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cute (Page 142)

Luxury hotel cooks up adorable melon bread based on JR West’s platypus mascot

As part of our quest to get paid for eating as many desserts as possible, we recently shared our impressions of the Suica Penguin cake, modeled after the popular mascot for JR East’s prepaid IC card train pass system, Suica.

But sometimes loveable mass transit mascots are like hardcore gangster rappers, and it turns out the Suica Penguin has a cross-country rival, in the form of Ico-chan, the spokes-platypus for JR West’s ICOCA train pass system. Not wanting to be shown up by the Suica Penguin’s foray into the world of cake, the only thing for Ico-chan to do was to transform himself into a tasty treat, too.

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This cat looks amazingly like Dragon Ball’s Korin!

This is not your average cat meme. So soon after our exploration of Master Roshi’s secluded island, we’ve stumbled upon a picture that we’re convinced is the immortal cat from Dragon Ball, Korin (aka Karin, for those of you more acquainted with the original Japanese or manga).

Now, I know what you might be thinking. There are a lot of smiling white cats in the world. What makes this one so special? Honestly, it’s hard to say. It could be the overall accuracy and the appropriately mysterious air of the picture. Or, it could be the cat’s steady approval from Japanese Netizens! Take a look and decide for yourself!

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Yes, Hello Kitty really does need a fedora, and the reason why is delicious

Has Hello Kitty finally buckled to hipster fashion trends? Has she been tapped to replace the aging Harrison Ford in an upcoming new Indiana Jones movie, under the logic that if the franchise can include aliens, why not anthropomorphic cats, too? Or has she simply decided to make a living as a hard-boiled private eye?

That third theory actually isn’t so far off the mark, but as with any good mystery, the real culprit behind Kitty-chan’s throwback headgear is someone, or in this case something, you’d never expect: custard pudding.

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Posted by Is Japan Cool?

I’m dreaming of Kitty: One fashion designer’s love of Japan’s most famous feline

Romi Mizukami, a fashion designer for popular Japanese clothing brand BEAMS, is without a doubt one of Japan’s biggest Hello Kitty fans, or rather “Kittylers.” Her home is a veritable shrine to the little kitty that could, with blacks, whites, and reds as far as the eye can see, and for the past few years she has slowly incorporated the uniquely kawaii Hello Kitty style into not just her design work but her very own wardrobe.

Come on in and meet the real-life Kitty-chan!

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This otter isn’t dead (we promise!) 【Video】

We know what you’re thinking! But before you click away from our site in disgust, just know that this otter is NOT dead! He’s very much alive and doing something completely adorable.

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Deathigner – the short animation made by a group of college students that just stole our hearts

With character design and a visual style worthy of a Disney production, when we were introduced to this short animation by the staff at our sister site RocketNews24 Japan, we almost didn’t believe them when they said it was made not by a world-famous animation studio but by students of the National Taiwan University of Arts. Half an hour of replays later, we managed to tear ourselves away from the video just long enough to share it with you, our dear readers, too!

It’s cute, it’s emotive, and it’s absolutely gorgeous; this is Deathigner.

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Pet owner builds tiny ninja house for hamster, escape panels and hidden doors galore

With dozens of websites dedicated to videos of their cute antics, there’s no denying that the Japanese love their pets. But when a pet owner also happens to be a rather talented craftsman, you can be sure that when their skills and love for their pet come together, the results will be terrific.

Check out this miniature ninja house that YouTuber heibonkinoko made for his pet hamster, which comes complete with hidden doors, fake walls and escape tunnels. It’s positively epic in tiny proportions.

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Jiggly yellow pear, Funasshi, named top mascot in Japan

After two weeks of voting, Funasshi, the official yuru-kyara (mascot) representing Funabashi City in Chiba Prefecture, has come out as the number one local mascot in all of Japan. Known for his amazing jumping power and jiggly, almost convulsive movements, Funasshi bounced his way into the hearts of the Japanese people. He was joined by six other bizarre mascots, including the snarling half melon, half bear character from Hokkaido and a chubby dolphin from Kagawa Prefecture, for the announcement of the election results on August 6.

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We go to shake hands with an otter, it’s like that scene in E.T. but way cuter!

About a week ago we announced the opening of an otter touching experience at Keikyu Aburatsubo Marine Park, and the response was huge. From Japan and all around the country people’s hearts melted at the sight of those gentle round eyes and long whiskers.

Managing to get a spot in the quickly filling reservations, one of our reported headed down to the Miura Peninsula to get all touchy-feely with a quartet of Asian small-clawed otters.  She came back with this report and a slew of adorable pictures.

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Cats may rule the Internet, but who rules the cats?

Baby white lions, of course! And if you happen to be in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, here’s your chance to see them in the fur.

