Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
Everyone knows the famous golden arches of McDonald’s. Wherever you go in the world, you can be sure you’ll spot that big yellow M, calling out to you with promises of juicy burgers, greasy fries, and gallons of soda pop.
But did you know that somewhere out there is a lone blue M? That’s right, blue!
On July 13 this year, the film Bruce Lee, My Brother (released as Young Bruce Lee in English), will be coming to Japan. It was originally released in Hong Kong in 2010 and tells the story of Bruce Lee’s childhood and early career as based on a book, Memories of Lee Siu Loong, written by the dearly departed movie star’s siblings.
Robert Lee, Bruce Lee’s younger brother, has visited Japan to promote the film. While here he took part in an exclusive interview with online newspaper, Tokyo Sport, where he addressed many of the rumors surrounding Bruce Lee’s untimely death at the age of just 32. He also shared an unexpected story involving the top-notch fighter’s dreadful fear of cockroaches.
On 15 August, 1945 Japan had announced their surrender and set the end of World War II in motion. However, in one small space tucked away in Kagoshima City the atmosphere of that time over 60 years ago has been preserved.
Upon hearing of this unique location one of our reporters headed down to see if Nation at War Tavern (Gunkoku Sakaba) could really take us back to a very different Japan. The following is their report.
These photos, which surfaced recently on a Vipper forum, show a Showa Era newspaper’s predictions of what Tokyo would look like in their future. If Mark Twain can foresee the Internet nearly a hundred years in advance, surely a Showa Era newspaper can get a few predictions right? Let’s take a look:
What could possibly be worse than having to put down your beloved dog? How about that dog coming back from the grave and hunting you down?
Okay, that’s a gross exaggeration, but as you’ll see, there’s a good reason for that being my first thought when I saw this story.
Light novels (or ranobe for short, a portmanteau of raito and noberu) are popular in Japan as short, cheap reads for young adults. They often come with manga-style illustrations and feature many tropes from popular anime. This makes the transition between genres easy, and many light novels have been adapted into popular anime such as Ore no Imōto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai (There’s no way my little sister’s this cute!) and the currently airing Date-A-Live.
And now, Book Off–Japan’s brilliantly-named used bookstore chain–has added to the the recent spate of interactive maps with their new “Light Novel Pilgrimage Map”.
One of the greatest things in Japan are kaiten-zushi restaurants, where customers sit at a counter and grab little plates of sushi that go streaming by on a conveyer belt. With instant gratification, no language barrier, and a far cheaper price than traditional sushi restaurants, what’s not to like?
One of the most popular kaiten-zushi chains is Sushi Ro, with its low 105 yen (US$1.05) prices. The fish is quite tasty too, enough so that most customers don’t bother with the various non-sushi side dishes the chain also offers. But if you can pull yourself away from the succulent slices of tuna and amberjack for a moment, you’ll be doing yourself a favor to get an order of Sushi Ro’s French fries.
Humor, generally, is very subjective. Even when everyone’s speaking the same language, local cultural differences can have a massive impact on how jokes are received. Attempting to bridge these divides can be both difficult and frustrating. Not to mention dangerous if you happen to offend the wrong crowd.
All of which makes it even more impressive when someone does manage to leap over the gap with aplomb.
Karaoke in Japan is quite different from what you find across most of the Western world. Rather than letting wannabe rock stars take to the stage in a crowded bar, most karaoke parlors in Japan offer private rooms for all of their customers, whether singing in a group or taking time alone to do some hitokara. Unfortunately, these closed quarters can lead to some awkward scenarios when single men and women share the mic at office after parties…
Earlier this month My Navi News conducted a short survey of the single women employed by the company. They asked 200 of these working ladies whether or not they’d ever had a man do something at karaoke which really made them want to draw away, and if so, to explain it in detail. The results were quite the eye-opener.
This bizarre room listing gives a whole new meaning to “open-air layout.” A Tokyo real estate agency is advertising this room with a 160-square-meter (524 ft) balcony attached. It all seems like a fantastic deal until you realize that, while the balcony is indeed enormous, it dwarfs the room itself – which is a mere 25 square meters and somehow manages to cram a bathtub, toilet and kitchen inside.
