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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.”
Posted by Master Blaster (Page 13)
Puppet Sunsun taking over Lawson convenience stores all over Japan
- Master Blaster
Aug 20, 2025 - Tweet
Help celebrate the biggest name in Japanese puppets today.
- Japan
- (collaborations • convenience stores • cute • food • Fuji TV • Lawson • Mezamashi TV • Puppet Sunsun • puppets • TV)
Live-action Luffy Inaki Godoy made the voyage to Tokyo for a surprise-filled One Piece Day 2025
- Master Blaster
Aug 19, 2025
Try to say “real-life Luffy” five times fast.
- Japan
- (anime • events • manga • One Piece • One Piece Day • One Piece Day 2025 • Tokyo Big Site • video games)
New mineral discovered in Japan named after the goddess of the sun
- Master Blaster
Aug 19, 2025
Researchers are far from jaded about this jade.
- Japan
- (Amaterasu • Amaterasuite • culture • jade • jadeite • mineralogy • minerals • rocks • science • shinto)
Rhinoceros beetles falling out of favor with Japanese kids
- Master Blaster
Aug 18, 2025
Hotter summers to blame for insect-adverse kids.
- Japan
- (culture • insects • Kabutomushi • kids • rhinoceros beetle • summer)
Japan has toothpaste that’s supposed to make milk taste better after you brush with it【Taste test】
- Master Blaster
Aug 7, 2025
We take Breath Labo to the lab.
- Japan
- (Breath Labo • COK • crazy • milk • Morinaga • Morinaga no Oishii Milk • SNO • taste test • teeth brushing • toothpaste • weird)
The Osaka subway system and Dracula want to teach you about blood
- Master Blaster
Aug 4, 2025
No blood will be shown though, if you’re squeamish about that stuff.
- Japan
- (advertisements • blood • COK • cool • health • Midosuji Line • Osaka • Osaka Metro • science • Subway • Sysmex • technology • Trivia • weird)
Immersive multimedia Gustav Klimt exhibition held in Tokyo
- Master Blaster
Aug 3, 2025
Toss on a loose-fitting robe and head on down.
Unko Museum to open in Okinawa with some exclusive crap
- Master Blaster
Aug 3, 2025
This is a good movement.
- Japan
- (art • attractions • design • Okinawa • poop • travel • Unko Mart • Unko Museum)
Mrs. Green Apple’s recent concert gets noise complaints from next city over, 15 kilometers away
- Master Blaster
Jul 30, 2025
Those darn kids with their rock music and inverted incidence!
- Japan
- (acoustics • concerts • kawasaki • Mrs. Green Apple • music • noise • physics • science • weather • Yokohama)
Lawson debuts new fried chicken so let’s see how it compares to other stores
- Master Blaster
Jul 30, 2025
Is the biggest bird best?
- Japan
- (7-Eleven • convenience stores • Fami Chiki • Family mart • food • fried chicken • L Chiki • Lawson • Manmaru Chicken • Nana Chiki)
Visiting Shohei Ohtani’s official manhole lid in his hometown and more
- Master Blaster
Jul 29, 2025
Always judge a manhole by its cover.
- Japan
- (baseball • iwate prefecture • Kirika Kosuzu • manhole covers • MLB • Mori Masaru • Morioka • Oshu • Shohei Ohtani • sports • Yusei Kikuchi)
Honda’s real-life Koraidon to run for the first time at Suzuka 8 Hours final
- Master Blaster
Jul 28, 2025
The past is now.
- Japan
- (Honda • Koraidon • Mie • motorcycles • Pokemon • Pokémon Scarlet • Pokémon Scarlet and Violet • Suzuka 8 Hours • suzuka circuit)
Aichi senior and former fraud victim arrested for fraud
- Master Blaster
Jul 28, 2025
If you can’t beat ’em…
Part-time clerk arrested for making over 200 million yen in fake purchase to steal free points
- Master Blaster
Jul 26, 2025
It may be a cashless crime, but it isn’t a victimless one.
- Japan
- (COK • crazy • crime • fraud • Hiroshima • point systems • shopping centers • weird)
Japanese train station building set up in just two hours with the help of 3D printing
- Master Blaster
Jul 25, 2025
It’s a license to print train stations.
- Japan
- (3D printing • architecture • Construction • Hatsushima Station • JR West • technology • train stations • Wakayama)
A touch of class and glass brings out the best in Japan’s Hata Premium soda pop
- Master Blaster
Jul 24, 2025
Rumors of ramune’s demise were greatly exaggerated.
- Japan
- (Beverages • Hata Kosen • Hata Premium • Ramune • sodas • soft drinks)
Living the fake high life with Beyond Tofu That’s Like Foie Gras【Taste test】
- Master Blaster
Jul 23, 2025
Tofoie gras.
- Japan
- (Beyond Tofu • Beyond Tofu That's Like Foie Gras • COK • foie gras • food • Sagamiya • SNJO • taste test • tofu • vegan food • vegetarian food)
Children’s books about hybrid mouse-bread thief celebrates 5th anniversary with huge event
- Master Blaster
Jul 22, 2025
If bread theft is wrong, then baby, I don’t wanna be right.
