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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 38)
Fender to open first-ever flagship store in Harajuku this summer
- Master Blaster
Mar 2, 2023 - Tweet
A store that encourages everyone to be picky.
- Japan
- (business • Fender • Fender Flagship Tokyo • guitars • Harajuku • music • shopping • The Ice Cubes • Tokyo)
Love in all its shapes and sizes make up MangaPlaza’s biggest hits of 2022
- Master Blaster
Mar 2, 2023
It makes the manga world go round too.
- Internet, Japan, USA
- (Makeup with Mud • manga • MangaPlaza • Misadventures in First Love • Plus-sized Misadventures in Love! • romance • Shall We Exchange Husbands? • The Managing Director's Ingeniously Sweet Plan • Tonight)
Hokkaido company to start balloon ride service to the stratosphere
- Master Blaster
Feb 28, 2023
Very topical.
- Japan
- (balloons • business • flying • Hokkaido • Iwaya Giken • Open Universe • space tourism • stratosphere • T-10 Earther • technology • travel)
Vending machine for cat treats installed in Osaka, and it meows at you!【Video】
- Master Blaster
Feb 25, 2023
It’s a veritable fancy vending machine feast!
- Japan
- (animals • Cat Day • cat food • cats • COK • Dydo • Japanese vending machines • Mon Petit • Neco Republic • Osaka • Purina • vending machines)
“There isn’t anyone else good” is reason for nearly half of PM Kishida’s support, according to survey
- Master Blaster
Feb 24, 2023
I’d do it, but I have tuba practice on Wednesdays.
- Japan
- (approval rating • Fumio Kishida • LDP • Liberal Democratic Party • politicians • politics • prime minister • society)
Stools made from real taiko drum parts sold by 160-year-old workshop and French designer
- Master Blaster
Feb 22, 2023
Make every day a festival with these pieces.
- Japan
- (cool • drums • Japanese traditional crafts • Miyamoto Unosuke Shoten • music • musical instruments • Pierre Charrie • taiko • The Curve)
An exquisite work of beef art makes the perfect Kabuki Day gift
- Master Blaster
Feb 20, 2023
I’d look like that too if my hair were meat.
- Japan
- (Art Beef Gallery • beef • culture • kabuki • kabuki day • meat • omi beef • Renjishi • ukiyo-e • Wagyu)
Pouches that play the Yobikumi-kun Japanese supermarket jingle on sale now
- Master Blaster
Feb 18, 2023
A rare chance to get a relatively cheap Yobikumi-kun!
- Japan
- (Gunma Denki • mook • music • pouches • supermarkets • Takarajimasha • Yobikumi-kun)
Fukushima man arrested for defecating on another person’s bicycle seat
- Master Blaster
Feb 17, 2023
The suspect claims to have been attracted to the victim.
Hyogo man arrested for stealing over 1,000 New Year greeting cards to “distract from loneliness”
- Master Blaster
Feb 16, 2023
1,000 is the loneliest number.
- Japan
- (crime • Hyogo • nengajyo • New Year's • New Year's cards • Nishinomiya • theft)
Osaka man arrested after paying phone bill in the middle of crime spree
- Master Blaster
Feb 14, 2023
Crime doesn’t pay.
- Japan
- (convenience stores • crime • Osaka • phone bill • robbery • strange)
Restaurant-quality frozen ramen that doesn’t need water added to go on sale 20 February
- Master Blaster
Feb 14, 2023
Water isn’t added, but the taste of Kitakata Ramen Bannai is.
- Japan
- (frozen ramen • instant noodles • Instant Ramen • Kinrei • Kitakata Ramen Bannai • Omizunai • pork • ramen)
Using the power of cosplay and friendship to stay warm this winter
- Master Blaster
Feb 14, 2023
Co-workers that hair together stay together.
- Japan
- (Amazon Japan • cold weather • cosplay • long hair • Seiji Nakazawa • wigs • winter)
Japanese celebs go on “patrol” to help revolving sushi chain Sushiro
- Master Blaster
Feb 10, 2023
I’m doing my part!
- Internet, Japan
- (business • Chiitan • Conveyor belt sushi • Hajime Shacho • Hikaru • Kazutoyo Kobayu • revolving sushi • social media • sushi • Sushiro • Takafumi Horie)
Looking for cheap sightseeing in Tokyo? How about these rad stairs at Za-Koenji Public Theatre?
- Master Blaster
Feb 7, 2023
These stairs draw a lot of stares.
- Japan
- (Cafe Henri Fabre • cafes • culture • Koenji • sightseeing • stairs • Suginami • theaters • Tokyo • Za-Keonji Public Theatre)
We investigate a block of abandoned Russian territory in Nagasaki
- Master Blaster
Feb 5, 2023
And in Soviet Nagasaki, the block investigates us!
- Japan, Russia
- (abandoned buildings • cats • COK • cool • Nagasaki • Russian Empire • SNJO • Soviet Union • territorial dispute • travel • weird)
Is it the end of Japan’s conveyor belt sushi as we know it?
- Master Blaster
Feb 2, 2023
And I don’t feel all that fine.
- Japan
- (COK • Conveyor belt sushi • food • gross • Hama Sushi • Kaitenzushi • Kura Sushi • prank • revolving sushi • saliva terrorism • Shushiro • sushi)
Synthetic fossil fuels made from light, water, and CO2 in the air tested in Osaka
- Master Blaster
Feb 2, 2023
A fuel that consumes the CO2 it produces to make more of itself.
- Japan
- (carbon dioxide • CO2 • cool • eco-friendly • ecology • environment • Osaka • science • Sustainable Energy • synthetic fuel • water)
Panasonic says to stop wearing socks while you sleep
- Master Blaster
Feb 2, 2023
I’m going to call Sony for a second opinion.
Lawson convenience stores up-sizing several items by 47 percent, but for the same price, for February
- Master Blaster
Feb 1, 2023
The move is intended to provide relief from rising prices.
- Japan
- (business • food • large portions • Lawson • onigiri • Premium Roll Cake • price increase • roll cake • shopping • yakisoba bread)
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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
Starbucks Japan reveals new Joyful Capsule gacha toy release date
Move aside, Asahi Super Dry – Asahi Spice Beer is in town, and it’s hotter than you think
KFC now sells takikomi gohan rice boxes in Japan, if you know where to look for them [Taste test]
Family Mart releases 47 convenience store socks and stickers, one for every prefecture in Japan
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
Starbucks Japan reveals new Joyful Capsule gacha toy release date
Move aside, Asahi Super Dry – Asahi Spice Beer is in town, and it’s hotter than you think
KFC now sells takikomi gohan rice boxes in Japan, if you know where to look for them [Taste test]
Family Mart releases 47 convenience store socks and stickers, one for every prefecture in Japan
Japan’s upcoming Romancecar train seeks to end intimacy with its super-wide seats
Yakuza boss sues expressway owners for discrimination against criminals
“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
Historical-themed illumination display returns to Osaka Castle this winter
Is hamburger patty ramen a case of too many good things in one bowl? Let’s find out! [Taste test]
KFC Japan starts selling soft-serve ice cream at select locations, and they’ve even put it in a biscuit
Tokyo cracks down on Airbnb-style rentals with new laws limiting operator days and more
Tokyo neighborhood adds new “smart trash cans” to deal with increasing amounts of tourist litter
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