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Computer overheating? Japanese Twitter suggests using 10-yen coins to cool it off

Scott Wilson
Nov 5, 2015
Tweet

We’ve all been there: you’ve been marathoning a TV series on your laptop, or maybe playing a game for way too long, and now your fans are going haywire and the whole computer is hot to the touch. What are you supposed to do? Put your viewing on hold and wait for your computer to cool? No way!

Thankfully one Japanese Twitter user has another solution: cover your computer in 10-yen coins. Read on to find out why this idea just might be crazy enough to work.

Japan
(10 yen • computer • DIY • hot • lifehack • yen)

100-yen water guns get super cool makeovers, make awesome costume accessories 【Photos】

Meg Murphy
Oct 27, 2015

Halloween is less than a week away! Do all of you have your costumes ready?

If you’re still looking to add a nifty additional touch, then you can do as these handy DIY-ers on Twitter did and turn inexpensive, 100-yen (US$0.84) water guns into clever, steampunk-ish accessories. All it takes is some paint and a little creativity!

Japan
(100-yen • cosplay • costumes • crafts • DIY • steampunk)

Nintendo fans, get your sewing machines ready! Official Nintendo fabrics now available to buy

Scott Wilson
Aug 28, 2015

Have you ever wanted to lounge around in your own pair of Legend of Zelda pajama pants? How about snuggling up with a Mario Kart or Donkey Kong pillow? Well now thanks to Jo-Ann Fabrics, all of your Nintendo-related craft dreams can finally come true!

The U.S.-based arts and crafts retailer is now offering more yards of Nintendo-themed fabric than you can shake a Master Sword at. From Mario to Donkey Kong, Zelda to Pokémon, they have it all. Who says fully-grown adults can’t make their own homemade Pikachu PJs?

Japan, USA
(arts and crafts • DIY • Legend of Zelda • nintendo • Pokemon • Super Mario Bros. • video games)

Turn your old PlayStation console into a light-up clock 【How-to】

Oona McGee
May 12, 2015

If you’ve been a PlayStation fan from the very beginning, chances are you still have an original console collecting dust somewhere in the house. Sure, it’s outdated now, but who wants to throw all those fond gaming memories away?

Now there’s a creative solution that will let you get some use out of your old grey console and give you an excuse to look at it regularly throughout the day. It’s time to feast your eyes on the PlayStation clock. Unavailable in stores, but easy to make in your very own home!

Japan
(clocks • DIY • gaming • playstation • Sony)

Make your best-tasting onigiri taste even better with this easy recipe! 【RocketKitchen】

KK Miller
Mar 12, 2015

Onigiri, or rice balls, are one of the easiest ways to dabble in Japanese cooking. It’s almost as easy to make homemade onigiri as it is to buy from a store. The popularity of the simple rice ball is so great, there is even a store that sells one from each of the 47 prefectures.

In the RocketKitchen, our aim is to show you the best way to make fabulous Japanese dishes right in your own home. This time, we’re going to share with you foolproof way to create the best-tasting onigiri you’ve ever made. Hope you’ve got some rice cooking–it’s time to level-up that onigiri!

Japan
(DIY • easy • Japanese food • onigiri • recipe • RocketKitchen • sesame oil)

Celebrate the start of the new Pirates movie with “Asian Johnny Depp” and a skull drink!

KK Miller
Feb 23, 2015

The newest Pirates of the Caribbean movie, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, has begun principal photography in Australia, so the production team **released its very first still from the set–**something that is bound to fire up all the pirate fans and Johnny Depp fans around the world. A return of Captain Jack Sparrow is as exciting as, “yo ho ho, and a bottle of rum.”

After the cast and crew, the person most excited by the news is probably RocketNews24’s own Go Hatori, AKA Asian Johnny Depp! He’s back to toast the new movie with a costume and a special drink in the form of a human head analogue. Because… Well at least we kept him off the streets.

Japan
(DIY • drink • Johnny Depp • movies • Pirates of the Caribbean)

We made world-famous French toast in our office, and so can you! 【RocketKitchen】

Scott Wilson
Feb 16, 2015

Have you heard of the Hotel Okura in Tokyo? It’s recognized as one of the top hotels in the world, often housing rich business travelers and foreign heads of state visiting Japan. Every U.S. president since Richard Nixon has stayed there, and even James Bond has been a guest!

