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Here at RocketNews24 we like to think of ourselves as experts in taste and style (hey, stop laughing!). We like to add little personal touches to our cutlery drawers and drinks cabinets (gotta love those panty glasses!). So you can imagine how excited we were when we found out about these little hamsters you can clip onto the edge of your glass or mug to up the cuteness factor of everything you drink by 150%.
Onigiri are the perfect Japanese snack food. Portable and (generally speaking) healthy, they consist of a small ball or triangle of rice containing one of a huge variety of fillings, wrapped in seaweed or coated with some kind of seasoning. While most of the onigiri you can buy at convenience stores here in Japan are probably filled and shaped by machine, it’s traditional to roll ’em yourselves by making a squeezing motion with your hands. And now you can combine your love of onigiri with your love of cute idol girls by heading down to “Galmusu”, a new cafe where, for a small fee, a cutie will squeeze your rice balls for you right in front of your eyes!
We sent one of our Japanese reporters to investigate this new form of edible performance art!
Oh, but before you read on, we should probably mention one thing: our reporter usually can’t stand anyone handling his food…
Whether it’s a ragged, lovingly stitched kitchen towel inherited from a grandparent, a banged-up knicknack collecting dust on a shelf, or a pair of old baby shoes, the seemingly mundane objects scattered around a house serve as a window into their owners’ hearts and minds. In the case of a family, any given eating utensil might go through the hands of children, siblings, parents, and even guests, collecting a little more history with every pass.
Japanese netizens recently charmed us all with a nostalgic glimpse of their family chopsticks, with designs ranging from Sailor Moon to Star Wars that positively ooze character. We take a look at the highlights below.
When lying in bed at night, have you ever heard a weird noise — a creaking floorboard or the rustling of a piece of paper? Has food ever mysteriously disappeared? While it very well could have been a ghost, it could have just as easily been a ninja-cat hiding in the nooks and crannies of your home!
Some ninja-cats are more skilled than others, living in apartments and stealing food completely undetected by the owners. Others, however, are not so stealthy and occasionally get caught on camera. Observe!
If you’ve been spending an inordinate amount of time on the internet over the past few years (haha, who are we kidding, of course you have), then you’ll probably be familiar with the trend of balancing stuff on your pets. It’s practically an old meme now, but for some reason it seems to be having a revival on Twitter in Japan. Two doting pet owners tweeted some choice snaps of their fuzzy buddies practically buried under a mountain of… stuff, and it’s totally squee-worthy! Join us after the jump for some very unamused but amusing pets!
Have you ever had the experience of pulling back your curtains, only to be met by a pair of luminous, unblinking eyes from the outside?
If you have, you’ll be able to sympathize with the following Japanese Twitter users who glanced up at their windows and happened to see one or more furry feline visitors staring back. Either way, you’re sure to enjoy this compilation of (the good kind of) peeping Toms!
Though spring is only a few months away, Tokyo is still downright cold these days. Of course, if you’re from a colder climate, you probably annoy your friends by running around in shorts asking why they’re shivering, but for many people here, it’s still pretty cold. Whether it’s the sea breeze zipping through the streets or some sort of reverse heat island effect, we’re not sure, but it is enough to make mornings downright brutal.
And people aren’t the only ones cursing the cold–our furry feline friends are none too fond of winter either! But unlike humans, they come with built-in scarves. Check out some of Japan’s cutest cats wrapping themselves up nice and warm with their tails.
It’s already kind of old news that one of gaming’s few potentially transgender characters has been hiding in plain sight since the late ’80s in the form of the adorable and misunderstood Mario villain, Birdo.
But that hasn’t stopped the Internet from debating all kinds of aspects about the character’s gender identity, from whether the whole “boy who thinks he’s a girl” thing is Mario canon or whether the character is pre- or post-op. While the Western web was shocked by this stunning news a while back, it seemed Japan was politely giving poor Birdo her privacy and staying out of it, until a recent Twitter post…
Despite its questionable ethics, there are plenty of people who just love seeing animals wearing cute costumes in public. Whether it’s tiny, dapper meerkats or Shih-Tzus dressed as teddy bears, there’s seemingly no end to the crazy outfits some pet owners dream up. Blowing recent efforts out of the water, however, is this confident, sassy doggie from China which was caught on video strutting its stuff in public wearing a full “human” outfit and even wearing a fake backpack.
Prepare for another one of those “cute or creepy?” moments that the internet does so well.
The last we heard from local hero and generally awesome person Ladybeard, he was promoting English classes from a language school in conjunction with the always pleasant and surprisingly proficient-English-speaker Sailor Suit Old Man. Since then, it seems Ladybeard has seriously upped his fashion game, currently sporting the much-talked about boob window shirt that has taken Japanese social media by storm.
