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Star Wars (Page 6)
We check out the new Samurai Star Wars figurines from Bandai and Tamashii Nations【Pics】
- Oona McGee
Sep 14, 2015 - Tweet
Ever since we heard about the upcoming release of the new Samurai Darth Vader figurine, we’ve been eager to check out the Movie Realisation Series in person. The series includes Boba Fett, Stormtroopers and the Imperial Royal Guard, all dressed as Japanese feudal warriors and brandishing a mix of Japanese, western, and Star Wars-styled weapons.
We’d seen the photos and read the rave reviews but nothing could prepare us for meeting the unique cast of collectibles in person. Come with us as we take you through all the details and close-up photos from our visit!
- Japan
- (Bandai • Boba Fett • Darth Vader • figurines • photos • samurai • Star Wars • stormtrooper • Tamashii Nations • video)
Artist creates unique badass Stormtrooper covered in Japanese tattoos
- Oona McGee
Sep 11, 2015
Recently, we brought you news of the amazing Star Wars Movie Realisation Series of figurines, which have perfectly transformed Darth Vader, Boba Fett and Stormtroopers into awesome-looking samurai warriors.
But if you’re itching for a Japanese-styled Star Wars character of your own, you might want to do what this clever artist did and simply make one yourself. All you’ll need is a plain figure, some coloured pens and a little—make that a lot—of talent and patience.
Pop the question with geek chic Pokémon, Zelda, and Dragon Ball engagement rings
- KK Miller
Sep 9, 2015
Etsy has become the place for the geeky and talented to sell things to their geeky brethren. Every fandom is represented and you can buy creative and fun merchandise, such as accessories, t-shirts and those DIY items you haven’t found the time to make yourself. There are so many artistic and creative things to buy that it’s really hard to exit out of the page before you find something you really, really want.
This week, we found some gorgeous jewelry that’s perfect for an engagement, marriage, or just the otaku who needs some more bling. It might cost you a pretty penny, but according to thousands of satisfied customers, it’s worth the price.
- Internet
- (accessories • Dragon Ball • Pokemon • rings • Sailor Moon • Star Wars • Zelda)
Darth Vader in Death Star armour brandishes lightsaber katana, joins the Samurai force in Japan
- Oona McGee
Sep 8, 2015
A short time ago, in a country far, far away, a group of creatives at legendary toy-making company Bandai decided to fill a void in the figurine universe with a fearsome new character: Samurai Darth Vader.
The new model on the market is set to feature some awesome details, including a Death Star warrior helmet, a lightsaber blade and a pose-able hand for playing out those extreme death-grip scenarios.
Available at the end of December, this new incarnation of the Dark Lord is the latest in a lineup that also includes Samurai Storm Troopers and Samurai Boba Fett.
- Japan
- (Bandai • Boba Fett • Darth Vader • figurine • Star Wars • stormtrooper)
What stormtroopers and Boba Fett would look like if Star Wars was set in feudal Japan
- KK Miller
Aug 26, 2015
With just under four months to go until we finally get Episode 7 of Star Wars, many people have a galaxy far, far away on their minds. Some people are clamoring for any and all kinds of movie tidbits, while other fans are desperately trying to avoid all spoilers. Which means it’s the perfect time to release some “alternate reality” Star Wars toys to the public.
Although, when your toy is this cool looking, any time is the perfect time.
Star Wars rice paddy art grows in Aomori Prefecture
- Anime News Network
Jul 29, 2015
The village of Inakadate, Aomori Prefecture is hoping to drive tourism with a Star Wars-themed rice paddy. The image of R2-D2, C-3PO, and the newly introduced BB-8 take up a 1-hectare field. The varying colors are created using 11 varieties of rice.
- Japan
- (Anime News Network • art • cool • rice paddy • Star Wars • video)
Star Wars and classic Japanese things aren’t done mashing yet! 【Photos】
- KK Miller
Jul 7, 2015
Those who’ve tried Lotte’s Bikkuriman love it for two reasons: beacuase it’s a cheap but delicious waffle peanut and chocolate snack, and, more importantly, because of the sweet stickers that come with it. These collectible stickers featured devils, angels and protectors that kids could trade and swap to assemble the whole set. What made them unique at the time was that there were also rare stickers that had a sparkly holographic design which made them more valuable to collectors.
This new collaboration between Star Wars and Bikkuriman is definitely desirable, but is it something that is worth your money? Which characters show up and which ones are shiny? No need to worry because we bought the whole set and we are definitely impressed.
