Barack Obama
A pretty major difference between anime and western animation is the amount of detail Japanese productions put into character profiles and backstories. For just about any significant anime character, you can be sure the creators have decided on things such as a family name, exact height in centimeters, favorite food, and, in the case of sex-appeal female characters, bust, waist, and hip measurements.
If nothing else, characters almost always have an official birthday, even if there’s never an episode highlighting it or any other part of the story affected by, for instance, Attack on Titan’s Levi being born on December 25. Now, a fan-produced website has compiled a database of anime birthdays, allowing you to plug in your own to see which characters you could conceivably share a cake with.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is currently making a diplomatic visit to the United States, where he was received by President Barack Obama. The two heads of state recently appeared before the press in a ceremony where the American President reiterated the importance of cooperation between the two countries, and also thanked Japan for all that cool anime.
Confusion broke out online in Japan recently as people weren’t sure what to make of a comment uttered by US President Barack Obama on 25 November. During a speech regarding immigration reform in Chicago he cited Japan as an example of a country which doesn’t “have problems with certain folks being discriminated against.”
In Obama’s mind, the remark must have been an innocuous comment meant to lighten the crowd. Little did he know that it would wind up mentioned in the Japanese press and through a chain of misunderstandings would lead some to comment: “Look at that. So he admits the evils of immigration after all!” It’s as if Aaron Sorkin wrote an episode of Three’s Company.
Last week’s US midterm elections drew the attention of the whole world, including Japan. NHK covered the whole spectacle in detail, but the usually serious broadcaster went with a bizarrely cartoonish, over-dramatic banner that showed America’s most senior politicians looking like characters in a beat-’em-up game a la Street Fighter.
Taro Aso might be remembered by some as the last prime minister to serve during the revolving-door era of political leadership that occurred in the last decade in Japan, with the country being led by five different men between 2006 and 2012. During that time and elsewhere in is political career, however, Aso has also become well-known for his numerous gaffes such as saying he wanted to make Japan a country that “rich Jews” would want to live.
Now serving as Deputy PM and Minister of Finance, Aso’s legacy of inappropriate comments lives on. Following the recent visit by US President Barack Obama, the former prime minister felt it was time to give his two cents about the American leader.
President Obama made headlines during his visit to Japan, not for his diplomatic mission, but for his first order of business: dining at arguably the best sushi restaurant in the world. Greenpeace was angry about him consuming endangered bluefin tuna, but everyone else seemed to look upon his choice in Japanese dining experience favorably, many extremely jealous of the opportunity to consume expertly crafted sushi.
But aside from raising the hackles of environmental organizations and causing the world to crave raw fish, President Obama also had some other unexpected influences on the country of Japan. From the invention of new hashtags to the accumulation of trash around Tokyo, let’s take a look back at the Obama Effect on Japan.
During his visit to Tokyo, American President Barack Obama stepped out for a bite to eat with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at Sukibayashi Jiro, widely held to be one of the finest sushi restaurants in the world. As you’d expect from their lofty positions, Sukibayashi Jiro isn’t an eatery for ordinary folks, what with its months-long reservation waiting list and set courses that cost 30,000 yen (US$294) yet only an amount of food that can be polished off in just 15 minutes.
And what about the sake the two leaders drank together? Surely, that must be an equally rarified brew, far out of the price range of anyone who isn’t the most powerful individual in his or her country. You probably even need a direct connection with someone in the industry to buy some, right?
Nope. Not only can you score a bottle for less than 10 bucks, but you can order it online right now.
After President Barack Obama ate at a famous Tokyo restaurant that serves rare bluefin tuna, the environmental organization Greenpeace issued a statement saying he should have made more “responsible food choices.”
“As a role model, people will naturally follow you. The global appetite for bluefin tuna has destroyed this species, pushing it to the brink of extinction. It needs to be protected,” Casson Trenor, Greenpeace’s oceans campaigner, said in a statement to Business Insider.
President Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe just finished a meal at Tokyo’s Sukiyabashi Jiro, one of the best sushi restaurants in the world.
Sukiyabashi Jiro is headed up by 89-year-old master chef Jiro Ono. In addition to his restaurant’s three-star Michelin rating, Jiro is widely regarded as the world’s top sushi chef and was featured in the 2011 documentary “Jiro Dreams of Sushi.”
Notices like the one above, which was posted on Twitter, have been popping up at major stations around Tokyo such as Shinjuku. It notifies commuters that coin lockers will be unusable from 19 to 25 April as a terrorism counter-measure.
