Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
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He slinks through the trees, scanning from above for his next victim and waits, sword unsheathed, as his prey draws near. Plummeting down, death from above, he pounces and fells his target with a single swipe of his glinting blade. No one is safe when the killer samurai leaf attacks!
Opened almost two decades after it was originally imagined by real estate tycoon Minori Mori, Roppongi Hills — a self-contained mega-complex in the middle of Tokyo complete with office buildings, shopping malls, parks and trendy apartments — has become home to thousands of well-to-do businesspeople and Tokyoites, as well as a metropolitan mecca for those craving designer labels and fine dining.
In honour of Roppongi Hills’ 10-year anniversary, a number of celebrations are being held both online and off. The most creative and eye-catching by far, though, has to be the Tokyo City Symphony, an interactive online synthesizer produced as part of the Love Tokyo project. Combining music, 3-D projection mapping and a 1:1000 scale model of Tokyo with Roppongi Hills’ iconic 54-storey Mori Tower at its centre, visitors to the site are invited to project psychadelic patterns and colours onto the tiny, intricately-detailed model city in order to create original “symphony” music. The effect is nothing short of hypnotic. Read More
Ita (痛), meaning pain, is the latest buzzword doing the rounds in cool Japan. It’s used to describe something emblazoned with an anime or manga design, so bright and out-there that it’s painful to the eye. A suit with a cute anime girl pattern inside? That would be the itasuit. A car completely covered in graffiti-style tags and wide-eyed characters? The itasha. And what about nails with different character designs on each nail? That’s itanail. And according to a recent online survey, itanail is becoming more and more popular by the day.
South Korean automobile manufacturer Hyundai revealed its new E4U single-person concept car at the recently completed Seoul Motor Show. Egg-like in shape, the mobility device measures 92cm in width while standing 123cm tall. Hyundai believes the vehicle to be suitable for narrow streets in urban centers where speeds are generally slow.
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Players of the Call of Duty series are no strangers to downloadable content in the form of additional maps on which to shoot, stab and detonate. Ever since downloadable map packs were released for Call of Duty 3 back in 2007, console gamers have been treated to (or blighted by, depending on your stance on DLC) regular releases of additional content to purchase or risk being the one guy in their group of friends who can’t play on the same maps as everyone else.
This time around, developers Treyarch are dropping virtual soldiers and screaming headset-wearing pubescents on Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan’s four main islands. As well as being situated in the shadow of an erupting volcano, the town featured in the map is absolutely covered with cute cultural references and written Japanese which, we’re happy to say, is not riddled with mistakes.
“Seen this way, Tokyo really is beautiful.”– A comment from the Japanese Niconico Video user who originally posted photographer Samuel Cockedey’s video “Inter States” to the social video site.
The time-lapse video shows splashes of neon interspersed with orange street lamps, streaking red taillights and rushes of black figures, painting detail onto the concrete canvas that is Japan’s capital city. Hives of energy and movement, it sometimes takes an outsider’s perspective to recognise that even a sprawling metropolises like Tokyo can be quite breathtaking when we stop to notice them. The full video after the jump.
If you’ve ever wanted to hang a classy oil painting of your favorite anime or manga character over the fireplace, it looks a gallery in Nagoya may have you covered. Gallery Egao, specialists in otaku oil paintings, get permission from the original artists to do oil reproductions of famous characters at their workshop in Fujian, China.
Yuki Jirushi Coffee is a brand that pretty much everyone in Japan is familiar with. Available in supermarkets, convenience stores and even vending machines all over the country, Yuki Jirushi (lit. “snow mark”)’s sweet and creamy café au lait has been delighting coffee lovers for 50 years.
In celebration the country’s undying love for the chilled caffeinated beverage and wanting to spruce up its familiar yet somewhat uninspired packaging, Yuki Jirushi Coffee’s makers have teamed up with pixiv to launch a contest asking fans with a passion for doodling to come up with a mascot character to adorn the coffee cartons.
In January this year, we brought you news of an upcoming video game that quite literally evolves as you play, starting off as a monochrome mass of pixels before slowly introducing virtually every gaming mechanic and action RPG element that we’ve come to know and love, culminating with full-on 3-D visuals, giant demons and a suitably epic plot. That game is Evoland, and after long last it’s available to buy from today.
