Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
dogs (Page 12)
In a landmark case, the owner of an elderly Chihuahua who tragically died on an everyday walk in Osaka has successfully received 220,000 yen (almost US$2,000) in damages from the owner of a German Shepherd alleged to have brought about the death of their pet.
But what exactly happened that day, and was the German Shepherd – or rather its owner – really to blame?
Even in a country that adores its pets, none have captured the hearts of Japanese animal-lovers like Hachiko. The Akita dog touched the hearts of people across the nation by devotedly waiting every day for more than nine years in front of Tokyo’s Shibuya Station for his master to return from work, not knowing that he had died from a cerebral hemorrhage and wouldn’t be coming back.
Today, a statue of Hachiko stands in Shibuya, showing the dog patiently waiting. But while the bittersweet quality of the story made Hachiko famous, it overlooks the fact that before his master’s passing, the two would happily reunite every evening and walk home together. Now, it’s that moment’s turn to be immortalized, with a new statue showing Hachiko as he’s rarely been depicted before, bursting with joy upon seeing his owner.
Whether our parents like it or not, food is an art form. Playing with food is awesome, and we’ve seen some spectacular examples of shaved-ice masterpieces, printed designs onto food, or corgi omelets.
But if you’ve been looking for a quick, easy artistic recipe you can do at home, look no further. Get ready to make the cutest little appetizers you’ve ever seen: fried poodles.
Many animal lovers are already familiar with Akita Inu and Shiba Inu, Japan’s two most prominent breeds of dog. But while they’re both popular choices as pets, there’s another special type of pooch in Japan, the Kawakami Inu.
Extremely rare, the Kawakami Inu are said to be descended from Japanese wolves. And while they have the courage you’d expect from such lineage, that doesn’t mean they’re not also adorable as puppies.
Any pet owner will tell you that pets are undeniably a part of the family. Everyone wants the best for their furry four-legged friend, and it is emotionally painful to watch them when they get sick or when their lives end. Even worse is when their already too-short lives are cut even shorter due to illness caused by something that was believed to be good for them. So, in response to consumer concerns that jerky treats manufactured in China have been the cause of thousands of pet illnesses and deaths, pet-supply chain Petco has decided to stop all sales of Chinese-produced dog and cat treats.
People are always forgetting to take stuff out of their bags. Sometimes you’ll hear your phone ringing and have to rush to unzip all your rucksacks, or you’ll have to scrabble through endless purses to find the one you left that receipt in. Or sometimes you’ll hear your dog barking and… huh?
One of the worst things about winter in Japan is that with no central heating and a lack of insulation, the temperature inside your house feels pretty much the same as the temperature outside your house. One of the best things is taking the opportunity to snuggle up under a kotatsu, especially if you have a furry friend to join you.
Shiba Inu are adorable, and over the years we here at RocketNew24 have brought you stacks of articles filled with photos to prove just how darn cute they are.
But why exactly are we so drawn to this loveable breed of dog? Recently the Japanese information compilation site Naver Matome put up a collection of tweets, dividing up the reasons people so adore Shiba inu into five different categories. Below you can read their incredibly rigorous scientific methodology, so you can see for yourself if you come to the same kawaii conclusions that they did (spoiler: Yes. Yes, you will).
We have bid farewell to the year of the horse, and welcomed in the Year of the Sheep. New Year’s decorations, greeting cards, and the like are all adorned with more sweet, fluffy little lambs than you could shake one of their tails at. It almost makes you want to get an adorable little baby fleecey bundle for your own. I mean, sheep are allowed in apartments, right? Right!?
Or maybe it would just be easier to transform your dog into a sheep for the New Year instead!
Just like how families in the west put lights on their homes and ornaments on trees for Christmas, Japan has its own traditional decorations for New Year’s. One of the most common is kagami mochi, a stack of two or three rice cakes topped with a mikan or daidai, both orange-like citrus fruits.
No one’s exactly sure why it’s called kagami mochi though, since even though the name literally means “mirror rice cake,” there’s no mirror included in the display. As a matter of fact, in the minds of some animal lovers in Japan, the design options for kagami mochi are wide open, as shown by this collection of photos where adorable pets take the place of the rice cakes.
It seems like it’s not just humans, but every member of the animal kingdom in Japan that loves a nice, relaxing bath. Hot spring-loving monkeys have been attracting tourists to Japan’s rural onsen for decades, and capybaras’ bathtime privacy is also a thing of the past.
But that doesn’t mean all of Japan’s creatures are down for a dip in the tub, though, as this adorable pooch looks like he’s ready to make a break for it, even if it comes at the price of getting his paws wet.
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”.
I can’t help but laugh every time I hear a story about people finding an image of Jesus in some household setting. It’s not so much their spiritual fervor that gives me a chuckle, though, but the incongruent nature of the logic being shown. On one hand, he’s powerful enough to send messages to true believers from across the boundaries of our mortal realm, but on the other, he chooses to make his appearance in a piece of singed toast or an oil stain on someone’s driveway?
Call me cynical, but I’m not convinced the son of God rolls that way. That kid of haphazard choice of manifestation setting seems more like the work of a lower being, like maybe a dog who’s still getting the hang of how to project himself through the astral plane.
Speaking of which…
Making replicas of your pets using a variety of mediums including their own fur seems to be a fad that’s captured the hearts of some of the more natty crafters out there. Now, we’d like to introduce you to woodworking artist and sculptor Mio Hashimoto, whose carvings are almost perfect replicas of various animals including her own pet kitty and doggy (although we think they’re starting to become a tad suspicious…)
Japanese Twitter user and possible existentialist @tommyneverdie recently posted an interesting sign he found on the street, which urges the local dog populace to keep their humans in line. It’s really quite cute so we thought we’d share it with you to ease you into the new week.
