Fran W – SoraNews24 —Japan News— https://soranews24.com Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today. Tue, 09 Nov 2021 00:16:41 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.4 https://soranews24.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/05/en_rocket_1024.png?w=32 Fran W – SoraNews24 —Japan News— https://soranews24.com 32 32 176746664 Our reporter tries to order a 100-slice beef sandwich at Subway Japan【Photos】 https://soranews24.com/2015/09/23/our-reporter-tries-to-order-a-100-slice-beef-sandwich-at-subway-japan%e3%80%90photos%e3%80%91/ https://soranews24.com/2015/09/23/our-reporter-tries-to-order-a-100-slice-beef-sandwich-at-subway-japan%e3%80%90photos%e3%80%91/#comments Tue, 22 Sep 2015 22:00:47 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=267148 
At Japan’s branches of Subway, what you might think of as more conventional sandwich toppings—like cheese or vegetables—wrestle for space on the menu with other optional extras, like a scoop of tuna mayonnaise or five prawns for 100 yen. And when a man like our very own reporter P.K. Sanjun sees that he can have his Subway sandwich topped with an extra five prawns, his first thought is: “I wonder how many prawns I could fit in one sandwich?!”
So when P.K. heard that there were actually secret toppings that you can order at Subway, and that one of those off-menu toppings was roast beef, he prepared his brain, and his stomach, for an extra-large order, and headed to Subway to find out: just how much beef can one Japanese sandwich hold?!
This is the optional toppings menu at Subway. In addition to cheeses, you can also choose to add bacon, tuna mayo, prawns or avocado. Beef wasn’t on the menu, but P.K. was unperturbed.
After checking that there were no other customers in the shop who might overhear his secret ordering, P.K. headed to the counter to ask the server just how much beef he could get! The following is a transcription of their conversation:
P.K.: Excuse me. Can you do roast beef as a topping?
Sandwich artist: Yes, sir. It’s 340 yen for five slices.
P.K.: Seriously?! And how many can I have?
Sandwich artist: As much as you like, sir.
P.K.: Okay! I’ll have a hundred slices, please!
P.K. noticed that the sandwich artist was laughing.
Giggling sandwich artist: Erm, I don’t think I can fit a hundred in there…?
P.K.: Just put in as much as you can.
P.K. ordered a roast beef sub as the base for his meat mountain, and waited for it to be assembled. ‘There’ll be so much beef, it’ll be like eating a whole cow!’ he thought to himself excitedly. The sandwich artist managed to squeeze in an extra 15 slices of beef, bringing the total to 20!
But when P.K. was handed the sandwich, he felt that this wasn’t a particularly monster portion after all; it was just a very well-stuffed sandwich, so full it could barely be closed. He felt a little disappointed.
▼ So this is what ALL YOU CAN BEEF looks like (in Japan).
▼ That is rather a lot of beef, admittedly.
Although he’d been hoping for more than twenty slices, P.K. found that the sub was pleasantly heavy. Biting into it, he made an exciting discovery: “Wherever I bit, I got a mouthful of meat. It was so…meaty! Meaty meaty meaty meaty mmmmmeat!”‘
▼ “I take it all back! This is exactly what I wanted!”
P.K.’s super-beef sub came in at 1,600 yen (US$13.40), of which 1,020 yen ($8.54) was the cost of extra toppings. If you want to try out an experiment like P.K.’s and order off-menu, his recommendation is to be bold! And ask your sandwich artist. They are artists, after all.
All photos: RocketNews24
Original report by P.K. Sanjun
]]> https://soranews24.com/2015/09/23/our-reporter-tries-to-order-a-100-slice-beef-sandwich-at-subway-japan%e3%80%90photos%e3%80%91/feed/ 0 267148 img_2429 img_2415 img_2411 img_2410 img_2429 img_2423 img_2435 img_2417 img_2439 img_2426 “Welcome argument?” Mr Sato really, really wants to know where Lily-Rose Depp got her kanji shirt https://soranews24.com/2015/09/19/welcome-argument-mr-sato-really-really-wants-to-know-where-lily-rose-depp-got-her-kanji-shirt/ https://soranews24.com/2015/09/19/welcome-argument-mr-sato-really-really-wants-to-know-where-lily-rose-depp-got-her-kanji-shirt/#comments Fri, 18 Sep 2015 16:00:39 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=266210 
Clothing with incorrect and funny English (so-called Engrish) is everywhere in Japan, and has given many foreign visitors a chuckle over the years. So it’s always nice to see the tables turned, and Japan having the opportunity to marvel at clothing with odd Japanese writing on it.
That’s what happened this week when our reporter Mr. Sato got wind that actress and model Lily-Rose Depp had been spotted in New York wearing a particularly nonsensical T-shirt with Japanese kanji characters on it. He had only one question: “Where did she get it?”
…only one question, Mr. Sato? We’ve got a few more questions than that! So let’s take a look at the shirt in question, and crack the code behind its oddball message.
16-year-old Depp, who started modelling at the age of ten and was chosen this summer as the new face of Chanel, uploaded this picture to Instagram on Monday:
https://instagram.com/p/7nbYwqhaFL/
But what does it all mean?
Running down the side of the shirt we have 大衆 (taishuu) which means “public” (as in “the general public”) followed by 居酒屋 “izakaya”, which beer fans will recognise as the Japanese word for a bar serving food. So 大衆居酒屋 means something a bit like “public bar”.
And in the centre of the shirt (this is the good bit) we have 喧嘩 (kenka) meaning “argument”, with いらっしゃいませ (irasshaimase) underneath, which means “welcome” and is the greeting that Japanese shopkeepers call out to entering and prospective customers.
▼ Maybe fights are welcome in the public bar? Who knows…
Lily-Rose Depp has a casual day out in NYC http://t.co/zundWM1BSa pic.twitter.com/yQRnFrVrNe
— Daily Mail Celebrity (@DailyMailCeleb) September 13, 2015
So, put it all together and we get a nice string of nonsense Japanese on a bold black T-shirt. And when you think about it, a T-shirt with something vaguely contentious written on it is actually a perfectly normal and appropriate thing for a teenager to be wearing. More normal than being the face of Chanel at sixteen, anyway. And hey, at least it’s not a garbled Japanese tattoo.
Sources: Huffington Post JP, Instagram/Lily-Rose Depp
Featured image: Instagram/Lily-Rose Depp
]]> https://soranews24.com/2015/09/19/welcome-argument-mr-sato-really-really-wants-to-know-where-lily-rose-depp-got-her-kanji-shirt/feed/ 0 266210 Screen Shot 2015-09-16 at 16.44.32 Screen Shot 2015-09-16 at 16.44.32 “So you like big guns, eh?” Japan’s TV ad for World of Tanks is surprisingly cheeky 【Video】 https://soranews24.com/2015/09/18/so-you-like-big-guns-eh-japans-tv-ad-for-world-of-tanks-is-surprisingly-sexy-%e3%80%90video%e3%80%91/ https://soranews24.com/2015/09/18/so-you-like-big-guns-eh-japans-tv-ad-for-world-of-tanks-is-surprisingly-sexy-%e3%80%90video%e3%80%91/#comments Fri, 18 Sep 2015 11:30:11 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=266840 
Here at RocketNews24 we’re pretty big fans of funny and unpredictable Japanese TV ads, whether they’re for Cup Noodle, Batman dubs, or English schools.
