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June, 2014 (Page 6)

Forget snack packs, South Korean school girls sporting full-on snack backpacks

Master Blaster
Jun 22, 2014
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Do you often find your purse, backpack, attaché case is crammed with sugary snacks to help you through your day? If so you may want to follow these girls’ example and have your snacks become the bag.

Korea
(bags • present • schoolgirls • snacks)

Japan national football star to voice character in upcoming Pokémon film

Krista Rogers
Jun 22, 2014

Atsuto Uchida, a defender on Japan’s national football team currently playing in Brazil, is making his voice acting debut in the latest Pokémon theatrical film set to premiere next month.

The producers of the Pokémon movies are well-known for inviting celebrities to voice supporting characters in the annual films, but this year marks the first time that an athlete will lend his voice to the production. Uchida himself has been a fan of Pokémon since he was a child, and his involvement in the movie will hopefully add even more excitement to the World Cup fervor already taking over Japan.

Read on to learn more about Uchida’s role in the upcoming film!

Japan
(Atuto Uchida • football • Japan National Football Team • movie • Pokemon • soccer)

Emergency services get prank phone call–but was it the wind…or ghosts?

Preston Phro
Jun 22, 2014

Summer’s here, and that means it’s time to gather your friends and head to a haunted house to scare the heat out of yourself. But maybe you’re a really tough guy or girl, and nothing like a few kids dressed up as zombies is going to give you a fright. You need a real ghost to help cool you down.

Too bad ghosts aren’t real, right? Well, after reading this story, you might not be so sure…

Japan
(ghosts • haunted houses • scary • technology • wtf)

We try Taiwan’s newest taste sensation: Pudding Ramen!

Master Blaster
Jun 22, 2014

Taiwanese websites have been swirling with a new food fad that has taken the nation by storm. We’re not sure exactly where it started, but it probably had something to do with two people shouting, “Hey! You got your pudding in my ramen!” and “Hey! You got your ramen in my pudding!” And thus pudding ramen was born.

As the news hit the shores of Japan, we felt this was a combination that needed to be tested. It turns out that pudding ramen is not only tasty, it’s really cheap and easy too. Well played, Taiwan!

Taiwan
(food • pudding • ramen)

Got a cell phone? Soon, you might get a tax bill from the Japanese government too

Casey Baseel
Jun 22, 2014

It’s only been a few months since Japan’s consumption tax jumped from five to eight percent, making everything consumers buy instantly at least three percent more expensive. Some sneaky retailers even took advantage of the opportunity by tacking an extra three percent onto their displayed, pre-tax prices.

Now comes a rumor of an entirely new revenue stream the Japanese government might be moving to secure: a tax on cell phones.

Japan
(government • law • phones • technology)

Awesome anime marriage proposal simulator lets you create romantic scenes, dark comedy

Casey Baseel
Jun 21, 2014

The company Recruit is mainly known for its online job-hunting service, but that’s not the organization’s only business arm. Recruit also runs Zexy, one of Japan’s most popular wedding planning websites.

In order to help singles get into the marrying mood, Recruit has created an animated proposal simulator, where you can type in words for one of five dreamy anime-style guys to say. Ostensibly, you’re supposed to unleash your inner poet and dash off a smooth, romantic line. On the other hand, you can also use the system that allows you to make them say anything for a little bit of snarky fun.

Japan
(anime • cool • funny • marriage • relationships • romance)

Giant Marilyn Monroe is now face-down in a dump in China

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Jun 21, 2014

An 8-ton statue of Marilyn Monroe has been unceremoniously deposited in a dump in southern China, putting the American beauty in a hilariously bizarre position.

China
(Marilyn Monroe • statue • wtf)

New York City’s Barcade is all about the classic Japanese games

Japan Culture NYC
Jun 21, 2014

Nostalgic for Japanese video games from the late 1970s and ‘80s? Barcade, a combination bar and arcade, recently opened in Chelsea, Manhattan with about a dozen classics from Japanese game developers such as Taito, Nintendo, Namco, and Konami.

The games are still only a quarter (there are change machines on site), and the machines are in great condition. Marvel at the old-school graphics of Space Invaders, Galaga, Mappy, Crazy Climber, and Frogger.

