extends to when you’re on your period, thanks to new Sailor Moon menstrual pads. No, seriously.
Every once in a while we at RocketNews24 like to bring you some instructional pieces on how to perform traditional Japanese practices such as drinking green tea, eating sushi, butchering a wild boar and seppuku. However, even with handy instructions some of these practices require rigid discipline and considerable practice. Interestingly enough, we get the fewest complaints of failure from the seppuku piece, but the ones we do get seemed to be the most angry.
This time however, we have a traditional Japanese guide that not only is easy to perform but is perfect for Halloween, which is fast approaching. So get ready to learn how to properly wrap a ninja hood around your head!
A marriage proposal is supposed to be a special personal thing, it’s the chance to ask your significant other if they will be with you until the end. You want to make it an intimate and unique occasion, and do we have to mention again, personal. But with the advent of the Internet, more and more marriage proposals are going public as everyone tries to show how clever they are.
For as many amazing proposals there are nowadays, there should be an equal number of heartbreaking rejections out there. You probably don’t see many of them because no one wants to publish their failure online, especially after your heart was just put through a giant wringer. Unfortunately, if you propose in public, you don’t have a choice to share your moment or not, since any random bystander can take pictures of you popping the question. And as you will see, sometimes the results aren’t pretty.
Readers in the West may not have heard much about it, but the 17th Asian Games were held between September 19 and October 4 in Incheon, South Korea. As the largest multi-sporting event after the Olympics, the Asian Games bring together athletes from all across the Asian continent only once every four years. By the end of this year’s competition, China had racked up the highest medal count, followed by host South Korea and Japan. However, this year’s Games were also plagued by rampant rumors of suspicious refereeing, fixed matches, and host country favoritism, leaving many nations with a bitter aftertaste upon their conclusion.
In response to the multiple stories of alleged corruption, one irate Thai viewer created a parody video to vent his frustrations. As of this writing, the video, with its scornful lyrics yet surprisingly bubbly nature, has been replayed over 2 million times on YouTube, despite having been published less than a week ago. Judging by the comments, it seems the rest of the world seems to sympathize with its message…
Fast food chains are always on the lookout for ways to steer us into their open arms, with limited edition burgers, unusual collaborations and exclusive accessories all weakening our will at some point, despite quiet pleas from our inner selves to look the other way.
Lotteria is one of the unabashed leaders in the field, offering us burger towers of mammoth proportions that have us handing over money just to lay eyes on the meaty beasts. Now they’ve unveiled two life-size versions of their famous multi-patty behemoths. But this time, they’re adorable USB memory sticks.
A Japanese university student has been questioned by police about plans to go abroad to join the Islamic State militant group. The 26-year-old man, who is living in Tokyo on a leave of absence from Hokkaido University, was planning to leave Japan for Syria on Tuesday, but had his passport confiscated by police on Monday. He was questioned on suspicion of “preparing or plotting to wage war against a foreign state in a personal capacity”.
The man is thought to have responded to an advertisement in a second-hand bookshop in Akihabara, Tokyo, which asked for people willing to travel to Syria.
Despite their tendency to cough up hairballs, bring us dead things, and ferociously defend tissue boxes, just what is it about cats that keeps us coming back for more?
If you’re one of the millions of ‘hoomins’ around the world who repeatedly fall prey to their cat’s ridiculous yet adorable antics and spend hours of your life reading kitty news or watching cat videos on YouTube, you’re probably the type who is willing to forgive your feline friend if it has a grumpy day every now and then. But what should you do when you receive an unfortunate scratch/wound/battle scar from the object of your devotion? We say you should advertise it to the world with one of these brand-new band-aids designed specifically for cat scratches!
Recently, Japanese branches of McDonald’s and Burger King have been getting into the Halloween spirit with spooky black burgers infused with squid ink and bamboo charcoal. This is a problem for KFC, though, since both of those ingredients are a little too exotic to mix with the Colonel’s traditional set of 11 herbs and spices.
Since KFC can’t celebrate Halloween by embracing its dark side, the most popular fried chicken outlet in Japan is instead turning to the holiday’s other icon by offering pumpkin biscuits.
On October 21, 1600, Tokugawa Ieyasu won the famous Battle of Sekigahara which secured his way to rule the shogunate of Japan.
Today, the battlefield where more than 200,000 people perished is but a remnant of ancient history. It is an ordinary town, and only the most maniacal of history buffs would show up to trace the roots of Sekigahara. However, in the center of that town, there is actually a ‘theme park’ where you can learn about history and the famous battle right where it took place, known as the somewhat awkwardly named “Learn! Play! The Immersive War Museum – Sekigahara War Land”.
Eating corn on the cob is a daunting task for some. Whether you have braces, wear dentures, or just don’t like getting dozens of tiny pieces of food stuck in your teeth, nibbling on those yellow kernels seemingly glued to a single core is not something you enjoy. However, if you’re this adorable golden retriever in Japan, then eating corn straight off the cob is one of your favorite things to do. And it’s not just corn that this doggy loves; she’s happy to chomp on a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, including an entire head of cabbage, a slice of watermelon, and a raw cucumber.
Speed is the name of the game in modern entertainment. With thousands of competing channels and websites just a button press or click away, you can’t afford to waste any time delivering the goods, and that goes double for comedy. Get in, do the job, and make your exit before the laughter dies out.
