Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
Sure, that’s not a huge challenge, but they went well above and beyond your standard tractor design. Fresh off celebrating Osaka-based heavy manufacturer Yanmar’s centennial anniversary, designer Ken Okuyama felt it was time to inject some well-overdue fresh style into the generally conservative world of agriculture.
However, these tractors are more than just a pretty face, as we’ll soon learn.
With rapid developments in medicine and an overall increase in awareness when it comes to our general health, in many parts of the world people are living to an age like never before. Although many of us pay careful attention to the advice given to us by medical professionals, health and fitness magazines, and the media in general, curiously some of the healthiest and oldest people in the world rarely visit their doctor, nor do they have access to the information that we in the developed world do. Is it possible that the secret to longevity lies elsewhere?
A village in Bama Yao Autonomous County, China, is one of five locations across the globe where people are known to live far beyond the global average, with few suffering from health problems during their lifetime. Many of the inhabitants of this village live to be more than 100 years old, and despite the villagers’ environment being a tropical region where ultraviolet rays are strong, women of the area have a pale complexion and are strikingly attractive.
April 25 was a sad day for Japanese ice cream lovers, as that was the day the final Japanese Häagen-Dazs store closed shop. The company had achieved its goal of spreading their packaged ice cream through convenience stores and supermarkets, and, after thirty years, decided that the Japanese locations were no longer necessary.
Many a frozen, delicious tear was shed that day.
But you can stop your crying, at least until September 2, thanks to a collaboration between Häagen-Dazs and j.s. pancake cafe!
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Up until now, if you were asked to think of the most efficient hybrid car on the market, surely what would have been at the top of your list is the Toyota Aqua. After all, it boasts a 35.4 km/L (83.2 miles per gallon) spec. that really cannot be ignored. However, the latest offering in hybrid vehicles from Honda, named the Fit Hybrid, goes one step beyond in redefining the notion of fuel efficiency. Boasting energy efficiency levels of 36.4 km/L (85.6 mpg), it steals the lead from the Toyota Aqua. Honda’s Fit Hybrid is expected to be introduced and go on sale in September 2013 in Japan and in terms of hybrid cars, if you exclude the Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles (PHV), is set to become the most fuel efficient car in Japan. We’re sure many hybrid car enthusiasts can’t wait to hear more, so check out the juicy details right after the jump.
As one of Japan’s largest train stations, Tokyo Station is the central hub for many of the JR lines as well as the Shinkansen (bullet train). You can expect some standard grub in most stations, but Tokyo Station has plenty of food places that go beyond the basics. Before setting out on a trip, why not arrive a bit early and enjoy a delicious breakfast before boarding your train? It’s the perfect start to your adventure. Here we introduce five of the best breakfast spots within the station itself.
If a guy yells “Hey, fattie!” at you, the natural reaction from many girls would be a good slap in the face. But apparently when it comes from the perfect lips of a hot guy, it’s just motivation…
Mmmm, a frosty cold glass bottle of Coca Cola on a summer’s day. The cool, solid feeling of the glass as you raise it to your lips, the satisfying heft of the bottle in your hand. What could be better? A plastic bottle? I don’t think so.
A special limited edition glass bottle is now available in Japan in select supermarkets. The announcement was posted up on Coca-Cola Japan’s Facebook page on 24 July, along with the above picture. Other than on Facebook, the glass bottles weren’t especially publicized or promoted. However, they soon gained more than 10,000 likes. Why do people in Japan seem to crave Coke in a glass bottle so much?
The dust has settled and a week has already passed since we saw the last of the Quarter Pounder Jewelry Series, McDonald’s Japan’s trio of luxury burgers. We had a lot of fun trying out truffle sauce, spicy chorizo, and rings of golden pineapple and enjoyed the experience, like most had, in spite of the high prices.
But many commenters from around the world who gazed upon these special Quarter Pounders couldn’t help but shake the fact that it appeared as if the packing was what took up most of the money. Japanese website Byokan Sunday was one such observer and decided to break down the cost of luxurious Jewelry Series’ bags and boxes to see how much of the ten dollar price tag went into making them.
That’s right, Kodansha’s super popular manga series Shingeki no Kyojin: Attack on Titan has teamed up with Yahoo! Japan to bring Japanese smart phone users a terrifying titan-themed search engine!
Imagine the world overrun with enormous humanoid monsters whose sole purpose seems to be extinguishing the human race. What can anyone do to stop the carnage? The answer to that question is what the remaining humans on the planet have to find out in Hajime Isayama’s manga-turned-anime series, Shingeki no Kyojin: Attack on Titan.
