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Krista Rogers

Starting with a love of J-Pop and J-dramas when she was 13, Krista Rogers has left her quiet New England hometown in the States both to study abroad in Tokyo and to work on the JET Program in beautiful Yamagata prefecture. She misses chatting in the local dialect and staging Kamehameha battles in the hallway with her students. Although she's currently working on her master's degree in Boston, she will without a doubt be back in Japan before long and buying way too much at Book-Off and Tower Records again. When she needs a break from schoolwork, Krista enjoys eating yakiniku, figure skating, finding cute cafes, watching Big Bang MVs, and continuing on her quest to catch 'em all.

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Posted by Krista Rogers (Page 58)

Fukushima bottled water wins Gold Quality Award in the internationally coveted Monde Selection

Krista Rogers
Apr 14, 2015
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At a press conference on April 8, Fukushima City representatives announced that the bottled tap water produced in the city has won a Gold Quality Award in the 2015 Monde Selection, a prestigious international competition designed to test the quality of various consumer products. By winning this award, the city hopes to dispel negative rumors about lingering radioactive contamination following the meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in 2011.

Global, Japan
(competition • Fukushima • international • Monde Selection • water)

How to armor yourself in the event of a sudden attack: A guide for samurai beginners and pros

Krista Rogers
Apr 10, 2015

An online retailer specializing in ancient Japanese armor, helmets, and horse harnesses has been getting a lot of clicks recently for their detailed, illustrated instructions about how to rapidly equip yourself (and your horse!) with armor in a pinch. Both novice and advanced warriors are sure to learn a thing or two from this handy step-by-step guide–take a look, and you’ll never be unprepared in the event of a stealthy ninja attack again!

Japan
(armor • history • how to • samurai)

The times they are a-changin’: Snapshots of Tokyo 50 years ago vs. today【Photos】

Krista Rogers
Apr 8, 2015

Once upon a time, Tokyo was nowhere near the sprawling megalopolis that it is today. Long ago, it wasn’t a sure thing that the small fishing village known as Edo would someday become one of the most bustling cities in the world.

But let’s skip Tokyo’s early years and fast-forward to a slightly more recent age. Ever wondered what the city looked like half a century ago, before the towering skyscrapers and iconic neon lights? Today, we are proud to present a visual comparison of Tokyo, 50 years ago versus the modern day!

Japan
(history • photos • Tokyo)

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

Krista Rogers
Apr 7, 2015

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

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

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

Morioka Station’s sweet message to recent high school graduates causes passersby to tear up

Krista Rogers
Apr 1, 2015

As people in different parts of the world change their calendars to April at this very moment, the class of recently graduated Japanese high school students are getting ready to embark on their next journeys in life. For many of them, this time marks a major turning point as they move away from home and head to even bigger cities for college or careers.

The recent graduates in at least one Japanese city can take comfort in knowing that their community will be waiting patiently for their return home at vacation. The staff at Morioka Station in Iwate Prefecture recently left a heartfelt message inside the station wishing their local high school graduates the best of luck as they set out in life, and it seems that more than one passerby has teared up at the sight of it.

Japan
(message • Morioka • moving • station • sweet • trains • youth)

What do you eat when you catch a cold? We asked 11 of our Japanese reporters

Krista Rogers
Apr 1, 2015

The answer to the question “What do you eat when you catch a cold?” is probably different depending on where you live in the world. For me, nursing a cold conjures up images of sitting in bed wrapped in blankets and sipping chicken noodle soup.

But we were curious to know which foods and other remedies are commonly consumed in Japan when someone gets sick, so we asked 11 of our colleagues over at the Japanese edition of RocketNews24 and our sister site Pouch to share what they eat when the sniffles start creeping up on them. Think you can guess how they answered? Some of their responses might surprise you!

Japan
(cold • drink • food • medicine • remedy • sick)

Sonic Hour series returns with new portable device to make your beer foamy no matter where you go

Krista Rogers
Mar 13, 2015

Remember Takara Tomy A.R.T.S’ punnily-named product, the Sonic Hour (“hour” sounds similar to awa, or “bubbles” in Japanese) that we introduced you to two years ago? That device created a foamy head on a glass of beer in seconds, making it the perfect present for any beer lover in Japan.

