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Driver charged after man who refused treatment is found dead a month after road traffic accident

Andrew Miller
Jul 26, 2013
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A 50-year-old man who refused medical treatment after being knocked down by a car in the town of Tosu, Saga prefecture, was found dead in his apartment a month after the accident occurred, a local newspaper reports.

Why the man refused treatment is unclear, but after a routine postmortem investigation both town and prefectural police came to the conclusion that the man’s death was brought about by injuries received at the time of the road accident a month previous. Despite having immediately called for the medical assistance that the victim flat-out refused, the driver has been reportedly been charged with involuntary manslaughter.

Feeling parched? How about a nice bottle of fish stock from this vending machine?

Casey Baseel
Jul 26, 2013

Any well-stocked Japanese kitchen needs a bottle of dashi, a salty cooking stock usually made with dried bonito. Dashi is sometimes combined with soy sauce, and the resulting mixture, called dashi-joyu, is commonly used to prepare soups and season a number of ingredients.

As such a ubiquitous part of Japanese cooking, you can buy dashi-joyu at any supermarket. And if you happen to be at a certain few parking lots in Hiroshima or Okayama Prefectures, now you can get it from a vending machine, too.

Japanese Internet baffled by culturally confused Hollywood adaptation of 47 Ronin legend

Mike
Jul 25, 2013

Hollywood is carrying on its tradition of making white people the lead protagonists in movies about samurai with the 2013 47 Ronin, headed by Keanu Reeves.

But while the Japanese didn’t seem to bat an eyelid when it was revealed (spoiler) that Tom Cruise was literally the last samurai, the 47 Ronin trailer is raising eyebrows in Japan for its weird comic book treatment of the famous national legend that is said to be the most revered example of the samurai code of bushido.

Our furry friend Furby now speaks Japanese!

Kay
Jul 25, 2013

Remember Furby, the talking toy that first came out 15 years ago and became a huge hit? Well, if you’re fond of cute and furry talking objects, you may be aware that a new “digital” generation of Furbies that comes equipped with LCD eyes and can be interfaced with a smart phone app was released last year. Unfortunately for some of us in Japan, the new line of Furbies has until now only been available in English, but Japanese-speaking fans of Furby can finally rejoice now that Takara Tomy has come out with the Japanese version of the new Furby, and in cute bright pop colors too! Read More

Junior high teacher arrested twice for vandalizing and burglarizing own school

Master Blaster
Jul 25, 2013

Being a teacher is tough. In a sincere effort to mold young minds, many educators have to endure strict regulations, tight budgets, and the unreasonable demands of monster parents. It’s too much for some to handle, as we can see in the case of Yusei Yoshikawa, the 26-year-old teacher who has recently been racking up an arrest per month for vandalizing and robbing his own school.

Konami confirms autumn release for Winning Eleven 2014, releases new trailer

Philip Kendall
Jul 25, 2013

Earlier today, video game heavyweight Konami Corporation unveiled a new page on its official website dedicated to the newest instalment in its popular football series World Soccer Winning Eleven 2014 (or Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 in the West), along with a new trailer showing the game off in all its ultra-realistic glory.

These white lion cubs are poised to fumble their way into your heart

Preston Phro
Jul 25, 2013

Cats may rule the Internet, but who rules the cats?

Baby white lions, of course! And if you happen to be in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, here’s your chance to see them in the fur.

Baskin Robbins Japan giving out a third scoop of ice cream free for all of August

Casey Baseel
Jul 25, 2013

Yes, there is Baskin Robbins in Japan, where it’s known by the locals as just saati wan, or “31.” Just like at locations in the U.S., Baskin Robbins Japan offers free samples of flavors on tiny little pink plastic tasting spoons.

Of course, for some people the single bite offered by the taster spoon may not be enough to properly judge whether or not the newest member of the ice cream chain’s constantly evolving ice cream line-up is worth ordering. If only there was a way to try a whole scoop for free.

Well, now there is.

Google Street View captures view from top of Mt. Fuji, negates only reason to climb it

Mike
Jul 25, 2013

There’s a saying in Japan about Mt. Fuji that goes to the tune of, “You ought to climb it once, but only a fool would climb it twice.”

That’s because, as yours truly learned just last weekend, climbing Mt. Fuji is a lot like spending up to eight hours repeatedly swinging a mallet into your knees as hard as you can. It’s also – at least this year, after having been declared a World Heritage Site – so crowded you’re guaranteed to be spending the climb with your face in dangerous proximity to someone else’s ass at all times.

Lucky for those that haven’t climbed it yet, Google Street View strapped some poor sucker with 100 pounds of weird Google robot gear, maybe gave him a bottle of water and some peanuts, and told him to walk right on up and take some pictures from the top. “It’ll be cool,” they probably said. “We promise.”

Chinese man’s body covered in bruises after eating shish kebab possibly containing rat meat

Andrew Miller
Jul 25, 2013

According to reports from media outlets in Beijing on July 22, a man who consumed what he believed to be a regular shish kebab was rushed to hospital after bruises appeared across the whole of his body. Doctors immediately performed a blood test which revealed traces of rat poison.

They’re back! Newly designed iPhone underpants now come with censored home buttons

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Jul 25, 2013

Looking for a fresh pair of undies for your smartphone? We thought so! Bandai has just announced a new line up of their hugely popular SmartPants brand smartphone underwear. This time, SmartPants2 come in eight new designs, a pixelized home button sticker, and a exceptionally weird promotional video.

We try the tomato, milk and lemon drink that Japan dared to produce

Andrew Miller
Jul 25, 2013

While doing a little shopping at her local Lawson Store 100 (a convenience store where everything is priced at around 100 yen), reporter Yumeno over at our sister site Pouch stumbled across a rather unusual drink from Tochigi Prefecture that we doubt many would be willing to drink without steeling their nerves first: “Tomato, milk and lemon blend.”