Aomori’s fabled Nebuta Festival 2015 to feature Star Wars floats
- Mike
Jul 6, 2015
Aomori Prefecture’s legendary Nebuta Festival – which takes place in early August every year – has always been one of those big festivals on my Japan bucket list.
Even though the festival is one of the prestigious few festivals to receive the staggeringly long designation of Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan, we’re willing to bet the festival is largely overlooked by Western visitors. This is, probably, largely due to Aomori’s fairly remote location; it’s a real pain to get to from Tokyo, Osaka or any of the other major cities outside of Sapporo.
But then, what if that wasn’t the biggest reason foreigners aren’t totally aware of this great festival? What if the real reason was the festival’s lack of Star Wars characters?
Luckily, whether or not that’s the real case, that sore lack of Star Wars characters at the Aomori Nebuta Festival is going to change this year.
Star Wars fever continues — we try out Darth Vader boots from UGG’s Star Wars Collection!
- Kay
May 15, 2015
We recently reported on the exciting Star Wars Visions exhibit currently being held at Roppongi Hills in Tokyo and showed you some charming exclusive Star Wars themed goods available there. Today, we thought we’d follow through with an article featuring a plush and comfortable Star Wars fashion item that you may be able to purchase even if you’re not anywhere near Roppongi.
Say hello to the Star Wars Special Edition Collection of shoes from international fashion brand UGG, and they’re inspired by one of our favorite villains of all times, Darth Vader! Yes, that certainly caught our attention, because … well, they’re Darth Vader shoes — how could they not be cool, right?
There might be a Jedi running for mayor of Shibuya
- Mike
Apr 23, 2015
So we all know that Tokyo-area political races can attract some pretty, um… eccentric candidates.
We’ve got perennial Tokyo Governor candidates like Mac Akasaka, representing his own Smile Party (often while dressed like Superman), leader and probably the only member of the World Economic Community Party, Mr. The Only God Matayoshi Mitsuo Jesus Christ, and Rock ‘n Roll Samurai – aka TOKMA – whose big shtick is to dress like a samurai and play war-mongering rock ‘n roll music.
But, despite their crazy antics and lofty-sounding, self-appointed nicknames, these men are all mere Earthlings. What Tokyo needs is a true leader. A man of stellar moral character. Someone who can protect Tokyo from the inevitable threat posed by evil empires from other galaxies. In other words, Tokyo needs a Jedi. And that’s why Mutsuto Imajo gets our vote for Shibuya Mayor!
R2-D2 jet takes to the skies in the most dramatic airline commercial we’ve seen all year
- Preston Phro
Apr 18, 2015
As you might have heard, that little indie film Star Wars is getting a squeal or something like that. And, like Pokemon and Hello Kitty before it, the franchise is getting its own themed plane with the R2-D2 jet, set to start flying international routes this fall.
As you may expect, a project this big demands a big announcement. And ANA (All Nippon Airways), the company bringing this themed jet to the skies, is more than happy to oblige! Check out the commercial, complete with the jet soaring majestically through cloudy skies, below.
R2-D2 is ready to chill with your groceries as a cool talking Star Wars fridge droid 【Video】
- Casey Baseel
Mar 10, 2015
It’s kind of sad to think that with the Sapporo Snow Festival over, the event’s awesome Star Wars snow sculpture is demolished and melted. Thankfully, if you’re still feeling the icy allure of epic science fiction and low temperatures, there’s another way to combine the two, and this time in the home, with your very own R2-D2 fridge droid!
The 2015 Sapporo Snow Festival! 【Pics & Video】
- KK Miller
Feb 8, 2015
Every February brings another amazing display of artful snow and ice carvings, and RocketNews24 loves to bring you the details for those who aren’t able to make the trip up to Hokkaido. While we weren’t able be there ourselves last year, we are pleased to bring you the firsthand account of the 66th annual Sapporo Snow Festival. Grab a cup of hot chocolate and join us for a photo tour!
- Japan
- (frozen • Hokkaido • ice sculptures • Sapporo Snow Festival 2015 • snow sculptures • Star Wars • video • Yokai Watch)
New Star Wars toys are rolling their way into our galaxy right, right here
- KK Miller
Jan 27, 2015
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…an enormous franchise was born, and with it a clearly ludicrous amount of merchandise. Perhaps the most coveted kinds of “merch” were the Star Wars toys. Thousands of figures and collectibles were made for children, although, many were snapped up by teen and adult fans. The smartest of whom would keep them in their original packaging to preserve their mint condition and value. But what good is a toy if you can’t play with it?