RocketNews24 was fortunate enough to receive a review copy of the game late last week. Having poured over the original promotional video for so long, it was with high expectations that we sat down with the full game for an extended session of hacking, slashing and critical dissecting. The finished article, we’re happy to say, is absolutely spellbinding.
A 17th century ukiyoe woodblock painting was recently uncovered by Japanese excavators depicting a futuristic robot that looks suspiciously like Marvel’s superhero, Ironman. The resemblance is so uncanny that we hear Marvel is trying to retroactively sue the artist’s descendents for copyright infringement.
When he realized he’d primarily been using his smartphone in bed, Nemool Smith, an au product designer and chief hardware architect, wanted a more comfortable and rewarding user experience. Coming up blank in an online search for solutions, Nemool got an idea and decided to approach his bosses at KDDI and get their permission to design a radically new hardware platform he was sure would revolutionize the way people used their phones. The result has set the tech world abuzz, and has the potential to vault KDDI to the top of the global smartphone market.
Introducing the new au zzzPhoneBed by KDDI
Electronic resisters, condensers, LEDs, and circuit boards are just some of the parts used to make these really cute, yet totally geeky accessories.
It’s been quite the week for Pokémon adaptation here at RocketNews24. No sooner do we bear witness to the horror of actor Nicholas Cage spliced with Nintendo’s elemental fighters than images surface online showing pokémon redesigned and wearing adorable, individually designed hooded sweatshirts.
Ladies and gentlemen, winter in Japan is officially over. The thermal underwear and thick coats have been packed away and people, or at least those who don’t suffer from allergies, are throwing open their windows and letting the warm air in. It’s at this time of year that people rekindle their love of the outdoors and, armed with their blue plastic ground sheets and big bags of food, head to the park in order to catch a glimpse of the cherry blossom at its best.
The official name for this recreational activity is hanami (花見 lit. flower watching), but for many it’s simply a great opportunity to get together with friends to drink beer in the park. Still, if you’re going to do it, you might as well do it right, so provided you can find it in you to fight through the hordes of other like-minded sakura (cherry blossom) fans, there are three locations in particular that we highly recommend visiting.
If you’re a video game fan and in the line for a new laptop computer, it might be your lucky day! Japan’s Sega Store is currently accepting orders for specially designed notebooks designed to look like Sega’s late, great home consoles.
Short of dropping our current machines down the stairs or accidentally pouring coffee over them, we don’t necessarily need one per-se, but the more we gaze upon these photos, the more that little tech-loving devil inside us shouts the same word over and over and pumps gaming nostalgia into our bloodstream. Waaaant!
Never shy of running a cool promotional offer or two, Japanese convenience store Lawson has announced that it will be transforming one of its Tokyo outlets into a video game castle to mark the launch of the Nintendo Wii U version of hugely popular game Dragon Quest X. Even better, visitors to the store will be able to bag themselves a whole host of themed goodies and even unlock in-game items during the promotional period.
Ever the video game fans, we have to admit that there were a couple of gasps and squeals of delight this morning at the RocketNews24 office when we first caught sight of these The Legend of Zelda-themed banknotes designed by deviantART member Ash. With 1, 5, 10 and 20 rupee notes featuring characters from the series and printed in colours faithful to the game’s gem-shaped currency, we’re positively dying for Nintendo to adopt the idea and make these things official Club Nintendo freebies.
Ita-goods have been gaining popularity amongst Japanese anime fans, starting with the itasha and continuing the painfully embarrassing rampage with the ita-in (painful stamp) and itasuit. This fad has now infiltrated nail salons, with the itanail: beautiful images of anime and manga characters painted on women’s fingernails.
The itanail is featured in Akihabara specialty nail salon, ita color’s [sic] yellow. The salon has been churning out some amazing nail designs featuring the likes of Sailor Moon, Evangelion, and many more.
