Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
cute (Page 159)
At RocketNews24, we love seeing well-known characters indulging in a bit of fun cosplaying. Last month, we showed you Hello Kitty turning herself into a Thanksgiving main dish, and it appears she’s not the only one transforming into food form. This time, Doraemon has made himself available in a mochi (rice cake) costume for the Japanese New Year, and darn it, he actually looks cute doing it! Read More
Dragon Quest fan? Hungry? Have a few spare minutes? You’re in luck, my friend!
Thanks to the culinary creatives over at Japanese website Bistro Animeshi, we’re about to bring you the first of what we hope will be many recipes for character and anime-themed food! That’s right, over the past few years we’ve tendered to your loins, tickled your funny-bones and now we’re aiming to tantalize your tonsils.
If it’s in the Ghibli movies, we’ll help you recreate it! If you once saw One Piece‘s Luffy shove it down his neck, we’re on it. From the tasty to the downright weird, we’re here to help you cook up your anime dreams.
Welcome… to Rocket Food!
Oh, Japan, we love you so much.
Morning stretches, or asa taisou, may look faintly ridiculous to many westerners, but it’s not uncommon for companies both large and small to have their entire staff standing up and performing a daily warmup routine each morning, often to music. Stroll past a construction site at around 8:30 a.m. and you’ll likely see a team of burly men wearing hard hats doing shoulder shrugs in unison or doing hip gyrations chanting one, two, three, four!
Just this morning, however, we at RocketNews24 witnessed perhaps the greatest example of morning stretch routines ever; a spectacle that had us chuckling, scratching out heads and finally nodding in agreement.
Prepare yourselves, ladies and gentlemen, for the Michinoku Librarian Union’s daily exercise routine!
It’s too late for this Christmas, but if you want to pamper your pet next December, this might make the perfect gift!
Made from soft inewara rice-straw, these neko chigura (lit. cat cradle) are made by a 30-strong team of weavers in the town of Sekikawa, Niigata prefecture on the northwest coast of Honshu, Japan. The weavers are known simply as the neko chigura kai (cat cradle committee) with each cradle taking around a week to put together.
Demand for the cat beds have exceeded even the creators’ wildest dreams, however, when thousands of orders flew in during recent weeks, creating a 12-month backlog.
What could be better than seeing a cute girl dressing as a member of AKB48 and dancing around in a uniform? A cute girl dressing as an AKB48 member firing military-grade weapons, apparently.
The following video and images come from Hyper Douraku, a Japanese gun enthusiast website that has teamed up with otaku favourite and “image” DVD (footage of girls in skimpy outfits in various poses) star Mii Aihara.
Dressed in a variety of hugely impractical outfits from AKB48 to Resident Evil‘s Jill Valentine, Mii heads down to the firing range to squeeze off a few rounds as part of the website’s “Guam Shooting Tour 2012.”
Why? We have no idea. But we still found ourselves watching bizarre video after bizarre video on the site.
We’ve all seen those popular internet videos like the sneezing baby panda and dramatic look gopher, but in Hokkaido today a new internet phenomenon may have been born.
While filming at Murayama Zoo in Sapporo, visitors watched as a baby red panda, known as Gin, received a shock when his caretaker entered their pen to check if they had enough food left in their dish.
What might have caused most animals to simply jump a little, however, caused little Gin to fall over backwards, mouth open and limbs flailing like Sarah Connor when Arnold Schwarzeneggar comes out of the elevator in James Cameron’s Terminator 2…
A video released on NicoNico Video by a group going by the name of Shichoukaku iinkai “The Audiovisual committee” has wowed Japanese internet users this week by managing to create a pseudo 3-D effect on 2-D monitors.
The video has since gone viral and, as of this afternoon, has reached more than 100,000 views.
Of course, it probably helps that digital idol Hatsune Miku is the star of the video, which sees the character dancing around while surrounded by thousands of (3-D!) shards of glass.
With a little concentration, the video’s 3-D effect actually works, even if it does require the user to look faintly ridiculous to see it…
Arrrrgh, it’s Monday again! I thought we’d all agreed to stop this madness ages ago!?
The weekend’s over, another long week lies ahead and we all trundle back to work knowing that the next weekend could not be any further away…
We need something to pick us up! Something to fill us with genki spirit and give us that energy boost we need to face the day!
We need… videos of cute girls dancing while wearing headphones!!!
Some of you may remember Kazuki, the adorable Japanese 4-year-old diva who’s cosplay habits are encouraged by her mother and posted to YouTube via her channel, Kazuki’s Room.
In her latest performance, Kazuki has finally jumped on the internet fad bandwagon and covered Gangnam Style. Her moves may not be accurate and her costumes may only be vaguely similar to Psy’s, but it doesn’t matter because she’s just so darn cute.
Check the video after the jump!
Our correspondent Kuzo has been extra busy recently eating single noodle udon, disgusting ramen, and encountering thousands eerie of dolls. However, when he returned home, he was welcomed by a large envelope with the return address: Kawaii (Cute) Ward, Fukuoka.
Could it be? Earlier he had applied for special resident status of the Japanese administrative district of all that is cute. Now it looks like he has his answer.
Okay, who likes pandas?