With a Star Wars new movie heading to cinema screens in December 2015, hundreds of new toys will be hitting the market. Just like before, the toys are aimed, at least partly, at children, but that won’t stop the grown-up fans from wanting them too.
Samurai Darth Vader figure and his light-katana tempt us to the dark/awesome side of the force
- Casey Baseel
Dec 27, 2014
It’s been said that the costume design for Darth Vader, one of the most recognizable outfits in the history of film, was heavily inspired by samurai armor. The similarities are pretty easy to spot, what with the face plate and helmet backing that continues lower down the back of the neck than what’s normal for western helms.
But what if you kept going until you came full-circle, and designed a set of samurai armor based off of Vader’s? You’d get something like this awesome figure that just went on sale in Japan.
Darth Vader to be featured in large-scale Star Wars snow sculpture at 2015 Sapporo Snow Festival
- Michelle Lynn Dinh
Dec 20, 2014
The annual Sapporo Snow Festival held in Japan’s northernmost prefecture has been delighting tourists and locals for over six decades. Each year, artists from around the world are invited to show off their talents constructing enormous structures out of ice and snow.
To commemorate the release of the seventh installment of the Star Wars series, The Walt Disney Company has collaborated with festival officials to design what looks to be the most epic large-scale snow sculpture yet, featuring enormous snow versions of Darth Vader, three Storm Troopers, a TIE fighter, and the Death Star.
- Japan
- (Sapporo Snow Festival • sculpture • snow • Star Wars)
English learner’s dictionary you must have, my young Padawan!
- Fran W
Oct 15, 2014
The English-language study market in Japan is huge, and alongside the more serious stuff there are also some more oddball publications, which pride themselves on teaching everything from the correct usage of the F-word to the phrase “I just took a dump“.
From educational publisher Gakken, however, comes an awesome-looking product that, although it’s very much a movie tie-in, takes itself entirely seriously. This is the Star Wars English-Japanese Dictionary for Padawan Learners, and we can’t wait to get our hands on a copy! Ever wondered how to say “Vader wants us all dead” in Japanese? Well, now’s your chance.
- Japan
- (cool • English language education • English-Japanese Dictionary • language learning • Star Wars)
Niconico Video user crafts miniature violin-playing Darth Vader out of paper just because he can
- Philip Kendall
Aug 19, 2014
Fandom often inspires people to invest vast sums of money in the object of their obsession. Often when you visit a real enthusiast’s home, you’ll see so much merchandise that you start to wonder whether they also thought to invest in insurance to protect them if any of it was lost or stolen since the goods’ combined value can in some cases amount to thousands, even tens of thousands, of dollars.
In many ways, the amount of merch a person owns can act as an indicator of how big a fan they are, but what’s even more impressive than dropping exorbitant amounts of cash on a hobby is investing time and energy. Take, for example, this Niconico Video user from Japan who, rather than simply visiting a store or online shop to purchase a swanky new Darth Vader figurine, decided to make one out of little more than a pile of craft paper, and the end result is simply stunning.
- Japan
- (cool • crafts • Darth Vader • Star Wars)
Make a clay Yoda figure to turn from the dark side of summer: boredom
- Scott R Dixon
Aug 18, 2014
While there is plenty to do during summer in Japan, the warmer months of the year can start to get on your nerves when poisonous creatures keep sun-loving crowds away from the beach, or those sweaty days in the office when you see a little more than you bargained for. And as owners of the beloved (providing the prequels are totally forgotten) Star Wars franchise, Disney has a solution for those summertime blues: a fun craft project to make a clay Yoga figurine.
Requiring little more than a printer and some modeling clay, this Yoda is sure to make any young padawan into a Jedi-level sculptor.
Darth Vader to Japanese dictionary released, selling like Tusken bread
- Master Blaster
Jul 30, 2014
In Japan, learning English is a valuable tool in the business world. Being able to negotiate deals and win customers overseas would make you an attractive asset to any corporation. To truly get ahead, however, you’re going to want to speak like a titan of industry, and there’s perhaps no better titan to emulate than Darth Vader.
No one has ever moved up the corporate ladder faster, and talk about falling upwards! Darth Vader fell limbless into a pit of lava and landed right in a cushy gig as Lord of the Galactic Empire. Clearly this is a guy who gets what he wants.
Now Japanese and English learners can acquire his galaxy controlling gift of gab with the new Star Wars dictionary and phrase book. Let’s take a look at some sample pages.
- Japan
- (dictionary • language • Star Wars)
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