Men slipping and landing with their penises stuck in something is a health hazard world governments have ignored for too long!
Hello Kitty’s lengthy list of endorsement contracts must be a source of constant pressure for her. The success of products as diverse as contact lenses, melons, and even fire extinguishers riding on her marketing appeal must be an enormous weight on the shoulder’s of Japan’s favorite feline.
Now, Kitty-chan’s about to add an enormous weight to her head, as part of a new tie-up with the city of Kure in Hiroshima Prefecture.
You could argue that the Shinkansen is the greatest engineering marvel Japan has ever put together. Amazingly fast, the bullet train is also bulletproof in its reliability and punctuality, with almost no delays and not a single accident since the high speed rail service was opened in 1964.
To find a much cooler piece of Japanese technology, you have to go into the world of science fiction and anime robots. Now, some clever designers have put two and two together and created a transforming mecha character based on Japan’s fastest train.
Japan’s national soccer team floundered through the first several decades of its existence before finally earning its first World Cup berth in 1998. Since then the squad has shown steady improvement, with an impressive performance in South Africa in 2010 that saw it reach the Round of 16.
But while expectations and confidence are both running high, that doesn’t mean Japanese soccer fans don’t wish there countrymen could receive a little help from the world of comics and animation, as shown in a poll asking which manga characters they wish were a part of Japan’s team competing in Brazil.
Two features of Tokyo make an immediate impression on visitors. First is the sheer size of the teeming metropolis, as it seems to envelop you from all sides. Second is the otherworldly atmosphere imparted by its futuristic architecture, intricate network of crisscrossing train lines, and the fields of neon that come to life like blooming flowers after sundown.
These two characteristics have been captured, interpreted, and enhanced in an entrancing new video from Yokohama-based visual artist Darwinfish105 which gives the impression of floating through a Tokyo without borders or end.
Man, doesn’t that pile of Kentucky Fried Chicken look enticing? Sure, it may not be the most sophisticated meal, and there’s really no way you can twist the nutritional facts to call it particularly healthy, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a purer, simpler gastronomic joy than a bucket of fried chicken.
But you know what makes the above image all the more beautiful? The large-font Japanese text smack dab in the middle of it, the part that says tabehodai, or, in English, “all you can eat.”
Two people tragically died and three others were injured after they all entered a cesspool knee-deep in filth in order to retrieve a woman’s phone.
Every summer, I try to spend as many days as possible on the beach at Enoshima, and each time I get out of the station and walk towards the sand, I pass a long line of people waiting for a seat at the local pancake restaurant. This isn’t Japan’s only pancake joint with a lengthy wait, either, as you can find similar eateries with comparable lines in Tokyo, too.
It used to strike me as a little weird. After all, whipping up a stack of pancakes isn’t exactly the most challenging culinary feat. It can get tedious, though, as you settle into a monotonous pattern of plopping batter into the pan, flipping the half-cooked cake, and repeating over and over again.
Or, you could bypass all that by making an entire batch of pancakes all at once in a rice cooker.
Ever since it hit the scene back in the ’70s, Star Wars was an early pioneer of movie merchandising. Decades later the gravy train of action figures, posters, lunch boxes, notebooks continues. Underoos, Shrinky Dinks, Jell-o molds, clothes hangers, chess sets, virtual keyboards, book ends, and um… I forgot where I was going with this.
For those of you who think it’s all been done before, we present to you something new from Bandai. Behold: Samurai Taisho Darth Vader.
In honor of the world’s biggest gaming convention, Oculus Rift and Project Morpheus were put under one roof for a head-to-head virtual reality battle this week. Both offer players the chance to experience a level of immersion unlike anything that has gone before it in the world of video gaming. Both are astounding feats of technology.
Having tried both out at E3, however, we’ve decided there was clear winner. Find out which VR did it best after the jump!
In science fiction, 25 years may as well be an eternity. The genre is littered with visions of the future that were initially compelling, yet suddenly felt overwhelmingly dated and dull just a few years later.
That said, it’s been a quarter-century since the first manga installment of Ghost in the Shell was published, and Japan’s most successful cyberpunk franchise is still going strong. Ghost in the Shell succeed where others failed because the story’s true focus isn’t on shiny, imaginary technology itself, but rather on the question of what it means to be human in a rapidly evolving society, and how an individual’s personal answer to that ties into the concepts of identity, free will, and interconnectedness.
Those are concepts mankind has grappled with for centuries, so it’s only fitting that this live performance of the anime’s most iconic piece of music feels at once both modern and ancient.
Live in urban Japan long enough and, as shocking as it sounds, you’re eventually going to have the distinctly unpleasant experience of riding a train that hits and more than likely kills a human being.
Even if you aren’t experiencing it firsthand, walking into a Tokyo train station only to notice yet another train delay caused by what is euphemistically described as a “bodily accident” (jinshin jiko, or 人身事故) is at least a weekly occurrence. It’s enough to make you think Japan must be wrestling with one hell of a suicide problem.
Which is true. But it’s not quite as bad as the Western media would have you believe. Here are five facts about suicide in Japan that are about as uplifting as we have any right to expect from facts about suicide:
It’s been a fantastic week for those slightly older, more sophisticated Sailor Moon fans (in other words, the original generation of fans), what with the introduction of Premium Bandai’s Miracle Romance line of quality Sailor Moon merchandise, which includes eau de toilette and Sailors Uranus and Neptune lip balm.
Now, we’re pleased to announce a new collectible toy designed for adults–Sailor Moon’s Moon Scepter (aka Cutie Moon Rod) featured in Sailor Moon R, the second season of the TV anime series!
