SoraNews24 —Japan News—

Anything worth doing in excess is worth overdoing in excess. Or at least that seems to be the motto for this gathering in Taiwan. An entire street is covered in what looks like red scraps of paper, or if you’re feeling more poetic, flower petals. Turns out it’s neither of those things, and as the following video will show, “Boom Boom Pow!”

Taiwan
(crazy • festival • fire • firecrackers)

Sun + Magnifying glass = Art? One man’s unique “painting” style will blow your mind

Audrey Akcasu
Oct 21, 2014

Do you remember when you were a little kid and you used a magnifying glass to look at bugs and leaves? Do you remember when you realized that if you caught the sunlight in the magnifying glass in just the right way you could set the bugs and leaves on fire?

Austronesian artist Jordan Mang-osan (not to be confused with Mango-san) is also using the sun to burn things at this home in the Philippines, but instead of frying bugs, he’s creating massive works of art.

SE Asia
(art • fire • Philippines • pyrography)

Shocking footage of accident on Japanese highway reminds us of the fragility of life 【Video】

Hayashi 'Fang' Hougi
Oct 20, 2014

A truck crashes into a smaller car on a highway, compressing it like a cola can. The heap of metal then continues to plough though a line of cars, scattering them like billiard balls. Mere seconds later, intense orange flames engulf the entire segment of the highway and thick, black smoke fills the air.

This sounds like a scene right out of a Hollywood action movie, but unfortunately this is real life. If you can stomach the intense footage, check out the following video from Japan’s ANN News channel, which shows an everyday highway scene turn into a mess of metal and flames in the blink of an eye.

Japan
(accident • car accident • fire • highway • video)

Mysterious fire materializes inside Saitama train station on Tuesday

Krista Rogers
Jul 31, 2014

On Tuesday evening, commuters at Urawa Station in Saitama Prefecture were in for a bit of a shock when an abandoned piece of corrugated cardboard suddenly burst into flames. The fire was soon extinguished by station attendants, but the question remains: what caused the mysterious incident?

Japan
(fire • Saitama • train station • twitter • Urawa Station)

This Sailor Mars cosplayer is playing with fire, literally

Anime News Network
Jul 16, 2014

Fire dancer and apparent Sailor Moon enthusiast Thomas Vaccaro took his Sailor Mars crossplay in a unique direction—by harnessing her fire powers. While he can’t shoot fireballs just yet, we appreciate the effort.

Internet
(Anime News Network • cosplay • dancing • fire • Sailor Mars • Sailor Moon • street performer)

Can you handle the heat at Fukugonji’s annual firewalking festival?

Rachel Tackett
Nov 26, 2013

Over the course of a year, we humans can accumulate a lot of mucky emotions. We inevitably forget the dangers that certain fiery passions, like anger and envy, can do to our psyches. In order to remind ourselves to retake control of these troublesome fires that burn within us, we must take a walk through physical flames and let the fear of literal fire burn away our emotional impurities.

At least, that’s the idea behind Fukugonji’s annual firewalking festival! Each year, on second Sunday of December, this Zen Buddhist temple in Aichi Prefecture invites all members of the public to step across their scorching coals and reclaim inner purity at the Fukugonji Akiba Grand Festival. This year, the festival promises to be particularly entertaining, as well as spiritual and somewhat scary, as one might expect from firewalking.

Japan
(Aichi • culture • festivals • fire • Firewalking • Religion and Spirituality)

Chinese Government Authorities Offer Cash Rewards in an Effort to Prevent Self-Immolations

John Stuart Translations
Dec 29, 2012

With Tibetans continuing to set themselves ablaze in protest of oppressive rule by Chinese authorities, state media for Qinghai province reported that the government of the province’s Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture announced it would begin offering rewards of 200,000 yuan (about US$32,000) by December 27 to anyone at the scene who can prevent such suicides from occurring.
Read More

China
(China • fire • Self-Immolations • suicide • tibet)

Bygone Fishing Technique Becomes Beautiful Modern Day Work of Art

Master Blaster
Dec 16, 2012

Fishermen all over the world know that lights are good for fishing. Insects are attracted to light and fish are attracted to insects, so they have evolved to also be attracted to light as well.

Even underwater, tiny organisms like plankton and shrimp are drawn to lights which draw small fish. The small fish also invite larger fish which can be caught by a fisherman smart enough to put the light there in the first place.

Many fishing boats are equipped with powerful spot lights intended to attract fish, and lights can be bought and installed under docks with the same purpose.

In Taiwan, this technique takes on a dramatic flair using actual flares. This beautiful and unique style of fishing was filmed by Kenny Chen who released a sample trailer for us all to see.

Let’s take a look!