Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
Risk Monster, a credit management outsourcing service that calculates bankruptcy risk, recently announced the results of its first survey asking, “Which Japanese Companies Do You Expect to Still Exist in 50 Years.” The survey was conducted over the Internet on Feb. 25 and 26, and received 1,000 valid responses from influential individuals between the ages of 20 and 69.
Coming in third was Honda, second place went to the East Japan Railway Company, and grabbing the top spot was…
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The town of Rikuzentakata was once famous for its picturesque shoreline painted with 70,000 pine trees. However, when the ocean waters finally receded after the tsunami of March 11, 2011, only one tree remained. Standing proud at over 80 feet, this single pine battled on for 18 months after the tsunami until finally perishing due to the overwhelming amount of salt that was introduced to the surrounding earth. Although no longer standing tall, the memory of “the miracle pine” will live on thanks to a newly erected monument in its honor.
Rintya Miki Aprianti and Dwi Nailul Izzah are the proud recipients of gold medals in the Indonesian Science Project Olympiad (ISPO) held last February in Jakarta. It’s no surprise, though, as these two high school students have achieved a marvel of fragrance engineering: they turned a pile of cow crap into a “pleasant smelling” air freshener.
As anyone who has ever entered a Japanese-style pub, or izakaya, will tell you, whether you want it or not, as soon as you’ve ordered some form of alcohol, a small plate or bowl will be placed in front of you alongside your chopsticks and hot towel. The contents of said vessel are almost always a mystery to the customer prior to its arrival; it could be noodles, vegetables, fish or even meat. Sometimes it’s piping hot, sometimes it’s as cold as the ice in your Bill Murray-inspired Suntory whiskey.
Known as お通し (otōshi) or sometimes 突き出し (tsukidashi), this appetizer is given to each and every alcohol-imbibing customer, and sometimes even to those only sipping on soft drinks, regardless of whether you’re drinking at a chain pub or a family owned watering hole. The customer has no say whatsoever in what the snack will be, and even if it remains completely untouched it is added to the bill, costing on average 200-500 yen (US$2-5) per head.
Japan has had a complicated relationship with tattoos over its history. Unlike in most western countries where it’s simply considered a form of expression or drunkenly poor decisions, currently body art is generally looked down upon in Japanese society despite having some of the best artists and techniques in the world.
And yet most people in Japan are unaware that not too long ago, for a time during the Edo Period (1603-1868) the go-to form of punishment for non-violent crimes was a tattoo right in the center of your forehead.
Kimchi is a fermented cabbage dish from Korea that is often referred to as “Korea’s national dish.” It’s so pungent that those who enjoy eating copious amounts of kimchi have been known to purchase a separate fridge dedicated to storing it. For decades, Korean mothers have sworn by the health benefits of adding kimchi to one’s diet, but now it seems scientists agree as well. New research published in the Journal of Medicinal Food suggests that eating even a small amount of kimchi every day may help lower cholesterol, LDL (“bad cholesterol”), and fasting blood glucose levels.
It has come to light that the Japanese government’s Fukushima Daiichi cleanup plan is failing due to problems concerning counterfeit contracts. The government is now left reassessing its human resource strategy and considering how to effectively secure the number of employees required to carry out the work. As it presently stands, more than half of the laborers employed at the nuclear site are suspected of being involved in counterfeit contract work.
With 3-D printers and scanners becoming ever more affordable, it’s great to see creatives turning their previously unrealised ideas into reality. Not wanting to be outdone by the face-shaped Valentine’s Day chocolates doled out by Japan’s ladies this Valentine’s Day, the clever people at coffee house and creative workshop FabCafe in Tokyo have come up with the perfect gift for men to give this White Day: personalized gummy men.
Kei Akatsu is a man with a dream – a dream to travel the world, meet women, and take their pictures. Having spent half a year in Vancouver introducing himself girls and holding impromptu photo shoots, he honed the necessary skills to fulfill his ambition.
The Tokyo University of Science student then spent the rest of the time setting up his website, Beauties World Map. The website came together very well but he needed more content and for that he needed more capital. So he turned to crowd funding.
It’s time to put on your detective pants and try to figure out what happened in this strange death of a man in his 70s in Okinawa. Details are sketchy but police are leaning towards an accidental death.
In a somewhat unusual move yesterday, Japan’s Ueno Zoo released a video on its official website of its two pandas, Shin Shin and Ri Ri, copulating in their enclosure.
Rest assured that neither smooth jazz nor scented candles were involved in the incident and that this article is perfectly safe to be read at work.
To mark the second anniversary of the March 11 disaster, student volunteers in Vancouver spent two days dealing with the lingering effects. They collected more than 40 large trash bags of tsunami debris that has been littering beaches on Vancouver Island’s Pacific Rim National Park. Read More
The masked wrestler rights movement was dealt a blow on 11 March as wrestler turned municipal legislator, Skull Reaper A-ji, was refused entry to a scheduled city council session as long as he was wearing his mask.
