Noboribetsu Onsen is a veritable department store for hot springs lovers, with many different kinds of springs bubbling forth from one of the best onsen regions in Hokkaido. Located in Noboribetsu City, Hokkaido, it is overflowing with sights to see, from Jigokudani (“Hell Valley”) with its spouting gas and high-temperature onsen to the century-old hot spring pond “Taisho Jigoku” and the giant hot spring pond “Oyunuma.”
Ensky Co., Ltd. has fashioned a set of playing cards based on the famous lines of Takeshi “Gian” Goda, a bully character from the hit anime and manga “Doraemon.” In the series, Gian spends most of his time making outrageous demands of other children and bullying main character Nobita, but there are times when he shows his courage and displays true friendship.
I slung my camera over my shoulder, ready to invade the world of cosplay for the first time at this year’s summer Comic Market 80 at Tokyo Big Sight.
When Mr. Satoh needs to get his heart pumping, he walks. He runs. He jogs, and he does a wealth of other physical activities.
Everyone knows JAL and ANA, but have you heard the name “StarFlyer” while strolling through Haneda Airport? StarFlyer boasts a fleet of fashionable aircraft featuring all-black exteriors and cabin interiors. The first sight of a bitchin’ all-black airplane zooming down the runway will take anyone’s breath away.
StarFlyer planes travel most between Tokyo and Kita-Kyushu, but the airline added flights between Tokyo and Fukuoka on July 1. I flew to Fukuoka on business last month, so I figured I’d give StarFlyer a try. Other than the stunning black of the body and interior, I took note of six features of StarFlyer planes:
An acquaintance of mine visited Ulleungdo Island, a volcanic island in the Sea of Japan over which Japan and Korea are locked in a territorial dispute. Three Japanese politicians aiming to visit Ulleungdo last month were denied entry into Korea, but Japanese are normally able to tour the island. There is even a tourist website for the island that targets Japanese.
Once I heard the Takara Tomy “Beer Hour” portable beer server, I just knew I had to have one. It works with both 350-ml and 500-ml cans and produces more foam than you can get from a can without shaking it up first. It looked perfect, so I ponied up the 1,995 yen and took one home to try it out.
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I finished my “special” beef bowl at Tokyo Chikara Meshi and immediately called for the cook. I wanted to grab his hand, shake it, and thank him for the absolute best beef bowl I have ever had the pleasure of eating.
It’s already late August, and there are but a few more fireworks shows left in the summer season. I don’t know about you, but when I try to take pictures to help remind me of summer memories, they never turn out as beautiful as the memories themselves.
Minutes before the tsunami that wrecked hundreds of miles of Japanese coastline hit land on March 11, an untold number of people flipped open their mobile phones and turned on their video cameras to record history in the making. New videos continue to pop up on Youtube and other sites.
Paper. Who needs it any more? With the electronic communication we are now capable of, it doesn’t do much good. In the world of Korean car thievery, however, it does much bad.
The Gwangju-Jeonnam Police Department has issued a warning on its official blog after recording a slew of cases where car thieves used single sheets of paper to carry out their crimes.
Most people boil, roast, or pop corn. Few process it, mix it with cream and sugar, and freeze it to create a cold summertime treat, yet that’s exactly what LOTTE has done with its “Corn Ice” now on sale in Korean supermarkets, Family Marts and other food stores.
Tucked away behind a counter on the first basement floor of renowned manga, anime and action figure haven Nakano Broadway is Daily Choco, a simple soft serve ice cream joint.
Everybody loves chicken kara-age, all-star of Japanese cuisine. The crispy, succulent Japanese fried chicken admirably fulfills its role as side dish, beer munchie, and midnight snack. Hardly anybody would turn down another bite or two.
While passing by the Shinkansen ticket gates at Tokyo Station, I noticed a vending machine that didn’t seem to belong there. Strange in this land of vending machines, I know, but something about this machine was different.
Has Odaiba seceded from Japan and created its own economy? You might think so if you looked at the price tags on the run-of-the-mill fare at this year’s United States of Odaiba, Fuji Television’s annual summer event.
In a country where 800 yen is considered pricey for a beef bowl, standard dishes like katsudon and butadon are going for 1390 yen a pop. A thread on 2channel broke the news on the menu, and there was no shortage of incredulous, mocking and sarcastic responses. Among them:
Do you have a guy friend who hasn’t had a girlfriend in ages? Some guys have no problem finding their next girlfriend after breaking up with the last one. On the other hand, some guys have never found themselves in a serious relationship of any kind.
Internet forums have buzzed with conversations between groups of Japanese women over what the differences are between men who can attract women and those who attract only scorn. After lengthy discussion, they narrowed the list down to 20 characteristics of guys to avoid: Read More
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