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April Fools’ Day

Japanese idol group disbands after debut concert, citing members’ excessive individuality

But there’s a comical silver lining that has heartbroken fans drying their eyes.

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Fashion model Yutaro trolls online shoppers in funny April Fools’ Day cosmetics prank

If you guessed the prank is that the model in this picture is actually a man, he makes no secret about that, and the real trick is something else.

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Japanese bodybuilder becomes world-famous on Twitter, but not for his swole bod

Instead he’s been tweeted all over the world for his (partially) convincing transformation into a pretty girl.

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Never get bored on a long flight again with Jetstar and Joysound’s Karaoke Flights!

What could be a better way to pass the time than singing your favorite songs with your friends?

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Top April Fools’ Day prank news stories from Japan

Our roundup of the country’s craziest April Fool’s Day products and services we actually wish were real.

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To combat declining birth rate, Japan to begin offering “Breeding Visas” to foreigners

Later this year, Japan will attempt to induce its own baby boom.

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New Nara deer adoption program lets you take home your own pet deer, help with overpopulation!

Love Nara’s legendary deer? You’ll love them even more when they’re in your house.

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Licca-chan spills her guts (literally) with this unsettling April Fool’s Day joke doll

This is the creepiest version of Licca-chan ever, even for an April Fool’s Day joke.

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McDonald’s Japan gets in on the April Fools’ Day fun with “new menu items”

Nothing says “I’m lovin’ it” like a few cheeky jokes.

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Would you care for a sip of my “Princess Urine” energy drink?

April Fools’ Day has really taken off in Japan over the past few years, with major companies getting in on the action too. One of our Japanese writers, the one and only Mr. Sato, sifted through the Internet to find products worthy of his time. That is how he came across the “Princess Urine” drink. You better believe that he bought it, examined it and took some hearty gulps, all for our entertainment, of course.

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Never lose focus on April Fools’ Day, you never know who will surprise you next

There’s nothing like kicking back in a theater and watching the latest movie release. With so many new flicks coming out every month, it’s hard to choose the best ones. That’s why the humble movie poster is really handy. Every once in a while a poster will jump out at you and catch your attention. Maybe it features a sexy image, or it shows a cool movie star, either way, the movie it is advertising wins a small spot in your memory.

In the case of this movie, the studios are having a little bit of fun at your expense, however. Behold, Will Smith’s new movie, Focus, starring NOT Will Smith! Who could possibly pull off the swagger of the former Fresh Prince of Bel Air?

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Google knows you’re no April Fool, so they offer you Pac-Man playable in Google Maps

You may remember Google’s April Fools’ challenge last year, since it was pretty epic. If you missed it, Google came out with a game where you could search for Pokemon on the Google Maps app on your mobile device. It got rave reviews and it’s such a shame that it was only available for a limited time.

This year, Google is reaching out to a slightly older generation of video game lovers, letting us play Pac-Man on real streets of Google Maps!! Of course, being Google and April Fools’ Day, there is a catch, but more or less, you can transform neighborhoods into Pac-Man game screens.

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Drive ’em wild with flame-grilled beef scented perfume! Just be careful not to get eaten alive

April Fools’ Day, every prankster’s favorite event of the year, is just around the corner, but what kind of amusing tricks will we see this year? Fast-food chain Burger King seems to be well prepared already, announcing a delicious meaty smelling perfume for their burger-loving customers, to be sold exclusively on April 1.

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Google sends winners of Pokémon Challenge ‘Pokémon Master’ business cards

Google Maps‘ elaborate April Fools joke got even better. On April 1, Google launched its Pokémon Challenge game, where users could search real world locations on Google Maps and catch the original 151 Pokémon to complete a Pokédex.

Players who successfully completed the Pokédex received a message from Google Maps to fill out a form for a “surprise.” It turns out their efforts weren’t for naught, as several players, including Reddit user “tinygrump” received a congratulatory letter from Google Maps software engineer Tatsuo Nomura and 10 business cards with the title “Pokémon Master.”

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Anime Does April Fools’ Day – Part 1

It’s April Fool’s Day, which means that plenty of anime companies are having a good chuckle with fake announcements, quirky crossovers, and more. Here’s Part 1 of our round-up; check back later in the day for more!

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Google kicks off April Fools’ Day with a Google Maps Pokemon Challenge that’s actually real…kinda

As you might expect, Google is up to its usual pranks in honor of April Fools’ Day, but this time, they’ve created something that’s actually playable that allows any Google Maps user to be the very best, like no one ever was.

The Google Maps Pokemon Challenge was announced in the form of an awesome YouTube video, with specific details on how to gain the coveted title of any 90s kid: Pokémon Master. Brian McClendon, Vice President of Google Maps, explains, “Now using the technology created by the Google Maps team, we’ve prepared the most rigorous test known to man to find the world’s best Pokémon Master.”

But this year, Google has one extra trick up their sleeve, allowing anyone to actually catch Pokémon on Google Maps.

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