Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
cats (Page 36)
Summer is over. For many that means back to school, back to nighttime coming more quickly, and back to bundling up from the cold instead of basking in the sunlight.
But if you want to hold on to that last little bit of summer, then check out the latest video put out by the famous Japanese cat duo Maru and his adopted little sister Hana. The two of them hang out on their new hammock, catch some rays, listen to cicadas… and end up using the hammock not quite how it was intended.
Many of the world’s oldest living people are Japanese. Whether it’s down to a healthy diet, good healthcare, or simply the support of friends and family, we can’t say for sure, but all those things certainly help. And now it turns out that even Japan’s kitties are living long lives—Japan’s oldest cat, Ai-chan, has recently celebrated her 27th birthday, and she did it in style!
Out of all the things we wish would spring to life from Studio Ghibli’s animated films, the catbus from My Neighbor Totoro would have to be at the top of the list. Who wouldn’t want to ride an enormous, fluffy, bright orange cat over hills and through forests on their daily commute?
As with all great things, if it can’t exist in real life, it can at least exist in the imagination. And there’s one imaginative lad who’s found a way to bring the catbus to life in the cutest way possible. All it takes is two ingredients: a fluffy, compliant cat and some Finnish beer.
While Japan is known for its large number of vending machines, offering everything from ink stamps to gold cans of Coca-Cola, there’s a very special type of vending machine that can be stacked three high and in long rows of twenty or more: the gachapon machine.
Often forming a huge wall outside gaming stores, these plastic-windowed devices spit out mystery capsules with tiny collectibles inside at 100-600 yen (US$0.84-$5.02) a pop. The latest gachapon to appear on the market is aimed at the feline customer, and if kittens could master the art of coin handling, they’d all be down at the vending machines, getting in on the craze that all cool cats are into – cat bandanas.
Even if you haven’t been with us for very long, it’s not hard to see that we here at RocketNews24 love cats. Big, small, fit, fat, even stretchy, cats of all shapes and sizes win our hearts! We even love them when they’re wreaking havoc on small towns of people, like the devilish little cutie in this feline remake of a man versus monster flick…
Space is scarce In Japan, so it’s becoming more and more common for people to settle down in a condominium tower. Even for those homeowners who can afford a detached house, the price of real estate means that more than a few decide on a three-story design.
So perhaps it’s was inevitable that this shift towards vertical living spaces would eventually apply to pets as well, which is why one company in Japan is selling this multi-level high-rise for cats.
Those of you who’ve read RocketNews24 for a while will remember the great and legendary Stationmaster Tama, Japan’s cutest feline stationmaster. Sadly, Tama passed away in June this, just a few short months after celebrating her 16th birthday. Though her replacement, Stationmaster Nitama, has already been appointed, we’ll never forget Tama. And it looks like Wakayama Electric Railway won’t either! The train line recently unveiled its photo exhibit of the cat, available for viewing on the Tama Train.
Is it dusty in here or is it just us? For some reason our eyes are starting to water up…
Cats are peculiar creatures. Now, don’t get us wrong; we love them and their furry little faces, but they certainly do have some odd habits. From playing with showers to hogging your keyboard, they always seem to know just where to be to cause the maximum amount of inconvenience.
But no matter how inconveniencing your cat may be, we doubt you’ll have as much trouble as this guy who’s literally covered in cats! You might think drowning is cats is awesome, but…well, okay, you’re right. It totally is! But the real question here is: Why do these cats like this middle-aged man so much?!
Here at RocketNews24, we love cute animals! From Shiba Inu to fuzzy ferrets to sleepy hamsters, we’ve got your daily dose of d’aww covered. So here is your latest fix: a kitten playing in a tissue box!
But wait! There’s more! This is not your ordinary tissue box. There’s a surprise waiting inside, so read on to see what it is!
Whether people like to admit it or not, a big part of being in a successful band is maintaining an image. Sure, we know deep down that most of our favorite musicians are just normal people with very specific talents, but we still love to see them as their over-the-top personas. David Bowie may be a great singer, but a good chunk of his success comes just from being so flipping weird all the time.
