competition
Alternative in-flight entertainment aimed at pleasing customers leaves much to be desired.
With each battle lasting less than five seconds, these merciless machines are perhaps the future of sumo.
Love Kit Kats? Wish you could get your hands on the amazing varieties available only in Japan? How about a whole box of them?
Did you enter our recent contest to win “Exploring Kyoto” and “Kyoto—Heart of Japan”? Well, now’s the time to find out if you’ve won!
Heading to Kyoto soon? Simply want to know more about Japan’s ancient capital? We have the perfect book and DVD for you—and you could win them by answering one easy question!
The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force and the U.S. Army faced off to determine which side was more worthy of the title of “Iron Chef.”
We know you’ve kept you waiting, but it’s finally time to announce the winner of the RocketNews24 competition!
Join us after the jump to find out who we’ll be flying over to Japan to fulfil their Japan dream experience!
Calling all anime enthusiasts and obsessive collectors! Today we have a very special announcement that will put a big smile on your face and have you doing flappy hands like a sugar-rushing toddler in a toy shop. Thanks to the good people at Stone Bridge Press, we have one hardback and three electronic copies of the incredible The Anime Encyclopedia 3rd Revised Edition to give away!
Join us after the jump to find out how to make this book your own.
If you fancy yourself as a bit of a soy sauce connoisseur or if you enjoy dabbling in Japanese fusion cooking, we’ve found a perfect way for you to earn some easy prize money.
The Japan Soy Sauce Association is currently accepting entries for two special contest categories: Washoku, for Japanese-style recipes and Your Country’s Cuisine, for food that incorporates the use of soy sauce into traditional dishes from your homeland.
With the top prize being 100,000 yen (US$834.87), if you’re a foreigner living in Japan, now’s the time to get that apron on and get cooking!
At a press conference on April 8, Fukushima City representatives announced that the bottled tap water produced in the city has won a Gold Quality Award in the 2015 Monde Selection, a prestigious international competition designed to test the quality of various consumer products. By winning this award, the city hopes to dispel negative rumors about lingering radioactive contamination following the meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in 2011.
What’s the best way to ring in the New Year? Participate in a nation-wide food ranking competition, of course! Japan loves to make lists, and everyone checks them twice to see where they rank on all the big sites. But in a country that loves food, competition is always fierce to see which area of Japan has the best local delicacy.
Yamazaki Baking Co. has a set of sandwiches that are called the “Lunch Pack“. Two pieces of white bread are sandwiched together and filled with a variety of ingredients. This year, seven lucky fillings are facing off to become the most popular Lunch Pack of them all! Find out how you can participate and what exciting flavors hope to be eaten after the jump.
Modeling is a tough business. You need the body, the face, and perhaps the most difficult thing to achieve: the walk. All the top models must combine these three components perfectly. In an industry that is so difficult to break into, a reality TV competition where the winners are whisked off to Italy for a potential professional modeling career could be just the chance an aspiring model is looking for! But these contestants will have to show off more than just their good looks to win this competition. What do these model wannabes have to do to prove their worth for this Chinese TV show? It might just bug some people.
Summer in Japan means a few things. For some, the negatives, such as the endless days of heat and humidity, are what always weigh on their minds. But for others, summer means mainly two things: festivals and fireworks! While most cities have a summer festival to call their own, the most common and most popular type is the fireworks festival (hanabi taikai). RocketNews24 wants to introduce you to the fireworks festival that sits at the top of many peoples’ lists as the biggest and best fireworks festival of the summer! The location will definitely surprise you!




















New Pokémon anniversary song is 22 minutes long, features all 1,025 Pokémon species [Video]
Lego PlayStation recreates Sony’s original console, makes unusual choice for games to salute
New Japanese convenience store rice balls taste like instant noodles [Taste test]
7-Eleven Japan releases new Tsukimi Moon-Viewing range for autumn, with a must-try daifuku and teriyaki burger
Kyoto temple bans visitors from wearing kimono
Kobe middle schools begin abolishing extracurricular activities, shift to community programs
Starbucks Japan releases new coffee table book featuring 18 of the most unique stores around the country
Studio Ghibli adds new finger puppets to its anime merchandise collection in Japan
Japan’s Tsukimi One-hand Bento’s name is all wrong, but it still looks entirely delicious
Japan’s revolving sushi restaurant king Sushiro coming to U.S. this fall with high prices, no tipping
Solo travel in Japan: Hidden beer garden in Tokyo is a haven for single visitors
A real-world Pokémon Poké Ball hotel is opening in Japan at a still-secret location [Video]
Japan’s first fall color forecast for 2026 is here!
Studio Ghibli unveils new anime calendars and diary planners for 2027
One Piece Day 2026 brings new art, music, and new cast announcements
Tamagotchi evolves into a ring for its 30th anniversary, preorders now open
Starbucks Japan reveals new Tsukimi Moon-Viewing drinkware and gifts for autumn 2026
Family Mart releases Famima convenience store products nationwide, but which ones are worth buying?
12-year-old British girl who went missing in Tokyo found safe after visiting anime sites around Yokohama
7-year-old boy left behind on Mt. Fuji by his own dad
Japan’s final Penguin Suica train cards have already shipped, and when they’re gone, they’re gone
Sushi Bus: Japan’s first conveyor-belt bus lets you eat sushi while sightseeing around Tokyo
Japanese toilet aims to attract foreign tourists but not everybody is happy about it
New Japanese vending machine at Shinkansen station sells cups of ice on platform
Study finds hundreds of people in Indonesia legally named after Naruto, Inuyasha, other anime stars
Japan approves foreign resident visa renewal fee increases of up to 967 percent, starts soon
Japan tripled its departure tax to fund tourism but is using the money on cherry blossoms and bears
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
Kobe middle schools begin abolishing extracurricular activities, shift to community programs
Starbucks Japan releases new coffee table book featuring 18 of the most unique stores around the country
Studio Ghibli adds new finger puppets to its anime merchandise collection in Japan
Japan’s Tsukimi One-hand Bento’s name is all wrong, but it still looks entirely delicious
Japan’s revolving sushi restaurant king Sushiro coming to U.S. this fall with high prices, no tipping
Join Naked in the Niwa garden: Kyoto Station’s newest spot to craft traditional art
Starbucks Japan reveals new Tsukimi Moon-Viewing drinkware and gifts for autumn 2026
Starbucks Japan adds new Sweet Potato Frappuccino and Latte to the menu, but do they deliver the taste of autumn?
Studio Ghibli unveils new My Neighbour Totoro Yearly Plate for 2027
Onsen Egg Bukkake Udon Ice Cream makes us rethink everything we thought we knew about sweets
Is Tokyo’s Odaiba, once one of its trendiest neighborhoods, becoming a ghost town? [Photos]
Japan’s first fall color forecast for 2026 is here!
Solo travel in Japan: $3 all-you-can-drink deal at this conveyor belt restaurant is a fun time for one
A real-world Pokémon Poké Ball hotel is opening in Japan at a still-secret location [Video]