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Mike

With nothing better to do in his native Ohio, Mike took a leave of absence from all responsibilities in life and came to Japan for the first time in 2006. After several years of what amounted to an extended vacation with occasional Japanese lessons, circumstances led Mike to finally settle down in Tokyo and get serious about life in 2009. He’s worked at magazines, a Japanese ad agency, and currently works in the entertainment industry. He also co-founded and writes for the humorous Japan news website Tokyodesu.com.

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Posted by Mike (Page 25)

Comically Huge Mega Potato is a Gift from the (Obese) Starch Gods

Mike
May 18, 2013
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McDonald’s Japan’s returning limited-edition Mega Potato side is so frighteningly large it ought to come with graphic warning photos of what happens to people who make a habit of eating it, like cigarette packs in the West.

The reintroduced Mega Potato is equivalent to two orders of large fries and comes in a container so comically huge you could just stick your face directly into it like a pig at a trough, if that’s your thing. Or you could share it with “friends” or something, like anyone actually has that in mind when ordering one of these.

Japan
(fast food • food • McDonald's)

In the Future Your Own Hand Will be Your Smartphone (With the Help of 5,000 Pounds of Terrifying Machinery)

Mike
May 17, 2013

Minority Report it is not, but Masatoshi Ishikawa – namesake of Tokyo University’s renowned Ishikawa Lab – brought us one step closer to the future when he recently invited Japanese press to witness the lab’s newest creation: a projection system that can track and display an image on a moving object.

Japan
(cool • Ishikawa Labs • tech)

This Blue Beer Looks Like it Came from Alcoholic Willy Wonka’s Factory

Mike
May 17, 2013

The Abashiri Brewery in Hokkaido which, judging by its website, really is some kind of beer-themed Willy Wonka side project, boasts what may be the world’s first naturally blue beer.

Always ready to get drunk for the sake of our readers, RocketNews24 took it upon ourselves to investigate this mystifying beer anomaly, appropriately named the Ryuhyou Draft (“Ice Floe Draft”), at a beachside pub. Read More

Japan
(beer • cool • drink • video)

Calling All Evil Billionaires: The Dream of Space Flight Can be Yours for a Fraction of Your Fortune

Mike
May 15, 2013

It used to be that to go to space you needed to join NASA and become an astronaut. But you’re an evil billionaire, and you’re far too busy being evil for all that training in the gravitron.

Lucky for you and whatever evil space plans you’re hatching, SXC (Space Expedition Corporation) offers the dream of space travel to any commoner with US$100,000 lying around, a pittance that will barely put a dent in your underground chamber of dubiously acquired gold bricks.

There are also a number of other aerospace companies offering a variety of space travel flavors, from a few minutes in orbit to a full 9 days at the International Space Station (ISS), complete with space walk. Let’s take a look at the different space travel packages offered, including one that costs US$150 million.

Global, Japan
(cool • space • travel)

Green Day Vocalist Compares Psy to Herpes Infection, Psy Unsure if That’s a Good or Bad Thing

Mike
May 10, 2013

Looks like Green Day’s frontman, Billie Joe Armstrong, needs to add anger issues to his growing list of ailments requiring rehab. Armstrong was apparently infuriated by the success of Korean pop star, Psy, and his record breaking sensation, Gangnam Style, which made its rounds while Armstrong was serving a stint in a clinic for alcohol and prescription pill abuse. The rocker experienced a “flareup” of sorts at the news that Psy’s epic follow-up, Gentleman, was racking up similar praise.

Internet, Korea, USA
(entertainment • funny • Psy • video)

Even Your Creepy Male Otaku Friend Can Become a Real Princess with this Hotel’s ‘Pretty Cure’ Stay Plan

Mike
May 8, 2013

Nothing says “luxury vacation” like staying in a hotel room dolled up like a little girl’s dream bedroom. At least, that’s what the Ikenotaira Hotel in Nagano is banking on with the “DokiDoki! Precure Stay Plan.”

DokiDoki! Precure (also known as Pretty Cure) is an anime series popular with elementary school-aged girls in Japan (and, inevitably, a number of creepy middle-aged otaku men) that focuses on a Sailor Moon-esque team of teenaged wizard girls. Read More

Japan
(cute • otaku • weird)

Looking for Love? Break the Ice Over Red Meat at this Barbecue Joint Famous for Turning Patrons into Couples

Mike
May 5, 2013

Typically a heaping plate of raw meat isn’t exactly the type of food you’d picture putting people in an amorous mood, but this tiny watering hole-slash-barbecue joint in Kanda (one station over from Tokyo) is famous for bringing patrons together through the magic of a hot grill, cold drinks, and very, very close quarters.

The interior of the restaurant, Rokkakai, is only 6.6 square meters, meaning complete strangers are pretty much forced to crowd around and share a single, rectangular table. We can see where this might result in the odd coupling, but that’s apparently not the only secret behind the location’s uncanny ability to bring people together.