And just by looking at the thumbnail for this Japanese ad for World of Tanks, the multiplayer online game that just announced that it’s coming to PlayStation 4 this year, we knew we were going to be in for a treat.
First, for point of comparison, let’s look at the announcement trailer from World of Tanks’ English-language YouTube channel. This one has everything we might expect from a game about tanks: there’s dramatic crashing, welding sequences, metal components flying everywhere, and the sound of gunfire over a guitar solo.
Now let’s see how the game is being advertised in Japan. This one’s a TV commercial (as opposed to online…although it’s also on YouTube because that’s how the world works now), and it comes from the Japanese branch of Wargaming, the developer responsible for bringing World of Tanks to consoles.
Check out the Japanese ad for yourself below:
▼ (That caption that pops up onscreen with the girl’s artwork says “So you like big guns, eh?”)
▼ Incidentally, WOT JAPAN is pretty much what we were thinking when we saw this too.
What do you make of this commercial? Should English-language ad producers be taking a leaf out of Japan’s advertising ideas book?
Source: YouTube/Wargaming Japan
Featured image/GIF: YouTube/Wargaming Japan
]]> https://soranews24.com/2015/09/18/so-you-like-big-guns-eh-japans-tv-ad-for-world-of-tanks-is-surprisingly-sexy-%e3%80%90video%e3%80%91/feed/ 0 266840 wrldgf wot Screen Shot 2015-09-17 at 17.10.31 Screen Shot 2015-09-17 at 17.12.43 Consider us teased! Upcoming Dragon Ball Z animation promises big things【Video】 https://soranews24.com/2015/09/18/consider-us-teased-upcoming-dragon-ball-z-animation-promises-big-things%e3%80%90video%e3%80%91/ https://soranews24.com/2015/09/18/consider-us-teased-upcoming-dragon-ball-z-animation-promises-big-things%e3%80%90video%e3%80%91/#comments Thu, 17 Sep 2015 20:30:49 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=266246 
DBZ Tribute is an upcoming animation that aims to pay tribute (the hint’s in the name) to the work of Akira Toriyama. A team of professional artists have come together to create a computer-generated animated sequence as a homage to the creator of Dragon Ball.
It’s not an official project, but if the production values in these teasers are anything to go on, it’s going to be a really high-quality “tribute”.
The project is headed up by Director Javier Zumaeta, who is also lead animator. Bruno Camara is its Art Director and lead character artist. Music will be composed by Marcus Hedges of The Marcus Hedges Trend Orchestra.
▼ Here are some teaser shots from the animation project.
▼ Some online commenters were quick to point out that Goku’s facial expressions are reminiscent of Big Hero Six.
▼ The attention to detail is impressive.
▼ Yup, we are definitely teased.
It’s the video teasers that are most exciting, though.
▼ Short, sweet and scary.
There’s also some neat test animations of Goku, which gives us high hopes for the quality of the animation in the finished work:
▼ And it’s not even an official project!
That’s all we’ve got for now! We’ll be keeping our eyes peeled for more updates. In the meantime, you can follow the team’s progress on Twitter or Facebook, or via their official website.
Sources: DBZTribute, Kotaku, YouTube
Featured image: DBZTribute
]]> https://soranews24.com/2015/09/18/consider-us-teased-upcoming-dragon-ball-z-animation-promises-big-things%e3%80%90video%e3%80%91/feed/ 0 266246 Goku_bruno-camara Goku_bruno-camara buu_Z_brush_Render_upload Goku_bruno-camara buu_turntable_upload goku_views_by_bruno_upload Drones capture shocking footage of flooding in Ibaraki, Japan【Video】 https://soranews24.com/2015/09/15/drones-capture-shocking-footage-of-flooding-in-north-east-japan%e3%80%90video%e3%80%91/ https://soranews24.com/2015/09/15/drones-capture-shocking-footage-of-flooding-in-north-east-japan%e3%80%90video%e3%80%91/#comments Tue, 15 Sep 2015 14:00:47 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=265593 
When disaster zones are inaccessible by ground—such as the areas of Japan hit by widespread and deadly flooding last week—news broadcasters typically take to the air, relaying footage from helicopters. In the city of Joso, Ibaraki, news helicopters captured dramatic footage of rescue teams winching people to safety from rooftops on Thursday after the Kinugawa River burst its banks.
But helicopters can only get so close, and so authorities in Japan are now using drones to capture footage in disaster areas. The drones can fly closer to disaster-hit areas than a manned helicopter, offering a different and dramatic perspective.
And drones are not only being used to survey these areas hit by flooding and landslides; they are also starting to be used in rescue missions.
The national Geospacial Information Authority, which is responsible for mapping and surveying Japan’s land, has released videos of footage captured by drones surveying the widespread flooded area around the Kinugawa River.
The resulting videos offer a lower-angled view of the area, offering a perspective that circling helicopters couldn’t have captured:
▼ Japanese commenters expressed shock at the scenes, with one saying “It looks like the Amazon or somewhere…not Japan.”
Two days of exceptionally heavy rainfall caused the Kinugawa River to break its banks, sending a wall of water that carried away homes and cars. The Geospacial Information Authority, which has its main offices in Ibaraki Prefecture, was able to use drones to survey the area and understand the extent of the flooding.
Elsewhere in Japan, drones are already being used to explore dangerous environments without putting rescuers’ lives at risk. Prefectural police in Aichi and Nara both began using drones to search for trapped survivors in training exercises this year. And unmanned vehicles have been used to explore volcanoes after eruptions, such as in Mt. Hakone, Mt. Ontake and Sakurajima.
Amongst the excitement about the possibility of increased use of drones, however, some voices called for caution:
▼ “Some people think we should use drones for everything, but they can’t be used all the time. And when rescue helicopters are flying overhead, drones could cause another accident.”
https://twitter.com/pori_pate/status/642205204289466368
▼ “In a comparatively small disaster site such as this one, airspace needs to be clearly divided for rescue helicopters and drones [to avoid collisions].”
今回のように比較的狭い被災地だと、自衛隊等の救助ヘリと調査用ドローンの空域を事前に整理しておかないとね。川の上空20mはドローン空域かな。
国土地理院がドローン撮影した鬼怒川決壊地点の衝撃(dragoner) - Y!ニュース http://t.co/zqSNybRbVS
— ZF
(@ZF_phantom) September 11, 2015
As unmanned craft become increasingly common in disaster relief efforts, we’re sure there will be more discussion about the importance of avoiding causing any extra risk to rescue teams or disaster victims. But if drones can reach those in need more quickly and safely than traditional methods, that’s a step forward we should all be applauding.
