Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
news (Page 20)
Japan’s Kanto region just can’t catch a break recently – first heavy snow brings the capital city to its knees (and this writer given the X of denial as he was told “Sorry, sir, the flight has already departed” after it took five hours to reach the airport in it), and now giant columns of water are spurting up out of the ground.
Yoichi Masuzoe, the politician who once publicly stated that women “are not normal” during their period and “couldn’t possibly” be relied upon to run the country because of it, has been elected as governor of Tokyo, it has been announced.
*made from concentrate
Happy Friday, everyone, and welcome to round 6 of our weekly multiple choice quiz! We hope you’ve all had a great week and enjoyed the news we’ve had to offer, and of course that you’ve been paying close attention, because as you should probably know by now, this quiz is by no means a walk in the park–it takes years of repeated head trauma to get into this kind of mindset.
So step inside and let’s see how much of newshound you are!
It’s an excuse so implausible that it sounds like something straight out of the plot of an adult video, but a dentist in Japan’s Mie Prefecture was arrested earlier this week after fondling a young woman’s chest in the back room of his surgery while claiming that doing so would help fix her misaligned teeth.
The hostesses of Tokyo’s red-light districts can rest easier tonight, knowing that their Jimmy Choos and Louboutins are safe. Police arrested 28-year-old Sho Sato for a rash of shoe thefts from clubs across the capital and neighboring Kanagawa and Saitama Prefectures.
Sato admitted to the charges, saying the pleasure of stealing was his—ahem!—sole reason for taking the shoes.
Despite its image as a sleek, technologically advanced society, Japan really sucks when it comes to free wi-fi hotspots. In fact, when the Japan Tourism Agency surveyed tourists about difficulties traveling in the country, a lack of free Internet access was far and away the number one answer.
One major city has finally taken note and begun offering better connectivity for visitors. Osaka has just announced the launch of Osaka Free Wi-fi, a program that brings free wi-fi to locations throughout the city, as part of its effort to position itself as an international gateway to rival Tokyo.
A Tokyo court has ruled that a cyclist must pay 47 million yen (US$459,000) to the family of a 75-year-old women he collided with and killed in 2010.
The pensioner, one Mrs. Mitsuhiro Azuma, was struck by the cyclist on a pedestrian crossing in Tokyo’s Ota Ward after he ignored a red light. The court heard that Mrs. Azuma suffered a head wound when she was knocked to the ground, from which she died five days later.
It’s been a long time since anime has had a hit like Attack on Titan. Over the last several years, Japanese animation has become increasingly self-referential, providing previously unparalleled enjoyment for, and arguably pandering to, its most devoted followers. This came at the cost of accessibility, though, and often shut out new fans in much the same way that the city walls in Attack on Titan were keep rampaging giants outside the city.
Joji Wada (who also goes by George Wada), is the head of Wit Studio, the production house behind the animated hit. In a recent interview with the The Nikkei, Wada talked about the keys to Attack on Titan’s success, as well as dropped some tantalizing hints regarding spin-offs and sequels.
Ichirô Nagai, the voice actor of Sazae-san‘s Namihei and Ranma ½‘s Happōsai, was discovered after he had collapsed in a Hiroshima City hotel on Monday morning. He was taken to a hospital, but he passed away. He was 82.
Welcome to round three of our weekly multiple-choice quiz!
It’s been another fun week, with plenty of weird, wow and “WTF?” news stories from Asia, so it’s time to recap and, as well as see who’s been paying attention, give you a chance to discover some of the best stories that have emerged over the past seven days. Plus, if you can get 10 out of 10, Mr. Sato promises to lose the loincloth, or at least cover his nipples.
Mongoose taunting, chocolate massage and nostril flaring all after the jump.
We here at RocketNews24 occasionally get hit with accusations of having an anti-China or anti-Korea slant. And while we don’t think a story about a young Chinese man getting a seatless bicycle wedged in his butt is inherently anti-Chinese, we can see how it might be interpreted that way. We can also see how we get labeled as anti-other-Asian-countries since we largely get our information from Japanese sources, and it would be naive to say there aren’t anti-Chinese and anti-Korean forces at play within the Japanese media. You couldn’t hope for a better example than the following story that was said to have been posted by a Chinese person on a message board. The anecdote has a lot to say about how Chinese children are raised to view Japan. However, the reaction to the story itself is more revealing about what it’s like on the other side.
It’s all happening on Asia’s trains this week, isn’t it? According to Southeast Asian news sources, a man dressed in “samurai” garb faces up to five years in prison and “flogging” after jumping the ticket gate and then brandishing a full-length samurai sword on board a busy subway train on Monday this week.
