Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
Last November we reported on a karaoke booth for one to three people in Akihabara called Choi Kara, which was becoming a big hit in game centers. Around the same time, another company opened One Kara, “the one-person private karaoke room.” Similar to the Choi Kara in many ways One Kara also lets anyone sing their hearts out without fear of judgment.
You may have heard various stories about special food items at McDonald’s eaten by the staff and not on the regular menu. One such item that is rumored to be a staple among McDonald’s staff in Japan is shio-burger, or plain salt-flavored hamburger. Apparently, this item is quite well-known among McDonald’s fans, so we decided to get to the bottom of what this mysterious hamburger is like. Read More
All of you cat-lovers out there, this is something you won’t want to miss! We’ve found a darned cute YouTube video that has captured the hearts of countless cat-loving internet viewers. The video shows a cat making a toy out of an unexpected object – a Mcdonald’s paper bag! Read More
With a new movie coming out, it seems that Japanese horror character Sadako from the “Ring” series is keeping herself quite busy these days. We’ve already reported to you about how she has collaborated with Hello Kitty. This time, she made a surprise appearance at a baseball game at Tokyo Dome Stadium to throw the ceremonial first pitch. Read More
In Kyoto, a tragic and fatal incident unfolded involving an unlicensed driver who ran their car into a crowd of people consisting of elementary school children and a pregnant woman. It’s one of those horrible accidents that bring out the deepest hurt, shock and anger in all of us.
So it’s no surprise to hear people lash out at whomever or whatever is responsible but an especially scathing commentary has sprung from a surprising source. Tajima Emergency & Critical Care Medical Center (TECCMC) who had sent an air ambulance to the accident scene, released an uncharacteristically harsh attack not on the driver of the vehicle but on the mass media outlets for their intrusive reporting on the premises in an article titled; Do people in the media have hearts?
In the bird world, the undisputed masters of mimicry are the myna. You may even have seen them on TV from time to time copying human voices with eerie precision, but you’ve probably never seen one quite as adorable as Abe-chan, a pet myna cum YouTube star.
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With the warmer weather coming we are bound to have those days where a particularly heavy lunch or wild night before turns us into zombies by 1:45pm. The question is what do you do?
Many of us plug through the rest of the afternoon for fear that dozing at our desks would land us out of a job. Some among us have pondered the idea of catching some sleep atop the toilet; the only place you’re guaranteed some privacy in an office environment. However, many are turned off by fears or stigmas that might be associated with sleeping in the crapper.
Then there are a select few – 30% according to a recent survey of middle-aged businessmen – who have the guts to go that extra mile and take a nap sitting on the can so that they can return to work refreshed. RocketNews24 would like to now share some of their various tactics, so that you too can embark on the noble art of “toilet napping.”
The recruitment poster for the Fukushima police force is moving, to say the least. It definitely singles out only the most dedicated, most driven potential recruits. The poster features a person wearing an anti-radiation suit, walking through some desolate, post-tsunami wasteland, with text saying hauntingly, “There is work here that only I can do…”. Japanese posters often omit words and thus have implied messages, but this recruitment poster is relatively explicit. And it has gained some attention for its darkness and severity. It’s pretty plain that you should be looking forward to working in hazardous conditions.
A police spokesperson confirmed that they were seeking people with strong mettle precisely because of the still-dire situation in Fukushima. The photo is from May 2011 (the disaster was in March), shows the main damaged nuclear reactor in the background, and was unanimously selected for the poster in February this year. The desire for driven new officers who won’t give up on the work or come for the job thinking about it too casually is understandable, but there could also be a subtext, which is that they don’t just want anybody either.