How exactly does shutting down coin lockers prevent terrorism? The answer is quite simple… but a little confusing.
MOST POPULAR
Now
6 surprising things about having a baby in Japan
Nara deer have a heartfelt message for tourists in new travel poster
New Japanese train station has no entrance or exit, only used to admire the scenery
Japanese net user finds U.S. propaganda film from WWII and draws unusual conclusion
Disney stops selling, producing Frozen Blu-rays in Japan as drug arrest fallout continues
Sakura shine at beautiful art installation at Tokyo Sky Tree’s Solamachi complex
Lupicia to release special tea blends based on Studio Ghibli films!
Epic Street Fighter comeback actually isn’t a comeback, but is something even more amazing【Vid】
Ripple glassware from Japan makes you feel like you’re eating on water
Random act of kindness in a Japanese toilet cubicle has us reaching for tissues
Weekly
Taiwan’s Pokémon Go granddad is still at it and now has twice as many phones
Panda sightings in Tokyo cause frenzy on social media
“In the end, she’s just a woman!” Man forcibly licks woman’s face on Tokyo street【Videos】
Bloody, ridiculous high-heel requirement for Japanese women at work sparks online movement
New cyberpunk maid cafe opens in Akihabara, Tokyo
Japanese former adult video actress Sola Aoi is pregnant, shares maternity photos
Spirited Away train station and submerged tracks attract Ghibli fans around Japan
Japanese gravure idol loses weight, becomes poster girl for Rizap weight loss company 【Video】- Lupicia to release special tea blends based on Studio Ghibli films!
Japanese exchange student sparks culture debate on Twitter with comment about American clothing
Monthly
Prominent boob-centric manga artist shocks fans by revealing she’s a beautiful buxom woman
Japanese Penis Festival 2019: Everything you need to know for this year’s Kanamara Matsuri
Sonic the Hedgehog creator gets one last blow to his pride on final visit to Sega office in Tokyo
Decorate your whole house like Sailor Moon’s Moon Castle with the new Isetan collaboration
Immigration officer has surprising questions for Japanese pro Smash Bros. player traveling abroad- Taiwan’s Pokémon Go granddad is still at it and now has twice as many phones
Japanese man finds grandpa using masturbatory aid as flower vase on altar for deceased grandma
Japan now has a traffic safety video for cats to watch to help keep them safe on the streets
A visit to Tokyo’s Pokémon Shirts store, and what all 150 original species patterns look like- Panda sightings in Tokyo cause frenzy on social media
Yearly
New Pokémon dress shirt line lets you dress like an adult in the company of all 151 Kanto species
Japanese dad mercilessly beats son to tears in Smash Bros. after he says he wants to be pro gamer- Prominent boob-centric manga artist shocks fans by revealing she’s a beautiful buxom woman
Artist collapses at Comiket and dies, leading brother to make a request of all anime illustrators
Ariana Grande “fixes” her 7 Rings Japanese kanji tattoo, but it still says tiny charcoal grill
You have One Piece creator’s official permission to have sexy fantasies about his characters
Japanese 26-year old single mother arrested for inviting underage high school boy home- Japanese Penis Festival 2019: Everything you need to know for this year’s Kanamara Matsuri
Cafe opens in Tokyo staffed by robots controlled by paralyzed people- Sonic the Hedgehog creator gets one last blow to his pride on final visit to Sega office in Tokyo
RECOMMENDED STORIES
Sakura shine at beautiful art installation at Tokyo Sky Tree’s Solamachi complex
Lupicia to release special tea blends based on Studio Ghibli films!
Epic Street Fighter comeback actually isn’t a comeback, but is something even more amazing【Vid】
Ripple glassware from Japan makes you feel like you’re eating on water
Random act of kindness in a Japanese toilet cubicle has us reaching for tissues
Marie Kondo helps Donald Trump tidy up the White House 【Video】
“In the end, she’s just a woman!” Man forcibly licks woman’s face on Tokyo street【Videos】
TeamLab Borderless: A visitor’s guide to Tokyo’s new jaw-dropping interactive light museum
Japanese airline ANA promotes traditional culture with kabuki-theme safety video【Video】
What does “Konnichiwa” really mean? Understanding Japanese greetings
New cyberpunk maid cafe opens in Akihabara, Tokyo
Japanese gravure idol loses weight, becomes poster girl for Rizap weight loss company 【Video】
20 things to buy at the Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo store
-
