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April, 2015 (Page 9)

Anime fan stumbles across the recipe for Dragon Ball Z Parent and Child Rice Bowl

Casey Baseel
Apr 8, 2015
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Japanese cuisine is filled with dishes that end in don, meaning “rice bowl.” One of the most descriptive is oyakodon, literally “parent and child bowl.”

Ordinarily, oyakodon is rice topped with chicken and egg. Some sushi restaurants, though, have their own variation which instead uses sliced raw salmon and ikura (salmon roe). And now, one clever anime fan has come up with yet another version, the Dragon Ball Z oyakodon rice bowl.

Japan
(anime • Dragon Ball • food • funny • Japanese language)

Six-year-old girl roughed up by group of adult men opposed to U.S. forces in Okinawa

KK Miller
Apr 8, 2015

In an incredibly sad turn of events, a group of men who identify with those who oppose the presence of a U.S. base in Okinawa turned their anger towards a Japanese-American six-year-old girl late last month, allegedly shoving her to the ground and demanding to know, “Why are Americans in a place like this?”

As this attack could be qualified as a hate crime, you might be wondering why you haven’t heard more about this. Well, the reason could be just as shameful as the attack itself.

Japan
(attack • hate speech • Okinawa • sad • U.S. military base • young girl)

Attack on Titan teams up with Yomiuri Giants baseball club for special tickets, exclusive merch

Casey Baseel
Apr 7, 2015

Translation isn’t always an exact science, but there are certain conventions that translators seem to implicitly agree on. For example, look up gakuen in a Japanese dictionary, and it’ll tell you it’s another name for gakkou, or “school.” However, the more sophisticated, traditional ring that gakuen has to it means that it’s almost always rendered in English as “academy.”

Likewise, dictionaries define kyojin as “a person with an extraordinarily large body.” Nine times out of ten, kyojin gets translated as “giant,” which is also the term one of Tokyo’s two professional baseball teams, the Yomiuri Kyojin/Giants, goes with.

But if you spend more time watching anime than sports, you might favor “titan” as a translation, seeing as how the monsters from Attack on Titan are also called kyojin in Japanese. Since they’ve already got a linguistic link, the baseball team and manga/anime franchise are joining forces for four games this summer as part of a special campaign with its own exclusive merchandise.

Japan
(anime • Attack on Titan • baseball • manga • sports)

What some Japanese people think of China is as stereotypical as you can get

KK Miller
Apr 7, 2015

China and Japan have always had a tenuous relationship and in recent years you could classify it as somewhere between “sworn enemies” and “best buds”. Their close proximity to each other should allow each of the two countries to learn a lot about the other, yet even with informational tools like the Internet, what exactly the Japanese know about their “neighbors” is cringe-worthy.

When asked “What is your image of Chinese people?” the responses were exactly what you would expect. Fasten your seatbelts, it’s about to get really stereotypical in here.

China, Internet, Japan
(backwards thinking • opinion • smh • stereotypes)

Japanese netizens rewrite fairy tales in modern corporate situations so real they make us weep

Joan Coello
Apr 7, 2015

In this modern age and day, most of us spend our days running the rat race and getting worn down by work and school, which is probably why some of us fantasize about the happy endings of fairy tales to get away from real life for a while. But then reality slaps us in the face and reminds us that the birds and mice aren’t going to help you with your chores even if you can sing like Celine Dion, Prince Charming is not coming to whisk you away from your office desk, and your bills aren’t going to vanish even if you fall into a deep, deep sleep.

If the heroes and heroines in fairy tales existed in modern-day and had to work like the rest of us, would their stories still be filled with all that magical glitz and romance? Perhaps not. Japanese Twitter users have been re-interpreting some fairy tales from a corporate perspective, which was supposed to be a creative and entertaining activity, but the new tales were so close to home they couldn’t even laugh over them.

Internet, Japan
(business • corporate slave • fairy tales • fiction • funny • society)

Pronunciation anxiety: many Japanese people don’t want to speak English unless it’s “perfect”

Evie Nyan
Apr 7, 2015

With the 26 letters of the alphabet, we can make pretty much any sound present in the majority of languages. But Japanese just doesn’t contain certain sounds present in English, like “th” or “v”, and their “r” is somewhere right between our “r” and “l”, making them sound almost exactly the same to Japanese ears.

Since most Japanese people grow up only speaking Japanese, it means that when they start learning English at school, they either have to learn entirely new sounds (difficult) or else try to render English in Japanese sounds (which isn’t accurate). As a result, many Japanese English learners feel a lot of anxiety over the accuracy of their pronunciation. But should that really be holding them back?

Japan
(accent • English • Engrish • Japanese • Katakana • language learning • pronunciation • second language)

Cat/dog beds shaped like fruits and vegetables satisfy your recommended daily amount of cuteness

Casey Baseel
Apr 7, 2015

As any nutritionist will tell you, fresh produce is important. Whether you’re talking about essential vitamins, minerals, or fiber, fruits and vegetables are filled with all sorts of good things…including adorable cats and dogs, thanks to these eye-catching pet beds.

