SoraNews24 -Japan News-

Featured

McDonald’s has maids in Taiwan. We’ve got videos here

Casey Baseel
Dec 27, 2013
Tweet

As an American living in Japan, I often get asked, “Do you miss McDonald’s?” This always strikes me as a strange question, as living near downtown Tokyo puts me in closer proximity to more outlets of the Golden Arches than I ever had growing up in the suburbs of Los Angeles.

Plus, it’s a little hard to get homesick for McDonald’s when you’ve got access to mouth-watering okonomiyaki and sushi joints, not to mention delicious Indian and Chinese restaurants. Being surrounded by the culinary delights of Asia means it takes something pretty special to coax you into a Big Mac run.

McDonald’s cashiers in Taiwan dressing up in frilly pink maid outfits definitely qualifies.

Video game director/composer Yumi Hashimoto tells us about Japan’s indie scene and her newest title

Casey Baseel
Dec 27, 2013

Not so long ago, making a video game was strictly for big businesses. Putting out a quality product required expensive workstations, plenty of office space to house the development team, and huge distribution and advertising budgets.

But at the same time as the cost of producing blockbuster interactive entertainment continues to skyrocket, a growing number of independent game creators are showing that with some reasonably priced development and project management software, a talented team can put together gaming experiences that rival anything from corporate-backed studios in terms of emotional impact.

We sat down for a chat with a young woman with the dream and drive to do just that, indie game director and composer Yumi Hashimoto.

Win a chance to sleep with a cockroach!

Master Blaster
Dec 27, 2013

Gokiburi Kujo Maisuta (Cockroach Control Meister) is a service that helps provide estimates for the removal of terrifying cockroaches in the home. Thousands rely on them to kill off the shiny black terrors in kitchens and bedrooms across the country.

However, the company has apparently felt a pang of guilt recently. They feel that the roaches have done no wrong and are simply trying to exist just like everyone else. And so, the company has created Itsuki Kurohane: the cockroach moe girl to help combat the centuries of vilification unfairly handed down to these creatures.

Over the next month Gokiburi Kujo Maisuta is holding a contest to give away five Itsuki Kurohane hug pillows, but there’s a catch – besides her being a half-roach-half-human thing.

Man documents Christmas date with virtual girlfriend, proudly shows ass to the world

Jessica
Dec 26, 2013

In Japan, Christmas is a romantic couples’ holiday on par with Valentine’s Day. Families gather over New Years, but on December 24th and 25th, couples go out for romantic dinners and singletons pine for someone to share the Christmas spirit with. Of course, some people don’t let the lack of a real world romantic partner stop them from feeling some holiday love.

On popular message board Himasoku, an anonymous user posted “live coverage” of his Christmas date with his virtual girlfriend. Spoiler alert: things get very naughty.

American-born J-POP singer Nicholas Edwards’ first concert delights fans!

Kay
Dec 26, 2013

You may recall that we ran an article about two months ago featuring American-born J-POP singer Nicholas Edwards, who studied Japanese and moved from Oregon to Japan in pursuit of his dream to become a singer here. Now, three years after his move, his singing career certainly seems to be moving in the right direction.

This year, he released his debut single from a major Japanese music label in July, followed by a double mini album in October, and as mentioned in our previous article, he also performed at his very first concert this past Sunday at The Garden Hall in Ebisu. And yes, we were able to get tickets and see and hear Edwards live! So, to follow up on our article from October, here’s our report on Edward’s debut concert, “Silent Night 2013“.

December 25th – one very special man’s birthday!

Master Blaster
Dec 26, 2013

Every year on this December 25, thousands gather online and pay tribute to the man whose numerous sacrifices and wondrous acts have helped to make our world a better place… by killing titans.

That’s right, December 25 is the birthday of Levi from Attack on Titan, and as such fans has taken to Twitter to celebrate. Several photos of Levi cakes and shrines have been posted online that are so intense you’d have to believe at least one person was institutionalized as a result of today.

That droopy-eyed wunderkind of the Survey Corps Special Operations Squad sure has a hardcore fan-base. Let’s take a look.

