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There’s a Camel that Drinks Coca-Cola? RocketNews24 is There!
- Master Blaster
Jul 3, 2012 - Tweet
Tunisia as we recently discovered by their beautiful can designs, seems to be a loadstone of Coca-Cola related paranormal activity. For now our intrepid reporter has found a camel renowned for its love of Coke. It chugs the stuff down in one swig!
Smarter, Better, Faster, Stronger: Roachbot 2.0
- Master Blaster
Jul 2, 2012
The hottest toy of 2012, Roachbot, was released earlier this year amid great fanfare with its eerie resemblance everyone’s favorite kitchen guest, the cockroach. But as Japan enters the middle of cockroach season, we find ourselves casting aside our robotic roaches to play with the real ones.
Sensing this, Japan Trust Technologies have given it a severe amping up, including support for the iPhone and iPad.
One Man’s Junk Food is Another Monsieur’s Gourmet
- Danielnishina
Jul 1, 2012
There’s this new potsticker (aka gyza, aka dumpling) restaurant that opened in Paris, that people are actually lining up to get into. We wondered what all the fuss was about, so we went there to check it out ourselves. Read More
- Europe
- (B gourmet • dumplings • fast food • food • france • gyoza • gyozabar • paris • potstickers • travel)
Take the “Public” Out of Public Bathing and Make a Natural Hot Spring in the Comfort of Your Own Home
- Master Blaster
Jun 30, 2012
One of Japan’s greatest features is its many natural hot springs called onsens. Thanks to its highly volcanic location, Japan’s countryside is dotted with resorts welcoming tourists all year round.
For some foreigners visiting or living in Japan, public bathing isn’t a very appealing recreation. Reasons for this include tattoos which are considered verboten in many onsens, and the fact that foreigners tend to stick out like a sore thumb and might draw uncomfortable stares while bathing.
Now there’s another way to enjoy the relaxing and curative properties of a natural hot spring in the comfort of your own bathroom. If you want to know how, then give our easy manual “How to Set Up an Onsen in Your Own Home” a quick read.
Mankind Dealt Further Blow As Robot Which Never Loses at Rock-Paper-Scissors Is Developed
- Master Blaster
Jun 30, 2012
Rock-Paper-Scissors, the longstanding arbitrator of riding shotgun or eating the last slice of pizza has been celebrated for hundreds of years for its simple yet elegant balance of psychology and chance.
It’s such a part of the human experience that a robot could never out match the human mind in the RPS arena. Until now that is, as Engineers from the University of Tokyo decided to stick their noses in and build a robot that never ever loses at Rock-Paper-Scissors – ever! So how does it do it?
A Couple of Train Stations Create Their Own Cutie Gods in an Effort to Boost Tourism
- Master Blaster
Jun 29, 2012
Sadly with Japan’s many recent economic woes, visitation to the remote stations of Kofuku and Aikoku has been low. So in an effort to drum up some visitors, the local communities did what anyone would do in this situation. They made some gods.
Treat Yourself to this Japanese Delicacy if You Dare – Ovaries From a Poisonous Fish!
- Kay
Jun 29, 2012
You may think it’s crazy to voluntarily eat poisonous fish, but in the case of pufferfish, or “fugu” in Japanese, it’s something the Japanese have been doing for a long time. We understand how the idea of eating a potentially deadly poisonous fish could be off-putting to some, but most Japanese people wouldn’t think twice about going to a restaurant and having pufferfish; in fact most of us would welcome it as a treat, as a full-course fugu meal usually doesn’t come cheap. Well, this time, we have a story from one of the reporters at the Pouch website about an unusual way to have pufferfish, and this is definitely a recipe you won’t be able to recreate at home! Read More
- Japan
- (food • fugu • pufferfish • shopping)
Science, Enhancing the Ways We Can Mess With Each Other’s Minds
- Danielnishina
Jun 28, 2012
Maybe, along with the drive to to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before, we also want to explore our minds and consciousness. And maybe inevitably that sometimes comes out to be inventing new ways to mess with our own heads. And so, the eggheads at Riken Research have developed the “Substitutional Reality System“. Read More
- Internet
- (alternative reality • augmented reality • education • entertainment • science • technology • Total Recall • video game • virtual reality)
Omiya Station’s Platform 8 Becomes the Scene for a Rare Mass Influx of Train Enthusiasts, Things Get Ugly
- Master Blaster
Jun 28, 2012
23 June, 2012, marked the 30th anniversary of the Tohoku Shinkansen Line. Its original first stop, Omiya Station, acted as a lightning rod for Japanese railfans called toritetsu (lit. Photographers of Iron). A normally peaceful trainspotter, when packed into small spaces the toritetsu can become noisy and obnoxious to those around it.
New Glasses Designed Exclusively for Hackers
- Master Blaster
Jun 28, 2012
Glasses maker JINS have announced that on 2 July they will sell a limited release of 1,500 pairs of their confusingly named JINS PC for Hackers, which are glasses tailored to meet the needs of hackers.
