Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
funny (Page 150)
Time flies, doesn’t it? It felt like we just stepped into 2014 last week, and all of a sudden March is coming to an end. If you haven’t started preparing for the most “dangerous” day of the year, it’s about time you put your thinking caps on. But don’t worry, we’re not talking about the zombie apocalypse, so keep your guns locked up. We’re talking about April Fools’ Day, of course!
If you can’t find your thinking cap, no worries about that too. We’ve got some prank inspirations here for you!
Growing up in dreary North West England and attending Catholic school, my experience of “sex education” amounted to little more than a couple of awkward encounters around the back of a local bowling alley and a guest speaker coming into school one afternoon to show us a selection of gruesome slides labelled with the names of various sexually transmitted diseases. Thankfully, with the help of (painfully slow dial-up) internet access and my surprisingly liberal parents, I managed to piece together enough info to work out what went where and how, and made it to adulthood relatively unscathed, only occasionally feeling pangs of guilt whenever I had impure thoughts about the cute presenter of youth-oriented news programme Newsround.
If only I’d grown up in Japan and had YouTube to hand; with videos like this one from Japanese NPO group Pilcon – which instructs us how to put on a condom in a manner we can only describe as “sex ed meets airline safety demonstration with extra smiles” – I could have learned so much more easily!
But what on earth is that sock thing she has in her hand?
Japan has its own version of Yahoo! Answers, the question and answer site where you can ask anything and receive a quick reply from other users. The Japanese site is named Yahoo! Chiebukuro (“Yahoo! brains” or, more literally, “knowledge bag”), and as this collection of the best Q&A sets shows, the questions people ask range from the bafflingly inane to the unexpectedly profound!
As we’re about to see, Japan has its fair share of loveable idiots as well as geniuses!
Tsukuba is a small, planned city nestled in the mountains of Ibaraki, which has a reputation for being a pretty chilled out place to live. The small population size and abundance of surrounding nature give the city a slow-paced, laid back feeling compared to the bustle of major cities like Tokyo, Yokohama and Osaka.
We hear there are also a lot of great places to eat in Tsukuba, provided your restaurant or cafe of choice isn’t closed for the day because they couldn’t decide on the day’s menu items or the manager has a hangover.
Or at least, that may be the case if you choose to drop in on the popular privately owned cafe, Ajiyoshi. The staff over there seem to take their easygoing lifestyle to the next level, frequently closing up shop on a whim; but never without “good” reason.
Ah, high school. Acne, gangly limbs, and enough rampaging hormones to give you more shakes than a full pot of coffee. Can’t say I miss it. But by the looks of things, kids in Japan are totally owning high school, and today, hot on the heels of last month’s photo collection, we bring you a selection of photos of high school kids who clearly know how to have a good time.
May we present, in photo form, A Day in the Life of a Japanese High Schooler.
With its crude animation and humour, South Park shocked audiences when it first aired back in 1997, with viewers unsure of its place in the schedules and target audience. Since then, Matt Stone and Trey Parker’s animated comedy has grown to become arguably one of the most entertaining, risqué and cutting-edge shows on TV today, with episodes pumped out at breakneck speeds so as to ensure that their content is always as topical as it is amusing.
With endless spoofs, homages and no-holds-barred social commentary, South Park has entertained audiences in dozens of countries for almost 17 years now, but there’s one theme in particular that just keeps cropping up season after season: Japan.
So come with us today as we take a look at seven of South Park’s most memorable and outrageous “Japan” moments. Trust us when we say that this isn’t one for the easily offended.
I’ve always maintained that fish are the best pets, largely because they’re quiet and the chance of them peeing on your sofa is fairly slim. That said, I can see why dogs appeal to some people especially in modern society. When you’re feeling stressed over your latest work assignment, it’s nice to have an animal companion with the kind of straightforward emotional honesty that reminds you how happy life can be when you live in a world that has such awesome things as squirrels to be chased and sausages to be eaten.
But sometimes this phenomenon works in reverse, and if dogs’ can get such a huge boost from small things, it doesn’t always take much to swing their emotional state back the other way, as this troubled little guy shows us.
But what’s he fretting over exactly?
As we’ve seen before, with many international releases the names of films can sometimes be vastly different from the original. The changes are made for a variety of reasons due to language, culture, or style. This begs the question: How much of an impact do these title changes make on the people who see them?
Just for fun, we took 19 movies from other countries that have had their names changed for Japanese audiences, translated them back to English and put them in their original posters.
