cool (Page 159)

Eat your eyeballs! Japanese traditional confectioner offers line of eye-grabbing Halloween sweets

With Japan’s growing love of Halloween, and it’s long-held affection for seasonal sweets, the country now gets a bumper crop of special desserts for the year’s spookiest holiday. So far, most of these have been Japanese brands of Western-style candies and cookies with a Halloween-themed package, or maybe with a limited-time pumpkin flavor, but one traditional Kawasaki-based confectionary chain is looking to change that with a lineup of edible eyeballs, zombie fingers, and other Japanese sweets that look bone-chilling and sound mouth-watering.

Read More

Free magazine shows us Japanese grandpas and grannies who are rocking this age thing

Walk into any supermarket or inexpensive restaurant in Japan, and you’re sure to notice the racks of free, pennysaver-like magazines for visitors to take. They really come in handy when you’re looking for new employment opportunities, new and used vehicles, or you’d like a coupon to try out a new restaurant or salon.

But this time, one free magazine in Nagano Prefecture is shaking things up by offering a stylish look into the lives of some of the older residents around the area. If you’ve ever seen those Japanese grannies rocking purple hairdos, you’ll know right away what a brilliant idea they’ve struck upon, and they’ve even put up some promotional videos on YouTube to prove it!

Read More

Chop up paperwork with katana scissors inspired by the swords of Oda Nobunaga and other samurai

If you’re anything like us, you spend a more than healthy amount of time day-dreaming about cutting down enemies with a katana. Not that we really have any enemies or even people we’d glare at on the subway. Heck, we’re pretty peaceful, loving folks here at RocketNews24! But that doesn’t change the fact that Japanese swords are just freaking awesome.

Still, there’s not much cause to walk around with a sword strapped to your hip these days. Fortunately, Nikken Cutlery has found the perfect compromise: scissors inspired by the swords of Oda Nobunaga and other samurai!

Read More

Haco Stadium unveils plans for new cosplay purikura machine

Even though this year’s Tokyo Game Show already wrapped up a few weeks ago, we just can’t get all that awesome cosplay out of our heads. Even though the convention space made for some great shots, more and more cosplay enthusiasts are searching for that perfect spot to really give their costumes some added flair, and Haco Stadium, opened just last year, really delivers.

With 33 different themed rooms and a wide range of free or rental items for visitors to use, it’s a cosplayer’s dream come true. But not satisfied with stopping there, this time Haco Stadium wants to help you look even more the part with the introduction of a new sticker picture, or purikura, machine that promises to give you a flawless finish.

Read More

Need work? Two of Japan’s biggest manga magazines hiring one-day editors, no experience necessary

Everyone could use a little extra money in their pocket as we head towards the end of the year. Maybe you’ve got a long Christmas shopping list, made fancy New Year’s Eve plans, or just want to take a trip back home to visit family and friends during winter vacation.

As such, you might find yourself looking for a part-time job to help fill your coffers, and while you could go with such traditional choices as picking up a shift working in a restaurant or a shop at the mall, your options now also include a micro-stint as an editor for two of Japan’s most popular manga anthologies.

Read More

Evangelion Shinkansen service takes off on November 7 with life-sized Eva cockpit on board

As far as joint collaborations go, the Shinkansen Evangelion Project is set to go down in the annals of history, with Japan Rail West joining up with the hit anime franchise to make our wildest dreams a reality, by bringing out a special Eva-themed bullet train to shuttle customers from Osaka to Fukuoka and back on the Sanyō Shinkansen line.

Since the announcement of the project, we’ve been waiting on the edge of our seats for more details, and finally JR West has come through with news of the launch date, along with never-before-seen images of the train’s interior, which includes Eva-themed seats and window blinds, and a designated “cockpit room”.

Read More

Evangelion episode to be shown on giant skyscraper monitors across Japan for 20th anniversary

Japan’s urban landscape is dotted with giant TV monitors mounted on the sides of skyscrapers. Despite what you might expect, though, from watching science fiction anime or young adult-literature-sourced movies depicting dystopian futures, they aren’t constantly broadcasting information about where citizens should evacuate to during the current alien invasion or directives from the Office of the Supreme Leader.

No, usually they’re just devoted to ad loops. But this weekend, public big screens across Japan will be showing something a little more exciting: The entire first episode of anime hit Evangelion.

Read More

Even if you’re not ordinarily a very artistic person, we bet you get a spark of inspiration when you’ve got a pancake on your plate. Who hasn’t drawn a doodle or sketched a smiley face in maple syrup, or at least initialed their flapjacks with the sticky, tasty condiment?

After all, tasty as they may be, pancakes look pretty dull if you don’t add any decoration…unless you’re dining at this restaurant in Japan where the pancakes come pre-decorated with images of Pikachu, Mario, and dozens of other anime and video game characters.

Read More

Five reasons Japan’s karaoke boxes are great places for group study sessions with your classmates

Odds are at some point you’ve been part of an after-school study group with your classmates, either to help each other power through a difficult course or cram for an important exam. Maybe you got together at a friend’s place or took over a corner of your local coffee house, but in Japan, neither of those of those is really a viable choice of location.

Japanese homes are generally too small to host a large group of visitors. Meanwhile, the coffee break-loving country’s cafes tend to be packed when schools let out in the afternoon, so it’s often a serious challenge to find even a single empty seat in a Tokyo Starbucks, let alone adjacent ones for all your study buddies. So in response, clever Japanese students thought outside the box and discovered a trendy new venue for group study sessions: karaoke boxes.

