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Japan (Page 1692)
Rejoice, Fashion-Challenged Men! Now You Can Have a Hottie Stylist Dress You
A new online service called Bemool has just been launched in Japan targeted at men who don’t know how to dress themselves. For a meager service fee of 5,000 yen (about $60 US), a stylish and pretty expert will go out and buy some outfits for you, something that is no doubt a god-send for shopping-averse–hell, going-out-in-public-averse–net denizens. Read More
Future and Past Collide as Long-Awaited “Evangelion and Japanese Sword Exhibit” Opens
- Master Blaster
Jul 19, 2012
You may have read our previous report about how Japan’s top sword makers had been called upon to bring your favorite weapons from the hit anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion off the screen and into reality.
Well, the day has finally arrived as the Bizen Japanese Sword Museum has at long last opened their “Evangelion & Japanese Sword Exhibit” utilizing traditional sword making techniques to create swords of the future Evangelion universe.
Apoopalypse Now! We Use Twitter and Japanese Linguistics to Track the Toilet Habits of Japan
- Master Blaster
Jul 19, 2012
It seems the days of keeping novels or magazines on a stand by the toilet are slipping away from us as more and more people are taking their smartphones into the loo to pass the time. On top of this, social media has paved the way for everyone to update the world on all their daily minutiae.
And what could be minuter than broadcasting our bowel evacuations to the world. On an individual basis such information might be meaningless to others but when analyzed en masse we can learn something about the pooping habits of a nation.
A Cool Sight for the Hot Summer! See Penguins Fly – at a Rooftop Aquarium in the Middle of Tokyo
- Kay
Jul 19, 2012
Okay, is everyone ready for summer? You may already have vacation plans, but if you’re going to be in Tokyo this summer, you may want to consider visiting the Sunshine Aquarium in the Ikebukuro area. Why? Because you’ll be able to see “flying penguins” there this summer! Read More
See Tokyo on the Cheap, See It in Lego and More
- Master Blaster
Jul 18, 2012
Who doesn’t love Lego? It’s a toy that has certainly stood the test of time and transcended all boundaries of gender, class and geography with its simple yet endless possibilities.
And who doesn’t love Tokyo? It’s a city that has certainly stood the test of time and grown into quite the cultural mecca of food, science, and art. However, it’s a big city that requires time to explore fully. So why not head down to Decks in Odaiba, Tokyo Beach to see the best of it in everyone’s favorite medium – Lego! But that’s not all Legoland Tokyo has to offer.
Scientists One Step Closer to Cure for Body Odor
- Master Blaster
Jul 17, 2012
It seems that some of life’s simplest yet most widespread problems never have solutions. Millions of men worldwide have to watch their hair fade away with no reliable cure. Or how about that man or woman who somehow manages to sit next you on the subway or bus making your eyes water with their biological curse of body odor, better known by bacteriologists by its scientific name: “pit stank.”
Pit stank doesn’t discriminate. The victims are our fathers, sisters, children, and spouses. However, thanks to the pioneering efforts of a legal rep for an NPO in Sendai working with Tohoku University’s New Industry Creation Center the world is one step closer to a cure for this socially scorned affliction.
Infield Fly Controversy Mars Tension-Filled Baseball Grudge Match
- Master Blaster
Jul 16, 2012
A recent first round qualifying game for the high school league national championship between rivals Nichidai Fujisawa (Japan University’s High School) and Buso ended in controversy after a botched infield fly ball was mishandled causing a Nichidai runner to steal home and earn a walk-off victory for their team.
- Japan
- (baseball • controversy • infield fly)
High Ranking Chinese Officer Demands “Japan Should Leave Okinawa”
- Master Blaster
Jul 15, 2012
According to South Korea’s Far East Daily newspaper*,* China’s public radio broadcast an interview with a currently active Major General who spoke like many Generals do, with much aplomb and sabre rattling to be heard. Let’s see what he has to say.
Online Customer Review of a Can of Cat Food Horrifies Thousands
- Master Blaster
Jul 15, 2012
On first hearing about this story, it’s easy to be skeptical that a review for a can of cat food could possibly be as unnerving as one buyer’s comment on Rakuten (Japan’s answer to Amazon) was purported to be.
Most of us have spent enough time on the internet and saw our share of Goatses and blue waffles. So how could an online review for a tin of Mon Petit Whitefish & Tuna For Kittens possibly turn our web-hardened stomachs?
It did.
How Would You Like to Draw a Picture of Gundam – Using Excel?
- Kay
Jul 14, 2012
All right, this video should delight and impress all of you Gundam fans out there. And even if you’re not a Gundam fan, I think you’ll still find the video pretty amazing! You have to admit that it takes a huge amount of dedication, perseverance and love for the anime, not to mention time, to actually do what was done in this video. The end result is a full-color drawing of the Gundam mobile suit machine from the well-known anime series, and while the picture itself is an excellent effort, what is truly impressive about it is the unconventional way it was drawn. Read More
This is What a Whopper With 1000 Slices of Cheese Looks Like
- Steven
Jul 13, 2012
A few months have passed since our resident reporter Mr. Sato consumed a Whopper loaded with 1050 strips of bacon. Now the smell of bacon grease has finally faded from the office and Mr. Sato seems to have learned his lesson after spending countless hours curled up in the fetal position, praying his arteries would hold out another day.
At least, that’s what we thought until he walked into the office the other day carrying a Whopper with 1000 slices of cheese in his hands.
Cheesus Christ.
