There is no shortage of beautiful women on the internet, but nowadays you need something…else, to separate you from the crowd. We’ve introduced hotties before, ranging from a marathon runner in China to a police woman in Xinjiang. Our next looker is from Mongolia and also puts her life on the line every day to protect the people in her city, which already makes her someone you don’t want to mess with. You’ll especially want to watch yourself when you find out that her husband and the majority of her family are in the business as well!
police (Page 11)
Is this the best-looking guy in the Philippines? You might think he’s an actor from some detective drama, but he’s actually a real life cop, and now also a male beauty pageant participant. The muscular man in uniform (and often out of it) has captured hearts across the Philippines and is currently enjoying a burst of celebrity, although he swears show business isn’t for him.
Besides great sushi, great customer service and ubiquitous vending machines, another great thing about living in Japan is the relatively low crime rate there. Although the country certainly has its criminals (including very cute and cuddly ones), visitors, tourists and expats in Japan routinely extol how Japanese culture has created a society where even a wallet full of cash will be returned to its owner most of the time. After hearing about Japan’s reputation for being an honest, rule-abiding country, a Saudi Arabian TV show created a social experiment to see what would happen when they left a very conspicuous wallet on the busy streets of Tokyo.
An autistic man playing on a calculator was mistaken as a murderer by incompetent Taipei city straphangers who called police.
For those who woke up in Saitama Prefecture this morning, you might have noticed something particularly pleasant in the air, like the entire region just got a little happier. That’s because on 22 May the Prefectural Police announced that they would be giving refunds and apologies to 2,400 people who were given tickets and demerit points because of an improperly conducted eight-year crackdown on driving violations.
What’s that man wearing in the picture above? Is it a new subculture fashion trend born in Harajuku? Or maybe some kind of bulky nasal strip? Actually, it’s an incredibly high-tech nasal air purifying device to combat air pollution.
The smog problem in several major Chinese cities is impossible to ignore, and poses colossal environmental and health risks unless drastic action is taken soon (it apparently even forces couples to take wedding photos while wearing gas masks…). There has been recent talk of using drones to fight the smog, but in the meantime the police department of one city in northern China is taking precautionary measures to protect the health of its workers by providing them with specialized breathing equipment.
It’s not quite as cool looking as the mask worn by, say, the titular character of Hayao Miyazaki’s Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, but just wait until you read everything that this little contraption can do.
An investigation into the suicide of a police officer in a Tokyo police station has found that harassment from a superior contributed to his death. While the chief is now facing disciplinary action, it has again highlighted the problem of abuses of authority in Japanese workplaces, also known as ‘power harassment’, or pawahara in Japanese.
In light of emergency vehicles being unable to reach victims of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department has announced the addition of 10 off-road bikes to their force.
In the middle of this month, 41-year-old Kazunori Terashima must have felt some sense of satisfaction as his bankbook showed a transfer of 350 yen (US$3.33) from the Saitama Public Safety Commission. After struggling against the police for two and a half years over an improper traffic stop he had finally won his inalienable right to clean his ear in traffic.
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.
The beach can be a great place to go to get away from it all. From listening to the gently rolling waves to smelling the ocean air and picking up seashells, there is nothing quite like a relaxing visit to the shore. Usually the most surprising thing found in the sand or water is a strange-looking sea creature, but one man stumbled upon a record-breaking 80 kg of cocaine on November 19 off the shores of Yokosuka City in Kanagawa Prefecture. Police say its street value is about 4.8 billion yen (US$47 million) and they are now looking into whoever was wishing for an apparently very white Christmas.
When Takahiro Ueyama was a boy he dreamed of becoming a police officer like his father. Rain or shine, even on holidays, he would remember his dad rushing out to help people when needed. Ueyama studied hard to achieve his goal and in 1989 he was finally able to be like his old man. It didn’t stop there either, up-and-coming Officer Ueyama continued to work hard and eventually outperformed his father in police work, earning an award in the process.
Takahiro Ueyama told all this to the Kobe District Court last month where he stood trial for extortion. By this time his crime had become widely publicized as it was carried out in order to pay off his mounting mobile phone game bills of 500,000 yen (US$5,000).
There’s no shortage of brilliant musicians on the Internet putting their unique spins on popular songs or performing in unusual locations. From shamisen duos playing on moving vehicles to symphonic video game music, it seems like there couldn’t possibly be anything new for us to discover.
Emphasis on the “seems like,” because you are not going to believe what this Japanese violinist manages to pull off!
In China, the sight of mothers cradling their babies in a rush to get somewhere is not that uncommon. With the pressing demands of modern-day society, many mothers are juggling two or three things at once and it’s hard not to feel anything but admiration for them. But as with anything, there will always be someone who takes a given concept to the extreme.
As you can clearly see from the photo above, one woman thought she could redefine what it means to multitask by breastfeeding her child while riding a moped down a busy street. Naturally, it was only a matter of time before the news made its way onto YouTube and consequences arose.