Read More

Paints Without Names: Japanese set of nameless watercolors seeks to free young artistic minds

While visual arts and linguistics are both creative fields, skill with one isn’t necessarily a prerequisite for the other. After all, as long as you can look at three hues and pick the one best suited for the picture you’re painting, it doesn’t really matter if you know whether to call it fuchsia or periwinkle.

As a matter of fact, some would argue that coupling names and colors limits the imaginations of budding young artists, which is why these two Japanese designers have produced a set of paints for children that have no names on their labels, only splotches of their base component colors.

Read More

Enliven your next lunar party with these beautiful Moon Glasses

Moon watching parties and festivals abound the world over—and with good reason! There’s nothing quite like drinking in the light of a full moon, is there? It’s magical and fun in just the right proportions. And now, thanks to the Korean design company Tale, you can buy the perfect glasses for your next moon viewing party!

These beautiful Moon Glasses mimic the phases of the moon as they’re filled, going from a new moon to a full moon as your pour in your liquid of choice. 

Read More

Mobile Suit Toyota – Japanese automaker makes awesome anime ad for new Gundam-themed car

We’re sure everyone’s first choice for mode of transportation would be giant robot, but there are times when you need something more practical to get from Point A to Point B. Being behind the wheel of a four-door hatchback doesn’t mean you have to give up your mecha jock daydreams, though, thanks to the newest collaboration between Toyota and anime franchise Gundam.

The automaker has just released not only a special model inspired by charismatic anime villain Char Aznable, but also an awesome anime commercial for it that has higher production values than the original Mobile Suit Gundam TV series.

Read More

These cute character matches will really “catch on” and “start a fire” in your heart

Most people reach for a lighter when they need to start a fire. It’s rare to see someone pull out a box of good old-fashioned matches, though collecting matchboxes and matchbooks was once a hobby for some! Nowadays, though, the opportunities to use a match and get that satisfaction of striking it against the side of a box are few and far between.

However, these incredibly cute match head character may just be enough to change trends! We definitely hope this is something that catches on.
Read More

Thomas the Tank Engine’s video visit to Japan is more Japanese than life in Japan

Being that he’s a train on an island, you wouldn’t expect Thomas the Tank Engine to do much international traveling. However, thanks to a bit of clever storytelling (and Thomas’ absolute lack of compunction about stowing away on freight ships), the beloved locomotive has embarked on a globe-trotting tour in an ongoing video series.

In one of the most recent episodes, Thomas even arrives in Japan, where he takes in the local sites in a whirlwind visit that’s more Japanese than actually living in Japan.

Read More

Man At Arms is back, forging the epic Excalibur from Fate/Stay Night【Video】

Two weeks ago, we were blown away by the Oathkeeper Keyblade created by the talented blacksmiths and craftsmen over on the YouTube show Man At Arms: Reforged. After binge-watching all their previous episodes, we drummed away at our keyboards, waiting for their next beautiful piece to show up, and when it finally did, we weren’t disappointed.

This week the team crafted the holy sword from the mega-popular series Fate/Stay Night.  Spoiler alert, the finished Sword of Promised Victory looks absolutely stunning and incredibly deadly.

Read More

Watch this magical cloth return to its origami form after being stretched out

Origami is one of Japan’s most well-known art forms. At its simplest, even children can enjoy it, and at its most complicated, it can be used for commercial purposes and designs. Now, one company has created special pieces of cloth that will automatically refold into their original origami forms after being stretched out. There doesn’t seem to be any particular, unique benefit to these pieces of fabric, but we sure want some!

Check out the mesmerizing video below!

Read More

Stop-motion Attack on Titan/Godzilla crossover is disturbingly awesome 【Video】

Attack on Titan’s adaptations to other forms of media have been sort of hit-and-miss. Sure, the animated TV series that followed up on the success of the original manga is the anime industry’s biggest hit in decades, but kind words for the two live-action movies have been few and far between.

Still, the upcoming video game version looks pretty cool, and as further proof that the series can still be cool in new formats is this awesome fan-produced stop-motion video that’s a crossover between Attack on Titan and Godzilla.

Read More

Expert gamer builds and beats most insane Super Mario Maker level yet 【Video】

Now that Super Mario Maker has finally hit the market, gamers the world over are starting to build, upload, and play their best creations, but of course, it wasn’t long before veterans of the game started seeing just how crazy they could get. Earlier this week, while most of us in Japan were enjoying the Silver Week holidays, one expert gamer created the most cracked out course we’ve seen yet, which quickly went viral after it was posted to YouTube.

Read More

Meet the real Revolver Ocelot and check out his awesome Metal Gear cosplay/gunplay 【Videos】

Thanks to the extensive use of motion capture actors in the modern era, when a video game knight swings a sword to take down a fearsome dragon or a grizzled space marine aims a bazooka at an invading alien army, somewhere out there is a real person who performed the dramatic movements and cool poses. Of course, since the whole point of motion capture is to apply those movements to a totally different-looking frame, the actors themselves tend to live lives of relative obscurity.

At the recent Tokyo Game Show, though, fans got the chance to meet the real Revolver Ocelot, as the actor behind the pistol-loving Metal Gear Solid character showed up in costume and showed off his skills.

Read More

Kitty high-rise condos now being sold by Japanese pet supply company

Space is scarce In Japan, so it’s becoming more and more common for people to settle down in a condominium tower. Even for those homeowners who can afford a detached house, the price of real estate means that more than a few decide on a three-story design.

So perhaps it’s was inevitable that this shift towards vertical living spaces would eventually apply to pets as well, which is why one company in Japan is selling this multi-level high-rise for cats.

Read More

  1. 1
  2. ...
  3. 156
  4. 157
  5. 158
  6. 159
  7. 160
  8. 161
  9. 162
  10. ...
  11. 196