For visual kei bands in Japan, the “visual” aspect—and thus the image—can be almost as important the music for fans, and visual kei band The Black Swan are no different. But despite the dark, often graphic nature of their videos and general image, their drummer has revealed himself to be a big ol’ softie by posting a plethora of photos of his rescue kitty on Twitter…and winning the hearts of Internet users throughout Japan!
Yamato Un’yu (Yamato Transport), is Japan’s largest delivery company. Their beige-and-teal trucks, as well as their kuroneko (black cat) logo, are as familiar to the Japanese as the Golden Arches or the Starbucks mermaid. Their logo has also resulted in them being referred to colloquially as Kuroneko (black cat) Yamato.
Now, to advertise their compact delivery boxes, they’ve enlisted the help of a real black cat to show just how easy it is to put together. And we all know that cats plus boxes make a mesmerizingly adorable combination!
If you have a cat at home, there’s a good chance you’re well aware of the frustrations felines can introduce to owners, like walking all over keyboards or stealing your seat the second you get up. Sure, we forgive them, and we might even find it kind of cute, but eventually the “pranks” get old and we just want to be able to sit down and write the next great novel without having to delete our cats’ helpful additions of “jmmmmmmmmmm;;;;;;;acccccieiei1” every few minutes.
But what’s to be done against the wiles of a determined cat?! Well, you could lock your cat out of the room, but that would just be depressing. Or you could turn to Bessed, a design and manufacturing company that provides consumers with some…unique products. The company recently announced the release of their Neko Pochi Keyboard Cover, which is a keyboard cover designed to hold the weight of a cat over your keyboard so you can type. Now you know what to get all the cat-owners on your holiday gift list!
One of the great debates about child development is over nature versus nurture—are we the product of our DNA or our environment in which we grow? Most scientists seem to come down somewhere in the middle, suggesting that both play an integral role in who we become.
We’re not about to start arguing with folks who have PhDs, but we have discovered one of the most adorable examples of how nurture plays a role in the wild—or, at least, out in someone’s home. This cute cat has mimicked its way into Twitter’s collective heart and elicited far more than its fair share of “D’awwwwwww!”
It’s an amazing age we live in, where you can fire up Google Street View and virtually walk the boulevards of many of the world’s cities. But it turns out Google Street View has a bit of a rival in Japan. Granted, its scope is far smaller than Google’s, given that it only covers part of one town, but it shows up the Internet giant by letting you wander its walkways from the perspective of an alley cat, and even provides profiles of all the neighborhood kitties you’ll meet along the way!
Japanese raccoon dogs, or tanuki as they’re known over here, are animals with great significance in Japanese folk-lore. Among their many supernatural attributes such as giant scrota and swift speeds, the tanuki are also known for their purported shapeshifting abilities.
And though the above picture clearly dispels the size of their manhood, there appears to be some truth to their art of disguise. As the Twitter user who posted the photo explains, this little guy is actually pretending to be a stray cat so he can get some of the food laid out for him.
When you are a pet owner, you know that sometimes your pets love you so much they follow you around wherever you go. The special bond you have makes the two of you absolutely inseparable, at least until your pet gets distracted and loses interest in whatever you’re doing. But when you actually need to get work done or clean the house, your furball does this magical thing where they have to be involved with the process too.
Well, today was clean the shower day for this cat owner, and you can guess where those furry guys decided to spend their time.
Everyone knows that cats love boxes. It’s pretty much a universal trait amongst members of the feline persuasion. But it turns out that cats love playing with bags, too! Plastic, paper, whatever, these kitties don’t care, they just want to grab themselves a piece of the action, either by lounging around in bags or by sitting in them as they hang from hooks and doorhandles!
Enjoy this gallery of playful pussycats all bagged up!
Are you wishing you had a cat to cuddle up with, but for one reason or another you can’t? I understand that nothing can truly fill that furry void like the real purr-y thing, but you gotta make do with what you have, so here it is guys, the online purr generator, which allows you to create your own customized rumble-y purr, straight from your speakers!
The Internet is a weird place, isn’t it? On one hand, you can find numerous trolls being absolute jerks for no reason, and on the other hand, you can find great people making everyone’s day just a little better. Today, we have an excellent example of people making others’ lives a little bit better – with cute animals!