At approximately 10am on Wednesday, 5 June, Suma Municipal Sea Fishing Park in Kobe became a crime scene after a 68-year-old fisherman made a once in a lifetime catch.
Any photographer will tell you that you always have to be aware of your light sources. Especially with people, the wrong kind of lighting can someone look completely different, usually in a bad way.
This young photo bug took that advice to heart when he attended a cosplay event in China. Realizing that work outside of a studio pits a photographer in a battle with sometimes unpredictable lighting, this man fitted several brackets to his back, each supporting an external flash.
Japan has a healthy habit of adopting food from other cultures and making it fit for a Japanese palate. We see it with their sweet-brand curry, rice filled omelets, and corn and mayo topped pizzas. Think too of Japan’s many adorably decorated coffees and character-shaped steamed buns.
Four-rue is an authentic-style Chinese food stall that’s often found on the basement floor of Japan’s large department stores. In a move to appeal to Japan’s cute-conscious consumer base, they’ve created a series of animal-shaped steamed buns that far surpass the quality of those mass produced and sold in convenience stores. These cute little critters are handmade with loving care to capture the soft edges and utter adorableness of a stuffed toy. We sent one of our animal-loving RocketNews24 staffers to four-rue to purchase a set of these delectable creatures and give us her thoughts.
Depending on the second language you’re trying to master, pronunciation is arguably the hardest aspect to conquer. The Japanese and English languages are no exception. Japanese, with its highly syllabic alphabet, often has a hard time accommodating the often chaotic nature of natural English pronunciation.
While a native English speaker’s tongue might stumble when trying to spit out makudonarudo (McDonald) smoothly the first few times our language allows us to pick it up with a little practice. Japanese English speakers have far more adversity trying to understand all the diminished sounds of a native English speaker casually uttering the name of the famous hamburger chain.
With that, NTT has revealed technology it’s working on that may one day automatically correct a Japanese person’s English pronunciation by editing the speed and rhythm while keeping the original speaker’s voice intact.
Convenience store giant 7-Eleven certainly knows its way to customers’ hearts. The store’s current Jump Heroes campaign–a collaboration with Shonen Jump Comics–is giving customers the chance to bag some pretty impressive prizes, with things like games consoles, tablet computers and even free hotel accommodation up for grabs.
Changes are expected to be made to the Vietnamese constitution this October during sessions of the country’s National Assembly. The current constitution was ratified in 1992 as part of the doimoi political movement that relaxed many of the government’s economic controls, and was a major departure from its previous incarnation.
Although minor revisions were made to the constitution in 2001, far more extensive alterations are expected in the next round. Among the many points to be discussed is the possibility of altering the country’s official name.
Despite being a made famous by thousands of Japanese TV shows and comics, cute “sailor suit” uniforms and their ilk are not limited to schools in Japan alone. As we’ve seen before, high schools all across Asia kit their female students out with a variety of stylish getups, with the girls themselves often making their own modifications, usually quite aware that they are wearing outfits that millions of people across the world think are cute or just plain sexy.
But it appears that Japan’s reign as the school uniform capital of the world may soon be over. Bringing fashion and cartography together at last, a specially designed map of Taiwan which provides photos of the school uniforms the girls in each particular area are rocking has become a big hit online this week.
We’re not sure if the singularity has finally happened or if this Roomba vacuum cleaner’s owners are just particularly careless. Regardless, it appears the Roomba, sick of being trapped in the same dull house like an animal in a zoo, triumphantly escaped the confines of the home and made a mad 3-mph dash for freedom.
Ever wanted Sailor Moon‘s Crystal Star transformation brooch for yourself, but figured you were too old for kids’ toys? Well now you have the perfect cover, with the new makeup line from Bandai!