So join us after the jump for such gems as Academy Award-nominated Nairobi Bees, Love is Deja Vu with Bill Murray, and cult classic Captain Supermarket. What, never heard of them!?
It’s quite common in the United States for churches to post weekly messages on the signs standing on their front lawns. The public texts can run from deeply religious sentiments to pleas for more tolerance, though it’s also not uncommon for a careless mistake to lead to messages with multiple meanings–hilarious or unfortunate, depending on your perspective.
While Japan certainly does have its fair share of churches–perhaps more than one might expect–it is primarily the Buddhist temples that fill the role of making public, semi-religious proclamations. Like their Western counterparts, these messages can leave passers-by nodding their heads thoughtfully–or perhaps just chuckling. Check out these 12 posters that left a big impact on Japanese netizens! We never knew Buddhist Monks took so much notice of what Western celebrities had to say…
As you already know, the third anniversary of the 3/11 Tohoku disaster was remembered this week through a variety of activities, including a fundraiser by Yahoo! Japan which saw the company donating roughly $250,000 to charity. The anniversary was also marked by a powerful earthquake off the coast of Kyushu at around 2 am on March 12, injuring about 14 people and wrecking havoc on innocent anime figures.
It also brought grins to all of the NHK viewers and Twitter users who happened to catch the public broadcaster’s footage of a confused-looking man running around an office in his underwear!
Drugs are bad, mkay. We know this. But apparently someone at the Osaka Pharmaceutical Association felt that the message would be better delivered by two shirtless men made up to look like (we think) Jesus Christ and Buddha…
As the most venerated of Japan’s many giant robots, Gundam casts a gallant figure. Whether he’s appearing onscreen in his newest anime installment, or simply casting his silhouette across the landscape, to gaze upon him is to be keenly aware of his unmistakable power.
Unless, of course, his back just went out. Or if he’s working part-time at the convenience store to earn extra cash.
You know what? With so many variations of Gundam out there, we’re starting to suspect that at least some of them are, in fact, wimps.
Meet YouTuber Smoukahontas, the girl who became an internet star in a matter of days with her video “What Language Sound Like To Foreigners”. In it, the bespectacled brunette runs through a long list of languages from Arabic to Japanese, blabbering nonsense word combinations in genuinely impressive accents, resulting in something that sounds to the untrained ear just like the real thing.
The Japan Self-Defense Forces, or JSDF for short, are basically the Japanese military and includes naval, infantry, and aerial branches. Though the Japanese constitution officially forbids the JSDF from acting aggressively and sees them rather as an “extension of the police” than a proper military, the Japanese budget for the JSDF is the fifth largest military budget in the world.
And now they have their own fan club, which was recently announced along with an accompanying website!
Kendo is a uniquely Japanese martial art. Like judo, karate, and aikido, this modernized version of a traditional art has numerous practitioners both in Japan around the world. And while some may approach it with more, um, zeal that others, it’s generally viewed as being more like chess than raw fighting.
But if you ever thought that kendo lacked in brutality or purely comedic tomfoolery, this 117-year-old video of a kendo practice session in Kyoto will put you in your place. And then smack you across the head with a big bamboo stick!
With today’s economy, even colossal titans need extra work. Luckily, their tall statures make them a perfect fit for construction.
All right, burrito lovers, step right up! Burritos are perhaps the most convenient well-balanced meals in the world (in my opinion). You get your carbohydrates, meat, vegetables, and a great burst of flavors, all in a handy-sized wrap that you can basically eat anywhere, even on the go. Perfect!
However, if there’s just one thing that’s better than a burrito, it’s gotta be an animal burrito! All you have to do is look at it and it’ll fill up your empty hearts and souls with an irresistible gush of cuteness that will leave you feeling like a better person (hypothetically)! Here are twenty of them, all rolled up and ready to go!
Tokyo’s astronomical rent costs mean people will go to great lengths to find a cheaper deal. For many, this means living up to a 30-minute walk from their apartment’s nearest train station. Others might choose to live in extremely small or narrow rooms or may opt for what amounts to a cardboard box on an apartment building’s roof.
There is, however, another option that almost seems too good to be true: So-called “Accident Site” apartments. These are rooms in which a previous tenant has died inside, usually from non-natural causes. Some rental agencies specifically advertise rooms as “accident site,” while some agencies just list a room that’s mysteriously low-priced and let people figure it out for themselves.
Certain bargain hunting types with extreme mental fortitude and who don’t mind the occasional bleeding wall or mysterious, warm puff of breath on their cheek while they sleep, actually seek out these deals, but the large majority of Japan avoid them.
