Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of Kenji Miyazawa’s Death, and as a tribute to the celebrated writer a revival of the Ihatov Symphony was performed in his hometown of Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture on 29 August. The symphony was composed by Isao Tomita, a true originator of electronic music in Japan and features Hatsune Miku the iconic vocaloid who embodies the trail blazed by Tomita decades ago.
In the topsy-turvy world we live in, where console manufacturers are reluctant even to let people bring their last-gen games to their newest hardware, a lot of gamers may be feeling fatigued, longing for the good old days when a pixelated blue hedgehog fighting a fat scientist with a weird fetish for forest creatures was the definition of a triple-A title.
One gamer, at least, was so fed up with the current gen console wars, he decided to ball up basically the entire history of gaming consoles into one sexy rig with 75 distinct controllers jutting out from it as if the cosmic protagonist of Katamari Damacy had rolled it through a vintage game store.
How much do you know about daruma? Historically, there was the man called Daruma-daishi (aka Bhodhidharma), a Buddhist monk who is credited with spreading the practice of Zen Buddhism into China. Then, there are the daruma dolls, paper mache prayer tokens made and distributed throughout Japan for the sake of health, longevity, and success. These limbless dolls have an approximate 400-year history of bringing encouragement and good fortune to the people of Japan. However, in recent years the production and subsequent purchase of daruma has fallen. People are losing track of their daruma dolls, forgetting the purpose for which they serve, or at a loss of where to buy them in the first place.
Now, in an effort to bring back appreciation for the humble daruma, the Kagoyaka company in Yamanashi Prefecture is modernizing the traditional doll into something they call the Koshu～Color Daruma.
Living in Japan, it’s easy to take safety and honesty for granted. This is, after all, the country where public trains make ideal spots for a nap.
That said, with over 150 million people in the country, you’re bound to have a few bad apples, such as the lowlifes who’ve decided there’s no better place for a crime spree than the town of Yamamoto, which was hit hard by the massive earthquake and tsunami of 2011.
With just two days to go until the host city for the 2020 Olympic Games is announced, sports fans and economists all over the world are busy listing each of the three candidates’ strengths and weaknesses in an attempt to guess the overall winner. According to the bookies, however, Japan’s capital city is already the odds-on favourite to clinch the title.
For the most part, people in Japan take pride in being well-groomed. Skin care gets particular priority, and individuals especially concerned about looking their best carry around packs of oil-blotting papers called abura torigami. When you don’t want to wait until you get home to wash a day’s worth of grime off your face, they’re handy little things, and we mean that literally.
Abura torigami tend to be pretty small, so much so that you’ll usually see people stretching them out with both hands to get the maximum use out of the precious surface area each one offers. Granted, this looks dainty and adorable when a cute girl does it. Other people, though, such as the RocketNews24 male writing team, are far too ruggedly handsome to ever be considered “cute.” Are there no larger abura torigami for the rest of us?
Indeed there are, thanks to a tie-up with anime smash hit Attack on Titan.
How cool would it be to be able to change into a towering giant at will? How many Shingeki no Kyojin: Attack on Titan fans have been wishing they could turn into a massive Titan, just like the series’ main character, Eren Yeager? Well Cospa, the online anime apparel and merchandise site, is here to help you transform into the wall-crushing, man-eating beast of your dreams with the newest addition to their Titan cosplay lineup!
*Super-strength and speed sold separately.
We here at RocketNews24 have got some exciting news for any fans of Doraemon who wish to take their love of the blue character that one step further. It comes in the form of two rather unique masks that are guaranteed to transform the wearer into the spitting image of Doraemon.
Wednesday, September 4 will always be remembered as a big day for Pokémon fans. Not only did Nintendo just lift the lid on two swanky Pokémon X & Y-themed 3DSXL portables, but it has become clear that for the first time since the series launched way back in 1996, players will be able to trade their pocket monsters without having to link their consoles together. That’s right, Nintendo will soon be rolling out Pokémon Bank, a cloud-based storage service that allows players to drop and pick up their pokémon whenever they like, wherever they like.
For many of us the smell of a new car is as sweet as a rose named victory, but for an increasing number of people it smells like a toxic dump. Those people may be on to something too, as there is also an increasing interest in the possible risks of that once beloved aroma.
Sure you could smoke cigars while your soaking wet dog rolls around in the back seat to get rid of that smell, but that’s time-consuming and only masks the potentially hazardous chemicals causing the scent. That’s why Japanese chemical company, Tosoh, are well on their way to producing an environmentally-friendly way to rid your car of its new smell.
After months of speculation as to when the Xbox One will become available to gamers, Microsoft has just announced the release date of the much-anticipated console. Finally.
September has finally arrived, bringing with it…well, not cooler temperatures, but promises of cooler temperatures. Maybe. Sometime soon, we’re sure it’ll cool down and we’ll all stop going from dry to drenched in sweat two seconds after stepping outside.
September also, obviously, means the approach of autumn–that glorious time of year when all the leaves explode into yellow and red hues. Though many think of sakura blossoms when they think of Japan’s beautiful trees, the country is no less proud of its fall colors. And Kyoto boasts more than a few excellent destinations for autumnal sightseeing. Here are 12 of Kyoto’s best places to enjoy the fall leaves!
