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Cara Clegg

After discovering anime in her early teens, Cara decided she wanted to live in Japan. Of course her parents thought it was just a fad... but 11 years, a university degree in Japanese Studies, and a whole lot of culture shock later, here she is. She currently works a day job whilst writing and translating otome games in the evenings. Her hobbies include anime, manga, sci-fi & fantasy TV shows, and starting countless things that will never get finished.

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Posted by Cara Clegg (Page 7)

Clever cat duo cause havoc in the bathroom but are too cute to scold

Cara Clegg
Dec 21, 2014
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Cats are amazing creatures that have a sneaky habit of getting into places you would never think they could (and then also often getting stuck there). But somehow it’s hard to be anything but amused by their silly antics, especially when they pull hilarious faces like this!

Japan
(cats • cute • funny)

Japanese website wishes users a Happy Xmas with sweet animation【Video】

Cara Clegg
Dec 19, 2014

Get into the Christmas spirit with this festive video featuring flip-book style animation and a Japanese rock rendition of “Happy Christmas”, put together than none other than master animator Tekken.

Japan
(animation • Christmas • holidays • Punk rock • video)

Artist magically transforms Sailor Moon characters into black women

Cara Clegg
Dec 17, 2014

As a huge fan of Sailor Moon, one artist decided to reimagine the characters in a fresh new way that resonated with them. In the resulting fanart the Sailor Senshi have undergone a magical transformation into black African women – check out these amazing illustrations below.

Africa, Japan
(African art • art • artist • fanart • Sailor Moon)

Bizarre otaku dancing catches on as Wotagei spreads around the world【Videos】

Cara Clegg
Dec 17, 2014

Wotagei, Japan’s unusual form of otaku dancing, is spreading across the seas and capturing the hearts of foreign idol and anime fans, causing them to contort their bodies in strange but rhythmic formations. Read on for more about this unique performance art and watch some videos of afficionados in action.

Japan
(culture • dance • idol • otaku • wotagei)

Japanese conservatives call for ban on Angelina Jolie’s WWII movie

Cara Clegg
Dec 15, 2014

Angelina Jolie’s latest war movie, Unbroken, has been facing criticism recently from Japanese conservatives for its portrayals of brutality in World War II prisoner of war camps. While the film hasn’t even been released yet, there are some people who want to make sure it never sees the light of day in Japan.

Japan
(Angelina Jolie • controversy • Japan • movies • World War II)

LDP deems gay rights legislation ‘unnecessary’ according to multi-party survey

Cara Clegg
Dec 13, 2014

A survey conducted by a Japanese LGBT rights organization has been extremely revealing about the main political parties’ attitudes towards sexual minorities, and is something to think about for voters heading to the polls this weekend.

Japan
(gay rights • LGBT • politics)

Japanese beauty trends of the 20th & 21st centuries, and predicting future fashions

Cara Clegg
Dec 11, 2014

Japanese cosmetics company Shiseideo has released their predictions for 2020’s makeup trends, as well as a look back at Japanese beauty throughout the last century. Will geisha makeup be making a comeback? Read on to find out.

Japan
(beauty • cosmetics • Fashion trends • makeup)

Aomori’s ramen restaurant in a bus serves up steaming hot noodles in the snow

Cara Clegg
Dec 10, 2014

Ramen shops are a dime a dozen, so what makes this one in Aomori Prefecture so special? Well, it’s in a bus! One writer over at Another Tokyo reported on his experience at this one-of-a-kind Japanese eatery.

Japan
(Aomori Prefecture • food • Japanese restaurants • ramen)

Japanese iPad drummer recreates rock beats with lightning-fast fingers【Video】

Cara Clegg
Dec 8, 2014

Spending your time bashing out wild beats on the drums might sound like heaven for rock music fans, but installing a drum kit in your house is a sure way to make the neighbours hate you, especially in Japan where most landlords prohibit the use of musical instruments.

Thankfully, these days there is of course a digital alternative, and some people have become so good at iPad drumming that in its own way it can be as impressive as the real thing.

