Recently popping up on Twitter, a supermarket ad declaring a unique event has received a lot of attention here in Japan. However, as the person who originally tweeted it comments, this advert may also be a “premonition of disaster.”
How limber are you? If you’re like me and you sit in an office chair all day hunched over a computer, you’re probably not too flexible. But, you know, that’s what happens with age, right? You start getting older and all of a sudden your body just goes kaput. I mean, it’s not like there are old women doing sideways somersaults and throwing their legs over their heads with reckless abandon, right?
Oh, wait, of course there are!
The Sanrio brand’s most recognized and beloved character, Hello Kitty, has been through thousands of incarnations in the past. But, one of the more recent ones has Kitty collectors and enthusiasts scratching their heads.
A tragic scene unfolded in a supermarket in Kurashiki, Okayama last Thursday as 32-year-old Shinji Kuroki went on a mass poking and squishing rage inside. Details of the total damage are sketchy but we received reports that packs of meat had holes poked in them with a finger and loaves of bread have been seen lying on the ground, smashed in cold blood.
As we reported in August, the city of Shenzhen, China enacted a pee-control policy in its public toilets. Anyone caught peeing outside of the appropriate receptacle can face fines up to 100 yuan (US$16).
But when life hands you urination regulations, the true entrepreneur makes sweet golden urination regulation-aiding merchandise! That’s just what two opportunists did with their Pee Trajectory Corrector. Look for them conveniently on sale outside of a public washroom in Shenzhen.
Last week, Studio Ghibli announced Hayao Miyazaki’s plans to retire, leaving The Wind Rises as his final film. The news, obviously, caused quite a stir, though many were somewhat skeptical as the director has “retired” before. Perhaps in response to those skeptics, the 72-year-old director scheduled a press conference, which was streamed live on the popular Japanese video website Nico Nico Video.
We’ve compiled the highlights of the press conference below for you to check out.
The mother of a 25-year-old man was stunned to see him arrive home after he was declared missing for several days. When she last saw him he left his hometown of Sendai to attend a national trading card game competition in Kitakyushu city on 23 August.
However, when he never made his return flight on 25 August, she got worried. It turned out that her son was robbed of his wallet and mobile phone and spent the following 11 days traveling back to Sendai on foot. Upon his return the son said, “I never wanted to make a fuss. I’m sorry to everyone I inconvenienced.”
It’s almost that time again! The Fall 2013 anime season is absolutely jam-packed with something for every kind of fan. There’s no way you can watch all of these though, so have a skim through this list (put together by Gigazine and translated by yours truly) to pick out the ones you’ll be following.
Read on for the first 20 series that will be hitting screens next week.
What a week, eh? Hayao Miyazaki’s retirement was announced, the creator of Attack on Titan has annoyed fans with his “poor” drawings, a massive boulder nearly smashed a car, and, worst of all, a freaking tornado ripped up a chunk of Japan! We sure could use some good, light-hearted news.
Well, how about this story of a man who donated 100,000 yen (US$1,000) to one of the elementary schools ravaged by the tornado…in one of the most unusual ways ever!
Since September 5, Kentucky Fried Chicken Japan has started selling what they call a “corn potage fritter.” It sounds fancy, but when you really get down to it, it’s just deep-fried soup. To our Japanese reporter who hasn’t been versed in the wide variety of bizarre things Americans manage to fry up at county fairs across the United States, the very idea of fried soup was quite surprising. Half-convinced that such a snack even existed, he went down to his nearest KFC and gave it a try.
Recently in Taiwan, authorities finally apprehended a man who had been terrorizing a Taipei community for an untold stretch of time. This possible terrorist had been brazenly walking from car to a car with a cloth and wiping them down until they sparkled. The fiend!
Thankfully, a brave citizen saw their own car being shined by the man and reported him to the proper authorities. Unfortunately, the people of Taipei only had a brief respite from the horrors he unleashed as police released him shortly afterwards.
As many of you may be aware, China has had some serious pollution problems in recent years with contamination spreading far and wide, affecting people’s health and everyday lifestyles. With all this negative publicity, it is of no surprise that China’s tourism industry has seen a decline in visitors to the country.
However, the Hong Kong Tourism Board has come up with a rather clever and, shall we say, peculiar scheme that guarantees to get rid of the smog, at least for all the tourists who want to capture a special photo for the occasion. It comes in the form of a picturesque banner of the Hong Kong landscape that is substituted for the real, polluted background. It’s just a case of standing in front of it, saying cheese and you’re done. Granted the picture may look good but it still doesn’t solve the actual problem of pollution.
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Taking a flight with a musical instrument can be nerve-racking. There are a number of ways for your precious gear to be damaged, be it by air pressure and temperature changes, or the risk of it being manhandled or even lost by unbaggage handlers.
Flying with a guitar can be especially daring as they can sometimes be too big for carry-on baggage and often require DIY protection methods like loosening the strings and wrapping a T-shirt around the head. Thankfully, Japan Airlines (JAL) has heard these worries and responded by lending out a protective case for your beloved acoustic or electric.
