Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
A while back we showed some action figure stop motion animation that was amazing in quality but… well, really weird. Watching it you couldn’t help but wonder “wow, if only this level of quality was executed with a more lucid plot.”
Enter Counter656 Productions which seems to be one Taiwanese man in his living room with action figures. He’s been at it for a while but recently out did himself with a battle scene between Dragon Ball’s Trunks and Piccolo.
Kaguya Hime no Monogatari, the forthcoming title from Japanese animation giant Studio Ghibli, has been delayed until autumn this year, it was announced earlier today.
On 25 January, Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications along with various motion picture and music associations announced their latest copyright protection measure, dubbed “Operation Decoy File.”
The plan involves inserting files onto Japan’s popular P2P (peer-to-peer) file sharing networks such as Winny and Share which appear to contain popular copyrighted material. However, once downloaded, the file is revealed to be a message appealing the user to reconsider their wicked ways.
According to Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare (MHLW) during the period of 14-20 January, the number of influenza cases in the country has exceeded 110,000.
Schools and facilities for the elderly across Japan have been pushing a traditional three pronged attack against the flu virus. First, hand washing is a no-brainer (or at least it out to be). Also, anyone who has been to Japan has probably experienced the country’s love of surgical masks.
The third line of defense, however, is rather unique to Japan: gargling. Although gargling is embraced worldwide as a soothing massage for throats sore from overuse or illness, in Japan it has been widely regarded for generations as a preventative measure against cold or flu viruses.
From 18 January 2013, Japanese sweet specialist Cozy Corner released a dessert that will leave anyone with even a slightly sweet tooth wiping the drool from their lips and exclaiming, “I’m witnessing a dessert revolution!” Just what type of dessert could we be talking about? None other than a gigantic 65-piece strawberry parfait weighing in at, wait for it, a shocking 2,000 kilocalories! Shortly after hearing this announcement, our reporter Mr. Sato carried himself off to the establishment in question to see what all the fuss was about.
You, Me, And a Tanuki is a weekly featured blog run by Michelle, a Californian who is currently one of only two foreigners living in Chibu, a tiny fishing village on one of the Oki islands in Japan. Check back every weekend for a new post or read more on her website here!
When I went on a camping trip last summer with the junior high students that I regularly teach, there were many things that surprised me. For example, we lit fireworks (sometimes firing them at each other), took a night walk to a creepy overgrown shrine, and stabbed snails at the bottom of the sea.
But the thing that caught my interest the most was the way they cooked rice while camping.
Natto, also known as fermented soybeans, is a unique food hailing from Japan. The smell alone (often described as smelly feet or chemicals), not to mention the slug-like texture, are enough to turn even the most adventurous eaters away. But for some, natto is a delicious and healthy treat that is enjoyed daily.
A restaurant in the Setagaya ward of Tokyo is now offering patrons all the natto they can fit in their bellies for 780 yen (US $8.50). The all-you-can-eat natto lunch gives natto lovers a great deal on a delicious meal and natto haters a cheap way to challenge themselves to eat as much fermented soybean as they can before throwing up. Why would you want to do that? We don’t know, but now you can if you want to.
In a survey carried out late last year, Japan’s Shonan Beauty Clinic asked 1,400 Japanese men and women what their favourite words were. The results were remarkably wholesome.
If you ever wondered how Japanese people truly think, or thought for a second that the stern expressions worn on busy commuter trains each morning were accurate representations of passengers’ inner feelings, you were way off the mark.
Slappy Cakes is a popular pancake restaurant in Portland Oregon that lets customers create their own custom pancakes at their tables. It’s a fun time for those who want a completely new pancake experience. However, its popularity has resulted in some long wait times.
Luckily, Slappy Cakes’ success has allowed it to expand, but rather than add another location in Portland they decided to set up shop in completely uncharted DIY pancake house territory: Shinjuku, Tokyo. We sent Mr. Sato to a pre-opening demonstration for a report.
Instant noodles – also known as cup noodles and what this writer lived off during most of his university days – have been a food staple for the busy, cost-conscious and kitchenphobic since their inception back in 1958. Peel back the lid, pour in some hot water, wait a few minutes and you have a hot, filling, if not especially nutritious meal for about the cost of a cup of coffee.
But with the handy meals being something that many associate with students and lonely bachelors, many women shy away from instant noodles, regardless of the fact that they’re just as pressed for time as their male coworkers. And all stigmas and stereotypes aside, few women in their 20s and 30s would be especially happy about replacing their nutritious mid-day meal with a plastic cup of rehydrated noodles swimming in a salty broth.
Enter the girly noodle.
The world is full of countless foods and ways of eating them. It’s impossible to keep track of them all. I was surprised to discover salty watermelons, just as other people were surprised by my preference of putting peanut butter on waffles.
Such an incident happened on 19 January when a Japanese test maker unknowingly confused thousands of university entrance exam students with a recipe for a meat sauce calling for a “delicious kimchi base.”
Domino’s Japan enjoys coming up with promotions that sets them apart from other pizza joints. Whether offering luxury pizzas or giving discounts to bearded twins wearing Bon Jovi T-shirts and/or carrying a parakeet, the chain tends to grab people’s attention.
Limber up your index fingers because Domino’s Japan has started the “Shortest Sale in the World” from 1-3 February. While three days doesn’t seems so short, the actual sale occurs for only 0.1 seconds at a time.
