Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
Is your PS Vita a little too pedestrian? Looking for something to brighten your portable PlayStation up? Well if you’re in Japan or happen to know a decent importer, you might want to grab the latest issue of Dengeki PlayStation as the magazine comes with a free set of skins based on Katamari Damacy creator Keita Takahashi’s Tenya Wanya Teens and Alphabet games.
As Japan sees more and more people being exposed to English through making foreign friends, working with colleagues from overseas or even just watching more American films, some Japanese people feel left behind in this English “boom.” They see more and more of their friends picking up certain habits that some may see as cosmopolitan, but they interpret as bragging about a new “international” lifestyle.
Click below to find out 10 things English-speaking Japanese do that make their friends and family roll their eyes!
Until now, we never really understood what all the fuss was about roses. Women seem to love them, and men seem to spend inordinate amounts of money to purchase them for their sweethearts. But now that we’ve seen the pitch-black Turkish Halfeti Rose, we’re starting to understand that roses can be not only dangerous, kind of smelly and enchanting all at the same time, they can also be the perfect centerpiece of the most hardcore heavy metal album or low fantasy book cover of all time.
Generally it’s nice to have your country or town be number one in something. Even if it’s for something as despicable as bag snatching, you can at least gain a slightly twisted sense of pride for toughing it out in such a rough-and-tumble locale.
However, when a recent study reported by Bloomberg Japan declared that Japan had overtaken the U.S. in smartphone and tablet app purchases, people we less than enthused leaving comments such as “Japan’s screwed,” and, “This is sad news indeed.”
It’s Monday again and you know what that means! Your Monday Kickstart video is here to get you going through another week.
This week, we found a cute cat that seems more interested in lounging around being a kitty than living up to his bushy lion mane.
When I was a kid, I used to watch Japanese anime that were dubbed in English or Mandarin because the original versions were not broadcast on the local TV channels. Most of the time, the theme songs of these anime remained in Japanese, and I had fun singing along to the catchy tunes even though I had absolutely no idea what the lyrics meant. However, it isn’t entirely uncommon for international versions of anime series to have theme songs localized to the audience’s native language and tastes for music.
Recently, a clip of the Arabic version of the popular anime series, Arupusu no Shojo Haiji (Heidi, Girl of the Alps) has been making waves among Japanese netizens due to its localized opening song, which was starkly different from the Japanese original. Videos after the jump!
Have you ever wondered how militaries transport their massive weapons and ordinances across countries or even continents? We always just pictured gigantic airplanes like in Operation Dumbo Drop, but apparently not. It turns that they just get trucks, latch the weapon on, and take off down the highway! Simple, if not just a little disappointing.
But for one Chinese army truck driver lugging an enormous gun, that operation turned out not to be quite so simple after all…
Do your eyes light up with excitement at the prospect of exploring remote land untouched by humankind? Even if your idea of adventure is a new brand of cup ramen, we think everyone can be impressed by Japanese explorer Yasunaga Ogita, who will make a second attempt at a gruelling solo trek to the North Pole. And the nearly 800-km journey will be made all the more difficult since Ogita plans to hike through some of the world’s coldest and harshest terrain without any supplies other than what he alone can carry.
In the important world of Internet hierarchy, the battle between cats and dogs for the title of cutest animal is a fierce one. But someone must have told the dogs that they are losing because there are some canines out there with some inferiority issues so severe that they become frozen with fear at the mere sight of a cat. Japanese netizens are feeling nothing but pity after seeing a video of dogs, many of whom are much larger than their feline foe, timidly trying to tip-toe past a scowling cat.
Bessatu Margaret, a spin-off of Margaret, a manga magazine for girls, is coming up on its 50th year of publication and the astounding cover of superstar characters for their special tribute has just seen the light of day. Featuring work by artists from Shonen Jump, Young Jump, and more, it’s a must-see for any manga fan!
So, let’s say you wake up one morning, unlock your smartphone, and find yourself bombarded with all caps texts from friends about some “zombie apocalypse.” And probably a few Instagram selfies, too, just to mark the occasion.
You look out the window and, sure enough, there go a few zombies shuffling down the street, moaning about brains.
What would you do??
On December 13… RocketNew… I’m sorry.
It’s just I can’t stop staring at it. None of us can. How many times have we looked at the menu screens of our iPhones or iPads? Too many times to count, but we could never see what was going on right in front of us all this time.
Utsunomiya City in Tochigi Prefecture is famous nation-wide for its Chinese fried dumplings known as gyoza in Japan. The capital city boasts over 200 gyoza shops many of which are densely located near Utsunomiya Station in what is known as “Gyoza Town.”
Our reporter, Usagi, braved the imminent threat of deliciousness and boarded a Tochigi-bound train. Next stop: Gyoza Town!
Remember all of those umbrellas that were abandoned in train stations in October and November this year during the typhoon season? Well at least one station in Tokyo definitely does, but thankfully they’re putting a few of them to good use: by turning them into surprisingly pretty Christmas trees!