Japan
(animals • cats • cute • dogs • pets)

“Yandere Simulator” game lets you release your jealous schoolgirl rage and murder love rivals

Krista Rogers
Apr 7, 2015

Think back to your high school days. Wouldn’t it have been nice if you could’ve easily disposed of all of your potential romantic rivals in the manner of your choice?

Now you can relive those school-day memories and channel all of your jealous rage into playing Yandere Simulator, a stealth indie game currently being developed by a single man under the moniker of “Yandere Developer.” While the concept behind his game is certainly one of the most unorthodox ideas we’ve ever seen, you’ve gotta hand it to him. It’s not easy trying to get inside the mind of a mentally-unhinged obsessive schoolgirl with murderous tendencies who still comes across as an innocent angel.

Japan
(anime • indie games • video games • yandere)

I live in Animal Crossing – Get the music from Nintendo’s cutest village sim in your browser

Philip Kendall
Apr 7, 2015

If, like me, you spend the majority of your waking hours sitting in front of a computer screen, you probably have some kind of musical accompaniment to help keep the dark bunnies of insanity at bay. But it can be hard to find music that is both pleasant to listen to and not overly distracting while working, so you may find yourself spending more time choosing an audio track than getting any actual work done.

Thankfully, you can now get the music from Nintendo’s adorable community sim Animal Crossing right in your web browser as a free plugin for Google Chrome. And not only that, the tunes change depending on the time of day–just like in the game!

Global
(Animal Crossing • Chrome • cool • music • plugin • video games)

Ultraman-themed Kaiju Pub is coming back to Kawasaki, and this time it’s here to stay!

Casey Baseel
Apr 7, 2015

Getting pounded into the turf by a 40-meter (131-foot) tall martial artist who can shoot beams of energy from his hands can’t be an easy lifestyle. So last year when a restaurant opened in Kawasaki to honor the giant monsters and aliens who so often end up on the losing side of the battles in the Ultraman franchise, we thought it was nice they now had a place to relax, enjoy some tasty food, and knock back a few beers between regularly getting pummeled by the good guys.

Of course, we Earthlings were also welcome at the establishment, called the Kaiju Sakaba (“Monster Pub”). We stopped by shortly after the place opened last year, and all of the Ultraman-themed decorations made us feel like we were little kids again (well, at least until our first round of alcoholic drinks arrived, anyway). And then we felt like little kids again as wept in sadness upon hearing the Kaiju Sakaba was closing last March.

But, just like the ending of each installment of the Ultraman saga gives way to the next chapter, the Kaiju Sakaba is coming back to Kawasaki later this month, and this time it’s here to stay!

Japan
(alcohol • cool • food • izakaya • kaiju • kawasaki • restaurants • tokusatsu • Ultraman)

Giant penises roam the streets of Japan – it’s the Kanamara phallus festival!

Cara Clegg
Apr 7, 2015

On Sunday 5 April Kanayama Shrine held its annual Kanamara Matsuri, a traditional Japanese festival of Shinto origin that incorporates a phallic parade and has now become quite the tourist magnet. And there were penises everywhere.

Japan
(festival • Kanamara • Matsuri • penis • penis festival • phallus • phallus festival)

Series of steamy shojo manga illustrations takes on the sizzling topic of IT security

Casey Baseel
Apr 7, 2015

It’s one of the all-time classic scene setups of Japanese girls’ comics. Our heroine finds herself in a secluded hallway of her school, alone with a handsome but mysterious male classmate. He turns to her and dramatically pounds the wall behind her, executing a perfect kabe-don before leaning in close to tell her a secret.

So what’s the dramatic line going to be this time? “I love you?” “We actually met years ago and were childhood friends before you lost your memories?” “Don’t hug me, or I’ll transform into a dog?”

How about, “Don’t you know how important protecting your smartphone password is?”

Japan
(anime • funny • manga • technology)

New McDonald’s commercial grosses out Japan 【Video】

Jessica
Apr 7, 2015

McDonald’s Japan recently launched a limited time menu option called the teriyaki chicken and egg with Seto lemon sauce. The Seto Inland Sea is famous in Japan for its warm climate and top-notch citrus, so you would think a Seto lemon sauce would put the already popular teriyaki chicken and egg into stratospheric levels of demand.

That doesn’t seem to be the case, though, and the culprit may be McDonald’s own commercial, which viewers are calling “dirty” and “gross”.

Japan
(gross • Japan • marketing • McDonald's • video)

No one will be flying Evangelion spear to the moon as crowdfunding project dies on the vine

Casey Baseel
Apr 6, 2015

We recently talked about how the opening theme of anime Neon Genesis Evangelion, “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis,” is almost painfully ubiquitous in Japan. Overseas, though, the more famous tune is the series’ ending theme, the English-language jazz standard “Fly Me to the Moon.”

