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Michelle Lynn Dinh

Editor/ Writer

Michelle always seems to find her way back to Japan, having been there for vacation, study abroad, and work. During her time on the JET Programme, she lived on the island of Chiburi in Shimane, Japan’s “least popular prefecture.” In her heart, she will always be a member of that sleepy little fishing village she once called home. When she’s not swearing like a sailor while playing video games, Michelle enjoys playing soccer and “studying” Japanese.

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Posted by Michelle Lynn Dinh

Six outdoor Japanese hot springs you can visit right now (with Google Street View)

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Mar 5, 2015
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Almost everyone loves soaking in an outdoor hot spring bath, called rotenburo in Japanese. The combination of soothing natural mineral water and being buck naked outside is enough to wash all your stress away. Just look at those little capybara in the photo above. Don’t they look so relaxed?

If you ever have the chance to visit Japan, we highly recommend you take a dip in a rotenburo. But if you aren’t able to make the long journey over to this wonderful country right away, might we suggest taking a virtual tour of six outdoor hot springs in Japan?

Japan
(Google Maps • hot springs • Japanese • rotenburo • travel)

Say “I love you” with seaweed: Message kombu is the tastiest way to tell her you care

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Feb 10, 2015

As you may have noticed, Japan has pretty much mastered the art of sprucing up food. We’ve already seen a plethora of tools to create bear-shaped rice or smiley face sausages, but we’re particularly excited about a certain product we just discovered up north in Hokkaido. They’re called “message kombu” and the heartfelt messages made out of seaweed are sure to put a smile on anyone’s face.

Japan
(art • food • Hokkaido • seaweed • souvenir)

Hawaiian-inspired loco moco and kalua pork burgers coming to McDonald’s Japan

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Feb 5, 2015

As part of their World Mac Hawaii campaign, McDonald’s Japan will be serving up island-inspired burgers and desserts starting February 10. With flavors taking a cue from popular Hawaiian main dishes such as kalua pork and the famous loco moco, and desserts featuring a tropical flare, these new menu items are sure to put a little sunshine in your cold, snowy Japanese winter.

Japan
(burgers • fast food • hawaii • Loco Moco • McDonald's Japan)

Diamond Fuji: One of the most beautiful views of Japan’s iconic mountain

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Jan 10, 2015

Every year at the end of December, something magical happens to Japan’s tallest mountain. As the sun descends in the sky bringing a close to another day, it meets with the summit of Mount Fuji for a few brief moments, making it appear as if the peak is topped with a glistening diamond. Thousands of people flock to vantage points around the area for a chance to see this special phenomenon, dubbed “Diamond Fuji.”

Japan
(Diamond Fuji • Mount fuji • scenery • travel)

Lucky Bag Roundup: Our reporters choose the best fukubukuro of 2015

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Jan 8, 2015

Japan has many wonderful New Year’s traditions, including visiting the local shrine, eating auspicious food, and sending postcards to all your friends. But one of the most exciting and potentially disappointing activities that occur on the first day of January is the purchasing of fukubukuro. Commonly referred to as “Lucky Bags” in English, fukubukoro are specially priced parcels of surplus items from popular stores across Japan that are usually valued well over the purchase price.

This year, we sent 10 of our Japanese reporters out on the streets early New Year’s morning to gather up the best Lucky Bags they could find. Some came back with somewhat useless products even Mr. Sato wouldn’t want. Other’s were pleasantly surprised to find rare and valuable items nestled in their bags. But despite deep discounts, Lucky Bags aren’t always worth the wait and price, so in order to save you time on next year’s Japanese New Year’s shopping adventures, each of our writers has chosen the best Lucky Bags this side of the Pacific.

