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Meet Family Mart’s Newest Employee, Hatsune Miku

Master Blaster
Aug 1, 2012
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A while back we reported on Hatsune Miku’s hijacking of four Family Mart convenience stores. This time, however, Family Mart has turned the tables by hijacking Hatsune Miku herself and hiring her as a store clerk.

The news comes during a display at Wonder Festival (Wonfes) Summer 2012 by figurine makers Good Smile Company. In the display figures of Miku sporting a Family Mart Uniform (with a few cute alterations) could be seen. These will be part of an upcoming promotional event between the popular Vocaloid and convenience store chain.

Kit Kat Ice Cream Cone is Seriously Just a Kit Kat in an Ice Cream Cone

Yoshio
Aug 1, 2012

You’d think that when someone at Nestle proposed making a Kit Kat ice cream cone, they would have taken the conventional route and used ice cream with crushed up bits of Kit Kat in it.

But that was not the case with the frozen treat we came across at a supermarket during a recent trip to Sakhalin. Instead, this “Kit Kat Cone” was nothing more than a regular store-bought ice cream cone with a single Kit Kat wedged in the top.

Somalian Olympic Team Cosplays as Doraemon During the Opening Ceremony

Steven
Aug 1, 2012

So how ’bout that 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony? There was Mr. Bean’s riveting performance of “Chariots of Fire,” Daniel Craig and Queen Elizabeth II parachuted out of a helicopter, Paul McCartney sang “Hey Jude”…

While the star-studded event gave the world plenty to talk about, there was one cameo appearance during the parade that was likely overlooked by everyone except Japan: everyone’s favorite earless robotic cat, Doraemon.

Mutant Fish with Transparent Scales Discovered at Japanese Fishery…Among 300,000 Regular Opaque Fish

Steven
Jul 31, 2012

The ayu, or sweetfish, is a summer delicacy in Japan. Usually coated in salt and grilled over a charcoal fire, the fish is known for its refreshingly sweet taste and is consumed widely by Japanese people every year.

While a typical specimen is similar to a small trout in appearance, an ayu with translucent scales was discovered at a fishery in Gifu prefecture late last month.

We think the issue here isn’t why this happened, but how on earth were they able to spot the little guy…

Novel Anti-Cheating Technology Surfaced on Twitter, Look for It at a School Near You

Master Blaster
Jul 31, 2012

Students cheating on tests is as natural and inevitable as the sunrise, and with the aid of technology like smartphones there are even more ingenious ways to get around failing. It’s a global problem with no solution in sight.

However, it looks like one innovative teacher has found a simple, cheap, and seemingly foolproof way to curtail their students from cheating. This is based on a photo that is making the rounds via Twitter recently.

Now You Can Get a 3D Replica of Your Fetus (Because That’s Not Creepy at All)

Steven
Jul 30, 2012

For expecting couples, visiting the gynecologist for an ultrasound scan can be a memorable experience as it is often their first look at the precious life waiting to be born in the world. Many soon-to-be parents even ask for a black-and-white printout of the scan to commemorate the occasion and then later to embarrass their child in front of his or her friends.

Now, Japanese engineering firm Fasotec has taken prenatal memorabilia to literally the next dimension with “Shape of an Angel,” a miniature 3D replica of the fetus as it lay in the womb.

We Test Drive the World’s First Augmented Reality Car Navigation System “Cyber-Navi,” It’s as Good as We Hoped

Master Blaster
Jul 30, 2012

In May 2012, Pioneer announced the newest model of Carrozzeria Cyber-Navi. This breakthrough device, which is set to hit stores soon, has been getting a lot of buzz for moving car navigation from the dashboard to about 3 meters in front of your car.

I (Mr. Sato) was able to get an sneak peak test drive in a car equipped with a Cyber-Navi, and it was a surprisingly comfortable ride with clear visibility.

Land Yourself an Educated Partner with “The Smell of a Freshly Printed Book”

Master Blaster
Jul 29, 2012

A new perfume has been created inspired by this quote of Karl Lagerfeld, a heavy hitter in the fashion world working with the likes of Chanel and Fendi among others.

“The smell of a freshly printed book is the best smell in the world.”

Well, hmmm, I never really thought about it before, but I can distinctly recall the smell of a fresh book after reading his words – so he could be onto something. But does it really make you smell like a book? And would people actually go for it?

Snow Cone Inspired Pasta May Deliver Us From the Heat, The Best Part Comes After You Finish!

Master Blaster
Jul 29, 2012

This summer isn’t even half way through, but everyone in Japan can firmly agree that it sucks – hard. For the past two weeks the temperature has hovered around 35℃ in many parts of the country with a hardly a cloud to weaken the scorching sun.

Walking around in the streets, heat exhaustion has me pining for winter like it was a long lost lover whom I’m willing to forgive for cheating on me with 10 dudes as long as she comes back for one precious moment to ease my soul.

Just then some news hit me like a bucket of cold water. There is a restaurant in Ginza called Fresh Pasta Monster that is serving “Shaved Ice Fresh Pasta” for a limited time Now that’s something to make me forget about that tramp, winter.