People from other countries may be surprised by the number of people using umbrellas on a sunny day in Japan. However, after experiencing the scorching summers in many urban centers across the land, it’s not surprising why so many carry their own shade.
Of course there’s the obvious UV protection reasons where people wish to avoid melanoma and maintain that deathly pale complexion that’s all the rage here. There’s also the simpler reason that the sun can be freaking intense during the dog days and shade is a rare commodity on city streets.
In fact it can be so powerful that even with your standard parasol, daylight can manage to creep in and threaten your well-being. That’s why someone developed the next level in umbrella technology with Rain or Shine Umbrella for Use at the Game. With a name that catchy, you know it’s gonna be good!
That’s it folks, the third and final day of E3 is over and it’s been a privilege to bring you coverage of 2014’s expo. We’ve had a great time freaking out while trying our Project Morpheus, and were pleasantly surprised to find that Sunset Overdrive is just as fun as it looks. There’s more coverage to come, but in the meantime, here’s our last photo compilation from Day Three to tide you over!
As is expected at any gaming expo, there were plenty of booth babes, swag and cosplay to be found. However, unlike events such as Tokyo Game Show, all three were kept to a minimum.
But fear not, RocketNews Nation, we searched high and low to bring you photos of sexy ladies, freebies, and costumed strangers from E3…just because you asked so nicely.
What does it mean to be human? That’s the question being asked in a thought-provoking new exhibition of stunningly lifelike androids, which also suggests that maybe the singularity could be closer than we think.
Things I can do that impress Japanese junior high school students: touch my nose with my tongue; recite the lyrics to ‘That’s What Makes You Beautiful’ on cue; whistle the Benny Hill theme inconspicuously during class and then blame it on the Japanese sensei.
There’s one thing I’ve never mastered though – one thing that would hugely augment my repertoire of “odd things the English teacher can do”. I can’t whistle with grass. Or any kind of plant, in fact. Clearly, I should’ve taken some lessons from this guy, who can play entire tunes with a single pea pod.
Nearly half of all the people who play video games are women, but you wouldn’t know it by the video game industry’s biggest conference.
Only five women presented on stage at the major press events at E3, the video game industry’s huge conference, which took place in LA this week.
Sadly, that number won’t be surprising to anyone familiar with sexism in the tech industry, and the particularly appalling way women are treated in the video game industry.
But here’s the really shocking part. E3 actually featured more severed heads on stage than women: eight heads.
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This standing sushi bar inside a Tokyo train station blew us away with its speedy deliciousness
Famous Tokyo cherry blossom spot installs view-blocking screens to fight overcrowding[Video]
Rumors say this is Japan’s very best McDonald’s branch, but what makes it special?[Taste test]
Totoro and Calcifer become little light-up lanterns for Ghibli-style excursions or at-home decor
Japan now sells…sake made with moth poop?!?
Fatal stabbing at Pokémon Center in Tokyo reignites concern over rising stalking cases in Japan
Starbucks Japan adds new Sencha Matcha Tea Frappuccino to its menu, but only at 28 locations
We make nori seaweed mayo toast, just like Mama Hatori used to make!【SoraKitchen】
50-year-old instant noodle recipe is back from the past in Japan for a limited time[Taste test]
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Weekly
Japan now has a special desk for people who work at home with a pet cat[Photos]
Uniqlo announces new T-shirts for One Piece, Naruto and more for manga publisher’s 100th birthday- Famous Tokyo cherry blossom spot installs view-blocking screens to fight overcrowding[Video]
Krispy Kreme releases Super Mario doughnuts in Japan for a limited time
7-Eleven Japan releases a crazy new viral sandwich: Chocolate Sprinkles and Whipped Cream
Japan now has a “for foreign tourists only” Mt. Fuji sightseeing train[Video]
Studio Ghibli releases the My Neighbour Totoro tea caddy, with a magical self-closing lid- Totoro and Calcifer become little light-up lanterns for Ghibli-style excursions or at-home decor
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Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
Monthly
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura cherry blossom collection for hanami season 2026- Japan now has a special desk for people who work at home with a pet cat[Photos]
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo- Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
Studio Ghibli releases Catbus pullback keychain that runs like the anime character- Uniqlo announces new T-shirts for One Piece, Naruto and more for manga publisher’s 100th birthday
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Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list- Krispy Kreme releases Super Mario doughnuts in Japan for a limited time
Nine great places to see spring flowers in Japan, as chosen by travelers (with almost no sakura)
Yearly
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
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Fatal stabbing at Pokémon Center in Tokyo reignites concern over rising stalking cases in Japan
Starbucks Japan adds new Sencha Matcha Tea Frappuccino to its menu, but only at 28 locations
We make nori seaweed mayo toast, just like Mama Hatori used to make!【SoraKitchen】
50-year-old instant noodle recipe is back from the past in Japan for a limited time[Taste test]
Create a tiny Ghibli anime world on your bookshelf with new miniature papercraft art kits
Hello Kitty isn’t a cat!? We called Sanrio to find out!
Starbucks Japan offers special sakura picnics at Reserve Roastery Tokyo beside Meguro River
Ultimate bachelor chow recipe: Cheeseburger-style furikake toast【SoraKitchen】
Japan’s cherry blossom season predicted to start earlier than we’d thought, especially in Tokyo
Japan has vending machines that put protective film on your phone for you — Here’s how to use them
And now, we eat a bear paw we bought in Japan’s Chiba Prefecture【Taste test】
Picturesque Tokyo park plays host to millions of flowers and soap bubbles this spring
Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
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