Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
“Why do I have to study English? I’m never going to use it… there’s no point,” whines at least one Japanese student in any given English class on a daily basis.
Now, thanks to one company’s clever new initiative, instead of the usual spiel about the benefits of English being an “international language,” teachers can tell their students that knuckling down and mastering the language could bag them 1 million yen.
The January long promotional even Enjoy! 60 Second Service at Japanese McDonald’s franchises has been making waves all over the nation’s fast food consciousness. Although a lot of negative stories have emerged over possibly being too fast or pushing the workers too much, it’s still tempting to get into the idea of ultra-fast food.
Rival Japanese burger chain Mos Burger might be feeling the heat this month as well. One outlet in particular released a statement written on a chalkboard in front of their store explaining the virtues their considerably slower service.
This site has covered some frankly ridiculous foods in the past. Who could forget our articles on deep-fried caterpillars, the 1050-bacon strip Whopper, or the bright blue curry challenge? But this is the first time we’ve covered something that actually made me throw up in my mouth a little.
A sandwich shop in Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture, has conjured up this ungodly creation and, even more strangely, it seems people want to eat it. It’s called the Natto-Coffee Gelatin Sandwich, and that is exactly what it is: natto and coffee gelatin slathered with whipped cream and plopped on some unoffending white bread. For those of you unfamiliar with natto, it is an extremely stinky and sticky food made from fermented soybeans. Yes, rotting soybeans.
Inexplicably, this sandwich has become one of the shop’s most popular items, leading the representative director Koji Suzumura to explain their motivation in creating this abomination. Read More
Everyone on Earth be they young or old, man or woman, human or animal loves a good sit in a warm place. That’s the main reason for the hot spring’s popularity in many parts of the world.
However, we caught word of one or more young females who love bathing so much they want to do it publicly on camera for the whole world to see! You have to hurry though there’s only a short time to see it.
Some of you in the English-speaking world have probably heard of a little fantasy TV series called Game of Thrones. It’s won a few awards here and there, has a fairly enthusiastic fan base, and — let’s face it — is all around a huge freakin’ deal.
While America and the rest of the world fill their goblets with mead in anticipation of the March 31 premiere of season 3, Japan is finally getting their first taste of the series when season 1 airs on January 27 — and they’re promoting it by holding free screenings of the first episode in a castle built from actual blocks of ice.
Shota Mori is a man with a dream – a dream many young males have fantasized about: making a gun pop out of your sleeve. Known as a sleeve gun, these cool yet largely impractical devices have been featured in the many badass movies such as Taxi Driver, Desperado, and Alien Resurrection.
However, with a nationwide ban on guns, Mr. Mori opted for everyday items like his iPhone, train pass, and toy drums. What began as a simple DIY project, however, had grown into something much bigger. Documented in a series of videos titled Sleeve iPhone it became a journey of self-realization for the man and a lesson for all of us to follow our dreams.
Recently a bizarre eight legged creature bearing striking resemblance to gold skultullas — the special from gold-backed spiders from the Legend of Zelda series — has been spotted in Hong Kong.
At first glance,you might be inclined to think that you’ve been playing too much Nintendo, but this spider with a seemingly human face is an actual image taken by an eyewitness.
Here’s an awkward situation I’m sure we’ve all had to deal with at one point or another.
Your recently-divorced out-of-the-closet father with a thing for guys in uniform has begun bringing home high ranking military officials.
You want to show these officers and gentlemen their due respect, but every time you go to salute your lack of technique makes them look at you like you’re some kind of dirty hippy. That scornful glare cast by a Rear Admiral as he flings on a feather boa is just the worst.
Luckily, the modern incarnation of the Japanese Navy, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) put together a free iPhone app and instructional video to teach the proper way to salute. The iPhone app called Salute Trainer also measures your saluting ability in detail and gives you a score and military style ranking.
In a woman’s life, she has perhaps no greater teacher than her mother. As she encounters and overcomes life’s various twists and turns, a woman may begin to realize her mother told her things that are important and sometimes even a little profound.
And now everyone can share in this maternal wisdom (if you speak Japanese) thanks to a new Twitter account called Haha no Meigen, or “My Mom’s Famous Sayings.” Read More
Sushi has become a world famous dish, and this has drawn mixed feelings from the people of Japan. While the general population is happy to have positively influenced global cuisine, at the same time they are also dismayed at how poorly it’s usually executed.
