rip-off
Director of the new animated film Moonlight Palace responds to allegations that his movie bears suspicious similarities to Ghibli’s masterpiece, Spirited Away.
Yujiapu, in China’s Tianjin Binhai New Area, was modeled on Manhattan and expected to become the financial center of the world. But it languishes as many wasteful Chinese ghost cities have. At one point it was reported that the Juilliard School had signed an agreement to set up an institute in Yujiapu. And there were plans for a Rockefeller and Lincoln Center as well. But construction in this Manhattan hopeful has ground to a halt.
A replica of the Statue of Liberty in Shenyang, Northeast China, has been making the rounds on Twitter this morning.But this isn’t the first time we’ve seen large-scale replicas of global tourist destinations in China.
The Asian giant with a rich cultural heritage of its own, has also incorporated architectural styles from around the world and in some instances tried to replicate Paris and towns in England.
Shanghai rolled out a “One city, Nine Towns” scheme with small towns built in a different international style.
We compiled 16 spots that China ripped off — admittedly, some of these are part of larger theme parks.
It’s been almost a year since the Windows 8 operating system was released to the general public. Its aim was to combine the convenience of downloadable apps with the familiarity of a PC desktop in a touch-focused environment, giving us what could have been the best of both worlds. Instead, the Win8 app store struggles against its primary competitors, iTunes and the Android app store. It’s doesn’t help that developers focus the majority of their programming prowess on developing apps for the older and more trusted operating systems, iOS and Android.
However, there is one branch of the computer app market where Win8 has a distinct advantage, and that’s its library of highly recognizable rip-offs. Just look at this list of free game apps which make nefarious use of Nintendo’s most popular video game characters!
This is slowly turning out to be quite a week for sightings of unlicensed use of videogame characters. Just yesterday we brought you news of a smartphone game whose lead character looked so much like Nintendo’s green dinosaur Yoshi that the company stepped in and demanded that changes be made, and now our overseas RocketNews24 representative brings us photos of a food vendor in the Philippines whose stand and wares are plastered with a name and character that bear an uncanny likeness to Japan’s beloved dot-munching arcade hero, Pac-Man!
This boxed chocolates vendor was spotted selling from a small booth in the middle of a shopping center in the Philippines’ capital city of Manila. Unless the vendor is somehow affiliated with Namco, this has got to be brand theft! Smelling a story among all of the tasty-looking sweets, our courageous reporter went forth and confronted the sales clerk. Read More
Paying Just $11 a Day, Subcontractors Ripping Off Fukushima Nuclear Accident Decontamination Workers
The Tokyo Shimbun has discovered that workers involved with national government controlled cleanup projects resulting from the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant are being ripped off by subcontractors.
Despite being able to rent lodging facilities from the government and others for free or for very little money, contractors forcibly deduct inflated accommodation and meal charges from workers’ pay. When the 10,000 yen (US$111) a day “danger pay” provided to contractors by the government (read: taxpayers) is taken into consideration, it means the contractors themselves end up forking out a measly 1,000 yen (US$11) a day per worker.
Read More
A lucky Twitter user came across a pamphlet the other day outlining some great deals on smartphone services. These people will go through the painstaking task of installing your smartphone apps for you at the low low price of 1,000 yen (US$12) an app!
In fact, they offer a wide range of useful services, such as installing Facebook, Twitter, or Skype— also for 1,000 yen each! And I always thought those were apps too. Boy, is my face red. I’m going to leave it to the professionals from now on.







Japanese manhole lid raises eyebrows with fertility god symbol that looks like… well, you know
Man bites woman at cherry blossom park in Japan, dies shortly after
McDonald’s Japan adds new Hello Kitty and Pompompurin drinks to the menu for a limited time
Schoolkids learn life skills through shopping field trips at street markets in Kochi Prefecture
Japan named most sleep-deprived country for fourth year in a row, according to survey
Manga is More than Just Reading, It’s a Cultural Experience – Expo 2025 with The Seven Deadly Sins
Tokyo big walk – Walking from Tokyo Station to the Big Sight convention center on Tokyo Bay【Pics】
How far away from Tokyo can you get with 5,000 yen? Let’s find out!
Why is Yoshinoya called Yoshinoya?
Universal Studios’ Sailor Moon theme park attraction is finally coming to America
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Starbucks Japan closing only Shinkansen platform branch for popularity-triggered renovations
Two food hacks take Japan’s convenience store fried chicken to amazing new sandwich heights
You can assemble a well-balanced team of Pokémon, them eat them, thanks to Japanese cake chain
Fading Tokyo – Searching for signs of the Showa era as local neighborhoods evolve[Photos]
Pokémon lacquerware series expands for Year of the Horse with new handcrafted design[Video]
Tokyo turns its phone booths into free Wi-Fi hotspots, and here’s how to use them
Tokyo teahouse serves up a sakura matcha dessert you won’t find anywhere else
Totoro Fund line of beautiful artwork and apparel lets you help the real-world Totoro Forest
Japan now has a special desk for people who work at home with a pet cat[Photos]
Famous Tokyo cherry blossom spot installs view-blocking screens to fight overcrowding[Video]
Uniqlo announces new T-shirts for One Piece, Naruto and more for manga publisher’s 100th birthday
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
Studio Ghibli releases Catbus pullback keychain that runs like the anime character
Krispy Kreme releases Super Mario doughnuts in Japan for a limited time
Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list
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 home
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
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
Manga is More than Just Reading, It’s a Cultural Experience – Expo 2025 with The Seven Deadly Sins
Tokyo big walk – Walking from Tokyo Station to the Big Sight convention center on Tokyo Bay【Pics】
How far away from Tokyo can you get with 5,000 yen? Let’s find out!
Why is Yoshinoya called Yoshinoya?
Universal Studios’ Sailor Moon theme park attraction is finally coming to America
Almost arrested in Tokyo: Hentai Kamen cosplay leads to a brush with police in Shinjuku Ni-chome
JR Hokkaido train driver in trouble for reading book about trains on stopped train
Tokyo park lighting up with gorgeous digital cherry blossom art display this spring
McDonald’s Japan gives us a taste of the anime world with new series of Gundam burgers
Local souvenir tip: our brains are scrambled after finding eggs cooked in the Tottori sand dunes
Why do tourists eat noodles with a green onion instead of chopsticks in this Edo town?