We spent a night out on the town in Tokyo’s Shibuya this Halloween weekend to grab some incredible photos of cosplaying revelers.
pictures
We’re guessing that this is the only place where you can find a yukata featuring a Loch Ness Monster design!
Proving once again that anyone can get better as long as they practice, practice, practice!
Having 159,000 followers when you’re just eight months old has to be some kind of record, right?
When lying in bed at night, have you ever heard a weird noise — a creaking floorboard or the rustling of a piece of paper? Has food ever mysteriously disappeared? While it very well could have been a ghost, it could have just as easily been a ninja-cat hiding in the nooks and crannies of your home!
Some ninja-cats are more skilled than others, living in apartments and stealing food completely undetected by the owners. Others, however, are not so stealthy and occasionally get caught on camera. Observe!
If you’ve ever been to Thailand, you know that it can get really hot. It’s enough to make anyone look longingly at the nearest fountain, pond or puddle. Well, add a fur coat to that equation and I get why this Thai dog decided he wasn’t going to let a few guppies get in the way of a quick, cooling dip!
It will come as a surprise to many that the biggest online shopping day in the world is not Cyber Monday, but November 11.
China’s Singles Day, held on a date made up of auspicious number ones, has evolved into an online shopping bonanza for retailers (remember the guy who chose to declare his love by buying 99 new iPhones?). And Singles Day spending keeps going up and up: this year, Chinese consumers spent a record-breaking 57.1 billion yuan (US $9.3 billion) with Alibaba Group in 24 hours.
Not everyone was happy with their purchases, though, as disgruntled shoppers took to social networking sites to post sad selfies of clothes that weren’t quite as fabulous as they were expecting.
Just in case you haven’t had a dose of creepy in a while, we bring this to you to keep you sober and careful in the future.
Being an adult female and an avid reader of news, I’ve come to realize over the years that there are a lot of creepy people in this world of ours. Within the past two years in Japan alone, for example, two stories that made headlines involved a man who was arrested for throwing cups of urine on women and another for kidnapping a girl to raise as his “ideal wife.” And now, another similarly creepy case has come to light, with four men being arrested in Tokyo for activities that I would rank pretty high on the creepy scale.
Love it or hate it, every country has their own take on sushi. While some of the creations, such as the California roll, are fairly tame and are now accepted as part of a normal sushi menu, we’ve also seen some of the odder versions out there, such as Hong Kong’s ‘killer sushi’, Nutella sushi in France, and my personal favorite–the absolutely adorable but sadly inedible cat sushi!
The quintessential component of sushi is vinegared rice, so while these creations can’t technically be called sushi, they’ve definitely taken a stylistic cue from the rolled shape of makizushi. And we have to admit, some of those fillings do look tasty…
Which of the following creations do you find most intriguing?
You might have seen something—or someone?!—like the guy above prowling in the moonlight, but I’m afraid he’s not proof of the supernatural, he’s just a new breed of cat called a Lykoi, or “wolf” in Greek. Of course, most people are just calling the breed what it looks like: a werewolf cat!
This winter has seen some astonishingly low temps and heavy snow even in places that normally enjoy mild winter weather. In fact, the chilly weather has even stopped one finicky feline from pursuing her favorite pursuit: meowing to be let out and then meowing to be let back in.
While Japan is certainly home to a wide variety of animals, from adorable Shiba Inu to emotive puppies, one creature you don’t see too often is the horse. Sure, they’re out in the countryside doing horse stuff–eating, pooping, and running like the wind–but it’s not like you see a horse just hanging out in front of convenience stores. I mean, seriously, this isn’t The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.
Or is it??
When setting up shop around famous landmarks, it never hurts to blend in. Especially in Japan, where tourism accounts for roughly five percent of the GDP. You wouldn’t want to destroy the tourist attraction by ruining the ambiance, right?
On the other hand, there’s not really very much that’s “traditional” about Family Mart convenience stores, so we had to wonder what kind of disguise would get slapped on their store near Ise Grand Shrine…
The city of Dandong lies on the border of China and North Korea separated by the 900-meter wide Yalu River. Taking the China-North Korea Friendship Bridge would take you right into Sinuiju, North Korea, if you have the right permission.
However, word has it that there’s a place upstream of the Yalu where it is only three or four meters across. The place is known as Yibu Kua (“a step across”) due to the fact that one could easily step into the other country by walking across the stones in the river. RocketNews24‘s Kuzo went to check it out.
















Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Visiting Japan’s Gyarados Pokémon park in the city with a special connection to Magikarp【Photos】
Umamusume anime cosplayers make news in U.S. for their pro football fandom【Video】
36th Annual International Snowball Fight Competition to be held in Uonuma this February
Canned cuteness as Hello Kitty and friends kick off Can Chara capsule toy line【Photos】
Majority of Japanese women in survey regret marrying their husband, but that’s only half the story
Mister Donut and Godiva continue their sweet sweets relationship with new treats on sale now in Japan
Japan’s Self-Defense Forces take “radio calisthenics” to an interesting new level
Poké Ball cakes here for limited but long time to celebrate Pokémon franchise’s 30th anniversary
Record number of foreign children in Japan need help understanding Japanese in school
Starbucks Japan releases new Frappuccino and latte for Valentine’s Day
Massive manga collaboration bringing 100 years of Shueisha manga to Uniqlo T-shirts【Photos】
Totoro cream puffs and Catbus cookies are finally available in downtown Tokyo
Japan’s kid-friendly ski program is now selling Pikachu snowboards for a limited time only
Japanese women showing rebounding interest in giving Valentine’s Day chocolate【Survey】
McDonald’s Japan releases a Mushroom Mountain and Bamboo Shoot Village McFlurry
Ramen restaurant’s English menu prices are nearly double its Japanese ones, denies discriminating
10 times to avoid traveling in Japan in 2026
Starbucks Japan ready to get Year of the Horse started with adorable drinkware and plushies【Pics】
Our 52-year-old pole dancing reporter shares his tips for achieving your New Year’s exercise goal
7-Eleven Japan starts new temporary luggage storage service in over 300 branches
Disillusionment at Tsukiji’s tourist-target prices led us to a great ramen restaurant in Tokyo
Japan may add Japanese language proficiency, lifestyle classes to permanent foreign resident requirements
Lacquerware supplier to emperor of Japan and Pokémon team up for new tableware
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
Majority of Japanese women in survey regret marrying their husband, but that’s only half the story
Mister Donut and Godiva continue their sweet sweets relationship with new treats on sale now in Japan
Japan’s Self-Defense Forces take “radio calisthenics” to an interesting new level
Poké Ball cakes here for limited but long time to celebrate Pokémon franchise’s 30th anniversary
Record number of foreign children in Japan need help understanding Japanese in school
Major Japanese noodle chain is closing on Christmas Eve so workers can spend time with families
Japan’s Valentine’s chocolate Slimes let you say you say I love you like the Dragon Quest mascot
In Kyoto, “Hey, you’ve got a really nice watch” is NOT a compliment, Japanese businessman says
Japan’s kid-friendly ski program is now selling Pikachu snowboards for a limited time only
Daiso releases shoulder bag series for every prefecture in Japan with surprising trivia facts
Edo-period ukiyoe woodblock prints of animals and mythical beasts now available for free online
Flex and pose your way to fitness with the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure exercise program!【Video】
Japanese vending machine serves up unique drinks at four Tokyo train stations
We found a giant slab of konnyaku jelly and tried turning it into a giant slab of steak