Seemingly not content with having two brand new movies out this year in the form of Kaze Tachinu and The Tale of Princess Kaguya, Japan’s Studio Ghibli has just announced that a new animated feature, Omoide no Maanii (When Marnie Was There), based on the novel of the same name by English writer Joan G. Robinson, will be hitting screens in Japan in summer 2014.
A man from China’s Jiangsu Province has reportedly leapt from a seventh-floor shopping mall balcony following a heated argument with his girlfriend during a five-hour Christmas shopping trip. When the young woman said that she wanted to visit one more store, the 38-year-old threw the bags he was carrying to the floor and jumped over the rail, horrifying shoppers.
With so many cool toys coming to stores this year, it is hard to believe kids would be so bored that they create a game where the “players” score points for each real-world stranger they render unconscious. But two recent attacks in Kobe and Osaka are making Japanese netizens scared that the so-called “Knockout Game,” which has been widely reported in American media, has now landed on Japanese streets. Some academics are concerned that this is just another sign of America’s “society of violence” importing itself to Japan.
Sony has boasted over a million PlayStation 4 consoles sold during the new machine’s first day of sale alone, and that figure is climbing ever higher by the day, but it’s important to remember that these are just the numbers for North America, and European gamers still have a little while (make that a long while if you’re Japanese, but let’s not rub salt in the wound) to wait until they get to throw cash in Sony’s direction and make the PS4 their own.
It turns out, though, that unlike the millions of units shipped to the US in recent weeks, which were mostly made in China, there’s a good chance that the consoles European gamers will be snapping up come November 29 were in fact made in Sony’s homeland, Japan.
An 84-year-old woman in the town of Takachiho, Miyazaki Prefecture was accidentally shot yesterday morning by a man who was hunting in the area, Yomiuri Online reports.
With Sony’s PlayStation 4 set to launch in Europe in just over a week’s time, it’s not only everyday paupers who are itching to get their hands on the shiny new hunk of black plastic. Britain’s Prince William also reportedly can’t wait to grab one of those touchpad-toting controllers and start taking headshots online.
Apparently, the new father hinted that he hopes Santa will leave a PS4 under the Christmas tree this year, but he’s not sure whether his wife Kate will go for the idea.
Just four days after the launch of the Sony PlayStation 4, and barely 24 hours after we brought you news that over a million units of the console had been sold on its very first day in stores, reports are appearing online of a “Red Line of Death” – believed to be caused by overheating – with brand new PlayStation 4 consoles locking up completely.
Bear breaks into house in Japan, quickly begins spending winter exactly like Japanese people do
Starbucks Japan releases cute new zodiac goods for Year of the Snake
McDonald’s Japan announces Evangelion burger line, releases crazy anime video for them【Video】
Foreign resident of Japan sentenced to eight months in prison for vandalizing Tokyo shrine
Miniature keychain versions of Japan’s Death Spray are coming to capsule toy machines soon
Starbucks Japan reveals new winter holiday goods to wrap up 2024
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
Starbucks Japan releases a new Frappuccino that looks and tastes like a floral bouquet
One of Japan’s rarest sweets is a sell-out hit that looks and tastes like frostThis downtown Tokyo cafe is like a time machine that takes you back 50 years into the past
Station of despair: What to do if you get stuck at the end of Tokyo’s Chuo Rapid LineStarbucks Japan reveals new winter holiday goods to wrap up 2024
Ramen restaurant etiquette reminder follows altercation with angry couple: One person, one bowl
Japanese government will check and judge new baby name pronunciations, presents guidelines
Japanese train station vending machine has the best souvenirs for rail otaku
Japanese company develops classy heavy metal band frames for glasses
Tokyo’s Super Mario Christmas decoration displays are super cool【Photos】
Major Japanese city is abolishing extracurricular activities at all of its middle schools
Studio Ghibli showcases traditional craftsmanship with new wallet range
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 touristsJapanese company develops classy heavy metal band frames for glasses
Furikake rice seasoning sales are soaring, which is bad news for Japan as a wholeThis downtown Tokyo cafe is like a time machine that takes you back 50 years into the past
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
Starbucks Japan reveals new winter holiday goods to wrap up 2024
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
Starbucks Japan releases a new Frappuccino that looks and tastes like a floral bouquet
One of Japan’s rarest sweets is a sell-out hit that looks and tastes like frost
Ramen restaurant etiquette reminder follows altercation with angry couple: One person, one bowl
Cup Noodle sells new squid fork with its instant ramen
Japan’s favorite popsicle is changing the way it tastes and feels for first time in over 20 years
10 crazy pizzas from Japan
The results are in! One Piece World Top 100 characters chosen in global poll
“Silence Straw” — Kyoto University raising money to fight noises caused by drinking straws
346-year-old sweets store closes at Sensoji temple in Asakusa
Studio Ghibli releases new Spirited Away kami collection
How to get all-you-can eat doughnuts at Mister Donut for just 12 bucks!