Of course you do! How could you not? They’re fuzzy and cute, they walk around eating bamboo all day, they rarely maul people to death when they bump into them in the woods like their bigger brown relatives… That said, with fewer than 3,000 pandas estimated to be in existence across the globe, the chances of running into one while out for a morning stroll are pretty slim…
So thank goodness that Ueno Zoo in Tokyo– home to two of just 11 pandas in the country– has installed a set of cameras in its panda enclosure, allowing the public to take a sneaky peek at the pair from the comfort of their own home.
Before I was five years old, I’d been chased, bitten and cornered by dogs no fewer than three times.
From then on, whenever we went on to the park or were out for a family stroll, the mere sight of a dog– be it leashed, unleashed, right in front of me or 100 metres away– would have me clinging to my parents’ legs, begging them to turn back.
If only we’d had a dog like this loveable little Shiba-inu, who lies patiently while his master rests towel after towel on top of his head, I’m sure it would have taken me far less time to get over my fear of dogs.
A sun bear cub residing in Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo was videoed having a frustrating time dealing with the door to its den. It would seem the handle to the door was juuuuust out of reach of the bemused bear cub. Even standing on its tip-toes it can’t quite make it. Then it starts spinning around, gets dizzy and falls on its back.
Prepare to go “Awww” hard.
“It just goes to show that we really do live in a peaceful country.”
A quote from an internet user sums up the mood perfectly after Japan’s Self Defence Forces unveil a unique attack helicopter covered with manga-influenced designs and colours.
Presented as part of an air show in Chiba prefecture last weekend, the quirky new helicopter quickly stole the show, with hundreds of people taking photos and video to share on the internet.
Whether we’d ever see a helicopter like this fly into battle or not, there’s no denying that it has an awful lot of charm.
Like many other little girls, 4-year-old Kazuki loves to play dress up, dance around the room and sing her heart out. What sets her apart from other toddler divas though, is that she has a mother just as enthusiastic about her playtime habits as she is.
When Kazuki says she wants to become Hatsune Miku, mom wastes no time in hitting the sewing machine. Once her custom outfit is done, mom sticks a microphone in her hand, starts the music, and its lights, camera, action.
Not wanting to keep her daughter’s talent to herself, Kazuki’s mom created the YouTube channel “Kazuki’s Room” to share their playroom productions with the world. We’ve posted a few of the best below. Just make sure to have a pillow or something soft on hand to squeeze the life out of because these videos are unbearably adorable.
Electronic idol Hatsune Miku’s popularity seemingly knows no bounds.
If we’re not seeing stories of catastrophic cakes being made in her image, we’re hearing reports that one of her uber fans has spent an exorbitant amount of money acquiring the last Hatsune Miku edition Sony MP3 player ever made.
Clearly Ms. Miku has her share of fans, but when you come to think about it, is dropping a ton of cash really equate the greatest measure of fandom? Surely just about anyone with a computer and some spending can bid on an MP3 player!?
But hand-crafting a tiny, intricately-detailed Hatsune Miku outfit for your pet dog? Now that’s what we call a fan!
Tired of listening to the same, soulless car navigation systems while you drive? Wouldn’t you rather listen to someone a little cuter while you’re trying to track down your nearest Guns ‘n’ Ammo store? Wouldn’t it be fun if your favourite animated high-school girls could be the voice of sense and direction!?
If you’re a K-On! fan, you’re in luck- a new portable car navigation system has just arrived in stores, ready to drive you home and everyone else up the wall. Read More
Japan enters Golden Week vacation period, survey shows one in three plan to ride it out at home
Japan’s new Pokémon jackets give you the look and powers of the Kanto starter trio
Dorayaki from 89-year-old Japanese confectionery shop is one of the best sweets hidden in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli releases new anime keychains that are like miniature figurines
War in Iran threatening Japan’s pudding production
Tokyo store makes you to pass a quiz in order to buy Pokémon cards as part of anti-scalper policy
Tifa’s Final Fantasy VII bar is going to pop up in real-world Tokyo
Second-generation sumo burger coming to Burger King Japan with return of Baby Body Burger
New Kyoto Converse sneakers celebrate Japan with traditional kimono fabrics for your feet
What are the worst things about living in the Japanese countryside?[Survey]
Tokyo store makes you to pass a quiz in order to buy Pokémon cards as part of anti-scalper policy
Tifa’s Final Fantasy VII bar is going to pop up in real-world Tokyo
Second-generation sumo burger coming to Burger King Japan with return of Baby Body Burger
New Kyoto Converse sneakers celebrate Japan with traditional kimono fabrics for your feet
What are the worst things about living in the Japanese countryside?[Survey]
Brand-new Square Enix Cafe to open in Tokyo…and in Los Angeles too!
This Mother’s Day, why not give the gift of a single, really expensive, never-picked mango?
Sanrio amusement park in Tokyo to host Psycho Game horror event this summer[Video]
McDonald’s and Gundam team up for customized anime mecha and fried chicken sandwiches[Video]
Japanese sweets souvenirs don’t get more beautiful than this
Make-them-yourself Pokémon frappes arrive at Japanese convenience stores, can be mixed at home too
An interview with Evangelion’s composer, Shiro Sagisu
Hello Kitty is now a transforming truck robot[Photos]
Finnish design brand Iittala partners with Pokémon for a golden first collaborative tableware set