But despite all that, the Hotel Okura is best known among us mortals as “the home of the most delicious French toast in the world.” It’s been praised by innumerable websites and reviews, turning the small, simple breakfast dish into a 1,840-yen (US$15.50) delicacy. With a price and reputation like that, you wouldn’t expect us to be able to make the exact same thing in our office kitchen. Right?

Well, we did. And so can you!

Japan
(cooking • DIY • french toast • how to • recipe • RocketKitchen)

Creating your own custom etched glass is a lot simpler than you think

Meg Murphy
Jan 24, 2015

Having a hard time coming up with a cool gift idea? Wanting to create something fun and uniquely yours? Why not try your hand at glass-etching! It might sound a bit daunting, but as some Twitter users in Japan are finding, it’s a lot easier than expected, and a lot of fun to make your own anime (or anything!) goods. All you need are a few basic items, a steady hand, and some helpful tips to make your own awesome, customized etched glass! Follow us after the jump to get started.

Japan
(anime • DIY • etching • fun • glass)

Steampunk cosplay accessory that makes our heart go boom boom boom

KK Miller
Jan 22, 2015

What do steampunk fashion and a heart monitor have in common? Usually, nothing. But throw in a garter belt and you’ve got yourself a creative and original piece of fashion fusing seemingly incompatible objects. Read on to check out this awesome steampunk cosplay accessory!

Japan
(cool • cosplay • DIY • steampunk)

Steve Jobs? More like Stove Jobs – Mac Pro computer makes a comeback as a stylish cooking device

Audrey Akcasu
Jan 5, 2015

Getting a fancy new computer is always fun, but then you’re left to get rid of your outdated clunker. Sure you can send it off to be recycled, but think of all the good times you’ve shared with your old computing buddy.

One Japanese Mac Pro user couldn’t part with his desktop, so he decided to give it a second life − as a stove. A rocket stove, to be precise. By adding a burner to the top and an exhaust pipe at the bottom, behold the “yakiringo” (grilled apple).

Japan
(Apple • computer • DIY • Mac • renovation)

Japanese net user shares clever idea for a (not so easy) DIY doghouse

Krista Rogers
Dec 9, 2014

With the holidays swiftly approaching, what better time is there to pamper your pet pooch with a brand new doggie house? While store-bought dog houses may leave you strapped for cash, thanks to a tip from one Japanese forum user, now anyone can build their own doghouse using ordinary household items.

A quick word of caution before you begin–you may want to measure your dog beforehand, unless you want to wind up like the poor pooch in the following pictures!

Japan
(clothes • DIY • doghouse • hanger)

Life hack! Make your own “Louis Poulsen” light fitting with nothing but paper plates and bowls

KK Miller
Nov 19, 2014

Apartments in Japan are a bit strange. Most don’t come with furnishings, which isn’t all that uncommon, but many also don’t even come with light fixtures. It comes as a bit of a surprise for foreigners in Japan when they walk into their brand new rental and aren’t able to turn on the lights…because there are none.

It’s not so bad when you have been living in Japan your whole life, and thus take the light fixtures with you whenever you move, but often times, it’s an extra cost of moving that you didn’t factor in. Since you own these lights, it seems like a good place to invest in something unique that will stand the test of time and it’s a chance to show some individuality in your own personal space.

For some, that means going the “eco” route and forking out the money for some really expensive, but long-lasting LED lights. For others, it might mean purchasing that stylish but expensive fixture you’ve been seeing in all the home decor magazines. But who says you have to spend a lot to be trendy? Here’s a handy DIY instruction guide for making your own Louis Poulsen PH 5 hanging light!

Japan
(Apartment • DIY • life hack • Louis Poulsen • PH 5)

Bus otaku can now buy “request stop” buttons from Tokyu Bus Corp, push to their heart’s content

Preston Phro
Oct 20, 2014

It’s no secret that there are tons of densha otaku, or train nerds, (and tons of different types as well) in Japan. And with the wide range of trains zipping around the country, it’s totally understandable. But what about bus nerds? Do they even exist?

Well, while we haven’t actually met anyone who claims to be a bus nerd, this new product from the Tokyu Bus Corporation makes us think they must be out there. And if you’re a bus nerd, you’ll be happy to know that you can now have your own authentic “stop” button at home! But you’ll have to put it together yourself.

