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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 73)

Nintendo’s victory over MariCar finalized by Supreme Court of Japan

• Master Blaster
  Dec 28, 2020
• Tweet

The final shell was cast in the long legal battle, and it was a blue one.

Read More

• Japan
• (business • copyright • lawsuit • MariCar • Mario Kart • nintendo • Street Kart)

A life-sized bust of Kenshiro from Fist of the North Star from Osaka is tax deductible!

• Master Blaster
  Dec 27, 2020

You’re already a tax write-off.

Read More

• Japan
• (anime • bust • figure • Fist of the North Star • furusato tax • Kadoma • Kaiyodo • Kenshiro • manga • Osaka)

Gunma teacher arrested for spray-gluing coworker’s belongings to desk

• Master Blaster
  Dec 24, 2020

Charges against the teacher are likely to stick.

Read More

• Japan
• (crime • Gunma • school • spray glue • Takasaki • Teachers • vandalism)

Hokkaido man steals front end loader from neighboring town to plow snow in own neighborhood

• Master Blaster
  Dec 24, 2020

He’ll need to steal an excavator too to dig himself out of this hole.

Read More

• Japan
• (construction equipment • crime • front-end loader • Hokkaido • Nakafurano • snow • theft)

Okayama’s Tiger Mask makes final donation of school bags after five years of generosity

• Master Blaster
  Dec 21, 2020

Hopes someone else will pick up the mask from here on out.

Read More

• Japan
• (anime • backpacks • charity • donation • kasaoka • manga • moving • Okayama • orphanages • randoseru • Tiger Mask • touching)

COVID-19 appears to be suppressing the flu in Japan, number of cases down and decreasing

• Master Blaster
  Dec 21, 2020

COVID-19 might have even canceled flu season.

Read More

• Japan
• (coronavirus • COVID-19 • epidemic • flu • flu season • health • influenza • Ministry of Health Labor and Welfare • statistics)

All aboard the “Merry Christmask” train in Mie Prefecture

• Master Blaster
  Dec 17, 2020

Look up “bittersweet” in the dictionary and you might just see the Merry Christmask train.

Read More

• Japan
• (Christmas • Christmas Train • coronavirus • COVID-19 • face masks • Mie • Sangi Railway • Santa Train • trains)

Japanese fine art and pill bugs finally become one in BugArts Ukiyo-e series

• Master Blaster
  Dec 17, 2020

All artists involved are no longer living, and that’s probably for the best.

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• Japan
• (art • Bandai • bugs • hokusai • pill-bug • potato bug • roly poly • Toshusai Sharaku • toys • ukiyo-e • Utagawa Kuniyoshi • Utagawa Yoshifuji • weird • woodblock prints)

Dine out and isolate at the same time at Tokyo’s Prison Restaurant: The Lockup

• Master Blaster
  Dec 15, 2020

The Lockup is ringing in the holidays with a very special skull-themed hotpot!

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• Japan
• (Kabukicho • nabe • prison • Prison Restaurant: The Lockup • restaurants • The Lockup • theme restaurants • Tokyo)

Elderly Wakayama woman arrested for hacking her local supermarket’s self-checkout

• Master Blaster
  Dec 12, 2020

Senior turned to computer fraud to get a discount on her eggs.

Read More

• Japan
• (aging population • computer fraud • crime • discount stickers • elderly • Kainan • self-checkout • seniors • supermarkets • Wakayama)

Supermarket slip lawsuit ruling influenced by size and color of pumpkin tempura

• Master Blaster
  Dec 11, 2020

Once again, the scales of justice hinge on fried vegetables.

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• Japan
• (accident • kabocha • law • lawsuit • pumpkin • slip • Summit • supermarket • tempura • Tokyo)

Shortage of chocolatey milk enhancer Milo has Japanese resellers licking their chops

• Master Blaster
  Dec 9, 2020

Truly the winter of our discontent.

Read More

• Japan
• (business • chocolate • food • mercari • Milo • Nestle Japan • resellers • shortage)

Petition started to stop Doraemon from constantly showing Shizuka in the bath

• Master Blaster
  Dec 9, 2020

She’s clean. We get it already.

