awkward
Alternative in-flight entertainment aimed at pleasing customers leaves much to be desired.
Seibu Railways is set to celebrate its 100th anniversary with a brand new limited-express train. As innovative and cool as the proposed design is, the concept art is rather unfortunate-looking…
Sometimes doing stuff by yourself is the best way to go. Heading to the bathroom, for example, is generally something people prefer to do alone. And there are plenty of people out there who prefer to go to out alone; catching a movie or a show by yourself can be great if you hate making small talk, for example. But still, there are some times that doing something alone can be downright embarrassing.
So, to find out what the worst was, the Japanese website goo polled some of their readers to find the top 10 times they’re embarrassed to be seen doing something alone. Check out the ranking and see how many you agree with!
If you’re as introverted as I am, then the thought of public marriage proposals (whether on the giving, receiving, or spectating end) fills you with a deep, visceral horror. Popping the question in front of a big crowd is supposed to be romantic, but it also smacks a bit of desperation – with all these witnesses, how can she possibly say no? But what’s even MORE embarrassing is when your proposal is undeniably, horrifyingly lame, like when that one dude confessed his love to his girl with 99 iPhones, or in this case, where people actually got an aquarium tank diver to hold up cards with their proposal on. Nooooooooooooo!
Ever find yourself in a really awkward or compromising situation? The kind where you wish the earth would split open and swallow you up, or you could somehow be whisked away to some magic far-away land where you’d never have to show your face to the real world again? We’re pretty sure that’s what this 55-year-old university lecturer was feeling when he was found on campus, wearing nothing but his birthday suit. How he ended up that way is an even more interesting issue.
I come before you today, readers of RocketNews24, with a confession. What I am about to tell you may shock you, but it’s eating away at me and I need to get it off my chest. You see, yesterday afternoon on my way to lunch, I did a fellow foreigner–a fellow gaijin, if you will–a tremendous injustice. It was not my intent to do so, but at the very moment this gentlemen, this benevolent stranger, put himself out there and sought to make a minor connection with another foreigner, I turned away.
That’s right, gentle reader, I accidentally ignored a Gaijin Nod.
Allow me to explain.
What’s in a name? New parents often look for a name that they hope will embody the spirit of their child or be something that their son or daughter can wear with pride throughout their life, but even the most heartfelt monicker can prove awkward when taken out of context, and can be more funny than beautiful when heard by speakers of other languages.
For Japanese parents, the meaning of kanji characters used for a child’s name are just as important as how it sounds. Recently, however, one young couple had the name they chose for their new baby daughter rejected when they attempted to register it at their local town hall. It was probably a good thing, though, since the characters they had chosen had an altogether different, rather unpleasant, meaning that the couple were completely unaware of.










Wisteria season starts early with blooming of Japan’s Great Wisteria in its beautiful garden
Japan’s best conveyor belt sushi restaurant of seven years ago has now, finally, come to Tokyo
Japanese bento shop sells croquettes for 13 cents, but are they any good?
Japanese government wants overseas anime market to roughly triple in 10 years, but are they crazy?
Foreign tourists in Japan will get free Shinkansen tickets to promote regional tourism
All-you-can-eat doughnuts at Mister Donut: How many can we eat in 60 minutes?
Yoshinoya invites you to give the gift of beef bowls this Mother’s Day
Tokyo DisneySea’s new Fantasy Springs area reveals the beauty of Rapunzel’s Forest
Japan’s permanent Pokémon theme park zone announces grand opening date, ticket sale start
Get a Complete Psych Profile in a Few Minutes Using Only a Pen and Paper
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Mt. Fuji decorated with a 500,000-flower pink carpet is Japan’s ultimate spring view
Lawson convenience store at popular tourist site is one of the most unusual in Japan
Japanese trains in Sapporo might be better than those in Tokyo, thanks to one special feature
30 Pikachus want to share a Tokyo hotel room with you that has separate Grass, Water, Fire spaces
Man bites woman at cherry blossom park in Japan, dies shortly after
Starbucks Japan releases FIVE new Frappuccinos in a day, and we try them all in 90 minutes
Howl’s Moving Castle’s scene-stealing dog is here to clean your home as a plushie mop
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Japan now has a special desk for people who work at home with a pet cat[Photos]
Famous Tokyo cherry blossom spot installs view-blocking screens to fight overcrowding[Video]
Uniqlo announces new T-shirts for One Piece, Naruto and more for manga publisher’s 100th birthday
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
Krispy Kreme releases Super Mario doughnuts in Japan for a limited time
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
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
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
All-you-can-eat doughnuts at Mister Donut: How many can we eat in 60 minutes?
Yoshinoya invites you to give the gift of beef bowls this Mother’s Day
Tokyo DisneySea’s new Fantasy Springs area reveals the beauty of Rapunzel’s Forest
Japan’s permanent Pokémon theme park zone announces grand opening date, ticket sale start
Get a Complete Psych Profile in a Few Minutes Using Only a Pen and Paper
Can we pick out the Japanese premium priced persimmon in this blind taste test?
McDonald’s and Gundam team up for customized anime mecha and fried chicken sandwiches[Video]
Starbucks Japan opens new cafe and art gallery in top Tokyo tourist neighbourhood
Mt. Fuji decorated with a 500,000-flower pink carpet is Japan’s ultimate spring view
Best practices for celebrating Coming of Age Day for those turning 18, 20, or both in Japan
Making igisu, a traditional Japanese food even most Japanese people don’t know about【SoraKitchen】
New “drag queens and cross-dressers” locker room and changing facility opens in Shinjuku
Asakusa’s Yoi no Yoi bar crawl is one of Tokyo’s best local nights out
This no-bake sweet sake super-easy dessert is a perfect summertime sweets companion【Recipe】