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Japan (Page 1683)
Amazing AU Commercial Turns Tokyo Into Night Club— With Daft Punk!
Some Japanese companies are known for making really clever commercials, others are known for making some really dumb commercials (looking at you Sony).
Mobile carrier au (pronounced “A-U”) has proven itself a part of the former camp with its fantastic new commercial, “FULL CONTROL/Xmas”, which shows what Tokyo might look like if it were turned into one giant night club.
- Internet, Japan
- (AU • cell phone • commercial • Daft Punk • YouTube)
Hello Kitty Now A Hot Sexy Kitten (And She’ll Warm Your Legs Too!)
- Kay
Dec 9, 2012
Can you tell who the character in the above picture is? She’s cosplayed, posed nude and even turned herself into various edible treats before, but once again Ms. Kitty stretches the boundaries of her professionalism, this time by turning herself into human form, and an über-hot, sexy form at that. And you’ve got to admit, she really isn’t looking too bad, to put it mildly. Read More
- Global, Japan
- (Hello Kitty • MAM AVANTGARDE • stockings • tights)
Day of Wishes from the Dragon God Available on Yahoo! Auction, Seller’s Sister’s Panties Also Up for Grabs
- Master Blaster
Dec 9, 2012
It pays to keep a keen eye on Japan’s Yahoo! Auctions every once I a while. You’ll never know when you can get a personal live performance form your favorite band, or the opportunity to hire them to clean your home.
So imagine our surprise when the chance to have the Dragon God, Shenlong, from the Dragon Ball series for one day went under the hammer! And in this deal you aren’t limited to one wish like in the manga, you can make as many as you want.
- Internet, Japan
- (Dragon Ball • Shenlong • wish • Yahoo! Auction)
“A crazy man is coming to school today and he’s going to try to stab us”: Japan Takes Code Red Drills to the Extreme【You, Me, And A Tanuki】
- Michelle Lynn Dinh
Dec 9, 2012
You, Me, And a Tanuki is a weekly featured blog run by Michelle, a Californian who is currently one of only two foreigners living in Chibu, a tiny fishing village on one of the Oki islands in Japan. Check back every Saturday for a new post or read more on her website here!
I remember during my school days in the United States, we would have a “Code Red” drill once a year where we practiced the proper protocol in the event a gunman came to school. We were taught the proper way to build a barricade using desks and chairs in our classroom, the best place to build it, and the different announcements and signals that we could expect to hear should such a situation occur. But the thing is, there was never an actual gunman or anyone playing the part of a gunman during the drill.
In Japan (or at least in my area of Japan), they do Code Red drills a little differently. First of all, in the Code Red drill scenario, there is no fictitious gunman, instead there is a fictitious crazy person trying to stab people. Read More
High-Speed Chocolate: A Look at the New Shinkansen Kit Kat and Other Cool Japanese Kit Kat Packages
- Steven
Dec 9, 2012
Japan gets all the cool Kit Kats. Since 2000, Nestlé has introduced over 200 flavors and varieties of the chocolate bar to Japan, from chestnut and espresso to baked corn and soy sauce.
Some flavors come and go with the seasons and others are exclusive to certain regions; at the souvenir shops of my home prefecture Nagano you can find the tasty Shinshu Apple flavor and the questionable Ichimi Ground Red Pepper flavor.
One of our Japanese reporters recently came across a new variety of Kit Kat at Nagoya Station that we thought was pretty cool. While the Kit Kat bars themselves are the regular milk chocolate flavor—which, mind you, differs from country to country—the box art is inspired by the Tokaido Shinkansen line and should be familiar to anyone who has ridden the bullet train in Japan.
Amazing High Quality Color Footage of a Very Different Tokyo Circa 1935
- Master Blaster
Dec 8, 2012
Even without ever having gone to Tokyo one can probably imagine the sprawling metropolis of 13 million people. It’s an ocean of buildings spackled with LED lights and paper signs threaded by vines of elevated walkways sitting atop a massive labyrinth of a subway system.
Of course it wasn’t always like this. Thanks to an incredibly well made and well preserved piece of film we can get a glimpse of a rare Tokyo. It was taken right between the city’s two 20th century destructions during the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake and the 1944 firebombing campaign.
Japanese Avengers Fans Up in Arms Over Shoddy Voice Acting on Blu-ray Release
- Philip Kendall
Dec 8, 2012
The dubbed Blu-ray version of recent hollywood smash The Avengers hasn’t even made it into stores yet, but Japanese film fans are already writing it off as junk.
