CD
Which do you think costs more, the most expensive taco in the world or the entire video and musical anthology of magical girl anime franchise Pretty Cure?
Witness history in the making as the first ever musical album composed by a news-oriented website (we assume) hits iTunes and Amazon this July!
Being overweight can negatively impact your life in a number of ways, but many of them don’t become apparent until after years of a hyper-calorific lifestyle. As such, vague warnings about lowered energy levels and increased medical costs at some indeterminable point in the future, or even a potentially early death, don’t always have enough of a feeling of immediacy to be compelling arguments to eat healthy and exercise.
On the other hand, a better chance at winning the approval of women is almost always a compelling argument, which is why a new motivational CD is being released in Japan with a number of anime and video game voice actresses alternatively offering encouragement to dieters and spitting contempt at the “pigs.”
Reol (れをる), a female Japanese vocalist who has gained immense popularity over the last few years through her releases on online video sharing sites, is set to make her major debut on July 29 under Victor Entertainment.
The singer’s first solo album will be titled Gokusaishiki (極彩色), which translates to “Richly Colored.” If the album’s title track is any indication, the rest of the album will be a fantastical feast for your ears as well!
There’s no doubt that many people think Japan is a technologically advanced wonderland that has robots awaiting at every turn. Most people have their images crushed when they step outside any of the main cities and realize just how many rice fields and open spaces there still are. So when it was reported this week that Japan still significantly favors CDs to digital downloads, we weren’t that surprised. Find out the reasons why after the jump.
I’ve written about a lot of strange things from Japan during my time, but this one definitely takes the top spot so far. Have you ever wanted to know what sort of sounds men make in their downtime? Or wanted to capture them on tape so that you could replay them again and again? No, me neither. But apparently there’s enough demand for people to make a CD of these sound effects, and said CD reveals some surprising things going down in this ‘men’s time’.
Man, I wish someone told me this in the days of free AOL trial CDs.
It seems that putting an ordinary Compact Disc into your average microwave creates freaky lightning and a dramatic fiery demise.
Although you might expect them simply to burn up like an iPhone does, these data storage discs actually provide a kick-ass light show first.
This little known scientific gem was beautifully photographed and uploaded to Twitter, which then led to the discovery of a YouTube video documenting microwaved CDs. So please don’t kill your microwave or yourself trying this – just check out these videos and pictures instead.
At the recent International Symposium on Optical Memory in Tokyo, Hitachi, working with Kyoto University, presented their new type of digital storage. It works on a principle similar to CDs but with a few added benefits like withstanding over 1000℃ temperatures.








Create a tiny Ghibli anime world on your bookshelf with new miniature papercraft art kits
Studio Ghibli releases the My Neighbour Totoro tea caddy, with a magical self-closing lid
Japan now has a “for foreign tourists only” Mt. Fuji sightseeing train[Video]
Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
Fake police phone scam also highlights dumb stereotype about how foreigners speak Japanese[Video]
Is Daiso’s microwave Japanese rolled omelet maker worth your time and money? [Taste test]
Sega’s Like a Dragon yakuza teaches “useless” English, let’s use it to learn some useful Japanese
The results are in! One Piece World Top 100 characters chosen in global poll
Naomi Watanabe is moving to the U.S., switching base of operations to outside Japan
One Piece creator has hidden secret of anime treasure’s identity in chest at bottom of real-world ocean
Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list
Cherry blossoms begin blooming in Japan with record-early starts for sakura season
Tokyo government organizes food truck event to clear out delinquent/homeless teen gathering area
The next time you’re feeling stressed out, you could relax on a Pokémon Psyduck chair from Japan
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Nine amazing off-the-beaten-path cherry blossom spots in Japan for yaezakura and shidarezakura
Stunning central Japan wisteria festival is like a purple fantasy straight out of a Ghibli movie
When will the cherry blossoms reach full bloom in Japan this year?[Forecast]
Studio Ghibli adds new Mother’s Day gift sets to its anime collection in Japan
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura cherry blossom collection for hanami season 2026
Studio Ghibli releases Catbus pullback keychain that runs like the anime character
Nine great places to see spring flowers in Japan, as chosen by travelers (with almost no sakura)
Starbucks Japan releases first-ever Hinamatsuri Girls’ Day Frappuccino
Virtual idol Hatsune Miku redesigned with look that adds new elements and brings back old ones
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
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
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
Is Daiso’s microwave Japanese rolled omelet maker worth your time and money? [Taste test]
Sega’s Like a Dragon yakuza teaches “useless” English, let’s use it to learn some useful Japanese
The results are in! One Piece World Top 100 characters chosen in global poll
Naomi Watanabe is moving to the U.S., switching base of operations to outside Japan
One Piece creator has hidden secret of anime treasure’s identity in chest at bottom of real-world ocean
Studio Ghibli releases Catbus pullback keychain that runs like the anime character
The top 10 most popular instant noodle brands at the start of 2021
It’s illegal for yakuza to go to professional baseball games in Japan, Tokyo arrests remind us
Foreign-born convenience store manager in Japan saves elderly customer from being scammed
Private booths are coming to Japan’s Shinkansen bullet trains even sooner than we’d thought【Video】
Japan’s Mos Burger creates tempura rice bowl bento boxed lunch burger, but not for its menu
Here it is: The finalized map for Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan (and its food)
Tokyo has an anime character-themed perfume shop, and we stopped by to talk with the creator