Japan
(discount • fukubukuro • lucky bag • New Year's)

10 slightly strange Christmas trees from Japan

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Dec 22, 2014

Christmas in Japan has always been different than what folks from other countries are used to. There’s always the Christmas bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken handed out by a santa-suit-clad Colonel Sanders, the Christmas cake topped with whipped cream swirls and strawberries, and those romantic walks with your loved one around the many illuminated streets. LINKS. That’s why we weren’t surprised, and frankly delighted, to find the following 10 unconventional Christmas trees from around Japan.

Japan
(Christmas • Christmas tree • decoration)

Darth Vader to be featured in large-scale Star Wars snow sculpture at 2015 Sapporo Snow Festival

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Dec 20, 2014

The annual Sapporo Snow Festival held in Japan’s northernmost prefecture has been delighting tourists and locals for over six decades. Each year, artists from around the world are invited to show off their talents constructing enormous structures out of ice and snow.

To commemorate the release of the seventh installment of the Star Wars series, The Walt Disney Company has collaborated with festival officials to design what looks to be the most epic large-scale snow sculpture yet, featuring enormous snow versions of Darth Vader, three Storm Troopers, a TIE fighter, and the Death Star.

Japan
(Sapporo Snow Festival • sculpture • snow • Star Wars)

Six non-traditional osechi New Year’s meals in Japan

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Dec 19, 2014

New Year’s in Japan is usually celebrated with family huddled under the kotatsu while munching on mikans, and sharing a dinner of traditional food, called osechi. Each component of the meal retains an auspicious meaning, granting the eater with good fortune, health, or fertility, among other things, during the coming year.

However, in recent years, an increasingly large population of Japan’s youth have chosen to forgo eating osechi. There are many reasons osechi has been disappearing from Japanese homes during New Year’s, but these changing tastes have given rise to a smorgasbord of strange, unique, and, frankly, comparatively tastier pre-made osechi meals. From cooked isopods to a box full of meat, let’s take a closer look at six modern day osechi.

Japan
(food • Japanese culture • New Year's • osechi • tradition)

Commercial reminds Japan’s tired commuters about the drawbacks of living far away from work

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Dec 18, 2014

Mouth agape, eyes rolled back, head bobbing – when home is an hour or more away and work continues late into the night, the only place for many Japanese office workers to lay their weary head is against a train car window. This phenomenon is not unique to Japan, but the combination of overwork and limited affordable housing in big cities like Tokyo give rise to crowds of sleepy commuters just trying to get to their futon. If you have never witness the varied sleeping positions of Japan’s overworked commuters, take a look at the following video created by real estate website HOME’S.

Internet, Japan
(culture • overwork • video • working)

Artist creates stunning Chinese-style paintings using cosmetics

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Dec 16, 2014

“Red” Hong Yi is a Malaysian artist-architect who creates brilliant and unconventional works of art. Known as “the artist who loves to paint, but not with a paintbrush,” she uses mascara, foundation, and other cosmetics to give rise to misty mountainsides, vibrant fire crackers, and shimmering ponds.

Internet
(art • artist • cosmetics • painting)

This map shows the probability of a white Christmas for each of Japan’s prefectures

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Dec 13, 2014

If the popularity of Bing Crosby’s famous holiday song is any indication, many people all over the world are dreaming of a white Christmas. But according to the past 30 years of snowfall data, several prefectures in Japan will almost surely be unable to hear sleigh bells in the snow.

Take a look at the following map created by Japanese weather site Tenki.jp to find out if the area of Japan you live in will have a white Christmas!

Japan
(snow • weather • white Christmas)

A funny thing happened at the game center: 10 strange crane game tweets from Japan

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Dec 8, 2014

Game centers in Japan promise a treasure trove of riches for those skilled at coaxing small prizes from their crane game glass housings, but endless frustration for anyone who hasn’t had plenty of practice. If you’ve ever been to Japan, you’ve probably played a crane game or two yourself, but we have a feeling you’ve never seen something like the following Twitter users captured. Let’s take a look at 10 strange happenings at game centers across Japan.

