Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
China (Page 5)
What’s this strange contraption? Perhaps a headrest, or some kind of anti-cheating device? Maybe it’s something for the kids to hold on to when English grammar classes get too exciting to bear!?
Actually, this classroom has been fitted with these specially-designed desks as a measure of preserving their kids’ precious eyesight.
A bank teller in Shanghai kept a cool head when a would-be robber threatened her with a huge meat cleaver. Without showing even a hint of fear, the bank teller can be seen laughing and pointing at the man, as his bungled robbery ends in him being taken away by security guards.
While the silly news last year about a Chinese zoo trying to pass a dog for a lion made headlines around the world, the story this time is a lot more disturbing. A zoo in Xiamen (also known as Amoy) on the southeast coast of China reported earlier this week that one of its male fallow deer had suddenly died. As if its death wasn’t already tragic enough, upon conducting an autopsy, workers were surprised to discover the unexpected cause of death, something that could easily have been prevented. Keep reading to learn the unfortunate details.
BBC Television’s Sherlock is, without a doubt, one of the best TV shows of the decade–nearly anyone who’s seen the contemporary re-imagining of the legendary Sir Connan Doyle character is bound to agree. From the mysteries themselves to any of the numerous brilliant aspects of the show, it can be a bit difficult to pin down exactly why it works so well.
Well, unless one you’re one of the many Chinese women totally enthralled with the sexual tension between Sherlock and Watson!
![Air quality in Beijing now so poor that sunrises are being broadcast on giant TV screens [UPDATED]](https://soranews24.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2014/01/screen-shot-2014-01-20-at-12-07-28-pm.png?w=640 "Air quality in Beijing now so poor that sunrises are being broadcast on giant TV screens [UPDATED]")
As if today being a Monday wasn’t depressing enough, media outlets are reporting that the air quality and visibility in China’s capital city has become so bad that the state has begun televising live footage of sunrises on enormous screens ordinarily used for advertising. That’s right: with the real thing now almost completely hidden behind a thick layer of smog, people are actually watching nature on TV.
Squat toilets aside, Japan’s technological achievements in the restroom are well-known. From seat warmers to washlets and noise-eliminators, Japan is probably the number one place to go number two. But what does the country of the advanced-thinking toilet think of restrooms around the world? Read below to find out!
On August 11, Record China published an article based on essays written by Chinese students after their first visit to Japan. The piece, titled “How Japanese People Interpret Laws,” mainly focused on the students’ impressions of Japanese roadway rules and regulations and how strictly they are followed.”
Those readers who have had the chance to experience Japanese motorways might not have found the streets very safe at all. Narrow roads often mean narrow escapes from clogged intersections as pedestrians weave in-between eco-delivery bicyclists and taxi cabs. But compared to the hustle and bustle of mainland China, where the rules of the road mean every man for himself, Japan may very well seem an extremely tame, if not complacent, environment.
Summer in Asia is hot. Like, really, really hot. Seeing mirages hot. Cooking whole English breakfasts on the sidewalk hot. But no matter how hellish the summer heat gets, we will never, ever, ever set foot in this Chinese lake.
The above is the Hieronymus Bosch-esque hellscape of what is quite possibly the world’s most crowded summertime attraction: a lake in Suining City, China.
It was recently reported in the Chinese media that the window of a bus traversing the streets of Wuhan Province suddenly exploded while the vehicle was in motion. One of the left-hand side windows is thought to have shattered without warning, terrifying the passengers on board at the time.
According to Chinese media, a 68-year-old woman in the city of Bengbu made a somewhat gruesome discovery on Saturday last week when she opened a suitcase floating on a park lake to discover six human heads. Could there be any explanation for such a stomach-churning find besides murder and horrific gangland killings? As it turns out, quite possibly!
According to Chinese media, around a hundred crocodiles escaped from a breeding farm in the Guangdong province of China late last week. Inhabitants of the area, who include young school children, are said to be fearful for their safety.
According to news correspondence from Wuhan City in China, a Chinese-Korean woman used the internet to befriend a man from China only to discover that on meeting face to face, he fell short of her expectations. The woman then contacted local authorities claiming that she had been “cheated.”
The woman, Ms. Chan (35), who is of Chinese descent but possesses Korean nationality and resides in the city of Suwon, Korea, first made contact with the Chinese man (37) from Wuhan, China, via the Chinese instant messenger software QQ. The man is believed to be employed part-time. After several chat sessions, the couple are said to have hit it off and as a natural course of events, the woman suggested flying over to China to meet in person. However, for one reason or another, the man would always claim to be busy and say that it was difficult for him to take time off from work.