Sources: Yahoo! News JP via Naver Matome, BBC News
Featured image: YouTube
]]> https://soranews24.com/2015/09/15/drones-capture-shocking-footage-of-flooding-in-north-east-japan%e3%80%90video%e3%80%91/feed/ 0 265593 Screen Shot 2015-09-14 at 12.09.22 Screen Shot 2015-09-14 at 12.09.22 Automated Godzilla coin bank will make you King of the Moneysavers https://soranews24.com/2015/09/14/automated-godzilla-coin-bank-will-make-you-king-of-the-moneysavers/ https://soranews24.com/2015/09/14/automated-godzilla-coin-bank-will-make-you-king-of-the-moneysavers/#comments Mon, 14 Sep 2015 01:00:55 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=265015 
Itazura Banks are a series of cute little Japanese coin banks that look like cardboard boxes, each with an adorable animal hiding inside. You place a coin on the edge of the box and a sweet little kitty’s paw pops out to grab your money and keep it safe in the bank for you.
But if that all sounds a bit too cutesy for your liking, never fear—the newest Itazura Bank doesn’t contain a kitten or a panda, but Godzilla himself!
Place a coin on the calm sea, and the giant monster will loom up from underwater, eyes blazing and claw outstretched as he grabs your money and takes it into the depths of the ocean.
This pint-sized Godzilla roars victoriously as his own movie theme music plays in the background.
▼ I’d roar too if I had my own BGM.
Sensibly, the makers have resisted the temptation to call this item “Itazura Godzilla (“mischievous Godzilla”) in line with the rest of the range, and have gone instead for the no-nonsense name “Godzilla Bank”.
▼ Check it out!
The coin banks cost 2,970 yen (US$25), and are available to preorder now, shipping in early November.
With the Japanese reboot of the Godzilla franchise out in 2016, this coin bank should encourage fans to start stashing up their pennies (or should that be yennies?) for a trip to the cinema…or you could just use your savings to buy some more Godzilla merch. We won’t tell anyone.
Source: Toychan
Featured image: Rakuten
]]> https://soranews24.com/2015/09/14/automated-godzilla-coin-bank-will-make-you-king-of-the-moneysavers/feed/ 0 265015 198-376367 198-376367 godzillabank_img-01 godzillabank_img-02 We visit Tokyo’s Reversible Destiny Lofts, the apartments designed to make you live forever【Pics】 https://soranews24.com/2015/09/14/we-visit-tokyos-reversible-destiny-lofts-the-apartments-designed-to-make-you-live-forever%e3%80%90pics%e3%80%91/ https://soranews24.com/2015/09/14/we-visit-tokyos-reversible-destiny-lofts-the-apartments-designed-to-make-you-live-forever%e3%80%90pics%e3%80%91/#comments Sun, 13 Sep 2015 23:30:57 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=264807 
Incongruous in their grey surroundings, these multicoloured buildings looks like something in a children’s playground, or perhaps an outsized set of toy building blocks. But these colourful constructions are Reversible Destiny lofts—rental apartments in Tokyo’s Mikata City. And the inside of these eccentric properties is just as extraordinary and confusing as the exterior.
But what is “Reversible Destiny” anyway? And how is living in a playful apartment supposed to make you immortal? We sent a reporter from our Japanese sister site Pouch to find out.
The nine lofts are the work of Arakawa and Gins, a husband-and-wife team of artist-architect-poets who believed that stimulating architecture could extend human lives. Their theory of “Architecture Against Death” states that by building challenging homes that don’t allow residents to get too comfortable, we can slow or even prevent the ageing process.
Inspired by Helen Keller, the deafblind author and activist who overcame monumental challenges to re-learn how to communicate, Arakawa and Gins’ “undying houses” are designed to make the impossible, possible.
But you can’t just rock up, knock on the door and ask to be shown around; these are residential properties, and the residents deserve their privacy, so the Reversible Destiny lofts can only be accessed on occasional tours or for educational events.
Approaching the flats, our reporter Sayaka was immediately struck by how colourful they were. The nine apartments, each of which comes with a special set of instructions for use, are decorated in 14 bright colours.
▼ Even the inside was super colourful!
The apartments are designed so that wherever you look, at least six colours will be in your eyeline at any one time. The brightness was overwhelming at first, but Sayaka noticed that she soon got used to it, and it felt totally normal.
Uneven flooring, combined with a sloping ceiling, creates the illusion of a rising and falling floor. But actually the difference in height is all to do with the ceiling. The irregular waves of sandy flooring looked like it’d be difficult to walk on, but our reporter found it surprisingly comfortable underfoot. In the bizarre surroundings, she suddenly felt more aware of her body, and the ways it was helping her.
On one side of the apartment is this round space, which creates an odd echo chamber. When you speak in the yellow circular space, the sound seems to reverberate in all directions.
▼ The echo chamber. “It was like bathing in sound!” said our reporter.
The kitchen is located in the centre of the apartment, dominating the space. Around it, there is little room for other furniture.
▼ No room for a couch? That does sound challenging…
However, the ceiling is equipped with hooks, to allow inhabitants to hang anything they like there. An electrical outlet on an extendable cord provides another eccentric touch.
▼ We weren’t sure if we were looking at the floor or the ceiling!
Each apartment space only has one door—everything else is completely open. As well as sensory experience, Sayaka felt, the Reversible Destiny lofts are designed to prioritise communication between people who live together there.
Of the nine properties, all five residential apartments are currently occupied. Two others are used as office and caretaking space, but the final two are allocated for visiting groups or as short-stay accommodation.
▼ That’s right, you can have a vacation here!
Prices for short stays vary depending on apartment size and season, but a seven-day stay (the minimum rental period) comes in at around 80,000-115,000 yen (US$660-950).
▼ Considering it includes a shot at eternal life, we reckon that’s not a bad price…
The stunning Mikata lofts are a testament to the ambition and creativity of Arakawa and Gins, but the couple did not survive to see its 10-year anniversary celebrations this year. When Arakawa died in 2010, Madeline Gills vowed to redouble her efforts to prove that “ageing can be outlawed”. But she too passed away last year, at the age of 72.
Original article by Felix Sayaka
All photos ©Pouch/RocketNews24
Additional sources: Reversible Destiny Lofts Mitaka, Mitaka Tenmei Hanten Jūtaku Facebook
]]> https://soranews24.com/2015/09/14/we-visit-tokyos-reversible-destiny-lofts-the-apartments-designed-to-make-you-live-forever%e3%80%90pics%e3%80%91/feed/ 0 264807 p1120859 p1120859 p1120739 p1120804 rtenmei p1120760 p1120808 p1120802 p1120841 p1120842 Come home to a new wife at Ore no Yome, the cafe where maids pretend to be your spouse https://soranews24.com/2015/09/10/come-home-to-a-new-wife-at-ore-no-yome-the-cafe-where-maids-pretend-to-be-your-spouse/ https://soranews24.com/2015/09/10/come-home-to-a-new-wife-at-ore-no-yome-the-cafe-where-maids-pretend-to-be-your-spouse/#comments Wed, 09 Sep 2015 16:00:52 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=264210 
You arrive home after a long day at the office to your beautiful wife, smiling as she greets you at the door. Inside, a delicious home-cooked meal is ready on the table…oh, and she’s wearing a bikini!
There’s a new cafe in Tokyo where you can have all this and more, because the staff there are ready and waiting to be your bikini-and-apron-clad new wife (or husband!).
At Ore no Yome (lit. “My Wife”) in Tokyo’s Higashi Ikebukuro neighborhood, they’ll always know your name. As long as you call and tell them beforehand, that is. It’s a concept cafe staffed by “wives” and “darling husbands” in swimsuits and aprons, whose mission is simple: to make you want to come “home” to them every night.