Japan
(crane game • UFO catcher)

It seems like everyone in Japan wants this pillow featuring a famous sumo wrestler’s butt

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Dec 4, 2014

In the past year, sumo wrestler Endō Shōta has been busy outside the ring, showing up in special edition photo booths and using his muscular arms to carry contest winners like a princess. Now, this 24-year-old rising star has been making his way into Japanese homes in the form of a pillow. Featuring Endo in his work attire, this limited release pillow was only given out to five thousand lucky winners, who weren’t shy about showing off their love for this young man’s backside.

Japan
(freebie • LOL • pillow • Sumo)

Sheep-flavored ice cream from Baskin Robbins Japan tastes like dreams

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Dec 3, 2014

In celebration of 2015, Baskin Robbins Japan has created a special flavor inspired by sheep, this year’s animal according to the Chinese zodiac. And while it may not actually taste like lamb, it has enough imagery inspired by the woolen animal to make you say, “BAA!”

Japan
(Baskin Robbins • ice cream • new year • sheep)

Young man’s clever use of an umbrella saves injured kitten

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Nov 28, 2014

We love a good rescue story, especially when it involves cute kitties! Find out who this rescuer is and why the kitten found himself stuck in a ditch after the jump!

Internet, Japan
(cat • rescue)

Drinkable Hi-Chew coming to a Japanese convenience store near you!

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Nov 27, 2014

Now you can drink your candy and eat it, too! In just a few days, everyone’s favorite Japanese candy, Hi-Chew, will be available as a (probably) delicious drink!

Japan
(candy • drink • Hi-Chew)

3-D green tea latte art adds a splash of whimsy and color to your cup

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Nov 26, 2014

While browsing around Twitter the other day, one of our Japanese reporters came across some adorable 3-D matcha latte art on the Matcha Fan Club (抹茶同好会) official account.

According to the tweet, the photos came from a sweet shop at the Karasuma Oike Station in Nakagyō-ku, Kyoto called Saryo Suisen. Our reporter just had to see more, so she headed over to their official Twitter page and was treated to some beautiful latte art designs created by the shop barista, Sudo-san.

Of course, we just had to share them with you!

Japan
(food • green tea • latte art • matcha)

This man’s first hand-drawn maze took seven years to complete, now he’s working on a second one

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Nov 26, 2014

We love viewing the work of dedicated artists, just like the realistic Naruto illustrations of Sakimi chan or the beautiful Ghibli backgrounds by Naohisa Inoue. So you can bet we enjoyed seeing the unbelievably intricate maze that one Japanese Twitter user’s father is currently crafting.

Japan
(art • maze)

Visit Japan without ever leaving home with these eight beautiful videos

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Nov 26, 2014

It’s no secret that we love Japan. We haven’t quite figured out why, but it might have something to do with the juxtaposition of the sleepless lights and sounds of the big city and the harmony of human and nature in the countryside that we just can’t get enough of. If you’ve ever wanted to visit Japan, but haven’t yet, sit back and watch the following eight videos showcasing some of the most breathtaking and interesting sights this country has to offer.

Japan
(timelapse • travel • video)

How to cook miso soup (the right way) in a few simple steps【RocketKitchen】

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Nov 24, 2014

Miso is a fermented mixture of soybeans, barley, and rice that’s high in protein and rich in vitamins and minerals. The salty condiment is eaten daily by many people in Japan, leading some to believe that it is the secret behind their longevity. Others have dubbed it “one of the healthiest foods in the world.” It’s also extremely delicious (as if you needed another reason to add miso to your diet), and the easiest way to cook with this wonder food is by making miso soup.

Contrary to what I had originally assumed, the Japanese classic does not consist of only miso paste and hot water (please tell me I’m not the only one who thought this). After trying my original “recipe” for miso soup, I could tell something was off and enlisted the help of a 15-year-old high school student who laughed at my naivety. She was gracious enough to teach me the recipe her grandmother taught her and was happy to share it with all of you lovely RocketNews24 readers. So without further ado, here are a few simple steps to making delicious, authentic miso soup.