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Global (Page 22)

Shawn Wasabi’s digital mash-up samples Pikachu, Final Fantasy, Perfume

Anime News Network
Apr 25, 2015
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Shawn Wasabi mashed up a list of his favorite songs and sound effects to create the original track “Marble Soda.” Wasabi uses a Midi Fighter by DJ Techtools to assign 153 different sounds used during the song. Among them are “Fushizen Na Girl” by Perfume, “PONPONPON” by Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, “Prelude” from Final Fantasy VII, and Pikachu’s iconic “Pika!”

Global, Japan
(Final Fantasy • music • perfume • Pikachu • Shawn Wasabi • video)

Who has better manners? Blogger lists three things foreigners do that impress even the Japanese

Evie Nyan
Apr 24, 2015

One of the first things you notice when you visit Japan is how nice and polite everyone seems to be. Shop staff bow to you, people greet you in the hotel lobby, even the guy at the combini sprints across the store to open up the second register when there’s more than one person waiting to be served.

But spend any prolonged amount of time here and you’ll realise that there are plenty of rude people here too (just like in the rest of the world…). And there are even a few niceties we in the west generally perform as a matter of habit that just aren’t part of the Japanese way of doing things.

So just how are Westerners unintentionally schooling the Japanese in manners?

Global, Japan
(culture • customs • Japanese etiquette • manners • politeness)

Scarlett Johansson: Live-action Ghost in the Shell begins filming in early 2016

Anime News Network
Apr 23, 2015

Actress Scarlett Johansson gave an update on Dreamworks‘ live-action Ghost in the Shell film during the press event for next month’s Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Global
(anime • Anime News Network • Ghost in the Shell • Live action • Scarlett Johansson)

Hooray! Taco Bell opens in Japan and we’re there to get the commemorative T-shirt and free taco!

Kay
Apr 21, 2015

While you can certainly find countless restaurants offering a seemingly endless range of cuisines in Japan, if you’ve spent some time in the country, you may have noticed that options for Mexican food (or at least American-Mexican food) can be somewhat limited. So when news went around that American fast food chain Taco Bell was going to re-open in Japan, the response on the Japanese Internet was huge. And while we understand that not everyone is a fan of Taco Bell, there certainly seemed to be enough people overjoyed that the chain was finally returning to Japan after having opened shop here once for just a short time in the 1980s.

All of this meant that the opening of the new Taco Bell shop in Shibuya, Tokyo was bound to attract lots of attention as well as a good crowd, and not to miss out on the excitement and tacos, our very own Mr. Sato from the Japanese arm of RocketNews24 was there on opening day to bring you the following report!

Global, Japan, USA
(burritos • fast food • grand opening • Taco Bell • tacos)

Peace Kitchen: promoting Japanese food (and maybe something more) across the world

Jessica
Apr 21, 2015

As RocketNews24 readers, you are probably a bit more savvy than most about what Japanese food is, but for many, the concept doesn’t extend far beyond sushi. Despite its recent elevation to UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage status and its potential for international popularity, washoku still lacks global recognition and understanding.

That’s about to change, however, if newly launched project Peace Kitchen has their way, and we might all be better off for it.

Global, Japan
(culture • food • Japanese food • NGOs • Peace Kitchen)

Onsen in Nagano will now welcome foreigners with tattoos, as long as they patch ’em up

Evie Nyan
Apr 17, 2015

Many foreign visitors to Japan are curious about taking a dip in one of Japan’s many hot springs or sento public baths, but are deterred by two factors: the embarrassment of being naked in public, and the worry that even having a small tattoo – very much taboo in Japan – might result in being ejected from the premises. While the first issue is something that can be overcome with a little bravery, the second issue is undoubtedly a problem.

However, a resort inn in Nagano has now publicly stated that they will allow foreigners with small tattoos to enter, providing they cover up the offending ink with a patch.

Global, Japan
(bath • foreigners • hot spring • onsen • sento • tattoo • yakuza)

Consoles, franchises, mascots and memories! The top 10 years in video gaming history

Evie Nyan
Apr 15, 2015

What are some of the most important years in your own, personal gaming career? For me, the most important was probably 1992, when I got a Sega Mega Drive (Genesis) for Christmas and played my first-ever videogame (it was Sonic 2). Oh, but 1996 was a great year, too, because Resident Evil came out and I got my first, unforgettable taste of digitized fear and found out that I have a deep love of zombies.