While we Japanese are not generally a strictly religious people, willing to incorporate customs and celebrations from various religions into our daily lives, it’s also a fact that you can find many shrines dedicated to a diverse range of deities across the country. But we have to say this particular shrine, which one of our reporter visited recently, is most definitely not your average place of worship. Why? Because it’s a shrine that pays homage to the male phallus! And no, it’s not a joke; everything about this shrine is quite serious, and our reporter tells us all about it below.
Part of our job here at RocketNews24 is to demystify Japan. It’s not that we are trying to make it seem less special, but we would like to turn it from a land of social and cultural barriers into the participatory place our team loves and calls home.
Today we’ll be covering how to tie the sash (or obi) on a man’s yukata summer kimono. Yukata is a look you can rock at festivals, fireworks shows, or just about any entertainment venue during the warmest months of the year. Despite the tradition involved, putting on a yukata isn’t really any harder than tying a necktie (and if you haven’t mastered that yet, you really should have your dad teach you before you go off to college).
If you pay attention while walking around Japan, you’ll eventually see signs warning pedestrians to be careful of purse snatchers. While the average person may never be involved in such an incident, many take care to walk with their bags held away from the street to avoid scooter-riding thieves.
Unfortunately, one 80-year-old woman wasn’t prepared for a purse snatcher while riding an escalator, but she also wasn’t about to just throw her hands up and cry either.
We mentioned a while back in our list of ways to keep cool that walking through the streets of Japan during summer will likely land you a paper fan emblazoned with some company’s message. These fans come in a variety of styles and quality, the cheapest perhaps being a circle of stiff paper with a hole for your thumb to go through as seen above. They’re not hugely effective but hey, any port in a storm, right?
Recently in a Japan, however, the image of a series of fans designed by Pfizer, the makers of Viagra, resurfaced on the net drawing mixed reviews from netizens.
If you were asked to think of the most loved fast food restaurant in the world, surely it would have to be the big M. After all, it is a place that, regardless of age and status, anyone can relax in the laid back atmosphere and indulge themselves in guilty fast-food pleasures.
In the Philippines there is one style of McDonald’s that arguably defies all traditional views of what a Mickey D’s represents. Its unique point lies in the fact that it is just like a food stall you’re likely to come across walking down your local street, and you won’t find a single hamburger or carton of fries on the menu.
Many visitors to Japan land in Tokyo, spend a few days in the capital, then hop aboard the shinkansen bullet train to see the sights in other regions of the country. The most common route is head west to Kyoto, but travelers shouldn’t overlook the northern prefecture of Akita.
With verdant forests, unique folklore, Japan’s deepest lake, and plenty of regional delicacies, Akita is well worth a trip, especially with the new Super Komachi shinkansen that makes the trip from Tokyo to Akita Station in just under four hours. Plus, to make the time fly by, the Super Komachi serves up its own microbrew.
Japan’s mascot obsession is known by those even marginally familiar with the country’s culture. Characters like Hello Kitty and her signature silhouette are recognized in countries across the globe, and thanks to the wonders of the internet we’re able to learn more about other cultures than ever before. But something I find that many people don’t realize about Japan is the sheer breadth of things that get their own mascots. Take, for instance, Japanese prefectures.
Located on the northern tip of Japan’s main island of Honshu, Aomori Prefecture is known for its great seafood. Aomori scallops are especially prized, and any shellfish fan visiting the area should definitely make time to have a few.
But how can you be sure you’re eating the freshest scallops possible? Easy: catch them yourself. Even if you don’t have the time to venture out onto the open seas, there’s a restaurant right across the street from Aomori Station that lets you do just that.
About a week ago we announced the opening of an otter touching experience at Keikyu Aburatsubo Marine Park, and the response was huge. From Japan and all around the country people’s hearts melted at the sight of those gentle round eyes and long whiskers.
Managing to get a spot in the quickly filling reservations, one of our reported headed down to the Miura Peninsula to get all touchy-feely with a quartet of Asian small-clawed otters. She came back with this report and a slew of adorable pictures.
Some of our readers may be too young to remember, but in his heyday, Ayrton Senna was the biggest thing in racing. The Brazilian racer took home the F1 driver’s championship in 1988, 1990, and 1991 before his life was cut short when his car collided with a retaining wall at over 230 kilometers (143) miles per hour during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.
Japanese motorsport fans have a particular fondness for Senna. Aside from having some of his most memorable races at Japan’s Suzuka Circuit, Senna won all three of his championships in cars powered by Honda engines, and was also involved in the production of the company’s flagship NSX sports car.
