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Adorable cats look like catbus from My Neighbour Totoro in real life, become massive hit online

With their cute sets of extra paws, these hilarious cats look like furry catbuses come to life!

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New “species of snake” discovered purring in desert?【Video】

Could the long, twitching piece of fur belong to the body of a snake or some other cheeky animal?

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Our Japanese reporter tries to escape the crowds by heading to… a Tokyo desert??

Did you know that Tokyo has its very own desert? Our reporter went to check it out…

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Embassy of Japan in Afghanistan helps transform once arid desert into lush paradise 【Pics】

Japan and Afghanistan – two countries that you wouldn’t normally imagine to have an especially good relationship, or indeed any relationship at all. But in truth they get along pretty well. The Japanese embassy in Afghanistan assists in a wide variety of projects, from anti-terrorism security to investing in education to funding hospitals.

And there’s one other thing they do that’s a little unique: helping to transform the Afghanistan landscape from a barren desert into a beautiful oasis.

The results of their efforts are truly amazing. You have to see the pictures to believe the difference that they’ve made in just a few short years.

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China’s ancient oasis: The beautiful crescent lake of Yueyaquan

Just a nine days into the month of July and the majority of Japan is in the grip of a heat wave. With highs of 35 C (95 F) and stifling humidity, city workers are already wiping themselves down with deodorizing body paper at every opportunity and dodging from one area of shade to the next while outdoors. It’s at times like these that many of us dream of escaping to a hidden oasis of our own, enjoying an icy cold beer and listening to soft music as we doze in the shade of a tree. For those of us working in the city, though, a trip to a cheap izakaya or beer garden is about as close as we’re likely to come to making our daydream a reality.

Today, though, we’d like to invite you to come with us to Gansu Province, China, which is home to a natural oasis known as the Crescent Lake, where the thought of padding across its lush grass and dipping our feet in the pure springwater is already helping us feel cooler. Welcome to Yueyaquan.

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