Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
zombie walk
If you were in Yoyogi Park this past Saturday, you may have been slightly unnerved to see the apparent signs of an impending zombie apocalypse. On Saturday May 16, I, your intrepid RocketNews24 reporter, rose up as one of the walking dead and joined other brain-hungry biters in a sunny shamble through the park.
Hello, my name is Michelle and I have an unhealthy fear of zombies.
It’s not just the scary, fast moving urban zombies like from Dawn of the Dead that get to me. Even the comedy parody zombies from Shaun of the Dead had me covering my eyes, trying to go to my happy place. I don’t know if it’s because of their disfigured bodies or their relentless quest for brains, delicious brains; all I know is zombies scare the bejesus out of me.
But despite my own anxiety when it comes to the undead, the rest of the world loves zombies. From San Francisco, to London, all the way over to Sydney, Australia, people willingly dress in zombie drag and gather together to lurch through the streets as an undead mob. Even Tokyo’s Roppongi is not immune to zombie fever, hosting the most recent zombie walk in Japan and a monthly zombie bar.
Sushi Bears restaurant opens in Tokyo, offers exactly what its name promises【Photos】
Starbucks Japan is calling it quits with paper straws
Japan’s top 10 food travel destination prefectures【Survey】
Studio Ghibli coasters keep your drinks hot and your heart warm this winter
Japan’s new canned chu-hai with fresh lemon slice: disappointing gimmick or drink revelation?
One Japanese man has eaten at the same beef bowl restaurant for over 1,800 days in a row
Japan’s easy foreign tourist tax exemptions may be getting harder in order to stop fraud, resales
The Japan Poop Society is making movements to protect people’s health
There’s a new world’s largest anime robot statue, and it’s not in Japan【Photos】
Ghibli Paper Theater craft kits are back to end your stocking stuffer/souvenir search【Photos】
J-pop mega star Ado reveals she’s been living in the U.S., may not understand language acquisition
Japan’s most popular castle raising ticket prices by up to 200 percent for non-local touristsStarbucks Japan is calling it quits with paper straws
Studio Ghibli heroine cardigans give you warmth and strength to face everyday challenges
Daiso has giant new branch in middle of Tokyo’s Shinjuku neighborhood (and another beneath it)Japan’s top 10 food travel destination prefectures【Survey】
Tough times for Japanese pubs as izakaya bankruptcies come at highest rate in more than a decadeStudio Ghibli coasters keep your drinks hot and your heart warm this winter
Furikake rice seasoning sales are soaring, which is bad news for Japan as a whole
Studio Ghibli releases new Totoro and Jiji hourglass timers in Japan
Possessing Harry Potter’s Sword of Godric Gryffindor is now illegal in Japan
One of Japan’s most beautiful hot spring towns announces new limits on number of day trippers
Uniqlo announces first-ever collaboration with horror manga master Junji Ito【Photos】
Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke teams up with Foxfire for outdoor apparel collaboration【Photos】J-pop mega star Ado reveals she’s been living in the U.S., may not understand language acquisition
Studio Ghibli releases new range of cardigans for anime fansJapan’s most popular castle raising ticket prices by up to 200 percent for non-local touristsStarbucks Japan is calling it quits with paper strawsFurikake rice seasoning sales are soaring, which is bad news for Japan as a whole
Japanese job-quitting service contacted by other job-quitting service because employee wants to quit
McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Foreign tourists on Shinkansen bullet train break suitcase etiquette, angering local passengersPossessing Harry Potter’s Sword of Godric Gryffindor is now illegal in Japan
[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
Japanese convenience store Family Mart announces abolishment of eat-in spaces
Life-size vibrating Legend of Zelda Master Sword for sale from Nintendo【Photos】
Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
Studio Ghibli releases free-download board game — Here’s how to play it without reading Japanese
One Japanese man has eaten at the same beef bowl restaurant for over 1,800 days in a row
Japan’s easy foreign tourist tax exemptions may be getting harder in order to stop fraud, resales
The Japan Poop Society is making movements to protect people’s health
There’s a new world’s largest anime robot statue, and it’s not in Japan【Photos】
Ghibli Paper Theater craft kits are back to end your stocking stuffer/souvenir search【Photos】
What’s it like to shop at Family Mart’s first “unmanned convenience store” in Japan?
This is Japan’s only shrine with a Shinkansen tunnel underneath it
Japanese elementary school installs standing sleeping pod for students to nap in【Video】
Do bears strike first with their left paw when attacking people? Japan wants to know
Chikawa beats out Evangelion and Super Mario to win Japan Character Award 2022
Daiso has giant new branch in middle of Tokyo’s Shinjuku neighborhood (and another beneath it)
Drink hot sake at Tokyo train station’s “phantom platform”