Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
cosplay (Page 31)
Japanese airlines All Nippon Airways (ANA) has teamed up with Disney to create an in-air experience that’s perfect for the ultimate “Star Wars” fan.
Covered in an R2-D2-like designs and a “Star Wars” logo on the outside, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft also has some fun galactic details inside, such as customized headrests, cups, and lighting. While in the air, passengers can even stream all six of the currently released “Star Wars” films.
Hard day at the office? Money or family troubles got you down? Don’t you just want to slip away to a quiet corner of your home and toss on a golden bejeweled crown to make you feel like the king or queen you ought to be?
But high-quality crowns are expensive and hard to come by…or at least they were until a couple of cosplaying Twitter users shared how they made their own realistic looking crown in just a few steps.
Halloween may be over, but that hasn’t put a stop to the internet being flooded with pictures of all the amazing and not-really-amazing-but-still-popular costumes that people wore.
One costume that was especially popular this year was the Inklings from the Wii U game Splatoon, but the ones who pulled it off the best have to be this pair of Japanese kids. Not only are their costumes homemade, but they look absolutely adorable while running around covering everything in pretend ink.
We’ve seen Twitter celebrity Zawachin work her makeup magic before to transform into pretty much any ethnicity or gender. She’s turned into AKB48 members, all the members of Japanese boy band Arashi, and love-them-or-love-to-hate-them British boy band One Direction.
And for Halloween, Zawachin has been blowing netizens’ minds with her pitch-perfect Avengers Black Widow costume. Some are claiming it’s the actual Scarlett Johansson in disguise, but we have the pictures to prove otherwise.
Attack on Titan fans who pre-ordered the new Levi figure by Good Smile were no doubt super-excited when orders started shipping last month. But one buyer, who goes by the username @Levi_Eren_Karin on Twitter, couldn’t help but tweet about her surprise when the contents inside weren’t quite what she had been expecting…
On Friday night, illustrious RocketNews24 reporters Mr. Sato and P.K. Sanjun ventured out into the streets of Shibuya, Tokyo’s hub of youth culture. Both dressed as Marge Simpson, they were there to check out this year’s collection of crazy costumes. While Halloween as a holiday is still only catching on in Japan, they were thrilled by the number of like-minded, costumed revelers they found.
Join us for a photographic tour of some of the costumed people they ran into on the streets of Shibuya!
The first thing that many people notice about the eyes of anime characters is how big they are, but that’s not the only thing that makes those 2-D peepers special. Through the magic of Japanese animation, anime eyes shine so brightly they almost look like they’re made of crystal or some other equally lustrous precious stones.
Of course, real eyes aren’t so reflective, but if you’ve got your heart set on your eyes sparkling like your favorite anime heroine, you can now achieve the look with the just-released line of anime-style contact lenses.
Halloween is less than a week away! Do all of you have your costumes ready?
If you’re still looking to add a nifty additional touch, then you can do as these handy DIY-ers on Twitter did and turn inexpensive, 100-yen (US$0.84) water guns into clever, steampunk-ish accessories. All it takes is some paint and a little creativity!
As we’ve seen, Japan is really psyched about Halloween. The holiday has been steadily growing in popularity for the last decade, and with October 31 falling on a Saturday in 2015, this year’s celebration is likely to be Japan’s liveliest Halloween ever.
But how did Halloween become Japan’s second favorite foreign holiday, right after Christmas? And also, is Japan staying true to the spirit of the holiday, or is forcefully pressing it into its own domestic mold, as the country is wont to do with cultural imports?
You probably remember that incredible Raiden cosplay from this year’s Tokyo Game Show—the one with the moving mask that wowed pretty much everyone on Internet. We were always a bit bummed there wasn’t more to all the videos and photos, but now Masazi, the cosplayer behind the amazing outfit, has released a minute-long video showing off her suit in action!
In about a week, Halloween, cosplayers‘ favorite holiday, will be upon us. Millions of people — increasingly including Japanese — will take to the streets in costume, and much of it will be cosplay. But some of this activity may actually be against Japanese law.