There are a number of things you would never want to find hidden in amongst your parents belongings, but this one might just take the top spot.
When people think of Japan, they usually think of sushi, girls in kimono, otaku types camping outside electronics stores, and maybe this guy. But did you know that Japan is home to some seriously intense roller coasters? Yup, there are more corkscrews, loops and positive Gs in Japan than you can shake a paper fan at, so we decided it was about time we introduced you to 10 of the best roller coasters the country has to offer. We hope you had a light lunch!
Earlier this month, the Katamachi branch of the Chinese food restaurant Gyoza no Osho (King of Gyoza) in Kanazawa City, Japan, shut down after a group of men decided to drop in on the royal dumpling restaurant dressed in nothing but their birthday suits.
Given that the apparently rather promiscuous Hello Kitty will lend her likeness to just about everything, from doughnuts to assault rifles, it’s only a matter of time until the world is plastered in Hello Kitty spawn and our little human children are asking where all these frighteningly cute mouthless kitties come from.
Well, thanks to the curious mind of Moistproductions.com‘s Jason Freeny, you can now get your hands on a helpful tool to explain!
The movie Pacific Rim has been getting a lot of love around the actual Asian Pacific Rim recently, with China especially talking about it, though perhaps not for the best reasons. Japan too, being a lover of giant monster movies, has taken to Guillermo del Toro’s work, with praise from game makers Fumito Ueda (Ico, Shadow of the Colossus) and Hideo Kojima (Metal Gear, Zone of Enders) and manga artists Go Nagai (Marzinger Z) and Yoshiyuki Sadamoto (Neon Genesis Evangelion).
Also, in honor of the film a video was posted to YouTube titled “Pacific Rim Main Theme 8bit Arrange” which along with NES-tech rendition of the movie’s main theme gives us a nostalgic intro scene to what could have been a great video game adaptation of Pacific Rim. There are even some cute sprite versions of the Jaegers!
Well, it looks as if the people of Kansai may have been jerked around yet again. One month after the Japan Meteorological Agency sent out a blanket alarm of an imminent earthquake in Nara, astronomer Yoshio Kushida made the grim prediction of a large-scale quake as early as 6 September.
Now, in the wake of intense media attention, Kushida’s PHP Institute has made a follow-up report stating that until the end of September “there is no possibility of an earthquake.”
Where won’t Hello Kitty go? She’s already been in a hotel suite, on the side of an overpriced melon, and even in someone’s eye. Now it appears she’ll be heading to the inside of your camera soon.
Toshiba just announced that they will begin selling a new version of their Hello Kitty SD card later this month and it appears that the packaging may be even cuter than the black and pink card itself.
One of Japan’s oldest castles now lets travelers spend night on the grounds, drink in its keep
Studio Ghibli unveils new goods that tip the hat to The Cat Returns
Foreign traveler caught trying to sneak into Japan by climbing down rope from cruise ship
Bad tourist manners at Mt Fuji Lawson photo spot prompts Japanese town to block view with screens
All-you-can-drink deal for US$4 in Shinjuku is one of the best finds in Tokyo
Starbucks at Shibuya Scramble Crossing reopens, but is it really bigger and better than before?
McDonald’s Japan’s new pancake pie is a taste sensation
Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
Bear attacks car in Japan, breaks windshield with its paw【Video】
Foreigner’s request for help in Tokyo makes us sad for the state of societyForeigner’s request for help in Tokyo makes us sad for the state of societyBad tourist manners at Mt Fuji Lawson photo spot prompts Japanese town to block view with screensMcDonald’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 dayOne 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 itStudio Ghibli unveils new goods that tip the hat to The Cat Returns
Studio Ghibli unveils massive T-shirt collection featuring top anime movie characters
McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goodsForeigner’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 TokyoBad tourist manners at Mt Fuji Lawson photo spot prompts Japanese town to block view with screensMcDonald’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 1950sForeigner’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
Starbucks at Shibuya Scramble Crossing reopens, but is it really bigger and better than before?
McDonald’s Japan’s new pancake pie is a taste sensation
Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
Bear attacks car in Japan, breaks windshield with its paw【Video】
Foreigner’s request for help in Tokyo makes us sad for the state of society
Mikado Coffee is a 76-year-old coffee chain with a major celebrity connection
Who wins in a battle of McDonald’s and Komeda Coffee’s chicken tatsuta burgers?【Taste test】
A visit to the best UFO catcher arcade in the universe!
Often-overlooked castle in Japan looks so beautiful in the snow that we can’t take our eyes off it
Japanese police make first-ever YouTuber arrest for uploading video game gameplay videos
Resol Poshtel: Cheap capsule hotel in Tokyo is a hit with overseas visitors, and we find out why
New Pompompurin Cafe opens with exclusive Japanese dishes modeled after the Sanrio star 【Pics】
The Top 5 Boys’ Love Manga in English on digital content library MangaPlaza goes beast mode