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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.”

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Posted by Master Blaster (Page 3)

Movie about Shinzo Abe assassination reportedly in the works

• Master Blaster
  Sep 4, 2026
• Tweet

Too soon?

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• Japan
• (assassination • crime • Masaki Suda • movies • Shinzo Abe • Unification Church)

Elderly couple donates 400 million yen to erect Myaku-Myaku statue in Osaka

• Master Blaster
  Sep 3, 2026

Multi-million-dollar Myaku-Myaku donation.

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• Japan
• (2025 Osaka World Expo • donation • Mascots • money • Myaku-Myaku • Osaka • statues • tower of the sun)

One Piece Day 2026 brings new art, music, and new cast announcements

• Master Blaster
  Aug 31, 2026

Two days, One Piece.

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• Japan
• (anime • events • manga • Mayumi Tanaka • One Piece • One Piece Day)

Turn octopus, spaghetti, and more of your favorite foods into crackers with Senbei Maker 2

• Master Blaster
  Aug 25, 2026

You haven’t truly eaten a food until you’ve made it into a cracker.

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• Japan
• (appliances • cooking • crackers • food • senbei • Senbei Maker 2 • Thanko)

Time-lapse footage shows just how fast rebuilding in Kumamoto can go

• Master Blaster
  Aug 17, 2026

All in a day’s work.

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• Japan
• (2026 Kumamoto earthquake • Construction • disasters • earthquakes • highways • Kumamoto • Kyushu • moving • NEXCO • recovery • touching)

Police ask Kumamoto residents to not get blackout drunk as much during earthquake relief efforts

• Master Blaster
  Aug 11, 2026

Hard times and hard drinking don’t mix.

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• Japan
• (2026 Kumamoto earthquake • alcohol • drinking • earthquake • Kumamoto • Kyushu • Natural disasters • police)

One Piece Day returns to Tokyo Big Sight and worldwide on Youtube 22 and 23 August

• Master Blaster
  Aug 10, 2026

A day so nice they made it twice.

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• Japan
• (anime • events • manga • One Piece • One Piece Day • Tokyo Big Sight • trading card games • video games)

Over 400 titles of free translated manga from publisher Shueisha available for a limited time

• Master Blaster
  Aug 6, 2026

It’s their birthday, but we’re getting the presents!

Read More

• Global, Internet, Japan
• (anniversaries • free • Hideaki Hayashi • manga • Manga Million • Shueisha • translation)

Japan’s Super Volunteer, 86-year-old Haruo Obata, heads to the Kumamoto earthquake site

• Master Blaster
  Aug 3, 2026

Your friendly neighborhood Super Volunteer.

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• Japan
• (disasters • earthquake • Haruo Obata • Kumamoto • kumamoto earthquake • Kumamoto earthquake 2026 • society • Super Volunteer • volunteering)

Koei Tecmo continues to be an investment firm that also happens to make video games

• Master Blaster
  Aug 1, 2026

I’ve yet to see Berkshire Hathaway’s psychological horror game.

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• Japan
• (business • investment • Keiko Erikawa • Koei • Koei Tecmo • video games)

Okayama man arrested for catching butterflies in central Japan

• Master Blaster
  Jul 31, 2026

It’s becoming a regular Gotham City out there.

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• Japan
• (butterflies • crime • endangered species • Gifu • insects • Kita Alps • Kohyomon Modoki • Mellicta ambigua niphona • Norikura Kogen • Okayama)

Japanese government okays plan to create a backup capital city

• Master Blaster
  Jul 27, 2026

Always good to have a spare lying around.

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• Japan
• (Aichi • capital city • fukushoto • Japan Innovation Party • Nagoya • Nippon Ishin no Kai • Osaka • politics • Tokyo • vice-capital)

61-year-old Kyoto man arrested for playing guitar and radio too loudly for seven years

• Master Blaster
  Jul 27, 2026

Those darn sexagenarians with their loud rock music.

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• Japan
• (assault • crime • etiquette • guitars • Kyoto • music • noise • nuisance)

Yakuza members arrested for building a road on mountain they don’t own

• Master Blaster
  Jul 22, 2026

Darn gangsters! Building infrastructure without permission.

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• Japan
• (Construction • Hiroshima • Kyosei-kai • Organized crime • roads • yakuza)

“Stab-kill for two deaths” and other fun Japanese baseball terms

• Master Blaster
  Jul 19, 2026

And it’s one, two, three strikes you’re dead at the old ball game!

