Hayashi ‘Fang’ Hougi – SoraNews24 —Japan News— https://soranews24.com Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today. Sun, 01 Mar 2015 19:00:13 +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 Hayashi ‘Fang’ Hougi – SoraNews24 —Japan News— https://soranews24.com 32 32 176746664 Store your Hastune Miku game in a Hatsune Miku pouch! https://soranews24.com/2015/03/02/store-your-hastune-miku-game-in-a-hatsune-miku-pouch/ https://soranews24.com/2015/03/02/store-your-hastune-miku-game-in-a-hatsune-miku-pouch/#comments Sun, 01 Mar 2015 19:00:10 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=222692 
Fans of Hatsune Miku, are you looking forward to the upcoming game Hatsune Miku Project Mirai Deluxe for the Nintendo 3DS? The latest Miku game by Sega will be released on May 28 this year and lots of hype has built up around the game among dedicated Vocaloid fans.
And now, Sega has just announced an adorable Miku-shaped pouch for Nintendo 3DS, so you can have Miku both in and out!
Aptly named Mikudayo- Deluxe Plush Pouch, after Mikudayo-, the official game character for the Hatsune Miku Project Mirai series, the pouch is literally just the character’s face in plush form, with a compartment for you dual-screen portable.
At 3,900 yen (US$32), the pouch not only protects your Nintendo 3DS, but also makes it double as adorable!
Furthermore, the pouch comes in a set with a cute screen cleaner in the shape of the Ootoro button. The pouch set will go on sale on May 28 along with the game itself. Will you be getting one of these for your Nintendo 3DS?
Source/Images: 4gamer
]]> https://soranews24.com/2015/03/02/store-your-hastune-miku-game-in-a-hatsune-miku-pouch/feed/ 0 222692 miku0 miku0 miku1 miku2 Dress your kids up with this Evangelion children’s fashion line! https://soranews24.com/2015/03/01/dress-your-kids-up-with-this-evangelion-childrens-fashion-line/ https://soranews24.com/2015/03/01/dress-your-kids-up-with-this-evangelion-childrens-fashion-line/#comments Sun, 01 Mar 2015 09:00:35 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=222658 
Evangelion fans in Japan are probably jumping with joy right now over this newly announced series of children’s fashion based on the hit anime. A collaboration project between the Evangelion store, Geewhiz and StompStamp, a series of super-adorable children’s fashion items are now available online for Evangelion-loving parents to dress their kids in subtle yet stylish anime gear!
▼ These cute Evangelion-inspired T-shirts are super-cute and yet super-otaku!
▼ Just look at how kawaii these kids are in their Evangelion shirts!
▼ Couple up with a backpack and your little fangirls and fanboys would be ready to go to school in style!
The T-shirts will go on sale at the end of April. Priced at 4,620 yen (US$38) for the smallest size, they might be a little on the pricey side, but if you or your little one love Evangelion, this is definitely worth it! On the other hand, the backpacks will be available at the end of May and the smallest size can be yours for just 5,985 yen ($42). These backpacks don’t look that kiddy so even (smaller) adults can probably get away with carrying these around.
Aside from fashion items, a series of merchandise featuring baby Shinji and baby Kaworu will also be released. Fans, get your wallets ready!
If I had kids, I’m definitely dressing them in a complete Evangelion wardrobe.
Source/Images: Geewhiz, My Game News Flash
]]> https://soranews24.com/2015/03/01/dress-your-kids-up-with-this-evangelion-childrens-fashion-line/feed/ 0 222658 1 1 3 3b 2 4 The real story of Nintendo’s Mario https://soranews24.com/2015/02/17/the-real-story-of-nintendos-mario/ https://soranews24.com/2015/02/17/the-real-story-of-nintendos-mario/#comments Tue, 17 Feb 2015 11:30:53 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=219434 
Ever since Mario first appeared in Nintendo’s Donkey Kong in 1981, he has been a fan favorite in the world of video games. Over the past three decades, Mario has appeared in over a hundred titles on numerous platforms as fans grew up alongside their favorite bearded (well, most of the time) Italian plumber.
For many casual Mario players, it seems like each game is an independent story filled with action and adventure. However, the hardcore players at Scorpigator Films have put together a Super Mario Timeline using clues from the various games to tell the full biography of Mario, the hero of Mushroom Kingdom.
Because of arcade-style titles such as Mario Kart and Mario Party, the Mario franchise seems to have little story line behind the games. However, this YouTube video is here to demystify just that.
According to this particular theory, Mario’s story began in a series of Yoshi’s Island games, in which Mario was born and grew up in the Mushroom Kingdom.
However, for reasons unknown, by the time he became an adult, he and his brother Luigi were already residing in Brooklyn, New York. The manuals for some games go so far as to say the brothers grew up in Brooklyn even, but the exact details were often unclear.
At some point in time, Mario found pipes that could take him back to the Mushroom Kingdom, and thus began his adventures to save Princess Peach, the part of the canon that is most familiar to most players.
Over several games, the main antagonist Bowser repeatedly attempted to kidnap Princess Peach and conquer the Mushroom Kingdom, but his plans were always foiled by Mario.
