Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
cars (Page 18)
Itasha, literally “painful cars,” are vehicles tricked out with all kinds of crazy body work and paint jobs so that they look like something out of an anime and are supposed to “hurt” just to look at. There’s a vibrant subculture of itasha owners and fans in Japan and they meet up every now and then to show off their wheels and talk shop. Take a look at our photo gallery and see if you don’t get a little depressed over your own car’s lack of fins.
Like a migratory bird made of carbon fiber and engine blocks, every two years the Tokyo Motor Show returns to give us all a glimpse at automakers’ visions of the future. RocketNews24 visited this year’s event, and we’re here to share with you our impressions and photos of the massive crowds, newest concept cars, and hottest current models (both automotive and female).
The good people at Honda, seemingly having read our minds, introduced at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show this beautiful luxury chair-vehicle hybrid that we never knew we’d always been waiting for.
Gone are the days of actually having to get out of your seat to retrieve the remote, or that last broken chip from the Pringles can that somehow found its way into the seat cushion of that chair you never use. In fact, with the new UNI-CUB the only reason you’ll ever need to get out of your seat again is to give a standing ovation to Honda’s brilliant – and probably equally lazy – engineers.
Coming from the UK, I was always both amused and envious whenever I saw car registration plates during visits to the US. Every one I saw had a little state-specific design or message etched into it, whereas all plates in the UK are the same: dull black letters and numbers on a yellow background. The same can be said about plates in Japan, although the names of larger towns and prefectures in which the vehicle is registered are also shown above the row of numbers.
The town of Kotoura in Japan’s Tottori Prefecture, however, just blew even America’s plates out of the water with this über cute design, which features a portly cow, a pair of frolicking flying fish, and one of the town’s mascot characters holding the produce the area is famous for.
The last couple of years haven’t been particularly kind to Suzuki Motor Corporation. The company’s US division filed for bankruptcy in 2012, and the automaker announced that it would be halting sales of passenger cars in both America and Canada.
Suzuki still sells cars in its home market, but recent moves by Japanese politicians looking to scale back tax breaks for the compact cars the Shizuoka-based manufacturer specializes in have put it in a precarious position. As the man in the hot seat, Suzuki CEO Osamu Suzuki has come up with a bold and unorthodox plan: openly insult his customers.
Given Mercedes Benz’s reputation for luxury, it’s tempting to dismiss the automaker’s cars as being strictly for trust fund sorority girls or high-flying lawyers who just made partner.
Mercedes does have quite a bit of performance cred too, though, particularly for its extra-sporty cars that bear the mark of AMG, the company’s in-house tuning and motorsports division. But while you can find plenty of driving enthusiasts who get excited by the cars coming out of Stuttgart, in a new video Mercedes tries to stir the hearts of a new demographic: Zen monks.
As someone who feels lonely when his car doesn’t have a clutch pedal, the seemingly inevitable march towards self-driving automobiles isn’t exactly my favorite technological trend. Convenience is all well and good, but I can’t help but feel sorry for future generations that may never know the joy of a crisp-shifting manual transmission, or the amazing stress-relieving properties of a quick blast to redline.
Of course, there’s no pleasure to be found in navigating through a crowded parking lot hunting for a space. That’s why Honda is looking to take this task off drivers’ hands with an automatic valet parking system.
A true symbol of status for a whole lot of folks is the kind of car they drive. So what does it say about a person when a larger-than-life magical girl is bursting out the back of their van?! Someone is either absolutely amazing or amazingly disturbed to have so much love for an animated character. Either way, this has got to be one of the most awesome things we’ve ever seen rolling down the Japanese highway!
Recently in Taiwan, authorities finally apprehended a man who had been terrorizing a Taipei community for an untold stretch of time. This possible terrorist had been brazenly walking from car to a car with a cloth and wiping them down until they sparkled. The fiend!
Thankfully, a brave citizen saw their own car being shined by the man and reported him to the proper authorities. Unfortunately, the people of Taipei only had a brief respite from the horrors he unleashed as police released him shortly afterwards.
