Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
wtf (Page 15)
When we posted a video of an enormous, pulsating, terrifying spider crab slowly escaping the confines of its old shell and setting off in search of new digs and (probably) human souls, we thought that was about the most horrifying the process of molting could really get.
Then we saw this video of a spiny lobster molting on land. We will never be the same.
“Go forth, young one,” the adorable fowl’s equally adorable parents probably said. “It is time for you to strike out on your own. You are destined to do great things.”
We picture a bittersweet farewell, tears running down the proud parents’ beaks, each pecking nervously at the ground in turn, their prodigal son equipped with nothing but the knapsack ‘round his neck and a meager meal of two leeks.
If only the proud parents had known their young son’s final destination…
In the mountains of Nikko, just a short train trip from the modern, glittering megacity of Tokyo, a handful of monks still practice a millennia-old tradition known as shugendo, a form of meditation via endurance-testing communion with nature.
These are the yamabushi, mountain monks for whom a dip in a thundering, ice-cold waterfall and a sopping-wet stroll up a mountain are just another day’s work.
If you live in Japan and love movies, there’s a good chance that you’ve been to a Toho Cinema at some point. One of the largest cinema chains in Japan, they show all the domestic and international blockbuster films you could possibly want. They also allow you to reserve a seat when you buy your ticket, so you can be sure to have a perfect view of Captain America’s pert derrière when the next Avengers movie comes out.
In addition to picking your seat, you now also have the opportunity to help choose the theater chain’s new mascot. With lazy shellfish, neglected children, and the absolute cutest ninja you’ll ever see, it may take you a while to choose–so it’s a good thing you can vote online!
In recent years, contact lenses are used not only as a means of correcting eyesight, but also as a fashion element as colored lenses, also known as circle lenses, gained worldwide popularity for their iris enlarging effects which give the illusion of bigger, brighter eyes.
An article from ETToday suggests that the annual sales of circle lenses in China exceeds one hundred million pieces. Where there is demand, there is supply, but it’s no secret that Chinese manufacturers do not have a good track record where quality and hygiene standards matter. In an attempt to find out if circle lenses are safe for everyday wear, one Chinese news channel put the contact lenses to the test, however not on human subjects but on rabbits, enraging many animal lovers online.
So we might be a little late to the party on this one – on account of being at other parties that involved a lot of drinking – but we’re still taken with the Halloween spirit, and it looks like Thailand is too, because we managed to scrounge up a bunch of spooky, possibly “haunted” photos from the area recently.
If you thought you’d have to travel to the African continent to rub ankles with a meerkat, you’ll be happy to know that they’re closer than you think. Just take a stroll down the Ginza boulevard on any given weekend and chances are you’ll run into three friendly meerkats soaking up the sun on the side of the street.
It turns out that when you put a bunch of mostly teens and 20-somethings in a largely unsupervised warehouse setting, then pay them minimum wage or so to engage in mindless physical labor like stuffing things into boxes and cans, you’re going to get the odd bit of mischief. And it turns out this may be a global phenomenon!
Case in point, these packaging “fails” found around the world. Sure, at first glance, some of them seem like bad translations or factory mix-ups, but you can tell at least a few are obviously the result of bored factory workers or store stockers:
Ever felt like you needed a little company or affection but didn’t want to go through the hassle of actually interacting with another human being face-to-face?
You might go for a new pet – a dog, cat, or, in even the creepiest of circumstances, an exotic reptile – or you might head to an online chatroom, some kind of hotline, a mobile app, or maybe even one of those newfangled virtual schoolgirl ogling simulators.
Or, if you’re a misunderstood serial killer, maybe you’d instead go for one of these incredibly disconcerting hugging clown chairs.
No one really minds when the creators of movies and TV disregard the laws of the universe a little in the name of producing quality entertainment. Would the space battles in Star Wars have been anywhere near as fun if they had all taken place in complete silence due to the lack of air required to carry sound waves? Not a chance. Does anyone really mind that a lit cigarette doesn’t actually produce enough heat to ignite a puddle of gasoline if it results in those epic, “casually walks away from burning building” shots in action movies? Not in the slightest.