Despite the Japanese releases of previous superhero movies – The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man and Thor included – being voiced by professional, suitably cast voice actors, the dubbed version of The Avengers in cinemas featured none of the same voices, despite the movie being based around the premise of bringing these much-loved heroes together in one spot.
Movie buffs had hoped that Disney Japan, the company behind the Japanese Blu-ray release, would reinstate the original super heroes’ Japanese counterparts for the home release, but it has become clear that those wishing to enjoy the action movie without subtitles will have to put up with the same subpar voice acting that was shoehorned into the cinema release.
Giant Robot Battle Fists Now On Sale in Japan! But With Great Robot Fists Comes Great Responsibility
- Master Blaster
Dec 7, 2012
Finally you can put awesome power of giant battle robots in the palm of your hand— or around the palm of your hand—with GIANT ROBOT BATTLE FISTS. Now available in Japan! Sounds like the perfect Christmas gift to me!
- Global, Internet, Japan
- (Giant Robot Battle Fists • novelty • Think Geek • toy)
Animal Crossing 3DS Countrywide Shortage Prompts Terrified Apology from Nintendo Boss
- Philip Kendall
Dec 7, 2012
Animal Crossing: New Leaf, or Tobidase Dōbutsu no Mori as it’s known here in Japan, has officially become Japan’s most wanted videogame, but not simply because of high sales figures.
The game, which allows you to customize and decorate your home or otherwise while away hours at a time exploring a town populated with cute anthropomorphic animals, has been literally impossible to get hold of since the end of November, with staff in electronics stores across Japan simply shrugging their shoulders when asked when they’re expecting to receive new stock.
Despite incredible demand for the title, with the problem “unlikely to be fixed any time soon,” president of Nintendo Japan Satoru Iwata took to the stage this week to apologise to consumers in an official statement punctuated with plenty of long, deep bows and, for the briefest of moments, an expression of absolute terror.
Which is Considered Worse, Holding Your Chopsticks the Wrong Way, or Eating Noisily?
- Karen Bremer Masuda
Dec 6, 2012
In Japanese eating culture, holding chopsticks improperly might be frowned upon (see: Proper Way to Hold Chopsticks), but how does it compare to that other notorious dinner table offense, chomping down on your food with your mouth open?
According to denizens of Japanese message board site 2channel, who recently discussed the matter in depth, noisily eating your food is a far graver crime than poor chopstick handling. Let’s take a close look at their discussion below. Read More
- Japan
- (chopsticks • eating • food • manners)
Fan-Made “Dragon Ball Z: Saiyan Saga” Trailer is Finally Out! Take Notes, Hollywood
- Steven
Dec 6, 2012
Big-budget live-action remakes of anime and manga are tricky business. One one hand, you’ve got to please the fans, who you know will be sitting in the theater with pen and paper scrutinizing every scene. But you also have to make money, which often means watering down the source material to make it digestible for regular movie-goers. As a result, live-action remakes are usually denounced by fans (and critics), but still manage to turn a profit in the box office.
This is why we love DragonBall Z: Saiyan Saga, a live-action non-profit Dragon Ball Z trailer made by fans not because they want to make a buck, but because they love the series so damn much.
The 5 minute 44 second trailer was finally released on YouTube yesterday after months of production, and looks absolutely amazing. Check it out below!
Say “I Love You” this Christmas with these Romantic Potato Chips
- Philip Kendall
Dec 6, 2012
It’s nearly Christmas! And that can mean only one thing: romantic dates on December 24th!
What? Did you think we were talking about the pagan festival-cum-Christian holiday on December 25th? No, no, no; the 25th is just a normal working day here in Japan, and everyone’s already forgotten about Christmas. People without plans for December 24th, however, might as well join the ranks of those who use trains on dates and pay money to sleep next to strangers.
With the romantic dates of December 24th, Valentine’s Day and March 14th’s White Day in its sights, snack maker Koikeya is about to launch a new range of potato chips — or crisps to backwards Brits like me — made especially for couples. And thanks to some clever packaging, Koikeya guarantee that these new chips will be the most romantic salty snack you’ve ever enjoyed…
Urban Soldier: Mr. Sato Dons Camo for a Call of Duty-Inspired Coffee Dash
- Philip Kendall
Dec 5, 2012
It came as an enormous shock to the entire team to hear that the legend that is Mr. Sato rarely visited Starbucks coffee houses.