You probably best not mention your love of California rolls to a Japanese person, otherwise they’ll lower their head in shame. Even if it tries to follow traditional ways, you’ll often hear complaints of the presentation or freshness compared to the land of the rising sun.
So just imagine if a country like Norway decides to release a series of instructional videos teaching how to make various dishes such as sashimi and makizushi. A Japanese food purist would have a fit.
To fight any undesired criticism from Japan, the Norwegians have employed a powerful weapon of mass distraction: interpretative dance.
A few days before, the news broke regarding McDonald’s Japan releasing a memo which outlined new speech restrictions for their employees on social media. Many believe these new rules are an effort to stem worker’s complaints over the new “Enjoy! 60 Second Service” promotion.
After the memo was released, McDonald’s crew members and Japanese netizens took to Twitter and 2channel to voice their opinion about the controversial new restrictions, and everyone’s unanimous opinion was this:
“The Chicken Tatsuta is delicious! It’s my favorite burger!”
Our reporter, Mr. Tashiro, is a man of great patience. He waited in front of the Shibuya Apple Store from December 25th until January 2nd in order to be the first one in line to purchase the 2013 Apple fukubukoro. Also known as “lucky bags”, fukubukuro are bags filled with mystery items that are sold at a fixed price at the beginning of each year. It’s a clever way for stores to get rid of excess merchandise, but if you’re one of the lucky ones, you’ll score a great deal on items that far exceed the price you paid.
Hoping to score a MacBook Air for 33,000 yen (US $377 and the price of this year’s Apple fukubukoro), Mr. Tashiro spent eight freezing days in front of the Apple store and gave up his Christmas and New Year’s for a chance to snag a grand prize lucky bag.
Korean-Japanese Telecom Tycoon Masayoshi Son earned his place as the CEO of Japan’s largest mobile phone company and the second richest person in Japan through aggressive expansion of his interests.
That personality often comes through in his Twitter account too. Son recently had to defend himself via Twitter after a half-million-dollar donation to Hurricane Sandy relief irked some people.
That’s the great thing about Twitter, isn’t it? You can now directly give Forbes’ 53rd Most Powerful Person in the world a piece of your mind. But don’t expect him to take it lying down.
That’s what @kingfisher0423 learned when he tweeted to the Softbank CEO: “With the degree that your hairline has receded, you are bald.”
Had enough turkey and chicken over the holidays? Or if you’re in Japan, maybe you’re tired of the traditional osechi food that you’ve had to eat the first few days of the New Year.
If so, here’s something a bit different you may want to try to spice things up a little — a curry recipe from the African island of Mauritius. Our reporter from our Japanese sister site Pouch gives us the following lesson in “curry à la Mauritius” (taught by a native Mauritian no less), and the resulting dish certainly looks good enough to feature in your next meal! Read More
Working at a lottery counter or kiosk must be a drag. You have to watch other people win big and hand over cash everyday while probably making a less than stellar salary yourself.
So it comes as no surprise that one lotto shop employee in Sakai city succumbed to the temptation to pocket someone else’s big winning ticket for herself and telling them they lost.
During an interview at his Kyoto headquarters this week, Nidec Corporation CEO Shigenobu Nagamori was quoted as saying, “Due to Japan’s strict labor laws, we cannot compete with enterprises in Korea and China.” He intends to lobby the government to relax labor regulations to allow for more flexible working conditions.
He additionally said that the government and the Bank of Japan need to weaken and maintain the yen to around a 90-100 yen to the dollar exchange rate in order for Japanese export companies to compete with booming exports from China and Korea. Read More
McDonald’s has allegedly sent out a nationwide memo to all franchises regarding its employees’ use of social networks. The memo is highly detailed regarding what types of online speech is permitted from staff.
Regulations include the prohibition of “McDonald’s bashing” on Twitter or popular internet message board 2channel (2ch), as well as other unethical (by McStandards) postings.
The following is a translation of the leaked rules. Pay special attention to numbers 4 and 5.
Perhaps tired of naming their Pokémon games after colours, Japanese video game heavyweight Nintendo yesterday announced its newest iteration in the popular pocket monster collect-em-up: Pokémon X and Y.
Boasting an all-new visual design, player perspective and a host of new creatures to capture and battle with, it’s sure to a hit with fans and newcomers alike.
Living in an earthquake-prone country like Japan means constant vigilance in terms of disaster preparedness. Though the Great East Japan Earthquake of 11 March 2011 struck during daylight hours, there’s no guarantee that a disaster of similar magnitude won’t strike at night. Most people keep a flashlight or two at home, however, if power is cut as a result of an earthquake, as groping your way around in the dark while in a panicked state might not be as easy as you think.