The Chinese government announced on March 31 that two men from Shanghai have died from a variant of bird flu known as H7N9. It is the first time transmission of this type of bird flu has been confirmed in human beings. After contraction of the virus, both men showed symptoms of pneumonia.
The Chinese Health Authorities announced that the 87 and 23-year-old men first showed symptoms of a fever, pneumonia and similar characteristics in March of this year. The 87 and 27-year-old-men died on 4th and 10th of this month respectively.
Shortly afterwards, a detailed inspection into their deaths was carried out where it came to light that both men had been infected with the H7N9 strain of the bird flu virus. It has also been confirmed that a woman in the eastern province of China, Anhui, has been infected with the same strain of bird flu. Her current condition is critical, exhibiting identical symptoms of pneumonia, however the woman is said to be receiving medical treatment.
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Recent reports from Radio France Internationale (RFI)’s Chinese site suggest that China’s pollution problem is raising serious concerns within the country itself. In the push for economic growth, the China is also becoming increasingly aware of what could potentially develop into a serious problem if steps are not taken soon. In this connection, there has been heated debate on the Internet suggesting that Chinese authorities are proposing moving the capital away from Beijing.
In recent years along with many other developing Asian nations, China has been increasing its level of industrial manufacturing as it readies itself for remarkable industrial growth. However, neglecting its environment for the sake of industry has brought with it the problem of dense smog pollution, with microscopic smog particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometres or less having been detected in overwhelming large amounts in China’s air in recent days.
The smog is the same as that found in factory exhausts, car fumes and the like. Measured per cubic meter, at one instance the observed value of pollution in Beijing reached levels 10 times the Chinese government’s recommended safety level. If one were to go by the Wealth Health Organization (WHO)’s recommended value, the figure rises to 40 times greater than normal. When it comes to pollution, it is thought that of the asian nations undergoing remarkable growth, 70% of nations are reaching a critical level. The toxic substances that seep out into the environment cause asthma, pneumonia and even in some cases death.
Of course, those living in highly polluted areas will surely want to know how their air compares, but measuring the levels each time can prove tiresome and expensive. With this in mind, one innovative company called Clean Air Asia has stumbled upon a way determine just how polluted your air is, and has designed an interactive map based on – wait for it – nostil hair.
With Tibetans continuing to set themselves ablaze in protest of oppressive rule by Chinese authorities, state media for Qinghai province reported that the government of the province’s Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture announced it would begin offering rewards of 200,000 yuan (about US$32,000) by December 27 to anyone at the scene who can prevent such suicides from occurring.
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I’m sure most people will agree that Hello Kitty, born nearly 40 years ago in 1974, is a creation that Japan can be proud of. She is now franchised in over 70 countries around the world. And once again, our beloved Ms. Kitty, the busiest and most famous cat in the world, is hard at work, this time at a restaurant in Beijing, China.
Yes, China is no exception when it comes to Hello Kitty’s popularity, and one of our reporters from Pouch recently had the chance to visit a Hello Kitty themed restaurant in the fashionable Sanlitun area of Beijing. And just in case you’re wondering, sure, we all know rip-offs are big business in China, but this shop is a legitimate operation officially recognized by Sanrio. So, let’s see what the aptly named “Dreams Restaurant (夢幻主題餐庁)” is like. Read More
Stereotypes; you have to love them.
Americans all own guns; every Brit has bad teeth; Asians make bad drivers; Koreans all eat Kimchi.
Usually stereotypes are utter nonsense- none of my American friends have ever held a real gun, let alone own one; a Japanese friend of mine once piloted my car along possibly the narrowest mountain road known to man when I was too freaked out to do it myself; and, as far as I can tell, my teeth are not in need of any urgent dental work.
But with 18kg (40lbs) of kimchi consumed per person in Korea each year, there might just be a grain of truth to that last stereotype.
So when news broke earlier today that Korea now imports more of its own national dish than it makes, it’s understandable that there were a few raised eyebrows… Read More
Haruki Murakami, the award-winning essayist and critically-acclaimed author of Norwegian Wood, Kafka on the Shore and many others, has spoken out about the recent troubles between Japan, China and Taiwan in a startlingly down-to-earth essay over on the Asahi Shinbun Digital’s culture section.
Motivated in particular by the recent news of China’s bookshops removing titles by Japanese authors, the essay focuses on the importance of cultural exchange in our societies and how, through all forms of media, we are able to communicate our very souls over seas and across borders. Read More
Even putting current tensions between the country and Japan aside for the moment, China has seen a great deal of civil unrest in recent months. With citizens losing faith in their government, and the gap between the poor and the wealthy seemingly growing ever larger, it is little wonder that protests and riots are occurring more and more frequently.
