sci-fi
We test out the new system to see if it really can gauge tiredness while you have your pants down.
Mr. Sato revisits and reviews the 2012 classic that critics called “a confusing mess” and “so much unwanted junk.”
Or, at the very least, they would make a fantastic urban fantasy young adult novel series.
Metal doors, steel tunnels, neon lights, rust everywhere—the end of the world never looked so cool.
Caution: Watching this deliciously bizarre ad may cause your entire head to turn inside out and your knees to violently explode.
Mitsubishi says it’s coming close to perfecting the kind of floating “hologram” images seen in sci-fi films—and it hopes to introduce the “Aerial Display” technology in time for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Aomori Prefecture’s legendary Nebuta Festival – which takes place in early August every year – has always been one of those big festivals on my Japan bucket list.
Even though the festival is one of the prestigious few festivals to receive the staggeringly long designation of Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan, we’re willing to bet the festival is largely overlooked by Western visitors. This is, probably, largely due to Aomori’s fairly remote location; it’s a real pain to get to from Tokyo, Osaka or any of the other major cities outside of Sapporo.
But then, what if that wasn’t the biggest reason foreigners aren’t totally aware of this great festival? What if the real reason was the festival’s lack of Star Wars characters?
Luckily, whether or not that’s the real case, that sore lack of Star Wars characters at the Aomori Nebuta Festival is going to change this year.
It might not be the most obvious choice for a Hollywood blockbuster, but ’80s classic Tetris will be getting a movie adaptation “sometime in the near future”, the Wall Street Journal reports. And Larry Kasanoff, chief executive of Threshold Entertainment, says the film will be a “sci-fi epic”!
Threshold Entertainment is the movie company behind Mortal Kombat, and they’ll be working together with The Tetris Company to develop a sci-fi film based on the classic game. “Everyone knows that Tetris is one of the best known, most beloved brands in the world,” Kasanoff said. “What everyone doesn’t know yet is this epic sci-fi story that we’re going to tell. That’s what’s really exciting.”
The good thing about being out in the woods when nature calls is that, short of letting rip on a nest of angry fire ants, nature usually doesn’t mind where you go.
It’s probably a good idea not to take a bathroom break while dressed like a creature from The Lord of the Rings, though, or chances are you’ll scare the life out of passing tourists and end up with photos of your peeing self all over the internet.
A few weeks ago, online shopping site Run@Town began selling a series of special edition Star Wars themed notebooks. Although they were basically just a standard-issue school notebooks with jackets featuring images from the original three films, they sold out in the blink of an eye, and there are people still waiting for new stock to arrive. This week, the same online store announced another Star Wars tie-in, this time offering wooden hangers featuring busts of Yoda, C-3PO, a Stormtrooper, and smokes-20-a-day villain Darth Vader.
The best part is, by slipping them over the hanger, you can have the cast of characters wear your clothes, allowing you to create all kinds of weird mash-ups. And would you believe some of them actually look pretty cool? We have a feeling these are going to be Run@Town’s next sell-out item.
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!
As the proverb goes, “necessity is the mother of invention,” and nothing produces necessity like war. For better or for worse—mostly for worse—war and military conflict have played a large role in technological progress throughout the history of humankind. While we seem to finally be calming down a little bit as a species in some regards, it is obvious that war is not over and will probably be around for many years to come. And, of course, no one wants to be the country that got left behind in the arms race, right? Still, when you see some of the predictions about the future of aircraft carriers from this Chinese news site, you might wonder if they haven’t mistaken “possible future” with “science fiction TV show.”

















Create a tiny Ghibli anime world on your bookshelf with new miniature papercraft art kits
Japan now has a “for foreign tourists only” Mt. Fuji sightseeing train[Video]
Fake police phone scam also highlights dumb stereotype about how foreigners speak Japanese[Video]
Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
Virtual idol Hatsune Miku redesigned with look that adds new elements and brings back old ones
A secluded British mansion in Chiba is a hidden holy land for afternoon tea lovers
The top 10 graduation songs in Japan as chosen by current Japanese high school students
Pokémon Ditto Cup uses Transform to turn into jiggly gelatin, rice, sand, and infinite possibilities
Studio Ghibli unveils new Rollbahn notebook in honour of Howl’s Moving Castle
Starbucks Japan releases the new Soupuccino, but is it everything it’s cracked up to be?
Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list
Cherry blossoms begin blooming in Japan with record-early starts for sakura season
Tokyo government organizes food truck event to clear out delinquent/homeless teen gathering area
The next time you’re feeling stressed out, you could relax on a Pokémon Psyduck chair from Japan
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Nine amazing off-the-beaten-path cherry blossom spots in Japan for yaezakura and shidarezakura
Stunning central Japan wisteria festival is like a purple fantasy straight out of a Ghibli movie
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Studio Ghibli adds new Mother’s Day gift sets to its anime collection in Japan
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura cherry blossom collection for hanami season 2026
Studio Ghibli releases Catbus pullback keychain that runs like the anime character
Nine great places to see spring flowers in Japan, as chosen by travelers (with almost no sakura)
Starbucks Japan releases first-ever Hinamatsuri Girls’ Day Frappuccino
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
A secluded British mansion in Chiba is a hidden holy land for afternoon tea lovers
The top 10 graduation songs in Japan as chosen by current Japanese high school students
Pokémon Ditto Cup uses Transform to turn into jiggly gelatin, rice, sand, and infinite possibilities
Studio Ghibli unveils new Rollbahn notebook in honour of Howl’s Moving Castle
Starbucks Japan releases the new Soupuccino, but is it everything it’s cracked up to be?
Tokyo government organizes food truck event to clear out delinquent/homeless teen gathering area
Break out your rags and incense! Let’s learn to clean a grave the right way this Obon season
Australian mother reflects on “lunchbox shame” she felt from her son’s Tokyo preschool teacher
This hotel has one of the coolest katana collections in Japan, and admission is totally free【Pics】
We visit a Harajuku cafe where you can customize food with your favorite idol’s member color
This Japanese vending machine doesn’t sell drinks, but you can buy drinks through it
Are 500-yen noodles at Akihabara Ramen Center a great find or cheap miss?
Secret Starbucks sausage customization sparks sweet joy in Japan[Taste test]