You may recall Mr. Sato’s brave challenge against the monster Burger King whopper with 1050 bacon strips. Not surprisingly, we had a significant quantity of bacon left over after that episode, and we were wondering what to do with it. Well, we came up with a brilliant idea – chop the bacon into small pieces and mix it in McDonald’s vanilla shake for a completely original drink! Read More
Design NORI, squares of seaweed (nori in Japanese) carefully crafted into intricate and beautiful designs, have been gaining attention both in Japan and overseas. Currently featured in KATAGAMI STYLE, a 19th century Japanese stencil artwork exhibition being held at the Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum in Tokyo until May 27, they’re going for 840 yen (10 USD) a piece and are currently sold out, the museum unable to keep up with a flood of inquiries.
How did this ‘designer seaweed’ come into being? We visited the Umino Seaweed Shop in Ibaraki Prefecture and spoke with creator Umino Hiroyuki (32) to find out.
What are some of the things considered to be lucky omens in your country? In Japan, it’s considered good luck if you dream about Mt Fuji or a hawk or eggplant in the New Year, or the number 8 is also thought to be lucky. But what if there was a sign of good luck that you could recreate at will? Well now there is, based on the Japanese saying that it’s good luck to have a tea stalk floating vertically in your tea. With the Cha Bashira Engi Cha, or “Tea Stalk Good Luck Tea” in English, you are guaranteed to have a vertically floating tea stalk in your tea. Read More
For many vegetarians and vegans, Japan can be a difficult place to get something to eat. Sushi is nearly completely off limits for those who forego meat, and very few Japanese people would consider California rolls real sushi, especially the chef of Vegetable Sushi Potager.
Vegetable Sushi Potager is a restaurant located in the glitzy Roppongi Hills Area of Tokyo is serving up a full course meal based entirely on vegetables. I was told that although its presentation is high quality, like a lot of vegetarian cooking the deliciousness of it doesn’t hit you over the head right away. It takes time to build bit by bit from the bottom of your heart as go through each course culminating in a new understanding of the word “delight”. That’s some big praise so I was understandably skeptical.
The Japanese convenience store chain Poplar has announced its newest store opening in none other than Tachikawa Detention Center. As in the clink, the joint, the hoosegow: jail. Read More
We’ve said before that Hello Kitty doesn’t appear to be too picky about her jobs – she seems willing to take on an awfully wide range of engagements upon request. Well, we’ve recently discovered that Ms. Kitty, as we sometimes like to call her, now has an amazing new job. This time, believe it or not, her job involves being baked whole and then sold as kongari-yaki or “golden brown baked Kitty”. What will become of our beloved Kitty? Will she come out of this endeavor unscathed? Read More
Have you heard of a series of unique creations called “Transparent Specimens” produced by Iori Tomita? It may sound bizarre, but they are specimens of different living creatures including fish, arthropods, reptiles and mammals that have been specially treated to make them transparent. And the end result is far from bizarre – in fact, the specimens are so beautiful that the series of work have a considerable following of fans.
The Japanese version of the popular travel information site Trip Adviser recently published a list of the best factory tours in Japan. Perhaps unsurprisingly, one of the nation’s most popular exports makes it to number one. Read More
Japanese mobile company AU has unveiled its latest concept phone featuring a wind-up analog clock.
Well that didn’t take long.
Just yesterday we shared the story of how our own Mr. Sato capitalized on Burger King Japan’s current 15 bacon strips for 100 yen (US $1.20) promotion by ordering a Whopper with 105 bacon strips.
While Mr. Sato managed to finish the burger, he didn’t seem to be in the best shape afterwards, falling into a meat-induced coma and then suddenly breaking out of it only to run out of the room with his hand covering his mouth.
Surely, we thought, Mr. Sato has finally learned his lesson; that consuming stacks of bacon is a task better left to professionals.
So imagine our surprise when he came in the office holding a plastic bag sagging under the weight of a 1050 bacon strip Whopper.
Rescue and firefighting robots that can operate in disaster areas too dangerous for humans can obviously be a great asset, and it is not surprising that research and development of such machines are conducted in many countries around the world.