Newly Developed Projector Lets You Make 3D Animations That Can Interact With Real Objects

Master Blaster
Jul 29, 2012

A couple months ago when Tupac “appeared” at the Coachella Festival, they incorrectly called it a “hologram” when in fact it was a style of 3D projection—the same that is used when Hatsune Miku makes live appearances. Now you can make your favorite murdered rapper or vocaloid come to life with similar 3D projections using your tablet computer and “Hakoani!”

Japan Makes POS System That Scans Bread Terminator Style

Steven
Jul 27, 2012

Ah, Japanese bakeries. Rows and rows of delicious, fresh-baked treats ready for you to harvest—if you can decide among all the variety. And if you think choosing which bread to place on your tray is hard (I usually spend at least 5 minutes walking in circles with hungry tongs in hand), imagine how stressful it must be for part-time bakery staff who need to remember the names of every baked good in the store.

Luckily, Japanese web development company Brain Corporation has teamed up with the University of Hyogo to develop a POS system that uses a camera to instantly identify the kind of baked good customers have on their tray.

Check out the video below, it looks a lot more impressive than it sounds.

The Apex of Eraser Technology Has Been Met with “Resare Premium Type Plastic Eraser”

Master Blaster
Jul 24, 2012

I’m a man of fine taste and refinement. I write only the highest quality documents on the highest quality paper with the highest quality pencils. However, when I make only the highest quality mistakes I demand that only the highest quality eraser be used to correct them. That is why on 10 August, I will be going to the highest quality stationary store to buy the Resare Premium Type Plastic Eraser – the eraser to end all erasers.

Attention Cat Lovers: This Intoxicating Liquid Supplement Could Help Keep Your Feline Friend Healthy!

Kay
Jul 23, 2012

Can you guess what the product in the above picture is? Well, it’s a liquid supplement developed especially for cats that has been gaining attention among cat owners in Japan recently. The supplement, called “Matatabi Blend”, is scented with the smell of the silver vine plant, known as “matatabi” in Japan. The silver vine plant is known to have an intoxicating effect on cats, much like catnip, but the purpose of the supplement is not to provide cats with pleasure, but to help keep them healthy. Apparently, this supplement can help prevent certain types of ailments common in cats. Read More

Olympics-Schmolympics, Who Makes the Better McDonald’s Burger; France or Japan?

Master Blaster
Jul 23, 2012

Fresh off the most recent stint of Big America burgers released in McDonald’s restaurants across Japan like the Texas Burger, Idaho Burger, and Broadway Burger, the taste of the month now has turned its eye toward France.

This time though McDonald’s Japan has completely copied one of French McDonald’s sandwiches, the Le Grand. To see if it lives up to the original I tried one in France and Japan for a tête-à-tête taste test.

“Lina Blue Cooled Ramen” is More Than Just a Slick Name, It Might Add Years to Your Life While Keeping You Cool This Summer

Master Blaster
Jul 22, 2012

On 18 July, a ramen shop in Nipponbashi, Tokyo called Bee Hive Genki no Moto had introduced a novel chilled ramen that’s equally cooling to the eyes, ears, and stomach – perhaps even the life.

What Happened With These DVD Packages? They Don’t Look Anything Like the Anime We’re Familiar With!

Kay
Jul 22, 2012

Fans of Japanese anime may be familiar with the popular animated film “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind” (Kaze No Tani No Naushika), created by successful anime director Hayao Miyazaki. Since its initial release in 1984 (gosh, has it really been 28 years?), the film has been much loved by the Japanese public, both the young and old alike. The anime, which touches on timeless topics such as non-violence and humanity’s struggle to coexist with nature, has become a Japanese classic, and even today, it holds strong appeal and is broadcast in Japan from time to time on prime-time television. Read More

Japanese Civil Servants Can’t Have Tattoos While Chinese City Workers Can’t Receive a Piece of Hard Candy; Regulations Run Amok

Master Blaster
Jul 22, 2012

With just one week left to vote for the most evil employer of 2012, we’d like to shed some light on an overlooked “black corporation” – city governments. Sure, government workers often get a bad rap as being slow and overpaid with ridiculous job security. But in the words of Bob Dylan “the times they are a-changing.”

In Osaka, government workers will be forbidden to have any tattoos and a drinking ban is in talks for all the city workers of Fukuoka. But to really see the slippery slope that these labor reforms can lead to, we should turn our attention to the People’s Republic of China.

Man Creates Waste Basket That Targets Flying Garbage and Catches It by Itself

Master Blaster
Jul 21, 2012

Have you ever seen a sci-fi movie about the future where robot garbage cans move by themselves to pick up our waywardly thrown garbage? You’d think humanity has reached the level of technology to make that happen, but no.

Evidently the people lazy enough to want an autonomously moving waste basket are also too lazy to create one. That is until a mysterious mad scientist by the name of FRP created his own and recorded a video outlining the entire process.

At “Robot Restaurant” You Can Accentuate Your Meal with Girls in Bikinis Riding a Neon Tank and Gigantic Fembots, We Investigate

Master Blaster
Jul 21, 2012

A new restaurant modestly named “Robot Restaurant” has opened in Shinjuku on 18 July but already has generated a lot of buzz on the internet. Its quick surge in popularity may have to do with the rumored post-apocalyptic giant robot show that goes on while you eat and is said to cost 10 billion yen (US$127M) to create. We had to go and see if this is for real.