Those same beer lovers now have cause to rejoice again because this time around, the Sonic Hour is back with a handy new portable version!

Japan
(alcohol • beer • cool • drinks • gadgets • Sonic Hour)

From lotus root to alcohol: Are powdered foods the next big boom in Japan?

Krista Rogers
Mar 4, 2015

What’s that crumbly brown stuff on the rice pictured above?

If you guessed that it was some combination of spices, you’re (mostly) wrong. It’s actually the powdered form of a common cooking ingredient that you can find in any Japanese home. In fact, powdered foods in general have recently been drawing a lot of attention in Japan, so we wanted to share some interesting tidbits about them with you. And like the powder in the picture above, you might be surprised by what you find!

Japan
(cooking • food • ingredients • powdered • soy sauce)

Peach-scented and flavored strawberries seriously trip us up, still taste deliciously sweet

Krista Rogers
Feb 20, 2015

As I’m currently teaching at a high school, I already have plenty of teenagers trying to do things like change the due dates of their assignmentsmess in order to mess with my brain, thank you very much. The last thing I need is for my fruit to try to do the same…so imagine my frustration when I learned that there’s a place in Japan where you can buy strawberries pretending to be peaches (or is it the other way around!?)!

Japan
(food • fruit • Peach • strawberry • taste test • weird)

Meet Asuna, the hyperreal android that will leave your jaw hanging 【Video】

Krista Rogers
Feb 11, 2015

Wonder Festival is a semiannual Japanese convention dedicated to model and figure-building which attracts all manner of pros, amateurs, and cosplayers from across the country. Most recently, the Winter 2015 Wonder Festival was held at the Makuhari Messe Convention Center in Chiba City on February 8.

Our reporter Meg was busy checking out the show when she spotted a cute girl standing behind robotic company A-Lab’s booth. “Aww, she looks just like an idol from AKB48!” Meg thought. But when she got closer, she was shocked to realize that the girl was actually a hyperreal-looking android! In fact, many of the people attending the exhibition were equally stunned to learn that Asuna was an android, and not a living, breathing human girl. Would you have been tricked along with them?

Japan
(A-Lab • Android • Asuna • technology • Wonder Festival)

Touching new Subaru commercial traverses time to win to our hearts

Krista Rogers
Feb 9, 2015

When they aren’t filming commercials involving attacks by Titans or epic 60-hour-long miniature car model shoots, Japanese car manufacturer Subaru has proven to us that they’ve also got some commercials designed to hit you right in the feels.

Take this endearing new clip set in a snowy winter’s scene, for instance. It will surely warm your heart, despite the cold!

Japan
(commercial • snow • Subaru • sweet • video)

Minimal effort, loads of flavor: Make juicy roast beef in your rice cooker with vacuum cooking!

Krista Rogers
Feb 9, 2015

Our Japanese sister site Pouch would like to let our English-speaking readers in on a simple, time and effort-conserving way to cook a flavorful roast beef. This method also allows the meat to retain all of its natural juices, so you can impress your friends with an incredibly tender home-cooked meal.

But get ready for the best part of all–you get to let your rice cooker do all the hard work!

Japan
(cooking • easy • how to • recipe • rice cooker • roast beef)

Attack on sobriety: Round 2! This time, plum wine/juice with limited edition character labels

Krista Rogers
Feb 3, 2015

Hot off the heels of our previous announcement surrounding the upcoming release of Attack on Titan-themed plum wine (umeshu), we’ve got another lead on two limited edition sets of the hit manga/anime-inspired beverages. This time around, the sets will each contain three bottles of either plum wine or plum juice, all decorated with beautiful illustrations of the anime’s character designs.

But that’s not even the coolest part–the drinks were crafted using plums grown by the Attack on Titan author’s very own family!

Japan
(anime • Attack on Titan • collaboration • Oita Prefecture • plum wine • umeshu)

Japanese opera singer records an incredible cover of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”

Krista Rogers
Jan 31, 2015

While we don’t usually think about successful opera singers breaking into the rock music industry, there’s one man out there to prove that classically trained performers can, in fact, appreciate decidedly more “modern-sounding” music.