Usually, it seems, the standard procedure for reuniting a lost pet with its owner is to put up posters on every streetlamp you can find, begging people to let you know if they’ve seen your wayward canine/feline family member.
It’s nice, then, that the owner of a large Alaskan malamute in Suzhou, China had an animal that was smart and proactive enough to basically do all the legwork for him, by essentially turning itself in to the police.
Ever feel like you could spend the rest of your life in a soft bed tucked under a fluffy blanket? Well, maybe your pet sometimes feels the same way. And if that’s the case, then this may be an item you’ll want to get for your four-legged friends. It’s the “antibacterial and deodorized fluffy bed and blanket” (kokin boshu funnwari blanket-tsuki bed), and it looks so divinely comfortable, you may end up wishing you had one yourself!
Generally speaking, I’m not the biggest fan of abstract personality tests. Every now and again, though, something comes around that really seems to shed light on how an individual’s mind works.
For example, if you’re extremely pure-hearted, you might see this short video of a dog reminiscing about the happy days with his former owners as a moving, even tear-jerking story. On the other hand, if you’re a bit more cynical or strict in personality, it might make you want to punch your monitor.
So which camp do you fall into? Read on and see.
In Japan, it seems like almost every time I see a dog owner out for a stroll with their pet, it’s wearing some sort of clothing. It always strikes me as a little weird, since dogs are already covered with fur, and for most of the year, Japan doesn’t really get cold enough to warrant an extra layer to keep them warm.
Still, I guess the owners get a kick out of it. I do feel a little sorry for the dog sometimes, though, especially if he’s been stuffed into some cutesy, frilly costume. Wouldn’t he be happier in something more masculine, like a suit of doggy armor?
It’s been just a little over a month since the deadly landslides brought about by a powerful storm hammering Hiroshima City. Soon after the disaster struck, rescue crews sprang into action, providing shelter and medical assistance to victims.
We’re sure the residents are deeply grateful for the service of those who came to their aid, and while every man and woman who did is no doubt courageous and caring, the cutest of all was probably rescue dog Yumenosuke.
Station of despair: What to do if you get stuck at the end of Tokyo’s Chuo Rapid Line
Japanese train station vending machine has the best souvenirs for rail otaku
Sailor Moon and J-pop mega-star Ayumi Hamasaki team up for collaboration, pre-defeat scalpers
Japanese government will check and judge new baby name pronunciations, presents guidelines
Police called out to investigate suspicious Santa in Wakayama
Kura Sushi has a new parade-delivered whole cake dessert, but what’s it like to eat?【Video】
This downtown Tokyo cafe is like a time machine that takes you back 50 years into the past
Nakano Broadway sells a fukubukuro lucky bag for foreigners, but is it a good deal or a scam?
Japan now has fish-shaped soy sauce bottle hand cream
Totoro towels gently glow in the dark to set the Ghibli nighttime mood in your home【Photos】This downtown Tokyo cafe is like a time machine that takes you back 50 years into the past
Japanese company develops classy heavy metal band frames for glassesStation of despair: What to do if you get stuck at the end of Tokyo’s Chuo Rapid Line
Studio Ghibli showcases traditional craftsmanship with new wallet range
Major Japanese city is abolishing extracurricular activities at all of its middle schools
One of Japan’s rarest sweets is a sell-out hit that looks and tastes like frostJapanese government will check and judge new baby name pronunciations, presents guidelines
Mysterious light-up rainy night-sound Totoro figure doesn’t actually show a scene from the anime
Shakey’s is back! All-you-can-eat pizza chain returns to downtown Tokyo’s Shinjuku
Starbucks Japan releases a new Frappuccino that looks and tastes like a floral bouquet
Possessing Harry Potter’s Sword of Godric Gryffindor is now illegal in Japan
Uniqlo announces first-ever collaboration with horror manga master Junji Ito【Photos】
J-pop mega star Ado reveals she’s been living in the U.S., may not understand language acquisition
Starbucks Japan is calling it quits with paper straws
Japan’s most popular castle raising ticket prices by up to 200 percent for non-local tourists
Furikake rice seasoning sales are soaring, which is bad news for Japan as a wholeJapanese company develops classy heavy metal band frames for glasses
Studio Ghibli releases new range of cardigans for anime fans
Studio Ghibli heroine cardigans give you warmth and strength to face everyday challenges
Eight unforgettable hot springs, as recommended by Japan’s “Professor Bath”
McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Foreign tourists on Shinkansen bullet train break suitcase etiquette, angering local passengersPossessing Harry Potter’s Sword of Godric Gryffindor is now illegal in Japan
[Deleted] Article written for April Fool’s Day 2018
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
Studio Ghibli releases free-download board game — Here’s how to play it without reading Japanese
Kura Sushi has a new parade-delivered whole cake dessert, but what’s it like to eat?【Video】
This downtown Tokyo cafe is like a time machine that takes you back 50 years into the past
Nakano Broadway sells a fukubukuro lucky bag for foreigners, but is it a good deal or a scam?
Japan now has fish-shaped soy sauce bottle hand cream
Totoro towels gently glow in the dark to set the Ghibli nighttime mood in your home【Photos】
Manga artist raises question online about false perspective in Ghibli film My Neighbor Totoro
The 5 best Japanese bento to buy at Kyoto Station
Genuine Muramasa blade and Muromachi katana on display at Tokyo’s Touken Ranbu store【Photos】
New heater-less pet kotatsu is a safe way to keep your furry friends warm this winter
Foreign tourist in Japan arrested for having sex on shrine grounds in broad daylight