Eventually Bowser gave up, and peace was restored in the Mushroom Kingdom, leading to a series of games that did not feature any real story line, such as Mario Kart and Mario Party.
In fact, it was hypothesized that Mario and Luigi had such a windfall in Super Mario Bros. 2 that he had enough money to purchase toy companies and racing teams – which resulted in the Mario Kart series.
However, the lack of adventure could not satisfy Mario and eventually he set out to rescue Princess Daisy. Upon returning to Mushroom Kingdom, he found that Wario had invaded his land, leading to Wario Land and other entries in the Wario game series. The story ended here, with Mario exiling himself from his homeland due to his love and thirst for adventure.
You can catch the detailed full story here:
Do you agree with this Mario timeline, or would you have come up with an alternative version?
Source/Images: YouTube
]]> https://soranews24.com/2015/02/17/the-real-story-of-nintendos-mario/feed/ 0 219434 2 2 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 This ‘Rock Climbing’ ramen will make a man out of you! https://soranews24.com/2015/01/30/this-rock-climbing-ramen-will-make-a-man-out-of-you/ https://soranews24.com/2015/01/30/this-rock-climbing-ramen-will-make-a-man-out-of-you/#comments Fri, 30 Jan 2015 08:30:43 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=213848 
Niigata is one of the largest prefectures in Japan by area. Apparently, their ramen is also on the larger side. And by larger, we mean XXXXL. The famous local ramen restaurant “Men Macho” (‘men’ as in ramen) is best known for serving up insanely gigantic Fuji mountains of ramen toppings. This time, they have unveiled yet another new creation called the Rock Climbing ramen. That sure looks like one intimating wall of toppings to chomp through!
Priced at a whopping 6,500 yen (US$55), the enormous bowl of ramen claims to be ‘destructive’ with more than 3kg of delicious chunks of meat piled on top of the noodles. We have to admit, that does sound pretty delicious.
https://twitter.com/nappa0db0/status/557141194350657536
Just to prove that Men Macho isn’t just Photoshopping toppings onto ramen, here’s a Twitter user who has challenged a different giant ramen before:
https://twitter.com/judo_0616/status/559221642862137345
If that were shaved ice or ice cream, I might have been able to survive it, but an insurmountable tower of meat and bean sprouts sounds pretty tough to me. Would you make a pilgrimage to scale the Rock Climbing ramen?
Source: Twitter, h/t Sonic Channel
]]> https://soranews24.com/2015/01/30/this-rock-climbing-ramen-will-make-a-man-out-of-you/feed/ 0 213848 336 3 Seriously unlucky Chinese man takes an actual arrow to the knee while doing laundry https://soranews24.com/2015/01/28/unlucky-chinese-man-takes-an-actual-arrow-to-the-knee-while-doing-laundry/ https://soranews24.com/2015/01/28/unlucky-chinese-man-takes-an-actual-arrow-to-the-knee-while-doing-laundry/#comments Wed, 28 Jan 2015 14:00:13 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=213840 
If you’re one of those people who is plagued by bad luck, then you’ll know that disaster can strike anytime, anywhere. One man from Changsha in China’s Hunan Province learned this the hard way recently when an arrow flew out of nowhere and lodged itself in his knee while he was minding his own business hanging out laundry.
Warning: this report contains an image which some readers may find squirm-inducing!
51-year-old Mr. Wang was struck by the arrow while hanging clothes out to dry outside his home. His shocked family immediately took him to hospital where he was treated, but Wang was still clearly in a state of shock when interviewed by local news who were eager to learn more about the bizarre incident.
The offending arrow, which was about 70~80 cm (27-31 inches) long, went 12 cm (4.3 inches) deep into Wang’s right knee. Ouch.
Where did the arrow come from? It turns out that one of Wang’s neighbors is an archery lover and frequently practices his hobby in the communal garden. We don’t know why anyone would think it a good idea to unleash arrows in a residential complex, but we’re guessing Liang, the guilty archer, will be taking his bow and arrows elsewhere for the time being. Still, it could have been worse, we suppose…
We wish Mr. Wang a speedy recovery, and hope that he is able to invest in a dryer so he won’t have to risk going outdoors to air his laundry ever again.
Source/Images: Nandu Net, h/t Shanghaiist
]]> https://soranews24.com/2015/01/28/unlucky-chinese-man-takes-an-actual-arrow-to-the-knee-while-doing-laundry/feed/ 0 213840 1 1 2 The Guan Yu Gundam: a story of passion and friendship https://soranews24.com/2015/01/26/the-guan-yu-gundam-a-story-of-passion-and-friendship/ https://soranews24.com/2015/01/26/the-guan-yu-gundam-a-story-of-passion-and-friendship/#comments Mon, 26 Jan 2015 11:30:35 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=212451 
Those who are familiar with Chinese history should be familiar with Romance of the Three Kingdoms, an epic that is now considered one of the greatest literary classics in China. Detailing legendary tales from the warring era of the Three Kingdoms, the book itself is full of stories of love, friendship and loyalty.
Fast forward to modern times, where we find three ardent robot fans in China with the spirit of the Three Kingdoms coursing through their veins who came together to create an amazing gigantic Gundam-like statue based on one of the best known characters in the epic – Guan Yu.