Shoko Hamada is a seven-year veteran of Japan’s gurabia industry, the subsection of the modeling world focused on women in swimwear and other skimpy outfits. In youth-obsessed Japan, she’s at an age where it wouldn’t be at all odd for her to be retiring from her line of work, but last month the 29-year-old Hamada was announced as the central figure in newly minted gurabia unit gra-DOLL.
But with so many gurabia idols filling the Japanese media landscape, Hamada and her cohorts needed to do something special to stand out and get the attention any new endeavor needs. Dressing up in Sailor Moon lingerie should do the trick.
Here in Japan, Halloween may be a relatively new tradition, and we haven’t gotten to the point of dressing in costume at school or work (at least not at normal jobs), but there’s no denying we’re quickly embracing the seasonal event, especially with special sweets and beverages. With Halloween-themed parades and parties becoming more and more common, finding an attractive and appropriately playful costume is something an increasing number of people are thinking about this time of year.
Well, if you want something original and eye-catching, then how about renting a Japanese kimono as a Halloween costume? Of corse, you won’t be wearing it like a regular kimono, though!
The creative team at Bibi Lab have been at it again. The inventive brand dedicated to bringing weird and wonderful items out into the world have delighted us with life-sized human-shaped pillows, mosquito net jumpsuits and even sailor-style schoolgirl uniforms for men.
Now there’s another item we’ll be adding to our growing collection of Bibi Lab products: the giant anime-style pigtails pillow.
Viewers got an eye full of Tezuka’s iconic doctor’s abs in the first episode of Young Black Jack‘s but opening theme song singer UMI☆KUUN is giving the 2D bishōnen a run for his money. The singer reproduced an image by the manga’s artist Yū-Go Ōkuma where Kuroo Hazama appears only half clothed.
Barring the most delusional individuals, cosplayers don’t really think they’re becoming their favorite anime or video game characters by putting on a costume. Cosplay is all about playing make-believe, and recently more and more cosplayers are willing to share the “make” portion by revealing the silly process by which they create a cool photo, including all the embarrassing slouching and off-camera assistance they get from their friends.
With Halloween fast approaching, you may find yourself in the market for a cool costume. But if your cosplay activities are confined to strictly on and around October 31, you might not think it’s worth the time and effort to put together an outfit you’ll only wear once, since by the time next All Hallows’ Eve rolls around you might want to dress up as something else.
But now there’s a single piece of clothing that will let you enjoy a little Halloween fantasy while also being a viable fashion option for the reality of the rest of the year, with Japanese clothing brand Itemya’s Wizard Parka.
Watch out sailor sisters! There’s a new line of sailor-themed clothing on sale and this time it’s the boys’ turn to come out and play. There won’t be any trousers or navy hats here though, because the only thing masculine about these clothes are the bodies that will be going into them.
It’s the Boku Sera (“I’m a Sailor”) range, which uses the Japanese male pronoun boku to highlight exactly what sets the clothes apart from all others we’ve seen before: these are girls’ sailor-style school uniforms, only now they’re built for male bodies.
Here at RocketNews24 we’re no stranger to covering Studio Ghibli fan-related news. From fan-made drawings to 8-bit mashups to officially-licensed replicas, we’ve seen a ton of love around the world for all things Ghibli.
And one essential part of the Studio Ghibli fandom is the fantastic cosplay. Studio Ghibli cosplayers from all over the globe love showing off the huge range of unforgettable Ghibli characters, and here we have a sampling of some of the best ones we’ve seen recently. Think you’re a real Ghibli fan? Then see if you can identify each one!
