Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
Smooching, swapping spit, making out. It doesn’t matter what you call it, kissing is awesome. But let’s be honest, sometimes it’s not so great. From chapped lips to a funky taste you can’t quite put your finger on (tuna fish, maybe?), there’s a lot that can go wrong while you’re snogging. But what if there was a product that could improve your make-out sessions and even make them more exciting.
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 Saturday for a new post or read more on her website here!
I have encountered many things in Japan that prompted me exclaim in disbelief, “that did not just happen!”
For example:
“I did not just see a guy peeing on the side of the road”
“That bunch of strawberries does not cost $20!”
“That lady did not just ask how big my husband’s thing is”
But the one that takes the cake, something I’ve said (on several occasions) is “that kid did not just stick his fingers up my butt.”
Every year on 11 November people in Japan celebrate Pocky & Pretz Day. In case you don’t already know, Pocky are thin cookie sticks with chocolate, strawberry, or other flavored frosting. Pretz are a more mature stick with salty flavors. Their simplicity is matched only by their sheer addictiveness.
Because of the date’s resemblance to the snacks (11/11), every year, their maker Ezaki Glico cooks up a special campaign. In 2011 on Pocky & Pretz Day if you tweeted a special sentence using Pocky and a particular hashtag you could have won free snacks.
However, for Pocky & Pretz Day 2012, Glico has their sights set on entering the Guinness World Records.
Thanks to popular anime, Lucky Star (Raki☆Suta), all of Japan has become familiar with the city of Washinomiya in Saitama prefecture. The Washinomiya Shrine in particular has become famous among fans because of its appearance in the opening credits of the anime. As a result, every year since 2007, Washinomiya Shrine has been invaded by hoards of otaku looking to ring in the new year; 2012 being a particularly busy year with 470,000 Lucky Star fans visiting the shrine. Cities associated with popular anime often see an influx of visitors looking to take pictures and recreate scenes from their favorite anime, especially those that have been featured in magazines highlighting popular anime and manga locales, like Washinomiya Shrine.
Recently, a different kind of otaku gathering took place in Washinomiya. Named “Crush Fest in Washinomiya 2012,” this event is arguably the most “painful” otaku athletic meet in all of Japan. At the same time, a “painful” car festival took place, bringing in anime otaku from far and wide.
Nothing livens up a salad or a roast chicken breast like a bit of fresh lemon, but isn’t it a pain to have to do all that cutting and squeezing? Don’t you just wish you could grab a lemon off the tree and pump it dry on the spot?
Well, now you can with Citrus Sprayer, a clever little utensil that turns fresh citrus fruit into a natural spray bottle!
In Asian countries, working on an airplane is considered a highly skilled occupation. Aside from the usual flying skills and regulations, both pilots and staff also need knowledge of another language (particularly English). On top of that, physical limitations like height and vision make for a rather shallow pool of candidates.
In China, a country often given a bad rap for lax regulations, the restrictions are even tighter as having smelly underarms is grounds for expulsion from becoming a pilot.
Pigtails, or “twin tail” as it’s called in Japan, is a hairstyle typically seen on cute little girls. However, “twin tails” are making a comeback in Japan and women of all ages are enjoying the adorable double-ponytail style. The pigtail hairstyle has gained so much popularity that it has even inspired the creation of a national association.
On November 11, The Pigtail Association of Japan will release an entire photo album dedicated to cute girls wearing their hair in pigtails. The album, titled “Sunny Day and Twin Tail” contains 204 full-color pages and will be sold for 2520 yen (US $31.70).
It’s stories like this that restore my faith in humankind.
Staff at a hospital in Tokyo went the extra mile this week by organising a second wedding ceremony especially for a patient who was unable to attend his daughter’s wedding in October.
The patient, 57-year-old Masaru Tanaka, was admitted to the hospital in December last year after the driver of a truck knocked him off his motorbike, confining him to a hospital bed after suffering a severe cerebral hemmorhage. Hearing the sad news that Masaharu was unable to attend his own daughter’s wedding, staff at Akirudai Hospital in west Tokyo put their heads together to bring the celebrations to him instead.