While we all probably have certain years that are notable for the particular gaming memories they hold, it’s undeniable that video games in general have made certain leaps and bounds in the last couple of decades, and some years in particular have had slightly more leaps and a few extra bounds compared to others. Just check out this video of the Top 10 Years in Gaming History to see what we mean…

Global, Internet, Japan
(gaming • Mario • Sonic • video games)

Meet the man behind the mask! We head to Chiba for an exclusive interview with Chibatman 【Video】

Evie Nyan
Apr 14, 2015

Chiba Prefecture‘s very own superhero, Chibatman, has been making headlines in Japan and abroad since he began his campaign to keep Chiba’s streets safe. Often spotted zooming around on his custom-built Chibatpod (aka Batcycle), he’s also been seen making speeches at official events, and he’s even received the Chiba Police Force’s official approval to continue his activities.

Today, we’re excited to bring you an exclusive interview with Chibatman himself! We visited him at his home in Chiba to get the lowdown on the man behind the mask!

Global, Japan
(Batman • celebrity • Chiba • Chibatman • interview • superhero • video)

Kawaii kitchenware alert! Create cute kitty cookies with this awesome rolling-pin!

Evie Nyan
Apr 14, 2015

Recently we’ve been going crazy over kitty kitchen cookware, like the adorable kitty knife we featured a little while back. But our quest for kittycat-themed culinary goods is still ongoing, and this amazing kitty rolling-pin by Etsy seller Mood For Wood has got us seriously craving some freshly baked cookies, pronto!

Europe, Global, Internet, Japan
(baking • cat • cats • cookies • cooking • goods • Kawaii • kitchenware • Kitty)

Fukushima bottled water wins Gold Quality Award in the internationally coveted Monde Selection

Krista Rogers
Apr 14, 2015

At a press conference on April 8, Fukushima City representatives announced that the bottled tap water produced in the city has won a Gold Quality Award in the 2015 Monde Selection, a prestigious international competition designed to test the quality of various consumer products. By winning this award, the city hopes to dispel negative rumors about lingering radioactive contamination following the meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in 2011.

Global, Japan
(competition • Fukushima • international • Monde Selection • water)

Japan’s abysmal ranking for rice consumption even catches Japanese Netizens off-guard

Mike
Apr 12, 2015

Think Japan loves it some rice? Well, you’d be right. Japan is definitely a rice consuming nation, and the little white grains are most certainly one of Japan’s staple foods. But would you believe the country doesn’t even break the top 10 nations when it comes to rice consumption?

It appears neither would Japanese Netizens, as a chart making the rounds on the Japanese interwebs has onlookers incredulously dropping their morning baked goods.

Global, Japan
(culture • food • rice • travel)

Car Wars! “X-Wings” is the movie we wish Disney-Pixar would make next 【Video】

Evie Nyan
Apr 8, 2015

Everybody loves a good Disney/Pixar movie (unless you don’t, in which case you obviously hate fun). And (mostly) everybody loves awesome automobiles and methods of transportation. First, we had “Cars”, and then we had “Planes”. The next logical step has to involve outer space, right? (Huh? Trains? Boats? Drones? Ssh…) After all, we all love space movies like Interstellar and, you know, Star Wars.

Now, we finally have the perfect marriage of space hi-jinks and cute animation in X-Wings, aka Car Wars! Wait, what?

Global, Internet
(animation • cars • Disney • movie • Pixar)

I live in Animal Crossing – Get the music from Nintendo’s cutest village sim in your browser

Philip Kendall
Apr 7, 2015

If, like me, you spend the majority of your waking hours sitting in front of a computer screen, you probably have some kind of musical accompaniment to help keep the dark bunnies of insanity at bay. But it can be hard to find music that is both pleasant to listen to and not overly distracting while working, so you may find yourself spending more time choosing an audio track than getting any actual work done.

Thankfully, you can now get the music from Nintendo’s adorable community sim Animal Crossing right in your web browser as a free plugin for Google Chrome. And not only that, the tunes change depending on the time of day–just like in the game!

Global
(Animal Crossing • Chrome • cool • music • plugin • video games)

No one will be flying Evangelion spear to the moon as crowdfunding project dies on the vine

Casey Baseel
Apr 6, 2015

We recently talked about how the opening theme of anime Neon Genesis Evangelion, “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis,” is almost painfully ubiquitous in Japan. Overseas, though, the more famous tune is the series’ ending theme, the English-language jazz standard “Fly Me to the Moon.”

The song’s sweet sentimentalism takes on an ironic atmosphere coming after an episode of Evangelion’s painfully subversive depiction of the horrors that could unfold if 14-year-olds were actually tasked with fighting giant invading aliens. And now, “Fly Me to the Moon” will probably take on even more of a bittersweet tone for Eva fans, as the crowdfunding project to send the anime’s Spear of Longinus to the moon has fallen short of its goal.