After one 2channel user started a thread asking to see others’ pets as he was feeling “hurt,” cute animal photos soon flooded in. We’re not sure why this guy wasn’t feeling that great, but we have a feeling that all these animal photos probably went a long way to helping him get through the day. So, if you’re having a rough day, we hope these adorable faces will help you too!
Station of despair: What to do if you get stuck at the end of Tokyo’s Chuo Rapid Line
Japanese government will check and judge new baby name pronunciations, presents guidelines
This downtown Tokyo cafe is like a time machine that takes you back 50 years into the past
Japanese train station vending machine has the best souvenirs for rail otaku
Totoro towels gently glow in the dark to set the Ghibli nighttime mood in your home【Photos】
Starbucks Japan releases a new Frappuccino that looks and tastes like a floral bouquet
Major Japanese city is abolishing extracurricular activities at all of its middle schools
Japan Railways opening reservations for ridiculously luxurious Kyoto-west Japan sleeper train
The best Christmas Market in Japan? Yokohama event is top choice for travellers
Kingdom Hearts fan commissions a gorgeous custom engagement ring from Takayas
Japanese company develops classy heavy metal band frames for glassesThis downtown Tokyo cafe is like a time machine that takes you back 50 years into the past
One of Japan’s rarest sweets is a sell-out hit that looks and tastes like frost
Studio Ghibli showcases traditional craftsmanship with new wallet rangeStation of despair: What to do if you get stuck at the end of Tokyo’s Chuo Rapid Line
Mysterious light-up rainy night-sound Totoro figure doesn’t actually show a scene from the animeMajor Japanese city is abolishing extracurricular activities at all of its middle schools
Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke plushies show a softer side of formidable Ghibli characters
Shakey’s is back! All-you-can-eat pizza chain returns to downtown Tokyo’s ShinjukuJapanese government will check and judge new baby name pronunciations, presents guidelines
Possessing Harry Potter’s Sword of Godric Gryffindor is now illegal in Japan
Uniqlo announces first-ever collaboration with horror manga master Junji Ito【Photos】
J-pop mega star Ado reveals she’s been living in the U.S., may not understand language acquisition
Starbucks Japan is calling it quits with paper straws
Studio Ghibli releases new range of cardigans for anime fans
Japan’s most popular castle raising ticket prices by up to 200 percent for non-local tourists
Furikake rice seasoning sales are soaring, which is bad news for Japan as a wholeJapanese company develops classy heavy metal band frames for glasses
Studio Ghibli heroine cardigans give you warmth and strength to face everyday challenges
Eight unforgettable hot springs, as recommended by Japan’s “Professor Bath”
McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Foreign tourists on Shinkansen bullet train break suitcase etiquette, angering local passengersPossessing Harry Potter’s Sword of Godric Gryffindor is now illegal in Japan
[Deleted] Article written for April Fool’s Day 2018
Japanese government to make first change to romanization spelling rules since the 1950s
Foreigner’s request for help in Tokyo makes us sad for the state of society
Japanese convenience store Family Mart announces abolishment of eat-in spaces
Life-size vibrating Legend of Zelda Master Sword for sale from Nintendo【Photos】
Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
Studio Ghibli releases free-download board game — Here’s how to play it without reading Japanese
Starbucks Japan releases a new Frappuccino that looks and tastes like a floral bouquet
Major Japanese city is abolishing extracurricular activities at all of its middle schools
Japan Railways opening reservations for ridiculously luxurious Kyoto-west Japan sleeper train
The best Christmas Market in Japan? Yokohama event is top choice for travellers
Kingdom Hearts fan commissions a gorgeous custom engagement ring from Takayas
Totoro sequel anime Mei and the Baby Catbus will screen at Ghibli Park this winter
Tokyo’s famous Lost in Translation hotel is closed
Find a red envelope on the ground? Here’s why you should never pick it up
Here’s what happens when you take medicine and supplements for baldness for two years straight
Mysterious light-up rainy night-sound Totoro figure doesn’t actually show a scene from the anime
How to get all-you-can eat doughnuts at Mister Donut for just 12 bucks!
Does Japan’s “body fat-burning” bottled tea really work? Our 30-day investigation 【RocketScience】
New wave of “creative” Japanese names read more like riddles