What do you get when you put a rabbit in a room full of partially deflated balloons? A very happy bunny! Join us after the jump for severe cuteness.
We’ve already seen a lot of “boyfriend for hire” stuff around Asia, which seems to be really into the idea of paying for romantic encounters, but until now we’ve never seen someone offering their boyish good looks and charming company for free.
Meet Dev and San, two kindhearted Indian models working as freelance “idols” – a popular term in Asia for models you can hire for a variety of situations – for the low, low price of absolutely nothing.
When Japanese people decide to become pet owners, they really throw themselves into it. Perhaps because of the relative scarcity of pet-friendly apartments in the city, dog owners in particular tend to be either home owners or have slightly higher incomes and can afford to live somewhere that allows them to live with their four-legged pal. For that reason, many pet-owning urbanites think nothing of buying expensive leashes and clothing items for their furry friends or paying exorbitant sums to have their dog shampooed and expertly groomed, and you’ll sometimes even see people riding the trains with their dogs in strollers or designer carriers.
We’re not really ones for dolling our pooches up, and our cats wouldn’t be seen dead in half the outfits that are available online, but this year’s must-have dog fashion item is one that we could definitely got on board with: tummy-warming “haramaki”.
One of the first things every new pet owner learns is to never feed your furball at the table. You only have to give in once, and you’ll spend the rest of your days fending off kitty with a fork and spitting fur out of each mouthful as your adorable pet gets a little overinvolved in your meal times. In my house it’s got to the stage where I can’t even butter a slice of bread without one of my kitties attempting to lick the knife, and I’ve had to remove the other cat’s head from the refrigerator before closing the door so many times it’s beyond a joke. But what are you supposed to do when your pet looks up at you with those big, round eyes and begs you for a treat? Just see if you can watch this video of kitties begging for fishy snacks without melting!
Quick, what is the geekiest thing you can imagine ever possibly happening? Is it four grown adults dressed like Mario characters dancing a Mario-themed, choreographed dance to classic Mario music, on a stage replete with several thousand-dollar Mario-themed props, in front of a crowd that is only passively aware of the Mario franchise at best, plus those guys from Duck Dynasty and some shirtless guy?
Well, if you were thinking of that oddly specific scenario, you are way off base, because one couple on Dancing with the Stars just made Mario-themed dancing about the coolest, most mainstream thing around with a beautifully choreographed routine that is proving a major YouTube hit.
If you’re feeling a little blue at the start of another work week and need an adorable pick-me up, perhaps we can interest you in a fuzzy doggy waggling her way through an intense gym session while dressed as a teddy bear? Munchkin the Shih-Tzu has been earning “Aww!”s all over the interwebs with this video uploaded to her personal YouTube page. In it, Munchkin struts her stuff whilst wearing an improvised costume created from a gutted teddy bear. Thanks to some magical camera-angle trickery, Munchkin appears to walk upright with the jaunty swagger of a carefree teddy just workin’ out in the gym. Join us for the video and more on Munchkin after the jump!
If you ever played Pokémon as a kid (or even as an adult!), you’re probably familiar with the Substitute move and the adorable plush “decoy” your pocket monster could use to sop up some damage. But as cute as that little substitute was, didn’t you always kind of wish that it looked a little bit more like a plush version of the pokémon you were using?
Maybe not, but that didn’t stop one Japanese Twitter artist from drawing 64 Pokémon as Substitutes!
It seems only a short while ago that we were complaining about how unbearably hot the summer is here in Japan. Well, time sure does pass by quickly, and we’re now headed into winter, with parts of northern Japan already seeing a bit of snow. And while you can always expect small kids to be thrilled with the idea of a winter wonderland, it seems they’re not the only ones that thoroughly enjoy playing with the snow.
We’ve found a collection of photos and videos on Japanese information compilation site Naver Matome which clearly show that animals too get a kick out of jumping and rolling in the fluffy white stuff, and we wanted to share the images with you because, well … they simply looked so “cool” (and not just because of all the snow involved). So, get ready to enjoy some adorable animal snow action!
Netizens on Twitter recently reported that a rather strange phenomenon was affecting their pet cats during the broadcast of NHK’s “Mitsuaki Iwago’s World Catwalk”, a documentary by prominent wildlife photographer and documentary filmmaker Mitsuaki Iwago.
Apparently, the scenes of furry felines in their natural habitat completely captured the attention of household moggies watching at home, to the extent that their owners felt compelled to tweet photographic evidence of the event. Join us after the jump for images of cute kitties viewing images of other cute kitties!
