Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
prank (Page 2)
Usually when you walk into a public restroom and see something out of the ordinary, it’s almost always the bad sort of surprise. Dirty floors, toilet seats with an extra bit of yellow, and much, much worse are just a part of the risk you take when entering an area complete strangers use to do their business. But one Twitter user got a different sort of surprise when she walked in to a bathroom stall and saw a face staring back.
There are a number of little niceties and services that make Japan a very comfortable place to live. Personally, my favorite has always been the folded toilet paper ends that can often be found in public restroom stalls everywhere. I don’t encounter them especially often, but when I do it brightens my day just like having a robin land on my window sill.
However, you can’t experience such joy without leaving yourself vulnerable to extreme disappointment as well. A prank has recently emerged in Japan which, although seemingly mundane and simple, completely shatters this sense of pleasure and leaves the victim a desolate shell of a person, just like having a robin land on your window sill and start projectile vomiting.
Google Maps‘ elaborate April Fools joke got even better. On April 1, Google launched its Pokémon Challenge game, where users could search real world locations on Google Maps and catch the original 151 Pokémon to complete a Pokédex.
Players who successfully completed the Pokédex received a message from Google Maps to fill out a form for a “surprise.” It turns out their efforts weren’t for naught, as several players, including Reddit user “tinygrump” received a congratulatory letter from Google Maps software engineer Tatsuo Nomura and 10 business cards with the title “Pokémon Master.”
You’ve been semen bombed!: 27-year-old Huang played a disgusting prank on women because he had been dumped by his girlfriend and claimed that he needed a way
“to release”.
It’s April Fool’s Day, which means that plenty of anime companies are having a good chuckle with fake announcements, quirky crossovers, and more. Here’s Part 1 of our round-up; check back later in the day for more!
As you might expect, Google is up to its usual pranks in honor of April Fools’ Day, but this time, they’ve created something that’s actually playable that allows any Google Maps user to be the very best, like no one ever was.
The Google Maps Pokemon Challenge was announced in the form of an awesome YouTube video, with specific details on how to gain the coveted title of any 90s kid: Pokémon Master. Brian McClendon, Vice President of Google Maps, explains, “Now using the technology created by the Google Maps team, we’ve prepared the most rigorous test known to man to find the world’s best Pokémon Master.”
But this year, Google has one extra trick up their sleeve, allowing anyone to actually catch Pokémon on Google Maps.
April Fools’ Day is just a few days away! Are you prepared for it? Perhaps the pranks we picked out earlier this week were lacking some impact. Well, that’s because we kept the best for last!
If you’re looking for something that will shock the entire family or add a little excitement to your otherwise boring workplace, check out this homemade head in a jar! Be it for April Fools’ or for Halloween, this creepy artifact is bound to raise some hairs, and the best part is, no blood is involved in the making. Instructions after the jump!
Some people like Valentine’s Day and some people don’t, but the least we can do is stay out of one another’s way. Gushy types can do their romantic stuff, and more cynical types can boycott in whatever way they like best. Everybody wins, right?
Well, a personal boycott wasn’t enough for one jilted lover in Shanghai. He decided to organize a mob of internet singletons to buy up odd-numbered movie seats for showings of a popular romance movie to ensure couples wouldn’t be able to sit together on the 14th.
Typographers and moral crusader beware! A risqué Samsung billboard promoting their Galaxy 3 notepad has been, ahem, erected in four countries, leaving the South Korean company with a potentially embarrassing public relations mess. The offending ad must have been designed by someone who forgot to turn off the autocorrect feature before editing, making for an unintentionally hilarious billboard. Click below to find out what the racy sign says!
Earlier this month, the Katamachi branch of the Chinese food restaurant Gyoza no Osho (King of Gyoza) in Kanazawa City, Japan, shut down after a group of men decided to drop in on the royal dumpling restaurant dressed in nothing but their birthday suits.
We’re sure many of you readers are as sick of hearing about the Japan heat as we are suffering it, so let’s talk about some different weather! In specific: Rainy days and umbrellas!
Posting on Japanese news and community site My Navi News, a university student has asked the online community for its take on his somewhat unique predicament he found himself in after using everyone’s most hated insect to prevent his umbrella from being stolen.
According to a recent Twitter post, a train on the JR Oji line came to an emergency stop after a single French fry broke through a window. The topic has become the subject of great debate online, with many speculating as to how a mere strip of potato could have penetrated solid glass.
Being in management is difficult. Sometimes you have to make lightning-quick decisions that you later regret. However, the most valuable members of an organization are the ones that take a risk, fail, and then make success from that very same failure.
The pioneering entrepreneurs at Omocoro are just such business men and would like to share their techniques with you on how to make gold out of 100,000 errantly purchased toy blocks in the following handy guide.
