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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 49)
The next evolution in begging for forgiveness has arrived: the dogeritsu
- Master Blaster
Jun 2, 2022 - Tweet
A breakthrough in penance.
Osaka’s Hotel Games isn’t just full of board games, it is a game!
- Master Blaster
Jun 1, 2022
All lodging and no play make guests dull people.
- Japan
- (awesome • Board games • COK • cool • Hotel Games • hotels • mystery games • Namba • Osaka • travel)
Security guard arrested in Shizuoka for abandoning 13 liters of urine at pachinko parlor
- Master Blaster
May 30, 2022
Going to the toilet was too much as hassle for the suspect, but hauling it across town…
- Japan
- (COK • crazy • crime • gross • pachinko parlors • urine • Waste Management Law • weird)
Japanese town recovers 43 million yen in COVID money mistakenly sent to one man who gambled it away
- Master Blaster
May 30, 2022
Probably the most unexpected turnaround in an already long string of unexpected turnarounds.
- Japan
- (Abu • COK • COVID-19 • crime • money • National Tax Collection Act • online casino • Yamaguchi Prefecture)
Convenience store robot pilots wanted, wages start at 1,450 yen per hour
- Master Blaster
May 30, 2022
Get in the damn stockroom, Shinji!
- Japan
- (convenience stores • employment • remote working • robots • technology • Telexistence • Tokyo • VR)
QR codes evolve into their newest form: a bar QR code!
- Master Blaster
May 27, 2022
What’s old is new again.
- Japan
- (Denso Wave • Micro QR code • qr code • rMQR code • technology)
Japanese startup to use NFTs to simplify the music copyright system
- Master Blaster
May 26, 2022
But to TM an NFT is NG AFAIK.
- Japan
- (ABCRecords • business • copyright • Hiroshi Fujiwara • music • NFTs)
Miyazaki City mistakenly sends over 2M yen in meat to 140 people, instructs them to eat it anyway
- Master Blaster
May 26, 2022
Meat error in your favor!
- Japan
- (furusato nozei • furusato tax • hometown tax • meat • mistake • Miyazaki City)
Our writer loses 6 kilograms (13 pounds) in 1 month with help from these Japanese 7-Eleven foods
- Master Blaster
May 25, 2022
A healthy diet and 7-Eleven aren’t often heard in the same breath, but maybe they should be.
- Japan
- (7-Eleven • carbs • Chikuwa • COK • convenience stores • dieting • diets • food • health • hijiki • Seiji Nakazawa • SNJO • weight loss)
Poop-shaped pudding makers on sale now in Japan
- Master Blaster
May 23, 2022
No longer must we carve pudding into poop ourselves live cavepeople.
- Japan
- (cooking • crazy • food • funny • Hac • poo • poop • pudding • purin • sweets • Unchiyaki • weird • Yattaze! Unchi Purin)
Man who gambled entire Japanese town’s COVID relief money arrested
- Master Blaster
May 21, 2022
The latest in a long line of slip-ups.
- Japan
- (Abu • COK • coronavirus • COVID-19 • crime • fraudulent use of computer • money • online casinos • weird • Yamaguchi Prefecture)
1,600 empty seats at major Japanese gymnastics competition reserved by single unpaying person
- Master Blaster
May 20, 2022
A big mistake? Or did someone have it out for Pommel Horse?
- Japan
- (COK • crazy • crime • gymnastics • reservations • sports • Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium • weird)
High school girl arrested for stalking Johnny’s 7 MEN Samurai member
- Master Blaster
May 19, 2022
Luckily no one was harmed in the tense encounter.
- Japan
- (7 MEN Samurai • crime • high school student • idol singers • Idols • Johnny's • Johnnys’ Jr. • music • stalking • Taiko Sasaki)
Can French fry and instant yakisoba-flavored sodas surpass kimchi as Japan’s best strange ramune?
- Master Blaster
May 19, 2022
Just because you can make something taste different doesn’t mean that you should.
- Japan
- (COK • drinks • french fries • instant noodles • instant yakisoba • kimchi • Noodles • Osaka • Ramune • SNO • soda • taste test • UFO • yakisoba)
Man who got entire town’s COVID relief money believed to have lost it all at online casinos
- Master Blaster
May 18, 2022
The Generals were due!
- Japan
- (Abu • COVID-19 • crime • lawsuits • mistakes • money • mysteries • online casinos • Yamaguchi Prefecture)
Japanese universities determine cats know the names of other cats
- Master Blaster
May 18, 2022
Poor Mr. Muffinstuff…
- Japan
- (Azabu Unviersity • cats • intelligence • Japanese cat names • Kyoto University • pets • reserach • science)
Makers of Azuki Bar report record profits in 2021
- Master Blaster
May 15, 2022
It couldn’t have happened to a nicer frozen snack.
Kids’ lunch for adults selling for a limited time at Katsuya
- Master Blaster
May 15, 2022
Eat like a kid again.
- Japan
- (Adults' Lunch • food • Katsuya • kids lunch • kids' meal • restaurants)
Man who accidentally received entire town’s COVID-19 relief money vanishes
- Master Blaster
May 14, 2022
Recipient said “I will not run” and then ran.
Let’s find out if mixing milk and a lemon-lime soda makes cream soda
- Master Blaster
May 13, 2022
Don’t blame us. It wasn’t our idea.
- Japan
- (cream soda • drinks • milk • Mitsuya Cider • Mr. Sato • Seiji Nakazawa • Zen-Noh)
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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
Yakuza boss sues expressway owners for discrimination against criminals
Family Mart releases 47 convenience store socks and stickers, one for every prefecture in Japan
Why people in Japan hardly ever say “sayonara,” and what they say instead
“Sweet sake” with yuzu is coming to Japan’s wonderful world of hot canned drinks this winter
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]
Tokyo cracks down on Airbnb-style rentals with new laws limiting operator days and more
KFC Japan starts selling soft-serve ice cream at select locations, and they’ve even put it in a biscuit
Japan’s free stock image site of muscular men doing whimsical and mundane things reveals rankings
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