Japan’s amazing egg sandwiches sold from self-serve roadside fridges have an inspiring backstory
Japanese woman subdues convenience store thief with headlock, credits anime for technique
Ultimate lazy sukiyaki – Can you make the king of Japanese hot pots in a rice cooker?【Taste test】
KFC Genshin Impact fried chicken combo meals now on sale in Japan
Animated video looks at 40 years of women’s fashions in Japan as Tokyo landmark gets set to close
Rurouni Kenshin creator’s poor health condition lead to indefinite manga hiatus
Starbucks Japan releases first flower drink in exclusive, hard-to-find chilled cup series
Right now is the peak time to go to Tokyo’s most-beautiful-view beer garden【Photos】
This Tokyo rice ball takes 20 years to make and 2,000 yen (US$14.30) to buy, but is it worth it?
Give yourself a Totoro belly with Studio Ghibli’s Marshmallow Haramaki belly wraps
Pizza Hut adds a “Guilty Secret” sandwich to its menu for a limited timeRight now is the peak time to go to Tokyo’s most-beautiful-view beer garden【Photos】
New Jimmy Choo x Sailor Moon collaboration brings anime magic to bags, shoes and accessories
Studio Ghibli releases new Totoro and Jiji blankets to keep you cosy this winter
Japan’s super-cheap corn snacks apologize for second-ever price increase in 45 years
Starbucks Japan releases a new Matcha Latte with Reusable Cup for the tourist market
Game over for Classic Mini Famicom and Super Famicom as Nintendo announces end of repairs
New Hello Kitty x McDonald’s Japan collaboration is like a life lesson to live by 【Video】
Disney young adult novels get new beautiful shojo anime-style covers for JapanThis Tokyo rice ball takes 20 years to make and 2,000 yen (US$14.30) to buy, but is it worth it?
Studio Ghibli releases free-download board game — Here’s how to play it without reading Japanese
Studio Ghibli lets you cosplay as Howl from Howl’s Moving Castle with cosy anime fashion range
New Hello Kitty McDonald’s Japan Happy Meal toys are here, and Kitty’s sister is part of the set
Starbucks teams up with the oldest of Japan’s Six Ancient Kilns to create a Bizen ware coffee mug
One of Tokyo’s most beautiful gardens gets its own moon for moon-viewing seasonPizza Hut adds a “Guilty Secret” sandwich to its menu for a limited time
Matsushima restaurant offers all-you-can-eat sashimi in as many ways as you can dream it【Photos】
Super budget-friendly retro Tokyo hotel feels like having your own 1960s Asakusa apartmentRight now is the peak time to go to Tokyo’s most-beautiful-view beer garden【Photos】New Jimmy Choo x Sailor Moon collaboration brings anime magic to bags, shoes and accessories
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 design
Doraemon found buried at sea as scene from 1993 anime becomes real life【Photos】
Tokyo’s most famous Starbucks is closed
Princesses, 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】
Rurouni Kenshin creator’s poor health condition lead to indefinite manga hiatus
Starbucks Japan releases first flower drink in exclusive, hard-to-find chilled cup series
Right now is the peak time to go to Tokyo’s most-beautiful-view beer garden【Photos】
This Tokyo rice ball takes 20 years to make and 2,000 yen (US$14.30) to buy, but is it worth it?
Give yourself a Totoro belly with Studio Ghibli’s Marshmallow Haramaki belly wraps
Should you warm up your convenience store onigiri rice balls in the microwave?【Taste test】
Surprisingly strong Hokkaido woman arrested for poking holes in 13 expensive melons with finger
New Totoro, Catbus, and other Ghibli plushies transform from cushions to blankets【Photos】
The official cosplay booth models of Tokyo Game Show 2024【Photos】
Starbucks Japan unveils new limited-edition Frappuccino for autumn
Sat on cat: giant cat couch for humans
“Kiwi-flavored” bananas Kiwi’na spotted at Japanese supermarkets
Cockroach-Killer Spider (aka Fighting Nope with More Nope)
Does Japan’s “body fat-burning” bottled tea really work? Our 30-day investigation 【RocketScience】
