Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
Moms are the best, right? No matter how old you get, your mom will still be there to cook you a heartwarming meal and get your clothes clean like no one else can. But sometimes, your mom tries to “help” too much. Like this one who went through the trouble of washing her son’s dirty towels. But even though these towels are little too dirty to be seen in public, this mother decided to hang dry them outside for the neighbors (and Twitter users) to see. Oops!
Adidas Japan recently launched its newly designed official shirts for the Japanese national football (or soccer if you’d rather) team, no doubt prompting thousands of fans to rush out and place orders in the name of supporting their side while wearing the same style “samurai blue” uniform.
Ordinarily we wouldn’t pay too much attention to the launch of a mere sporting garment – though we have to admit it is pretty stylish – but the promotional ad that was released alongside it really knocked us for six. Check it out after the jump.
If you visit a shrine in Japan, you’re sure to find a small shack somewhere on the shrine grounds selling Omamori, special amulets for good luck or protection. These small pieces of colored cloth come in many different designs and serve various purposes. Some are meant to protect the holder while traveling, others give good luck to those taking a test. They are almost always brightly colored and are works of art in themselves. Inspired by the beauty of Omamori, one design team from Japan has created beautiful pouches and notepads that are sure to impress.
Penguin bars, owl cafes, and black cat coffee shops are just a few of the strange and yet completely cool shops in Japan where you can view animals while you sip and munch. It seems like new ones are turning up every week, like this one in Mine City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. The restaurant, which is actually part of the Safari Land animal park, allows guests to enjoy a plate of curry in the shape of a smirking red panda face as they watch a real life version of their curried animal in an adjacent enclosure.
The capybaras at the Izu Shaboten Park in Shizuoka Prefecture are somewhat of a celebrity here in Japan, and you may recall this isn’t the first time we’ve brought you a story about them. Now, we’re pleased to report that the lovable rodents have recently welcomed some adorable new additions to their family. So, here’s your chance to meet the new babies of the family, and what’s more, you may even be able to give them a name!
One of my closest friends recently visited Japan with his wife, and we made plans to get together to sip fine cognac and discuss neoclassical philosophy (OK, canned Ebisu beer and Japanese sports cars). Since they were staying in a hotel with an awesome view of the city, we held our high-minded symposium in their room while admiring Yokohama’s gigantic Ferris wheel.
My friend asked how much all our convenience store-bought booze would run us at a restaurant, and I told him it would depend on whether or not we took advantage of the all-you-can-drink specials that many offer. “Free refills on beer? That’s awesome, but you could never get away with that in the States,” he responded.
It’s a crying shame that he already flew back home, because if he’d stuck around just a little longer, he’d have been able to experience another gastronomic experience unique to Japan: all-you-can-eat burgers at Burger King until December 1.
Do you have an important date or job interview coming up? Why not seal the deal by flashing your handmade Mega Man wallet so everyone knows you’re playing with power? And if you don’t have a Mega Man wallet, then Sova Leatherworks can make one for you!
Steph M. is the artistic talent behind Sova Leatherworks in Tacoma, USA. Although she sells a wide range of patterns on her wallets, it’s her self-confessed geekiness which led to the series of handcrafted wallet designs based on video games and movies that have been attracting attention in Japan.
If you’re one of the few million people currently eating, sleeping and dreaming about Pikachu and pals following the launch of Pokémon X & Y on Nintendo 3DS, you’ll very likely be wanting something equally poké-themed to listen to while commuting, taking a shower or during especially dull lectures when you can’t get away with playing the game itself.
Well good news! Nintendo, seemingly not content with releasing a special edition album of its 8-bit retro theme songs, has just made the soundtrack to its insanely successful Pokémon X & Y available on iTunes.
Here in the northern hemisphere, winter is upon us. For those whose main transportation is a scooter, it’s an especially hard time of year. Having all that wind rushing by your body is cold, cold, COLD! Even a scooter with a windshield offers little protection, and wearing heavy-duty protective clothing is a real pain.
China thinks it has the answer for this cold conundrum, but your ego may not like it.
From elementary school all the way through high school, Japanese kids are required to study the convoluted subject of English as a second language. It’s an enormous struggle for many, as Japanese natives must familiarize themselves with not only the vocabulary and grammar points, they must adjust their ears to pick up on the plethora of sounds that do not exist in their mother tongue. To top it all off, when the existence of various English accents is brought to light, their brains can become confused even further.