Telephone fraud is a serious problem in Japan and many elderly people fall victim to it each year. Known as “ore ore sagi“, fraudsters often pretend to be the call recipient’s son, using such lines as, “Mom, it’s me, it’s me! I’m in trouble!” to trick large sums of money from the unsuspecting party, and banks now post warnings next to their ATMs asking people only to send money if they’re 100-percent sure of who they’re sending it to.
Thanks to increased awareness of the problem, however, more and more people are beginning to see through this type of scam. One particularly clued-up 69-year-old who realized something was wrong, in fact, has recently been co-operating with local police by pretending that she had been duped by a call she received from fraudsters, ultimately leading to their arrests.
Which of the above locations, from A to E, would you consider the safest when riding an elevator with a person you don’t know or are suspicious of? Chances are you’ve never really thought about it, but the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department recently published the following safety information intended to educate women about riding elevators alone with men, advising them of what to do should they feel uncomfortable.
Last month a man was caught red-handed groping an innocent office lady on a train in Kyoto, in violation of the region’s laws against causing public disturbances. The man was put under immediate arrest, and while this admittedly unfortunate event may seem a bit too tame to be newsworthy, the offender was none other than the head patrol officer of Osaka’s police force! Apparently, this groping incident was far from the first for this once-respected officer.
According to Chinese media, a 68-year-old woman in the city of Bengbu made a somewhat gruesome discovery on Saturday last week when she opened a suitcase floating on a park lake to discover six human heads. Could there be any explanation for such a stomach-churning find besides murder and horrific gangland killings? As it turns out, quite possibly!
High school students from Kyoto, Japan, placed what was reported to be a homemade explosive in the middle of a street and then detonated it. It came to light on June 24 that the students also filmed the explosion, which they uploaded to YouTube. The incident is creating much controversy online, and has even caught the attention of Kyoto police who have called the suspects in for voluntary questioning, following a series of similar videos uploaded by the same youths.

















Shimane has a secret hot spring town that feels like stepping into an old Japanese film
Tokyo event lets you travel back in time, for free, to celebrate 100 years since Showa era start
Studio Ghibli’s truck from My Neighbour Totoro now available as die-cast Takara Tomy car
Starbucks Japan releases new range of pink drinkware and gift cards for Mother’s Day
Totoro gamaguchi pouches will hold whatever you want them to, but already captured our heart
KFC Japan opens a Christmas restaurant in Tokyo…but why???
This hot springs town in Japan sets fire across a mountain every winter in a beautiful tradition
Abysmal viewer ratings for Pokémon anime series does not worry its broadcaster the slightest bit
Furious train otaku in Japan confront foreign bicyclist after he gets in the way of their cameras
Japanese man who didn’t know how banks work defrauded out of 21 million yen
Tokyo considering law requiring more trash cans following litter increase in heavily touristed area
Stamina-destroying “Paralysis Noodles” are Tokyo’s newest over-the-top ramen innovation
Sanrio theme park in Japan announces plans to expand into a Sanrio resort
China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning seems to be affecting Osaka’s Namba and Dotonbori neighborhoods
Uniqlo Ukiyo-e Blue T-shirts: A cool-hued reinterpretation of some of Japan’s greatest paintings
Japan’s first hotel with a human washing machine is now ready for you to come and bathe in it
Studio Ghibli mixes with sporty street styles of New Era to put No Face on your head in cap series
Japanese woman sues man for 1.5 million yen for violating her “right to chastity”
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan unveils new Christmas goods and a rhinestone tumbler that costs 19,500 yen
Real-world Nausicaa Ghibli anime glider completes its final flight in Japan【Video】
Japanese train company is letting fans buy its actual ticket gates for their homes
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting tourist crowds in Tokyo’s Asakusa neighborhood?
The 10 best day trips from downtown Tokyo【Survey】
Nintendo’s Kirby now delivering orders at Kura Sushi restaurants, but not in Japan
Japanese government considering tripling departure taxes to combat overtourism
A guide to visiting Sagamiko Illumination, one of the three biggest light-ups in Kanto
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s deadliest food claims more victims, but why do people keep eating it for New Year’s?
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】
The top 10 annoying foreign tourist behaviors on trains, as chosen by Japanese people【Survey】
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
KFC Japan opens a Christmas restaurant in Tokyo…but why???
This hot springs town in Japan sets fire across a mountain every winter in a beautiful tradition
Abysmal viewer ratings for Pokémon anime series does not worry its broadcaster the slightest bit
Furious train otaku in Japan confront foreign bicyclist after he gets in the way of their cameras
Japanese man who didn’t know how banks work defrauded out of 21 million yen
We spill the tea–a guide to all of Japan’s Gogo no Kocha Milk Teas sold in the wintertime
Real-world Koraidon and Miraidon Pokémon are ready for their close-ups【Photos】
New “Love Dance” takes Japan by storm, thanks to a Japanese drama and a handsome J-Pop star
Dagashiya Ahiru Shop is a hidden gem for Japanese snacks lovers
We visit a hidden store on the Imperial Palace grounds offering items you can’t find anywhere else
Revealed! Japan’s top 10 handsome samurai【Photos】