Japan, USA
(arcade • Barcade • Japan Culture NYC • Konami • New York • nintendo • retro • video games)

The emoji you send actually say a lot about you

BUSINESS INSIDER
Jun 21, 2014

Sometimes words just aren’t enough to convey what you have to say.

People tend to use emoji in both normal and unorthodox ways, and the emoji you use actually says a lot about you.

Enter Emojinalysis, a Tumblr blog that tells you what’s wrong with your life based on your recently used emoji.

Global
(emoji • Personality • smartphone)

You (only) live twice! Repair work begins on priceless Toyota 2000GT crushed by falling tree

Fran W
Jun 21, 2014

The world’s car fans wept in unison earlier this month when a freak accident caused a 30-metre beech tree to fall on an eye-wateringly expensive Toyota 2000GT. Widely recognised as the first Japanese supercar, the 2000GT has been known to sell for over 1 million dollars, and although we were relieved to hear that the driver escaped with only minor cuts and bruises, the photos of his trashed car brought tears to car-lovers’ eyes.

The 2000GT’s regular production run in the late 1960s was so limited that only 351 were ever built, and when these photos emerged of the flattened vehicle, many assumed that the number left in existence had just got that little bit smaller – and the car, therefore, a little rarer. However, Japanese website Nostalgic Car TV reported June 14th that the car in question is to be repaired and restored, promising regular updates as it is brought back to its former glory.

Japan
(car accident • sportscars • Toyota 2000GT)

World Cup players swap shorts after match

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Jun 21, 2014

The World Cup, an event that brings thousands of people from all over the world together, has some beautiful moments – Neymar, of Team Brazil (who many are calling “the face of the World Cup”) busting into tears of pride at the climax of his nation’s anthem, Japanese fans cleaning their area after a losing game, and the always heartwarming tradition of exchanging jerseys after the match – to name a few.

But we’re not quite sure what to make of Ivan Rakitic of Croatia and Stephane M’Bia of Cameroon exchanging shorts after Wednesday night’s match. But we suppose we can count this as another one of those “beautiful moments.” After all, nothing says “good game, mate” like having your opponent’s ball sweat up in your nether regions. (Soccer ball sweat, you pervs!)

Global
(football • soccer • weird • World Cup)

Despite the draw with Greece, Japan’s World Cup team still has a glimmer of hope

Preston Phro
Jun 21, 2014

Japan has had a bit of a rough start at the 2014 World Cup. After losing to 2-1 against the Ivory Coast, the team came back strong against Greece and got an amazing…0-0 tie. Well, it’s better than losing right?

Though you may be ready to throw in the towel for the Japanese soccer team, we’re here to tell you that things aren’t quite as bleak as they may seem. While having lost the first game of the tournament certainly isn’t a good sign, there are teams who’ve made it to the next round in similar circumstances!

Internet, Japan
(FIFA • Samurai Blue • soccer • World Cup)

Extreme vacationing: How to enjoy a trip to Hong Kong in just 12 hours

Kay
Jun 21, 2014

Now, it’s something of an accepted fact that Japanese companies expect their staff to work hard and put in a lot of overtime. Long hours are the norm, and it can be difficult to get time off from work when resources are already stretched thin and doing so could very well mean making your coworkers’ lives harder. The truth is, with the exception of the New Year’s holiday and the obon period in summer, the majority of Japanese workers don’t take time off unless they absolutely have to. So it can be a bit tricky if you want to take an overseas vacation.

But how far would you be willing to go to take a trip abroad? Would you be prepared to take a trip so short that you’re at your destination for just 12 hours? Well, that’s exactly what our reporter Meg from our Japanese sister site did. Read on to find out what it was like to travel to, enjoy, and fly back from a foreign destination in the space of 24 hours, and whether she thought it was worth making the trip!

China, Japan
(day trip • Hong Kong • photos • travel)

Hyotan Onsen – Japan’s only hot spring with three Michelin stars

Casey Baseel
Jun 20, 2014

Even though the prefecture is home to barely a million residents, Oita has not one, but two famous hot spring resorts. Yufuin is generally held to be the more refined and tastefully restrained of the pair, while Beppu, despite having some of the most popular hot springs in Japan, gets saddled with the reputation as the more touristy town.

