“Enlightening” is not a word that should be tossed around lightly, but this essay by eighth-grader Ayumi Takada really is just that.
moving (Page 20)
With much of the world’s population being separated from the farming process these days, it’s easy for us to forget that the hamburger we just ate came from a living, breathing, thinking, and possibly even emotionally engaged cow.
Pictures and videos emerged in Hong Kong last week after a motorist struck a bull. While that is sad in itself, what gained media attention is that the rest of the bull’s herd gathered around to push him to safety and then mourn the tragedy.
When performing surgery on a patient, the ideal thing is to sedate them and complete the operation while they are lying still on the table. Unfortunately, there are situations where putting them under is out of the question. When young infants requires surgery, you often can’t fully anesthetize them because their bodies can’t handle it, which means the patient will often be awake or reacting to stimulus during the process.
When a baby was screaming during an operation in China, a nurse stepped in to calm the child down by breastfeeding the patient during surgery. The surgery was completed successfully and the father gave the nurse the nickname “Angel Nurse“. Join us for more details after the jump.
Japanese animation is much-loved around the world. China is no exception, and anime has a massive following in the country. Many young people in China are enamored with anime for its creative story lines and artistic animation. It has the ability to uplift, motivate and entertain us, and allows us to momentarily escape reality, and for many foreigners, it does more than just that. It can shape our lives.
Here is one heartwarming story from China of a life-changing encounter with anime.
We here at RocketNews are a soft bunch at heart. We’ve been affected by tear-inducing, feel-good videos from countries like Japan, Hong Kong and Thailand, and now it’s Singapore that’s got us by the feels with a touching new clip.
Based on a true story, this commercial plays more like a short art film, with atmospheric shots and superb acting that seems too real to be rehearsed. Come with us as we take a peek into the life of a graduating high school girl who looks after two younger siblings and her widowed, wheelchair-bound father, as she sacrifices her education and future for her family. Oh, and bring that box of tissues with you – you’ll be needing it!
On August 21, a film was released based on the true story of Dashrath Manjhi. His heartbreaking yet inspiring tale begins when his wife was injured in an accident, and the only medical help available was in the next village over…on the other side of the mountain. By the time Manjhi had made the trek around the mountains and back with the doctor, it was too late, and his beloved wife had died.
Most people would mourn their loss and curse their circumstances, but Manjhi literally took matters into his own hands, in the form of a chisel and a hammer, and set to work digging at the mountain which kept his beloved wife from the help that would have saved her.
Many of us may have experienced getting lost in a foreign land and needing assistance from a local person. In most cases, we thank the kind soul who lent us a helping hand, but have you ever received thanks from the person who helped you instead?
A Taiwanese tourist recently shared that during his visit to Osaka, he sought help from a Japanese man, who not only spent over 30 minutes making sure the foreign visitors made it safely to their destination, he even thanked the tourists for their help instead. Find out why after the break!
Making the viewer feel good is a time-tested method of crafting an effective commercial. Gather a bunch of attractive people, have them frolic in beautiful surroundings for 30 seconds, and at the end subtly slip in the product, implying “You too could be having this much fun with this brand of car/beer/athlete’s foot medication!”
Thai advertisers, though, sometimes decide to take a different tack, with emotionally devastating commercials that seem designed to reduce all who watch them to blubbering piles of streaming tears and seeping sympathy. Case in point: this new ad with man’s inhumanity to man as its central theme features dialogue such as “What the f*** are you smiling at?”, terrible violence, and a completely unexpected final purpose.
Though summer vacation is a lot shorter in Japan than it is in the U.S., most tudents here aren’t exactly itching to go back to school once it’s done. Even worse, since it falls in the middle of the Japanese school year, the end of summer break is also the start of the second, and more demanding, semester.
Needless to say, a lot of kids would rather blow off school and kick back with a good manga, which is exactly what one library in Japan is encouraging them to do. The reason, however, is far more important than just finding out what happens to their favorite fictional characters .
One thing foreign visitors to Japan immediately notice is the ubiquitous vending machines. Particularly in big cities, you can’t swing a tanuki without hitting a machine selling something. Mostly it’s soft drinks, but there are also vending machines for beer, cigarettes, hamburgers, used panties, weird toys, curry, fresh eggs, and pretty much anything under the sun. Now you can even get a good deed done with your canned coffee purchase at this vending machine accepting charitable donations.
Imagine you’ve got a nine-year-old kid with a birthday coming up, and you ask him what he wants as a present. At first he says he wants a video game, but then, after giving it some more careful thought, he comes to the conclusion that he’s old enough to be getting serious about his studies, so he asks for a dictionary instead.
How should you react? Proud of his sense of responsibility, do you buy him the dictionary, and hurry him one step closer to the end of his carefree childhood? Or do you get him the game, despite the fact that he specifically asked for something else?
It’s a tricky problem, but one dad in Japan came up with a clever, heartwarming, and above all awesome idea.
As people in different parts of the world change their calendars to April at this very moment, the class of recently graduated Japanese high school students are getting ready to embark on their next journeys in life. For many of them, this time marks a major turning point as they move away from home and head to even bigger cities for college or careers.