Super-detailed cherry blossom forecast maps for 2025 show warm winter doesn’t mean early sakura
The My Melody ♡ Kuromi Anniversary Party is in full kawaii swing at the Ikebukuro Parco store
Tokyo governor wants to start study abroad grant system, includes monthly activity allowance
Japan’s wildest Seijinshiki Coming-of-Age ceremony celebrates new adults in Kitakyushu 【Photos】
Traveling with taste: Try one of Tokyo Station’s top ten ranked ekiben
Godiva’s Tokyo bakery is FINALLY easy to get into and shop at
These nine Kyoto restaurants are the newest to receive Michelin guide recommendations
Our writer of Korean descent weighs in on using Korean names in Japan
“I overdid it.” – Man in Japan fired after ditching work 633 times to go to the gym
New sakura Kit Kat range celebrates cherry blossom season in Japan
Japan’s deadliest food claims more victims, but why do people keep eating it for New Year’s?
Anime Industry Report shows overseas anime market is bigger than Japanese one, but is this a cultural tipping point?“I overdid it.” – Man in Japan fired after ditching work 633 times to go to the gym
Starbucks Japan reveals new Valentine’s Day goods for 2025
Starbucks unveils new Valentine’s Day Frappuccino in Japan
The etiquette rules for visiting Shinto shrines in Japan
The top 10 annoying foreign tourist behaviors on trains, as chosen by Japanese people【Survey】
Overseas Uber driver and anime fan gets the Cowboy Bebop surprise of a lifetime【Video】
Nintendo and Godiva team up for fancy fun chocolate line【Photos】
Starbucks Japan saves the best for last in our fukubukuro lucky bag haulJapan’s deadliest food claims more victims, but why do people keep eating it for New Year’s?The top 10 annoying foreign tourist behaviors on trains, as chosen by Japanese people【Survey】Anime Industry Report shows overseas anime market is bigger than Japanese one, but is this a cultural tipping point?
Bear breaks into house in Japan, quickly begins spending winter exactly like Japanese people do
Hayao Miyazaki says Happy New Year to Studio Ghibli fans with new art for Year of the Snake
This downtown Tokyo cafe is like a time machine that takes you back 50 years into the past
McDonald’s Japan has a fukubukuro lucky bag that everyone wants to get their hands on
What’s in Starbucks Japan’s fukubukuro lucky bag for 2025?
Japanese company develops classy heavy metal band frames for glasses
Station of despair: What to do if you get stuck at the end of Tokyo’s Chuo Rapid Line
McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Foreign tourists on Shinkansen bullet train break suitcase etiquette, angering local passengers
Possessing Harry Potter’s Sword of Godric Gryffindor is now illegal in Japan
[Deleted] Article written for April Fool’s Day 2018Japan’s deadliest food claims more victims, but why do people keep eating it for New Year’s?
Japanese government to make first change to romanization spelling rules since the 1950s
Foreigner’s request for help in Tokyo makes us sad for the state of society
Japanese convenience store Family Mart announces abolishment of eat-in spaces
Life-size vibrating Legend of Zelda Master Sword for sale from Nintendo【Photos】
Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
Godiva’s Tokyo bakery is FINALLY easy to get into and shop at
These nine Kyoto restaurants are the newest to receive Michelin guide recommendations
Our writer of Korean descent weighs in on using Korean names in Japan
“I overdid it.” – Man in Japan fired after ditching work 633 times to go to the gym
New sakura Kit Kat range celebrates cherry blossom season in Japan
The new Ranma 1/2 anime is here! So is it worth watching?【SoraReview】
Mr. Sato attempts to battle his butt forest with Japan’s affordable Osu! Ass Hair Trimmer
Anime Industry Report shows overseas anime market is bigger than Japanese one, but is this a cultural tipping point?
Draw like a Studio Ghibli anime artist with exclusive watercolour set approved by Hayao Miyazaki
Neo Shinjuku Atsushi: New cyberpunk restaurant bar serves post-apocalyptic food in Tokyo
Starbucks unveils new Valentine’s Day Frappuccino in Japan
Japanese restaurant chain now serving perfect recreations of Studio Ghibli food【Photos】
Our reporter makes a slip and slide out of Ikea gym mats, but does it deliver?【Video】
Clever design trick means beautiful Ghibli Artboard Jigsaw Puzzles won’t have bittersweet ending
