Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
Natto, for those of you that haven’t been introduced to the smelly, sticky Japanese foodstuff, is fermented soy beans. And if you do know natto, you probably also know that Mito in Ibaraki Prefecture is the place to go for the good stuff. Well, recently a venerable Mito natto company started selling a rather surprising new item: natto cheesecake. That’s right, a cheesecake made from fermented soy beans. Read More
According to a book recently published by Tomohiko Suzuki, a freelance journalist who went undercover as a laborer at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant for two months this year, people who were unable to repay loans from yakuza gangs were forced to work at the site as a means of repaying their debts. Tokyo Electric issued a refutal, calling the claim that organized crime would be allowed to influence the recruitment process “groundless”.
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On Yahoo Shopping, a site famous for its oodles of unique merchandise, an ornamental sword is attracting a lot of attention. It’s called the “Whale Sword” and it’s a model of a style of ornamental sword used in the pre-war days, with a blade close to a meter long. Who wouldn’t want that in their stocking?
I happened upon a kaiten sushi-ya (conveyor belt sushi restaurant) while on an extended trip to New York, and I was surprised that something other than the hot wasabi brought tears to my eyes.
Japanese Restaurant EAST in Manhattan is a far cry from any Japanese kaiten sushi-ya – this place is as hip as any nightclub in the area. The chef is not Japanese, but his skills are just as good as those of any “genuine” sushi chef. He rolled out perfectly squeezed nigiri sushi and delicious miso soup.
And though I like to get adventurous with the wasabi from time to time, I was not prepared for the rotating item that would move me to tears on this day.
Uniqlo, the clothing retailer who has achieved ubiquitous status in Japan is continuing its ambitious plans to expand worldwide. In order to achieve their goal of earning 5 trillion yen (US$60 billion) by 2020, they have been aggressively building larger and larger flagship stores around the world.
As I was taking a walk through the city the other day, I encountered a cake shop with a fantastic exterior like something out of a fairy tale. It had a very cheerful ambiance, and on closer inspection, I noticed a remarkable figure. Could it be? Star of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, Jack Sparrow, selling pastries? Captain Jack managing a cake shop?
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Are you looking for something to give to that special someone in your life? Choosing the right gift is a huge burden for many of us this time of year, especially with so many options to choose from.
Did you know that there is a secret, members-only restaurant in Tokyo Disneyland called Club 33? The majority of memberships are corporate accounts, allowing them to do business entertaining there, but there are also individual members. Don’t get your hopes up, though, because they aren’t accepting applications. If you want to get in the door, no matter who you are or how much money you have, you have to be invited by a member.
But what is this mysterious Club 33 actually like? We’ve tracked down someone who was invited to enjoy a luxurious evening there, and according to him, these are the six most amazing things about Club 33.
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Snack food giant, Calbee, opened up their latest Calbee Plus store in Harajuku on 7 December, where you can buy their famous potato chips straight from the deep fryer. Calbee already has shops located in Kyoto and New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido, but this newest store gives Tokyoites their first chance to enjoy piping hot potato chips.
I rushed out to get a first-tongue taste.
The weekend is almost here! You’re off tomorrow, so how’s about hitting the bars? Come on, you’re probably sitting at your desk right now sneakily checking out your options for a post-work tipple.
Yes, I know what you’re thinking: if you want to drink the good stuff and actually manage a buzz, it’s going to cost a pretty penny. Well, think again. Rocket News has found the best, cheapest nomihoudai in town.
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Every day on my way to work, I pass one of the many outlets of fast-food giant Lotteria. Usually, I grab a cup of coffee there and drink it as I head to the office, but this morning something new caught my eye.
They’re selling Matsusaka Beef hamburgers? Hamburgers made from one of the best quality meats in Japan, famous for its exquisite marbling? But at 1800 yen (about $23), that’s a pretty steep price tag for a fast-food burger… Will it be worth it?
