Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
weird (Page 133)
The creative team at Bibi Lab have been at it again. The inventive brand dedicated to bringing weird and wonderful items out into the world have delighted us with life-sized human-shaped pillows, mosquito net jumpsuits and even sailor-style schoolgirl uniforms for men.
Now there’s another item we’ll be adding to our growing collection of Bibi Lab products: the giant anime-style pigtails pillow.
Thanks to the runaway popularity of wacky physics games with the word “simulator” in the title (yes, I’m looking at you, Surgeon, Goat and Tabletop Simulators), it was only a matter of time before a Japanese developer decided to out-weird their Western counterparts with a distinctly Japanese “simulator” game.
That game is Yohjo Simulator, and of course it’s bizarre and unsettling.
There’s no denying McDonald’s Japan has had rough time these past few years, with incidents like the spoiled meat scandal contributing to declining sales. To complicate matters further, some of the fast food chain’s campaigns and initiatives, like the sudden removal of menus from its counters (which have since been reinstated), have been met with confusion if not outright anger from Japanese customers. Now, it seems McDonald’s has captured the Japanese Internet’s attention again with what could well be their strangest campaign ever.
McDonald’s Japan will be releasing a new line of “affordably priced” burgers on October 26. And while that’s all fine and well, it’s their special one-day promotion in which they’ll be giving away these new burgers for free that has been raising eyebrows due to its bizarre catch.
As popular as Japanese animation is, some critics argue that it can have negative psychological effects on audiences. After watching anime martial artists solve their problems with their fists, will fans try to resolve their own conflicts in similarly violent ways? Isn’t is possible that witnessing lewd acts in animated form will cause impressionable viewers to become more sexually aggressive in real life?
We don’t know about those scenarios, but one recently arrested man was led down the path of crime by his love of anime, and the unlikely corrupter was Studio Ghibli’s Totoro.
Japanese gachapon machines aren’t just for kids, if the success of recent mega-popular plastic toys like Cup no Fuchiko and cup-clinging hamsters have recently proven. Perhaps there’s something about hanging a little character on your morning cup of joe that appeals to the kid inside us that is nevertheless forced to be an adult in a harsh and unforgiving world (which often requires caffeine.)
However, the most recent cup-clinging curio on the gachapon market has us feeling both hungry and creeped out in equal measure. Meet Dumpling Head Man!
Well, this is probably the weirdest snippet of news from Japan that you’ll read about all week.
On Friday, a new Japanese website was unveiled which has the sole purpose of allowing net users to forcefully flick their fingers into the forehead of a cute girl (an admonishing action known as a dekopin in Japanese) and watch her exasperated reaction, all done virtually through the screen, of course. After all, hasn’t that always been on your bucket list?
If you’ve gone on a few overseas trips, you may be familiar with the phenomenon of travel poo, wherein your stool takes on a different hue for a few days as you adjust to local ingredients. It’s far less common for the opposite to occur, but that’s what seems to be happening with Burger King’s black burgers, which have become a repeating success story in Japan.
Burger King is currently offering its darkly colored sandwich in the U.S. and the U.K., but many are reporting that while the company turned the burger’s bun black, the burger is turning their poo green. But what’s behind this transformation, and why didn’t it happen in Japan?
Despite media coverage, Japanese TV tends to lean towards the tame. You’ve got your History Channel-type stuff, your basic daytime dramas, your variety shows that are invariably focused on people eating food and the reactions of people watching said people eat food (spoiler: it’s delicious). You’ve got your movie re-runs and your weather forecasts.
But then, sometimes, you’ve got stuff like this: a man willingly, inexplicably letting a machine paddle him in the family jewels over and over again for what appears to be no reason at all.
Japanese inventions have a reputation for being incredibly awesome, incredibly bizarre, and, um, even more incredibly bizarre. And this latest creation is no exception: say hello to the chair-umbrella.
Ever needed a seat but all you had was a stupid, useless umbrella? Well never again! Just turn this amazing invention upside-down, open it up, sit on down, and prepare to be stared at and asked if you need to be taken to a hospital.
Maybe you’ve heard about the legendary used panty vending machines of Japan. With all the “weird Japan” news floating around out there, it’s hard to miss the exaggerated stories of hidden vending machines selling used undergarments so that shy pervs can indulge in the, erm…unique fragrance without actually having to go out and interact with a real live woman.
Of course, the used pantie vending machines are kind of a myth; sure, one or two of them exist, but it’s not like they’re on every other block like breathless news coverage suggests.
However, lonely weirdos shouldn’t give up hope just yet, because it turns out we’ve reached a technological point in time in which Japanese companies are able to recreate the fragrance of a woman’s bath towel fresh from the shower, which is maybe, we guess, the next best thing to used panties.