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• Japan
• (baseball • Chuman Kanae • history • jargon • language • Masaoka Shiki • sports)

Mass murder plot stopped by friend of Akihabara mass murderer

• Master Blaster
  Jul 17, 2026

A friend to the friendless.

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• Japan
• (Akihabara Massacre • crime • murder • Shuitsu Otomo • Tokyo • Tomohiro Kato • Toyama)

Shizuoka police inspector punished for playing crane games on duty

• Master Blaster
  Jul 14, 2026

To serve and get plush toys.

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• Japan
• (crane games • crazy • crime • fraud • police • UFO catchers • weird)

3-second salt company jingle becomes #1 karaoke song in Japan across all genres

• Master Blaster
  Jul 11, 2026

Everyone’s feeling a little salty this summer.

Read More

• Japan
• (Hakata no Shio • Hakata Salt • Joysound • karaoke • music • ranking • sound logos)

Solid gold Hedorah kaiju from the Godzilla series is now available to pre-order

• Master Blaster
  Jul 11, 2026

Made of solid gold, this slime monster is a sound investment.

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• Japan
• (figures • Godzilla • gold • Hedora • jewelry • movies • U-Treasure)

Grandpa Sensei solo art exhibition returning to Tokyo and he’ll be there every day of it

• Master Blaster
  Jul 9, 2026

Take it easy and enjoy some painting with Harumichi Shibasaki.

Read More

• Japan
• (art • crayons • events • exhibitions • Grandpa Sensei • Harumichi Shibasaki • Hiltopia Art Square • painting • watercolor)

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• Recent Posts

  • Ichiran Japan is giving away free 2027 desk calendars, and here’s how to get them
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  Today

  1. Ichiran releases an at-home counter kit that turns your desk into a ramen restaurant
  2. Yesterday’s cooking oil powers 410,000 pink winter sakura lights along Tokyo’s Meguro River
  3. Starbucks Japan releases new Bearista glass tumbler that changes character with every drink
  4. Ichiran Japan is giving away free 2027 desk calendars, and here’s how to get them
  5. Tokyo police arrest the Ame-zing Spider-Man
  6. Life-size Gundam head going on display in Osaka, hopefully will find permanent home
  7. Move aside, Asahi Super Dry – Asahi Spice Beer is in town, and it’s hotter than you think
  8. Starbucks Japan reveals new Joyful Capsule gacha toy release date
  9. KFC now sells takikomi gohan rice boxes in Japan, if you know where to look for them [Taste test]
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  Weekly

  1. Tokyo cracks down on Airbnb-style rentals with new laws limiting operator days and more
  2. Ichiran releases an at-home counter kit that turns your desk into a ramen restaurant
  3. America’s first-ever permanent One Piece store is now open [Photos]
  4. Tokyo neighborhood adds new “smart trash cans” to deal with increasing amounts of tourist litter
  5. Two Tokyo neighborhoods to gather on bridge and shift their recognized border through tug-of-war
  6. Starbucks Japan unveils new winter drinkware collection with limited-edition Stanley cups
  7. New Era celebrates three decades of Pokémon with new 30th anniversary cap line [Photos]
  8. Pokémon card game’s expansion features art from Fist of the North Star creator
  9. Starbucks Japan reveals new Joyful Capsule gacha toy release date
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  Monthly

  1. Pokémon Company announces first-ever permanent Pokémon store to open outside Asia
  2. Japan ends tax-free shopping system for foreign tourists, new refund request system now in effect
  3. Japan’s TeamLab digital art group is opening a permanent museum in America
  4. Beautiful Ghibli diorama kits lets you build anime characters’ homes inside yours [Photos]
  5. Family Mart releases 47 convenience store socks and stickers, one for every prefecture in Japan
  6. Chainsaw robots helping keep trains running safely in east Japan [Video]
  7. New Studio Ghibli anime gets extended run at the only cinema in Japan where it’s being shown
  8. Osaka’s famous Glico Running Man will be removed and replaced with a new-look sign
  9. Tokyo cracks down on Airbnb-style rentals with new laws limiting operator days and more
  10. Studio Ghibli creates illustrated Kyoto sightseeing map, available at any 7-Eleven Japan store

  Yearly

  1. Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
  2. Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
  3. Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
  4. Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
  5. Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
  6. Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
  7. Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
  8. Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
  9. Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
  10. Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa

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