A recent post on a Japanese message board asked people to list the differences between British English and American English. The comments extended far over 100. Here’s what some of the respondents had to say.
In 1994, the product design company, Propaganda, was established in Thailand to fill the need for playful products in home and work environments. Since then, the fun-loving brand has expanded immensely. Stores can be found in more than 30 different countries, including Japan, the US, and many parts of Europe.
Today we’d like to focus on one of Propaganda’s many tongue-in-cheek trinkets. This peculiar lamp is certain to brighten your day.
In news that Android fanboys will likely want to spit at, Japan’s top 10 smartphone sales chart currently reads 100-percent iPhone, it has been revealed.
Now carried by all three of the country’s biggest mobile providers, Apple’s iPhone has become immensely popular in Japan in recent years and is seemingly the must-have mobile this November.
We’re quite aware that Hello Kitty, the most famous feline in the world, has turned herself into some pretty exclusive high-end products in the past, like a limited edition pink car or even a jewel-studded platinum doll complete with a one carat diamond on her signature ribbon worth approximately US$150,000. But now, it looks like Ms. Kitty’s latest collaborative effort is about to top all of that!
Read More
Along with having a pleasing smell, one of the essential requirements of being part of the RocketNews24 team is a certain measure of eloquence. I can proudly say that the rest of the crew writes really, really good (they also help me out a lot, quite obviously).
But sometimes, words aren’t quite enough. How can mere prose do justice to the subtle hues of a cherry blossom, or the reverberations of a temple bell? Sometimes, in order to properly carry out our mission of spreading the simple joys of Japanese culture, we have to carry it with us and head out into the world, which is just what we did recently while traveling Africa.
Unfortunately cherry blossom season is still about five months away, and we couldn’t fit our cast-iron bell in the overhead bin, so we settled for the next best thing: bringing boxes of the chocolaty snack Pocky to share with the Maasai people of Kenya.
You’ve already been introduced to Yuya Uchida, the attractive worker at the Osaka Nipponbashi branch of Animate, a chain of anime and manga stores in Japan. He has inspired countless Internet debates regarding his status as both an otaku and a hottie, prompting one user to comment, “Hot guys should be banned from watching anime.” We knew we had to go out to Osaka to find this mythical hotaku™ and see for ourselves if he really is as irresistible as the Internet makes him out to be.
In a slightly convoluted tale of intrigue and betrayal, a Saitama man was arrested for stabbing his online gaming buddy after the two got into an argument about a lack of gaming skills.
The two apparently met at a game arcade over a decade before the incident and had been keeping in touch, dabbling in multiplayer matches of a Gundam-themed online game together. After one apparently teased the other about his lack of skills, the two decided to settle the debate in person.
For such a small word, “half” carries an awful lot of weight here in Japan. Adapted to fit the syllabary, the word is pronounced “hafu” in Japanese, and describes a person who has one Japanese – and of course one non-Japanese – parent. More often than not, the word carries certain connotations, and many Japanese have preconceived, often erroneous, notions that hafus have natural English ability, have spent time abroad, and possess many of the physical characteristics Japanese associate with Westerners. At the same time, the word is immediately indicative of something very un-Japanese, and many hafu – even those who have never set foot outside of Japan and speak no other language – are never truly accepted by society as a result.
The Hafu Project was begun in 2009 as an initiative aiming to promote awareness of racial diversity in Japan and the issues facing those of mixed heritage. It was after becoming involved with the project that two filmmakers, Megumi Nishikura and Lara Perez Takagi, began a collaborative work that would eventually become a full-length feature film titled, simply, Hafu.
Three years in the making, Hafu was completed in April this year, and has been screened at independent cinemas everywhere from Madrid to Tokyo. After checking out the film for ourselves when it came to Shibuya recently, RocketNews24 talked with Megumi and Lara to learn a little more about the making of the film and how in their opinion attitudes in Japan are evolving.
While looks may not kill, a woman in Dalian City, China found out last month that some guy’s ugly mug can scare you enough to make you to lose your balance and break four teeth. Although the beauty-deficient man said he was merely asking directions, the woman was apparently so frightened by his visage that after falling off her bike and hurting herself, she rushed to the police where she pressed charges.
