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Cappucino art that’s out of this world: Twitter cappuccino artist shows off his extraterrestrial skills

Preston Phro
Jan 9, 2014
Tweet

We’ve seen some pretty cool latte art over the years, but this might be the most, um, unusual we’ve spotted. It’s not exactly cute, but it certainly is out of this world!

From aliens to bunnies to Ghibli’s Catbus, this guy does it all in 3-D foam sculptures atop cups of coffee!

Internet, Japan
(alien • art • cappuccino • latte • twitter)

December 25th – one very special man’s birthday!

Master Blaster
Dec 26, 2013

Every year on this December 25, thousands gather online and pay tribute to the man whose numerous sacrifices and wondrous acts have helped to make our world a better place… by killing titans.

That’s right, December 25 is the birthday of Levi from Attack on Titan, and as such fans has taken to Twitter to celebrate. Several photos of Levi cakes and shrines have been posted online that are so intense you’d have to believe at least one person was institutionalized as a result of today.

That droopy-eyed wunderkind of the Survey Corps Special Operations Squad sure has a hardcore fan-base. Let’s take a look.

Internet, Japan
(Attack on Titan • Birthday • Levi • twitter)

Japanese high school student becomes Twitter sensation showing difference between time with boyfriend and friends

Preston Phro
Dec 24, 2013

Twitter is almost universally popular nowadays. While Facebook is seeing declining usage in Japan and among teens in general, Twitter seems to be hanging on to its popularity. It’s hard to say how long this will last–does anyone remember Mixi?–but for now, getting attention on Twitter in Japan is still a big deal.

So when Reika Oozeki’s Vine video got retweeted almost 5,000 times, we had to check it out!

Internet, Japan
(funny • high school • twitter • Vine)

Don’t call them fat, call them Marshmallow Girls!

Joan Coello
Dec 19, 2013

Many of us have an impression that Japanese girls are slim and petite (which many of them really are), but one of the sad truths behind their stick-thin figures is a rather serious case of discrimination from society. While voluptuous women are popular in certain parts of the world, being even slightly chubby (not obese) is a big no-no in Japan and chubby girls often get called “debu” (fatso) online and sometimes to their face.

But recently, a new nickname for such chubby ladies has started trending among Japanese netizens, which hopefully will change the attitudes people have towards them. Behold, the rise of the “marshmallow girls”!

Internet, Japan
(chubby girls • discrimination • marshmallow • nickname • twitter)

Girl builds herself a boyfriend out of soap bubbles

Philip Kendall
Nov 29, 2013

“I’m taking a bath with my boyfriend,” tweeted one Japanese netizen going by the name of Machiko, uploading a photo with her message. Despite the suggestion of sauciness, however, rather than being something that moderators would quickly remove or fellow users would tag as inappropriate, the image was retweeted and favourited thousands of times in just a few short minutes.

After all, it’s not every day you see a life-sized boyfriend made entirely out of soap bubbles…

Internet, Japan
(bath • cute • funny • photo • twitter)

The anatomy of a cocky Japanese teenage boy circa 2013

Master Blaster
Nov 28, 2013

It would appear in Japan a new species of teenager has emerged.

Once upon a time there were Yankees, a rough and tumble group of youths who flaunted convention, rocked mullets, smoked, and occasionally resorted to fisticuffs when it was called for. Sure, they were a little unrefined but you knew where they stood.

However, now it seems a new breed of young men and women have evolved from this who enjoy climbing into freezers and standing on subway tracks for fun. This new class is being named DQN (Dokyun) in Japan.

Internet, Japan
(DQN • Maximum the Hormone • twitter)

Japanese elementary school teachers may tell you “5 x 100 = 500” is wrong

Master Blaster
Nov 20, 2013

Here’s an elementary school math question for you all:
Apples are sold for 100 yen each. If you buy 5 what is the total amount?

If you said “5 × 100 = 500” then I’m sorry but you just flunked second grade math in Japan… if there were only one question all year.