Japan
(culture • food • Japan • Tokyo)

So, Carbonated Black Coffee in a Bottle is Apparently a Thing Now

Mike
May 2, 2013

Remember Espressoda? Neither did we until a recent news release from Suntory reminded us.

Suntory’s innovative carbonated coffee drink hit the market under a year ago, and a quick search around town by yours truly revealed that, at time of writing, convenience stores are no longer carrying the item, ostensibly suggesting it was a commercial flop.

Japan
(food • video)

Is That Sushi in Your Ear or are You Just Wearing “Crazy Headphones”?

Mike
Apr 23, 2013

Gadgets purveyor Apparestore is hoping that pretending your ears are so unclean that fungus has actually started to grow out of them will become the new fashion trend with these “crazy headphones” featuring weird objects that jut out from the earbuds. Samurai swords and sushi are just some of the things you could have seemingly growing out of your ears with a pair of these cheeky earphones.

Global, Japan
(fashion • technology • weird • wtf)

Crime of Passion: Three Men Forcibly Deported from Saudi Arabia for Being “Too Handsome”

Mike
Apr 23, 2013

TV Emirates reported recently that three United Arab Emirates nationals were deported from Saudi Arabia for the crime of being “too handsome.”

This is certainly an uncommon criminal accusation, but one that we can relate to (some of our writers are banned in 26 countries for the opposite reason). Read More

W Asia
(funny • weird • wtf)

iOS Facebook Chat Update Includes Awesomely Disgusting Projectile Vomit Emoticon

Mike
Apr 19, 2013

Facebook, possibly in an attempt to outpace Asia’s reigning chat program king LINE, updated their iOS Facebook Chat program on April 17, adding “stickers” that can be used in chat conversations much like LINE’s “stamps” (also called “stickers” in English language versions).

Internet, Japan, USA
(facebook • funny • technology • weird)

Woman Barred From Boarding Flight with Foul-Smelling Durian Flies into Rage, Angrily Chows Down in Middle of Airport

Mike
Apr 18, 2013

There are a lot of things that can ruin a good vacation and lord knows one of them is the whole airport/airplane experience in general. Lost luggage, security checks, kids kicking your seat.

But this bizarre news story from China will make you grateful those security checks are there after all. Read More

China
(durian • food • weird • wtf)

Fox Sports ‘Foul Ball Armor’ Papercraft Helmet Takes Five Hours to Build, Might be Effective at Your Little Brother’s Wiffleball Game

Mike
Apr 15, 2013

Fox Sports Japan is offering a freely downloadable “Foul Ball Armor” papercraft helmet for people with a lot of free time and an iron will (papercuts are serious business and you should expect a lot of them building this thing).

You’ll also obviously need access to a printer, or if you have no sense of shame, a nearby Kinko’s.

Fox Sports introduced the Foul Ball Armor in a new television ad campaign to coincide with the March 29 start of the 2013 baseball season.

Internet, Japan, USA
(Fox Sports Japan • funny • sports • technology)

Latest Diet Trend: Flailing Around Like Crazy

Mike
Apr 2, 2013

Apparently Japan is under the impression that Mattel’s Fijit Friends toy is actually America’s favorite new diet tool.

The below video – which we pray to God, Buddha and Zombie Jesus is a misguided parody of some kind – shows Japanese women going nuts over the new “fijiet” trend.

Internet, Japan, USA
(diet • exercise • pranks • wtf)

Japan’s Greatest Faux Beers: Everything You Need to Know About Happoshu

Mike
Mar 26, 2013

Whether you realize it or not, you’ve probably had a happoshu (発泡酒）or “low-malt beer-like beverage” if you’ve ever had a night out in Japan.

The taste of a typical happoshu can vary from “pretty close to the real thing” to “yes, this is definitely weasel urine.” Going into a convenience store and blindly grabbing a beer can is thus a bit of a gamble in Japan, so, ever the masculine, barrel-chested and dashingly handsome role model father to our readers, we’ve done the work for you and chosen the five happoshu brands that are worth your time:

Japan
(B gourmet • beer • drinks • funny)

We Prove We Are Culinary Wizards by Turning Cup Ramen Ingredients into Delicious Gourmet Meals

Mike
Mar 21, 2013

Cup Ramen, known to Westerners as “Grade A college student feed,” is perfectly formulated with enough sodium and other preservatives to both fuel late-night study sessions and cure massive hangovers, but nobody’s ever accused it of being a gourmet food.

Global, Japan
(fast food • food • gourmet • Noodles)

Darth Vader Head Planetarium Lulls You to Sleep Then Haunts Your Dreams

Mike
Mar 13, 2013

Some people like a little white noise or some relaxing music to help them sleep, but for us, sleep just won’t come unless there are epic sci-fi space battles playing out above our heads. Maybe we have a bizarrely specific type of sleep disorder.