At the end of June, pictures emerged of clashes between residents and armed police in the Canton region. It later become clear that the riot occurred following little more than a scuffle between two boys from neighbouring towns that got out of hand. Angry that men from the first boy’s town had entered into the argument, adults from the second boy’s town also became involved, and the spat quickly grew out of hand with thousands of locals eventually becoming involved in the fray. Read More
Tokyo Tsukiji fish market site to be redeveloped with 50,000-seat stadium, hotel, shopping center
Red light district sushi restaurant in Tokyo shows us just how wrong we were about it
Japanese ramen restaurants under pressure from new yen banknotes
New private rooms on Tokaido Shinkansen change the way we travel from Tokyo to Kyoto
McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Beautiful Red and Blue Star luxury trains set to be Japan’s new Hokkaido travel stars
Mt. Koya planning to instate visitor’s tax to cope with huge tourist numbers
Pokémon Sleep camping suite and guestrooms coming to Tokyo Hyatt along with giant Snorlax burgers
We tried Korea’s way-too-big King Tonkatsu Burger at Lotteria 【Taste Test】
The day our male reporter used a women’s restroom with other dudes and they learned about otohimeMcDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
All-you-can-drink Starbucks and amazing views part of Tokyo’s new 170 meter-high sky lounge
More foreign tourists than ever before in history visited Japan last month
Starbucks reopens at Shibuya Scramble Crossing with new look and design concept
Studio Ghibli releases new action figures featuring Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind characters
French Fries Bread in Tokyo’s Shibuya becomes a hit on social media
Studio Ghibli glasses cases let anime characters keep an eye on your spectacles
Is the new Shinkansen Train Desk ticket worth it?New private rooms on Tokaido Shinkansen change the way we travel from Tokyo to Kyoto
Beautiful Ghibli sealing wax kits let you create accessories and elegant letter decorations【Pics】McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Studio Ghibli releases Kiki’s Delivery Service chocolate cake pouches in Japan
New definition of “Japanese whiskey” goes into effect to prevent fakes from fooling overseas buyers
Our Japanese reporter visits Costco in the U.S., finds super American and very Japanese things
Studio Ghibli unveils Mother’s Day gift set that captures the love in My Neighbour Totoro
Domino’s Japan now sells…pizza ears?
New Japanese KitKat flavour stars Sanrio characters, including Hello KittyAll-you-can-drink Starbucks and amazing views part of Tokyo’s new 170 meter-high sky loungeMore foreign tourists than ever before in history visited Japan last month
New Pokémon cakes let you eat your way through Pikachu and all the Eevee evolutions
Sales of Japan’s most convenient train ticket/shopping payment cards suspended indefinitelyMcDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Sold-out Studio Ghibli desktop humidifiers are back so Totoro can help you through the dry season
Japanese government to make first change to romanization spelling rules since the 1950s
Ghibli founders Toshio Suzuki and Hayao Miyazaki contribute to Japanese whisky Totoro label design
Doraemon found buried at sea as scene from 1993 anime becomes real life【Photos】
Tokyo’s most famous Starbucks is closed
One Piece characters’ nationalities revealed, but fans have mixed opinions
We asked a Uniqlo employee what four things we should buy and their suggestions didn’t disappoint
Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
Beautiful Red and Blue Star luxury trains set to be Japan’s new Hokkaido travel stars
Mt. Koya planning to instate visitor’s tax to cope with huge tourist numbers
Pokémon Sleep camping suite and guestrooms coming to Tokyo Hyatt along with giant Snorlax burgers
We tried Korea’s way-too-big King Tonkatsu Burger at Lotteria 【Taste Test】
The day our male reporter used a women’s restroom with other dudes and they learned about otohime
All-you-can-drink Starbucks and amazing views part of Tokyo’s new 170 meter-high sky lounge
Secret Kitchen bento serves Japanese flowers, birds, wind and moon in a box, but is it worth it?
Sakura tree falls on man at Sannenzaka near Kiyomizu temple in Kyoto 【Breaking News】
Family Mart makes matcha dreams come true with new lineup of strong green tea sweets in Japan
Ghibli Park opens final area to first visitors, with stunning new attractions and shops 【Videos】
The not-so-fleeting beauty of the cherry blossoms: An alternate perspective
A trip to hell on Japan’s ‘vomit ship’: Is it as bad as everyone says it is?
New train recreates hotel atmosphere with wood interiors and views from the foot of Mount Fuji
Virtual YouTuber anime girl offers breast milk feeding session as part of crowdfunding campaign