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Taste-testing Japan’s three biggest convenience stores store-brand cup ramen【Taste test】

7-Eleven, Lawson, and Family Mart all have their own exclusive instant noodles, and we were surprised by who makes some of them.

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We test out Uniqlo’s “new and improved” Airism mask for form, fashion, and function

Can Uniqlo’s new version of the light-weight summer mask beat its disappointing forebear?

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Which convenience store has the best kakuni Japanese braised pork? We find out【Taste test】

This taste test was nothing short of a porky paradise.

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Starbucks vs. two popular Japanese coffee shops: Where can you get the most bang for your buck?

Based on selection and cost performance, we rank Japan’s top three coffee shops.

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Faced with a dilemma of choosing between Korean or Japanese makeup, Meg decides to do both【Pics】

Which do you think suits her better?

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Decisions, decisions. Artist presents choice between anime girls with different braids, ponytails

With some artistic decisions, the longer you think about them, the harder they become.

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Japanese Twitter shows off list of seven hilarious differences between being 18 versus being 81

Are you closer to the 18-year-old or 81-year-old side of the spectrum?

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Japanese comic shows four reasons people from different countries spend money on smartphone games

Are you Japanese, American, Korean or Chinese when it comes to smartphone game transactions?

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How does Hyrule Warriors Legends on the New Nintendo 3DS stack up against other versions?【Video】

If you’re planning to buy Hyrule Warriors Legends, watch this video to see if you prefer the Wii U, the “old” 3DS, or the New 3DS version.

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Twitter trend of the week – posting cosplay pictures side by side with originals

In the past few days, Japanese cosplayers have flooded Twitter with their own cosplay photos situated next to original pictures of the character(s) they’re portraying. This approach is convenient because viewers can see at a glance both the source material and how well the rendition turned out.

So far, we’ve seen anime characters, Disney characters, video game characters, celebrities, robots, mythical river demons, and more! Keep reading to pick out your favorites.

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Moon prism comparison! Video places new, old Sailor Moon transformations side-by-side

The brand new Sailor Moon Crystal, which just premiered on July 5, is being billed as a more faithful adaptation of creator Naoko Takeuchi’s manga than the previous anime from 1992. That doesn’t mean the two animated versions won’t have anything in common, though. As she was before, Usagi Tsukino is still the main character, with a black cat mentor and a mission to fight against evil monsters that threaten mankind.

And in order to carry out her magical duties, Usagi still has to go through a glamorous costume change, as shown in this side-by-side comparison video of the old and new Sailor Moon transformation sequences.

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Oculus Rift vs Project Morpheus: The VR headsets duke it out at E3【RN24@E3】

In honor of the world’s biggest gaming convention, Oculus Rift and Project Morpheus were put under one roof for a head-to-head virtual reality battle this week. Both offer players the chance to experience a level of immersion unlike anything that has gone before it in the world of video gaming. Both are astounding feats of technology.

Having tried both out at E3, however, we’ve decided there was clear winner. Find out which VR did it best after the jump!

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Doraemon anime’s visual & script changes for U.S. TV detailed

The Oricon Style website reported on changes that the Doraemon television anime is undergoing before its American television premiere this July. The Disney XD channel will run 26 episodes of the quintessential Japanese anime about a robot cat. The anime has been adapted for American culture and customs, as well its strict guidelines on violence, depictions of discrimination, and depictions of sexual content.

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Reasons why it’s harder to raise kids in Japan than in other countries…or not

The act of raising a child is never easy. Some countries offer parents enough rights and protections to make childcare a bit less of a burden, but the struggles and uncertainties that come with supporting another tiny human should never be disregarded.

That being said, everyone’s favorite opinionated Japanese blogger, Madame Riri, has a few things to say about how raising children in Japan is “ten times more difficult” than it is in foreign countries. Keep in mind that Madame Riri has only ever traveled to France and does not actually have any children of her own. But who knows? Perhaps there’s some truth buried beneath the mounds of limited observation, hearsay, and conjecture!

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Foreigners in Japan must grow accustomed to distinctive Japanese designs

When raised within relatively homogenous culture like Japan, one rarely ever considers how their everyday surroundings might seem strange to someone from another country. And I don’t just mean the historical landmarks and traditional clothing. I’m talking about items encountered in everyday life like home toilets, product packaging and cell phones. Japan’s culture has shaped the designs of these various places and products in ways that most Japanese people would never think to realize are different from their foreign counterparts.

Hoping to shine light on a few of those surprising little differences, My Navi News recently conducted a survey asking 20 foreigners living in Japan which things they considered to be of a “totally different design” when comparing Japan to their home country. Here’s what a handful of the respondents had to say.

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