SoraNews24 —Japan News—

My Neighbor Totoro is without a doubt one of the world’s most-loved Hayao Miyazaki’s films. The movie is filled with memorable characters, from the big guy himself down to the littlest soot sprites. Their design may be simple—black furry balls with big, white eyes—but that doesn’t make them any less cute.

But what if you took them from two-dimensional to 3D computer animation? Absolute adorableness!

Japan
(Makkuro Kurosuke • My Neighbor Totoro • Niconico Douga • soot sprites • spirited away)

Kitties wrestle before bedtime in their cat-sized futon【Video】

Jamie Koide
Oct 22, 2015

Cats have a reputation for being solitary creatures, but that isn’t always the case, as proven by a recent video uploaded to popular Japanese video-sharing site, Niconico Douga.

Taken by a proud cat parent, the video, which features two kitties turning in for the night in a cat-sized futon, is sure to put a smile on your face.

Internet, Japan
(animals • cats • cute • futon • Niconico Douga • video)

Splatoon dominates Japanese video site, makes us wonder if everyone is eating properly

Preston Phro
Jun 2, 2015

While the Wii U hasn’t exactly been the biggest success in Nintendo’s history, we can’t help wondering if newly released game Splatoon is going to help turn things around. The game currently has a score of 81 on Metacritic (and an 8.3 out of 10 from users), so it’s certainly getting some appreciation from gamers and game critics alike overseas. Someone in Europe even stole a truck full of copies of the game and Amiibo!

But how about in Japan? We already know that there seems to be a lot of younger people excited about it, but it’s not just kids who are loving the game…

Internet, Japan
(niconico • Niconico Douga • nintendo • Splatoon)

The running of the otaku! Event staffer learns not to get in fans’ way as gates open【Video】

Casey Baseel
Apr 27, 2015

With some jobs, the risks are obvious. Want to be an F1 racer? Driving cars at unsafe speeds is pretty much the extent of your work responsibilities. Firefighter? Be prepared to get up-close and personal with dangerous flames, because after all, the position isn’t called “fire-mediation-and-peacekeeping-liaison.”

Working the gate at a fan event for a video-sharing website seems like it should be relatively safe, though. That’s not always the case, though, as one man found out when he became a human speed bump standing against a crowd of stampeding fans at the recent Niconico Chokaigi.

Japan
(crazy • events • funny • Niconico Douga • otaku)

The first videos ever shared on YouTube & Niconico leave us feeling rather… confused? 【Videos】

Meg Murphy
Jan 30, 2015

If the internet is a part of your everyday life, as it is for billions of others around the globe, then you are probably no stranger to video-sharing giant YouTube. There you can find videos of pretty much anything that interests you, watch news and events from around the world, take a peek at other people’s lives through their vlogs, learn new skills through how-to videos, or squee over countless cute animal videos. If you’re bored, nothing passes the time quite like getting lost in a YouTube black hole, where one interesting video leads to another, and another, and yet another…

Not quite as well-known, but still very successful in its own right, is Niconico (formerly NicoNico Douga), essentially the Japanese version of YouTube, though the website is also available in English and Taiwanese. What is unique about Niconico is the ability it gives users to add comments which are then overlaid directly on the video and synced to a specific playback time, which often become as entertaining as the video itself.

Both sites have billions of videos for a lifetime’s worth of entertainment, but have you seen the oldest videos of them all?

Global
(elephants • Niconico Douga • videos • wtf • YouTube)

Japan Self-Defense Force’s elite Central Band performs Hatsune Miku song Senbonzakura

Master Blaster
Apr 21, 2014

There are a number of active bands in Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF), but at the top of them is the Central Band. In existence longer the GSDF itself, they are the go-to band in situations where it’s unacceptable to screw up, such as welcoming foreign dignitaries and ceremonies of the highest order.

Then there’s “Senbonzakura”. This song was produced by WhiteFlame (aka Kurousa-P) and utilizes the artificial vocal talents of vocaloid Hatsune Miku. After its upload to video hosting site Niconico Douga in 2011, it became a modern classic of the vocaloid genre spawning several remixes and covers online and in karaoke rooms.

So what happens when the rigid discipline and tradition of the GSDF Central Band meets the wild pop of Senbonzakura? Let’s take a listen!

Japan
(Hatsune Miku • music • Niconico Douga • self defense force)

New Sailor Moon series to debut in July, broadcast over the Internet!

Preston Phro
Jan 11, 2014

Sailor Moon is among the most well-known anime in the world. Since their debut two decades ago, the “magical girls” have spawned thousands of toys, live action dramas, video games and even a musical. Needless to say, the series has incredible staying power and is still held dear by fans all over the world.

Unfortunately, the last new Sailor Moon anime episode was broadcast in 1997, leaving fans wishing for more animated magical adventures for well over a decade and a half.

Fortunately, the long wait is nearly over!