Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
Travel website Expedia recently conducted a poll to find out what women were most surprised by when they came to Japan. The top ten results revealed that ladies were fascinated with aspects of everyday culture, but none more so than when it came to bathroom habits. With three of the top ten responses relating directly to bathroom life, it seems there’s a lot going on in the ladies’ rooms of Japan.
Tsutsuki, near Yokohama, is making waves in the Japanese media for its unassuming highway that, when viewed from the right angle at night, forms the vague silhouette of Hayao Miyazaki’s beloved character, Totoro.
The lighting on the street in question was apparently deliberately planned by the city so that it would look like “an animal with ears”, but even planners hadn’t intended it to look like studio Ghibli’s famous cat-like mascot.
We’ve all seen people on public transportation do gross things. My personal pet peeve is when people sneeze into their hand and then go right back to holding the strap with that hand. Don’t they realize they are leaving a sticky, contagious surprise for the next person?
Still, that example falls into the range of ordinary grossness: enough to make you curl your lip in disgust, but probably not gross enough to really shock anyone. The bizarre and gross behavior one Chinese bus passenger recently caught on film goes far, FAR beyond that.
It’s Monday again and you know what that means! Your Monday Kickstart video is here to get you going through another week.
Couldn’t quite relax over the weekend? Maybe you should train your dog to give you a back rub just like this little Shiba Inu.
Once you leave the house in the morning, your alone time is usually done for the day. Aside from a nice long bathroom break, you probably won’t be able to hide away from the prying eyes of your co-workers or classmates until you get back home.
Unless you’re lucky enough to get an elevator all to yourself! But if you do, just remember one thing: The security cameras are probably watching your every move, so don’t do anything too peculiar.
If you’ve ever yearned for an authentic potato chip in Tokyo, then it’s time to get excited because specialist french fry shop, “And the Friet”, is set to open in the Hiroo district today!
The Belgian-style stand will offer six types of cut, half a dozen potato varieties including a Belgian variety flown in especially, and a choice of seasonal dips and sauces. It’s time to get your friet on!
On 28 November, Osaka Prefectural Police announced the arrest of 65-year-old Kiyomasa Shimabukuro for crimes including theft. According to police, the suspect confessed adding, “I never worked. I lived off stolen money.”
Clubs are a big part of student life in Japan. From junior high school all the way through to university, students spend hours away from home with their classmates, immersed in an extra-curricular endeavour of choice. While sporting clubs, music clubs, and culture clubs are common, it’s not everyday you come across a JK club. So when a group of university students posted their pamphlet for new recruits online, even Japanese netizens were left scratching their heads. Could this be a group of JK Rowling enthusiasts? A Japan/Korea appreciation society? The real answer turned out to be just as perturbing, with Japanese commenters still wondering why.
Although visitors to Japan routinely compliment the country for its world-class hospitality and excellent customer service, dining in Japanese restaurants can be a confusing experience for tourists and residents alike. Even the most seasoned long-time expats can still be put off by some of these strange behaviors. Of course, everything is relative as Japanese tourists overseas complain about the opposite, but click below to find out seven ways that a visit to a Japanese restaurant may surprise you!
A Taiwanese film production group has released their short film Attack on Railgun, which merges two popular anime series into an incredibly well made and high quality homage. The short combines the worlds and characters from Attack on Titan and A Certain Scientific Railgun to create an exciting new story in the live action movie. Japanese fans of the anime series have been impressed with the CGI, the plot line and especially the fact that all of the actors speak Japanese in the short film!
If you happened to have been around the West Exit of Shinjuku Station this week you might have seen this poster hanging around. In it we can clearly see a photo of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe done up to look like Charlie Chaplin in the film The Great Dictator. Around him are the words “Take back Japan” and “Prewar.”
The name you give to your child will stay with them for the rest of their life, so parents are always careful to choose one that will stand the test of time and carry them through to adulthood. In the United States, Sophia and Jacob took the top spots for baby names in 2013, while Ava and Noah took first place in the UK (depending on which site you consult). Let’s take a look at this year’s top 10 baby names in Japan as reported by Japanese pregnancy and parenting site, Tamahiyo.
Once upon a time in the magical kingdom of Japan there lived a young girl named Mami. Always she would ask her parents to read a children’s book by the name of Guri & Gura in which two field mice share good times together. Her most favorite story of all was the one in which Guri and Gura find a large egg and make a big fluffy cake out of it. However, as the years passed by and Mami grew into a woman, she gradually stopped reading the adventures of Guri and Gura and eventually went to work as a reporter for RocketNews24.
One day, her wicked step-editor called out, “Maaaaamiiii! Write me something about food! I’m hungry!” Checking the internet for something to write about, Mami learned of a famous café in Osaka. Other women wrote marvelous things about it saying, “It’s a real picture book world!” and “Everything about it is cute!” Thinking this was a nice place, Mami boarded a train for the land of Umeda not knowing what was waiting in store for her.
Have you ever seen a subway train driving on the street? One of our Tokyo-based reporters did and it was the first time he’d ever seen anything like it. It all started on the night of November 26…
Typographers and moral crusader beware! A risqué Samsung billboard promoting their Galaxy 3 notepad has been, ahem, erected in four countries, leaving the South Korean company with a potentially embarrassing public relations mess. The offending ad must have been designed by someone who forgot to turn off the autocorrect feature before editing, making for an unintentionally hilarious billboard. Click below to find out what the racy sign says!
Every once in a while we report on the bustling mascot business in Japan, especially regarding the regional cute mascots known as yuru-kyara. Often these characters are chosen to represent a city, prefecture or even neighborhood by way of election.