Global, Japan
(anime • crowdfunding • Evangelion • science)

Hyperkin’s joke design for a Game Boy emulator for iPhones is now the real deal…maybe

Audrey Akcasu
Apr 3, 2015

You might imagine that, in 2015, with smartphone, PlayStation Vita and Nintendo 3DS, few gamers would ever want to go back to the simple graphics of the original Nintendo Game Boy. But you’d be very wrong. People go out of their way to make their high-tech gizmos play the old-school games of yore. Call it nostalgia, call it silly, but many call it simply, awesome.

Video game peripheral and accessory manufacturers Hyperkin just announced some new plans for a Game Boy-esque accessory into which you can insert your smartphone and play original Game Boy games. Now this sounds pretty good, but it’s already getting mixed reviews.

Global
(Game Boy • Hyperkin • iPhone • nintendo • retro • Smart Boy • video games)

This woolly Yoshi Amiibo will make magic happen on-screen, be your bedtime buddy afterwards

Philip Kendall
Apr 2, 2015

Anyone who knows me well will tell you that, as well as being a huge video game nerd, I’m also a bit of a tree-hugger at heart, albeit one that possess neither a tie-dyed t-shirt nor the coordination required to play hacky sack. So as much as I like the idea of surrounding myself with dozens of Nintendo’s cute little Amiibo figurines, I just can’t bring myself to add yet more mass-produced plastic junk to my home when I know that it’ll only end up in a landfill someday (come on, Amiibo can be hard to find, but they’re hardly collector’s items).

But this woolly Yoshi Amiibo announced by Nintendo of America last night is not only much kinder to the environment, it’s one of the most adorable things ever, so I don’t think I’ll be able to resist getting one of my own.

Global
(Amiibo • nintendo • toys • video games • Yarn Yoshi • Yoshi)

Tekken video game series shows off its first fighter from the Philippines: Josie Rizal 【Video】

Casey Baseel
Apr 2, 2015

Tekken 7, the latest installment of video game developer Bandai Namco’s popular fighting game series, hit Japanese arcades last month. Even though the game launched with close to two dozen playable characters, the series has always had a tradition of adding new fighters after each game’s debut, and Tekken 7 is no exception.

The newest member of the Tekken cast is also its first to hail from the Philippines. But while more content is almost always a plus, gamers aren’t unanimous in their reactions to Josie Rizal.

Global, Japan
(Namco • Tekken • Tekken 7 • video games)

Here’s what we got when we ordered the chef’s recommendation…at McDonald’s!

Kay
Apr 2, 2015

If you’re a foodie who dreams of eating at Michelin and Zagat rated establishments, perhaps you’ve also fantasized about saying to the Maitre d’ at a fancy restaurant, “Can I speak with the chef? I’d like to thank him/her for a superb meal.” Granted, such a dining situation may not come up very often, but what you may be able to do more easily instead is to order “whatever the chef’ recommends.”

And that’s exactly what our RocketNews24 Japan staff decided to do at a series of restaurants, the first one being none other than…McDonald’s! Now, we’d like to think that all people working in a kitchen, whatever the type of restaurant, actually want to serve tasty food, and to that end would likely have a definite opinion on what they would most like customers to try. So, asking for the chef’s recommendation should result in a more than satisfying meal, right? Well, we were certainly excited to find out what the recommendation would be at one of the world’s best-known fast food chains!

Global, Japan
(fast food • food • McDonald's)

Metal Gear movie finds scriptwriter, presumably prepared to write dialogue including “Snaaake!!!”

Casey Baseel
Apr 2, 2015

For decades, the Metal Gear franchise has been teaching video game players to be patient. In contrast to other games, where the hero can just load up on firepower and go charging in with guns blazing, Metal Gear is all about staying hidden, carefully infiltrating enemy territory, and only striking when the time is right.

Fans have been putting that patience to use as the most popular branch of the franchise, Metal Gear Solid, keeps inching towards its long-discussed live-action film adaptation. The production seems to have finally hit another checkpoint, though, with reports that the movie now has a scriptwriter.

Global, Japan
(Metal Gear • Metal Gear Solid • movies • video games)

Sony chooses today to announce “PlayStation Flow” goggles, body sensors and post-swim dryer

Philip Kendall
Apr 1, 2015

Hot on the heels of its Project Morpheus virtual reality headset, Sony has announced a series of brand new gaming accessories that are sure to make a splash. Say hello to PlayStation Flow, a set of swimming goggles, arm and leg sensors, and even a full-body dryer.

These things almost seem too bizarre to be true…