Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
news (Page 21)
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.
Those encountering the wide-mouthed blue robot that is Doraemon for the very first time could be forgiven for not realising that he’s supposed to be a cat. And even once filled in we’re sure that few people would ever imagine that this earless robo-feline should be any more popular than the thousands of other quirky anime characters that exist in popular culture today.
But for most Japanese, and perhaps a handful of Westerners who were introduced to the anime as kids, Doraemon is a seriously big deal, and fans are currently buzzing with excitement following the news that one of Japan’s most-loved characters is not only getting a brand new movie of his own, but will be appearing in gorgeous 3-D computer generated form for the first time ever.
So what was your biggest achievement when you were 15? I was pretty proud of getting my learner’s permit. I also made a couple nice tackles on the football field, and came this close to finally winning a round against my friend Eugene in Street Fighter II. All in all, not a bad year.
Of course, these accomplishments don’t seem like much compared to those of Jack Andraka, a high school student from Maryland who just made the biggest breakthrough in pancreatic cancer detection methods in more than half a century. This is simply too cool not to share.
After releasing a teaser video last week promising an announcement on November 5, Sony Computer Entertainment Japan has revealed that its “PocketStation” brand is officially making a return, though it’s not quite as exciting as we had all hoped.
The original PocketStation was a tiny device released in Japan back in 1999 and very like Sega’s own Dreamcast VMU tech. Essentially a memory card “micro-console” with a simple LCD screen, when used with the original 32-bit PlayStation the device could be used to save data from games and play themed mini games on the go. PocketStation even came with infrared capabilities, meaning that saves could be passed between gamers anywhere and everywhere, which, back in the days before cloud storage, was considered pretty magical.
This new “device”, however, will be entirely for PlayStation Vita and arrive via a download from the PlayStation Store, it has been revealed.
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We followed Tokyo’s mystery walking map and ended up creating our own bar-hopping adventure
New adults go wild at Seijinshiki Coming-of-Age ceremony in Kitakyushu, Japan 【Photos】
Pokémon Lego kits are finally on their way!【Photos】
What makes a good boss in Japan? Workers sound off in survey
Japanese women showing rebounding interest in giving Valentine’s Day chocolate【Survey】
Man arrested for violating Japan’s anti-dueling law in downtown Tokyo
Ramen restaurant’s English menu prices are nearly double its Japanese ones, denies discriminating
Starbucks releases a Kyoto Matcha Latte in Japan for a limited time
It’s like the samurai era never ended at this beautiful Japanese mountain town
10 times to avoid traveling in Japan in 2026
Our 52-year-old pole dancing reporter shares his tips for achieving your New Year’s exercise goal
Starbucks Japan releases new Frappuccino and latte for Valentine’s DayRamen restaurant’s English menu prices are nearly double its Japanese ones, denies discriminating
Umamusume anime girl plushie recalled for having parts she absolutely should not have【Pics】
Princess Mononoke magnets return just in time to treat yourself to awesome anime decorations
Top Japanese cosplayer Enako returns to Comiket after 6 years, creates mayhem with admirers
Giant hotel rooms in Osaka reflect the new non-niche face of travel in Japan.
We ate sushi made from Japan’s most expensive tuna ever【Taste test】
Japanese beef bowl chain Sukiya’s 2026 Smile Box lucky bag basically pays for itself10 times to avoid traveling in Japan in 2026
Starbucks Japan ready to get Year of the Horse started with adorable drinkware and plushies【Pics】
7-Eleven Japan starts new temporary luggage storage service in over 300 branchesOur 52-year-old pole dancing reporter shares his tips for achieving your New Year’s exercise goal
Disillusionment at Tsukiji’s tourist-target prices led us to a great ramen restaurant in TokyoStarbucks Japan releases new Frappuccino and latte for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks teams up with 166-year-old Kyoto doll maker for Year of the Horse decorations【Photos】
Tokyo’s Tsukiji sushi neighborhood asks tour groups to stay away for the rest of the monthRamen restaurant’s English menu prices are nearly double its Japanese ones, denies discriminating
Japan may add Japanese language proficiency, lifestyle classes to permanent foreign resident requirements
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
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】
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
Updated cherry blossom forecast shows extra-long sakura season for Japan this year
Human washing machine pods coming to Japanese hotels【Photos】
Japanese women showing rebounding interest in giving Valentine’s Day chocolate【Survey】
Man arrested for violating Japan’s anti-dueling law in downtown Tokyo
Ramen restaurant’s English menu prices are nearly double its Japanese ones, denies discriminating
Starbucks releases a Kyoto Matcha Latte in Japan for a limited time
It’s like the samurai era never ended at this beautiful Japanese mountain town
Pokémon theme park area announced for Kanto region, opens in less than a year【Video】
Japanese government wants to remove tax-exemption limit for foreign tourists on consumables
What’s inside Starbucks Japan’s fukubukuro lucky bag for 2026?
Japan’s permanent Pokémon theme park zone announces grand opening date, ticket sale start
Criminals of Japan’s Edo Period Were Often Punished by Getting Face Tattoos
Absolute territory for ponytails just might be Japan’s newest pinpoint fetish
Private booths are coming to Japan’s Shinkansen bullet trains even sooner than we’d thought【Video】
This Japanese sweets shop specializes in beautiful flower-shaped ohagi rice cakes
