talent
Instinctively chasing down idols may be acceptable in fans’ eyes, but not so in everyone else’s.
Have you ever seen a mascot play drums? I bet you’d never expect one to be this awesome at it.
“Just keep drawing.” To improve his skills, a striving artist takes this advice and runs with it… to a rather unlikely place!
If any of you have ever tried your hand at making omurice– a Japanese rice omelette- then you’ll know it can get a bit tricky when trying to plate up. This chef, however, not only makes the process look super quick and easy, but he even turns the process into a mini performance as he shows off his skill!
Tiny, adorable, and blessed with bags of musical talent – meet Joyous String, a four-kid string quartet with musical aptitude way beyond their years. They’ve been playing together since they were just four years old, and have progressed to the point where they can produce a flawless rendition of the Michael Jackson classic “Smooth Criminal” without even breaking a sweat. These are some seriously talented kids!
The world is full of amazingly talented artists – people who can take ordinary everyday objects and make something extraordinary. Without question, Japan has its own fair share of talent, what with high school students creating beautiful murals with nothing but a stick of chalk, artists sketching insanely detailed drawings using a simple ball-point pen, and the awe-inspiring snow sculptures that are constructed at Sapporo’s snow festival each year.
Now, we have insanely detailed, hand-carved stamps made from erasers setting the internet abuzz.
Foreigners living in Japan, our own editor included, often give Japanese TV a hard time. For many, it’s either too weird, too predictable or too obnoxious. If it really is so bad though, surely shows like Iron Chef and Ninja Warrior (Sasuke) would never have been introduced in the US? Nor would America have created the show I Survived a Japanese Game Show. So if foreign stations are taking cues from the Japanese TV shows, the originals must have some merit, right?
One Reddit user finally asked the big question, “Japanese television. Is it really so terrible?” As you’d expect, the responses poured in, both in favor of and adamantly against it. One user proclaimed that Japan only has three kinds of programs, “Shows about celebrities. Shows about food. Shows about celebrities eating food.” But like TV in any country, there are actually a lot of different kinds of shows, so it’s probably worth a moment to take a walk through some of the programming options.
I used to cut my own hair before becoming a big-shot RocketNews24 writer who can now go to the local value cuts for a 1,000 yen (US$9) cut every few months. I’m glad those days are behind me, though, because it was a royal pain.
Generally, I’m not a total klutz when it comes to working a pair of scissors. However, every time I got in front of the mirror and raised the blades to my hair, my coordination would suddenly devolve to that of a one-year-old who forgot which way up was.
I’m sure more experience working in a mirror would fix that, and with enough time I might even get as good as this guy from Kerala who is able to give himself a complete lightning-fast haircut. It’s all here in the video Kerala Got Talent; Indian Barbar Cutting His Own Hair recently posted on YouTube.












What’s at the top of this giant escalator in Japan?
Japan’s first hotel with a human washing machine is now ready for you to come and bathe in it
Dagashiya Ahiru Shop is a hidden gem for Japanese snacks lovers
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
Once you hear this lady sing “Yooooooghurppe”, you may never stop hearing it
Has China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning shortened queues at this Ichiran ramen restaurant in Tokyo?
Real-world Koraidon and Miraidon Pokémon are ready for their close-ups【Photos】
Uniqlo Ukiyo-e Blue T-shirts: A cool-hued reinterpretation of some of Japan’s greatest paintings
How to dress for summer in Japan: Tips from a rickshaw driver in Asakusa
Nintendo’s Kirby now delivering orders at Kura Sushi restaurants, but not in Japan
Japan considering raising international traveler departure tax even more than previously reported
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting tourist crowds in Shibuya’s Don Quijote?
China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning seems to be affecting Osaka’s Namba and Dotonbori neighborhoods
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting tourist crowd sizes in Nara?
Japanese town suing resident for being a jerk
Japan’s EF English Proficiency Index rank drops for 11th straight year, hits lowest ever
Chinese government’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning has heartwarming non-effect on Yokohama Chinatown
Japanese police attempting to clamp down on “zombie cigarettes”
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】
Brand-new Pokémon park opens in Japan with larger-than-life-size Lapras【Photos】
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】
Japanese government considering tripling departure taxes to combat overtourism
Starbucks Japan unveils the new Soupuccino
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
Once you hear this lady sing “Yooooooghurppe”, you may never stop hearing it
Has China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning shortened queues at this Ichiran ramen restaurant in Tokyo?
Real-world Koraidon and Miraidon Pokémon are ready for their close-ups【Photos】
Uniqlo Ukiyo-e Blue T-shirts: A cool-hued reinterpretation of some of Japan’s greatest paintings
How to dress for summer in Japan: Tips from a rickshaw driver in Asakusa
Many foreign tourists not picking up, paying for their orders at 100-year-old Tokyo sweets shop
Osaka teen arrested for hacking into Internet cafe’s app to steal data, was helped by Chat-GPT
We check out the new apartment building construction site area that opened in KidZania Tokyo
Tokyo’s Ueno Station has an unmanned noodle restaurant on its platform, and its no-joke good
Passenger demands to have a window mid-flight, cabin attendant gives him what he asked for
Searching for Japan’s “river of the dead” in Tottori Prefecture【Photos】