Known as a loyal and ferocious warrior, Guan Yu formed a brotherhood with Liu Bei and Zhang Fei early in his career, and it is this deep bond and friendship among them that we remember best today. In fact, Guan Yu is such a symbol of loyalty and bravery that today there are many temples around Chinese-speaking regions that worship him.
Enter ZhouZe Fu, a novice welder and artist, ShenXin Xing, an expert welder, and Wong Rong, a robot maker. The three men came to know one another when Zhou learned that Wong had built and donated several robots. Zhou, a fan of gigantic robot statues himself, had always wanted to join forces with other robot builders, but Wong was the first he had met who was willing to donate his works for free. Just like how LiuBei had approached Guan Yu and Zhang Fei in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhou gathered Wong and Shen, and his dream is finally becoming a reality.
Zhou drew up the designs and drafted the model, Shen welded the parts together, and Wong was out in charge of planning the parts and making sure everything went smoothly. Zhou said, “We are just like the three brothers working towards the same dream.” Because of that, they decided to bring Guan Yu, the Chinese symbol of loyalty and friendship, to life in this robot. On top of that, they also kept the statue ‘green’ by using 100-percent recycled parts. Wong donated old car parts from his shop, while the three would journey to recycling shops in nearby villages on their numerous “treasure hunts” to find other pieces they could use.
The three plan to finish the statue by Chinese New Year, and the completed Guan Yu is estimated to be at least 10 metres (32 ft) tall and weigh at least 10 tonnes. Wong added that just the sword that Guan Yu wields would weigh at least 250 kg (approx. 550 lbs). We’ll certainly be watching out for the completion of this majestic robot!
Source/Images: Zhejiang News, U148 h/t Aol News
]]> https://soranews24.com/2015/01/26/the-guan-yu-gundam-a-story-of-passion-and-friendship/feed/ 1 212451 1 1 3 Gear up for Valentine’s Day with this lipstick…chocolate! https://soranews24.com/2015/01/26/gear-up-for-valentines-day-with-this-lipstick-chocolate/ https://soranews24.com/2015/01/26/gear-up-for-valentines-day-with-this-lipstick-chocolate/#comments Sun, 25 Jan 2015 16:00:27 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=212781 
At a glance, these lipsticks look like any other you can find at your local drugstore. However, this Valentine’s Day, you can buy a whole set of them for your loved one and watch them chomp down on these deliciously colorful lipstick-shaped chocolates!
Although in Japan the ladies are supposed to give men chocolates on Valentine’s Day instead of the other way around, who says you can’t get a box for your best friends or, guys, stock up in preparation for White Day? Besides, these are so adorable that there’s no reason your man can’t enjoy a good box of lipsticks too!
Produced by Kyoto Century Hotel’s fancy sweets boutique joie joue, this series of Cosme Chocolates are out to melt your heart – and in your mouth! First in the lineup are the aforementioned edible lipsticks. At 2,160 yen (US$18), you get a box set of five flavors: matcha green tea, sweet chocolate, orange, strawberry and white chocolate. It seems a little pricey to me for the tiny bits of ganache chocolate, but you get to keep the plastic lipstick holders, so if you’re up for the challenge you can probably recycle those and recreate your own lipstick chocolates…maybe.
If you want to send some kisses along with the lipstick, they also sell this super-kawaii and fashionable set of a lipstick along with three chocolate lips in passion fruit, orange and framboise flavors. You can see how much work has gone into these as the colors of the lips seem to resemble real lipstick colors exactly. At just 1,458 yen ($12), this is a little more affordable than the lipstick set.
Things don’t stop with the lipsticks, either! For the first time, joie joue will release a cute set of bonbon chocolates based on nail-art as well. These cute little things, aptly named “Coffret du Chocolat” (little boxes of chocolate), come in either white or dark chocolate sets. The white chocolate flavors are framboise, orange, rum, passion fruit and sakura, while the dark chocolate flavors include framboise, orange and passion fruit. Although the five-piece set comes at 1,728 yen ($14.6), you can grab a smaller three-piece set at just 1,188 yen ($10) if you’re on a budget.
But if shelling out more than 1,000 yen for chocolates is against your policy, you can also grab one of these dainty palet chocolates for an affordable 324 yen ($2.75). I don’t know about you, but this sure looks like heaven to me.
If I had these around, I would probably be abandoning my annual last-minute chocolate making scramble. If you’re lucky enough to purchase any of these beautiful cosmetic chocolates, let us know!
Source/Images: Entabe
]]> https://soranews24.com/2015/01/26/gear-up-for-valentines-day-with-this-lipstick-chocolate/feed/ 2 212781 1 1 3 4 5 6 2 Shaolin monk “walks on water,” smashes world record https://soranews24.com/2015/01/23/shaolin-monk-walks-on-water-smashes-world-record/ https://soranews24.com/2015/01/23/shaolin-monk-walks-on-water-smashes-world-record/#comments Fri, 23 Jan 2015 13:00:15 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=212444 
No Hollywood special effects, no magician’s helper, heck, not even any mystical kung-fu powers here. All it took for this Shaolin monk in China to walk on water was practice, practice and more practice! That said, running across hundreds of metres of wooden panels placed on the surface of a lake is definitely not a feat that any layman could achieve without proper training, a high level of fitness and immense concentration.