Read More

• Japan
• (anime • bath • Doraemon • manga • Nobita • peeping • petition • sexual offence • Shizuka)

Chen Mapo Dofu restaurants across Japan offering one free bowl of dandan noodles a day for a year

• Master Blaster
  Dec 7, 2020

And the offer is good until 13 December only, so hurry up!

Read More

• Japan
• (Chen Mapo Dofu • chinese food • dandan noodles • free food • mapo tofu • Mr. Sato • SNJO • spicy food)

Post office manager sacked for embezzling 130 million yen in stamps

• Master Blaster
  Dec 7, 2020

Yeah, but when you convert that to dollars… Holy cow!

Read More

• Japan
• (COK • crazy • crime • Japan Post • Osaka • post office • Sakai City • stamps • weird)

Japanese comedian apologizes for his many “multipurpose toilet affairs”

• Master Blaster
  Dec 5, 2020

That was not one of the multiple purposes of those toilets.

Read More

• Japan
• (comedy • extramarital affair • Gaki no Tsukai • Ken Watabe • multipurpose toilet • multipurpose toilet affair • scandal)

Move over ramen and udon, “cup okonomiyaki” has come to play*

• Master Blaster
  Dec 3, 2020

*Some actual cooking required

Read More

• Japan
• (COK • cooking • Cup-Made Okonomiyaki • food • instant food • Japanese food • Nisshin Seifun • okonomiyaki • SNJO • Takashi Harada)

Yoshiki’s first photo book in 28 years becomes bestseller in Japan

• Master Blaster
  Dec 2, 2020

Looks like he’s still got it.

Read More

• Japan
• (books • Handsome men • J-Pop • music • musicians • photography • X Japan • X&Y • Yoshiki)

The Mister Donut Ice Bar: “When donuts become ice cream”

• Master Blaster
  Dec 1, 2020

This unassuming bar is a big moment in ice-creamology.

Read More

• Japan
• (angel cream donut • frozen snacks • ice cream • Mister Donut • Mister Donut Ice Bar • Morinaga • snacks • SNO)

Nara University study finds some common teas can neutralize COVID-19

• Master Blaster
  Nov 28, 2020

Let’s hope this doesn’t turn into another buying frenzy.

Read More

• Japan
• (black tea • catechin • coronavirus • COVID-19 • health • Nara Medical University • science • tea)

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• Recent Posts

  • Cup Noodles go isekai in crossovers with three of Japan’s other favorite foods [Taste test]
  • 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

• MOST POPULAR

  • Today
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  Today

  1. Ichiran releases an at-home counter kit that turns your desk into a ramen restaurant
  2. Starbucks Japan releases new Bearista glass tumbler that changes character with every drink
  3. Yesterday’s cooking oil powers 410,000 pink winter sakura lights along Tokyo’s Meguro River
  4. Tokyo police arrest the Ame-zing Spider-Man
  5. Ichiran Japan is giving away free 2027 desk calendars, and here’s how to get them
  6. Life-size Gundam head going on display in Osaka, hopefully will find permanent home
  7. Starbucks Japan reveals new Joyful Capsule gacha toy release date
  8. KFC now sells takikomi gohan rice boxes in Japan, if you know where to look for them [Taste test]
  9. Move aside, Asahi Super Dry – Asahi Spice Beer is in town, and it’s hotter than you think
  10. Family Mart releases 47 convenience store socks and stickers, one for every prefecture in Japan

  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
  10. Japanese hoodie for cat-loving gamers will keep you and your feline friend warm and fuzzy [Pics]

  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

• RECOMMENDED STORIES

  • Life-size Gundam head going on display in Osaka, hopefully will find permanent home
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  • Move aside, Asahi Super Dry – Asahi Spice Beer is in town, and it’s hotter than you think
  • 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
  • Yakuza boss sues expressway owners for discrimination against criminals
  • Japan’s upcoming Romancecar train seeks to end intimacy with its super-wide seats
  • “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
  • Starbucks Japan unveils new Christmas goods for 2026, with exclusive holiday surprises

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