All this time, we thought cats knew exactly what they were doing; that they were the calm little centres of the world and were not swayed by puerile whims or emotions. But as this video – which sees one cat sitting atop what appears to be an air purifier, batting and grabbing at nothing for over a full minute – shows, they’re just as clueless as the rest of us.
YouTuber and full-time Japan fan Sharla is back this week with a brand new video. After bringing us exploding condom ice cream and giving us a peek inside one of Japan’s typical love hotels, she’s currently back in her native Canada and just for kicks decided to try out a few English loan words that appear in the Japanese language on her non-Japanese-speaking friend.
As we’re about to see, despite the majority of these words originally coming from English, once pumped through the Japanese lexicon and read back to a native English speaker they make almost zero sense. The full, laugh-out-loud video after the jump.
Dagashiya Ahiru Shop is a hidden gem for Japanese snacks lovers
Sanrio theme park in Japan announces plans to expand into a Sanrio resort
Once you hear this lady sing “Yooooooghurppe”, you may never stop hearing it
What’s at the top of this giant escalator in Japan?
Studio Ghibli mixes with sporty street styles of New Era to put No Face on your head in cap series
Japan’s first hotel with a human washing machine is now ready for you to come and bathe in it
Pocky recall issued in Japan after customers notice off-the-mark taste caused by unintended smells
The Straw Hat Students are back with a new One Piece Japanese high school anime short【Video】
A trip to hell on Japan’s ‘vomit ship’: Is it as bad as everyone says it is?
Uniqlo Ukiyo-e Blue T-shirts: A cool-hued reinterpretation of some of Japan’s greatest paintings
Nintendo’s Kirby now delivering orders at Kura Sushi restaurants, but not in Japan
Stamina-destroying “Paralysis Noodles” are Tokyo’s newest over-the-top ramen innovation
Japan considering raising international traveler departure tax even more than previously reported
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting tourist crowds in Shibuya’s Don Quijote?
China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning seems to be affecting Osaka’s Namba and Dotonbori neighborhoods
Japan’s EF English Proficiency Index rank drops for 11th straight year, hits lowest ever
Chinese government’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning has heartwarming non-effect on Yokohama ChinatownUniqlo Ukiyo-e Blue T-shirts: A cool-hued reinterpretation of some of Japan’s greatest paintings
KFC Japan opens a Christmas restaurant in Tokyo…but why???
Studio Ghibli adds new Kiki’s Delivery Service music box to its anime merchandise shop in Japan
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan unveils new Christmas goods and a rhinestone tumbler that costs 19,500 yen
Real-world Nausicaa Ghibli anime glider completes its final flight in Japan【Video】
Japanese train company is letting fans buy its actual ticket gates for their homes
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting tourist crowds in Tokyo’s Asakusa neighborhood?
The 10 best day trips from downtown Tokyo【Survey】
Brand-new Pokémon park opens in Japan with larger-than-life-size Lapras【Photos】
Japanese government considering tripling departure taxes to combat overtourismNintendo’s Kirby now delivering orders at Kura Sushi restaurants, but not in Japan
Starbucks Japan unveils the new Soupuccino
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answerJapan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Japan’s deadliest food claims more victims, but why do people keep eating it for New Year’s?
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
The top 10 annoying foreign tourist behaviors on trains, as chosen by Japanese people【Survey】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Starbucks Japan reveals new sakura drinkware collection, inspired by evening cherry blossoms
Japan’s first hotel with a human washing machine is now ready for you to come and bathe in it
Pocky recall issued in Japan after customers notice off-the-mark taste caused by unintended smells
The Straw Hat Students are back with a new One Piece Japanese high school anime short【Video】
A trip to hell on Japan’s ‘vomit ship’: Is it as bad as everyone says it is?
Uniqlo Ukiyo-e Blue T-shirts: A cool-hued reinterpretation of some of Japan’s greatest paintings
Stamina-destroying “Paralysis Noodles” are Tokyo’s newest over-the-top ramen innovation
Major Japanese noodle chain is closing on Christmas Eve so workers can spend time with families
All of Evangelion exhibit showing largest-ever collection of Eva art and design documents in Tokyo
Japan’s permanent Pokémon theme park zone announces grand opening date, ticket sale start
Popular Japanese ramen restaurant Ichiran’s lucky bags are great value for money
20 things to buy at the Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo store
Japan’s Shinkansen trains are getting a Super Mario makeover【Pics】
Tokyo’s Kabuki-za Theater curry has a photo that looks deceptive but it’s a star performer