Internet, Japan
(bus • bus nerds • DIY • toys)

Transform a sushi mat into a stylish makeup tool organizer in just a few steps!

Joan Coello
Oct 20, 2014

Sometimes, people are subconsciously bound by their cultural habits and traditions, and fail to see beyond the appearance of things. To the Japanese, a bamboo makisu (sushi mat) is used to make sushi, but in the hands of someone outside of Japan, the traditional culinary item is transformed into something completely unrelated to food. If you’re looking to add some Japanese element into your daily life, read on for the simple DIY instructions to make your own sushi mat brush organizer!

Internet
(creative • DIY • handicraft • makeup • sushi mat • tools)

Brave through tear gas with this DIY budget gas mask【Instructions】

Joan Coello
Oct 9, 2014

Back on the topic of the Occupy Central demonstration taking place in Hong Kong in protest for electoral democracy, little progress has been made to resolve the situation, though there have been reports of planned talks between the government and representatives from the protesting group. More than a week has passed since the Occupy protesters started camping at several locations, staying put despite assaults from opposing factions and refusing to budge even as the police brought in tear gas and pepper spray.

As complete outsiders, we have no say on how things ought to be handled, and we’re definitely not taking sides, but if there’s one thing we could all learn from this protest, it’s how to make your own DIY tear gas mask. A YouTuber from Hong Kong shows us how!

China, Internet
(DIY • gas mask • Hong Kong • protest • YouTube)

6 creative uses for old video game hardware

Philip Kendall
Oct 7, 2014

Dedicated collectors will pay vast sums of money for boxed, mint-condition gaming hardware or rare game cartridges. But with so many millions of units having been produced over the years, the sad truth is that much of the gaming gear we once adored or spent months saving up to buy now sits broken, gathering dust on a shelf somewhere.

So why not turn this old junk into something more useful? Recently shared by Japanese news site Naver Matome, these six creative uses for old gaming hardware range from the simple-but-effective to genuinely impressive, and may just inspire you to dust off that NES your brother spilt Coke over all those years ago.

Internet, Japan
(DIY • life hacks • video games)

Holes in your paper door? Use colorful cloth to brighten up your shoji!

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Sep 26, 2014

Sliding paper doors give a subtle elegance to any room, but unfortunately for homeowners in Japan who like to keep things nice, are extremely fragile. Even the slightest finger poke can damage the thin paper, leaving you with the task of trying to cover up the imperfections. But those with shoji are in luck! Crafty netizens have come up with an easy and eye-catching way to fix those holes, using their favorite patterned fabric to add a splash of color to the traditionally white doors.

Japan
(decorating • DIY • Japanese home • shoji • sliding paper door)

Screw it with a smile thanks to this unusual screwdriver set from Tokyo artist Yuma Kano

Oona McGee
Apr 3, 2014

When it comes to screwing, most people would choose a Phillips head or a flat-head to get the job done. Or if you’re in Japan, where they use different terms, you’d ask for a plus (+) or a minus (-) screwdriver to get things going. Now though, it seems the humble screw has just received a facelift, thanks to a clever design collaboration between a Tokyo artist and a manufacturer from Osaka. The only thing cuter than a tiny smiley screw is the adorable driver that screws them in!

Japan
(cute • design • DIY • emoji • interior design)

“Architecture for Dogs” gallery in Tokyo will feature bizarre DIY dog houses

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Sep 16, 2013

Architecture for Dogs is a collection of kennels and accessories for canines that are designed by many different architects, most of them Japanese. It is “a new medium, which makes dogs and their people happy” and features unique designs, all of which can be made at home. So if you’re looking for a dog stroller, Chihuahua bubble suit, or a cone that sits on top of your dog instead of going around his neck, you can check out all that and more in Tokyo this fall.

Japan
(architecture • DIY • dog house)

Chinese Man Creates Life Sized Transformer by Himself

Master Blaster
Sep 14, 2012

Home of the independently created floating bed and doomsday escape pod, China has become a hotbed of DIY inventors making their dreams come true. Such is the case for a resident of Jinan who, since watching Transformers 4 years ago, has been creating his very own.

After spending 70,000 yuan (US$11,000) and 6 months he was ready to unveil this robotic wonder. He sure looks proud. Let’s see it!