Surrounded by the well-dressed, coffee sipping elite and with fancy lingo like “tall” and “grande” being thrown around, our reporter felt completely out of his depth at Starbucks and rarely dared to set foot inside even to grab a quick take-out coffee.
But after playing a lot of Black Ops 2 on the new office Wii U, a brilliant idea came to us…
- Internet, Japan
- (Black Ops 2 • camouflage • coffee • funny • Mr. Sato • Tokyo streets • video)
Why Don’t People Like the New Iron Chef? Was it the Fish Semen?
- Master Blaster
Dec 4, 2012
Back in the 90s, I was a huge fan of the Iron Chef when it got imported to North American television. Although I was normally uninterested in cooking programs, something about the drama and pageantry that went on in Kitchen Stadium struck a chord.
The show was even imported to western countries who tuned it to suit their own tastes, and a lot of others around the world got into those weekly culinary competitions.
So when Fuji TV announced the return of Iron Chef to primetime television, a lot of buzz was generated. However, their two-hour debut claimed just a 10% share of the ratings, half of what the original program regularly held. It got worse from there as later episodes slunk to around 7%.
So what happened to our beloved Iron Chef? Everyone’s got an opinion and so do we.
Our Reporter Heads to Barcelona, Eats Delicious Dragon Quest Bubble Slime
- Philip Kendall
Dec 4, 2012
During her recent trip to the beautiful city of Barcelona, Spain, RocketNews24 Japan writer Megumi stumbled upon something that, to her videogame-tuned eyes, could look like only one thing.
The above image is one taken by Megumi when she visited the fantastic Brunells patisserie, or Pastisseria i salode te Brunells to be more exact, showing what is known as a “melonmelon” sweet. Although you and I see little more than a piece of rich, sugary confection, when Megumi first laid eyes on this delightful little green tongue pleaser, she could only think of one thing: a Bubble Slime from the hugely popular Dragon Quest role-playing games.
- Europe, Japan
- (bubble slime • confection • Dragon Quest • food • slime • sweets • taste • travel)
Love Disney? These Adorable Mickey and Minnie Hotel Rooms Are For You!
- Kay
Dec 4, 2012
Ah, the wonderful world of Disney! With the holiday festivities swinging into full gear, there’s bound to be a lot of fun and magic going on at Tokyo Disney Resort this time of the year. Well, Disney lovers, in a few months, there will be one more reason for you to visit the land where dreams come true.
The Disney Ambassador Hotel, long loved by Disney fans for its Art Deco style interior containing numerous Disney character motifs and surely a delightful place to stay for any visitor, will be going under partial renovation and reopen on February 6th next year.
So what new changes can guests look forward to? Read More
- Global, Japan
- (Disney • Disney Ambassador Hotel • Mickey • Minnie • renovation • room • Tokyo Disney Resort)
【Rocket Food】 Dragon Quest Slime: Cute, Delicious and Made in Four Easy Steps!
- Philip Kendall
Dec 3, 2012
Dragon Quest fan? Hungry? Have a few spare minutes? You’re in luck, my friend!
Thanks to the culinary creatives over at Japanese website Bistro Animeshi, we’re about to bring you the first of what we hope will be many recipes for character and anime-themed food! That’s right, over the past few years we’ve tendered to your loins, tickled your funny-bones and now we’re aiming to tantalize your tonsils.
If it’s in the Ghibli movies, we’ll help you recreate it! If you once saw One Piece‘s Luffy shove it down his neck, we’re on it. From the tasty to the downright weird, we’re here to help you cook up your anime dreams.
Welcome… to Rocket Food!
- Japan
- (anime • cartoon • cooking guide • cute • Dragon Quest • how to make • instructions • manga • recipe • rocket food • slime • tasty)
Attention, Hipster Bibliophiles: Brooklyn Parlor Is Tokyo’s Newest “It” Cafe
- Jessica
Dec 3, 2012
Generally speaking, cafes are good places to grab a cup of coffee and relax a bit, but a truly great cafe will have such delicious food and such a chill atmosphere that you can while away hours in complete contentment. If you are looking for a place like that in Tokyo, let us introduce you to Shinjuku’s Brooklyn Parlor. Read More
- Japan
- (books • Brooklyn Parlor • library • new • read • review • Tokyo cafe)
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Recent Posts
- Osaka man arrested for running little pet shop of horrors with dangerous crocodile
- Krispy Kreme Japan gets extra-local with adorable new Hokkaido snow fairy donuts
- Make-your-own-Totoro plushie workshop event coming to Ghibli Park park this fall
- Viral Yokohama cafe tops teas with mini teapots with a clever smoldering secret [Photos]
- Studio Ghibli adds new cosy socks to its anime merchandise collection
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MOST POPULAR
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Today
One of Japan’s best convenience store egg sandwiches is one you won’t find at the big three chains
Japanese food hack says to soak your grapes in carbonated water, but is the fizz worth the buzz?