Sometimes, despite the director’s best efforts otherwise, the villain of a movie or TV series ends up stealing the show. Luke Skywalker became the archetypical example of a pure-hearted but bland hero, while dark side practitioner Darth Vader went on to become a true cultural icon.
Similarly, you’ll be hard pressed to find any viewers of long-running anime mecha franchise Gundam who name its original hero, Amuro, as their favorite character. His nemesis Char, on the other hand, has legions of fans, even though his last on-screen appearance was way back in the 1988 motion picture Char’s Counterattack. Despite his occasional attempts to drop space colonies onto Planet Earth, fans are drawn to the stylish Char, who has always had cool robots and a cool mask. Now, he’s got a cool car, too.
The humble stormtrooper. Shot, blown up, punched and jeered at on a near daily basis while the rebels–whom some would call “terrorists”–get all the fame and glory. It’s in their very nature to remain inconspicuous in their plain white armour, marching along in neat lines and even dying with a regimented clatter of boots on the cold metal Deathstar floors, and for that reason are rarely given a second thought by either their merciless dispatchers or the movie-going public.
But there comes a time when even the loyalest of the Empire’s helmeted servants has to get their groove on, and Japanese car maker Nissan’s newest ad campaign is allowing them to do just that.
In the never-ending debate about which country makes the best cars, it’s common to derogatorily refer to a Japanese automobile as a “rice rocket,” “rice burner,” or “rice runner.” Really anything with rice.
But with a new product from Saitama-based company JPN, you can own that insult, and turn it into a positive.
In order to show off their new automotive technology called “Eye Sight,” Subaru recently released a commercial starring miniature cars. Filmed without a single frame of CGI or a blink of sleep for 60 hours, the wonderland of a commercial is surprisingly beautiful! We do hope that the actual cars in the dealer lots will fit normal-sized people though…
Some of our readers may be too young to remember, but in his heyday, Ayrton Senna was the biggest thing in racing. The Brazilian racer took home the F1 driver’s championship in 1988, 1990, and 1991 before his life was cut short when his car collided with a retaining wall at over 230 kilometers (143) miles per hour during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.
Japanese motorsport fans have a particular fondness for Senna. Aside from having some of his most memorable races at Japan’s Suzuka Circuit, Senna won all three of his championships in cars powered by Honda engines, and was also involved in the production of the company’s flagship NSX sports car.
Using telemetric data Honda has recreated Senna’s record-breaking 1989 lap of Suzuka in light and sound as part of an incredible video posted on the company’s website.
It may be just a bit of clever PR, but this video released by Japan’s Honda Motor Company earlier this week, simply titled “Hands”, is one of the coolest shorts we’ve seen in a long time.
Beginning with the line “Let’s see what curiosity can do,” the video treats us to a look at some of the company’s creations past, present and future, all in the form of sleight of hand tricks, topped off with a generous helping of computer-generated magic. Check out the full video after the jump.
Mention Honda to most people, and they’ll think of a successful car company, if still a few rungs below giants Toyota, GM, and Volkswagen in sheer size. But Honda just happens to be the biggest engine manufacturer in the world, providing power for not just for passenger cars, but also motorcycles, scooters, boats, jet aircraft, and even lawnmowers.
Honda’s most die-hard fans point to the company’s racing pedigree and ease with which its engines can be tuned to make more power, both of which factor into its current project of building the world’s fastest riding mower.
Among the numerous luxuries the Conrad Tokyo provides guests is the hotel’s extensive list of amenities, such as uniquely-scented soaps, shampoos and rubber duckies to make bath time in your opulent, free-standing tub just that much better.
Of course, these pale in comparison to the perks offered for the traveler who books a room in the hotel’s newest promotional package, which include a 552-horsepower mid-engined supercar.
As the world inches closer and closer to driverless cars, Nissan released a video demonstration of their newest precrash system, the Autonomous Emergency Steering System. It utilizes an arrangement of camera, laser, and radar sensors to detect objects around your car and avoid potential collisions by commandeering the steering wheel.
In other words, if your car thinks it can drive better than you then it takes control of the wheel.