The song’s sweet sentimentalism takes on an ironic atmosphere coming after an episode of Evangelion’s painfully subversive depiction of the horrors that could unfold if 14-year-olds were actually tasked with fighting giant invading aliens. And now, “Fly Me to the Moon” will probably take on even more of a bittersweet tone for Eva fans, as the crowdfunding project to send the anime’s Spear of Longinus to the moon has fallen short of its goal.

Global, Japan
(anime • crowdfunding • Evangelion • science)

Kung-fu rugby invades Hong Kong Sevens 2015

Master Blaster
Apr 6, 2015

I have fond memories of going to the old Harlem Globetrotter games to watch all the sports-themed hijinks and hilarity of Curly, Twiggy, and the rest of the gang. Even though my father would later lose all of my college savings on ill-advised Baltimore Rocket bets, those games still hold a warm place in my heart.

And so, it’s great to see that this tradition of comedic sports entertainment lives on in 2015 as this brief video showing some highlights from a kung-fu rugby game during the Hong Kong Sevens tournament at the end of March.

China
(funny • Hong Kong Sevens • kung fu • martial arts • rugby • sports)

Vegetarian ramen in Tokyo? Not only is it available, it’s apparently pretty great too!

Preston Phro
Apr 6, 2015

Japan is filled with excellent food, but one of our absolute favorites is ramen. There’s just something (possibly everything) about it that’s absolutely delicious. That said, it does present a problem for vegetarians and vegans, since even the broth uses a fairly copious amount of animal products. Now, you may not care about that, but maybe you have a few friend who do. Or maybe you’re just looking for new takes on traditional food. If so, T’s Tantan, a vegetarian ramen restaurant, is just what you’ve been looking for.

We recently sent one of our Japanese writers to check it out, and now you can read his report below and then go try it out for yourself! Or at least tell all your vegetarian friends about it. We promise they’ll love you if you do!

Japan
(food • Noodles • ramen • restaurants • vegetarian)

Make your own “wagashi” Japanese sweets at home with these creation kits

Mike
Apr 6, 2015

Pretty much anyone can pick up some brownie mix at the local grocer, crack an egg into a bowl, mix, and end up with a piping hot tray of delicious goodies. That’s child’s play (literally, if you’re using an Easy Bake).

It’s another thing altogether to create some truly Pinterest-worthy “wagashi” Japanese sweets. You know what we’re talking about: The wabi-sabi-riffic, colorful eye-and-mouth candy we’ve gushed over here on this very site time and again.

Wagashi are equally intimidating items to make for foreigners and Japanese alike, often calling for seemingly exotic ingredients, mysterious baking methods and coming in hard-to-replicate shapes and sizes. But, lucky for enthusiasts, there’s now a series of home kits available online to make the process a (relative) breeze!

Internet, Japan
(baking • candy • cooking • food • sweets • wagashi)

Share and browse all your favorite pictures of men loving men at the new fujoshi network Horne

Scott Wilson
Apr 6, 2015

Nowadays there’s a social networking system (SNS) for just about anything. In Japan, aside from the big ones like Facebook and Twitter, the LINE messaging service (and life-LINE service) and Niconico Douga are also extremely popular ways to talk with your friends – both on and offline – about stuff you love.

And that’s just scratching the surface. There’s plenty more, based around every imaginable interest. In fact, pretty much the only kind of SNS that doesn’t exist is one based around posting and sharing erotic anime-style drawings of men loving on each other.

…until now. Meet Horne.

Japan
(art • boys love • fujoshi • images • SNS • social network)

Miyazaki-curated Ghibli Museum exhibit of “Ghost Tower” to open at end of May

Preston Phro
Apr 5, 2015

Hayao Miyazaki has kept busy since his supposed retirement, but his newest project is as historical as it is new. On May 30, the Mitaka no Mori Ghibli Museum will open a new exhibit featuring artwork by Miyazaki inspired by Ghost Tower, a 1939 mystery novel by Edogawa Ranpo.

Ghibli is expecting massive crowds, so you may have to bribe a few guards if you want to get in!

Japan
(Edogawa Ranpo • Ghibli Museum • Ghost Tower • Hayao Miyazaki)

We try some chicken ramen-flavored ice cream at Chikira-House in Osaka

Master Blaster
Apr 5, 2015

Alongside Kit Kat bars, carbonated beverages, and potato chips, ice cream is one food Japanese flavor engineers love to monkey with. In the past we’ve seen frozen desserts flavored with great tastes such as scallops, vegetables, and pork.

This time we caught word of a little shop in Shin-Osaka Station offering travelers the cold and creamy taste of chicken ramen-flavored ice cream. So we hopped a train over to check it out and grab a self-heating chiki-bento while we were at it.