JINS makes it clear on their website that they are referring to hackers in the traditional sense of someone with a lot of experience and skill using computers and networks, rather than the criminal sense often used in the media.
- Internet
- (eyeglasses • fashion • hacker • JINS)
No Escape! Fuji-Q Highland’s New Unforgiving Maze
- Danielnishina
Jun 27, 2012
This July 28, Fuji-Q will open the doors to its new attraction, “Fortress of No Hope”. They say they’re aiming for a 0% success rate of escape from the walk-through maze building. Guests will contend (presumably enjoyably) with innumerable doors, halls, and rooms, all under a time limit. In addition, you progress through levels of increasing difficulty, with more and more hidden clues and invisible doors. Read More
- Japan
- (amusement park • entertainment • fuji-q • fuji-q highland • maze • theme park)
Tsukuba University Claims New Method for Artificial Rain Is a Success
- Master Blaster
Jun 27, 2012
Although we are currently going through our rainy season here in Japan, other parts of the world face sever threats from drought, and desertification. Luckily, Tsukuba University research team has announced the on 23 June their attempt at making rain was successful. All they had to do was use an ingredient found in a can of Coke.
TOYOTA Shows Off the Ultimate Family Car, Even the Kids Can Drive it!
- Master Blaster
Jun 27, 2012
At a recent auto show Toyota had unveiled its latest concept car, the Camatte (pronounced like latte), which they boast as the first ever true family car. Not only can mom and dad use it for their daily transportation needs, but little Susie can get a kick out of playing dress-up with it and little Johnny can practice driving it himself in the back yard.
- Japan
- (Camatte • concept car • technology • TOYOTA)
Restaurant Found In Tokyo Serving Dog Meat, We Investigate
- Master Blaster
Jun 27, 2012
It’s certainly become a widespread belief that dog is eaten in some Asian countries, most notably China and Korea. However, it never caught on in Japan, which is why we were blown away to learn that there’s a restaurant in Ikebukuro, Tokyo that offers a selection of dog meat dishes.
The name of the restaurant is Fun Fun Shop and despite the signboard that reads “Chinese Cooking” they actually offer a range of dishes into Korean and Japanese as well. Having none of us ever eaten dog before, we sent our most iron-gutted reporters to see if the taste could possibly justify the unpleasant act of eating man’s best friend. And we answered your three most likely questions, before you ask them!
Japan’s Latest Culinary Trend: Canned Food Cantinas?
- Jessica
Jun 26, 2012
Let me describe a scene for you: a crowd of Japanese are gathered around steel drums in a little shanty of a building open to the summer air. Some are drinking beers in plastic cups, others disposable one-cup sakes. Most are eating from unheated cans of food with plastic cutlery, chasing it with sips of their chosen brew. Around them are shelves of unfinished wood, stacked high with a stupendous assortment of cans, probably enough to last several months. Think this is a scene from a disaster shelter in Tohoku? Perhaps an end-of-the-world movie? Think again. It’s Saturday night at one of Osaka’s most unique “restaurants”, the long-standing and popular Kanso, where there’s no menu except the cans on the shelves. Try to contain your excitement, because this monument to apocalypse-chic may be coming to a city near you. Read More
Thousands are Buying Up a Toy Fan That Pumps Out Some Serious Wind Power On The Cheap
- Master Blaster
Jun 26, 2012
Since its release on April 28th people have been flocking to toy stores across Japan to get their hands on toymaker Takara Tomy’s Kuru Kuuuuru Eco-Fan (Round and Rooooouuund Eco-Fan), so much so that their original 60,000 units had to be upped to an additional shipment of 120,000 to meet the demand.
It seems since abandoning much of the nuclear power in Japan, people’s minds are set on alternative means of keeping cool while saving electric costs or during potential black outs. The reason everyone wants this particular toy fan is because of the sheer wind power it has. For every one turn of the hand, the fan blade spins 100 times.
- Japan
- (cute • fan • Takara Tomy • technology • toy)
Karaoke’s Not Just For Singing Any More, Guitars Now Welcome at Joysound f1
- Master Blaster
Jun 26, 2012
Anyone who’s played one of those music based games, be it Guitar Hero, Rock Band, or even Donkey Konga, surely enjoyed it but also felt that mild pang of guilt. The reality that if we spend the same time and effort learning a real instrument we could actually have a skill we would be proud of.
But learning a musical instrument is a long hard practice that often lacks the pizzazz and gratification the games offer. Perhaps, karaoke company Xing’s new Joysound f1 can help in that area, as their new karaoke system offers support for guitars and bass guitars.
Like Spicy Food but Bummed by the Summer Heat? Try Some Frozen Kimchi
- Master Blaster
Jun 25, 2012
Summer seems to get hotter every year. For those of us who like spicy food it can be too burdensome to eat after working up enough of a sweat from the cooking alone.
