How dirty is your mind? Guess what this is for!

Go on, take a wild guess. What is the kit above used for? More tellingly, do you know how to use these items yourself? Are you an experienced user, a semi-pro, or do you just like to watch others use them?

The object on the upper left features a beautifully rounded tip and a convenient finger grip for when you need to give it some extra oomph. The vial of clear fluid on the right may help you to achieve your, er, goal more smoothly. Then we have what appears to be a packet of wipes to mop up with. These days, these things are not common, but ten years ago they were used frequently. Most likely, your parents used them. But what did they use them for, exactly…?

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Like many people who grew up in America, when I hear the word “Asahi,” the first thing I think of is beer. Of course, beer also happens to be the first thing I think of when I hear “breakfast,” but that’s a story for another time.

However, there’s also an Asashi Newspaper in Japan. And while the news outlet has no connection to the identically named brewer, that didn’t stop it from recently handing out the kind of parenting advice you’d normally expect from a dad who’s also a violent problem drinker, suggesting that parents “accidentally” smash their kids’ video game consoles in order to keep them focused on their studies.

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Gift-giving guide: The double meaning behind everyday items

The act of gift giving is a special sort of science. Between all of the holidays, birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, and special moments in between, we get a lot of practice with presents, and yet sometimes it’s still so hard to pick out the perfect gift for any certain someone. Still, we’ve all heard horror stories about well-intentioned presents having the complete opposite effect. Now, not to increase your anxiety over gift giving, but did you know that many everyday items carry rude connotations when given as gifts, at least in certain cultures?

You’d like to think that anyone would be happy to receive something useful as a present, but then remember how it feels when your friend offers you a piece of gum. Perhaps it’s their favorite flavor and they just really want to share, but nonetheless you’re left with a nagging worry about how badly your breath must stink. These misunderstandings can happen on a much larger scale when cultural differences come into play. So, to help you all out, here’s a little guide to gift-giving manners.

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“Customers also bought…”: Product searches for rope on Amazon JP yield creepy results

A friend of mine once shared an image with me of the product recommendations section from Amazon.com, which showed a copy of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 paired with a bulk pack of adult daipers. Apart from shut-ins who would rather soil themselves than leave their military-based shooter and go to the bathroom, it’s hard to imagine why Amazon’s super computers would suggest that the two products were a perfect match.

An equally odd product pairing appearing on Amazon JP caught the attention of Japanese netizens earlier today, but rather than giving them a good chuckle it has quite freaked them out.

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Remote tea shop serving up deep fried leaves as a summer treat

Japan is a rich country when it comes to specialty treats and dishes. Small towns all over the nation can offer up unique foods and drinks you’ll never find anywhere else.

Shigenobu Matsuzawa who has uncovered Japan’s hidden treasures such as Digital Kowloon City, The Life and Sex Museum, and Gunma Cycle Sports Center now has found one such snack in Mie Prefecture that you’re unlikely to find in most places: Maple Tempura.

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Mad scientist teacher transfers chicken embryos from eggs to clear containers, keeps them alive

A Chiba area high school teacher, presumably cackling wildly the whole time, has perfected a system to transfer chicken embryos from their eggs to clear plastic containers and raise them to birth. Surprisingly, Tesla coils are in no way involved in the process and the chickens are born perfectly healthy and are not, in fact, zombie chickens.

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Coffee mascot event with cosplaying idols proves to be too much for some fans to handle

Tea is the first beverage that comes to mind for most people when they think of Japan, followed closely by sake, beer, chu-hi, and a plethora of other alcoholic beverages for those who spent time at a Japanese university. There are plenty of coffee drinkers in the country too though, with Yuki Jirushi (“Snow Mark”) Coffee’s café au lait being a steady seller in supermarkets and convenience stores for 50 years.

With such a long history, however, the company thought the product’s image could use an updating, and they asked artists to submit their designs for a new mascot to be called Yukiko-tan (-tan being an even cuter version of the already cute Japanese name suffix –chan). Six finalists remain in the contest, and Yuki Jirushi recently held a promotional event to help the undecided pick a favorite by utilizing the tentpole that seemingly all major Japanese marketing campaigns are built around: cute girls.

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All of Japan instantly alerted to earthquake that kind of happened but not really

I was busy working at my desk on August 8, 2013 at approximately 4:55pm when I felt a great disturbance in the Force. It was as if millions of mobile phones cried out at once.

And sure enough when I checked my own phone there was a message from the Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA) which read “Receiving Earthquake Warning. Be cautious for violent shaking.”

Awwww, man.

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Japan loves its fictional robots. The adorable Doraemon and unsettling Evangelion are instantly recognizable to both young and old. The giant statue of Gundam in Tokyo has become a major tourist attraction, despite being in the middle of Odaiba, which was already a major entertainment district with no shortage of other, hipper attractions.

And now, another robot, the Patlabor, has joined Gundam in making the leap into the three-dimensional world, towering size intact.

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India’s caste system: a marriage between the classes that led to a tragic ending

Many of us live in societies where we are free to choose the person we marry, regardless of social class and ethnicity. However, what if the society in which you lived was built around a hierarchy whereby sexual relations between classes was taboo? What would you do if you fell passionately in love with someone from a different social class?

This is a problem that confronted one unfortunate couple living under India’s caste system. According to latest reports from India’s media, the body of a 19-year-old man was recently discovered by the side of the railway line in Tamil Nadu. The man’s name was Ilavarasan, and under the Indian caste system, belonged to the lower class referred to as “untouchables”. It is believed that he fell in love with a 22-year-old woman from the upper classes, however was forced to separate from her in May due to the fierce opposition.