Onigiri is a popular Japanese food. Although it’s a simple combination of a ball of rice filled with some other delicious meat, fish or vegetable, it takes some experience to get to know this snack deeply in all its combinations. Of course, Japanese people all know what they like when it comes to onigiri, but how much could a foreigner get into this kind of food?
To get a sense of this, we met with an American named Chris who is visiting Japan to do some surfing, and gave him a taste test to rank his nine best onigiri fillings. Read More
Remember when you had a favorite TV/comic/game/storybook character you couldn’t live without, and you just had to have some toy or other connected with it close to you at all times? Well, if you’re a fan of Sailor Moon, you’ll be delighted to hear that toy manufacturer Bandai has just announced a line of products that may just let you relive some of that giddy excitement. And while these products may have the sparkly appearance of a toy, they also have a very practical use too, as you’ve probably been able to guess from the picture. Yes, folks, get ready to enjoy some Moon Prism magic — at your dining table! Read More
Foreign tourists in Japan eat far more rice than previously thought, according to new data
Kyoto receives more foreign tourists than ever before, but fewer visitors say they’ll return
Starbucks Japan unveils new coffee drinks… for people who don’t drink coffee
JR releases prediction of peak Shinkansen crowdedness for Japan’s Obon travel season
Starbucks Japan unveils exclusive new Frappuccinos limited to three regional areas
Life-size Legendary Pokémon Mega Rayquaza digitally greeting travelers at Tokyo train station [Vid]
Maximum entry fee for sento public baths in Tokyo increases slightly for adults next month
Official Final Fantasy beers are going on sale in Tokyo this month, giant Aetheryte appearing too
Sanrio’s newest item looks like dog butt, exactly like it’s supposed to [Photos]
Katana of one of Japan’s most famous swordsmen goes on display to help Kumamoto earthquake victims
Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
Japanese Shinkansen becomes an overnight hotel for three nights this summer
New Shinkansen luggage drop-off system begins in Japan, making train travel even easier
99-year-old woman rescued while attempting to climb Mt. Fuji
Which country’s foreign tourists spend the most money per-person in Japan? Hint: Not the U..S. or China
Starbucks Japan releases a miniature display rack so you can create your very own store at home
Giant Evangelion Spear of Longinus to be installed at Japanese train station with Eva art trains
Face lettuce appears in Japan, with the face of Death Note’s Light Yagami, but why?
Kodama Shinkansen trains on popular Japan route get a whole new look this winter
Pokémon Card Stores requiring facial recognition scans for entry in Japan in latest anti-scalper move
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see itTokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Japan now has human refrigerators inspired by Japanese vending machines
Hatsune Miku collaborates with Hokusai’s art in new Vocaloid ukiyo-e illustration series [Pics]New Shinkansen luggage drop-off system begins in Japan, making train travel even easier
Japan triples departure tax, foreign tourists and locals now must pay more to leave country
Studio Ghibli releases anime T-shirts that pay homage to one of Hayao Miyazaki’s most personal films
Family Mart opens new “Famima” flagship store in Tokyo that’s like a tourist attraction
Uniqlo looks back to the very start of Pokémon with new black-and-white pixel art T-shirts[Pics]
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in TokyoStudio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroadSalomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
Life-size Legendary Pokémon Mega Rayquaza digitally greeting travelers at Tokyo train station [Vid]
Maximum entry fee for sento public baths in Tokyo increases slightly for adults next month
Official Final Fantasy beers are going on sale in Tokyo this month, giant Aetheryte appearing too
Sanrio’s newest item looks like dog butt, exactly like it’s supposed to [Photos]
Katana of one of Japan’s most famous swordsmen goes on display to help Kumamoto earthquake victims
Starbucks Japan releases new “Afterword” collection that gives coffee waste a second life
Japan has a maid hotel you can stay in, and it’s now taking reservation applications
Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
McDonald’s Japan goes viral for Samurai Mac burger hack
Japan’s expensive “phantom” melon is so exquisite it sells out in just 12 hours
Pokémon Card Stores requiring facial recognition scans for entry in Japan in latest anti-scalper move
Tokyo Pokémon Center announces reopening after months-long closure following stabbing death
McDonald’s Japan reveals new Pokémon collaboration range, covering McNuggets and lucky bags
Studio Ghibli Laputa figure looks like it’s really flying thanks to cool visual trick
