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June, 2014 (Page 19)

Harajuku-themed music video improves Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” with sumo, bears, and robots

Philip Kendall
Jun 2, 2014
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Like it or loathe it, Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” is still killing it in the charts more than six months after its initial release and remains of the most played songs on the radio. Sure, the lyrics are kind of simple, and its gets kind of repetitive, but when an artist devotes so much energy to being upbeat and provides a track that you just can’t help tapping your feet to, it’s hard not to crack a smile.

Fan-made remakes of the music video are ten a penny right now, with people all over the world feeling the urge to make their own smiling, strutting, and dancing compilations, but one particular video, titled “Harajuku Happy“, is by far one of the coolest we’ve seen, giving us a tour of the titular town while showing that life in Japan’s capital isn’t all black suits and bowing.

Internet, Japan
(dance • happy • Happy Harajuku • Harajuku • music • Pharrell Williams • video)

Attack on Titan survey corps give bearded titan a close shave with Schick

Anime News Network
Jun 2, 2014

With Attack on Titan collaborations springing up between burger joints, SUVs, and gummies, anything is possible.

The newest company to court the titans is razor company Schick, whose teaser website hints that something is coming June 9.

Japan
(anime • Anime News Network • Attack on Titan • Schick • shaving)

Feeling sweaty? Grab yourself a cooling underwear vest, designed using space suit technology!

Krista Rogers
Jun 2, 2014

Have you ever wanted to dress like an astronaut? Well, you’d better get your moon walk on, cause now you can–in terms of your undergarments, at least.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has announced a new line of cooling underwear vests designed using cutting-edge technology applicable to space research. A limited supply of the product, known by the slightly awkward yet wonderfully Japanese moniker “cooling by the space technology,” went on sale to the general public on May 30. While each vest will set you back 60,000 yen (US$590), isn’t knowing that you’re wearing the same thing as an astronaut enough to justify the price? More details after the jump.

Japan
(cooling technology • JAXA • JAXA cosmode • space suit • vest)

Average savings of Japanese households revealed, netizens reel in shock

Preston Phro
Jun 2, 2014

Our mothers always told us that it’s not polite to talk about money. And while we usually listen to what our mother’s tell us, this one time we’re going to ignore their advice. Sorry, mom!

But, really, it’s not a big deal, because we’re not talking about our money. Instead, we’re talking about Japanese people’s money–specifically, how much they have saved up on average. And the number might surprise you.

Internet, Japan
(Abenomics • economics • money • Savings)

Tsushima no Miya Station: The Japanese train station open only two days a year

Preston Phro
Jun 2, 2014

Without a doubt, one of the things Japan is best known for is trains. And it’s not just marketing hype either–public transportation is apparently good enough to accommodate the decreasing number of Japanese youth getting driver’s licenses. But while most trains can be counted on to run from 5 am to 1 am every day of the week in the cities, that’s not always the case in rural areas.

Take Tsushima no Miya station in Kagawa Prefecture, for example, where the train has the most limited schedule in the country: It’s only open two days out of the year!

Japan
(Shikoku • shrines • trains • Tshushima Shrine • Tsushima no Miya)

OC Desu: It’s what all the cool kids are typing nowadays

Master Blaster
Jun 2, 2014

Did you have anything OC Desu (OCです) today?

If your answer is “Wha?” then you’re probably not hip to the new buzzword circling around social media in Japanese recently. Students of the language can probably figure it out by saying it out loud, and the image above gives us a pretty big hint too.
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Internet, Japan
(language • OC Desu • Tarzo • YouTube)

Malaysian girl gets 1.6 million views on YouTube for singing about not being Korean【Video】

Joan Coello
Jun 2, 2014

Malaysia, like many southeast asian countries, is a melting pot of people of different ethnicities and religions. Of course, there are more and more people working and studying overseas nowadays, so you might think that every other country is in the same situation, but you’ll know you’re in a seriously multinational city when almost every new person you meet asks you “are you local?” (my personal experience as a Singaporean).

To that sort of question, 17-year-old Malaysian YouTuber Joyce Chu proudly answers with her song Malaysia Chabor (chabor means “woman” in the Hokkien dialect), which has garnered over 1.6 million views in slightly more than a week!

SE Asia
(cute girls • Malaysia • singing • song • YouTube)

Japan’s 45-year-old “Lady of Eternal Youth” strikes again in new commercial

Krista Rogers
Jun 2, 2014

It’s been a couple of years since we featured something about Masako Mizutani (水谷雅子) on our site, but Japan’s Lady of Eternal Youth is back again and looking just as youthful as ever. Even now at 45 years of age, she’s still the envy of women everywhere with barely a wrinkle to be seen.

In fact, Ms. Mizutani’s age-defying looks are so legendary that she was (unsurprisingly) selected to star in a new commercial for Asahi’s line of “Asahi Perfect Asta Collagen powder.” You can bet that with her endorsement, Japanese women will be flocking to stores to buy the new product. Keep reading to see the commercial now.

