SoraNews24 —Japan News—

Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.

Featured

Weird
Studio Ghibli
Jobs

Master Blaster

Writer / Translator

Master Blaster is the two-man translating team of Canada’s Steven Le Blanc and Japan’s Masami M, a pair who in addition to writing work are in English education and created the StudyNow app for Japanese students of English.

Together they have written somewhere around 1,500 articles for RocketNews24 covering such diverse topics as Chinese men selling sanitary napkins to each other and a Japanese guy dragging an ear of corn around the Tokyo train system. A few of these were actually good, but don’t take our word for it! Here’s what our beloved readers had to say:

“One isn't always in the mood for bold tastes. But when I'm in the mood for bold flavor I turn to you.”
“Stupid article. Who cares what the Japanese think it's cool. You don't call a monkey, "gorilla".”
“You know, this is about the most cogent explanation of how a turbocharger works that I have ever seen in the non-motorsports world.”
“Thanks for the article peter!”
“It's people like you who make exploitation possible.”
“It looks yummy and the story was great. Thank you for the smile.”

StudyNow App

Twitter RSS

Posted by Master Blaster (Page 121)

Does cucumber and whiskey smell like melon?

Master Blaster
Apr 24, 2017
Tweet

Whiskey maker Nikka says it does, so we investigate.

Japan
(cucumber • highball • Nikka • recipe • Whiskey)

Mystery of flesh-melting road in Kawasaki solved

Master Blaster
Apr 23, 2017

Simply stepping foot on a stretch of pavement in Kawasaki has left at least three people with injuries on their feet.

Japan
(burns • Construction • kawasaki • Tama River)

Carbonated drink commercial pulled after being deemed “too dangerous” by viewers

Master Blaster
Apr 20, 2017

The company behind Mitsuya Cider apologizes for their thoughtlessness in glorifying reckless behavior in their ad.

Japan
(Asahi Soft Drinks • commercial • Mitsuya Cider • trumpet)

Trial begins in the case of Mario Kart v. Mari Car

Master Blaster
Apr 19, 2017

Nintendo is suing a go-kart and costume rental business for infringing on their Mario Kart copyright.

Japan
(go-kart • Mari Car • Mario Kart • nintendo • Tokyo • video games)

Hackers to Gundam: 5 rumors about failed North Korean missile launch surface on Japanese Internet

Master Blaster
Apr 18, 2017

We cannot say with 100 percent certainty that a giant robot did not intervene at the last minute.

Japan, North Korea, USA
(Gundam • missile • politics • Pretty Cure)

Musician Ian McCulloch flees Japan amid US-North Korea tensions, show cancelled without warning

Master Blaster
Apr 16, 2017

You know things are getting serious when the lead singer of Echo & the Bunnymen throws in the towel.

Europe, Japan
(Echo & the Bunnymen • Ian McCulloch • music • North Korea • nuclear missile • politics • war)

Burgeoning art of aerial ramen photography making a splash, rarely literally

Master Blaster
Apr 15, 2017

A new trend is treating us to vistas of soup rarely seen by humans, whether we like it or not.

Japan
(dorosha • drones • food • photography • photos • ramen • weird)

We order a “Mystery Lucky Bag of Imperfect Goods” through Amazon, end up with a pile of crab

Master Blaster
Apr 14, 2017

You can’t go wrong buying a random assortment of flawed seafood through the mail.

Japan
(Amazon • crab • crazy • food • imperfect goods • Lucky Bags • seafood • weird)

Japanese bakeries can now use a Robocop-style bread recognition checkout system

Master Blaster
Apr 12, 2017

Overkill or overkill like a fox?

Japan
(bakery • Bakery Scan • business • image recognition • technology)

Four-time boxing champion Koki Kameda will take on all comers, winner gets 10 million yen

Master Blaster
Apr 11, 2017

You too can experience all the joy and wonder of getting punched in the face by a champion, and maybe even get a lot of money.

Japan
(boxing • crazy • Koki Kameda • sports • weird)

Japanese researchers redesign electric car to go farther than ever before on a single charge

Master Blaster
Apr 10, 2017

The Wireless IWM Unit 2 turns a flaw of a electric vehicles into a strength, opening a world of possibilities.

Japan
(cars • electric vehicle • in-wheel motor • science • technology • University of Tokyo • Wireless IWM)

Ultimate “crap game” Takeshi’s Challenge coming to smartphones this summer!

Master Blaster
Apr 8, 2017

Experience all of the fun and frustration – mostly frustration – of the classic Nintendo game with some added features.

Japan
(Beat Takeshi • famicom • kusoge • Takeshi Kitano • Takeshi's Challenge • video • video games)

Japanese professor develops device to allow cars to cleanly run on hydrogen from ammonia

Master Blaster
Apr 7, 2017

The Plasma Membrane Reactor can take a jug of ammonia and convert it into pure hydrogen cleanly and cheaply to power anything from portable generators to cars.