This was also the case in Hokkaido’s Hokuto City as they took votes for their new representative character. Thousands of citizens cast their votes for whom they felt best represented Hokuto life and culture, ultimately choosing… that thing above.
“I’m taking a bath with my boyfriend,” tweeted one Japanese netizen going by the name of Machiko, uploading a photo with her message. Despite the suggestion of sauciness, however, rather than being something that moderators would quickly remove or fellow users would tag as inappropriate, the image was retweeted and favourited thousands of times in just a few short minutes.
After all, it’s not every day you see a life-sized boyfriend made entirely out of soap bubbles…
When it comes to finding a new place to live, most people spend weeks, even months trying to find somewhere that’s just right for them. In urban Japan, where rented accommodation is usually both more compact and in higher demand than in the West, finding an apartment can be even trickier, and prospective renters often have to make snap decisions or risk missing a good deal; opting for a ground-floor apartment and paying a little less; choosing a place with an all-in-one bath, sink and toilet unit rather than separate facilities; getting a place a little further from the station if it means living in a nicer area–you see “close enough” and you grab it.
But would you really feel comfortable living in an apartment knowing that it was once used exclusively for sexy shenanigans every single night of the week? Welcome to the world of love hotel renovation!
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, the weekend has finally arrived! We know exactly how we’ll be spending ours, and we have a feeling that gamers in Australia, Europe, Central and South America will also be spending theirs much the same way following the arrival of Microsoft’s Xbox One and, finally hitting stores outside of the US this very day, Sony’s PlayStation 4.
Of course, one little gamer already knows exactly what’s up, and despite being barely 22 months old and the PS4 having only been released a week or two ago, is already more than familiar with the hardware if this video is any indication.
Having read comics a lot as a kid I always dreamed of having a mutation. Having my genetic material altered so that I could fly or turn invisible would have been great. However, as I grew up I realized that mutations often lead to things like health problems and considered myself better off.
Now watching this video, I may have to reconsider. According to the person who posted it on YouTube it was taken in Russia. It appears to show a humanoid creature crawling across the exterior of an apartment building.
Japan’s real-world Pokémon hot spring’s first photos are here![Photos]
Same name tops lists of most popular dog and cat names in Japan, and there’s probably a reason why
Tokyo restaurant offers lunches for less than 1 U.S. cent…if you’re good enough at rock-paper-scissors
Two new Sailor Moon art manhole covers are coming to Usagi’s real-world Tokyo neighborhood
What makes the Starbucks Japan chocolate terrine so popular?
Krispy Kreme releases new limited-edition fox doughnuts at only four stores in Japan
KFC Japan’s “The American Burgers” include a pile of guilt
Gundam teams up with 300-year-old daruma maker for wood-carved anime mecha figures[Photos]
Government says 5.7 trillion yen of Japanese media was pirated last year, thinks AI could help
Pizza Hut Japan’s drinkable curry pizza is here – Is it all we dreamed it would be?[Taste test]Japan’s real-world Pokémon hot spring’s first photos are here![Photos]
Tokyo’s new extra-expensive ramen restaurant is dividing opinions, so we tried a bowlGundam teams up with 300-year-old daruma maker for wood-carved anime mecha figures[Photos]
Japan’s izakaya pubs closing at record pace, failing to attract foreign tourists
Japan has a new cute and clever sunblock for cat lovers
Japanese temple burns to the ground, fire burning inside for 1,200 years unharmed
Japan’s instant ramen snack theme park features an athletic course even adults can enjoy
Krispy Kreme Japan is bringing two special donuts to the most-forgotten big city in the countryPizza Hut Japan’s drinkable curry pizza is here – Is it all we dreamed it would be?[Taste test]Krispy Kreme releases new limited-edition fox doughnuts at only four stores in Japan
Tokyo’s life-size Gundam anime mecha statue will be removed this summer
The average age of Japan’s hikikomori shut-ins is getting older, survey shows
Japan enters Golden Week vacation period, survey shows one in three plan to ride it out at home
Ichiraku Ramen-inspired ramen sets from Naruto anime pay homage to Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura
Kanji ice cream becomes a sell-out hit in Japan
Japan’s new Pokémon jackets give you the look and powers of the Kanto starter trio
Japan now has gyoza doughnuts, and they taste like no other doughnut we’ve tried before
Studio Ghibli releases new anime keychains that are like miniature figurinesJapan’s real-world Pokémon hot spring’s first photos are here![Photos]Japan has a new cute and clever sunblock for cat lovers
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks 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
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’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
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
Krispy Kreme releases new limited-edition fox doughnuts at only four stores in Japan
KFC Japan’s “The American Burgers” include a pile of guilt
Gundam teams up with 300-year-old daruma maker for wood-carved anime mecha figures[Photos]
Government says 5.7 trillion yen of Japanese media was pirated last year, thinks AI could help
Pizza Hut Japan’s drinkable curry pizza is here – Is it all we dreamed it would be?[Taste test]
Japanese temple burns to the ground, fire burning inside for 1,200 years unharmed
Tokyo’s new extra-expensive ramen restaurant is dividing opinions, so we tried a bowl
Own a piece of anime history with U-Treasure’s Astro Boy gold miniature figure
Japan’s izakaya pubs closing at record pace, failing to attract foreign tourists
Japanese government to allow desecration of flags on kids’ meals
Used chopsticks upgraded from “waste” to “valuable material” by Kawasaki City thanks to ChopValue
2021 Salaryman Poetry Battle showcases some dark but hilarious poems
Japan’s instant ramen snack theme park features an athletic course even adults can enjoy
Bizarre Japanese vending machine sells “Peace and Equality” and “Angels and Demons”