The record-breaking challenge took place in Changsha City, Hunan, at the local Meixi Lake. The challenger, She Li Liang, already held the world record for walking 118 metres (approx. 387 ft) across another lake in 2014. However, within less than a year, he was ready to break his own record!
In order for him to sprint across the large body of water, wooden panels chained together were lined across the lake. Master She had to keep his balance while dashing over them as though they were flat ground. On his first try, he lost his balance at the 56-metre mark. However, after donning his white training robes, he eventually succeeded in traversing 120 metres over the lake’s surface.
According to the monk, the hardest part of walking on water comes after the first 100 metres – the distance we’re used to seeing Olympic athletes sprint at breakneck speeds – and things become exponentially more difficult with each step. The act, he says, is physically draining, so it’s not just about balance but physical strength too. Despite that, She’s next goal is to go a full 150 metres.
Here’s a video of Master She in 2014 when he achieved a run of 118 metres. Do you think you could pull this off?
Source: Livedoor News via ToyChan.net
Images via ToyChan.net
]]> https://soranews24.com/2015/01/23/shaolin-monk-walks-on-water-smashes-world-record/feed/ 0 212444 1 1 Meet Stitch at Tokyo Disneyland this summer! https://soranews24.com/2015/01/19/meet-stitch-at-tokyo-disneyland-this-summer/ https://soranews24.com/2015/01/19/meet-stitch-at-tokyo-disneyland-this-summer/#comments Mon, 19 Jan 2015 10:00:52 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=211013 
It was revealed in December 2013 that the Captain EO ride at Tokyo Disneyland will be replaced by the interactive attraction Stitch Encounter. The wait is now over as the Oriental Land Company which owns Tokyo Disneyland announced that the much-awaited new attraction will open in July 2015, right in time for the summer vacation this year!
Described in the press release as a theatre-style attraction that can be enjoyed by the whole family, Stitch Encounter features the alien protagonist from popular Disney movie Lilo & Stitch. The blue extraterrestrial Experiment 626 will entertain the guests of Tokyo Disneyland with his unique humor and pranks.
This will be the world’s third Stitch attraction, but only the second of its kind – the other being located in Hong Kong Disneyland. However, this will be the first time Stitch will be speaking Japanese as his Hong Kong counterpart speaks only English, Mandarin and Cantonese. For those who have not experienced the ‘encounter’, you will enter a futuristic theatre in which Stitch is projected onto the screen and ‘interacts’ with you through conversations facilitated by an accompanying staff member. The show times are usually posted outside the attraction and guests can select their language of choice when deciding when to watch.
If you can’t wait for the summer, here’s a sneak peek from Hong Kong Disneyland:
Stitch is so adorable that it’ll be hard to say no to all the Stitch plushies that will inevitably greet us right after exiting the attraction…
Correction: This article originally stated that Tokyo Disneyland’s Stitch attraction would be the world’s second. It will, in fact, be the third, as a slightly different Stitch-themed attraction can be found in Disneyland Paris. The article has been updated to reflect this. Thanks to reader Jason for the tip.
Sources: OLC Group, Stitch Kingdom h/t NariNari
Featured Image: Hong Kong Disneyland
]]> https://soranews24.com/2015/01/19/meet-stitch-at-tokyo-disneyland-this-summer/feed/ 0 211013 stitch-encounter-hero-00 stitch-encounter-hero-00 When a single dot doesn’t do the trick: Legal trouble ensues for izakaya over name https://soranews24.com/2015/01/19/when-a-single-dot-doesnt-do-the-trick-legal-trouble-ensues-for-izakaya-over-name/ https://soranews24.com/2015/01/19/when-a-single-dot-doesnt-do-the-trick-legal-trouble-ensues-for-izakaya-over-name/#comments Mon, 19 Jan 2015 01:00:23 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=210269 
We live in a world of innovation and inspiration. Every day, we see new products riffing on older ones, and apps that are purporting to be the next Instagram for Snapchat inspired by Vine.
But when does something cease to innovate and become a simple knock-off? Would you consider “Word・Press” a different web service from “WordPress”? How about if someone opened up a hamburger joint called “McDonalds” instead of “McDonald’s”? Well one izakaya in Hiroshima, Japan tested out this first example for us, and found that simply slipping a dot into its name didn’t allow it to get around copyright and trademark laws.
A small izakaya called “Wara・Wara” (note the dot!) in Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture had lawyers knocking on its door on January 13 when it was reported that the name of the restaurant was basically identical to popular izakaya chain “WaraWara” (no dot!).
Considering that the nearest WaraWara, located outside Fukuyama Station, is only 600m away, we’re not surprised that this establishment drew negative attention, as customers could easily head into the wrong joint by mistake. The izakayas use different colors and fonts for their signs, but both feature little more than the kanji character for laugh (笑) written twice in white and in a hand-written style.
When interviewed, the owner of the independent restaurant said that when they first opened, there weren’t any WaraWara locations in the area. “We thought that if we added a dot between the two characters it would be OK,” he added.