- Japan
- (books • Bread Thief • children's books • events • Keiko Shibata • Pan Dorobo • Shibuya • Tokyo)
Young Magazine to give away special US-only edition with works by new and legendary mangaka
- Master Blaster
Jul 21, 2025
Over 1,000 pages of free manga goodness.
- Japan
- (Anime NYC • Fuan no Tane • Initial D • K Manga • Kinokuniya • manga • Masaaki Nakayama • PTSD Radio • Shuichi Shigeno • Shuzo Oshimi • Subaru and Subaru • Under Ninja • Young Magazine)
Japanese guitar maker Fernandes declares bankruptcy due to plummeting sales
- Master Blaster
Jul 19, 2025
The patch cable has been pulled.
- Japan
- (bankruptcy • bass • Burny • business • Fernandes • guitars • music • musical instruments)
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Recent Posts
- Ichiran Japan is giving away free 2027 desk calendars, and here’s how to get them
- Yesterday’s cooking oil powers 410,000 pink winter sakura lights along Tokyo’s Meguro River
- Life-size Gundam head going on display in Osaka, hopefully will find permanent home
- Tokyo police arrest the Ame-zing Spider-Man
- Ichiran releases an at-home counter kit that turns your desk into a ramen restaurant
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MOST POPULAR
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Today
Ichiran releases an at-home counter kit that turns your desk into a ramen restaurant
Yesterday’s cooking oil powers 410,000 pink winter sakura lights along Tokyo’s Meguro River
Starbucks Japan releases new Bearista glass tumbler that changes character with every drink
Tokyo police arrest the Ame-zing Spider-Man
Ichiran Japan is giving away free 2027 desk calendars, and here’s how to get them
Life-size Gundam head going on display in Osaka, hopefully will find permanent home
Move aside, Asahi Super Dry – Asahi Spice Beer is in town, and it’s hotter than you think
Starbucks Japan reveals new Joyful Capsule gacha toy release date
KFC now sells takikomi gohan rice boxes in Japan, if you know where to look for them [Taste test]
Japan’s upcoming Romancecar train seeks to end intimacy with its super-wide seats
Weekly
Tokyo cracks down on Airbnb-style rentals with new laws limiting operator days and more
Ichiran releases an at-home counter kit that turns your desk into a ramen restaurant
America’s first-ever permanent One Piece store is now open [Photos]
Tokyo neighborhood adds new “smart trash cans” to deal with increasing amounts of tourist litter
Two Tokyo neighborhoods to gather on bridge and shift their recognized border through tug-of-war
Starbucks Japan unveils new winter drinkware collection with limited-edition Stanley cups
New Era celebrates three decades of Pokémon with new 30th anniversary cap line [Photos]
Pokémon card game’s expansion features art from Fist of the North Star creator
Starbucks Japan reveals new Joyful Capsule gacha toy release date
Japanese hoodie for cat-loving gamers will keep you and your feline friend warm and fuzzy [Pics]
Monthly
Pokémon Company announces first-ever permanent Pokémon store to open outside Asia
Japan ends tax-free shopping system for foreign tourists, new refund request system now in effect
Japan’s TeamLab digital art group is opening a permanent museum in America
Beautiful Ghibli diorama kits lets you build anime characters’ homes inside yours [Photos]
Family Mart releases 47 convenience store socks and stickers, one for every prefecture in Japan
Chainsaw robots helping keep trains running safely in east Japan [Video]
New Studio Ghibli anime gets extended run at the only cinema in Japan where it’s being shown
Osaka’s famous Glico Running Man will be removed and replaced with a new-look sign
Tokyo cracks down on Airbnb-style rentals with new laws limiting operator days and more
Studio Ghibli creates illustrated Kyoto sightseeing map, available at any 7-Eleven Japan store
Yearly
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
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RECOMMENDED STORIES
Life-size Gundam head going on display in Osaka, hopefully will find permanent home
Move aside, Asahi Super Dry – Asahi Spice Beer is in town, and it’s hotter than you think
Starbucks Japan reveals new Joyful Capsule gacha toy release date
KFC now sells takikomi gohan rice boxes in Japan, if you know where to look for them [Taste test]
Japan’s upcoming Romancecar train seeks to end intimacy with its super-wide seats
Family Mart releases 47 convenience store socks and stickers, one for every prefecture in Japan
“Sweet sake” with yuzu is coming to Japan’s wonderful world of hot canned drinks this winter
Why people in Japan hardly ever say “sayonara,” and what they say instead
Yakuza boss sues expressway owners for discrimination against criminals
Is hamburger patty ramen a case of too many good things in one bowl? Let’s find out! [Taste test]
Historical-themed illumination display returns to Osaka Castle this winter
Tokyo cracks down on Airbnb-style rentals with new laws limiting operator days and more
Amazing Japanese yogurt spoon scoops up every last drop of dairy effortlessly
Tokyo neighborhood adds new “smart trash cans” to deal with increasing amounts of tourist litter
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