A few weeks ago, we saw a cat that could walk backwards on two legs like it was no big deal. At the time, we jokingly wrote it off as just another quirky cat thing that cats do, because cats.
But now that we’ve seen this video of another feline lying prone, belly-up, staring into the abyss as though it’s seen into the eyes of Cthulhu, we’re starting to wonder if maybe there’s some sort of strange otherworldly madness slowly destroying the minds of Japan’s cats:
Studio Ghibli lets you cosplay as Howl from Howl’s Moving Castle with cosy anime fashion range
Studio Ghibli releases free-download board game — Here’s how to play it without reading Japanese
Hot spring facility’s beautiful views and all-you-can-eat sushi leave us clean, full, and happy
Do 7-Eleven Japan’s new back-to-budget-friendly-basics rice bowls make us happy?【Taste test】
Awesome Transformers 40th anniversary anime short created in famous studio team-up【Video】
Woman versus bed bug: A battle to the death
Japanese island with a population less than 10 is a hidden gem you won’t find in travel guides
Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
Turn your cat into a tasteful nude painting with this decorative scratching post
“We’re totally fine if you don’t bother to come” says Tokyo politician on Halloween drinking banStudio Ghibli releases free-download board game — Here’s how to play it without reading Japanese
Support Hayao Miyazaki’s real-world Totoro forest with hoodies featuring exclusive anime artStudio Ghibli lets you cosplay as Howl from Howl’s Moving Castle with cosy anime fashion range
McDonald’s Japan’s new Tsukimi Moon-Viewing Pie receives mixed reviews online
Starbucks Japan releases special range of drinkware goods to celebrate the moon and the siren
Matsushima restaurant offers all-you-can-eat sashimi in as many ways as you can dream it【Photos】
Japan’s cat testicle calendar is here for nyantama fans to go nuts with
These beautiful Studio Ghibli 10,000-year calendar figures are actually good forever【Photos】
Wrong Exit Exploring – The serene solitude of taking the wrong exit at Tokyo Disneyland’s station
7-Eleven combines two Japanese convenience store sweets into one for an epic treat
Foreign tourists on Shinkansen bullet train break suitcase etiquette, angering local passengers
Japanese government suspends plan to pay Tokyo women 600,000 to move away to get married
Japanese government wants to remove tax-exemption limit for foreign tourists on consumables
Starbucks Japan unveils new limited-edition Frappuccino for autumnStudio Ghibli releases free-download board game — Here’s how to play it without reading Japanese
The heartwarming story of Japan’s “Weakling Gundam” and the fans who supported it in its hour of need
Foreign tourist in Japan arrested for having sex on shrine grounds in broad daylight
Japan’s Mt. Fuji convenience store view-blocking screen has finally been taken down, on one conditionMatsushima restaurant offers all-you-can-eat sashimi in as many ways as you can dream it【Photos】Support Hayao Miyazaki’s real-world Totoro forest with hoodies featuring exclusive anime art
McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goodsForeign tourists on Shinkansen bullet train break suitcase etiquette, angering local passengers
[Deleted] Article written for April Fool’s Day 2018
Sold-out Studio Ghibli desktop humidifiers are back so Totoro can help you through the dry season
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
Ghibli founders Toshio Suzuki and Hayao Miyazaki contribute to Japanese whisky Totoro label design
Doraemon found buried at sea as scene from 1993 anime becomes real life【Photos】
Tokyo’s most famous Starbucks is closedPrincesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
Woman versus bed bug: A battle to the death
Japanese island with a population less than 10 is a hidden gem you won’t find in travel guides
Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
Turn your cat into a tasteful nude painting with this decorative scratching post
“We’re totally fine if you don’t bother to come” says Tokyo politician on Halloween drinking ban
Kyoto’s famous Chinese dish karashi soba can now be found in Lawson
These beautiful Studio Ghibli 10,000-year calendar figures are actually good forever【Photos】
Expensive Japanese nail clippers: Are they worth it?
Starbucks Reserve Roastery Tokyo adds exclusive drinks to the menu for autumn
Site of Japan’s most famous samurai murder is now a Kyoto karaoke joint
We predict 7-Eleven’s new Zero Cider Triple drink is gonna be the hit drink of 2022【Taste Test】
The 5 best Japanese bento to buy at Kyoto Station
Pikachu/Game Boy manhole cover installed at Nintendo Museum, not viewable by general public
Matsushima restaurant offers all-you-can-eat sashimi in as many ways as you can dream it【Photos】