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Fukuoka Aquarium’s black finless porpoises proved themselves to be the true wizards of the sea earlier this month when they began blowing incredible bubble rings like Gandalf the Grey high on pipe-leaf, even passing them back and forth relay-style.

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We recently reported on Japan’s recent trouble with traffic backups in otter pipes, but it seems the country is facing another animal menace: feathered anarchists interfering in the political process!

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Vietnamese Arsenal fan quite literally chases his dreams, is welcomed onto team bus

To achieve your dreams, you have to really want it. You need drive, determination and, if this video is anything to go by, a good pair of legs.

Taken in Hanoi by a member of English Premier League football club Arsenal, the following video sees one young Vietnamese fan chasing after the team’s tour bus for some five miles, waving and pounding the badge emblazoned on his chest with such vigour that the team eventually decides to welcome him on board for a once-in-a-lifetime private autograph and photo session.

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  • Jul 22, 2013

Drink up and smile with this cute limited edition line of tea from Kirin!

Can you guess whose cute little bottoms these are? If you’re a Disney fan, chances are you already have a good idea. Well, I chanced upon these bottles recently in a convenience store, and they were so cute I just had to buy them all! And if these adorably packaged bottles just happened to contain a nice cool drink, so much the better, especially since the drink was a unique type of tea I had never tasted before.

But first of all, let’s take a look at the face of the characters who are showing their lovable derrieres for all the world to see:

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Marine park offers chance to shake hands with a loveable otter

It’s generally agreed that few members of the animal kingdom can quite match the level of cuteness offered by the humble otter. Watching those little guys floating on their backs and eating off their tummies makes you just want to snatch them up from the water and take them home.

Well, now Keikyu Aburatsubo Marine Park is still not letting you do that, but they are giving you the next best thing without violating poaching laws. From now until 13 September, you can get a little touchy feeling with their otters by letting them grab your finger.

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Summer has come early in Japan this year and everyone’s doing their best to stave off the heat in temperatures that have reached up to 40°C in some parts of the country.

In the midst of all the sweat and suncream it looks like this little guy’s found a novel way to keep cool. The added bonus is that he looks absolutely adorable, but the downside is that,  at least to Japanese people, he seems positively edible!

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It can take a while to wrap your head around the concept of “character goods” in Japan. It’s a term used to refer to licensed merchandise such as notebooks, stickers and figures featuring the likenesses of fictional characters. What sets character good apart from plain old cartoon or movie merchandising, however, is that its characters generally don’t appear anywhere else, and are created solely for the purpose of having an excuse to produce their associated knick knacks.

It’s a tradition that was firmly established by Hello Kitty, and carried on by newer characters such as Rilakkuma. A blending of the words “relax” and “kuma” (Japanese for “bear”), Rilakkuma is exactly what you’d expect, a bear who loafs around, usually depicted in the prone position.

But what if the world had greater things in store for Rilakkuma than just yawning and eating stack after stack of pancakes? If humanity needed a savior and destiny called, could he be bothered to pick up the phone?

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When leaving the house for days on end, whether it be for work or for pleasure, those who have pets face an additional problem in planning. Someone has to feed the critters and make certain that they don’t leave any stinky surprises. Japan offers a number of different services for traveling pet owners, but one man, Mr. Haruna from Okazaki City in Aichi Prefecture, hated to see how upset his pet became after being left in a pet hotel.

In order to limit the stress of lonely pets, Haruna quit his job as a salary man and started the Pet-Sitter Gentry. “It’s the pet version of a babysitter,” he explains, and although the business has seen some hardships, the recruitment of additional staff has now allowed him to expand his pet-sitting service area into eastern Nagoya City.

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Enjoy latte art at home with cute marshmallow cats!

From colourful anime designs to awesome 3-D creations, exciting things are going on in the drinkable art world of Japan. Now, there’s a new trend that’s melting our hearts: latte art in adorable take-home designs. Created by a marshmallow company in Nagano Prefecture, the range includes cute cats and fluffy cat paws that gradually dissolve into 2-D latte artworks. The only skill you’ll need for these is an ability to stand the cuteness!

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Say what? Animal figures live in your fridge, speak in adorable Japanese regional dialects

Regional dialects can be a powerful thing. Call out “partner” or “boyo” and I might not even realize you’re talking to me, but just say the word “dude” and you’ve got my complete attention.

Despite its small land mass, Japan’s language is filled with dialects, largely the result of mountains, not to mention centuries of civil war and travel restrictions, making it hard for people different from different areas to mix for much of the country’s history. Occasionally these unique speech patterns pop up in unexpected places, like when a coworker from Osaka stubs his toe in the office, or a drinking buddy from Akita’s accent starts showing after the fifth round of beers.

And now, you can hear Japanese dialects in your refrigerator.

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