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The monument for the Iwate miracle tree, which as you might remember was the only pine tree out of 70,000 left standing following the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, is finally nearing completion. The project, though, has not been without its fair share of troubles. Read More

Ever wanted to cross Japan by rail but hate the idea of being stuck on the train, watching the scenery flash by without ever being able to get out and experience it? Today we’re going to let you in on a little secret few foreigners are aware of so you can explore further, without having to pay extra for the privilege.

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Have you ever noticed that when you’re messaging someone while you’re really mad or really excited about something, your typing becomes faster? Even the slowest hen pecker typist is able to kick it up a notch and bust out a scathing remark at record speed. But the typist in this video is some kind of typing wizard. Watch as his lightning quick fingers dance across the keyboard, no anger required.

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Cabinet members of Japan gather to make an official position regarding PM Abe’s HaaaAUUUUnted HoooOOUUUuse!

On 24 May, members of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s cabinet convened to make and official statement concerning long standing rumors swirling around the opposition party. These rumors are regarding the Prime Minister’s Residential Quarters (Sori Daijin Kotei) and the super spooky ghosts that may dwell inside.

Since taking power last September Prime Minister Abe has implied, “I’m not spending the night in that place,” by never spending the night in that place.

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My entire life I’ve grown up thinking that bunnies are adorable. Who can resist those cotton ball tails and wiggling noses? They’re basically moving balls of fluff! However, after seeing a recent photo compilation of yawning bunnies on Japanese website, Karapaia, I feel so misinformed. Bunnies aren’t always cute, in fact, they can be downright terrifying. Take a look, if you dare, at 20 photos of yawning bunnies. They’ll change the way you look at rabbits forever.

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Grand theft watermelon: 700 hundred fruit snatched from Ibaraki farm

To pull off the perfect crime one has to minimize risk while maximizing the yields. If you’re going to rob a bank you’ll have to put up with safes, cameras, random customers, polite staff and a quick police response.

So who is sitting on a goldmine but least expecting to get robbed? While not as expensive as more authentic melons, watermelons go for a rather high price in Japan. However, you’d have to be crazy to try and steal a bunch of watermelons… Right?

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Drivers in China are being left completely dumbfounded as to how to navigate a busy junction without violating the law or getting themselves killed. The reason being that a traffic light installed in one town gives them just one second to pull out before turning back to red.

We hope you have a car with a decent engine.

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Cat smartphone stand hopes to become newest Internet meme in Japan

Just when we thought the clever smartphone stand market was tapped out, here comes this little cat stand. Created by Kitan Club, a Japanese capsule toy company, the stand features a cat that looks as if he’s trying to hold back an attacker, with a gaping mouth that seems to scream, “You shall not pass!” (or the cat language equivalent). The stand also features a suction cup to help hold up the smartphone.

But you don’t have to limit this little guy to smartphones, he can help hold back a variety of intruders as demonstrated by Kitan Club.

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Teachers say the darnedest things: How rice flavoring is more expensive than a Porsche

Mamechishiki, literally translated as “bean knowledge,” refers to trivia in Japanese. And, if there’s one thing the Internet is good for (besides videos of cats), it’s trivia!

Today’s “bean knowledge” is about the difference in value (by weight) of furikake (dried seasoning sprinkled over white rice) and a Porsche. It originated on a popular Japanese Twitter hashtag “#surprising things said by my teacher.”

One Japanese Twitter user sent out the following tweet. Read More

Seven apps and web services trending in Japan this month

Ever wondered what people in Japan are looking at on the internet? No, not porn…well, yeah they’re looking at porn, but we’re not here to talk about that. Let’s take a look at seven apps and services currently trending in Japan. Yes, one of them is meant to be used while you’re on the toilet. Oh, don’t be surprised, it is Japan after all.

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Mr. Sato goes on a date with an idol, unleashes his secret weapon: canned rum

Summer is almost here, and in Japan that means two things. First, high humidity and the profuse sweating that comes with it. But second, summer is also the season of hot, passionate, romance.

Unfortunately, this spring has again found our intrepid reporter Mr. Sato unable to find a girlfriend, but he’s ready to wipe the slate clean and give it his all this summer. We decided it was best to get Mr. Sato a little practice, so he’d have a good running start before the season of love gets fully underway. To that end, he asked out idol singer Sayaka Shiotani from vocal unit Pureful. Like all women, she is powerless to resist the charms of a RocketNews24 writer, and so of course said yes.