Make-your-own-Totoro plushie workshop event coming to Ghibli Park park this fall
Foreign tourist numbers drop in Osaka, despite record-setting highs from U.S. and Korea
Viral Yokohama cafe tops teas with mini teapots with a clever smoldering secret [Photos]
Starbucks Japan says sayonara to the Filone for new sandwiches and a Pumpkin Soupuccino
Family Mart releases 47 convenience store socks and stickers, one for every prefecture in Japan
Japan announces new permanent residency guidelines, foreigners must earn more than average Japanese person
Cuddly starry night Totoro and other Ghibli blankets set to keep you cozy in chilly months ahead
Studio Ghibli’s Calcifer is ready to light up your home as a magical-looking candle lamp [Photos]
Weekly
Japan announces new permanent residency guidelines, foreigners must earn more than average Japanese person
Studio Ghibli’s Calcifer is ready to light up your home as a magical-looking candle lamp [Photos]
Japan’s first-ever conveyor-belt Sushi Bus announces Tokyo tour start date, reservations now open
Foreign tourists get free Shinkansen tickets in Japan, and here’s how to claim them
Japan’s new travel route literally through the mountains links two other beautiful alpine courses
Family Mart releases 47 convenience store socks and stickers, one for every prefecture in Japan
Starbucks Japan says sayonara to the Filone for new sandwiches and a Pumpkin Soupuccino
Toys R Us is leaving Japan after 35 years in the country
Casio collaborates with a Kyoto foil master for a luxurious one million yen G-SHOCK
Foreign tourist numbers drop in Osaka, despite record-setting highs from U.S. and Korea
Monthly
Japan announces new permanent residency guidelines, foreigners must earn more than average Japanese person
Family Mart releases 47 convenience store socks and stickers, one for every prefecture in Japan
Starbucks Japan unveils new Pokémon collaboration with Pikachu Latte and exclusive goods
Studio Ghibli’s Calcifer is ready to light up your home as a magical-looking candle lamp [Photos]
Lady Gaga and Family Mart team up for a Japanese convenience store work video [Video]
New Gundam Base superstores coming soon in the U.S., with one opening this month
Studio Ghibli releases new plush mascot character collection with a focus on friendship
Studio Ghibli releases new onigiri rice ball-shaped lunch bag for Kiki’s Delivery Service fans
Do Japan’s new single-minded convenience store bento show depressing poverty or satisfying focus?
How to watch Studio Ghibli’s new anime in Japan, with a special after-dark outdoor screening for Halloween
Yearly
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
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RECOMMENDED STORIES
Starbucks Japan says sayonara to the Filone for new sandwiches and a Pumpkin Soupuccino
Family Mart releases 47 convenience store socks and stickers, one for every prefecture in Japan
Japan announces new permanent residency guidelines, foreigners must earn more than average Japanese person
Cuddly starry night Totoro and other Ghibli blankets set to keep you cozy in chilly months ahead
Studio Ghibli’s Calcifer is ready to light up your home as a magical-looking candle lamp [Photos]
McDonald’s Japan officially changes its mascot’s name…to Ronald McDonald
Casio collaborates with a Kyoto foil master for a luxurious one million yen G-SHOCK
Opening of new Gundam anime superstore in America postponed indefinitely
Studio Ghibli adds new cosy socks to its anime merchandise collection
Totoro and other Ghibli anime figure humidifiers return just in time for the dry season [Photos]
Foreign tourists get free Shinkansen tickets in Japan, and here’s how to claim them
Do Japan’s new single-minded convenience store bento show depressing poverty or satisfying focus?
Japan’s first-ever conveyor-belt Sushi Bus announces Tokyo tour start date, reservations now open
“We’d heard Japan’s sentences are light” say foreign travelers arrested for Tokyo robberies
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