▼ “As soon as you know what time you’ll be home, let me know dear!” runs the ad. “I’ll get your dinner ready.”
https://twitter.com/orenoyome0901/status/641181740015312897
If girls in bikinis aren’t your bag though, never fear: the cafe also has male staff called “my darlings”, who wear these (admittedly slightly odd) swimwear apron things:
https://twitter.com/orenoyome0901/status/638994381370822656
So there you have it. Tokyo’s men (and women!) with no one to go home to now have the option of a fake spouse to cook them dinner and wait on them hand and foot. If you ask them nicely, we’ll sure they’ll make you a rice omelet too.
Cafe info:
‘Ore no Yome’
Floor B1, Iwashita Building,
3 Chome-9-13,
Higashi Ikebukuro, Tokyo 170-0013
Phone: 03-6331-1533
Open daily from 6pm-11pm
Website
Source: Ore no Yome via NetLab
Featured image: Ore no Yome
]]> https://soranews24.com/2015/09/10/come-home-to-a-new-wife-at-ore-no-yome-the-cafe-where-maids-pretend-to-be-your-spouse/feed/ 0 264210 Screen Shot 2015-09-09 at 17.51.43 image2 Japan’s heart and Mickey Mouse-shaped bubble wrap is the cutest thing you’ll ever pop https://soranews24.com/2015/09/02/japans-heart-and-mickey-mouse-shaped-bubble-wrap-is-the-cutest-thing-youll-ever-pop/ https://soranews24.com/2015/09/02/japans-heart-and-mickey-mouse-shaped-bubble-wrap-is-the-cutest-thing-youll-ever-pop/#comments Tue, 01 Sep 2015 20:30:19 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=262705 
Bubble wrap lovers everywhere were dealt a blow this summer with the devastating news that the company behind the world’s favourite air-filled packaging was launching a new, unpoppable bubble wrap. Sealed Air Corp., the inventors of bubble wrap back in the 1950s, have come up with a new design for an air-filled wrap that doesn’t burst under pressure.
But here at RocketNews24, we probably won’t be buying regular boring old round bubble wrap ever again anyway, because we’ve discovered that Japan has bubble wrap shaped like hearts and Mickey Mouse heads.
Yep, instead of circular bubbles of air, these designs have adorable patterns instead!
▼ Here’s a little army of Mickeys, sure to please anyone who gets a gift wrapped in them.
You can buy the shaped bubble wrap in a variety of colours, from bright red and yellow to clear and translucent shades.
▼ Like these cute little pastel hearts.
Rakuten shop Jibun Design Lab, who ship all their products carefully packed in heart bubble wrap and recently decided to start selling the wrap itself, suggest it as gift wrapping for wine or similar bottles.
▼ Front and back. We think we prefer the subtler flat side (left).
There’s only one problem with bubble wrap so cute: will we actually be able to bring ourselves to cut it up and use it, or will we just lie on the floor playing with the bubbles all day like a happy, lazy cat…?
Original article by Yuko Sawano
Related: Rakuten Puchi Puchi Shop, Rakuten Jibun Design Lab
Featured image: Rakuten (edited by RocketNews24)
]]> https://soranews24.com/2015/09/02/japans-heart-and-mickey-mouse-shaped-bubble-wrap-is-the-cutest-thing-youll-ever-pop/feed/ 0 262705 puchi001 puchi001 img55914321 img56059912 puchi004 puchi003 Hello, Underwater Kitty!? This limited edition Kitty-chan diving suit is all kinds of cute https://soranews24.com/2015/07/05/hello-underwater-kitty-this-limited-edition-kitty-chan-diving-suit-is-all-kinds-of-cute/ https://soranews24.com/2015/07/05/hello-underwater-kitty-this-limited-edition-kitty-chan-diving-suit-is-all-kinds-of-cute/#comments Sun, 05 Jul 2015 13:00:17 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=249924 
Hello Kitty is one of Japan’s greatest cultural exports and one of the world’s most famous cats despite being both a) fictional and b) not quite a cat. But now, the pinnacle of Kitty-chan merchandise has been reached. We don’t need to buy any more cute pens or candy or even any toy money.
What is the Hello Kitty merchandise to end all Hello Kitty merchandise? Nothing less than a Hello Kitty diving suit.
The range of dry suits and accessories is a collaboration with World Dive, an Osaka-based company which makes (you guessed it!) diving suits and underwater wear.
▼ Like this Hello Kitty suit.
The full-body suit is a limited edition (of course!), with only 50 being made, and retails at 349,000 yen (US $2822). No doubt, it’ll sell out quickly.
▼ Heck, we’d buy all fifty if we could.
You can also purchase this Kitty-chan dive hood – which comes with a giant red bow on it – for a mere 28,800 yen ($234).
▼ Oh me, oh my.
▼ There’s a black one too, with a slightly less ridiculous bow (25,800 yen, $210).
Or, you could just get this ankle weight (3,900 yen, $32). I don’t know about you, but I’ve always wanted to be weighed down to the ocean floor by Hello Kitty and her ribbons.
So if you’re not sure what to do with all your time waiting for the Hello Kitty movie, now you can buy a diving suit and spend the next few years pretending to be Kitty-chan underwater! Maybe if you’re really luck you could have a tea party with Nemo.
Source: World Dive via NetLab
Featured image: World Dive
]]> https://soranews24.com/2015/07/05/hello-underwater-kitty-this-limited-edition-kitty-chan-diving-suit-is-all-kinds-of-cute/feed/ 0 249924 Screen Shot 2015-07-02 at 13.35.04 1 Screen Shot 2015-07-02 at 13.35.04 1 Screen Shot 2015-07-02 at 13.35.04 Screen Shot 2015-07-02 at 13.35.07 Screen Shot 2015-07-02 at 13.35.04 1 Screen Shot 2015-07-02 at 13.35.07 1 Screen Shot 2015-07-02 at 13.35.05 A wild sushi chase: Our Japanese reporter tries Cuban sushi in a five-star Havana hotel https://soranews24.com/2015/07/03/a-wild-sushi-chase-our-japanese-reporter-tries-cuban-sushi-in-a-five-star-havana-hotel/ https://soranews24.com/2015/07/03/a-wild-sushi-chase-our-japanese-reporter-tries-cuban-sushi-in-a-five-star-havana-hotel/#comments Thu, 02 Jul 2015 22:00:05 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=249013 
“I mean, we have sushi here in Cuba, but it’s terrible. You’re better off eating it in Japan!” That was the advice our reporter Yuichiro got when, craving a taste of home, he asked a Cuban friend where he could find some tasty sushi in his home country.
But for some reason, his friend’s protestations made our intrepid reporter even more intrigued. “Looking back on it now though,” says Yuichiro, “I wish I’d quit while I was ahead…”
The golden rule of eating abroad, of course, is that you should never try to order “home comforts” in another country. It’s just going to make you miserable. That’s why, as a Brit, I don’t particularly go for fish and chips or sandwiches in Japan. I can eat those things at home, and their eastern equivalents always seem pretty lacklustre to me. But our man Yuichiro was determined to eat sushi in Cuba. What would it be like, he wondered?