Using telemetric data Honda has recreated Senna’s record-breaking 1989 lap of Suzuka in light and sound as part of an incredible video posted on the company’s website.
You may recall we reported a while ago on JR East’s Suica penguin mascot character being turned into a totally yummy-licious looking cream-filled bread. Now, Suica Penguin, as the mascot is known, has become a beautiful cake that’s attracted a fair bit of attention on the Japanese Internet recently. Of course, we couldn’t ignore such buzz involving a confection that’s bound to look adorable as well as taste delectably sweet, so we sent one of our reporters off on a mission to try the penguin cake everyone seemed to be talking about and provide our readers with a first-hand account. So, was the cake as cute and tasty as we expected?
Possessing Harry Potter’s Sword of Godric Gryffindor is now illegal in Japan
Uniqlo announces first-ever collaboration with horror manga master Junji Ito【Photos】
Bad tourist manners lead to new Mt. Fuji view-blocking scree at Japan’s “Fuji convenience store”
Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
Yakuza family speaks out against rise in organized crime
Eight unforgettable hot springs, as recommended by Japan’s “Professor Bath”
Studio Ghibli releases new range of cardigans for anime fans
Big dam Godzilla appears in Japan as power-washer art on side of 195-foot dam【Video】
Domino’s Japan has all-you-can-eat pizza isn’t an Internet rumor, but it is hard to find
Shimonoseki’s Koreantown isn’t like Tokyo’s or Osaka’s, but it has a retro atmosphere all its ownPossessing Harry Potter’s Sword of Godric Gryffindor is now illegal in JapanStudio Ghibli releases new range of cardigans for anime fansUniqlo announces first-ever collaboration with horror manga master Junji Ito【Photos】
Mt Fuji convenience store becomes “lawless zone” as tourists hurl abuse at security guardsEight unforgettable hot springs, as recommended by Japan’s “Professor Bath”
Celebrating Good Couple’s Day in Japan…by getting our significant others to dress us
7-Eleven Japan releases fukubukuro lucky bags filled with convenience store surprises
Travel tip: Fukuoka has a great luggage delivery service that’s cheaper than a coin locker
Beautiful Totoro bag returns, still requires jumping through an extra hoop to get, still worth it
Starbucks Japan reveals new holiday goods for the 2024 festive seasonPossessing Harry Potter’s Sword of Godric Gryffindor is now illegal in Japan
One of Japan’s most beautiful hot spring towns announces new limits on number of day trippers
Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke teams up with Foxfire for outdoor apparel collaboration【Photos】
Nintendo’s controller capsule toys are so cool, even the machine you buy them from is awesome【Pics】
Ghibli Park debuts first winter illumination display with Howl’s Moving Castle themeStudio Ghibli releases new range of cardigans for anime fans
Sanrio and magical girl anime PreCure join forces for new merch line【Photos】
Pringles releases a limited-edition sweet flavour in Japan
Japanese job-quitting service contacted by other job-quitting service because employee wants to quit
After cancelling Halloween, Tokyo’s Shibuya neighborhood cancels New Year’s Eve too
McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Foreign tourists on Shinkansen bullet train break suitcase etiquette, angering local passengers
[Deleted] Article written for April Fool’s Day 2018
Japanese government to make first change to romanization spelling rules since the 1950s
Foreigner’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 designPossessing Harry Potter’s Sword of Godric Gryffindor is now illegal in Japan
Japanese convenience store Family Mart announces abolishment of eat-in spacesPrincesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
Life-size vibrating Legend of Zelda Master Sword for sale from Nintendo【Photos】
Eight unforgettable hot springs, as recommended by Japan’s “Professor Bath”
Studio Ghibli releases new range of cardigans for anime fans
Big dam Godzilla appears in Japan as power-washer art on side of 195-foot dam【Video】
Domino’s Japan has all-you-can-eat pizza isn’t an Internet rumor, but it is hard to find
Shimonoseki’s Koreantown isn’t like Tokyo’s or Osaka’s, but it has a retro atmosphere all its own
Made In Japan Fender Limited Edition Hello Kitty Stratocaster now on sale in Japan
McDonald’s Japan’s Gurakoro burger faces a giant rival in Komeda’s Gurakuro
7-Eleven Japan releases fukubukuro lucky bags filled with convenience store surprises
Godzilla burgers appear at McDonald’s Japan, and t’s time to eat them all!【Taste test】
Savor the sass in Osaka’s new obachan-inspired buns
Madoka Magica magical girls get their own line of anime lingerie
Beautiful shamisen featuring original illustration by Final Fantasy designer now on sale
Japan’s workplace drinking party communication is unnecessary, says majority of workers in survey