Japan’s top 10 video games of 2013

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Dec 26, 2013

Amazon Japan announced the top 10 games bought on their site from December 1, 2012 to November 30, 2013. Let’s take a look at Japan’s favorite games!

Love beer? Then the Museum of Yebisu Beer may be worth visiting!

Kay
Dec 26, 2013

Do you love beer? We here at RocketNews24 certainly do! And fortunately, there’s no shortage of tasty beer in Japan. But where can you go if you want to learn a little bit more about the cold, refreshing drink as well as drink it? The first place that comes to mind may be Sapporo, on the northern island of Hokkaido, where Sapporo Breweries have their Sapporo Beer Garden and Sapporo Beer Museum. To be sure, visiting the Sapporo Beer Museum for an educational tour and then hopping over to the Beer Garden next-door for some delicious Genghis Khan (lamb or mutton) barbecue can definitely be a wonderful experience, but what if you’re not in Hokkaido, which usually is a little out of the way for visitors to Japan.

Well, there’s actually a facility you can visit in central Tokyo that may be of interest to beer lovers. It’s called the Museum of Yebisu Beer, located near Ebisu (or Yebisu, either spelling is possible) Station within the Yebisu Garden Place complex. I actually found it quite by accident a few days ago and was pleasantly surprised after taking a look. Here’s what you can see at the museum… and yes, you can drink and taste as well!

Awesome Japanese rescue robot probably won’t kill you

Mike
Dec 26, 2013

DARPA, the American agency commonly known for its hilarious supervillain-esque laser projects and weaponized dolphins, took time out of its wacky military inventions schedule to hold its Robotics Competition in Miami, Florida, where a humanoid robot from Japanese company Schaft, Inc. took top prize.

Yahoo! Japan releases app that tricks girls into making a “kissy” face and takes their photo

Master Blaster
Dec 26, 2013

With the plethora of applications available across all the major platforms, it seems there’s nothing a smartphone app can’t help you with. And now for those who to spend part of their days exploiting the insecurities of people for their own amusement, Yahoo! Japan has released Kisushiyo!, an app that secretly photographs women as they would look when going in for a smooch.

Granted it’s a novelty app that might not appeal to those without a sweet tooth for schadenfruede. However, the story of how this app became available to Android phones everywhere is an interesting look into the state of the internet.

00

Merry Christmas from the RocketNews24 team!

ロケットニュース24
Dec 25, 2013

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it’s Christmas Day! And while that may not mean much to the majority of Japan and people go about their day like it’s any other Wednesday in December, we at RocketNews24 are taking it easy and spending some quality time with our friends, families, and of course lots and lots of food – be it traditional roast turkey or fried chicken courtesy of Japan’s most beloved Christmas cook, Colonel Sanders.

Although things will be slowing down here a little over the next few days, you can rest assured that we’ll still be around to bring you enough weird and wonderful news from Asia to keep you going until the new year – we wouldn’t want you to go hungry!

So have a great day, thanks for stopping by our humble site, and merry Christmas from the entire RocketNews24 team!

Photo via Stripes

00

Relive 16 childhood video games with “NES Remix” on Wii U

Scott R Dixon
Dec 25, 2013

In the wake of the exciting new video game systems hitting stores this season, our reliable Japanese friend Nintendo is taking us onboard the nostalgia express train with a Wii U game that puts a new spin on 16 well-known NES (or Famicom in Japan) games, like Super Mario Bros. and Excitebike. Besides turning these popular games into mini-game levels where players challenge their own high score, NES Remix changes these games up a bit with new challenges, like playing Donkey Kong in the dark or playing tennis against an invisible opponent.

Super easy rice cooker recipe: KFC rice!

Scott R Dixon
Dec 24, 2013

Tis the season for fried chicken, at least it is according to Japanese Christmas traditions. And if you find yourself with leftovers from your delicious dinner from KFC tomorrow, we have an incredibly easy and tasty recipe to keep that holiday spirit going as long as you have leftover fried chicken in your fridge and your trusty rice cooker. We’ve tried some dubious rice cooker recipes in the past, but this one looks like one of our tastiest yet, so click below to see the recipe for KFC rice!