“I wouldn’t say I recommend them, but if you absolutely insist…” Yuichiro’s friend reluctantly gave him the names of two Japanese restaurants in Havana. He began his mission by going to both – but he couldn’t find any sushi, or even anywhere to sit down and rest because both restaurants had closed down!
What to do? Yuichiro really wanted to try Cuban sushi, but he was out of options already! Standing outside the second restaurant wondering what his next plan of attack should be, his thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a passing local.
“Are you lost?” the man asked. “Yes. I’m looking for a restaurant that serves sushi!” Yuichiro told him, and the kind-hearted stranger began to ask people walking past if they knew of anywhere. Eventually, one had an answer for them: “They have sushi at the Melia Habana.”
Melia Habana, as it turns out, is a five-star hotel in Havana city. Looking at the exterior, Yuichiro could feel his expectations rising. Sushi at a top-class hotel couldn’t be terrible, could it? When his friends were describing Cuban sushi in such negative terms, they surely couldn’t have been talking about a place like this!
Yuichiro quickly found the Japanese place he had been looking for was actually Bella Cubana, a pan-Asian restaurant serving Chinese and Thai dishes, Indian curry, and sushi.
▼ It’s like a high-class Wagamama! Maybe…
Our reporter had some reservations about all those national dishes being served in one place, but perhaps that was the best he was going to get. Cuba’s not in Asia, after all!
He was there a little early, so he was able to enter on the dot at 7 p.m. when the doors opened. The decor was definitely “Asian-y”, thought Yuichiro, but he couldn’t help but feel something was odd. For starters, these Chinese characters on the wall. “What are those signs for men and women (男女) doing up there?!” Yuichiro wondered. “This isn’t a toilet! And black and white (黒白)? What, sort of like the Michael Jackson song?!
“And those two on the right, I don’t even know what that’s supposed to be!”
▼ (Actually, we looked it up in a Chinese dictionary, and it looks like 阴阳 is ying and yang…but anyway, Yuichiro thought it was weird.)
But this unusual ambiance wouldn’t matter so long as the food was decent. With that in mind, Yuichiro found “sushi” on the menu. Finally, he had found what he was looking for! Cuban sushi!
To his surprise, there were only four types of sushi neta (nigiri toppings) on the menu: tuna, salmon, octopus, and shrimp. A plate of two nigiri was CUC$3 (US$3). Oh well, at least that makes ordering easy, thought Yuichiro, as he asked for one of each. “Sorry, we’re out of octopus and shrimp,” the staff told him. “We only have tuna and salmon.”
Yuichiro was pretty perplexed by this – he’d been at the restaurant just as it opened, and they were already out of half the sushi items on the menu? He asked for the salmon and tuna, and looked for something else to add to his paltry order.
“At foreign sushi places, they often have sushi rolls that we’d never see in Japan,” explains our reporter. The name “Geisha Roll” piqued his interest, so he ordered one of those too, at CUC$15, and a side order of miso soup.
20 minutes later…the soup arrived, in this oddly heavy bowl. Yuuichiro was amused by the portion size: “There was enough soup for two!”
He was less amused once he tasted it though. “I could taste miso, sure, but there was no dashi (fish stock) flavour. It just tasted like they added miso and vegetables to hot water.”
▼ No dashi, no life.
Next up was the Geisha Roll! This didn’t look too bad, Yuichiro thought. Inside, he could see shrimp tempura, and salmon.
But the salmon wasn’t the sashimi he’d been expecting – the fish was cooked and flaky! “The combination of salmon flakes and tempura wasn’t terrible,” declared our reporter. “But it wasn’t good either.”
It was the rice that was the real weak point for our reporter, you see. “I think it was Japanese rice,” says Yuichiro. “But it was dry and hadn’t been handled gently enough. The rice itself was fine, but their cooking methods leave something to be desired.”
But looking back on it now, our reporter thinks he was being overly critical of the miso soup and Geisha Roll. What came next was much, much worse…
Yuichiro’s first impression of the nigiri? “That tuna is way too pink. It shouldn’t be that bright!”
The salmon, on the other hand, looked a little old and didn’t smell too fresh. Yuichiro gave it a try – but it made him gag.
Flipping the nigiri over, he found more of that nasty rice from before. The combination of suspect fish and squishy rice was too much for him.
But Yuichiro wasn’t about to throw in the towel just yet. “I won’t give up!” he declared. Taking huge gulps of his drink, he forced the unpleasant sushi down. With some rest breaks and a lot of liquid, he finally managed to clear his plate.
It had taken him an hour to consume three plates of sushi and a bowl of miso soup. We’re not sure why Yuichiro felt such an obligation to clear his plate at all costs, but we can only assume his mother had strict rules about getting down from the table.
In conclusion, our reporter says: “Searching for good sushi in Cuba is like trying to find a good computer in Harajuku. You’re looking in the wrong place. If you go to Cuba, eat some delicious Cuban food instead!”
We hate to say it, but it sounds like our adventurous reporter should probably have listened to his friend’s advice in the first place.
Original article by Yuichiro Wasai
Photos: RocketNews24
]]> https://soranews24.com/2015/07/03/a-wild-sushi-chase-our-japanese-reporter-tries-cuban-sushi-in-a-five-star-havana-hotel/feed/ 0 249013 OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA “It’s just like Disneyland!” Our Japanese reporter visits the love hotel where dreams are made https://soranews24.com/2015/07/02/its-just-like-disneyland-our-japanese-reporter-visits-the-love-hotel-where-dreams-are-made/ https://soranews24.com/2015/07/02/its-just-like-disneyland-our-japanese-reporter-visits-the-love-hotel-where-dreams-are-made/#comments Thu, 02 Jul 2015 01:00:22 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=249274 
If Japan’s love hotels range from cheap ‘n’ cheerful to downright bizarre, Sky Paradise Rakuen must rank as one of the most marvellously ridiculous. While enjoying a discreet tryst with your partner of choice, you can also take a ride on a gondola under a sparkling jewel-encrusted sky and gaze from your balcony out over theme park-style attractions.
Disney don’t do love hotels, but if they did they’d probably look like this!
Naturally, our Japanese reporter couldn’t resist heading down to Sky Paradise to check in and check it out. Just for research, of course.
Sky ParadiseRakuen, located in Oita Prefecture, was finished 13 years ago. Ordinarily, love hotels are hugely private places where guests are encouraged to check in quickly and quietly rather than spending time outside their room. Not here though; Sky Paradise Rakuen’s courtyard looks like the kind of set-up you might find at Disney or Universal, with cascading waterfalls and model animals dotted around the place.
Prices vary per room, 3,500 to 5,900 yen (US$30-$50) for a two-hour stay, up to 18,800 yen ($150) for a night in one of the more expensive rooms. On the day our reporter rocked up, all but two of the 30 rooms were already booked – this is a popular place!
After leaving his car in the pitch-dark car park, he chose his room as per the usual love hotel routine, then headed up in the elevator. First things first, he wanted to check out what wonders he could see from the bedroom balcony.
▼ The courtyard of the hotel was decorated like some kind of tropical Waterworld tribute.
▼ As well as boats (sadly, these are for the owner’s use only), there are model animals scattered around the place.
