Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
weird (Page 178)
There’s a new breed of sushi in town, and it’s called nekozushi (cat sushi). These unusual creatures live in an alternate reality, travelling between worlds on colourful sushi train plates, stopping to stare at passers-by for just long enough to get them thinking, “Did I really see that?” before zooming off again. Rare sightings have been reported over the years but no-one’s ever been able to really prove the existence of a sushi cat. Until now.
Nothing says “luxury vacation” like staying in a hotel room dolled up like a little girl’s dream bedroom. At least, that’s what the Ikenotaira Hotel in Nagano is banking on with the “DokiDoki! Precure Stay Plan.”
DokiDoki! Precure (also known as Pretty Cure) is an anime series popular with elementary school-aged girls in Japan (and, inevitably, a number of creepy middle-aged otaku men) that focuses on a Sailor Moon-esque team of teenaged wizard girls. Read More
Oh, money, you make me smile like it’s Christmas Day and the cat’s just coughed up a shard of rainbow. As a man who spent most of his university years trying to work out ways to make potato chips and sliced bread viable alternatives to meat and vegetables, during the brief moments that I have a bit of cash in my bank account these days I become a noticeably nicer person to be around. I won’t even try to gouge your eyes if you greet me in the street.
This pillow is for people like me. People who want that warm money glow 24/7, so that even when our bank accounts are empty, our hearts are filled by the shallow but immediately believable promise of happiness that only cold, hard cash can bring.
When traveling overseas, we like to check out the nearby shopping malls and amusement parks, too, whenever we can. But we don’t waste our time with the famous amusement parks that everyone and their mother has been to. For us, it’s the local, never-before-heard-of amusement parks that we love. Why? Because that’s where you can really see the way the local people live… and some of the clever stuff they’ve come up.
So, this time around, we headed to “Happy World” in Yangon, Myanmar (Burma), located right in front of the world-famous Shwedagon Pagoda.
Whatever the reason, there’s something incredibly funny about watching an Asian man perform ridiculous dances with a deadly serious expression. We saw it not too long ago with the online explosion of Gangnam Style, and we’re seeing it now with an influx of foreign interest in Japanese comedian, Gonzo. This man is known for his choreographed tambourine dances, always performed without cracking so much as a smirk. If not for his crazy outfits, you might think that he was taking his performances just a bit too seriously! Read More
How do you usually cook a sunny side up egg? We’re guessing most people plop an egg into a frying pan with a little oil and hope for the best. However, our reporter Kuzo has just discovered a new way to eat eggs thanks to the “Rollie EggMaster.” Straight from, you guessed it, the USA, the Rollie EggMaster works like a toaster to cook an egg in minutes. Although the Rollie EggMaster is sold in North America and cannot be shipped to Japan, Kuzo was able to get his hands on one and proudly made an “egg on a stick” for the entire RocketNews24 office, delighting our Japanese editorial team.
Gadgets purveyor Apparestore is hoping that pretending your ears are so unclean that fungus has actually started to grow out of them will become the new fashion trend with these “crazy headphones” featuring weird objects that jut out from the earbuds. Samurai swords and sushi are just some of the things you could have seemingly growing out of your ears with a pair of these cheeky earphones.
TV Emirates reported recently that three United Arab Emirates nationals were deported from Saudi Arabia for the crime of being “too handsome.”
This is certainly an uncommon criminal accusation, but one that we can relate to (some of our writers are banned in 26 countries for the opposite reason). Read More
The OKO is an “advanced filtration water bottle” that features a filtration system developed by NASA. It’s so powerful that the makers claim it can filter cola into transparent, colorless liquid. The original promotional video is pretty convincing, but there were plenty of people on the internet crying foul. How can this mere water bottle turn dark brown cola into what appears to be water?
We here at RocketNews24 knew what we had to do: go on a quest for this magical bottle and try it out ourselves. Ladies and gentlemen, we have indeed succeeded in turning cola into transparent, colorless liquid. It looked good enough to drink, but as we held the liquid to our quivering lips, we could only image what it might taste like.
Facebook, possibly in an attempt to outpace Asia’s reigning chat program king LINE, updated their iOS Facebook Chat program on April 17, adding “stickers” that can be used in chat conversations much like LINE’s “stamps” (also called “stickers” in English language versions).
There are a lot of things that can ruin a good vacation and lord knows one of them is the whole airport/airplane experience in general. Lost luggage, security checks, kids kicking your seat.
But this bizarre news story from China will make you grateful those security checks are there after all. Read More
Anyone familiar with the hit Japanese comic and animation Doraemon will likely know the character Nobita. Cursed with terrible luck, the schoolboy receives help from an earless robotic cat sent back in time by his own great-grandson in the future. Nobita is a lovable character, but “cool” is rarely a word that people use to describe him.
Throwing caution to the wind, however, one young man was spotted riding Tokyo’s trains yesterday dressed exactly like the hapless character. Cosplay or just quirky fashion sense, we don’t know, but the Internet had plenty to say about the rare sight.
Mr. Sato, you are quite literally the man! As our most trusted source of all things bizarre in Japan, you never disappoint. From the time you went in for a trim at a pet salon (on all fours mind you) to the time you tried to train your eyelids, the laughs (almost always at your expense) kept coming.
The following is a list of five reasons why we love our crazy reporter, Mr. Sato. We’re sure you won’t be disappointed.
Love cows? Young girls in plaid skirts and chest-hugging blouses rhythmically massaging teats? If the answer’s yes then this worrying new game for Android OS might be for you.
Having already spent the vast majority of RocketNews24‘s budget on trips to Turkey and Portugal or stuffing our faces with vats of curry, we felt it was time to cut back on the spending a little. We know that our star reporter Mr. Sato loves to look good and is constantly changing his hairstyle to keep up with trends, though, so we were concerned that tightening the purse strings would crush his spirit entirely. It was quite the conundrum.