All I want for Christmas… is this awesome backlit Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles NES

Philip Kendall
Dec 24, 2013

Dear Santa,

I know it’s December 24, but is it too late to change my Christmas wish-list?

Let’s forget about the Power Rangers pyjamas I originally asked for, and we can put the Super Sonico hug pillow on hold this year. *This* is what I really want, and there’s only one of them in the whole world: a backlit Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles NES and four amazing controllers.

Top 5 dog and cat breeds in Japan 2013

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Dec 24, 2013

Even though most apartments in Japan are fairly small, many animal lovers still find room to house a dog or cat. Many pet owners choose to dress up their precious pooch or upload hundreds of videos of their beloved cat. That’s why thousands of cat and dog owners visit online pet photo site, “Pacha and my pet” (pacha is the sound a camera makes) to show off their furry friends. The site has just revealed the most popular dog and cat breeds in Japan for 2013. Let’s take a look at the results!

Japanese high school student becomes Twitter sensation showing difference between time with boyfriend and friends

Preston Phro
Dec 24, 2013

Twitter is almost universally popular nowadays. While Facebook is seeing declining usage in Japan and among teens in general, Twitter seems to be hanging on to its popularity. It’s hard to say how long this will last–does anyone remember Mixi?–but for now, getting attention on Twitter in Japan is still a big deal.

So when Reika Oozeki’s Vine video got retweeted almost 5,000 times, we had to check it out!

Japanese granny busts a move on the streets of Tokyo 【Video】

Scott R Dixon
Dec 24, 2013

To show the world that young people do not have a monopoly on dancing, a choreography group from Japan has put together a video showing an elderly Japanese woman busting some mean moves on a trendy street in Tokyo. Made in honor of “Respect for the Aged Day,” it shows a kimono-clad woman getting down with her bad self to fast-paced electronic music.

Attention, all artists! Design your own New Year’s postcards on this awesome website

Krista Rogers
Dec 23, 2013

If you’ve ever been in Japan over the New Year’s holiday, you’re probably familiar with the Japanese custom of exchanging nengajo, or New Year’s postcards. People exchange nengajo with friends, coworkers, and others to whom they are indebted or with whom they wish to maintain a good rapport in the coming year. There is a deadline to mail nengajo, usually around December 25, so that they will be delivered to each house on New Year’s Day precisely. If you still haven’t gotten around to sending them out this year, then never fear, because this incredibly cool website lets you design your own nengajo!

English grammar app makes us laugh, helps us learn with blindfolds, bondage and aliens

Preston Phro
Dec 23, 2013

For Japanese people, studying English is almost a given. Even folks who may have no interest in actually leaving their home country may feel compelled to study the language for business or simply because they’re supposed to. But it’s hard to enjoy learning a language that you don’t have any interest in–and having fun is one of the best ways to facilitate learning.

This has opened up something of a cottage industry for people trying to make the learning part fun. There are nonsensical textbooks and sexy teachers, but then there are the college textbooks that seem like their authors weren’t even trying.

Well, for any Japanese English-learners who are on the verge of giving up – and perhaps for those of you struggling with learning Japanese – there may be one ray of hope still shining: Majime na Eibunpou, a surprisingly funny English grammar smartphone app!

We cook a Christmas cake in a rice cooker to ring in the holidays

Master Blaster
Dec 23, 2013

When discussing Christmas in Japan it would be remiss not to mention the traditional cake that families and individuals buy during this time of the year. RocketNews24 also purchased a cute Santa cake to please our collective sweet teeth and warm our bellies in the cold winter.

However, it wouldn’t be a RocketNews24 Christmas with cooking that bad boy up in a rice cooker. Heck, if Big Macs or Oreos work, then rice-cooker-cooked Christmas cake should be a grand slam. Unsurprisingly (for us at least) the results were both festively pretty and delicious!