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Ibaraki

Internet tackles the mystery of why there are no monkeys in Ibaraki Prefecture

Can the collective Internet come up with a possible solution, or just crack a bunch of monkey jokes?

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9 million yen awarded to convenience store from man for over 11,000 hours of unauthorized parking

But will a man who ignored years of warnings bother heeding a court order?

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The brilliant blue flowers of Hitachi Seaside Park: Your next flower viewing stop in Japan【Pics】

With sakura season done in the Tokyo area, it’s time to switch from pink to blue and the 4.5 million Nemophila flowers of this amazing park.

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Diamond Route Japan series shows off all the beautiful reasons to travel outside of Tokyo【Videos】

This promotional video series will leave you with chills, planning your next trip to Japan

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Right now, this amazing Japanese park is bathed in beautiful blue from 4.5 million flowers【Video】

And it’s just 90 minutes away from Tokyo.

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Ibaraki Prefecture promotes onsen hot springs with muscly man bathing in 4K【Videos】

Muscles, hot springs and stunning scenery combine to create some memorable slow motion bathing experiences.

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Beautiful frozen waterfall in Japan is an awe-inspiring reason to brave winter’s cold【Pics/Vids】

Visitors are drawn to the serene stillness of the icy Fukuroda Falls.

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Japanese town’s mascot character may be a man dressed in women’s clothing, possibly on purpose

Everyone notices the girlish clothes, but those with a trained eye have also spotted the boyish wings.

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Watch Kanto’s Strongest Italian Chef transform McDonald’s into fine cuisine!【Recipe】

Chef Yuji Ota shows us how to turn McDonald’s food into Ribollita, Carrozza, and Gattò di Patate with three easy recipes.

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Single “Hebel Haus” is the only structure to defy the flooding of Japan’s Angry Demon River

Last week, we discussed the possible etymology of Kinugawa (“Angry Demon River”), which has been the scene of intense flooding in eastern Japan this month. While the overflowing river has devastated the surrounding towns and landscapes in its wake, a single building in Joso City, Ibaraki Prefecture has been gaining particular attention for being the only structure within sight to stand firmly in place in the face of a deluge of muddy water.

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Drones capture shocking footage of flooding in Ibaraki, Japan【Video】

When disaster zones are inaccessible by ground—such as the areas of Japan hit by widespread and deadly flooding last week—news broadcasters typically take to the air, relaying footage from helicopters. In the city of Joso, Ibaraki, news helicopters captured dramatic footage of rescue teams winching people to safety from rooftops on Thursday after the Kinugawa River burst its banks.

But helicopters can only get so close, and so authorities in Japan are now using drones to capture footage in disaster areas. The drones can fly closer to disaster-hit areas than a manned helicopter, offering a different and dramatic perspective.

And drones are not only being used to survey these areas hit by flooding and landslides; they are also starting to be used in rescue missions.

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Following flooding in Japan, Twitter users debate the history of the river’s “Angry Demon” name

The flooding in Japan has been absolutely awful, without a doubt, and the news has rightly been focused on the resulting devastation. But there is one aspect of the flooding that’s become a bit of a hot topic online, aside from all the rescues and damage. The overflowing river has an…unusual name: Kinu River or the Angry Demon River.

Obviously, the name has proven to be quite apt this year, but it sparked a lot of discussion online as people have wondered: Where the heck did this name come from?!

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Twitter user caught in Ibaraki flood tweets photos of his rescuers from inside helicopter

Coverage of the heavy rains and typhoon that have swept through Japan this week have dominated much of the news in the country. Today, TV screens were filled with reports on the devastating flooding in Ibaraki Prefecture, where waters burst through the banks and flooded the city of Joso. Images and videos of rescue operations have been widely broadcast on TV, and the news is nothing less than shocking for many.

But one Twitter user saved from the waters by Japan’s Self-Defense Forces wasn’t too scared to tweet photos of his rescue while still inside the helicopter!