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From stuffing to pushup bras, women the world over have numerous techniques for increasing their bust. So, regardless of how you might feel about contemporary beauty standards, it’s impossible to deny the massive demand that “size-increasing” bras have. And you can bet that every undergarment-producing company in the world wants to be the one with the, uh, biggest reputation.

In an attempt to prove just how much their bras can boost your bust, the Thai branch of Wacoal released a risqué commercial that’s earned them quite a bit of international attention. And once you see it, you’ll understand why!

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Not your average Bulbasaur: Mayan-style Pokemon

What is it about Pokémon that inspires hundreds of thousands, possibly millions of creative works of art? Is it the wide range of pocket monsters to choose from? Nostalgia? Or maybe it’s the FACT that Pokémon are downright awesome. Yeah, it’s probably that last one.

Mona, an artist from Mexico, has used these inspiring little creatures to create what she calls “Pokemayans.” Drawn in a funky, Mayan-inspired style, these Pokemon are every bit as awesome as the original, but in a completely new way.

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Championship day at the 11th World Cosplay Summit 【Photos】

About one week ago, we at RocketNews24 gave you an inside look at how things happen behind the scenes at the annual World Cosplay Summit (WCS). Now, it’s time for a follow-up!

On Saturday, July 3, in Nagoya, Japan, the WCS held its highly anticipated championship finals, wherein 20 teams of cosplayers from countries around the world competed for prizes and the prestige of being named World Cosplay Champions. This year, for the first time, the championships were streamed live on Niconico Douga, Japan’s YouTube, for the whole globe to see. But, just in  case you missed it, here’s a photo album introducing all of the teams and announcing to you the winners of this years WCS.

Warning: The cosplay featured in these photos will take your breath away.

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Jiggly yellow pear, Funasshi, named top mascot in Japan

After two weeks of voting, Funasshi, the official yuru-kyara (mascot) representing Funabashi City in Chiba Prefecture, has come out as the number one local mascot in all of Japan. Known for his amazing jumping power and jiggly, almost convulsive movements, Funasshi bounced his way into the hearts of the Japanese people. He was joined by six other bizarre mascots, including the snarling half melon, half bear character from Hokkaido and a chubby dolphin from Kagawa Prefecture, for the announcement of the election results on August 6.

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Japanese viewers go wild after TV show introduces mackerel as possible slimming product

It’s not unusual for consumer products to suddenly explode in popularity after being introduced on a particular TV show, but when Japan’s Asahi TV introduced mackerel as a food that can be beneficial in weight loss during its home medicine program “Takeshi no Kenkou Entertainment! Minna no Kenkou Igaku” few coould have expected the overwhelming outcome.

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Is one of Osaka’s largest electronics stores haunted? Japanese netizens say sure, it’s summer

In Japan, summer is seen as the time when the line between the living and the dead becomes blurry and paranormal activity is said to be at its highest. This is the season when studios like to put out horror movies, restaurants like to put out drinks based on horror movies, and youngsters like to share ghost stories online.

Recently, one place in particular has been the setting for eerie rumors based on a tragic past. It’s also a place where you can get a good deal on a massage chair and a digital picture frame. Everyone’s talking about none other than Bic Camera, a massive electronics superstore which towers over downtown Osaka.  Sit back, turn out the lights and take in some these quick Japanese summer ghost tales.

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New York-style Japanese ramen! We try Totto Ramen in Midtown Manhattan

So, you’re a loyal RocketNews24 reader. You’ve seen us posting about ramen, possibly the greatest food ever, and always wanted a nice big bowl of your own to scarf down. But an international flight to Japan is both expensive and exhausting, so it’s remained little more than a dream for you. You lie awake at night, tossing and turning, as thoughts of hot noodles, thick, delicious broth, and perfectly sliced pork dash through your head. Well, now you can finally put an end to your torture! If you live in New York that is. Otherwise, you’ll have to keep saving for that flight.

A few months back, one of our esteemed Japanese writers found himself in New York and decided to check out one of the city’s finest ramen shops: Totto Ramen. Here’s his thoughts on the Japanese restaurant! Does it measure up??

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Chiharu Hatakeyama and self-sufficiency in the 21st century【People we love】

“Forgive me for asking so abruptly,” Chiharu Hatakeyama begins as she stands on a stage decked out in the familiar TED colours of black, white and red, “but who among you thinks they could wring the neck of a chicken before they ate it?”

After the events of March 11, 2011, when the largest recorded earthquake in Japanese history tore the northeast to pieces and brought with it a wall of water that smashed through everything in its path, Chiharu decided that she had to change. Realising that her entire world could be turned completely upside down in the blink of an eye and that she relied on others–most often people that she had never nor would ever meet–in almost every facet of her life, she set out to achieve a life of complete self-sufficiency. Growing her own vegetables, butchering her own meat, making accessories and clothes for herself, she is now sharing her newly acquired knowledge with as many people as she can via her blog, Facebook page, and more recently a TEDxTokyo talk. This is her story.

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While there are several clever techniques for staying cool during Japan’s sticky summer, you really can’t overlook the simple tactic of just wearing less clothing. Going shirtless is one option, but unfortunately that pretty much restricts your entertainment options to swimming, boxing, and the two-for-one choice of shark fighting.

On the other hand, shorts and a shirt provide much more social leeway. As with all choices men make, though, it’s imperative to consider the question, “Will women think I look good?” A recent survey asked women to give their opinions on guys showing some leg.

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Salted fish dog is popular Kyoto snack that looks about as appetizing as you’d expect

The Kyoto Aquarium is offering a limited summer snack officially dubbed the “ayu salt-cooked hot dog.”

To the uninitiated, this probably sounds like a hot dog topped with some exotic, delicious spice called ayu, but adventurous expats will recognize ayu as a native Japanese fish species often served grilled whole on a stick.

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