▼ Like this big cat!
▼ He also spotted this elephant, and a slightly odd-looking monkey.
▼ And the place had palm trees galore!
The only actual moving attraction at the hotel is a gondola, on which you can be whisked away for a two-and-a-half minute ride.
▼ This is what it all looks like at night, by the way. Wowser.
After spending a while gawping at the view from the balcony, our reporter headed back inside to check out the room itself. Despite this being in one of the cheapest rooms available, he was amazed at how lush and spacious it was!
▼ There was a strong Arabian Nights theme going on, and the room was spotless, too.
There were more surprises yet to come – on opening the closet, our reporter found this sexy pachinko (Japanese pinball) machine:
He even managed to find the time to take this video of his afternoon stay.
▼ Check it out!
Overall, he felt the room was airy and light, and the impressive and unusual view made it perfect for relaxing in! Relaxing, I said! Or, y’know, that other thing people do in love hotels…
Featured photo: RocketNews24
Photos © Rocketnews24 unless otherwise stated
Related: Sky Paradise Rakuen
]]> https://soranews24.com/2015/07/02/its-just-like-disneyland-our-japanese-reporter-visits-the-love-hotel-where-dreams-are-made/feed/ 0 249274 Screen Shot 2015-07-01 at 3.25.33 PM DSCN0007 DSCN0004 DSCN0007 DSCN0016 DSCN0014 DSCN0013 Screen Shot 2015-07-01 at 13.33.01 DSCN0020 DSCN0024 DSCN0043 DSCN0044 DSCN0049 Never-before-seen Miyazaki sketches to go on show at Tokyo exhibition this summer https://soranews24.com/2015/06/29/never-before-seen-miyazaki-sketches-to-go-on-show-at-tokyo-exhibition-this-summer/ https://soranews24.com/2015/06/29/never-before-seen-miyazaki-sketches-to-go-on-show-at-tokyo-exhibition-this-summer/#comments Mon, 29 Jun 2015 14:00:20 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=248393 
Illustrations by legendary anime director Hayao Miyazaki are among the 130 artworks going on display in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, next month.
The exhibition of background illustrations and character sketches, which have never been on public display before, celebrates the 40th anniversary of Nippon Animation’s World Animation Theatre, the weekly TV anime showcase which Miyazaki and Isao Takahata both worked on before founding Studio Ghibli together in 1985.
World Animation Theatre is a series of animated versions of classical books or stories including classics of Western children’s literature, such as Anne of Green Gables and Heidi.
Let’s take a look at what’s on offer!
▼ Included in the show will be 30 of Miyazaki’s layout sketches for Anne of Green Gables (1979).
▼ Other sketches include these of Rascal (Rascal the Raccoon) and Nero (Dog of Flanders).
atpress, edited by RocketNews24
▼ There are also background paintings, such as this one by Takamura Mukuo, for 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother (1976)
▼ And this one from Anne of Green Gables.
▼ A painting by co-director Seiji Endō from the early stages of Rascal the Raccoon.
▼ A preliminary sketch from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1980)
While die-hard Studio Ghibli fans would no doubt be more interested in later work from Miyazaki and Takahata, there looks to be plenty to see here for fans of the World Animation Series.
If you’re elsewhere in Japan, too, you may still have the chance to catch the exhibition without heading to Tokyo – after the Ikebukuro show closes in August, the artworks will go on a two-year tour around the country, from Hokkaido to Hiroshima.
Exhibition information
The Sekai Meisaku Gekijouten (ＴＨＥ 世界名作劇場展)
Dates: July 30th-August 18th, 10am-8pm (except August 18th 10am-5pm)
Location: Tobu Department Store, Ikebukuro, 8th floor exhibition space
Admission: Adults 800 yen; High school/middle school students 600 yen; Younger children free.
Sources: atpress, NetLab, Tobu Department Store
Featured image: atpress
]]> https://soranews24.com/2015/06/29/never-before-seen-miyazaki-sketches-to-go-on-show-at-tokyo-exhibition-this-summer/feed/ 1 248393 img_63873_1 img_63873_1 img_63873_1 Screen Shot 2015-06-29 at 12.19.45 img_63873_4 img_63873_5 img_63873_2 img_63873_6 “Gotta catch ’em all, son!” Japanese dad gets game-addicted kid to quit – by making it a chore https://soranews24.com/2015/06/23/gotta-catch-em-all-son-japanese-dad-gets-game-addicted-kid-to-quit-by-making-it-a-chore/ https://soranews24.com/2015/06/23/gotta-catch-em-all-son-japanese-dad-gets-game-addicted-kid-to-quit-by-making-it-a-chore/#comments Mon, 22 Jun 2015 22:00:59 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=247268 
You can learn all kinds of things on the internet. How to fix your leaky tap, how to get your baby to go to sleep in five seconds, and now, how to get your kid to step away from the console.
On the Japanese Twitterverse this week we read of one father’s unusual method of getting his son to stop playing video games – by making Pokémon compulsory.
Our story comes courtesy of Japanese Twitter user @coyo54, who tells the tale of his senpai (superior) at work, who was having problems with his game-obsessed son:
“My coworker’s son was completely obsessed with Pokémon. He and his wife tried limiting the kid to one hour of games a day and told him to play outside, but he never did what he was told.”
https://twitter.com/coyo54/status/611562943700799488
“So, the father decided to implement a new system. ‘There are no limits on how long you can play for,’ he told his son, ‘but you must catch one pokémon every day. You also have to report to me every day on your progress.’
“At first, the son was delighted, but he soon tired of the new regime. When his father spotted him playing something else, he would yell: ‘Why aren’t you playing Pokémon?!’ Eventually, the son got sick of video games and took up soccer instead.”
https://twitter.com/coyo54/status/611562996884598785
The son, who is in elementary school, now apparently plays on a soccer team in his spare time instead of staying cooped up playing Pokémon all day.
▼ He never caught ’em all.
But is this good parenting? Japanese Twitter commenters were divided, with some decrying the father’s actions as tantamount to brainwashing. Others praised the dad for his smart idea in successfully convincing the boy to take up another hobby. The original poster, meanwhile, defended the father:
“This senpai of mine, he’s a great worker and highly respected. I want to follow his example. And I never, ever plan to disobey him.”
https://twitter.com/coyo54/status/611563209649029120
We don’t think we’d like to get on this guy’s bad side, either!
Source: Twitter via Hachima kikou
Featured image © RocketNews24
]]> https://soranews24.com/2015/06/23/gotta-catch-em-all-son-japanese-dad-gets-game-addicted-kid-to-quit-by-making-it-a-chore/feed/ 0 247268 IMAG0421 630x We try Tom Yum Pizza, the new Domino’s pizza that tastes just like the soup 【Taste Test】 https://soranews24.com/2015/06/16/we-try-tom-yum-pizza-the-new-dominos-pizza-that-tastes-just-like-the-soup-%e3%80%90taste-test%e3%80%91/ https://soranews24.com/2015/06/16/we-try-tom-yum-pizza-the-new-dominos-pizza-that-tastes-just-like-the-soup-%e3%80%90taste-test%e3%80%91/#comments Tue, 16 Jun 2015 14:00:03 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=245674 
Our reporter P.K. Sanjun is something of a tom yum goong fan. In fact, P.K. believes this spicy/sour Thai/Lao soup is one of the three great soups of the world (the other two are bouillabaisse and shark fin soup, since you asked).