Ekiben, or “station bento,” can be found on train station platforms across Japan, conveniently packed for travelers too busy to prepare their own meal. They usually come in plastic or styrofoam containers wrapped with a decorative paper cover. But this ekiben is a little different. Found in Kochi Prefecture, this on-the-go bento is packaged in clear plastic wrap to display the goods inside, and what seems like merely a fish sitting in a white supermarket tray is actually sushi. Let’s take a closer look at this bizarre whole fish sushi ekiben.
One of our reporters recently drew the enviable assignment of visiting this year’s Nippon no Umai, an annual event sponsored by Kirin that brings the best of Japan’s regional delicacies together under one roof. With so many tasty options on display, those of us not lucky enough to attend the tasting session, held at the super swanky Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, would have to settle for living vicariously through our correspondent’s report after he returned.
We were a little underwhelmed when we asked what he’d eaten, and his answer was “white rice with salt!” but we soon came to understand why he was looking quite so content.
As any Japanese speaker will no doubt tell you, the Japanese language, although tricky to master, is incredibly convenient. Not only can we entirely omit words such as “I” or “you” and simply say things like “taberu?” (“eat?”) or “iku?” (“go?”) and it still be perfectly acceptable, but there are also set phrases for use in a multitude of situations, the like of which simply do not exist in many other languages.
But even something as simple as the phrase yoroshiku onegaishimasu (lit. “Please do good (for me),” and used when asking for something or beginning a meeting, class, or even a work or training session) can be quite a mouthful at first. Thankfully though, a recent post made by a Japanese net user suggests that so long as you mutter something that sounds like the actual phrase, you’ll probably get by just fine.
For the girl who just loves to eat. This new bra for the fall and winter season promises to expand with the help of a “secret hook” to allow you to comfortably fill your belly.
During the height of summer, we’ve been known to plonk ourselves down in front our home-made air conditioner with a pile of sliced watermelon or even chilled soba noodles and mentsuyu dipping sauce as a way of keeping cool while engaging in our favourite pastime of filling our faces. But we never imagined for a second that someone would put noodles, yoghurt and fruit together in one dish.
Tokyo and Osaka-based noodle chain Tsurutontan, specialists in udon wheat-flour noodle dishes, is currently offering patrons something rather tropical with its Mango Yogurt Udon. The very thought of eating a cold, sweet version of one of our favourite kinds of noodle at once excited us and made us feel a little bit queasy, so we sent one of our bravest reporters over to try it out. Find out what they thought after the jump.
On September 1, fans flocked to the Utsunomiya branch of Animate to attend an autograph event for Shingeki no Kyojin: Attack on Titan‘s author, Hajime Isayama. During his Shinkansen train ride to Tochigi Prefecture, the artist doodled up some ideas for pictures to draw along with his signature when meeting with his fans. He took a snapshot that quickly spread through the Twittersphere of what everyone assumed would be a superb work of art…
You’ve been through a bubble wrap case, iPhone underpants, and even talked to your friend using a piece of toast, but those are just fads. You want something that will stand the test of time. Well, every little kid has used a banana as a phone, so why not transform your iPhone into a banana? It’s timeless.
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Studio Ghibli store Donguri Republic announces opening of first-ever store in America
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Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
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Weekly
New Japanese overnight train coming to connect Tokyo with Tohoku in sleep-travel style- Studio Ghibli store Donguri Republic announces opening of first-ever store in America
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Universal Studios Japan is giving Frieren anime fans the chance to make unforgettable memories.
Tokyo’s life-size Gundam is getting a new look before its end-of-summer removal
Japanese bento shop touches hearts by selling super cheap boxed lunches for around a dollar
7-Eleven Japan joins the craze for Korean Gamja Cheese Balls
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Monthly
- New Japanese overnight train coming to connect Tokyo with Tohoku in sleep-travel style
- Studio Ghibli store Donguri Republic announces opening of first-ever store in America
Uniqlo reveals third round of massive 100-year-anniversary manga T-shirts for Jump’s Shueisha
Even at twice regular Daiso price, this handy item is still great for summer travel in Japan
New official Ghibli anime food cookbook will teach you how to make Ponyo’s ramen and more- Forget Tokyo go-karts – there’s a new way to sightsee on four wheels in Japan
Japanese convenience store Lawson launches new “mini supermarket” chain, L Minimart
Japan’s real-world Pokémon hot spring’s first photos are here![Photos]- Japanese sweets shop sells an ohagi so exquisite it sells out by noon
Kyoto public junior high school becomes first in Japan with a hoodie school uniform
Yearly
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]
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
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]
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Wisteria season starts early with blooming of Japan’s Great Wisteria in its beautiful garden
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7-Eleven Japan debuts new black-and-white rice ball packaging…but is it because of a naphtha shortage?
Fukuoka schools struggling to get kids to switch from milk to tea in lunches
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