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“Gourmet” fans, add Ikebukuro Station to your list of stops for fine fare. Platform 3/4 for the Tobu Tojo Line, to be exact. HOT DOG 59 is the name, hot dogs are their game.
Folks in gourmet circles rave about these sizzling sausages available only at this single location. HOT DOG 59 spares no expense on the quality of the buns and dogs, said to be a step above New York’s famed red hots.
Do you have a penchant for the fluffy and cuddly? Well, good news! It turns out there is a place in Japan that is literally crawling with squee-worthy bunnies. About 300 of them, in fact. They aren’t even fenced in, but are living their adorable little lives running free on an island.
There is a shopping wonderland where every item is only about a buck and you can buy pretty much any daily necessity and a whole lot of stuff you didn’t even know existed. This fabled place is the Japanese 100 yen shop, and it’s head and shoulders above the dingy dollar shops you know from home. You can even pick up a stylish cover to pimp your iPhone, with an unexpected abundance of styles and colors to satisfy even the most demanding fashion divas.
Of course, price is one thing, but quality is also going to be a major factor. Can decoration-loving fashionistas really buy with confidence? Can these cheap covers really protect our all-important iPhones? Rocket News decided to find out.
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Japanese confectionery companies always seem to be on the lookout for the next great combination of tastes, and the shelves in supermarkets and convenience stores are often stocked with the results of these “korabo.”
Words like “suspect” and “amusing” come to mind to describe most of these products, but Morinaga and Pasco have teamed up to create a product that just may give the old peanut butter and chocolate combo a run for its money.
“Morinaga Caramel Shokupan” is exactly what it sounds like: the old-fashioned flavor of Morinaga Caramel baked into fluffy Pasco bread. The packaging is the same gold color as those familiar little rectangular boxes of caramel, and the immediate association with the mouth-watering taste of Morinaga caramel is anything but subtle.
HAMAMATSU – The Hamamatsu University School of Medicine has partnered with the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute to develop anti-cancer medicine with reduced side effects. The research group announced Tuesday that research and development are progressing and that experiments on animals have yielded positive results.
Cancerous mice were given 1/40 the usual dosage of anti-cancer medicine, and their tumors nearly disappeared by the 19th day of the test. Moreover, the researchers observed no side effects whatsoever.
Toyota made waves by casting Japanese heartthrob Satoshi Tsumabuki as Nobita-kun in its live-action Doraemon commercials two weeks ago, but fans of the adapation of the popular cartoon were in for an even bigger shock the following week.
Toyota rolled its second wave of live-action Doraemon commercials off the line on November 18 with film star Jean Reno playing the role of Doraemon.
On November 15, Japanese electronics manufacturer Sanwa Denshi unveiled a radiation-measuring device that can connect to iPhones and serve as an affordable Geiger counter.
It is 14 cm long and five cm wide and displays radiation dosages on the screens of iPhones equipped with GeigerBot and other such applications.
The retail price is 9,800 yen, and it will go on sale in a few days.
Many Japanese restaurants serve a “yama-mori,” or “mountain-sized,” serving of rice and other main dishes, but Adachi’s in Akihabara may boast the biggest one in the country.
Adachi’s claim to fame has always been its large portions. The first Adachi’s operated out of the Kanda Market, and its clientele were people who worked in the fruit and vegetable market. They worked up huge appetites by performing manual labor from the early morning hours, and regular portions would not fill their bellies. It was then that the elder Adachi decided to provide huge portions.
The affable younger Adachi told me all about it during my first visit to the restaurant. The restaurant is famous for letting its patrons eat to their hearts’ content, and anyone who has ever dined there knows that the “regular” portion of rice is five to six times larger than normal. Read More
Smartphone? Check. Digital camera? Check. Electronic dictionary? Check. Chargers and cords for all of the above? Check. Hope of finding them amidst the mess they will undoubtedly become in your handbag? Uncheck.
