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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 4)

How to lady: Fascinating Meiji Era women’s book features hairstyles, history lessons, etiquette

Mike
Mar 9, 2016
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“From birth to death, a woman must never forget to display fondness and affection … a woman will surely experience a life of sorrow without it.”

Art, Japan
(books • fashion • history • Japanese culture • National Diet Library • Women in Japan)

Keyboard with light-up, “flying” letters looks like a reverse typing rhythm game【Video】

Mike
Mar 7, 2016

A Japanese inventor creates a projection mapping-enabled keyboard with letters that fly out into space as you type.

Games & Tech, Japan
(computers • keyboard • projection mapping • rhythm game • technology • video)

That Nintendo-themed Universal Studios Japan attraction may actually be pretty fantastic

Mike
Mar 7, 2016

The first details have emerged about the budget and square-footage for the upcoming Nintendo-themed attraction space in USJ—and it’s much more significant than we anticipated.

Games & Tech, Japan
(details • nintendo • Universal Studios Japan • USJ • video games)

Japanese director alleges that beloved children’s anime Doraemon is “banned” in France

Mike
Mar 4, 2016

France-based Japanese composer, writer and director Hitonari Suji recently revealed that broadcasts of the much-loved anime Doraemon are “banned” in France for fears it would stunt children’s emotional growth.

Europe, Japan
(anime • banned • Doraemon • Europe • france • manga)

Results of national poll for new flavor Calbee chips turn up “Tuna Corn Curry,” other bizarre flavors

Mike
Mar 4, 2016

With its “Potato Chips” brand celebrating its 40th anniversary, snack company Calbee decided to poll Japan residents on the flavors they’d like to see next…

Japan
(Calbee • food • potato chips • snacks • weird)

This is what happens when you order US$80 of extra pickles on a Burger King Whopper

Mike
Feb 25, 2016

We continue our tradition of pushing the limits of our local Burger King staff’s kindness by ordering a double Whopper topped with around 80 bucks worth of pickles.

Food & Drink, Japan
($80 of pickles • Burger King • Burger King Japan • fast food • food • Japan news • RocketNews24 • whopper)

Comedian Atsugiri Jason irks Japanese net users with offhand comment

Mike
Feb 24, 2016

Newly-minted minor celebrity and comedian Atsugiri Jason has raised Japanese hackles with a throwaway tweet that mildly criticized Japanese culture.

Internet, Japan
(Atsugiri Jason • backlash • comedians • comedy • culture • twitter)

Sony’s Xperia Projector turns any surface into a smartphone interface【Video】

Mike
Feb 24, 2016

The electronics giant recently showed off a prototype device that can project an interactive, smartphone-like display onto any surface.

Games & Tech, Global, Japan
(devices • displays • projector • Sony • technology • Xperia)

The future is (almost) now with Mitsubishi’s proposed “Aerial Display” hologram tech

Mike
Feb 23, 2016

Mitsubishi says it’s coming close to perfecting the kind of floating “hologram” images seen in sci-fi films—and it hopes to introduce the “Aerial Display” technology in time for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Games & Tech, Global, Japan
(holograms • Mitsubishi • sci-fi • technology • Tokyo Olympics)

Soon, you’ll be able to play Pac-Man in virtual reality for just a couple of bucks

Mike
Feb 20, 2016

A Japanese startup is working with Bandai Namco to rework the classic arcade game into an immersive virtual reality experience—using a touch-control VR headset that will cost under US$20.

Games & Tech, Global, Japan
(Bandai Namco • Makuake • Namco • pac-man • startups • video games • virtual reality • VR)

Flight delay ruins woman’s Valentine’s Day, airline apologizes, books her into S&M love hotel

Mike
Feb 18, 2016

After an airline scuppered passengers’ Valentine’s Day plans with a huge delay, one woman found herself in yet another bind when she learned that her complimentary hotel stay would be in an S&M dungeon-themed love hotel.

China
(airlines • China • flights • hotels • travel disaster • weird • wtf)

Capcom forgot to fix that ludicrous Chun-Li boob jiggle “glitch” in Street Fighter V【Video】

Mike
Feb 17, 2016

After inadvertently causing a stir at last year’s E3, Capcom assured players that Chun-Li’s freakishly bouncy breasts were merely the result of a bug that would be fixed for the game’s release…

Global, Internet
(Capcom • Chun-Li • fighting games • game physics • Street Fighter • Street Fighter V • video games)

Mesmerizing time-lapse video shows enormous, intricate maze being drawn over six months【Video】

Mike
Feb 17, 2016

A Japanese hobbyist spent six months drawing a massive and complex maze on a wall-sized sheet of paper. Thankfully, he filmed the whole thing and set it to some catchy J-Pop for our viewing pleasure.

Internet, Japan
(art • drawing • mazes • niconico • time-lapse • videos)

Crafty Dragon Quest Builders player creates Mario Kart-inspired custom race course

Mike
Feb 13, 2016

A creative Dragon Quest Builders player has managed to build a Mario Kart-inspired in-game race course so impressive, he received praise from the game’s producer himself.

Internet, Japan
(Dragon Quest • dragon quest builders • Mario Kart • Square Enix • video games)

Is it acceptable to break up via instant message? Japanese men and women weigh in

Mike
Feb 11, 2016

As hugely popular instant messaging app LINE supplants most other forms of communication in Japan, a poll asks young Japanese people: Is it okay to break up with someone by IM?

Japan
(apps • etiquette • line • relationships • romance • technology)

Insanely detailed moving model gun is even more awesome than its Psycho Pass counterpart【Video】

Mike
Feb 10, 2016

Consumer electronics manufacturer Cerevo recently introduced an ultra-detailed replica of the Dominator – an iconic gun from the hit anime Psycho Pass. You need to see this thing in action.

Internet, Japan
(anime • cosplay • gun • models • Psycho Pass • technology • video)

Japanese diorama artist makes models smaller than an actual thumbnail【Photos】

Mike
Feb 9, 2016

Shunichi Matsuba, a self-proclaimed diorama artist, creates extraordinarily detailed miniature scenes of Japanese life past and present — often using models smaller than a fingertip.

Japan
(amazing • art • dioramas • miniature • modeling • models)

Japanese gamers hard at work on amazing Dragon Quest Builders structures

Mike
Feb 5, 2016

The spin-off building-cum-adventuring game debuted just over a week ago, but Japanese gamers are already showing off their most brilliant and wacky creations.

Japan
(Dragon Quest • dragon quest builders • gallery • twitter • video games)

Universal Studios Japan to (probably) get Nintendo-themed attractions

Mike
Feb 3, 2016

Nintendo and Universal Studios Japan (USJ) recently signed a basic business agreement that could pave the way for future USJ attractions featuring Nintendo characters and game worlds.

Japan
(attractions • nintendo • theme parks • Universal Studios Japan • video games)

These convenience stores really, really want you to buy their ehomaki Setsubun rolls

Mike
Feb 3, 2016

Ehomaki “lucky sushi rolls” are a big part of Setsubun—the changing of the seasons festival. So big, in fact, that some convenience stores appear to be losing their minds in an effort to sell more rolls than the competition.