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Sweet frog hat-wearing pup is a totally edible yuru-kyara available from one place in Japan only

Yuru-kyara, or regional promotional mascots, are so ubiquitous in Japan it can sometimes be hard to recall which one’s which, where they’re from, or even what type of brand or product they’re promoting.

Over 1,000 mascots represent different regions in Japan, which means the need to leave a lasting impression is a constant driving force in the creation of cute products like the sweet puppy above. Can you guess which region he represents and the even more unusual place where he can be found?

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People in Japan are growing concerned that another major earthquake might hit soon

We don’t think we have to tell you that when some lunatic wearing a sandwich board starts telling you that the earth will open up and swallow humanity whole if you don’t do seven Hail Marys, constantly chant “Yahweh,” and transfer a small donation exceeding 10 dollars to his PayPal account right now, you can probably take that prediction with a grain of salt.

But, when it comes to earthquakes, there are actually some pretty solid, observable predictors that one may be coming soon. And, holy crap you guys, there are a bunch of those happening right now in Japan and I for one am starting to get worried.

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Japanese pizza isn’t always weird: Deep-fried pizza enters the ring and it’s delicious

Japan is known for a lot of things, such as its culture, its safety, and its traditional foods, but it is definitely not known for making delicious pizza. In fact, some of the pizza chains have come out with some really wacky creations over the years.

However, there are quite a few independent pizza places throughout Japan, which can, of course, be found in the cities, but sometimes can even be found in small towns or along mountain roads, yet they will still often be equipped with special pizza ovens. If you want good pizza in Japan, you should search for these places, it will be well worth the trouble!

One such independent place is Amici in Ibaraki Prefecture, where they serve pizza and the lesser known Italian pie, the pizza fritta, or deep-fried pizza. Our reporter visited Amici, but not just to try the delicious fried pizza pockets, he went to experience the cooking process too!

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Super-hot female member of real life superhero group captures Japanese hearts

Who said heroes don’t exist? In Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan they most certainly do!

Read on to meet the IBALIGER robot-superhero group and the female member who netizens have been describing as “too sexy”.

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Netizens balk at Ibaraki Prefecture town’s sea life-encrusted mascot character

Anyone who has ever visited Japan or spent any amount of time browsing our pages will know that the country is home to literally hundreds of mascot characters, or yurukyara, each weirder than the last. From developmentally challenged sushi to the nightmarish Okazaemon, there’s certainly no lack of originality and quirk to be had.

But one small Ibrakai town has a new mascot character that, according to Japanese net users and our own Japanese staff, “even a mother couldn’t love.” This, ladies and gentlemen of the internet, is Araippe, a creature with bird-like feet, a shell for a nose, and dangling locks of hair that are actually fish fry.

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More JSDF recruitment posters get a moe makeover in Ibaraki

It would seem that marketing in Japan is a far cry from the complicated psychological manipulation employed by the ad geniuses of Mad Men. Things, it would seem, are a lot simpler than that for advertising and promotions executives at Japanese firms, ever since someone came upon the brilliant idea of using cutesy anime girls to promote damn near everything.

The huge, innocent eyes and adolescent proportions of the common anime girl apparently trigger something deep in the dark recesses of the brain that makes people lose all rational control, buying up “moe”-promoted goods by the truckload and even making potentially life-endangering decisions like joining the Japan Self Defense Forces.

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Areas in Japan’s Ibaraki Prefecture working to protect custom of eating crow

Although apparently so famously gross it earned its own idiom in English, there are some communities around Japan that have long felt when it comes to fowl, crow is the way to go. For example the crow dish above can be found at Espoir De Maison, a French restaurant in Chino City, Nagano.

Ibaraki residents such as hunter Shinya Senmatsu say that such wild animals which feed on natural vegetation have more pleasant and less smelly meat. It’s uncertain if that really applies to crows who are omnivorous scavengers, but the locals swear by its surprisingly “soft and sweet” taste, to quote a local veterinarian.

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