One such firefighting robot developed by the U.S. Navy has been the subject of significant attention recently. It’s actually a humanoid robot, which is unusual for a rescue robot, but that isn’t the reason why it is gaining attention; the reason becomes quite obvious once you see a picture of the robot – the robot just simply looks incredibly freaky! Read More
A growing number of people all across Japan have been noticing their neighborhoods getting a little jazzier these days. If you live in Japan and haven’t seen them yet then just wait. But why have cities all over the country been trading in their traditional yellowish lights for the blue light special?
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We followed Tokyo’s mystery walking map and ended up creating our own bar-hopping adventure
New adults go wild at Seijinshiki Coming-of-Age ceremony in Kitakyushu, Japan 【Photos】
3-D Mickey and Minnie Cakes are Too Cute to Eat!
Man vs. Beast! Competitive eater Kobayashi takes on hamster in hot dog-eating contest 【Video】
Naturally brown-haired Osaka student sues government for forcing her to dye her hair black
Japan’s wildest Seijinshiki Coming-of-Age ceremony celebrates new adults in Kitakyushu 【Photos】
Pokémon Lego kits are finally on their way!【Photos】
How to escape the Tokyo crowds with a trip to a hidden gem on a special Japanese train
Tokyo’s first “breast slash” cafe is opening soon
10 times to avoid traveling in Japan in 2026Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Our 52-year-old pole dancing reporter shares his tips for achieving your New Year’s exercise goal
Starbucks Japan releases new Frappuccino and latte for Valentine’s Day
Ramen restaurant’s English menu prices are nearly double its Japanese ones, denies discriminating
Princess Mononoke magnets return just in time to treat yourself to awesome anime decorations
Umamusume anime girl plushie recalled for having parts she absolutely should not have【Pics】
Giant hotel rooms in Osaka reflect the new non-niche face of travel in Japan.
Japanese women showing rebounding interest in giving Valentine’s Day chocolate【Survey】
We ate sushi made from Japan’s most expensive tuna ever【Taste test】10 times to avoid traveling in Japan in 2026
Starbucks Japan ready to get Year of the Horse started with adorable drinkware and plushies【Pics】Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
7-Eleven Japan starts new temporary luggage storage service in over 300 branchesOur 52-year-old pole dancing reporter shares his tips for achieving your New Year’s exercise goalStarbucks Japan releases new Frappuccino and latte for Valentine’s Day
Disillusionment at Tsukiji’s tourist-target prices led us to a great ramen restaurant in Tokyo
Starbucks teams up with 166-year-old Kyoto doll maker for Year of the Horse decorations【Photos】
Tokyo’s Tsukiji sushi neighborhood asks tour groups to stay away for the rest of the monthRamen restaurant’s English menu prices are nearly double its Japanese ones, denies discriminating
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Starbucks Japan reveals new sakura drinkware collection, inspired by evening cherry blossoms
Updated cherry blossom forecast shows extra-long sakura season for Japan this year
Human washing machine pods coming to Japanese hotels【Photos】
Naturally brown-haired Osaka student sues government for forcing her to dye her hair black
Japan’s wildest Seijinshiki Coming-of-Age ceremony celebrates new adults in Kitakyushu 【Photos】
Pokémon Lego kits are finally on their way!【Photos】
How to escape the Tokyo crowds with a trip to a hidden gem on a special Japanese train
Tokyo’s first “breast slash” cafe is opening soon
Cyber Chakai aims to make Japan’s tea ceremony traditions more accessible with modern technology
Daiso opens massive new 25,392-square foot Tokyo flagship store with its two sub-brands included
Best practices for celebrating Coming of Age Day for those turning 18, 20, or both in Japan
Japan has a wild boar and venison vending machine, and here’s a great dish to make with its meat
Busty waitresses, breast-shaped ramen draw crowds to new anime-themed restaurant in Tokyo【Photos】
Secret staff cafeteria in Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building serves up an exclusive ramen
Kyoto’s most beautiful parfait cafes add sakura sweets for spring