Then it struck us: what if it were possible to take our style-conscious investigator somewhere a little cheaper to get him tidied up every so often? What if one of Tokyo’s own dog grooming salons would consent to giving him a quick shampoo and trim? One slightly confused but ultimately successful phone call later we had Mr. Sato on a leash and were heading out the door.
In the port town of Numazu in Shizuoka Prefecture, a very strange festival is held each April. The local fisherman don women’s clothes, board brightly decorated fishing vessels, and make the boats “dance” around the bay, all while singing and dancing on deck for the spectators. The tradition is said to bring safe seas and good catches to the town. Or curious tourists, at the very least. Read More
It’s a well-known fact that cats have been dominating the world lately. Memes, Facebook profiles, Monopoly game pieces – there seems to be no end to kitty domination. So what about the cats in Japan? Well it turns out that cat memes are pretty prolific here too. Only here they’re not playing keyboards or watching you from the ceiling. Instead, they’re showing off two of Japan’s most special talents: sleeping and apologizing. AT THE SAME TIME.
At around 10 a.m. on April 2, a man living in the town of Fukuchiyamashi, Kyoto called the police after he discovered that the light of a nearby parking lot had been vandalized with white spray-paint. Upon arriving at the scene, officers also discovered that an expensive, multi-function toilet had been stolen from a park located nearby.
When he realized he’d primarily been using his smartphone in bed, Nemool Smith, an au product designer and chief hardware architect, wanted a more comfortable and rewarding user experience. Coming up blank in an online search for solutions, Nemool got an idea and decided to approach his bosses at KDDI and get their permission to design a radically new hardware platform he was sure would revolutionize the way people used their phones. The result has set the tech world abuzz, and has the potential to vault KDDI to the top of the global smartphone market.
Introducing the new au zzzPhoneBed by KDDI
As well as providing you with entertainment and up-to-the-minute news, we at RocketNews24 feel that it is also our responsibility to provide our readers with vital tips for physical well-being and emotional happiness. It’s for this reason that, on this fine Friday as we inch ever closer to the moment that we exchange our computer screens for a nice big plate of fried gyoza dumplings and an ice-cold beer, we bring you this video courtesy of our friends at Niconico.
Although the outcome is about as surprising as what happens when you tell your dog not to eat a birthday cake while you’re out of the room, this video serves as a reminder of the stupidity of our fellow man and that open wounds and citric acid do not go well together.
10 times to avoid traveling in Japan in 2026
Bamboo trees vandalized near Kyoto’s Fushimi Inari shrine, foreign graffiti prevalent
The greatest sushi roll in Japanese history is actually nine sushi rolls in one【Photos】
Say hello to Japan’s new stationmaster cat!【Video】
We ate sushi made from Japan’s most expensive tuna ever【Taste test】
Umamusume anime girl plushie recalled for having parts she absolutely should not have【Pics】
Survey says osechi New Year’s food differs according to each region in Japan
New Japanese Kit Kat flavour on its way, as finalists from international voting announced
Japanese company trips – Workers “absolutely hate” them, so why do they still happen?
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Hayao Miyazaki says Happy New Year to Studio Ghibli fans with new art for Year of the Horse
Ramen restaurant’s English menu prices are nearly double its Japanese ones, denies discriminating
Starbucks Japan ready to get Year of the Horse started with adorable drinkware and plushies【Pics】
Top Japanese cosplayer Enako returns to Comiket after 6 years, creates mayhem with admirers
Cup Noodle tries an authentic Jiro-style ramen, but something’s not quite right
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We revisited Sweets Paradise after a decade to see if Japan’s dessert buffet still delivers
That time Seiji called JASRAC to ask why he didn’t get paid royalties for his song being on TVStarbucks Japan ready to get Year of the Horse started with adorable drinkware and plushies【Pics】
7-Eleven Japan starts new temporary luggage storage service in over 300 branches
Disillusionment at Tsukiji’s tourist-target prices led us to a great ramen restaurant in Tokyo
Starbucks teams up with 166-year-old Kyoto doll maker for Year of the Horse decorations【Photos】
Tokyo considering law requiring more trash cans following litter increase in heavily touristed area
Tokyo’s Tsukiji sushi neighborhood asks tour groups to stay away for the rest of the month
Tokyo event lets you travel back in time, for free, to celebrate 100 years since Showa era start
Japan may add Japanese language proficiency, lifestyle classes to permanent foreign resident requirements
Lacquerware supplier to emperor of Japan and Pokémon team up for new tableware
Starbucks Japan releases new zodiac chilled cup drink for 2026
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
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】
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
Updated cherry blossom forecast shows extra-long sakura season for Japan this year
Human washing machine pods coming to Japanese hotels【Photos】
Umamusume anime girl plushie recalled for having parts she absolutely should not have【Pics】
Survey says osechi New Year’s food differs according to each region in Japan
New Japanese Kit Kat flavour on its way, as finalists from international voting announced
Japanese company trips – Workers “absolutely hate” them, so why do they still happen?
Is this common Japanese phrase for “goodbye” the reason for Japan’s crazy overtime hours?
Home workout fun: Get in shape with Creamy Mami magical girl anime exercise videos
What makes a good boss in Japan? Workers sound off in survey
How to try the viral 7-Eleven smoothie hack in Japan
Behold: Tokyo’s labrynthine subway map in 3-D form!
Princess Mononoke magnets return just in time to treat yourself to awesome anime decorations
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Rest in peace, Tama – Japan’s stationmaster cat passes away at 16, company funeral to be held