Despite Sony Computer Entertainment’s head honcho Kazuo Hirai going on record just 10 days ago to state that he thinks it better to let competitors make the first move when it comes to releasing details of new consoles, a sudden official announcement from Sony earlier today has whipped gamers and tech fans alike into a frenzy.
Although the electronics giant’s video, simply titled “PlayStation 2013”, does not show any actual hardware footage or make any promises, it looks a lot like a teaser for a big forthcoming announcement if you ask us.
There’s only two weeks until Valentine’s Day. For many men in Japan, it is a day of unease and loneliness. That’s because on Valentine’s Day in Japan, only women give presents to men, usually in the form of chocolate. So much chocolate is given out that Japanese chocolate companies sell half of their annual sales in the weeks prior to Valentine’s Day. With all this chocolate exchanging hands, what happens to the poor slob who doesn’t receive a single chocolate? That’s where Valentine’s Insurance steps in; making sure you’ll avoid the pain of not receiving anything on Valentine’s Day.
Gangnam Style, performed by South Korean singer, Psy, is an undisputed worldwide hit. It currently has over 1.25 billion views on YouTube and was able to surpass Justin Bieber’s “Baby” to claim its spot as the world’s most watched YouTube video. Following the song’s success, there have been a number of Gangnam Style parodies. Now here’s another one to add to the bunch.
“Gaijin Style” details the lifestyle of foreigners living in Japan and features a gaijin Psy lookalike horse dancing across the screen.
The Okinawa Convention and Visitors Bureau (OCVB) along with the prefectural government have cancelled their plans to use space on women’s bare thighs for marketing the islands as a graduation trip destination to students outside the prefecture. Citing criticism, the two bodies stated January 24, “Placing temporary tattoo-like stickers on the thighs of young women to advertise Okinawa is not in line with prefecture’s brand image.”
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A major flaw of Japanese currency is the 10,000 yen bill ceiling of banknotes.
For daily life, having a system of bills which max out at around 100 bucks US is not a problem. But for those special times when you want to buy something high-end like a computer or melons, your wallet suddenly swells to the size of a baseball. In country that largely shuns checks or debit cards, cash is still king – a thick, hard to fit in your back pocket king.
Rumors are swirling about financial reforms in the works by Shinzo Abe’s recently elected Liberal Democratic Party involving, among other things, the issuing of 50,000 yen bills. Yes, it looks like – for once – a politician is looking out for the needs of people with too much money.
While it’s true that a number of the world’s best-selling action RPGs – including those that this new video game emulates – hail from Japan, we have to admit that we’re taking the unusual step of reporting on non-Asia specific news with this article; the reason being that it’s simply it’s too awesome not to share.
What you’re about to witness is a short promotional video for Evoland, a new game from Boreaux-based Shiro Games that’s just a few weeks away from release. But this is no ordinary video game. Imagine playing a game that quite literally evolves as you progress; its graphics, sound and gameplay mechanics gradually changing from those of the early 80s to the multi-million dollar standards set by this generation’s sprawling action RPGs.
Taking its cues from industry greats like The Legend of Zelda, Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy, Evoland allows players to experience first-hand both the growth of the genre and the technological advancements that the video game industry has made over the past three decades, meaning that the game you finish will be almost unrecognizably different to that which you originally began.
In Japan, Colonel Sanders has been known to dress up as Santa Claus around Christmas time and as a giant purple robot around…other times, but now he’s found an even cooler costume. Starting February 15, Colonel Sanders will cosplay as Dragon Ball Z’s Goku at seven different locations in Japan. Each statue will hold one of the seven dragon balls, distinguished by the number of stars contained in the middle.
Possessing Harry Potter’s Sword of Godric Gryffindor is now illegal in Japan
Yakuza family speaks out against rise in organized crime
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
Finally! Icees are coming to Japan!
Japan’s workplace drinking party communication is unnecessary, says majority of workers in survey
Big dam Godzilla appears in Japan as power-washer art on side of 195-foot dam【Video】
Kyoto becomes City of Yokai, with Night Parade of One Hundred Demons festival this autumn
Drinkable Mayo on sale at Japanese convenience stores for mayonnaise fanatics
Japanese woman stumbles on the power of the infamous “gaijin seat” phenomenon during flight
Studio 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
Japan’s workplace drinking party communication is unnecessary, says majority of workers in survey
Big dam Godzilla appears in Japan as power-washer art on side of 195-foot dam【Video】
Kyoto becomes City of Yokai, with Night Parade of One Hundred Demons festival this autumn
Drinkable Mayo on sale at Japanese convenience stores for mayonnaise fanatics
Japanese woman stumbles on the power of the infamous “gaijin seat” phenomenon during flight
Hello Kitty isn’t a cat!? We called Sanrio to find out!
Starbucks Japan reveals new holiday goods for the 2024 festive season
Uniqlo’s new Dragon Ball T-shirts and hoodies modeled for the first time【Photos】
How often do Japanese people search for their ex online?【Survey】
Floating hologram registers coming to Japanese convenience stores【Video】
Magical train ride through Japan’s autumn leaves is like travelling to a different world【Video】
Kyoto Whopper divides customers at Burger King Japan
Okayama prefecture to receive its first Pokémon-themed manhole covers【Pics】
