Ever wondered who those cheeky elves are who slip pizza menus, coupons and ads for home delivery sexy times in your mailbox or through your door while you’re out? They’re in and out in a flash, usually lugging enormous stacks of paper with them, searching for slots to post material like a mother bird on a caffeine high feeding her young. Little did we know, though, that there are people out there in this crazy world we live in who have delivered so many pamphlets in their time that they’re positively black belts in the secret art of putting things into holes.
In perhaps the most genius use of french fries we’ve seen in years, Japanese convenience store chain Mini Stop has begun selling a number of Dragon Ball-themed sweets and fried foods as part of a promotion for upcoming movie Dragon Ball Z: Battle of the Gods.
Want! Okay, so it’s the same old hardware that we know and love, but these Japan exclusive (so far!) 3DS LL colours are very cool indeed.
On March 6, the Osaka edition of the Asahi Shinbun published an article which featured a single mother of two from Japan who was in receipt of a 290,000 yen (about $3,000) monthly social security allowance. Despite this hefty amount of cash arriving in her bank account each month, though, she was alarmed to hear that her benefits may be cut in the near future.
What a good old dog. Just soaking away in the tub with her rubber duckies. This little shiba inu is named Kinako and she loves taking baths. Since Kinako is an older doggie, her skin get irritated from time to time, so she enjoys taking a relaxing dip in the bathtub every night. The following video is a minute and a half of Kinako smiling in the tub. But really, Kinako’s snow-white face peeking out of the water is so cute, that’s really all you need.
Hot on the heels of Dyson with its bladeless electric fan technology, Japan’s Panasonic has unveiled its new low power “Slim Fan” for year-round use. And for a device designed primarily to shift air around the room, it’s pretty sexy.
A new barrier that rises and falls with trains’ arrival and departure is due to be trialed at a busy commuter station this year, a report from Japan’s IT Media has said.
You’ve all heard the joke about the sinking ship, right? This joke explicitly reveals the deep inner motivations of the men of many different nations. It’s famous for hitting the nail on the head when it comes to cultural stereotypes. Really, this joke knows you better than you know yourself. Popular in Japan, it also goes down a treat at drinking parties worldwide.
So, what is this joke that so accurately pinpoints cultural stereotypes? Here it is…
Daisuke Amaya, the creator of critically acclaimed platform adventure game Dōkutsu Monogatari (Cave Story in the west) announced on Saturday at the Kyoto-held indie developer event BitSummit that his new game Gero Blaster would be arriving this May.
Just last week, after having sat through it for possibly the tenth time in just a couple of hours, I took a screen grab of an unskippable YouTube ad and shared it on my personal Facebook feed. Whether it’s the theme tune, the overly dramatic presenter’s way of speaking or the fact that I care nothing for pachinko, I don’t know, but this ad was slowly driving me mad. As it turns out, I wasn’t alone.
For those whose work has them chained to a desk, concerns about whether or not they are getting enough exercise often creep into their minds.
In Japan, it is estimated that an average adult male should burn about 2,000 calories a day while an adult female should use around 1,700 (numbers vary according to age and build). Even armed with that knowledge, many people still consume more calories than they burn by indulging in snacks between meals and eating excessively late into the night. A lot of desk jockeys are probably wondering what they should do to better their situation.
Well, there might be some good news. The number of calories burnt at the click of a mouse has recently been calculated.
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This afternoon in Tokyo, a government-hosted remembrance ceremony will be held for the 15,881 people who died and the 2,668 who remain unaccounted for as a result of the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami that struck Northeastern Japan two years ago today. The Emperor and Empress of Japan will also be present at the ceremony, at which the nation will be asked to observe a moment of silence beginning at 2:46 p.m..
Tomoko Wakasugi (Grandma Wakasugi) is a prolific writer on the shokuyo style of eating. Shokuyo is a lifestyle similar to a macrobiotic diet in which only all natural grains and plants are prepared and eaten carefully to maintain physical and mental health and combat disease.
She said that she began her writing career after prolonging her husband’s life to six years after he was only given two months to live by doctors. His dying wish was for her to help others through her knowledge of alternative nutrition.
The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (PCC) is a group composed of politicians, organizations, and other independent members who gather to help shape the political agenda for the upcoming year.
During this meeting on 4 March, international film star Jackie Chan appeared before the Governmental Advisory Institute with some stern words about the way law enforcement is handled in his country when it comes to cigarettes.
It’s already March and things are starting to look a lot like spring. The sun is out, the birds are back, and those dead hunks of wood are starting to look a little more like trees. Sunny skies are here again and everyone seems to have a pep back in their step… except for those with allergies.
Now, let’s be honest, for those who suffer from hay fever, spring is a b*tch. Excuse the profanity, but hay fever sufferers know that the coming of spring signals itchy eyes, piles of tissues, and all around unpleasantness. If you have hay fever and were thinking about visiting Tokyo, think again; this weekend’s pollen levels are literally off the charts.
Starting on April 20, a special art exhibition featuring the works of death row inmates will open at the Tomonoura Museum in Fukuyama, Hiroshima. The prisoners have been sentenced to death but are unaware of when their sentence will be carried out. The exhibition, which contains paintings that were created during a grim time in each prisoner’s life, aims to answer the question, “Why do people express themselves?”
Japanese electronics maker Sharp has in recent years seen a slump in sales. What is arguably required for the company to remain afloat in this tough consumer market is a change in business strategies. As one of Japan’s most renowned sellers of liquid crystal displays, Sharp is hastily searching for ways to revamp its administration.
First there was talk of a possible alliance between Sharp and Taiwanese major electronic company Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. However, coming to a deadlock in investment negotiations, Sharp changed course by forming an alliance with a company that was arguably up until now its biggest competitor on the market, South Korea’s Samsung Electronics Co. It was announced this week that a capital alliance between the two companies is in its final stages of negotiation.
Crane games, claw machines, UFO catchers, whatever you want to call them can be found scattered all across East Asia taking in reams of cash with promises of prizes ranging from giant stuffed phallic mushrooms to game consoles.
Oh, how I look back fondly on lining up my plastic pincers precisely over a PSP only to have them go limp at the last minute. The nursing staff and I had many a chuckle as they stitched up my knuckles from punching repeatedly into the Plexiglas window.
Thanks to Netch and their remote web browser operated crane game, instead of getting charged with destruction of property I can get enraged in front of my own computer screen!
We’ve never been ones to shy away from fast food challenges, and today is no exception. Today may well be Friday to the rest of you, but for the RocketNews24 team, and especially our champion eating machine Mr. Sato, today was and will forever remain the day that we took on the challenge of the 100 slice onion tower.
From the people who brought you the 1,000 cheese slice whopper and the 1,050 rasher bacon burger, we proudly present: The Onion Tower Challenge.
Domino’s Pizza stepped things up a gear yesterday when it announced that it is partnering with digital pop idol Hatsune Miku for its latest promotional campaign. As well as allowing them to order pizzas without actually having to speak to anyone, the new Domino’s Pizza feat. Hatsune Miku app for iPhone lets customers enjoy private performances from the singing humanoid by pointing the iPhone’s camera at special app-friendly pizza boxes.
Perhaps even better than the campaign itself, though, is the cheesy video that Domino’s launched yesterday to introduce the app, which features company president Scott Oellkers doing his best to look excited about having his photo taken with the teal-haired star. Corporate enthusiasm aplenty after the break.
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Weekly
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Monthly
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it- Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
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Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
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61-year-old Kyoto man arrested for playing guitar and radio too loudly for seven years
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