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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 3)

Japanese government relaxes “no dancing” regulations, but is it actually an improvement?

Mike
Jun 28, 2016
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The Japanese government has passed a bill relaxing its decades old prohibition on dancing, but the new law may not be much better than the old one.

Japan
(club • dance • dancing • government • law • Tokyo)

Tokyo Skytree to install VR viewer for rainy days

Mike
Jun 25, 2016

Tokyo Skytree’s operators recently announced a VR viewing experience exclusively available for rainy days, letting guests enjoy Skytree’s amazing views in perpetual VR sunshine.

Japan
(technology • Tokyo • Tokyo Skytree • tourism • VR)

This realistic, incredibly detailed recreation of Voltron’s Flaming Sword is simply amazing!

Mike
Jun 24, 2016

Over at YouTube channel AWE me, the men and women at Man at Arms recreate a realistic replica of Voltron’s Flaming Sword, because, uh… Why wouldn’t you?

Japan, USA
(anime • DIY • weapons)

We’re not sure if these cat’s eye contacts are cute or creepy

Mike
Jun 20, 2016

Cosmetics company Eye Style teams with popular Japanese cosplayer Nekomu Otogi to release these cute but disturbing cat’s eye contact lenses.

Cute, Japan
(cats • Contact lenses • cosplay • fashion)

Cheapo News: We find a place in Hiroshima serving tonkatsu pork cutlets for just 350 yen

Mike
Jun 6, 2016

A Hiroshima City meat shop and restaurant serves a tonkatsu pork cutlet and rice dish for just 350 yen…and somehow stays in business.

Culture, Food & Drink, Japan, Lifestyle
(cheap • food • Mr. Sato • tonkatsu)

Japanese Netizens weigh in on Cincinnati Zoo’s killing of Harambe the gorilla

Mike
Jun 3, 2016

We comb Japanese comments and interview some native Japanese to see what The Incident That Exploded The Internet has people here saying.

Culture, USA
(Cincinnati • controversy • Harambe • zoos)

BBQ bug-free and in style with cute new bug-repellent coil stands, just in time for summer

Mike
Jun 2, 2016

An online retailer offers stylish new coil stands to keep insects out of your barbecue and impress friends at the same time.

Culture, Cute, Entertainment, Japan, Lifestyle
(barbecue • BBQ • bugs • insects • mosquito • products • summer)

We try “The Dream,” Asahi’s new, purportedly “perfect” beer【Taste Test】

Mike
Apr 1, 2016

The beverage giant recently released this canned brew in direct response to consumer surveys asking the Japanese public to name its most desired qualities in a beer…

Japan
(Asahi • beer • drinks • Japanese beer • review • taste test)

Gorgeous Paul Gerber/Arita-yaki pottery watches will catch eyes, leave you seriously broke

Mike
Mar 30, 2016

The famed Swiss watch maker teams with centuries-old traditional arita-yaki potter Koransha to produce this limited line of stunning handcrafted watches.

Art, Europe, Japan
(Arita-yaki • art • Isetan • Paul Gerber • porcelain • pottery • shopping • watches)

As Microsoft US’s AI chatbot turns racist troll, Japan’s won’t shut up about anime and hay fever

Mike
Mar 29, 2016

While Tay, Microsoft US’s deep-learning AI chatbot, devolves into a horrifying racist, Microsoft Japan’s Rinna has other things on her mind…

Internet
(AI • chatbot • Microsoft • racism • Rinna • Tay • technology • twitter)

Music box-powered spinning Lego Laputa is both whimsical and impressive【Video】

Mike
Mar 26, 2016

Fans of Ghibli works, and especially the studio’s early fantasy adventure Castle in the Sky, will surely be wanting one of these music-enhanced Lego Castle Laputa replicas for themselves.

Internet
(anime • Castle in the Sky • Ghibli • Laputa • LEGO)

New ad for Nissin’s U.F.O. brand of instant yakisoba is all kinds of weird【Video】

Mike
Mar 25, 2016

Caution: Watching this deliciously bizarre ad may cause your entire head to turn inside out and your knees to violently explode.

Japan
(commercials • cup noodles • Nissin • Parody • sci-fi • TV • video)

Video explores fencing strikes and rules, looks super badass 【Video】

Mike
Mar 24, 2016

Dentsu Lab and Japanese fencing master Yuki Ota team up to bring you this dreamlike (and totally badass) video of two fencers in combat, enhanced with practical and digital effects.

Internet, Japan
(cool • fencing • sports • videos • YouTube)

Calbee teams with gourmet French chain for uni and dried roe potato chip flavor

Mike
Mar 19, 2016

Calbee and the casual-gourmet French chain Ore no French will release an “Uni and Dried Roe Kyokujo Cream Sauce” potato chip flavor on March 21.

Food & Drink, Japan
(Calbee • food • gourmet • Japanese potato chips • potato chips)

Proposed Seibu Rail express train is 50s futurism meets high-speed love-aid

Mike
Mar 18, 2016

Seibu Railways is set to celebrate its 100th anniversary with a brand new limited-express train. As innovative and cool as the proposed design is, the concept art is rather unfortunate-looking…

Japan
(awkward • Seibu Railway • technology • trains)

Did Starbucks Japan forget to translate this important food allergen warning?

Mike
Mar 17, 2016

Nationwide, Japan Starbucks locations appear to be telling foreign customers to learn Japanese or risk anaphylactic shock.

Food & Drink, Japan
(allegies • coffee • Engrish • food and drink • language • Starbucks)

Cheapo News: Tokyo Grocer selling “expired” items for pennies on the dollar

Mike
Mar 16, 2016

Sankei Super doesn’t vouch for the flavor, but the local Tokyo grocer offers select expired items at massive discounts, in addition to an already cheap lineup of other goods.

Japan
(deals • discounts • food)

Web-based emulator adds cool retro quasi-3D effect to classic NES games 【Video】

Mike
Mar 11, 2016

Vietnamese hobbyist Trần Vũ Trúc, using mostly undisclosed programming wizardry, introduced this Firefox browser-based emulator that adds a pixelized 3-D effect to many of the NES’s best games.

Internet
(3-D • emulators • NES • nintendo • retro games • technology • video • video games)

Try not to chuckle about this important Japanese discovery regarding great tits (the birds)

Mike
Mar 10, 2016

Stop us if you’ve heard this one: So a pair of great tits walk into a bar and start chatting…

Japan
(animal behavior • animals • birds • funny • science)

We try Nissin’s newest world flavors-inspired cup noodle: Chili Con Carne【Taste Test】

Mike
Mar 10, 2016

The newest in the instant noodle giant’s world flavors series of cup noodles promises gooey cheese and a spicy kick. It delivers on one of those things…