I’m sure many girls dream of having long, gorgeous eyelashes, and fake eyelashes are one way to achieve that. I know there are some quite outlandish fake eyelashes out there – some using materials like feathers or rhinestones – that are sure to catch the eye. Well, they do say the eyes are the window to the soul, so I guess “dressing up” your eyes is as good a way as any to make a statement. But it seems that fake eyelashes are not just for girls anymore, or just for humans for that matter. Read More
To say that the streets in India are congested is an understatement. If you’re used to driving in Europe or the U.S., basically you’d need to prepare to enter a completely different world, like in Running Man but with 10,000 other contestants.
10 times to avoid traveling in Japan in 2026
Umamusume anime girl plushie recalled for having parts she absolutely should not have【Pics】
Ramen restaurant’s English menu prices are nearly double its Japanese ones, denies discriminating
We ate sushi made from Japan’s most expensive tuna ever【Taste test】
Our 52-year-old pole dancing reporter shares his tips for achieving your New Year’s exercise goal
This quiet forest cafe in Japan lets you read all day in the house of a famous author
Things get heavy with the Gold Lucky Bag from Village Vanguard
Majority of Japanese mayors say foreign residents are essential but most see good and bad effects
Here’s what our bachelor writers ate over the New Year’s holiday in Japan
Draco Malfoy himself comes to Tokyo to visit Harajuku’s brand-new Harry Potter store【Photos】
Japanese beef bowl chain Sukiya’s 2026 Smile Box lucky bag basically pays for itself
Starbucks Japan ready to get Year of the Horse started with adorable drinkware and plushies【Pics】
Hayao Miyazaki says Happy New Year to Studio Ghibli fans with new art for Year of the Horse
Cup Noodle tries an authentic Jiro-style ramen, but something’s not quite right
Top Japanese cosplayer Enako returns to Comiket after 6 years, creates mayhem with admirers
The best Starbucks Japan Frappuccinos we want to drink again in 2026
We revisited Sweets Paradise after a decade to see if Japan’s dessert buffet still delivers
That time Seiji called JASRAC to ask why he didn’t get paid royalties for his song being on TV
Pizza Hut Japan’s hot lucky bags are perfect for a New Year’s pizza partyMajority of Japanese mayors say foreign residents are essential but most see good and bad effectsStarbucks Japan ready to get Year of the Horse started with adorable drinkware and plushies【Pics】
7-Eleven Japan starts new temporary luggage storage service in over 300 branches
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 considering law requiring more trash cans following litter increase in heavily touristed area
Tokyo’s Tsukiji sushi neighborhood asks tour groups to stay away for the rest of the month
Tokyo event lets you travel back in time, for free, to celebrate 100 years since Showa era start
Japan may add Japanese language proficiency, lifestyle classes to permanent foreign resident requirements
Sanrio theme park in Japan announces plans to expand into a Sanrio resort
Lacquerware supplier to emperor of Japan and Pokémon team up for new tableware
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
Japan’s deadliest food claims more victims, but why do people keep eating it for New Year’s?
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
This quiet forest cafe in Japan lets you read all day in the house of a famous author
Things get heavy with the Gold Lucky Bag from Village Vanguard
Majority of Japanese mayors say foreign residents are essential but most see good and bad effects
Here’s what our bachelor writers ate over the New Year’s holiday in Japan
Draco Malfoy himself comes to Tokyo to visit Harajuku’s brand-new Harry Potter store【Photos】
Mr. Sato attempts to battle his butt forest with Japan’s affordable Osu! Ass Hair Trimmer
Nearly one in ten young adults living in Japan isn’t ethnically Japanese, statistics show
Brand-new theme park in Japan charges foreign tourists 25 percent more than locals for tickets
Tokyo has a brand new Harry Potter shop with its own butterbeer bar – Let’s see what’s inside【Pics】
Three Inuyasha cafes opening in Japan to celebrate sequel series to Rumiko Takahashi hit
Celebrating washoku and rice — an evening with master chefs and sushi roll creators (Part 1)
Four Shinto shrines to pray for love at in Japan to start the New Year
Chiikawa Bakery launches a limited-time menu of sunburned characters and refreshing drinks
Private booths are coming to Japan’s Shinkansen bullet trains even sooner than we’d thought【Video】