Sadly, dots, especially those as small as the one on their sign, are rarely enough to keep the lawyers away.
Following news reports about the dotty restaurant, Japanese net users have their fair share to say as well:
“Well WaraWara itself is good at making knock-offs too.”
“How can someone like this run a business…”
“It’s like saying Mc・Donald is OK…”
For those of you who read Japanese, here’s Kyodo News’ full report on the incident:
Well, now you know. If you’re planning to start you own company anytime soon, be sure rule out names like “Goo・gle”, “Ya・hoo!” and “Face・book”!
Sources: 47news, h/t Hamachi Kikou
Screenshots: YouTube
]]> https://soranews24.com/2015/01/19/when-a-single-dot-doesnt-do-the-trick-legal-trouble-ensues-for-izakaya-over-name/feed/ 0 210269 Screen Shot 2015-01-19 at 12.16.44 AM 2 COZENI turns your iPhone or iPad’s home button into a shiny, tiny Japanese coin https://soranews24.com/2015/01/16/cozeni-turns-your-iphone-or-ipads-home-button-into-a-shiny-japanese-coin/ https://soranews24.com/2015/01/16/cozeni-turns-your-iphone-or-ipads-home-button-into-a-shiny-japanese-coin/#comments Fri, 16 Jan 2015 07:00:21 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=210238 
Literally, COZENI is a series of iPhone home button stickers which come in the shape of any of Japan’s many coins. At first weren’t sure why anyone would need a miniature coin in place of a home button, but on closer inspection we were actually pretty impressed at how cool they looked.
To test out these cute little 3-D stickers, we went ahead and purchased the entire series of COZENI and found that they are more multi-purpose than you might think!
The COZENI series is developed by cellphone accessories maker Hamee which also produces a variety of other smartphone-related goods with intriguing designs. We came across this particular set at a local electronics store, and it stood out so much among the usual array of screen protectors and covers that we just had to buy them all to test on our Apple products, of which we have plenty in the office since our ardent Apple fans keep bringing them back in Lucky Bags each New Year.
Just look at those glistening coins! They are simply begging to be taken home! As for the purpose they’d serve after being taken home – well, other than being decorative, we don’t see what else they would be used for, but if you have a COZENI, why not spruce up your smartphone a little?
▼ Finally, a practical use for the one-yen coin!
▼ The 10-yen coin…that’s actually really pretty.
▼ The 50 yen is my personal favorite. No particular reason. OK maybe it’s because they faithfully replicated the hole in the middle.
▼ The king of coins – the 100 yen!
▼ And then there’s the 500-yen version that just seems a little off (maybe because it’s so tiny here)
We tried it on all sorts of devices too, and discovered the versatility of the almighty COZENI.
▼ For iPhones of any generation (thank goodness one thing they never changed was the size of the home button!)
▼ For the bigger pals of iPhones!
▼ On our TV remote. Just because we can…
▼ As a fashion accessory. We think this trend will catch on in 2015. Seriously.
▼ COZENI v.s. real coin
Unfortunately a COZENI costs more than just one coin, but at 494 yen (US$4.22) we’d say this is a fun addition to any iPhone. However, as you can see it’s much smaller than the real deal, so don’t try to pass it off at a 100-yen store!
Photos: RocketNews24
]]> https://soranews24.com/2015/01/16/cozeni-turns-your-iphone-or-ipads-home-button-into-a-shiny-japanese-coin/feed/ 0 210238 1 img_9271 6 8 9 10 11 15 16 12 13 14 Latte art comes to life in this amazing stop-motion video https://soranews24.com/2015/01/13/latte-art-comes-to-life-in-this-amazing-stop-motion-video/ https://soranews24.com/2015/01/13/latte-art-comes-to-life-in-this-amazing-stop-motion-video/#comments Tue, 13 Jan 2015 08:30:04 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=209202 
I recently spent five bucks for a latte at a zoo just because it had a panda stenciled on it. The chocolate powdered cartoon panda was gone the moment I stirred in my sugar and really, all I wanted was to Instagram it. The allure of the Latte Art boom constantly appeals to fascinated casual drinkers and caffeine addicts alike, and the art has evolved from elaborate manga drawings to adorable 3-D pop-ups. Japanese coffee maker AFG, however, recently took the art to a whole new level when it released a stop animation in which each frame is created with cups of latte art! Now that is some serious dedication!
AFG is best known for its instant coffee series “Maxim Stick” and in this commercial uploaded on YouTube, they made use of not only carefully crafted cups of coffee, but also fruits, nuts, candy and more to create a delightful visual experience. The short animation told a simple love story of a “Coffee Couple.” Personally I found it really cute that every time the couple “kisses,” you can hear the clink between the two cups!
A making-of clip was shown at the end of the animation and showed baristas making cup after cup of latte art, each time cautiously adding swirls of warm milk and sprinkling on delicate stencils of chocolate powder to create the perfect cup that goes into each frame. The animation took three whole days and a whopping 1,000 cups of latte to complete! If you’re off caffeine but need something to warm your heart, check out this video!