Last month, we got our first in-costume look at the cast of the upcoming live-action TV adaptation of manga and anime Prison School. But while the production’s casting directors, stylists, and costumers have done a commendable job making the real-life performers look like their 2-D inspirations, fans have been wondering if the live-action Prison School will still feel like its source material.
After all, it’s not uncommon for there to be a major shift in tone when anime goes live-action, and a lot of the outlandishly pervy stuff that goes on in the animated Prison School ostensibly gets a pass from censors because it’s not being done by real people. Still, it doesn’t look like the live-action Prison School is looking to change the formula that worked for both the anime and the manga, as its two preview videos show it’s still perfectly happy to bask in its ludicrous lewdness, as well as repeatedly ask the question “Do you prefer butts or breasts?”
Heads-up! Depending on how accepting your workplace environment is of ludicrous lewdness, you might want to save these videos for after you get home.
Sometimes, it’s nice to be able to take your pet out into the fresh air and commune with nature together. It’s an obvious perk of dog-ownership, but even some cats enjoy a little time on the leash. And who could forget the spectacle of the giant tortoise taking a stroll around Tokyo with its owner?
But a recent pet-walkies fiasco captured on Twitter has us scratching our heads. Why on earth would anyone try to walk a hamster?!
Following in the footsteps of Kobayashi City in Miyazaki Prefecture, Gifu Prefecture’s Seki City has recently released its own quirky PR video. This ad, however, focuses on the city’s contribution to daily life with an important product that the city is famous for rather than emphasizing any local accent. Judging by the bizarre scene in the photo above, can you guess what Seki City is famous for producing? Here’s a hint: This video is shear madness!
Human beings are endlessly inventive when it comes to food. From curried cicadas to snake soup to lemon and mint Pepsi, we never stop inventing new ways to follow the evolutionary imperative to stuff our faces with calories. And while I’m generally a cultural relativist when it comes to “weird” foods, sometimes there is a concept so out-there, you can’t help but say it’s bizarre.
Like kopi luwak, coffee made from beans that have been through the poop shoot of a tree cat. We’ve all heard of it, and it sounds revolting, but have any of us ever actually tried it? Why, yes, actually…
Being overweight can negatively impact your life in a number of ways, but many of them don’t become apparent until after years of a hyper-calorific lifestyle. As such, vague warnings about lowered energy levels and increased medical costs at some indeterminable point in the future, or even a potentially early death, don’t always have enough of a feeling of immediacy to be compelling arguments to eat healthy and exercise.
On the other hand, a better chance at winning the approval of women is almost always a compelling argument, which is why a new motivational CD is being released in Japan with a number of anime and video game voice actresses alternatively offering encouragement to dieters and spitting contempt at the “pigs.”
Tamagoyaki– best described as a fluffy, sweetened rolled omelette that’s often served chilled is a staple in typical Japanese bento lunches. A gummy candy flavor it is not…until now! Adding to an ever-growing list of odd flavors coming from Japan, tamagoyaki-flavored gummies are now a thing, and well-known Japanese YouTuber Hikakin has gotten his hands on these rare odd gems and given them a taste. The verdict? Watch and see for yourself!
There’s a restaurant in my neighborhood that I ate dinner at shortly after I moved to Yokohama. Since in those days I worked night shift, I walked through the door around 9:30 p.m., asked for a table for one, and ordered my food.
It turned out to be one of the blandest, least satisfying meals I’ve ever had, but that restaurant is still in business, more than a decade later, so the food can’t be that bad. In hindsight, I think the fact that it was about the 20th meal in a row I’d eaten alone was affecting my sense of taste. Spending too much time by yourself can mess with your head, and the social aspect of eating with a friend can really add a lot to your enjoyment of the meal, which is why a researcher in Japan says that if you’re going to be eating by yourself, you should put a mirror on the table.
Japan is full of places with unusual names, like Kinugawa (“Angry Demon River”), which caused all the flooding earlier this month. So, it’s understandable that when someone sees a place marked Crab Claw (“カニの爪” pronounced “kani no tsume”) on Google Maps, they might think it’s the name of a hill or some quirky little fishing village.
But one Japanese Twitter user decided to investigate and went to get a look at what this “Crab Claw” actually was. It turns out Google Maps wasn’t being coy or silly — it was being 100 percent literal!
The Edo Period was a time of great change for Japan, in just about every way possible. Perhaps one of the areas of biggest change, though, was science and medicine, thanks to the numerous scholars who spent years learning not only from Western sources but also from their own work.
One of the pioneers of medicine in the Edo Period was Toshuku Neguro, an ophthalmologist who sketched the first Japanese diagram of the human skeleton. While it was likely a fairly gruesome job, Neguro’s sketches are somehow almost…cute?!