But sometimes such use of artistic licence can slip by entirely unnoticed, and it takes someone to point out a few key facts before the reality of the situation hits home. Case in point: Ash from hit anime series Pokémon seemingly possesses super-human strength, and is able to carry pokémon that weigh vastly more than he does without even breaking a sweat.
Recently if you were to type the Korean name for a copyu (aka “river rat” or “nutria”) into a search engine it would also likely suggest the Korean word for anus. That’s because of a controversial measure proposed to control the population of these pests which net users are calling “wacky” at best and “needlessly brutal” in the worst terms.
According to a report from South Korea’s Dong-A Ilbo, the new measure begins with sewing the anus of a copyu shut so that it can’t defecate and it really only gets worse from there.
Twitter was set ablaze last night after dozens of people shared photos of “a beautiful foreigner walking a polar bear” between throngs of pedestrians at the world-famous Shibuya Scramble crossing in Tokyo.
Join us after the jump to see a video captured by an onlooker and learn more about the group to which this mysterious bear-keeping stranger apparently belongs.
Today in the most unsurprising non-news possibly ever: Yes, Japan is working on yet another creepy, borderline pedophilic virtual reality “game” where you interact in new, sleazy ways with a possibly underage girl.
This time, the new program in question is an Oculus Rift (the newer DK2, of course) game where the goal is to blow into a microphone and upturn virtual reality hottie Hatsune Miku’s skirt with your comically powerful virtual breath.
The beautiful butterfly, nature’s own lesson about the cycle of life. What starts as a lowly caterpillar, given enough time, transforms into a majestic winged beauty. Everyone loves the butterfly, as they flutter through the air, their brightly colored wings are a feast for the eyes. Which is why it’s so disheartening to hear of a butterfly exhibition going horribly wrong in China.
I remember one time I had a pet frog (I named it Cyrax because Mortal Kombat was big at the time. Also, robots are cool), and I went to great lengths to pamper it even though I knew, even in my tiny child brain, that my frog was a barely sentient creature that was only vaguely aware at best of some otherworldly giant hand reaching out to annoy it from time to time.
I’m able to relate this story to people without shame because a) I was a kid, and b) the frog was at least a real, tangible creature of some measurable amount of intelligence.
These super committed anime geeks, however, have no such excuse.
Before moving to Japan, I always liked to imagine that Japanese TV shows would be a cross between Takeshi’s Castle and Iron Chef. In reality, television here is far less entertaining, and seems to consist predominantly of carefully orchestrated panel shows and broadcasts which are so plastered with gaudy graphics and subtitles that I often feel as if I’m reading more than I’m watching when I sit in front of my TV set.
Thankfully, Japan’s primetime ads are usually far more quirky and entertaining. Take this recent commercial for odour-removal spray Febreze, for example, which features a giant, gurning sun dual-wielding bottles of the stuff.
Earlier in our thankfully extremely sporadic series, “Oh Boy, That’s Pretty Racist,” we covered a Japanese “comedian” (I use this term loosely) who posted Vine videos as a poorly acclimated Indian guy living in Japan, complete with racist accent and affinity for curry, of course.
For our second installment, we have a Japanese woman living in Taiwan explaining the reasons people should choose Japanese women over Taiwanese women using broad cultural stereotypes that at best unfairly pigeonhole Taiwanese ladies, and at worst are outright false. Let’s take a look:
When it comes to science fiction technology made real, 3-D printing is one of the most exciting. While we might all say we wish we had jet packs, the fact is that 3-D printing had 96.6 percent fewer leg burn injuries in a direct comparison that we just made up and is totally not real. But putting fake statistics aside, 3-D printing not only enables for cheap, efficient manufacturing, it also allows us to make figures out of nearly anything we want with little more than photos and some software.
And to prove it, Ima Topic and DMM.make, the web-based 3-D printing division of web-retailer/video-on-demand company DMM, are offering what can only be described as a horribly awesome campaign: A chance to win a figure of Setsu, the gorgeous, blue-eyed house cat who looks like roadkill when she sleeps. This is one contest you will almost certainly regret winning!
The pickled ginger business certainly is competitive. At least it appears to be since food producer Iwashita has been working extra hard at getting some brand awareness going. First they released an iPhone case with a replica of their Iwashita New Ginger brand pickled ginger sticks on it. However, everyone just thought they looked like penis nunchaku.