To help this dilemma, a popular Korean Barbeque restaurant, Gyukaku, has announced that it will start selling a new style of frozen kimchi from 20 June.
Lemony Life Hack – Squeeze More Juice From Your Lemons!
- Danielnishina
Jun 24, 2012
Whether it’s a savory slab of salmon, or a sweet cheesecake, lemon juice can enhance a multitude of foods. But the squeezing of lemons to get their fresh juice is often tedious and seems to bear little reward. How do you all normally squeeze lemons? Most people typically cut it in half and get to squeezing straight away. But there’s a method that will yield much much much more juice, as we present below: Read More
Get Ready for the Olympics by Revisiting Current World Records
- Master Blaster
Jun 24, 2012
One of the best parts of the Olympics is when a world record is broken, but with the 4 year gap between Olympic summer games it’s easy to forget what has happened before. So RocketNews24 would like to offer you a quick recap of the greatest achievements from the best of the best athletes from around the world in Olympic events and beyond.
To make these statistics more accessible we compared some of them to various zoo animals and everyday objects.
- Global
- (Olympics • sports • track • world record)
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Recent Posts
- 7-Eleven Japan’s Ramen Machine is a viral hit, but there’s one glaring problem
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- Japanese pudding gets a massive big-eats upgrade at this Tokyo cafe
- Visiting Fukui can teach travelers how to make, and smash, Japanese kawara tiles [Photos]
- Japan’s middle-aged fairy man character stole our reporter’s heart in a hot spring town
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Today
Burger King goes viral in Japan for opening new store in a Japanese-style building
Studio Ghibli releases new onigiri rice ball-shaped lunch bag for Kiki’s Delivery Service fans
7-Eleven Japan’s Ramen Machine is a viral hit, but there’s one glaring problem
Japanese pudding gets a massive big-eats upgrade at this Tokyo cafe
Mt. Fuji may soon require off-season climbers to register with government or pay for their rescues
TeamLab is building a new Tokyo museum, and it’s the digital art group’s biggest ever
Visiting Fukui can teach travelers how to make, and smash, Japanese kawara tiles [Photos]
Starbucks Japan unveils first-ever vending machine, with an exclusive coffee drink
Japanese mayors challenge each other to nighttime ninja battle, now recruiting participants
Japan’s middle-aged fairy man character stole our reporter’s heart in a hot spring town
Weekly
Family Mart releases 47 convenience store socks and stickers, one for every prefecture in Japan
How to watch Studio Ghibli’s new anime in Japan, with a special after-dark outdoor screening for Halloween
Japan’s Suica Penguin character is “graduating”, and you can choose its successor
Two American women attempt to smuggle US$1 million worth of cannabis into Tokyo for a free trip to Japan
Studio Ghibli releases new onigiri rice ball-shaped lunch bag for Kiki’s Delivery Service fans
New Shinkansen platform vending machine sells local-flavor treats from 127-year-old snack maker
Tokyo ward looking to change lodging laws, ban more than half of its Airbnb-style rentals
Mt. Fuji may soon require off-season climbers to register with government or pay for their rescues
Megadeth guitarist becomes voice of reason regarding tourists dancing at shrine in Japan
Mister Donut releases new sweet potato doughnuts in Japan, and we’ve ranked them from best to worst
Monthly
12-year-old British girl who went missing in Tokyo found safe after visiting anime sites around Yokohama
7-year-old boy left behind on Mt. Fuji by his own dad
Japan’s final Penguin Suica train cards have already shipped, and when they’re gone, they’re gone
Sushi Bus: Japan’s first conveyor-belt bus lets you eat sushi while sightseeing around Tokyo
Studio Ghibli unveils new anime calendars and diary planners for 2027
Japan approves foreign resident visa renewal fee increases of up to 967 percent, starts soon
Japan tripled its departure tax to fund tourism but is using the money on cherry blossoms and bears
Solo travel in Japan: Hidden beer garden in Tokyo is a haven for single visitors
Kyoto temple bans visitors from wearing kimono
Hobonichi unveils new 2027 planners, diaries and stationery with One Piece, Suica Penguin, Hello Kitty and a must-buy Mini Techo
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
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
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TeamLab is building a new Tokyo museum, and it’s the digital art group’s biggest ever
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Japanese mayors challenge each other to nighttime ninja battle, now recruiting participants
Japan’s middle-aged fairy man character stole our reporter’s heart in a hot spring town
Ghibli store Donguri Kyowakoku now has special frames to protect your anime art Paper Theater kits
Family Mart releases 47 convenience store socks and stickers, one for every prefecture in Japan
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Don Quijote ear cleaner sucks, and was criticised by customers, but is the new version any better?
Join Naked in the Niwa garden: Kyoto Station’s newest spot to craft traditional art
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