Japan
(app • drumming • drums • ipad • Japanese rock • music • X Japan)

Just a dud batch? Original artist shocked by shoddy final version of Attack on Titan figure

Cara Clegg
Dec 5, 2014

Have you ever ordered a product online that turned out to be nothing like how it looked in the photo? You feel disappointed, annoyed, and slightly betrayed. It’s probably the same kind of feeling an artist gets when a product based on their designs doesn’t turn out quite like they expected.

Japan
(anime • Attack on Titan • figures • otaku • Shingeki no Kyojin)

Floppy drive orchestra performs old-school game music, gives us nostalgia overload 【Video】

Cara Clegg
Dec 2, 2014

We’re constantly amazed by the creative ways people come up with to reuse defunct technology, and here’s another one to blow your mind. One YouTuber has used his programming and music skills to reproduce popular tunes and game music using… floppy disk drives!

Internet, USA
(BGM • floppy disc • gaming • Mario • music • nostalgia)

Gotta stack ’em all! Collect and play with these adorable stackable pokémon

Cara Clegg
Dec 1, 2014

With the release of Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire you might be in the mood for some merch, so we’ve dug some out for you: Have hours of fun with these adorable stackable pokémon sets!

Japan
(Pikachu • Pokemon • Snorlax • toys)

More adorable photos from Japan’s fox village

Cara Clegg
Nov 27, 2014

Earlier this year we introduced our readers to Japan’s fox village, an open-range zoo home to dozens of adorable foxes so tame that they’ll walk right up to you to say hi. This year, too, Japanese sightseers have stopped by to see the foxes playing in the autumn leaves, and one Twitter user uploaded a pair of simply adorable photos that we just had to share with you.

Japan
(cute animals • foxes • Zao)

Online survey reveals the types of guys elementary school girls DON’T want to date

Cara Clegg
Nov 26, 2014

They may be too young to be thinking about dating, but it seems that elementary school girls can still tell you exactly what they DON’T want to see in a guy!

Japan
(dating • elementary school students • men and women. • relationships in japan)

Hatsune Miku transforming race car robot is actually pretty awesome

Cara Clegg
Nov 25, 2014

Thought the market was already oversaturated with Miku products? Think again! Good Smile Company is here with something that was still missing – a Hatsune Miku-inspired transforming race car robot!

Japan
(Hatsune Miku • model • race car • robot • transformer)

Women at World Wushu Championships attack each other at the speed of light

Cara Clegg
Nov 25, 2014

Check out this insane performance at the World Wushu Championships. It might look like one woman is summarily beating the other to a pulp, but it’s actually all part of an intricately choreographed martial arts performance that blends dance and fighting into a beautiful and fantastic spectacle.

China
(fighting • martial arts • sport • Wushu)

Japanese dictionary removes heteronormative definitions of love and sex

Cara Clegg
Nov 21, 2014

One of Japan’s leading dictionaries has made a significant (and arguably long overdue) step towards acknowledging and normalizing homosexuality by revising the entries for words relating to love and sex. They have removed restrictive references to these feelings existing only between a man and a woman, opening up the definition of love to everyone — gay, straight, or otherwise.

Japan
(gay rights • homosexuality • Japanese language • language)

Dedicated designer mum’s lunch bag art is way too good to throw away

Cara Clegg
Nov 21, 2014

Brown paper lunch bags don’t have to be boring! One mum’s stunning drawings on her kids’ baggies liven up lunchtime, and are so good that it almost seems a waste to draw them on something that’s designed to be disposable.

USA
(art • characters • lunch box)

Knock ’em dead on the battlefield with this cute military cosplay corset

Cara Clegg
Nov 19, 2014

Girls, have you ever been put off from the army because their uniforms just aren’t cute enough? Well here’s your answer: a KanColle-inspired corset that’s made–to–order!

Japan
(cosplay • fashion • military)

Vietnamese kids’ TV show will haunt your dreams, possibly get sued by Disney 【Video】

Cara Clegg
Nov 18, 2014

One of the things kids most enjoy about going to Disneyland is getting to meet the characters up close and personal, and they love seeing their favourites on TV too. But something about the characters on this Vietnamese children’s show are a little…off. This bizarre TV show features a lawsuit waiting to happen, canned children’s cheers, and characters that will haunt your dreams.