There’s a unique problem that the producers of anime-to-live-action adaptations face. Even if the casting director can gather a group of actors that look just like the source material’s human characters, what do you do about the non-human characters?
Using practical effects and animatronics for all those loveable robot companions and magical creatures limits the variety of movements they can handle and the angles you can film from. On the other hand, using post-production CG effects leaves the actors in the difficult position of having to perform while imagining costars that aren’t really there, which often leads to less-than-convincing results.
Maybe that’s why an upcoming Chinese live-action version of Doraemon has decided to go with the obvious solution and just use a real cat for the titular feline robot.
Japanese communities giving their skylines a spring clean and saying goodbye to power lines
Starbucks Japan unveils new Holiday goods for 2024
Shibuya Halloween had a very different feel this year
Nintendo’s controller capsule toys are so cool, even the machine you buy them from is awesome【Pics】
Burger King Japan creates Kyoto Whopper, its most Japanese burger ever, with Kyoto rice merchant
Overwhelmed by modern social media? Japanese company is bringing back pagers with an emoji-twist
American gun owner opens our eyes to a different way of life in Tokyo
New Akita Inu and Hachiko marshmallows are the best and squishiest souvenirs from Japan
Professional basketball player cosplays as Studio Ghibli’s No-Face for Halloween in the U.S.【Vid】
Nintendo launches new Nintendo Music service with decades’ worth of iconic game tunes【Video】Nintendo’s controller capsule toys are so cool, even the machine you buy them from is awesome【Pics】
Tokyo Disneyland loses top-attendance crown for Japanese theme parks for second year in a rowAmerican gun owner opens our eyes to a different way of life in Tokyo
Foreign man arrested for grabbing former AKB48 idol on Tokyo street, forcing her to ground
Starbucks Japan unveils new limited-edition Christmas menu at Reserve Roastery TokyoNew Akita Inu and Hachiko marshmallows are the best and squishiest souvenirs from JapanBurger King Japan creates Kyoto Whopper, its most Japanese burger ever, with Kyoto rice merchant
Non-tourist trap fish market in northeastern Japan captures our hearts with amazing sashimi
Adorable Totoro embroidered bags return with anti-reselling protection in place【Photos】
McDonald’s Japan debuts new anime girl mascot character with incredibly long name
Japanese convenience store Family Mart announces abolishment of eat-in spaces
Studio Ghibli releases new insect whistle necklace from Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
Totoro sequel anime Mei and the Baby Catbus will screen at Ghibli Park this winterNintendo’s controller capsule toys are so cool, even the machine you buy them from is awesome【Pics】
Starbucks Japan unveils Halloween Frappuccino for 2024, and it’s like drinking a magic spellTokyo Disneyland loses top-attendance crown for Japanese theme parks for second year in a row
Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno returning to anime with new project for 50-year-old franchise
Studio Ghibli releases new Howl’s Moving Castle goods that capture the magic from the anime movie
Adult Jam Bread causes a stir at store in Tokyo
Kyoto becomes City of Yokai, with Night Parade of One Hundred Demons festival this autumn
McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Foreign tourists on Shinkansen bullet train break suitcase etiquette, angering local passengers
[Deleted] Article written for April Fool’s Day 2018
Japanese government to make first change to romanization spelling rules since the 1950s
Foreigner’s request for help in Tokyo makes us sad for the state of society
Ghibli founders Toshio Suzuki and Hayao Miyazaki contribute to Japanese whisky Totoro label designJapanese convenience store Family Mart announces abolishment of eat-in spaces
Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
Doraemon found buried at sea as scene from 1993 anime becomes real life【Photos】
Life-size vibrating Legend of Zelda Master Sword for sale from Nintendo【Photos】
Overwhelmed by modern social media? Japanese company is bringing back pagers with an emoji-twist
American gun owner opens our eyes to a different way of life in Tokyo
New Akita Inu and Hachiko marshmallows are the best and squishiest souvenirs from Japan
Professional basketball player cosplays as Studio Ghibli’s No-Face for Halloween in the U.S.【Vid】
Nintendo launches new Nintendo Music service with decades’ worth of iconic game tunes【Video】
New Japanese banknotes selling online for up to 40 times original value
Doraemon found buried at sea as scene from 1993 anime becomes real life【Photos】
What happens if you feed pufferfish poison to pufferfish? Japanese scientists trying to find out
1,200 Japanese workers convert above-ground train to subway line in a matter of hours
The Vatican now has an official anime-style mascot character【Video】
The ancient Japanese textile craft made with jagged fingernails
The world’s best invention is now even better in the form of a specially built gaming kotatsu
Tokyo’s super-secret-location sushi restaurant has a stand-up sister shop that’s open to all