Take this insane Japanese video for example. Woman enters room, sits down, and BOOM – punchline! And we mean that “BOOM” literally.
Earlier this year, police in Tokyo and Osaka began a major crackdown on joshi kosei (high-school girl) “reflexology” massage parlours. As well as massage, the uniformed girls would offer male customers a range of unconventional services such as ear-cleaning, palm-reading and hiza-makura (using the girl’s lap as a pillow).
In place of the old JK parlours, however, a new type of establishment has begun springing up: the taiiku-zuwari cafe. These new cafes ostensibly don’t offer any services involving physical contact, nor do they serve food or drinks. What they do offer is the chance to watch girls sitting like they do in gym class.
If you or someone you know were described as a cabbage roll, how would you react? What if someone called you a hyena or said you were especially “creamy”?
There are apparently 10 distinct categories into which men fall in Japan, with women knowing exactly the type they’d like to get to know better or avoid altogether. Join us after the jump to find out whether you’re a Soy Milk, Bacon Asparagus, Creamy, or Cabbage kind of guy, or to learn how to apply these unusual tags to the men you meet in Japan.
I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess that a lot of our readers have fond memories of the glory days of the Nintendo Entertainment System. As nostalgic as the iconic piece of 8-bit hardware is for North American and European gamers, though, it’s even more so for Japanese fans, who got the equivalent Famicom years before the NES launched overseas.
Japanese humor website CuRAZY recently stopped to take a look back at all the time they spent with a tiny red controller in hand during their formative years, putting together this video of 13 Famicom experiences pretty much every Japanese gamer had.
What if we told you that Sunday was being discontinued? Like, the day’s just being removed from the calendar forever. You’d be pretty bummed, right? Sure, it lacks the excitement of Friday night, or the pure, 100-percent freedom of Saturday, but most of us still look forward to Sunday as a fun point in our week.
Well, something similar is about to happen for manga fans. Naruto, creator Masashi Kishimoto’s wildly popular weekly ninja series, is just weeks away from its final installment.
Krispy Kreme releases Super Mario doughnuts in Japan for a limited time
Japan’s ministry of economy reminds us to “use sound judgment” before buying toilet paper
Ramen restaurant in top Tokyo tourist neighborhood skips price gouging, but how does it taste?
7-Eleven Japan releases a crazy new viral sandwich: Chocolate Sprinkles and Whipped Cream
“Online streamer” tops dream job poll for young Japanese kids, older kids not so interested
Stunning central Japan wisteria festival is like a purple fantasy straight out of a Ghibli movie
Ghibli Museum building becomes a cuddly cushion
Drinkable pixels: 7-Eleven Japan creates new convenience store juice with “pixels” inside
Starbucks Japan releases new Stanley bottles and exclusive drinkware at Reserve Roastery Tokyo
Intimate Korean yoga workout promises to burn calories, get your heart racing【Video】
Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list
Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
Tokyo government organizes food truck event to clear out delinquent/homeless teen gathering area
Cherry blossoms begin blooming in Japan with record-early starts for sakura season
Nine amazing off-the-beaten-path cherry blossom spots in Japan for yaezakura and shidarezakuraStunning central Japan wisteria festival is like a purple fantasy straight out of a Ghibli movie
Create a tiny Ghibli anime world on your bookshelf with new miniature papercraft art kits
Studio Ghibli releases the My Neighbour Totoro tea caddy, with a magical self-closing lid
Japan now has a “for foreign tourists only” Mt. Fuji sightseeing train[Video]
When will the cherry blossoms reach full bloom in Japan this year?[Forecast]
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura cherry blossom collection for hanami season 2026
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli releases Catbus pullback keychain that runs like the anime characterStarbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the countryJapanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list
Nine great places to see spring flowers in Japan, as chosen by travelers (with almost no sakura)
Starbucks Japan releases first-ever Hinamatsuri Girls’ Day FrappuccinoCherry blossoms begin blooming in Japan with record-early starts for sakura season
Studio Ghibli adds new Mother’s Day gift sets to its anime collection in Japan
Virtual idol Hatsune Miku redesigned with look that adds new elements and brings back old ones
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Stunning central Japan wisteria festival is like a purple fantasy straight out of a Ghibli movie
Ghibli Museum building becomes a cuddly cushion
Drinkable pixels: 7-Eleven Japan creates new convenience store juice with “pixels” inside
Starbucks Japan releases new Stanley bottles and exclusive drinkware at Reserve Roastery Tokyo
Intimate Korean yoga workout promises to burn calories, get your heart racing【Video】
Japanese Internet reacts to ammunition panic-buying in America due to coronavirus fears
Shikadamari: The Nara deer summer gathering phenomenon that baffles visitors every year
Anime-style novel contest in Japan bans alternate reality stories and teen protagonists
Why you should be adding Calpis to your beer in Japan
Fake police phone scam also highlights dumb stereotype about how foreigners speak Japanese[Video]
All-you-can-drink Starbucks and amazing views part of Tokyo’s new 170 meter-high sky lounge
Instant vs. Restaurant Ramen Project: Moko Tanmen Nakamoto deliciously spicy miso【Taste Test】