A message left by a Twitter user claiming to be trapped under rubble after a powerful earthquake later turned out to be fake, causing outrage across Japan.
In the early evening of Friday, December 7, a magnitude-7.3 earthquake with its epicentre off the northeast coast of Japan caused tremors so large that the Tokyo cafe in which my boss and I sat fell silent as patrons no doubt began wondering whether they ought to take cover beneath their tables. Windows rattled and the entire building creaked and swayed for almost five minutes after the tremors stopped.
As people reached for their mobile phones, expressions of concern could be seen throughout the room as talk of “possible tsunami” and “northeast Japan” appeared on social networks and news sites.
Soon after, a tweet (pictured above) appeared online asking for help and requesting that the message be shared as much as possible. Within the next hour, concerned Twitter users had retweeted the message more than 13,000 times, with many sending messages asking for more information about the user’s location and encouraging them to remain calm.
When the writer of the original tweet resurfaced hours later, however, and began mocking those who fell for the prank, people were understandably very upset, and soon began demanding that the tweet writer’s real identity to be determined and for them brought to justice.
A lot of people were holding out for some exciting news during Final Fantasy’s 25 Anniversary event in Japan yesterday; perhaps some information on Final Fantasy Versus XIII or a Final Fantasy VII remake.
What they got instead was an elaborate 12-minute demonstration of Tokimeki Final Fantasy: Suzaku Magic Institution Peristylium ~ Oh no! I’m in Love With the Crystal’s Divine Guardian ~, an otome dating game set in the world of Final Fantasy Type-0.
Tokyo street sweets: The must-snack treats of Nakano’s Refutei
Starbucks Japan releases first-ever Hinamatsuri Girls’ Day Frappuccino
Japan Extreme Budget Travel! A trip from Tokyo to Izumo for just 30,000 yen [Part 2]
Japanese restaurant chain serves Dragon Ball donuts and Senzu Beans this spring
Which convenience store onigiri rice balls are the most popular? Survey reveals surprising results
Japanese drugstore sells onigiri at pre-stupid era prices, but how do they compare to 7-Eleven?
Japan Extreme Budget Travel! A trip from Tokyo to Izumo for just 30,000 yen [Part 1]
Top 10 series that got Japanese fans hooked on anime
Hey, Japanese taxi driver! Take us to your favorite restaurant in Tsuruga City!
We followed Tokyo’s mystery walking map and ended up creating our own bar-hopping adventure
The 10 most annoying things foreign tourists do on Japanese trains, according to locals
Highest Starbucks in Japan set to open this spring in the Tokyo sky
Tokyo Skytree turns pink for the cherry blossom season
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s new “Cunte” contact lenses aren’t pronounced like you’re probably thinking they are
Shibuya Station’s Hachiko Gate and Yamanote Line stairway locations change next month
Yakuzen ramen restaurant in Tokyo is very different to a yakuza ramen restaurant
Starbucks Japan adds new sakura Frappuccino and cherry blossom drinks to the menu
Japan just had its first same-month foreign tourist decrease in four years
Burning through cash just to throw things away tops list of headaches when moving house in Japan
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Foreigners accounting for over 80 percent of off-course skiers needing rescue in Japan’s Hokkaido
Super-salty pizza sends six kids to the hospital in Japan, linguistics blamed
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura Frappuccino for cherry blossom season 2026
Foreign tourists in Japan will get free Shinkansen tickets to promote regional tourismThe 10 most annoying things foreign tourists do on Japanese trains, according to locals
Take a trip to Japan’s Dododo Land, the most irritating place on Earth
Naruto and Converse team up for new line of shinobi sneakers[Photos]
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting the lines at a popular Tokyo gyukatsu restaurant?
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
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your homeJapan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
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
Japanese drugstore sells onigiri at pre-stupid era prices, but how do they compare to 7-Eleven?
Japan Extreme Budget Travel! A trip from Tokyo to Izumo for just 30,000 yen [Part 1]
Top 10 series that got Japanese fans hooked on anime
Hey, Japanese taxi driver! Take us to your favorite restaurant in Tsuruga City!
We followed Tokyo’s mystery walking map and ended up creating our own bar-hopping adventure
App that buys your receipts crashes within hours of release due to too many users
Studio Ghibli bento box collections released just in time for hanami sakura-viewing picnics
Police in Japan warn of new Shinkansen/travel-related scam
Real-life Spirited Away train line found in Japan?
Video teaches Japanese schoolgirls how to pick panties out of their butts without anyone noticing
Hopping Bulbasaur! Pokémon favorite found squatting in the wild
Super-cheap, super-convenient rice-cooking mug is a new kitchen gadget all-star from 3 Coins
Tokyo Skytree turns pink for the cherry blossom season