Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
Collecting is one of the predominate themes of the Pokémon franchise and Nintendo never seems to run out of new things for fans to spend their Pokédollars on.
For example, on August 3, The Pokémon Company reveled, “Pokemomo,” their newest lineup of adorable Pokémon merchandise featuring the artwork of Japanese illustrator Momo Okada.
A lone salaryman walks in to a room with bento in hand and sits down at a table to enjoy his lunch in privacy. He unties the knot holding together the bandana bundle to reveal a small brown bento box and chopsticks case. Finally, the man removes the lid from the bento to unveil a mouth-watering assortment of…colored yarn?
What follows is some hardcore lunchtime needlework.
For the past few years, Japan has been in a fuss about soushoku danshi, literally translated as “herbivore boys.” These are young men who represent the antithesis of the rowdy, skirt-chasing, big-spending corporate man associated with the 1980s bubble economy: they’re passive, conservative with money, prefer to stay in instead of going out drinking with coworkers and are generally uninterested in sex.
Such personal lifestyle choices wouldn’t be considered problematic if Japanese society wasn’t struggling with a declining birthrate and low consumer spending. But when an ever-increasing portion of your male population is enjoying their evening with a cup of tea at the local manga cafe when you need them to be out buying cars and procreating, you’ve got a situation on your hands.
To make matters worse, a survey conducted by The Japanese Association for Sex Education (JASE) reveals that the number of young Japanese women who have had sex has decreased dramatically over the past 6 years.
Perhaps the ladies of Japan have finally given up on trying to get their male counterparts into bed and joined convent themselves.
We’ve covered the phenomenon of charabens in the past ranging from the extremely cute to the downright bizarre. However, as with any art form, the horror genre cannot be left out. Inspired by some photos of horror bentos found online a reporter from the website Pouch, Hotaru Yamakawa, has decided to make her own series of 3 horror bentos and help you make your own.
To all our under-age readers, I feel for you. Understandably, alcoholic drinks are off-limits as they can be harmful to your growth at a young age. But now, it seems the adults want to take away your non-alcoholic drinks as well according to a recent survey.
While in Hokkaido I decided to go to the Sakhalin Island just North of Japan. This island has had a long history of passing between Russian and Japanese control for centuries. In the closing days of WWII Russian forces took the entire island although no treaty was made to officially declare their ownership.
As a Japanese person it stung a little to need a visa to visit this Sakhalin but the dispute over this island has been quieted recently. A Japanese Consulate was established there and businesses in Japanese frequently make the trip thanks to warming ties between the two countries.
And so I decide to make the most of this journey by taking a ship rather than a plane. Ultimately it was full of surprises – good and bad.
During the London Olympics, two young ladies from the Kazakhstani team Zulfiya Chinshanlo (19) and Maiya Maneza (26) each earned gold medals in their respective weight classes as well as setting a World and Olympic Record respectively.
However, their celebrations were short lived as China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency declared that they are in fact secret Chinese nationals, Zhao Changing (19) and Yao Ling (26) who were sent on a clandestine mission to Kazakhstan to spread the sport.
A common addition to many Japanese dishes is a substance called Konjac (Konnyaku in Japanese which may sound confusingly like Cognac). It’s a peculiar, virtually tasteless gelatinous mass that admittedly has an excellent texture to it.
What may come as a shock to millions of Japanese people is that America is beginning to embrace this garnish not as the Japanese have, but as a replacement for conventional pasta.
Thanks to the West’s keen marketing sense, Japan’s often underappreciated purplish-grey slab gelatin has been reborn there as Miracle Noodles!
August 1 was a big day for Japan as it marked the release of Dragon Quest X, the latest installment in the iconic series and the first to force players to play online. While the release of a new Dragon Quest game is usually something akin to a national holiday here, many people were wondering if mandatory online play wasn’t too tall of an order for a series traditionally known for sticking to its tried and true formula.
To get an idea of just how excited the country really is over Dragon Quest X, we sent resident reporter Mr. Sato to a video game shop in Shibuya the day before release to stand in line until the store opened the game went on sale the next day at 7:00 am.
Of course, anyone can wait in line for a day, but it takes a true Dragon Quest fan like Mr. Sato to wait in line for a day dressed as the series’ most beloved monster, slime.
Installed on the recently released OS X Mountain Lion is a breathtaking image of an aquamarine pond with trees growing out of it. We previously gave you the impressions of the photographer Kent Shiraishi, but now we went straight to the real Blue Pond in Biei, Hokkaido to see if it lives up to the photo.