Now Iwashita is back with a new campaign they hope will win over the masses. It’s called the “Attempt! 10,000 Head Project!” where they hope to photograph ten thousand people wearing a giant pickled ginger or shallot on their heads. Why you ask?
Japanese public toilet becomes a tourist attraction in Tokyo
New Tokyo restaurant charges higher prices to foreign tourists than Japanese locals
Life-size vibrating Legend of Zelda Master Sword for sale from Nintendo【Photos】
Shibuya strip show-adjacent extra-fatty beef bowl fails and succeeds in impressing us
Tokyo’s famous Lost in Translation hotel is closed
Sushi Ramen restaurant serves up the best of both worlds in one epic Japanese meal
Studio Ghibli releases art crystal puzzles and folding umbrellas for rainy season in Japan
Tokyo DisneySea’s Frozen Kingdom: Elsa’s home at Fantasy Springs has a surprising attraction
“Foreign travelers are Japan’s guests” – Governor against charging tourists more than locals
The best kebab in Tokyo? We find out if Moses in Shibuya lives up to the hypeNew Tokyo restaurant charges higher prices to foreign tourists than Japanese locals
“Mt. Fuji convenience store” issues apology for bad tourist manners, adds multilingual signsTokyo’s famous Lost in Translation hotel is closed
Studio Ghibli releases new mug and tumbler collection featuring Jiji and Totoro
How to make a secret rice bowl at Ichiran ramen
Tokyo sweets store sells beautiful soft serve ice creams that look like works of art
Japan has nearly 4 million abandoned homes, but where and why?Japanese public toilet becomes a tourist attraction in Tokyo
FUK COFFEE?!? Japanese cafe has a perfectly innocent reason for its startling-looking name
Godzilla leather wallet will make you feel like the King of the Monsters and lord of fashion
McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Foreigner’s request for help in Tokyo makes us sad for the state of societyNew Tokyo restaurant charges higher prices to foreign tourists than Japanese locals“Mt. Fuji convenience store” issues apology for bad tourist manners, adds multilingual signs
Japanese ramen restaurants under pressure from new yen banknotes
Bad tourist manners at Mt Fuji Lawson photo spot prompts Japanese town to block view with screens
All-you-can-drink Starbucks and amazing views part of Tokyo’s new 170 meter-high sky lounge
McDonald’s Japan’s new pancake pie is a taste sensation
More foreign tourists than ever before in history visited Japan last monthTokyo’s famous Lost in Translation hotel is closedMcDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Sales of Japan’s most convenient train ticket/shopping payment cards suspended indefinitely
Sold-out Studio Ghibli desktop humidifiers are back so Totoro can help you through the dry season
Japanese government to make first change to romanization spelling rules since the 1950sForeigner’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 design
Tokyo’s most famous Starbucks is closed
Doraemon found buried at sea as scene from 1993 anime becomes real life【Photos】
One Piece characters’ nationalities revealed, but fans have mixed opinions
We asked a Uniqlo employee what four things we should buy and their suggestions didn’t disappoint
Sushi Ramen restaurant serves up the best of both worlds in one epic Japanese meal
Studio Ghibli releases art crystal puzzles and folding umbrellas for rainy season in Japan
Tokyo DisneySea’s Frozen Kingdom: Elsa’s home at Fantasy Springs has a surprising attraction
“Foreign travelers are Japan’s guests” – Governor against charging tourists more than locals
The best kebab in Tokyo? We find out if Moses in Shibuya lives up to the hype
Foreign shoppers in Akihabara tip us off to an awesome souvenir idea: DIY Paper Theater kit【Pics】
Tsunokoi’s unicorn soft serve ice cream cones bring color and magic to Shibuya
Tokyo DisneySea’s new Fantasy Springs area reveals the beauty of Rapunzel’s Forest
Japan’s wedding gift etiquette rule is too expensive, young people in survey say
Is the absolute closest conveyor belt sushi to Akihabara Station any good? Let’s find out!
Beware the rise of overpriced “Inbound Don” at tourist spots in Japan
Studio Ghibli releases new mug and tumbler collection featuring Jiji and Totoro
A guide to riding the Shinkansen bullet train with a terrible-twos kid