Every once in a while a story comes along about a flying car or helicopter that fits in a briefcase, but they always disappear into the ether never coming to fruition. It’s understandable since everyone having their own mass produced flying machine would be a safety and law enforcement nightmare.
This time, however, Hirobo in Hiroshima Prefecture may be rolling out a personal helicopter that will actually get off the ground.
On a recent trip to Naha, Okinawa, our correspondent spotted a Starbucks t-shirt which, at first glance, looked like a factory reject, but turned out to be a clever tip of the hat to traditional Okinawan culture.
Japan came up with Gandam, a huge robot that, along with his driver, protects the world from all sorts of evil, so it is likely that they would come up with KURATAS, a true to life robot that can be manipulated from a cockpit inside.
As we reported awhile ago, KURATAS is the creation of a blacksmith iron and steel artist Mr. Kogoro Kurata. And, as we mentioned a few weeks back, the mech was opened to orders in October after two and a half years of tinkering around in the workshop.
So just how has demand for KURATAS, which carries a hefty $1.25 million price tag, been?
As great as touchscreen-operated mobile devices are, they’re a real pain in the neck when it comes to winter and you have to pull off your gloves to operate them.
It’s fine if you stop in a cafe or restaurant where you can slip your gloves off and type a quick message or check an email, but when an unexpected phonecall comes in and you’re left swiping at the unlock screen like a cat pawing at the TV during a nature show, you soon grow to hate using a smartphone in winter.
Gloves with special metal fibres in the tips have been on the market for a couple of years now, but they’re not always of the greatest quality. And even if you do find a decent pair, what if you already have a pair of gloves that you’re attached to and would rather use instead?
Japanese company Onsight might just have the perfect solution…
Everyone wants a little KFC, but Asia in particular has embraced the greasy wings served up by everyone’s favorite self-made restaurateur Colonel Sanders. In Japan, the Colonel is so beloved his statues can be found outside of nearly every franchise – often in costume. He even enjoys the same privacy rights as other citizens.
He is also the victim of various copycats this side of the Pacific. In Korea there is said to be a knock-off restaurant operating right next to a legitimate KFC in broad daylight. We sent Kuzo in for reconnaissance.
Ttongsul, or “feces wine”, is a Korean drink made by pouring soju, a distilled grain alcohol, into a pit filled with chicken, dog, or human feces, and leaving the mixture in the pit for three to four months until it ferments. It is then extracted from the pit and drank straight, with the belief that it can cure illness and help in the aid of bone fractures.
It sounds like the stuff of urban legends, but Ttongsul is indeed a real beverage that, while by no means popular, can still be found if you know where to look.
How can we be sure? After nearly six months of extensive research, RocketNews24 was able to track down a private Ttongsul vendor in South Korea and procure a bottle of the elusive feces wine ourselves.
Pepsi will release a new cola in Japan that contains “fat-blockers” to help prevent the absorption of fat in the body. The secret to Pepsi Special’s fat-blocking power is dextrin, a fiber molecule that is said to prevent the digestive system from absorbing fat.
In celebration of Walt Disney’s 110th Anniversary, Disney has put together a literal dreamland of illumination displays in Harajuku, Tokyo. A part of the larger “Walt Disney 110th Anniversary Omotesando Harajuku Dream Together Project 2012,” these light displays are open from November 1st to December 25 and are already drawing crowds of viewers.
Our female correspondent visited the display last week and tells us that while Harajuku’s Disney Dreamland illumination event is a must see for Disney lovers, even if you aren’t a Disney fan, you will surely be impressed by this awesome display of lights.
As this autumn is just flying by, we’ll all have to break out our winter gear soon, if not already. For one woman in China it was time to buy a new winter coat to cope with the lowering temperatures.
Little did she know, that new fluffy down jacket was a ticking time bomb that went off right inside of her home washing machine.
Japanese food manufacturer Nissin, maker of incredibly popular “like fresh” instant noodle brand Raō, has taken the unusual step of opening a tiny restaurant of its own in Shibuya station, Tokyo. The restaurant opened just yesterday and is situated, of all places, in the very centre of the busy Yamanote line platform.