So when P.K. heard that Domino’s Pizza in Japan was launching a tom yum goong pizza, he was somewhat skeptical. “They don’t even have tom yum pizza in Thailand!” he points out. But in the interests of investigative journalism, P.K. put aside his misgivings and ordered one spicy soup-flavoured pizza. And boy, did he love it.
Our reporter ordered a tom yum goong pizza on the very day it launched in Japan – June 15th. While waiting for his delivery, he considered the task ahead of him. Tom yum soup is sour as well as hot, and P.K’s main reservations were about this sour flavour. He was confident that spicy pizza would taste good, but would the sourness of tom yum goong go with a cheesy topping?
▼ There was only one way to find out!
A medium tom yum goong pizza is 2,450 yen (US $20), while a large comes in at 3,700 yen. P.K. opted for the large, because…well, pizza.
After P.K. had waited patiently for thirty minutes, the delivery guy showed up…and our reporter caught the distinctive whiff of tom yum goong! “It smelled just like they had delivered tom yum soup to my door!” he says.
▼ You could say it smelt…tom yummy?!
As well as the seafood (specifically prawns) that make up the goong in tom yum goong, this pizza has aubergine/eggplant, spinach, and mushrooms. The interesting bit, though, is really the sauce. In addition to tomato sauce and mayonnaise (lots of pizzas in Japan have mayonnaise on them), this has an orange tom yum goong paste, which is what’s bringing the spicy soup flavour to this pizza party.
P.K. threw caution to the wind and took a bite. “IT TASTES LIKE TOM YUM GOONG!” he declared excitedly. “This is no half-baked marketing exercise. It actually tastes just like tom yum goong!!”
Usually, P.K. realised, pizzas have some acidity already because of the tomato sauce. This pizza just takes that delicious sourness to another level. “If you like tom yum goong, you should try this at least once,” he declares. Domino’s, incidentally, even recommend their tom yum goong pizza for people who’ve never tried the soup.
Our reporter only had one minor suggestion to make to Domino’s: “If this had coriander/cilantro on it too, it’d be five times as delicious!”
Tom yum goong pizza is on sale from now until the end of September (unless P.K. orders too many and causes a national shortage, that is). Catch this unprecedented pizza while you can!
Original article by P.K. Sanjun
Photos ©RocketNews24
]]> https://soranews24.com/2015/06/16/we-try-tom-yum-pizza-the-new-dominos-pizza-that-tastes-just-like-the-soup-%e3%80%90taste-test%e3%80%91/feed/ 0 245674 img_2635 img_2637 img_2623 img_2631 img_2635 img_26401 img_2628 Japan has a pill to cure your pre-speech jitters, and it’s got carrots in it https://soranews24.com/2015/06/13/japan-has-a-pill-to-cure-your-pre-speech-jitters-and-its-got-carrots-in-it/ https://soranews24.com/2015/06/13/japan-has-a-pill-to-cure-your-pre-speech-jitters-and-its-got-carrots-in-it/#comments Fri, 12 Jun 2015 20:30:50 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=245076 
Agaranzai is a new Japanese herbal medicine which claims to lessen headaches and anxiety brought on by public speaking. Basically, it’s marketed as a cure for the jitters. The makers suggest taking it before making a speech at a wedding, giving an important presentation at work, or going to a job interview. But what’s in it, anyway? And should we buy it?
The herbal remedy (the name Agaranzai basically means “anti-panic medicine”) goes on sale across Japan on June 12th. A packet of 18 will set you back 918 yen (US$7.40). It’s a Class 2 over-the-counter medicine, which means it can be bought without a prescription or consultation.
As an herbal medicine sceptic, I am not about to suggest you go out and buy this product. I do, however, think its packaging and marketing are worth a look.
Alongside extracts of hops, carrot, and something called cat’s claw (presumably that’s the Chinese medicinal plant, not some kitty’s nail clippings), Agaranzai contains valerian (I’m guessing valerian root?), which is a common herbal remedy for anxiety, and passion flower extract, which a cursory Google search informs me is also used to treat anxiety.
Not sure what that carrot extract is doing in there, though. Maybe that’s what gives Agaranzai its nice yellow colour?
via Yakuji Nippo
The packaging is pretty cute (in fact, it looks like a little packet of playing cards), and it’d probably make a nice joke gift for a friend with an important interview or presentation coming up.
But will it work? Well, ever since I was about 15, I’ve eaten a packet of polo mints before taking any kind of important exam, and this self-medicating approach to handling anxiety has worked pretty well so far (it’s worked for job interviews and first dates!). I can therefore confirm that peppermint, not carrot or valerian, is the key to beating anxiety. But Agaranzai doesn’t have any mint extract in it whatsoever! Not even spearmint! I don’t think it’s for me.
▼ Polos are cheaper than OTC meds, too. Just sayin’.
Source: Yakuji Nippo
Featured image: via Yakuji Nippo, edited by RocketNews24
]]> https://soranews24.com/2015/06/13/japan-has-a-pill-to-cure-your-pre-speech-jitters-and-its-got-carrots-in-it/feed/ 0 245076 y11583_06-02 y11583_06-02 y11583_06-02 FF 3 Dragon Ball “should have ended with the Frieza Saga”, says Akira Toriyama’s former editor https://soranews24.com/2015/06/08/dragon-ball-should-have-ended-with-the-frieza-saga-says-akira-toriyamas-former-editor/ https://soranews24.com/2015/06/08/dragon-ball-should-have-ended-with-the-frieza-saga-says-akira-toriyamas-former-editor/#comments Mon, 08 Jun 2015 06:00:12 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=243600 
The first editor of the Dragon Ball manga has revealed that he thinks the franchise should have ended with the Frieza Arc. Kazuhiko Torishima, who worked closely with Akira Toriyama on the first half of the Dragon Ball manga, made the surprisingly frank comments in an interview that was recently broadcast on Japanese TV.
In a TV special celebrating the Japanese release of the movie Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’, Torishima was interviewed by Kendo Kobayashi, who asked him for his feelings about the franchise’s enduring popularity. Asked for his perspective on Dragon Ball, Torishima answered frankly:
Kobayashi: “Dragon Ball is something of a national phenomenon now. How do you feel about [the series] now, viewing it from a distance?
Torishima: “Well…I wonder when it should end.”
Kobayashi: “Yes, it would be difficult to do a finale. Have you ever thought specifically about when it should finish?”
Torishima: “Of course, it should have ended with the Frieza Saga.”
Or, to put it another way, Akira Toriyama shouldn’t have bothered writing the Cell and Buu Sagas that came after that. Torishima went on to say that he thinks if Dragon Ball had ended with the Frieza Saga, Toriyama could have gone on to write a third hit manga. As it was, he continued with Dragon Ball, without Torishima’s editorship, and hasn’t written another major series.