Japanese operatic tenor Ken Nishikiori (錦織健) is one of the most prolific opera singers to come out of Japan. But recently the 55-year-old has been making waves on the net not for his sweeping operatic vocals, but for his astounding cover of British rock band Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody!”

Japan
(Bohemian Rhapsody • cover • Ken Nishikiori • opera • Queen)

Filipina singing sensation Charice is back with a short clip of ‘Let it Go,’ karaoke style!

Krista Rogers
Jan 28, 2015

This one goes out to all our readers in the Philippines–Charice is back, and she’s telling everyone to “Let it Go!”

We haven’t heard much about Charice for about a year, so it was a pleasant surprise to see the talented singer belting out the iconic song from Disney’s Frozen in a short YouTube karaoke clip. Also, we love that short new-ish ‘do she’s sporting!

Internet, SE Asia
(Charice • frozen • karaoke • Let It Go • Philippines)

Nippon Animation’s upcoming theatrical film Sinbad set for July release

Krista Rogers
Jan 27, 2015

Japanese animation studio Nippon Animation is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year by releasing a theatrical film titled Sinbad: The Flying Princess and the Mysterious Island (シンドバッド空とぶ姫と秘密の島). The studio has recently confirmed a release date of July for the film at movie theaters across Japan.

Want to know more about the upcoming movie, which is being backed by a team of some of the most illustrious names in the Japanese animation industry? We’ve got all the inside info, right after the jump!

Japan
(40th anniversary • anime • movie • Nippon Animation • Sinbad)

For grown-ups only! Ghibli Museum’s Straw Hat Cafe is offering “Valley of the Wind” beer

Krista Rogers
Jan 27, 2015

While adults visiting the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, Tokyo may have fun reliving their childhood memories, there’s no doubt that the majority of the exhibits are geared towards the younger crowd. But did you know that the museum’s cafe offers a special something that only the grown-ups can enjoy?

We’ve got all the inside info about the cafe’s “Valley of the Wind” beer–a perfect treat for anyone who loves both beer and Ghibli!

Japan
(beer • Ghibli Museum • Nausicaa • Straw Hat Cafe • Valley of the Wind)

Mr. Sato and Yoshio visit a cafe that receives a daily letter from actor Ken Watanabe

Krista Rogers
Jan 23, 2015

Prolific Japanese actor Ken Watanabe may have achieved stardom both domestically and internationally, but to the residents of a small city in northern Japan, he’s also known for his heart of gold.

Kesennuma (気仙沼), Miyagi Prefecture is one of several coastal cities that was ravaged by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. In the aftermath of the disaster, Watanabe helped build (and now manages) a combined cafe-shop in Kesennuma in an effort to provide economic relief to the locals. Most inspiring, however, is his unwavering dedication to the venture–somehow, despite his busy filming and PR schedule in both Japan and Hollywood, he still finds the time to fax a handwritten letter to the cafe every single day!

Join our ace Japanese reporters Mr. Sato and Yoshio on their recent trip up north to visit this hidden gem of northern Japan.

Japan
(K-PORT • Ken Watanabe • Kesennuma • Miyagi • Mr. Sato • tsunami)

“There’s a cat in the window”: A giant compilation of the cutest peeping Toms you’ll ever see

Krista Rogers
Jan 21, 2015

Have you ever had the experience of pulling back your curtains, only to be met by a pair of luminous, unblinking eyes from the outside?

If you have, you’ll be able to sympathize with the following Japanese Twitter users who glanced up at their windows and happened to see one or more furry feline visitors staring back. Either way, you’re sure to enjoy this compilation of (the good kind of) peeping Toms!

Internet, Japan
(cats • cute • peeping • photos • twitter)

Studio Gainax confirms plans for anime production studio and museum in Fukushima

Krista Rogers
Jan 20, 2015

GAINAX, the animation powerhouse which has spawned massive hits such as Neon Genesis Evangelion, Nadia:The Secret of Blue Water, Kare Kano, FLCL, and Gurren Lagann among others, has confirmed plans to open a studio and in-house museum in the town of Miharu, Fukushima. Specifically, the company will move into a refurbished school building that was closed two years ago.

Keep reading after the jump to find out what motivated this latest development!