Japan
(Asahi • beautiful • collagen • commercial • cosmetics • masako mizutani • skin)

Can these swimsuit clad cosplay waitresses interest you in some “Shaved Leg Hair Pasta”?

Mike
Jun 1, 2014

It’s not really a secret that Japan can sometimes get a little carried away with its youth obsession. Look no further than the abundance of pre-pubescent, yet disturbingly sexualized, anime characters and girl idol bands with shockingly young “retirement” ages – around 21 in many cases – for proof.

It’s one thing to have a creepy countdown to when Hermione Granger turns 18, but it’s kind of way creepier to just lose all interest in celebrities altogether when they reach official adulthood.

Anyway, a new Japanese film called Sweet Pool Side and a limited run promotional cafe for the film may have just set a new precedent in youth-obsession creepiness. The film, according to the trailer, is lightly related to the trials and tribulations of being on the high school swim team but also focuses on a young boy’s decision of whether or not to shave the pubic hair of one of the girl’s swim team members (at her request). He then at one point appears to eat some of the girl’s body hair.

Japan
(anime • culture • entertainment • movies • wtf)

“Do you have anything to declare?” Here are 15 things banned in certain countries

KK Miller
Jun 1, 2014

Does your country have everything you need? If it doesn’t, usually the internet can provide for you. But in some specific cases, there are certain products or contraband that just aren’t allowed in a particular country. Here’s a list of 15 things that are currently not allowed, or weren’t allowed at some point!

Global
(Avatar • banned • Claire Danes • dancing • interesting • list • time travel • tobacco • Vicks • yellow)

New traditional rice topping selling well, but at 10,000 yen a pop it doesn’t take much

Master Blaster
Jun 1, 2014

Toppings and seasonings have an often overlooked power to completely make or break the overall taste of a dish. And yet, many of them can be found at prices under 100 yen (US$1). Why is something so important to your meal’s flavor made and sold so cheaply?

Back in 2013 Kobayashi Shokuin, decided to buck that trend and came out with a luxury furikake (dried condiment) that sells for the premium price of two 30g (1oz) cans for 10,000 yen ($100). Much to their delight, the response has been great and people have been buying up this Kuchi Doke at an increasing rate despite its exorbitant price.

Japan
(food • furikake • katsuobushi • kezuribushi)

See how beautiful a stained-glass window pattern can be as a kimono!

Kay
Jun 1, 2014

Now, I think kimonos are lovely, and I find their colors and patterns absolutely fascinating. But as beautiful as they are, kimonos tend to be expensive, and the process of wearing them is complicated enough that it takes considerable practice (usually involving going to classes of some kind) to dress yourself properly in one. And the truth is that there are very few opportunities today for the average Japanese to dress in kimono outside of special occasions, such as the coming-of-age ceremony, university graduations or weddings. Yes, people do still wear kimonos, but it’s rare enough that someone in a kimono will stand out in a crowd, as visitors to Japan will undoubtedly have noticed. And if simply being in a kimono can be eye-catching, imagine how much attention you might get wearing a stunning kimono like the one pictured above!

Japan
(Akira Takizawa • kimono • Kimono Queen • Tokamachi • yuzen)

Famous websites like you’ve never seen them before… as fashionable dresses!

Joan Coello
Jun 1, 2014

Creators can be inspired by anything and everything around them. It could be a sight, a sound, a person, or even a website. Italy-based artist and design student Victor Faretina created a series of dresses inspired by some famous websites, titled Web in Vogue.

As people working on and for the Internet, we spend an awful lot of time surfing websites, but the idea of wearing a website certainly hasn’t crossed our minds. However, these amazing gowns designed by Victor are definitely making us look at the websites we visit daily in a different light!

Europe, Internet
(artist • design • fashion • website)

Just in time for summer, Asahi to begin selling Mitsuya Cider served at a slushy -5℃

Master Blaster
Jun 1, 2014

Hot on the heels of an announcement that cold and sugary foods are bad for your body, Asahi announced that they are releasing their coldest sugary drink to date. I’m willing to take the risk however, because summer in Japan can suck pretty hard and a sub-zero beverage would definitely hit the spot.

This new drink called “Mitsuya Freezing Cider,” turns to ice the moment you pop the cap. Sounds great but Asahi seems to have surprised netizens a little with their unique distribution plans.

Japan
(7-Eleven • junk food • Mitsuya Cider)

Parasyte manga’s Migi stuffed toy is an affront to nature and our eyeballs

Casey Baseel
Jun 1, 2014

As visual media, it’s in the best interest of most anime and manga to be aesthetically pleasing. After all, the warm, fuzzy feeling that comes from looking at something cute or pretty has kept fans coming back to Pokémon and the works of Studio Ghibli for decades. It’s also great for driving merchandise sales. After all, what anime fan wouldn’t sleep tight with a stuffed Pikachu or Totoro to cuddle as they doze off?

On the other hand though, if you’re trying to fight off drowsiness, we recommend decorating your room with a plush toy from the manga series Parasyte, which is so shockingly terrifying you may never close your eyes again.