Although it was the anime and movies which made Dragon Ball a global phenomenon, in Japan it was the manga, which ran from 1984 to ’95 in Weekly Shonen Jump, that propelled the franchise to fame. Even now, Dragon Ball remains the second best-selling manga series in history. Torishima’s comments will be bittersweet for fans who agree that the manga series should have wrapped up earlier than it did, and no doubt a source of anger and irritation for those who feel otherwise.
Sources: Litera via Itai News
Photo: ©RocketNews24
]]> https://soranews24.com/2015/06/08/dragon-ball-should-have-ended-with-the-frieza-saga-says-akira-toriyamas-former-editor/feed/ 0 243600 kamehame18 copy kamehame18 These 19th-century Japanese miniature landscapes show that size isn’t everything https://soranews24.com/2015/06/06/these-19th-century-japanese-miniature-landscapes-show-that-size-isnt-everything/ https://soranews24.com/2015/06/06/these-19th-century-japanese-miniature-landscapes-show-that-size-isnt-everything/#comments Fri, 05 Jun 2015 16:00:39 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=243341 
The Tōkaidō is perhaps the most important road in Japan’s history. Built in the 17th century, it connected the country’s two powerhouses: it runs from Kyoto, the imperial capital, to Edo (now Tokyo), the seat of the Shogunate. As well as being an important political and trade route, depictions of the Tōkaidō in art in literature were abundant and popular.
The best-known of these is Utagawa Hiroshiges’s series of ukiyo-e woodcut prints, The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō. Ukiyo-e woodblock printing like this continued to flourish in Japan until the 19th century.
Less famous than Hiroshige is the relatively unknown ukiyo-e artist Utagawa Yoshishige, who produced his own prints of the 53 stations along the Tōkaido – by depicting each station in the form of a potted landscape.
Utagawa Yoshishige’s illustrations, which are dated 1848, appear to be based on actual miniature landscape models*,* made by the artist’s father. These bonkei (盆景) or “tray landscapes” are miniature three-dimensional depictions of landscapes in miniature. Unlike bonsai, bonkei landscapes don’t typically include living plants, but are mostly made up of dry materials like rock and paper mache.
Here we bring you a selection of our favourites, in a collection we’ll be calling “Fifty-three Ten Stations of the Tōkaidō as Potted Landscapes”.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
Sources: The Public Domain Review, Japaaan, US National Agricultural Library
Featured image: US National Agricultural Library, edited by RocketNews24
All images: via US National Agricultural Library
]]> https://soranews24.com/2015/06/06/these-19th-century-japanese-miniature-landscapes-show-that-size-isnt-everything/feed/ 0 243341 Screen Shot 2015-06-04 at 16.05.30 Natto allergy is caused by jellyfish stings, says surprising Japanese study https://soranews24.com/2015/05/27/natto-allergy-is-caused-by-jellyfish-stings-says-surprising-japanese-study/ https://soranews24.com/2015/05/27/natto-allergy-is-caused-by-jellyfish-stings-says-surprising-japanese-study/#comments Wed, 27 May 2015 03:00:23 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=241361 
Surfers could be at greater risk of developing an allergy to natto, a Japanese study has found. And the unlikely culprit is thought to be jellyfish stings.
Natto, the sticky fermented soy beans that are as as polarising as Marmite, is a traditional and common Japanese food. Allergy to natto is rare, but research from Yokohama City University Hospital suggests it could be more prevalent in people who spend a lot of time in the water and have been repeatedly stung by jellyfish.
Dr. Naoko Inomata at Yokohama City University Hospital studied the lifestyle habits and sporting history of 18 patients who had been treated for natto allergy at the hospital’s Department of Dermatology since 2004. Of the natto allergy patients, 12 were surfers, two were scuba divers, and one was a professional diver. That means over 80 percent of the (admittedly small) study group regularly spent long amounts of time in the ocean.
▼ Natto allergy is very rare. And the food is really good for you, although it’s not for everyone.
So what’s causing people who spent time in the ocean to become allergic to natto? Well, the substance that gives natto its unique stickiness is polyglutamic acid, which is also found in jellyfish tentacles. So, Dr Inomata believes that repeated stings by jellyfish could cause more surfers and divers to develop natto allergy. “So, if it’s thought that a patient is allergic to natto, doctors should find out if they do marine sports,” she said.
▼ However, taking up surfing just to get out of eating natto is probably a step too far.
Sources: Yomiuri yomidr, zaeega
Featured image:Wikipedia/Ishikawa Ken
Top image: Megumi Natto
]]> https://soranews24.com/2015/05/27/natto-allergy-is-caused-by-jellyfish-stings-says-surprising-japanese-study/feed/ 0 241361 Chrysaora_hysoscella_from_Enoshima_Aquarium natto-kinoko-8-of-8 Chrysaora_hysoscella_from_Enoshima_Aquarium How hentai are YOU? Find out with this Japanese personality test! https://soranews24.com/2015/05/27/how-hentai-are-you-find-out-with-this-japanese-personality-test/ https://soranews24.com/2015/05/27/how-hentai-are-you-find-out-with-this-japanese-personality-test/#comments Tue, 26 May 2015 22:00:12 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=241576 
This Japanese personality test, which is doing the rounds on Twitter this week, claims to reveal the inner workings of your subconscious by putting you in an impossible situation and asking you to choose between four equally unpleasant options.
We’re not making any claims about the accuracy of this test, but we do think it’s pretty hilarious. Join us after the jump to find out how big a pervert you are.
Outside of Japan, people often use the word “hentai” to refer to specifically to manga or anime pornography, but in Japan, “hentai” usually means “pervert” or simply “weirdo”. It’s what you mutter under your breath when you encounter someone creepy, or yell at your friend when they inadvertently do something inappropriate.
So, ready to find out how hentai you are? Here’s the question. Think carefully about your answer before scrolling down!
“You’re being followed by a terrifying criminal! You are in grave danger and must choose one of four trucks to escape in. Which one do you choose?
Truck A – the one with a dead body in the back
Truck B – the one with a convict inside
Truck C – the one swarming with insects
Truck D – the one with a savage dog onboard”
▼ The question was posted to Twitter by user @s2helianthus a few days ago, and has already garnered 9,000 retweets – and lots of debate about which is the least worst option!
https://twitter.com/s2helianthus/status/601343817007009793
Chosen your answer? Ready to find out what it says about you? Ok, here goes…
“A – Dead body
You like your girls to be two-dimensional
You’re more interested in figurines and anime characters than real-life girls. You probably also have some kind of specific body part fetish.
B – Convict
You’re a sadist
Your desire to see the criminal shows that you are drawn to scenes of cruelty and brutality. You are sadistic.
C – Insects
You like dirty things
You chose the most grotesque option – the truck full of insects. You have a fetish for dirty things. If you’re denying it right now, that’s the sign of a strong fetish.
D – Wild dog
You’re a complete and utter masochist
You chose to throw yourself into a truck containing a savage dog! This shows that you are prepared to endure serious pain. You must be masochistic.”
▼ The question (and answer, shown below) is from a book called Otona no jissen shinrigaku (“Practical psychology for adult readers”).
https://twitter.com/s2helianthus/status/601344126999658496
So, the conclusion here seems to be that we are all perverts. But what kind of pervert are you? Did you agree with what the test said about you? Let us know in the comments!
Source: Twitter, via Naver Matome
Featured image: Twitter
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