The reason is an old teaching method that is employed in elementary and middle schools throughout the country. It’s also a method that many, such as a blogger by the name of Uncorrelated, want stopped as it leads to strange logic where six times seven does not always equal 42 and five times 100 might not equal 500.

Japan
(education • math • twitter)

Earthquake strikes Kanto region, ruins novelty goods store’s evening

Master Blaster
Nov 18, 2013

At approximately 8:44 on the evening of 16 November, a magnitude-4 earthquake shook the Kanto area of Japan. Although some barely noticed the tremor, the quake dealt a sizeable blow to the Village Vanguard store in Sangenjaya, Tokyo.

Village Vanguard is a chain of book stores in Japan, but also the place to go for those looking for a Jamaican flag Zippo lighter, bag of freeze-dried astronaut food, DVD of Golden Eggs, and/or bag with a Dr. Pepper logo on it in a country that by and large neither knows of nor likes the drink.

Following the damage caused by the quake, an outpouring of support has been seen from netizens in Japan.

Internet, Japan
(books • earthquake • twitter • Village Vanguard)

Japanese otter full of personality winning hearts over Twitter

Master Blaster
Nov 7, 2013

This little otter from Hiroshima is only four months old, but has already enamored Twitter users across Japan with its photogenic human-like expression.

Internet, Japan
(Aquarium • cute • Otter • twitter)

Soba shop window showcases fake noodles, real cat

Jessica
Nov 7, 2013

Cats are always looking for a warm place to nap and they really don’t give a crap if it’s inconvenient for you or anyone else. That’s one of the things that’s awesome about them. A Twitter user recently captured one of these felines napping bold as brass in a shop window, giving not a thought to how much fur was getting in your lunch**.**

Japan
(cats • funny • twitter)

Twitter user names Japan’s three worst fandoms

Rachel Tackett
Nov 1, 2013

Whenever fans of a particular thing gather, there are bound to be some people who act out and reflect badly on the rest of the group. Usually, these people are the outliers, largely ignored by the majority of the fans. However, some select fandoms seem to attract a disproportionate number of bad-mannered crazies and develop a terrible reputation on the whole. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a comic, anime, movie, musician or a sports team at the source, I’m sure there’s at least one fandom for which you can relate.

Japan certainly has its fair share of obsessive fan bases. One Twitter user decided to put together a graphic for the country’s three worst offenders and their reasons why. Now, while we don’t want to over generalize and say that everyone in these fandoms is as rude as described, we can certainly see where they’re coming from…

Japan
(anime • fans • Johnny's Entertainment • Kagerou Project • Kuroko no Basuke • twitter)

Is Umaibo housing the architecture of the future?

Preston Phro
Oct 27, 2013

Everyday it seems that one company or another is producing a new type of building material that will revolutionize our lives and our homes. But it looks like they can all stop now. The ultimate in structural integrity and edible wall paneling has been discovered!

Not many would have thought to do this, but it takes a rare mind to spark a revolution of this magnitude. If you’re looking for the newest hot real estate tip, look no further–all you need to do is invest in the almighty umaibo!

Internet, Japan
(funny • houses • twitter • umaibo)

Tiny intruder mobilizes entire cat army

Jessica
Oct 23, 2013

I have cats. I also live next to a big park, so we do get some “wildlife” that wonders into the house now and then. I can attest to the fact that pretty much any creepy crawly that crosses our threshold ends up as a snack to one or the other of my furry friends. Usually, it’s a swift and brutal affair, but every now and then, a bug finds a place they can’t reach and drives them batty with its inaccessibility, causing them to yowl and tear around the house breaking furniture.