“Honestly though, I don’t have much experience with girls, and I’m not even really sure how to talk to them,” he tells us. Well, as a wise man once said, when you’re trying to pick up girls, use humor. And if you’re not funny, use alcohol. Read More

Synthetic web fibers more amazing than Spider-Man

Biotech company, Spiber Inc, based in Tsuruoka City in Yamagata Prefecture, recently established itself as the world’s first mass producer of synthetic spider thread. They made their announcement at a presentation in Tokyo, where they showcased a bright blue dress made entirely of synthetic web fibers. Read More

Lifelike 3D dolls in Japan are one part frightening, two parts awesome

Making oneself into a fully posable action figure was once a mere pipe dream for those of us who weren’t movie stars, rock stars or the combination of both that is Mr. Sato. But now with technology and some craftsmanship anyone can immortalize themselves in the medium of dolls… until they come to life in the middle of the night and kill you.

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Japanese duo support Lady Gaga with a unique cover of Telephone

The worldwide hit single, “Telephone”, by Lady Gaga featuring Beyonce, is doing the rounds again on the Internet. Only this time,  it’s a Japanese version, featuring two traditional instruments: the koto (Japanese harp) and the shakuhachi (Japanese flute). The duo behind the cool cover are a couple of little monsters who go by the name of Team Kozan. Not only have they created an awesome rendition of the pop single, they’ve made a cool video clip too; filmed at Suga Shrine in Shinjuku, it mixes up Gaga dance moves with the sights and sounds of traditional Japan. See why the world is raving about it after the jump.

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Louis Vuitton’s Marc Jacobs creates high fashion Hatsune Miku

Hatsune Miku, the virtual pop singer, has been selling out entire theatres for her most recent performance in The End, the world’s first (and possibly only) vocaloid opera. As would be expected from an opera that replaces humans with digital singers, The End is full of surprises. But the most surprising of all is their choice of Marc Jacobs as digital wardrobe designer. Miku’s new outfit was recently revealed at the premiere of The End in Shibuya.

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Chinese school principal kowtows to entire student body, tearfully begs students to study harder

On 2 May at a school assembly at Yang Gongmiao Elementary School following the May Day holiday weekend, students and faculty were shocked to see their principal get down on his hands and knees and plead for them to put more effort into their work.

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For one reason or another, PSY’s big bandwagon never really made it to Japan. In fact, the country is so fed up with the Korean pop star that they’ve convinced themselves his overseas popularity is a well maintained lie and his YouTube views come from hired hands hitting refresh. So, it’s unsurprising that they were equally unsurprised, and perhaps a bit vindicated, to hear that PSY’s appearance on American Idol corresponded with record low ratings for the show.
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Every generation, something comes along that people are just sure is going to ruin kids’ minds. Recently it’s social networking websites. In the 1950s it was blue jeans and rock ‘n’ roll. If you had a time machine, and for some reason got tired of riding on the backs of dinosaurs and decided to instead interview cavemen about the parenting issues they faced, I’m sure you’d find some of them complaining about how the young whipper-snappers in the neighborhood are wasting all their time with this new-fangled “fire” thing.

When I was growing up, the big menace was video games, but just like all the things listed above, they turned out to be mostly harmless (but watch out, blue jeans become quite a bit more dangerous if you combine them with fire). Video games have now been around long enough that some hardcore gamers have kids of their own, such as the mother of Twitter user maki_pq, whose enthusiasm for the Dragon Quest series far outpaces her daughter’s.
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The future is up: The next ‘world’s-tallest-building’

Burj Khalifa is a tower in Dubai that stands an awe-inspiring 829.8  meters (2,722 feet) tall. With that height, it is currently the world’s tallest building, as well as being Tom Cruise’s favorite thing to climb.

But all that might change in just six months, if everything goes according to plan for one Chinese company. Well, minus the Tom Cruise part.
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George Mallroy, one of the first Britons to attempt to conquer Mount Everest back in 1924, famously said of his desire to climb the mountain that he did so “because it’s there.” In the case of two of the mountain’s most recent visitors, “because I can” might be a better mantra.

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