While there may be some truth to the labels, there’s one thing Beppu has that you won’t find in Yufuin, or anywhere else in the country for that matter: Japan’s only hot spring with three Michelin stars.

Japan
(health • hot springs • Kyushu • onsen • travel)

Himeji City preparing to crack down on nuisance “walking biker gangs” (Yes, you read that right)

Master Blaster
Jun 20, 2014

It’s June again, and that means it’s time for Himeji City in Hyogo Prefecture to hold its annual Himeji Yukata Festival! The three-day event incorporates around 800 businesses and draws in around 200,000 attendees, many of whom are dressed in traditional Japanese summer wear yukata.

It’s a festive time for the whole family, but the Himeji Yukata Festival also has a dark side that city officials and police are looking to stop once and for all. This problem comes in the form of biker gangs known in Japan as bōsōzoku. But these are not just any biker gangs; they’re biker gangs… without bikes.

Japan
(bosozoku • clothes • crime)

Cheaters beware – 30 percent of Japanese women have checked their boyfriend’s cell phone

Casey Baseel
Jun 20, 2014

What are the requirements of a happy romantic relationship? A set of shared values is important if you’re looking for anything more substantial than a fun fling. On the other end of the scale, common interests are good to have too, for those lighter dates when you and your partner want to do something other than discuss your life philosophies.

Many people would say the most critical element, though, is trust. After all, no matter how attracted you might be to a person, without the ability to trust one another, your collective jealousy and insecurity will eventually poison any potential you have to be happy together. Of course, building that trust can be a long, difficult, and sometimes scary process, but it’s something you eventually have to do, right?

Not if you’re one of the roughly 30 percent of Japanese women who’ve secretly checked the messages on their boyfriends’ cell phones.

Japan
(culture • relationships • romance • technology)

Cute d’état! Thousands of ducks take to the streets in Thailand

Master Blaster
Jun 20, 2014

There’s a lot going on in Thailand at the moment, and you can be sure that those in the tourism industry watching visitor numbers plummet now that the country has fallen under military control are none too pleased, so it’s not surprising to hear of stories of anger and frustration. What we didn’t expect to see, though, were ducks taking to the street en masse as if in protest.

Check out this video of thousands of ducks waddling along together in an adorable yet really eerie demonstration of nature.

Japan
(cute • duck • Thailand • wtf)

A brand new capsule hotel just opened…in Malaysia

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Jun 20, 2014

Capsule hotels were something of an anomaly when first introduced to the world through pictures taken in Japan. But it seems the compact rental sleeping areas are catching on abroad. If you thought Japan was the only place you could crawl into a compartment just longer than your body, you’ll be surprised to find that you can now have a similar claustrophobic experience in Malaysia.

SE Asia
(capsule hotel • hotel • Kuala Lumpur International Airport • lodging)

Japanese ‘Day One Edition’ Xbox One adopters are actually getting a pretty good deal

Philip Kendall
Jun 20, 2014

While there are no doubt plenty of Xbox One owners who are still glad they scrambled to preorder a “Day One Edition” of the console at launch last year, there are probably a few who now feel that it perhaps wasn’t worth breaking a sweat for. Shipping in slightly sleeker packaging than usual, Day One versions came bundled with a controller embossed with the words “Day One 2013” and a card to activate an achievement on their owner’s online profile; plenty of bragging rights for the hardest of hardcore Xbox fans, certainly, but that’s about it.

According to the Japanese Xbox One site, though, day-one adopters in the Land of the Rising Sun will be getting a markedly better deal.

Japan
(Day One edition • Microsoft • Titanfall • video games • Xbox One)

Anime fans pick which Ghibli heroine they’d like to have as a girlfriend

Casey Baseel
Jun 20, 2014

Totoro may be the most instantly recognizable Studio Ghibl character, but the exalted animation house has produced a far larger number of memorable heroines than cute critters. From warrior princesses to ordinary schoolgirls who defy anime conventions by actually being ordinary, almost every Ghibli film has had a woman as either its central or most important figure.

Each has her own claim to fame. Spirited Away’s Chihiro remains the studio’s highest-grossing leading lady, Arrietty its shortest, and Princess Mononoke’s San the most violent. Now, a recent poll has bestowed yet another title by asking fans which Ghibli character they’d like to have as a girlfriend.