If that’s the chaos that can happen with just two cats, image what Twitter user @mugitoro1215 had to deal with when his seven cats all went after the same spider…

Internet, Japan
(cats • funny • twitter)

Haters gonna hate! Writer conducts experiment, discovers that responding to internet dissing is futile

Rona Moon
Oct 22, 2013

Maybe you wrote an article, a story or a novel. Perhaps you created a website, blogged, put a video up on YouTube, or you’re an actor, fashion designer, musician, film maker… Whatever you’re doing, you’re putting yourself out there creatively and daring to make something new and explore. And then your work is uploaded onto the internet and exposed to the merciless gaze of millions of potential viewers…

If your work attracts any interest at all, next thing you know, the haters are all over you, getting up in your face. “I can’t BELIEVE you killed off Mr Darcy, what were you thinking?!” “Your eyes are too far apart,” “Why don’t you eat makeup, so you can be beautiful on the inside,” Or even, “Drink petrol and die.”

Japanese writer Sebuyama from comedy news site Omocoro recently carried out a social experiment aiming to demonstrate just how useless it is to respond to haters on the internet and use reason. He tried to find out why they were hating, and discovered three different flavors of hater!

Japan
(artist • haters • twitter)

Gotta eat ’em all! Japanese idol goes crazy over Pokémon XY, eats the box【Photos】

Joan Coello
Oct 17, 2013

Being human, there are times when we lose control of ourselves in a state of extreme excitement. Some people scream, some dance, some cry, some may even wet their pants. On 12 October, Pokémon fans of the world rejoiced over the global release of two new titles, Pokémon X and Pokémon Y. Popular seiyuu voice actor and otaku idol Shoko Nakagawa (or more affectionately known as Shokotan) expressed her ecstasy by going on a Pokémon binge, literally.

Japan
(Nintendo 3DS • Pokemon • Pokemon XY • Shokotan • twitter • video game)

Anpanman clouds rising to meet his creator in the afterlife

Preston Phro
Oct 17, 2013

As we sadly reported yesterday, Takashi Yanase, creator of the beloved Japanese character, Anpanman, passed away on October 13. Though you may not have heard of Anpanman or Yanase, both were immensely famous in Japan, with the cartoon being standard viewing for nearly every child.

And, as you can imagine, his passing touched the hearts of even the most curmudgeonly Internet commenter, especially when the photo above started circulating on Twitter.

Internet, Japan
(Anpanman • clouds • Takashi Yanase • twitter)

Saiyans, pirates, and Jesus all come alive on Japanese blackboards

Master Blaster
Oct 11, 2013

As we saw from their hilarious textbook doodles not too long ago, Japanese school children seem to be bursting at the seams with creativity. Now, with the slightly more public and temporary space of a classroom blackboard, some students with encouraging teachers were able to create some very impressive murals.

Internet, Japan
(anime • art • blackboard • manga • school • twitter)

Is that a horse in your parking lot or are you just happy to see me?

Preston Phro
Oct 7, 2013

While Japan is certainly home to a wide variety of animals, from adorable Shiba Inu to emotive puppies, one creature you don’t see too often is the horse. Sure, they’re out in the countryside doing horse stuff–eating, pooping, and running like the wind–but it’s not like you see a horse just hanging out in front of convenience stores. I mean, seriously, this isn’t The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

Or is it??

Internet, Japan
(animals • cute • funny • horses • pictures • twitter)

College students “go shoplifting,” document the act with Twitpics

Master Blaster
Oct 1, 2013

Someone believed to be a college student recently posted an image of another college girl shoplifting food on Twitter. According to the photos, she girls stole some onigiri and what appear to be two cups of instant noodles.

This is just the latest installment in the recently growing fad of posting obnoxious or illegal behavior on Twitter with the apparent aim of receiving hate posts from other netizens. This tweet was no different, receiving scorn and speculation for scores of watchers.

Internet, Japan
(bakatta • crime • shoplifting • twitter)

Tweeted photo of employees bowing in apology angers Japanese internet users

Preston Phro
Sep 22, 2013

We’re all human, which means we all, eventually, make a mistake or two. Some of us might make more mistakes than others, but in general it should be easy to understand that accidents happen and sometimes the best course of action is to forgive and carry on with your life. However, not everyone is happy with a simple apology–some people require a bit more…humiliation.