Host King Roland goes to Akihabara disguised as a foreign otaku 【Video】
Boxer Kazuto Ioka in trouble for showing tattoos during match, flips off association in response
Tokyo airport’s new train line to make getting into, out of the city easier for JR pass holders
We finally get our mouthwatering Ichiran Ramen fukuburo lucky bag
Not-guilty verdict for man in women’s restroom, he had to go so bad it clouded his judgement
Morinaga Milk’s new cuddly commercial series shows snapshots of Japanese family warmth【Video】
Maximum Shiba! Dog in Japan’s first day in the snow is a hyper expression of pure joy【Vid】
Does changing your smartphone lock to 8376 bring good luck, as one Japanese book title suggests?
Tokyo ramen restaurant’s brilliant idea: takeout cups of just ramen broth!【Photos】
Ippudo serves up plant-based tonkotsu ramen in Japan for a limited time
Japanese boy whom Ronaldo stood up for in 2014 becomes national soccer championWe finally get our mouthwatering Ichiran Ramen fukuburo lucky bag
Pringles now comes in karaage flavour in Japan
7-Eleven under fire in Japan for mysterious holes in their onigiri rice balls
Japan now has talking Evangelion ATMs
NHK announces “substantial” fee reduction, Japanese Internet reacts with jeering
We taste the new Japanese KitKat, aged in whisky barrels in Islay, Scotland
Woman asks for eight-hour taxi ride in Japan, arrested when she doesn’t pay gigantic fare
Cherry blossom curry is set to bring spring to your plate even before the sakura arrive
Japanese restaurant from the Edo Period forced to close due to coronavirus pandemic
McDonald’s releases an Oreo and Spam burger for a very limited time
Top 100 manga of all time chosen by survey of 150,000 Japanese people
Here’s why Japanese supermarkets play “cheap” background music all day, according to Twitter
English mistake on new Japanese beer leads to suspension of sales before its release
We try a rotating sushi restaurant in New Delhi, are surprised to find no rotating sushi
McDonald’s releases Katsu Curry Chicken McNuggets, but do they taste Japanese?
Utada Hikaru sings, Eva fights Eva in jaw-dropping new trailer for final Evangelion movie【Video】
Japanese media finds out if it’s cold enough to “fry” an egg on the street in Hokkaido
Burger King releases new Whopper to ward off evil in Japan
Flying in Japan? Your flight may soon be arriving at “Hatsune Miku Airport”
Nintendo puts out important notice for casual gamers who’ve bought a Switch during the pandemic
Jason calls off Friday the 13th activities due to coronavirus
Japan goes beyond rice cookers with new curry rice cooker, the kitchen gadget we need right now
Studio Ghibli releases 400 images from eight movies free to download online
A Pokémon glitch no one discovered in 18 years has been found…by a pet fish in Japan?!?【Videos】
Customers race to Uniqlo for new summer face masks, but are they really worth the hype?
Parasite movie releases free official wallpapers to download as backgrounds for video calls
Japanese students hold graduation ceremony in Minecraft amid school cancellation
Man sheds half his body weight, looks like a handsome model in just one year
Japan’s one-person bento box-sized rice cooker can give you freshly cooked rice at the office
Morinaga Milk’s new cuddly commercial series shows snapshots of Japanese family warmth【Video】
Maximum Shiba! Dog in Japan’s first day in the snow is a hyper expression of pure joy【Vid】
Does changing your smartphone lock to 8376 bring good luck, as one Japanese book title suggests?
Tokyo ramen restaurant’s brilliant idea: takeout cups of just ramen broth!【Photos】
Ippudo serves up plant-based tonkotsu ramen in Japan for a limited time
One of Japan’s best whiskies, Hakushu 12 Year, is returning after two years of being sold out
Loaded gun found in convenience store restroom in Japan, cop’s on-duty poop to blame
McDonald’s teams up with Touch manga for burgers that capture the bittersweet taste of youth
This Michigan Starbucks barista looks just like a Final Fantasy character
Japan now has talking Evangelion ATMs
Top 100 manga of all time chosen by survey of 150,000 Japanese people
Pokémon doughnuts from Mister Donut are bigger and better than ever this year!
Ichiran Ramen Kit: How to feel like you’re in Kyushu right now