When interviewed by reporters、 Councilman Skull Reaper, who was elected last month, expressed regret over the matter saying, “Frustrating. If I take my mask off, I’m an entirely different person. I will not take it off.”
Some people like a little white noise or some relaxing music to help them sleep, but for us, sleep just won’t come unless there are epic sci-fi space battles playing out above our heads. Maybe we have a bizarrely specific type of sleep disorder.
The New South China Mall, situated in Dongguan City, is considered to be the largest shopping mall in the world. According to an Emporis in 2012 it has 600,153 m2 of gross leasable area.
It boasts a hotel, an indoor/outdoor roller coaster which spans the complex, a canal with gondolas, and various replicas including the Arc de Triomphe, and Sphinx. It’s an impressive feat of design and engineering.
The only problem with the New South China Mall is that it’s almost completely empty and unused. The Emporis’ report also refers to it as a “dead mall” and, according to a CNN Japan report, the escalators are covered in tarps and the passages are dusty and lined with shutters.
So what went wrong?
Ever wondered who those cheeky elves are who slip pizza menus, coupons and ads for home delivery sexy times in your mailbox or through your door while you’re out? They’re in and out in a flash, usually lugging enormous stacks of paper with them, searching for slots to post material like a mother bird on a caffeine high feeding her young. Little did we know, though, that there are people out there in this crazy world we live in who have delivered so many pamphlets in their time that they’re positively black belts in the secret art of putting things into holes.
In perhaps the most genius use of french fries we’ve seen in years, Japanese convenience store chain Mini Stop has begun selling a number of Dragon Ball-themed sweets and fried foods as part of a promotion for upcoming movie Dragon Ball Z: Battle of the Gods.
Want! Okay, so it’s the same old hardware that we know and love, but these Japan exclusive (so far!) 3DS LL colours are very cool indeed.
On March 6, the Osaka edition of the Asahi Shinbun published an article which featured a single mother of two from Japan who was in receipt of a 290,000 yen (about $3,000) monthly social security allowance. Despite this hefty amount of cash arriving in her bank account each month, though, she was alarmed to hear that her benefits may be cut in the near future.
Possessing Harry Potter’s Sword of Godric Gryffindor is now illegal in Japan
Eight unforgettable hot springs, as recommended by Japan’s “Professor Bath”
Mt Fuji convenience store becomes “lawless zone” as tourists hurl abuse at security guards
Japan’s workplace drinking party communication is unnecessary, says majority of workers in survey
Studio Ghibli releases new range of cardigans for anime fans
Doraemon found buried at sea as scene from 1993 anime becomes real life【Photos】
Savor the sass in Osaka’s new obachan-inspired buns
Big dam Godzilla appears in Japan as power-washer art on side of 195-foot dam【Video】
Yakuza family speaks out against rise in organized crime
Japanese bank’s founders blood-signed promise to commit samurai-style suicide if they committed fraudStudio Ghibli releases new range of cardigans for anime fansMt Fuji convenience store becomes “lawless zone” as tourists hurl abuse at security guards
Kyoto Whopper divides customers at Burger King Japan
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 surprisesEight unforgettable hot springs, as recommended by Japan’s “Professor Bath”
Japanese burger chain no longer serves onion rings, but offers intriguing replacement【Taste test】
Travel tip: Fukuoka has a great luggage delivery service that’s cheaper than a coin locker
Starbucks Japan reveals new holiday goods for the 2024 festive seasonPossessing Harry Potter’s Sword of Godric Gryffindor is now illegal in Japan
Nintendo’s controller capsule toys are so cool, even the machine you buy them from is awesome【Pics】
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】
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
Berserk T-shirts coming to Uniqlo for launch of new Manga Curation line【Photos】
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
Japanese convenience store Family Mart announces abolishment of eat-in spaces
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】
Studio Ghibli releases free-download board game — Here’s how to play it without reading Japanese
Doraemon found buried at sea as scene from 1993 anime becomes real life【Photos】
Savor the sass in Osaka’s new obachan-inspired buns
Big dam Godzilla appears in Japan as power-washer art on side of 195-foot dam【Video】
Yakuza family speaks out against rise in organized crime
Japanese bank’s founders blood-signed promise to commit samurai-style suicide if they committed fraud
7-Eleven Japan releases fukubukuro lucky bags filled with convenience store surprises
Late-night cake cafe in Tokyo’s hostess/host bar district will satisfy your confectionary desires
What are Japan’s best, and most unique, regional rice balls?
Hello Kitty isn’t a cat!? We called Sanrio to find out!
We try out the “head in a jar” prank, seen in a viral video, at the office
Starbucks Japan reveals new holiday goods for the 2024 festive season
Moving to Tokyo? Real estate agent picks five best neighborhoods for single residents