Nothing brings a nation together like a common enemy and the Olympics give us an excuse to degrade every other country on the planet world without it seeming xenophobic.
It was in the midst of this festive atmosphere that Gallup Korea published their annual poll showing the country’s opinion of the rest of the world. The results? South Korea hates Japan even more than North Korea and loves America the most.
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.
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.
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.
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…
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.
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 visited a “terrible” Japanese hot spring hotel near Narita Airport
Tom Cruise brings Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning to Tokyo with special surprises
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
New hug pillow range lets you sleep with Hello Kitty
Pokémon Ditto Cup uses Transform to turn into jiggly gelatin, rice, sand, and infinite possibilities
Tom Cruise visits Ghibli Museum, poses for photo with Totoro
Two Hayao Miyazaki-directed short anime are showing at Ghibli Park this summer
A close encounter with a dangerous criminal on a Shinkansen bullet train in Japan
Possibly the most elegant chicken and waffles restaurant ever opens in Kyoto
One of Japan’s rarest sweets is a sell-out hit that looks and tastes like frostSurvey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answerA close encounter with a dangerous criminal on a Shinkansen bullet train in JapanTom Cruise brings Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning to Tokyo with special surprisesNew hug pillow range lets you sleep with Hello Kitty
Ghibli Howl’s Moving Castle Calcifer rings aren’t just rings, they’re Kazarings【Photos】
Ekiben vending machine adds new excitement to bullet train travel in Japan
New hot spring found in Tokyo as 80-year-old bathhouse makes a happy discovery
The Osaka-Kansai World Expo has lots of food and souvenirs, if you dare enter where they’re sold
Welcome to Japan’s smallest natural mountain, where you get a climbing certificate at the summit
Studio Ghibli serves up My Neighbour Totoro with a side of traditional Japanese wagashi sweetsSurvey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Japanese gamer furniture company creates cabinets just for collectible trading card gamers【Pics】
Beds on a bus: Travel on Japan’s first-ever full-flat overnight sleeper bus from Tokyo
Sailor Moon and others teach foreign tourists Japanese etiquette in Manga Manners art series
Secret stairs at Tokyo Station dungeon come with a serious warning
Japan’s 160-year-old Great Wisteria of Tochigi is now in full bloom, ready for visitors【Photos】
Ghibli Forest Spirit towel series will delight and/or freak out visitors to your home【Photos】
Japan’s official Hello Kitty Airport holds ribbon-cutting ceremony, now welcoming travelers【Pics】A close encounter with a dangerous criminal on a Shinkansen bullet train in JapanSurvey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Foreign tourists on Shinkansen bullet train break suitcase etiquette, angering local passengers
Possessing Harry Potter’s Sword of Godric Gryffindor is now illegal in Japan
[Deleted] Article written for April Fool’s Day 2018
Japan’s deadliest food claims more victims, but why do people keep eating it for New Year’s?
Japanese convenience store Family Mart announces abolishment of eat-in spacesStudio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Studio Ghibli releases free-download board game — Here’s how to play it without reading Japanese
Nintendo history you can feel – Super NES, N64, and GameCube controllers become capsule toys
Doraemon found buried at sea as scene from 1993 anime becomes real life【Photos】
Tom Cruise visits Ghibli Museum, poses for photo with Totoro
Two Hayao Miyazaki-directed short anime are showing at Ghibli Park this summer
A close encounter with a dangerous criminal on a Shinkansen bullet train in Japan
Possibly the most elegant chicken and waffles restaurant ever opens in Kyoto
One of Japan’s rarest sweets is a sell-out hit that looks and tastes like frost
Krispy Kreme Japan has Pac-Man donuts to celebrate video game star’s 45th birthday
This Nara workshop has been making deer crackers for more than 100 years and offers tours【Photos】
How to make Ukrainian flag origami crane paper
How to make Japanese melon pan out of any type of bread
Temple in tiny town in Japan transforms into otherworldly beauty on special summer nights
Small trees, big beauty await at Japan’s Bonsai Art Museum【Photos】
Tokyo’s super-secret-location sushi restaurant has a stand-up sister shop that’s open to all
Is “The Most Annoying but Most Delicious” ramen from 7-Eleven truly the most delicious?
Naruto’s author Kishimoto reveals what characters’ names would’ve been if editor didn’t intervene