We are carrying more and more electronic products around with us these days, and it gets tougher and tougher to find them in our bags and untangle them from each other. It’s like untangling Christmas lights, except what used to be reserved for one day a year is now happening almost every day.
The GRID-IT purports to solve this problem with rubber bands arranged horizontally and vertically across its pocket-less surface. Read More
Secret hot spring onsen in Japan is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered by tourists
A trip to see the breathtaking mountain beauty of Nagano’s Kamikochi【Part 1】
Japan Weak Men’s Center suddenly cancels men-only train event
Does Starbucks Japan’s new holiday Frappuccino really taste like a cup of fallen snow?
Japanese samurai randoseru backpack lets you carry the bushido spirit with you wherever you go
Pokémon doughnuts appear at Mister Donut, with Diglett as the star!
Sip with Snorlax – Clever drinkware design creates Pokémon in your glass with every pour【Pics】
Cat paw yoghurt is now a thing in Japan
New heater-less pet kotatsu is a safe way to keep your furry friends warm this winter
What’s the most popular way to prepare Japan’s beloved breakfast dish, Tamago Kake Gohan?
Nintendo’s controller capsule toys are so cool, even the machine you buy them from is awesome【Pics】
American gun owner opens our eyes to a different way of life in Tokyo
Japanese communities giving their skylines a spring clean and saying goodbye to power lines
New Akita Inu and Hachiko marshmallows are the best and squishiest souvenirs from Japan
Burger King Japan creates Kyoto Whopper, its most Japanese burger ever, with Kyoto rice merchant
Starbucks Japan unveils new Holiday goods for 2024Sip with Snorlax – Clever drinkware design creates Pokémon in your glass with every pour【Pics】
Totoro stamp collection lets you add adorable Ghibli touches to cards and letters【Photos】
Overwhelmed by modern social media? Japanese company is bringing back pagers with an emoji-twist
Discovered: An even better way to open Japanese convenience store rice balls【Video】
Studio Ghibli releases new insect whistle necklace from Nausicaä of the Valley of the WindNintendo’s controller capsule toys are so cool, even the machine you buy them from is awesome【Pics】
Totoro sequel anime Mei and the Baby Catbus will screen at Ghibli Park this winter
Tokyo Disneyland loses top-attendance crown for Japanese theme parks for second year in a row
Starbucks Japan unveils Halloween Frappuccino for 2024, and it’s like drinking a magic spell
Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno returning to anime with new project for 50-year-old franchise
Studio Ghibli releases new Howl’s Moving Castle goods that capture the magic from the anime movie
Adult Jam Bread causes a stir at store in Tokyo
What’s the deal with akebi, the perfectly purple, alien-like fruit that’s in season now in Japan?
Kyoto becomes City of Yokai, with Night Parade of One Hundred Demons festival this autumn
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
Doraemon found buried at sea as scene from 1993 anime becomes real life【Photos】
Life-size vibrating Legend of Zelda Master Sword for sale from Nintendo【Photos】
Pokémon doughnuts appear at Mister Donut, with Diglett as the star!
Sip with Snorlax – Clever drinkware design creates Pokémon in your glass with every pour【Pics】
Cat paw yoghurt is now a thing in Japan
New heater-less pet kotatsu is a safe way to keep your furry friends warm this winter
What’s the most popular way to prepare Japan’s beloved breakfast dish, Tamago Kake Gohan?
Daiso opens massive new 25,392-square foot Tokyo flagship store with its two sub-brands included
McDonald’s Japan now sells pies in…Dalmatian dog boxes
Dark and edgy Jujustu Kaisen teams up with bright and cheery Sanrio for new merch line【Pics】
We tried a Japanese egg steamer to achieve the perfect breakfast eggs without a stove
How to cook miso soup (the right way) in a few simple steps【RocketKitchen】
Junior high student shut down 444 school websites to “remind teachers they are incompetent”
Japanese Prime Minister once criticized deploying military to fight Godzilla
No one knows what Bandai’s real-life Pot of Greed does, but it’s still pretty cool