The recent graduates in at least one Japanese city can take comfort in knowing that their community will be waiting patiently for their return home at vacation. The staff at Morioka Station in Iwate Prefecture recently left a heartfelt message inside the station wishing their local high school graduates the best of luck as they set out in life, and it seems that more than one passerby has teared up at the sight of it.
Last month, we got our first peek at the brand-new statue of Hachiko, in which Japan’s most famous dog is reunited with his loving master after almost a century apart. But while Hachiko’s legendary loyalty is inspiring, we weren’t waiting 100 years to see the statue for ourselves.
With the piece now installed and open to viewing by the public, we made the trip to the campus of the University of Tokyo, and we’ve brought plenty of photos and video that we shot while looking at Hachiko through both our viewfinder and a constant stream of tears.
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.
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.
It might sound strange, but in a lot of Japanese households, the use of first names tends to become increasingly rare after the arrival of children and grandchildren. Although plenty of parents in the western world will also refer to each other as “Mommy” or “Daddy” in an effort to help their newborn or toddler pick up the words, or sometimes just to be cute, a man calling his wife “Mama” or “Okaasan” even after their kids have long flown the nest is perfectly common in Japan.
But what happens when a husband suddenly starts calling his wife by her first name, just like when they first started dating or had not long been married? Japanese cosmetics company Pola recently conducted an experiment to find out how simply being called by their first name can affect the health and physical appearance of young women who have over the years come to be known simply as “Mama”.
Promo or not, the effect was surprisingly powerful.
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.
MOST POPULAR
Today
Japanese criminals are now using crabs to hunt for burglary targets
Woman in Japan breaks into home of complete stranger just to slap him in the face
Does one of Japan’s favorite chocolate brands work with the Pringles chocolate hack?
Final Fantasy VII’s Tifa’s bar pops up in real-world Tokyo, and we stop by for drinks[Photos]
We turn to a shady Amazon Japan gadget to try to stop Tokyo crows from stealing our hangers
Japanese Pokémon card shop grabs scissors as part of its plan to keep scalpers away
Japan now has gyoza doughnuts, and they taste like no other doughnut we’ve tried before
Japan enters Golden Week vacation period, survey shows one in three plan to ride it out at home
Squeezy Tanuki Testicle toys once again appear in Japanese gacha machines
Zunda Shake vending machine lets you taste samurai culture in milkshake form
Weekly
The average age of Japan’s hikikomori shut-ins is getting older, survey shows- Japan enters Golden Week vacation period, survey shows one in three plan to ride it out at home
Japan’s new Pokémon jackets give you the look and powers of the Kanto starter trio
Studio Ghibli releases new anime keychains that are like miniature figurines
Studio Ghibli releases crystal glass paperweights featuring Totoro and the Catbus
Japanese hair salons going bankrupt in record numbers
Samurai Coffee: Try Edo period coffee once enjoyed by Japanese warriors
Retro-style Evangelion T-shirts coming to Uniqlo sister brand GU[Photos]
Sega opening 65th anniversary store in downtotn Tokyo with deep-cut game merch
Viral tweet suggests Japanese convenience store ripping off customers with donuts, so we investigate
Monthly
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
Wisteria season starts early with blooming of Japan’s Great Wisteria in its beautiful garden
Japan’s best conveyor belt sushi restaurant of seven years ago has now, finally, come to Tokyo- Japan enters Golden Week vacation period, survey shows one in three plan to ride it out at home
- The average age of Japan’s hikikomori shut-ins is getting older, survey shows
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
New Kyoto Converse sneakers celebrate Japan with traditional kimono fabrics for your feet
Brand-new Pokémon manhole covers coming to help the recovery of a disaster-stricken part of Japan
Japan’s awesomely beautiful Alpen Route snow corridor is now open- Japan’s new Pokémon jackets give you the look and powers of the Kanto starter trio
Yearly
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
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】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says- Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
RECOMMENDED STORIES
Japanese Pokémon card shop grabs scissors as part of its plan to keep scalpers away
Japan now has gyoza doughnuts, and they taste like no other doughnut we’ve tried before
Japan enters Golden Week vacation period, survey shows one in three plan to ride it out at home
Squeezy Tanuki Testicle toys once again appear in Japanese gacha machines
Zunda Shake vending machine lets you taste samurai culture in milkshake form
Japanese hair salons going bankrupt in record numbers
Holy Fungus Mud Volleyball is Japan’s most filthily beautifying bacteria event of the summer!
Retro-style Evangelion T-shirts coming to Uniqlo sister brand GU[Photos]
Does the Fukuryumon Chinese restaurant in Koenji offer the best lunch deal in Tokyo?
Studio Ghibli releases new anime keychains that are like miniature figurines
We sent two Japanese elementary school kids on a Mother’s Day shopping mission at a 100 yen store
Japan’s new Pokémon jackets give you the look and powers of the Kanto starter trio
Japan’s rice warehouse stockpile rate hits record high as consumers, restaurants reject high prices
The average age of Japan’s hikikomori shut-ins is getting older, survey shows
-