- Japan
- (Burger King • cheese • food challenge • Mr. Sato)
Osaka Temple Offers Visitors Visions of Hell, Tasty Sweets
- Jessica
Jul 13, 2012
At the moment there’s a picture book that’s very popular in Japan called “A Picture Book of Hell.” It’s intended to teach kids good manners, and it’s become something of a hot topic, if you’ll excuse the pun. Popular illustrator Akiko Higashimura even mentioned it in her manga series “Mama wa Tenparisto”, loosely translated as “Momma With a Short Fuse”. As you can imagine, there’s been a lot of interest among mothers and educational professionals.
I suppose terrorizing your kids with two-dimensional representations of hell is OK, but did you know there’s a place you can take them to experience it in real life? Read More
New App for College Students May Change the Way They Choose Classes
- Jessica
Jul 13, 2012
Awesome Course Schedule, an app released last year by Japanese content provider Labit, has been rapidly gaining traction with students at Japanese universities, because it allows them to rate and review their courses. Read More
- Japan
- (apps • college • education • university)
Voting is open for the “Most Evil Corporation of the Year” Award for 2012
- Master Blaster
Jul 13, 2012
Established by a 10 member team including journalists, activists and University professors, the committee for the “Most Evil Corporation of the Year” (in Japanese “Black Corporation Award”) has made a shortlist of nominees each vying to be the blackest of businesses.
In Japanese, the term “black business” refers to companies who rake in huge profits while exploiting their own work force by discrimination, harassment, unpaid overtime, and short-term contracts. This type of business is a widespread problem in Japanese society but often goes on undiscussed in mainstream media.
Legendary Manga to Make Comeback? Mystery Countdown on Weekly Shonen Jump Magazine Website Could Mean Exciting News For DB Fans!
- Kay
Jul 12, 2012
If you’re a fan of Japanese manga, you may be familiar with the comic magazine “Weekly Shonen Jump” (“Shukan Shonen Jump in Japanese”), one of the longest running and most widely read comic magazines in Japan. Well, you might be interested to know that a mystery countdown has been going on the magazine’s website, and until recently, the page showing the countdown contained just a short Japanese phrase (“最強、始動” which roughly translates to “The Truly Mighty are Getting Ready for Action” ) followed by the letter D covering the page. Read More
New Attraction Opens at Tokyo Disney Sea! But How Long Would You Be Willing to Wait to Get on the Ride? 1 Hour? 2 Hours? Try 6 Hours and 40 Minutes
- Kay
Jul 11, 2012
We recently posted a story on the new Toy Story snacks and goodies that have become available at Tokyo Disney Sea in advance of the opening of the new attraction, “Toy Story Mania!“. Well, now that Toy Story Mania! has officially opened on July 9th, we wanted to let you know what the crowd was like on opening day. Okay, the attraction was highly anticipated, with excellent advance reviews, so a huge crowd was fully expected. But who would have imagined that the wait time for the ride at 10:30a.m. on opening day would be a staggering 400 minutes? That’s a 6 hour 40 minute wait! Read More
Robot Guide Scheduled To Work Atop Tokyo Tower Needs a Name
- Master Blaster
Jul 11, 2012
With the recent opening of the Tokyo Sky Tree, it’s older little brother, Tokyo Tower has its work cut out for it to gather tourists. In an effort to break out of the shadow of the tallest tower in the world, Tokyo Tower plans to add “Japan’s first autonomously moving robot with a signboard.”
- Japan
- (guide • robot • Tokyo Tower)
A Naruto Fan and Non-Fan Give Their Impressions of the Naruto Live Action Movie on YouTube
- Master Blaster
Jul 9, 2012
One of the most popular anime and mangas around the world in recent times has got to be Naruto. With such fame often comes fan fiction, and thanks to the development of easily available production equipment, fan movies are an ever improving art form.
The fledgling American production team Thousand Pounds Action Company has put together a YouTube movie with an original story based on the Naruto universe. A follow-up to their celebrated Street Fighter X Tekken video, the Naruto movie has been getting an equally good reception and then some.
However, would Naruto fans be offending with their handling of the source material, and could this tiny movie company grab the attention of non-fans with their talents? We take a look at it from both sides to see.
Japan’s 30 Best Selling Video Games of All Time
- Master Blaster
Jul 8, 2012
The following is a list of the 30 most sold video games in Japan in the history of video games across all platforms. Western Gamers may be surprised that violent shooters take a rather large backseat to RPG’s, mushroom stomping, and Pikachus in the minds of Japanese game consumers.
- Japan
- (Japan • sales • video game)
Japanese Monkeys Shed Light on a “Kindness Gene”
- Master Blaster
Jul 7, 2012
Tokyo University’s Wildlife Research Center has discovered that a group of monkeys living on Awaji Island are more laid-back than all other monkeys in Japan. The cause of this, they claim, is a gene that dictates our gentleness.
Researchers put an ample supply of monkey bait within an 8 meter circle marked out on the group and then observed the monkeys. Of the monkey population on Awaji Island in Hyogo Prefecture a whopping 180 monkeys came out to enjoy the treats inside the circle together with minimal conflict. Read More
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Recent Posts
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MOST POPULAR
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Today
Japanese toilet aims to attract foreign tourists but not everybody is happy about it
New Japanese vending machine at Shinkansen station sells cups of ice on platform
Beautiful Totoro bonsai figure needs no watering, makes soothing rain showers whenever you want
End of a manga era as Weekly Shonen Jump’s circulation drops under one million
Anime fan in Japan arrested for ordering and cancelling over 4.3 billion yen in anime merch
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Weekly
Pokémon Center Online designates first Pokémon items that will require Japanese ID card to buy
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Japanese vending machine sells freshly squeezed lemon juice with a futuristic light show
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Beautiful Totoro bonsai figure needs no watering, makes soothing rain showers whenever you want
Monthly
Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
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New Shinkansen luggage drop-off system begins in Japan, making train travel even easier
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Japanese Shinkansen becomes an overnight hotel for three nights this summer
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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
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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
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