Thankfully, Tokyo’s Force Media group has come up with an ingenius solution to this problem. And it’s much more than just a regular-old flashlight…
Read More
New Hello Kitty McDonald’s Japan Happy Meal toys are here, and Kitty’s sister is part of the set
Abuse Cafe Japan: We get abused by waitresses in maids’ uniforms at Tokyo’s viral pop-up diner
One of Tokyo’s most beautiful gardens gets its own moon for moon-viewing season
Starbucks serves up a new afternoon tea set in Japan with a super high price tag
Tokyo Skytree to be lit up in Jujutsu Kaisen colors on Halloween in months-long art collaboration
Super budget-friendly retro Tokyo hotel feels like having your own 1960s Asakusa apartment
Night sky Studio Ghibli greeting cards are a beautiful reason to put pen to paper【Photos】
Some of the best Japanese fried chicken in Japan comes from this shack in the middle of nowhere
Starbucks teams up with the oldest of Japan’s Six Ancient Kilns to create a Bizen ware coffee mug
Kyoto becomes City of Yokai, with Night Parade of One Hundred Demons festival this autumn
Studio Ghibli releases free-download board game — Here’s how to play it without reading JapaneseNew Hello Kitty McDonald’s Japan Happy Meal toys are here, and Kitty’s sister is part of the set
Studio Ghibli lets you cosplay as Howl from Howl’s Moving Castle with cosy anime fashion rangeStarbucks teams up with the oldest of Japan’s Six Ancient Kilns to create a Bizen ware coffee mugSuper budget-friendly retro Tokyo hotel feels like having your own 1960s Asakusa apartmentOne of Tokyo’s most beautiful gardens gets its own moon for moon-viewing season
Hot spring facility’s beautiful views and all-you-can-eat sushi leave us clean, full, and happyAbuse Cafe Japan: We get abused by waitresses in maids’ uniforms at Tokyo’s viral pop-up dinerNight sky Studio Ghibli greeting cards are a beautiful reason to put pen to paper【Photos】
Starbucks Japan releases custom tumblers…that wear aprons
Foreign tourists on Shinkansen bullet train break suitcase etiquette, angering local passengersStudio Ghibli releases free-download board game — Here’s how to play it without reading JapaneseStudio Ghibli lets you cosplay as Howl from Howl’s Moving Castle with cosy anime fashion range
Japanese government suspends plan to pay Tokyo women 600,000 to move away to get married
Japanese government wants to remove tax-exemption limit for foreign tourists on consumables
Starbucks Japan unveils new limited-edition Frappuccino for autumnNew Hello Kitty McDonald’s Japan Happy Meal toys are here, and Kitty’s sister is part of the setStarbucks teams up with the oldest of Japan’s Six Ancient Kilns to create a Bizen ware coffee mug
The heartwarming story of Japan’s “Weakling Gundam” and the fans who supported it in its hour of need
Foreign tourist in Japan arrested for having sex on shrine grounds in broad daylight
McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goodsForeign tourists on Shinkansen bullet train break suitcase etiquette, angering local passengers
[Deleted] Article written for April Fool’s Day 2018
Sold-out Studio Ghibli desktop humidifiers are back so Totoro can help you through the dry season
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
Super budget-friendly retro Tokyo hotel feels like having your own 1960s Asakusa apartment
Night sky Studio Ghibli greeting cards are a beautiful reason to put pen to paper【Photos】
Some of the best Japanese fried chicken in Japan comes from this shack in the middle of nowhere
Starbucks teams up with the oldest of Japan’s Six Ancient Kilns to create a Bizen ware coffee mug
Kyoto becomes City of Yokai, with Night Parade of One Hundred Demons festival this autumn
Studio Ghibli lets you cosplay as Howl from Howl’s Moving Castle with cosy anime fashion range
Studio Ghibli releases free-download board game — Here’s how to play it without reading Japanese
10 things you should buy at 7-Eleven in Japan
Twitter users share 16 heartwarming moments of kindness in Japan
The top 5 ice creams you should try at Family Mart convenience stores in Japan this summer
Do 7-Eleven Japan’s new back-to-budget-friendly-basics rice bowls make us happy?【Taste test】
This unstaffed Japanese train station is like a Ghibli anime come to life
Why Sensoji temple in Asakusa is better at night