Now, the most important question is: Who got to drink all that delicious coffee?
Source/Images: YouTube
]]> https://soranews24.com/2015/01/13/latte-art-comes-to-life-in-this-amazing-stop-motion-video/feed/ 1 209202 1 2 You’ll never guess what these Chinese students are lining up for! https://soranews24.com/2015/01/13/youll-never-guess-what-these-chinese-students-are-lining-up-for/ https://soranews24.com/2015/01/13/youll-never-guess-what-these-chinese-students-are-lining-up-for/#comments Mon, 12 Jan 2015 23:30:23 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=209213 
Ever since Mr. Sato returned from his annual overnight vigil to obtain an Apple Lucky Bag, we learned that humans are able to withstand adverse conditions in queues driven solely by their utmost desire for something. Just look at these Apple lovers who braved snow for their favorite brand! So when you see these students in China lining up, we bet your guess is that they are getting $1 TVs…or concert tickets for the latest K-pop star…or perhaps a free iPhone. The answer, however, is none of the above; these students are in fact lining up to…
…get into the library! What you see are students from the Nanjing University of Finance and Economics queuing up, not for free food or a sale, but to get a spot in the library so they can study for their finals!
The pictures were taken at about 7:40 AM and the diligent crowd has formed into long, snaking lines leading to the doors of the library. Note that in Nanjing the temperature drops to 2℃ (35°F) and the grass and leaves around the building were all covered in frost.
As the final exams draw near, many students find themselves most productive when studying in the warm library. In order to meet student demands, the school has extended library hours and also dispatched staff members to manage the lines so that students can waste no time in getting into the library in an orderly fashion.
As someone whose primary activity in the library has always been napping, I am starting to feel a little ashamed of myself for not studying harder. Maybe it’s time I hit up my school library which doesn’t require freezing in a queue to get into. Did this inspire you to work just a little harder?
Source/Images: Livedoor News, h/t ToyChan
]]> https://soranews24.com/2015/01/13/youll-never-guess-what-these-chinese-students-are-lining-up-for/feed/ 1 209213 2 2 1 3 4 Now you can decorate anything with gyoza with the new tape from DecoRush! https://soranews24.com/2015/01/11/now-you-can-decorate-anything-with-gyoza-with-the-new-tape-from-decorush/ https://soranews24.com/2015/01/11/now-you-can-decorate-anything-with-gyoza-with-the-new-tape-from-decorush/#comments Sat, 10 Jan 2015 23:00:33 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=208951 
DecoRush is a series of decoration tape that looks like correction tape, except instead of white-out, you’d usually get cute flowery patterns or Disney characters on them. Very appropriate for increasing the girl power on your love letters or secret diary. However, DecoRush’s latest release had netizens baffled because really, when are you ever going to send someone a birthday card with colorful borders of…gyoza?
That said, it didn’t stop one Twitter user from purchasing this strange collaboration between DecoRush and Gyoza no Osho, something akin to a Chinese fast food restaurant chain in Japan.
After buying the tape and trying it out, the Twitter user mused upon his own purchase,
餃子が無限増殖する「餃子の王将」デコテープ買った。餃子を無限増殖させる以外の用途が難しい渋いデザイン。 pic.twitter.com/86EBtgnOfw
— ふじちょうのヨモ (@yomota258) January 8, 2015
“I bought the ‘Gyoza no Osho’ decoration tape that gives you endless gyoza. But the odd design can be used for nothing other than producing endless gyoza on paper.”
Well, to give the tape some credit, it also has the logo of the restaurant along with the slogan “2 million gyoza a day” which the chain used in a commercial, claiming it to be the number of deliciously oily dumplings they sell every day. Other netizens were quick to chime in:
“I pondered for three seconds if it would taste like gyoza when I lick it, but didn’t buy it.”
“Let’s use it at Osaka Osho.” (a rival gyoza and Chinese food chain)
“I can smell the garlic.”
“I hate to admit it but I kind of want it.”
To be honest, I had to agree with the last comment because as a steadfast fan of Gyoza no Osho who was extremely frustrated when rival Osaka Osho opened a chain in my home country, I actually went to Amazon to see if I could grab one of these. Unfortunately, though, they are all out of stock, so clearly there’s plenty of demand for the tape!
I also discovered that they had a second, equally useless design featuring other dishes served at the restaurant.
▼ Isn’t it so scrumptious-looking?
▼ Chuuka Banzai!
▼ And this is how they suggest you’d use it…very useful isn’t it?
I, for one, am getting myself one of these when they come back in stock so that I can, er, roll it over my diary every time I eat gyoza.
Source/Images: Twitter, h/t Hamusoku, Amazon
]]> https://soranews24.com/2015/01/11/now-you-can-decorate-anything-with-gyoza-with-the-new-tape-from-decorush/feed/ 1 208951 611 3 4 511 This Chinese company’s year-end party game will turn you green with envy! https://soranews24.com/2015/01/10/this-chinese-companys-year-end-party-game-will-turn-you-green-with-envy/ https://soranews24.com/2015/01/10/this-chinese-companys-year-end-party-game-will-turn-you-green-with-envy/#comments Fri, 09 Jan 2015 17:30:09 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=208589 
It’s customary for companies in Asia to hold year-end parties (bounenkai in Japan, weiya in Chinese-speaking countries), and these often reflect the state of the companies. In a good year, employees will be treated to lavish affairs complete with lotteries, extravagant performances and attractive prizes. However, one Chinese company stole the limelight this year with their ‘cash grabbing game’ that guarantees everyone a winner!