The miniature restaurant’s menu consists of just two items: two flavours of regular, shop-bought instant ramen, each costing just 250 yen (US$3).
Always eager to try out new food and discover interesting new locations, our intrepid RocketNews24 reporters headed down to see the restaurant for themselves.
Japanese train station vending machine has the best souvenirs for rail otaku
Station of despair: What to do if you get stuck at the end of Tokyo’s Chuo Rapid Line
This downtown Tokyo cafe is like a time machine that takes you back 50 years into the past
Totoro towels gently glow in the dark to set the Ghibli nighttime mood in your home【Photos】
Japanese government will check and judge new baby name pronunciations, presents guidelines
Kura Sushi has a new parade-delivered whole cake dessert, but what’s it like to eat?【Video】
Cup Noodle sells new squid fork with its instant ramen
Sailor Moon and J-pop mega-star Ayumi Hamasaki team up for collaboration, pre-defeat scalpers
Should you warm up your convenience store onigiri rice balls in the microwave?【Taste test】
Police called out to investigate suspicious Santa in WakayamaThis downtown Tokyo cafe is like a time machine that takes you back 50 years into the past
Japanese company develops classy heavy metal band frames for glassesStation of despair: What to do if you get stuck at the end of Tokyo’s Chuo Rapid Line
Studio Ghibli showcases traditional craftsmanship with new wallet range
Major Japanese city is abolishing extracurricular activities at all of its middle schools
One of Japan’s rarest sweets is a sell-out hit that looks and tastes like frostJapanese government will check and judge new baby name pronunciations, presents guidelines
Mysterious light-up rainy night-sound Totoro figure doesn’t actually show a scene from the anime
Shakey’s is back! All-you-can-eat pizza chain returns to downtown Tokyo’s Shinjuku
Starbucks Japan releases a new Frappuccino that looks and tastes like a floral bouquet
Possessing Harry Potter’s Sword of Godric Gryffindor is now illegal in Japan
Uniqlo announces first-ever collaboration with horror manga master Junji Ito【Photos】
J-pop mega star Ado reveals she’s been living in the U.S., may not understand language acquisition
Starbucks Japan is calling it quits with paper straws
Japan’s most popular castle raising ticket prices by up to 200 percent for non-local tourists
Furikake rice seasoning sales are soaring, which is bad news for Japan as a wholeJapanese company develops classy heavy metal band frames for glasses
Studio Ghibli releases new range of cardigans for anime fans
Studio Ghibli heroine cardigans give you warmth and strength to face everyday challenges
Eight unforgettable hot springs, as recommended by Japan’s “Professor Bath”
McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Foreign tourists on Shinkansen bullet train break suitcase etiquette, angering local passengersPossessing Harry Potter’s Sword of Godric Gryffindor is now illegal in Japan
[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
Japanese convenience store Family Mart announces abolishment of eat-in spaces
Life-size vibrating Legend of Zelda Master Sword for sale from Nintendo【Photos】
Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
Studio Ghibli releases free-download board game — Here’s how to play it without reading Japanese
Kura Sushi has a new parade-delivered whole cake dessert, but what’s it like to eat?【Video】
Cup Noodle sells new squid fork with its instant ramen
Sailor Moon and J-pop mega-star Ayumi Hamasaki team up for collaboration, pre-defeat scalpers
Should you warm up your convenience store onigiri rice balls in the microwave?【Taste test】
Police called out to investigate suspicious Santa in Wakayama
Weird Japanese vending machine find of the day: Cream in cans?
Should you drive through a red traffic light like this in Japan? Confusing road rule explained
Japan’s biggest manga magazine is raising its minimum payment rate for creators
Mysterious light-up rainy night-sound Totoro figure doesn’t actually show a scene from the anime
Celebrating legal marriage days in Japan with budget-friendly photoshoots
Yakuza vending machines coming to real-world Tokyo neighborhood that inspired Like a Dragon games
We try European Cup Noodle Soba flavors to see which ones come out on top 【Taste test】
One of Japan’s rarest sweets is a sell-out hit that looks and tastes like frost