Seriously? Tomato, milk and lemon all mixed up together!? For the sake of science and because we love to laugh, our brave reporter grabbed a couple of cartons and brought them back to the office for a taste test.

Get your car washed right: get it washed by some girls in swimsuits for 100 bucks

Master Blaster
Jul 24, 2013

These days it seems all you can find are mechanical car washes scattered across our urban landscape. Sure they might be cheap and fast, but would you trust your beloved vehicle and decal of Calvin and Hobbs peeing on a Ford logo to the cold uncaring hands of a machine?

No, sir! What you need is the warm and gentle touch that only a woman can offer – a woman wearing a swimsuit since washing a car involves lots of water of course. Also, because school swimsuits offer the most durability they would have to wear those at Swimsuit Carwash in Akihabara.

You see, there’s an excuse reason for everything, including the 10,000 yen (US$100) price tag that comes with the experience.

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Westernized kimono resemble cosplay more than actual clothes

Rachel Tackett
Jul 24, 2013

Summer is the season for festivals here in Japan. Every weekend some district or other is putting together a party for locals and tourists to come and enjoy. There are food stands, game stalls, temporary toy shops, and people all around. Most come with a parade event of sorts and end with an explosion of amazing fireworks. But above all, something you’re always going to find at any self-respecting festival are people dressed traditionally in lightweight yukata (a summer kimono) and jinbei (robe-style shirt and shorts) as they wander the streets.

But what about in Western counties like America? In early September of every year, Saint Louis, Missouri, holds a large Japanese-style festival in the city’s botanical gardens. Despite the lingering heat of late summer, somewhere between 20 to 30 thousand people attend this great cultural event each year. But what do they wear? Judging by the array of kimono and yukata available at the English shopping site A Fashion, people hoping to model some Japanese styles might find themselves in what resembles a crazy costume more than actual clothes.

Word of a brand new Wii U Zelda not so far away?

Philip Kendall
Jul 24, 2013

While many critics are pointing to the underwhelming performance of Nintendo’s Wii U platform as yet another sign that the video game giant should beat a hasty retreat from the hardware industry and instead become a multi-platform publisher, recent news from the house of Mario suggests that there’s plenty of life in the old dog yet.

With dozens of new first-party titles arriving in the next 12 months, the Wii U is gradually beginning to pick up steam. But when President and CEO of Nintendo Satoru Iwata made reference to a brand new The Legend of Zelda title for Wii U in a recent interview with Britain’s The Guardian, people really started paying attention.

We try shaved ice doused in Dom Perignon, feel like comically rich billionaires looking for novel ways to spend money

Mike
Jul 24, 2013

Reporters get a lot of unexpected perks. Occasionally, our editor will demand we interview a porn star or go stuff donuts in our faces on the company dime. That’s great, for sure. But truth be told, the greatest perk of being a reporter is that not only is it expected you’ll be drunk around lunchtime, it’s even encouraged!

And so it went that we were asked to sample some shaved ice doused in Dom Perignon, because everything is better doused in Dom Perignon. Go ahead, pour a bottle over your head and walk down the street. See if you don’t get a couple of phone numbers.

Make a paper tuna with free summer craft templates from Scotch Tape Japan

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Jul 24, 2013

“Mom, I’m bored!” When you’re a kid, you can’t wait for summer vacation to start, but once it’s in full swing and the initial excitement of not having to go to school has worn off, the whining begins. Parents are left to scrounge for every scrap of creativity they have left in order to entertain their idling children. Although I don’t have any kids of my own, I can still remember what a terror I was during those long, hot summer days at home.

But this summer, parents are in luck! Scotch (as in the tape) has created a special “summer vacation family crafts” campaign for their Scotch Japan website. With over 300 unique paper craft templates to choose from and a nifty search engine to find them all, your complaining children will be occupied as long as the tape doesn’t run out.

Underwater snap will remove any fears you ever had about crocodiles

Andrew Miller
Jul 24, 2013

If you were asked to imagine the behavioral traits of your average crocodile, surely the first thing that would come to mind is a creature floating on the surface of the water with a fixed look as it lies in wait for its prey. However, it may well be time to put such thoughts behind you. The following image of a crocodile swimming in its enclosure at a crocodile farm, which is currently doing the rounds online, is winning the hearts of thousands of Japanese.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure creator’s pasta challenge to be held on upcoming Shonen Jump app

Master Blaster
Jul 24, 2013

With the announcement by Japan’s premier manga magazine Weekly Shonen Jump regarding their highly anticipated smartphone app Jump Live, information has been coming out in drips and drabs about its features.

However, their most recent announcement has fans jumping for mild confusion: it’s a multimedia pasta cooking challenge between the creator of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Hirohiko Araki and creator of Assassination Classroom Yusei Matsui.

Newest Ghibli film brings 40-year-old tune to the top of the music charts

Rachel Tackett
Jul 24, 2013

Studio Ghibli’s latest work, The Wind is Rising (Kaze Tachinu), created under the supervision of Hayao Miyazaki, is proud to be represented by its lovely theme song, Hikouki Gumo. The name literally means “airplane cloud” and it was first released a full 40 years ago by the talented singer and songwriter Yuming. Ghibli’s claim over the sweet, old tune has caused a surge of interest in the piece, bringing this 40-year-old forgotten classic to the top of Japan’s Recochoku Daily Ranking and earning it the title of iTunes top song for Saturday, July 20. Studio Ghibli and Yuming are now collaborating in many wonderful ways to celebrate their successes over the past 40 years.