No Monopoly money in here! Employees of this company in Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou City were probably elated when their CEO brought on these lottery boxes. However, instead of lottery tickets, the boxes contained nothing but 100 RMB (US$16) notes! Anyone who plays the game gets to keep however much they could grab – now that sounds like a dream come true, doesn’t it?
Itis said that the CEO provided about 800,000RMB ($129,000) in cash for the employees to snatch to their hearts’ content. Apparently the best ‘grabber’ of them all took home 20,000RMB ($3,000) in cash. Unfortunately, only the top performing employees got to have a turn at the money box. Now that’s one good way to provide motivation for the coming year!
Wouldn’t you like to work for a company like this?
Source/Images: Narinari.com
]]> https://soranews24.com/2015/01/10/this-chinese-companys-year-end-party-game-will-turn-you-green-with-envy/feed/ 0 208589 125 (1) 1 3 2 4 Nope, these aren’t cat-shape lights… https://soranews24.com/2015/01/09/nope-these-arent-cat-shape-lights/ https://soranews24.com/2015/01/09/nope-these-arent-cat-shape-lights/#comments Fri, 09 Jan 2015 08:30:39 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=208605 From afar, it seems like this building in Japan has given its lobby’s floor lights a fancy new makeover by adding cat statues to them. On closer inspection, however, we can see that these are actually real cats that have decided to position themselves right on top of the light sources and are being illuminated like heavenly beings.
One Japanese Twitter user snapped a picture of these cats warming up to lights in the cold weather. The tweet quickly went viral because, as we all know, the internet just can’t enough of cats being cute while doing nothing, right?
As we lucky humans bundle up in scarves and coats for the harsh winter, stray cats don’t have the same luxuries as we do. Thankfully, these two very smart felines found their beacons of light (literally) when they discovered that the warmth from the floor lights could keep them a little more comfortable. And there was one for each of them!
[tweet https://twitter.com/kitunetunedune/status/552763205630451712 align=center]
Amused netizens commented:
“They look like cat gods…”
“We will protect this land for you…”
“Please come to my house!!!”
“These must be cat holograms”
If I weren’t allergic to fur, I’d have let these adorable cats take shelter in my humble abode for the cold weather. But it seems like they are smart enough to handle it just fine, doesn’t it?
]]> https://soranews24.com/2015/01/09/nope-these-arent-cat-shape-lights/feed/ 1 208605 1 Chinese city government bans Christmas in schools https://soranews24.com/2014/12/30/chinese-city-government-bans-christmas-in-schools/ https://soranews24.com/2014/12/30/chinese-city-government-bans-christmas-in-schools/#comments Tue, 30 Dec 2014 05:00:19 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=206608 
While many of us spent the last few days stuffing our faces with Christmas treats, singing jolly carols and hoarding presents, one whole city of school children in China were unfortunately unable to celebrate the occasion because the Grinch, a.k.a. adults, had stolen their Christmas.
In Wenzhou, Zhejiang, most schools held Christmas events to celebrate the festive seasons whenever the holiday rolls around. However, the Wenzhou City Education Department apparently sent out a message this year on Christmas Eve requesting that all schools ban celebrations. The message reads as such:
“Notice: Please pass this message on to all prefectures, cities and counties, all grades in all elementary and middle schools (and kindergartens). No Christmas activities or celebrations shall be held. Please supervise and execute as instructed.”
According to The Department of Education official Zheng Shang Zhong, the reason for the ban is not because it is a Western holiday, but that the city government felt that schools should focus on traditional Chinese holidays instead. He added that the Chinese never had Christmas to begin with and it is merely a marketing tool, so schools should say “no” to Christmas.
What do you think, folks? Is it fair for the government to ban Christmas? Or should we just put this one down to China being China?
Source/Images: ToyChan
]]> https://soranews24.com/2014/12/30/chinese-city-government-bans-christmas-in-schools/feed/ 0 206608 1 1 2 Thanko’s Zero Gravity Armchair takes us to space in the comfort of our homes https://soranews24.com/2014/12/24/thankos-zero-gravity-armchair-takes-us-to-space-in-the-comfort-of-our-homes/ https://soranews24.com/2014/12/24/thankos-zero-gravity-armchair-takes-us-to-space-in-the-comfort-of-our-homes/#comments Wed, 24 Dec 2014 03:00:52 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=205101 
Calling all fans of Interstellar! Can’t get enough of Christopher Nolan? Get yourself this Zero Gravity Armchair from Japanese gadget and technology fiends Thanko and pretend that you’re in space. This large rocking chair even comes with a smartphone stand so you can watch Interstellar at the same time, too.
Join us after the jump for a closer look at this gravity-defying modern-day throne!