If you or someone you know is expecting or has just given birth to a tiny person, and you’re looking for a gift that’s both cute and a little bit quirky, we may have the perfect item for you right here: Japanese online retailer Akasugu has just announced that it is now stocking baby and maternity items featuring collaborative designs between Japan’s Hello Kitty and classic kids’ picture book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
For those living in colder climates using a smartphone creates a major dilemma. We want to check our messages but wearing gloves often renders our touch screens useless. Sure, there are specialized smartphone compatible gloves, but going that way severely limits your choices of style and color.
Driven to the edge with this problem, Yoshiaki Owari of the Daily Portal Z came up with a groundbreaking way to keep your hands warm, stylish, and functional. In addition, you’re left with a tasty dish at the end of the day when you use Sausage Gloves!
If you’re ever looking for the Japanese equivalent to “John Smith,” the go-to name is decidedly “Tarou Yamada.” And yet, if you look at today’s population, neither of those names top the popularity charts! Yamada, though simple to write and stereotypically Japanese, isn’t even in the top five for family names!
Now that we mentioned it, we’re sure you’re all curious to know now, so here’s a list of the five most common family names in Japan, as announcement by the Meiji Life Insurance Company.
MonoMax, a Japanese fashion magazine for men in their thirties, is giving away a free Coach travel clock in their January issue to celebrate the magazine’s six year anniversary. The issue was released on December 10 for 890 yen (US$8.90). Nine bucks for a designer clock?! We had to buy one and check it out!
The biggest star from Japan has got to be Hello Kitty, the adorable cat character that’s easily recognized by nearly everyone. And as the epitome of cute, Hello Kitty has garnered female fans from around the world.
It is this same Hello Kitty that became a contact lens fit to stick in your eye. When production of this bizarre incarnation of everyone’s favorite white cat was announced back in August of this year, the delicate purple contacts were all over the news. Just as strange, My Melody was also made into a contact lens, enabling people across Japan to stick not one, but two beloved Sanrio characters in their eyes.
Thinking how great it would be to hide an adorable character in such an inconspicuous place, ninja style, our Japanese writing staff bought a pair of Hello Kitty and My Melody contact lenses. Here are the results…
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Foreign tourists in Japan will get free Shinkansen tickets to promote regional tourism
Tokyo’s best ramen breakfast? Restaurant two minutes from Tokyo Station is a strong contender
Super-salty pizza sends six kids to the hospital in Japan, linguistics blamed
The Japanese Valentine’s treats that look like chocolates but taste like the ocean
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura Frappuccino for cherry blossom season 2026
Studio Ghibli adds Catbus and Totoro items to its anime range in Japan
Kyoto’s THICKEST ramen is crazy and crazy-delicious【Taste test】
It’s illegal for yakuza to go to professional baseball games in Japan, Tokyo arrests remind us
Take a trip to Japan’s Dododo Land, the most irritating place on Earth
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Foreigners accounting for over 80 percent of off-course skiers needing rescue in Japan’s HokkaidoSuper-salty pizza sends six kids to the hospital in Japan, linguistics blamedTake a trip to Japan’s Dododo Land, the most irritating place on EarthStarbucks Japan unveils new sakura Frappuccino for cherry blossom season 2026Foreign tourists in Japan will get free Shinkansen tickets to promote regional tourism
Downloads of 39-year-old Guns N’ Roses song increase 12,166 percent thanks to Gundam
Can you eat lunch in Tokyo for less than 500 yen?
A look back on 40 years of Japanese schools banning stuffJapan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026Foreigners accounting for over 80 percent of off-course skiers needing rescue in Japan’s Hokkaido
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Japan releases first official sakura cherry blossom forecast for 2026Super-salty pizza sends six kids to the hospital in Japan, linguistics blamed
Archfiend Hello Kitty appears as Sanrio launches new team-up with Yu-Gi-Oh【Pics】Take a trip to Japan’s Dododo Land, the most irritating place on Earth
China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning looks to be affecting tourist crowds on Miyajima
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting the lines at a popular Tokyo gyukatsu restaurant?
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in TokyoStarbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your homeJapan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Starbucks Japan reveals new sakura drinkware collection, inspired by evening cherry blossoms
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura Frappuccino for cherry blossom season 2026
Studio Ghibli adds Catbus and Totoro items to its anime range in Japan
Kyoto’s THICKEST ramen is crazy and crazy-delicious【Taste test】
It’s illegal for yakuza to go to professional baseball games in Japan, Tokyo arrests remind us
Take a trip to Japan’s Dododo Land, the most irritating place on Earth
Tokyo’s Sakeice O’Choco alcoholic hot chocolate both does and doesn’t contain “sake”
Japan has omurice chocolate, and the weirdest thing isn’t how it tastes
Room 404: What happened when we stayed in an unlucky hotel room in Japan
These special Starbucks sakura drinks can only be found at three places in all of Japan
Tokaido Shinkansen ending in-train food/drink sales for all non-first-class-passenger cars
Starbucks Japan unveils new matcha cherry blossom Frappuccino for sakura season
Hayao Miyazaki says Happy New Year to Studio Ghibli fans with new art for Year of the Horse