If you are willing to fork out 39,990 yen (US$334), this futuristic armchair could be yours. Despite its name, this isn’t a floating armchair; ‘zero gravity’ comes from the resting position that the user adopts when sitting in the chair, whereby the upper and lower body are at an angle of about 126 degrees. This position is said to induce the least amount of stress on the human body, hence the reason we see astronauts lying back like this when rockets launch – just like in Interstellar!
It’s more than just a really comfortable rocking chair, though. The Zero gravity Armchair comes with a smartphone/tablet holder that allows you to watch your favorite shows or browse the web without having to hold on to anything, hence maintaining the stress-free position. There are three differently sized-holders to pick from so you don’t have to worry about watching anime on your tablet and reading the news on your phone. Furthermore, there is even a USB charger built into the chair so that you can charge while rocking away!
Oh, and guess what? It’s even easy to store when you decide that you’re done enjoying your ‘Zero Gravity’ for the day. Despite its size, this armchair can be folded up from 73 x 65 x 140 cm to just 73 x 46 x 94 cm for storage. At 24 kg (52lbs), it might be a slightly bulky addition to your room, but when a chair looks this comfortable, size doesn’t matter, does it?
▼ With the Zero Gravity Chair you can have a classy night alone with an old movie. And sunglasses…
▼ Or start fusing into the chair as you discover that you can live in it…
▼ Sadly, the chair does not rotate on its own like in the GIF image below
As someone with chronic back pain and who often endures sleepless nights, I could definitely use some ‘Zero Gravity’ in my everyday computer time. Perhaps it’s time to break the piggy bank and splurge on one good armchair. Would you want one of these for yourself?
Sources: Engadget, Thanko
Images: Thanko
]]> https://soranews24.com/2014/12/24/thankos-zero-gravity-armchair-takes-us-to-space-in-the-comfort-of-our-homes/feed/ 0 205101 133 1 5 6 3 4 zerogch4-p05_02 Pokémon Dream Tomica arrives just in time for Christmas https://soranews24.com/2014/12/23/pokemon-dream-tomica-arrives-just-in-time-for-christmas/ https://soranews24.com/2014/12/23/pokemon-dream-tomica-arrives-just-in-time-for-christmas/#comments Mon, 22 Dec 2014 19:00:40 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=205098 
Busy looking for a last-minute Christmas present for your Pokémon-obsessed significant other? Look no further! This special edition Pokémon x Tomica collaboration arrives just in time for the holiday season. Just look at the detail and that beautiful, familiar shade of bright yellow. I’m totally forwarding this article to Santa (my older sister).
The second in a series of Pokémon x Tomica collaborations, this Pikachu car is from the Dream Tomica franchise produced by toymaker Takara Tomy in which adorable tiny cars are made to resemble a seemingly endless assortment of characters, from Hello Kitty to Snoopy.
We just can’t get over the detail that went into this car, from the sharp, “tough Pikachu” eyes that are actually the headlights, to the red patch on his cheeks that gets perfectly replicated in the model. If you ever dreamt of having a Pikachu car, this is it! Take it to a car remake store and tell them you want it this way.
Excited netizens are as excited as we are about this awesome toy:
“This is so cool.”
“It looks fast.”
“It looks super-deformed.”
“Is this the Transformers version of Pikachu?”
If you’re lucky enough to pop by any of the Pokémon Centers, this Dream Tomica will be yours for just 700 yen (US$5.90). They will also be available at all major toy stores that stock Tomica starting January 17 next year.Now, if only we could get a full-sized version to cruise around town in…
Source/Feature image: Pokesoku
]]> https://soranews24.com/2014/12/23/pokemon-dream-tomica-arrives-just-in-time-for-christmas/feed/ 0 205098 1 The scariest snow sculpture you’ll see this winter https://soranews24.com/2014/12/21/the-scariest-snow-sculpture-youll-see-this-winter/ https://soranews24.com/2014/12/21/the-scariest-snow-sculpture-youll-see-this-winter/#comments Sun, 21 Dec 2014 08:00:51 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=204759 
The merciless snow has hit Japan and we suppose the mood would be gloomy. However, one Twitter user found his house in a rather frightening state when someone decided to take vengeance on the snowy weather with this artful sculpture of snow that can be interpreted as either a horror movie or an installation art that is awfully hard to understand. Either way, this is probably one of the most creative uses of snow we’ve see this season.
Despite its eerie appearance, our guess is that the ‘art work’ was done simply by slapping masks full of snow onto the wall. Whoever thought up this elaborate prank must have had a taste for those grotesque horror films, perhaps of the Thai variety.
[tweet https://twitter.com/inoino_hirohiro/status/544499688284499968 align=center]
▲ “Even if it’s snowing, please don’t do this anymore.”
Amused netizens chimed in:
“You’ve been cursed.”
“I’d try to get rid of it with my umbrella ASAP.”
“Is this a horror movie?”
“Who used my face for this prank?”
I don’t know about you, but if I were to pull a prank like this, I’d probably have chosen something cuter to put on it. A wall of Hello Kitty heads would make the world a much better place, wouldn’t it?
]]> https://soranews24.com/2014/12/21/the-scariest-snow-sculpture-youll-see-this-winter/feed/ 0 204759 1 1