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Gudetama the lazy egg is adorable … even as he poops and vomits! 【Video】

Kay
Oct 24, 2015
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Sanrio’s Gudetama, the anthropomorphic egg character that hates to do anything other than sleep, has somehow managed to win a place in our hearts—at least among fans of kawaii in Japan. He’s now one of Sanrio’s most popular characters and has been turned into products of various shapes and sizes, including some in edible form, so we already knew that he looks adorable being served as food.

But what we didn’t know, as these videos from a dim sum cafe in Hong Kong show, is how cute Gudetama looks even when he’s, well … pooping and vomiting!

China
(cute food • dim sum • Gudetama • Hong Kong • Sanrio • video • wtf)

Live your childhood dreams with this life-size mini four-wheel drive car【Video】

KK Miller
Oct 24, 2015

As a child, playing with mini remote-control cars definitely made you the coolest kid on the block. You could drive over almost any surface, reach top speeds in a matter of seconds, and send your animals chasing after them (or perhaps the cars chased the pets?) much to the irritation of adults

Now, as “responsible” adults, we don’t get much of a chance to play with toy cars anymore, unless that toy car has been turned into a real, drivable, 1:1 scale car. This road machine modeled after the Aero Avante won’t be seen running around any toy tracks, as it drives on real roads at speeds over 100 miles per hour!

Japan
(aero avante • cars • fun • hobby • Mini 4WD • Tamiya • toys • video)

Voices beckons you to see new project from Attack on Titan director【Video】

KK Miller
Oct 23, 2015

Though the live-action Attack on Titan movie wasn’t the gigantic hit it was supposed to be, director Shinji Higuchi is moving forward and has already been signed to co-direct the 2016 blockbuster Shin Gojira (“New Godzilla“). One would think that the Japanese follow-up to the 2014 American reboot of Godzilla would be enough to keep a director busy, but it seems he is multitasking by working on another project with the action director of the live-action Rurouni Kenshin films, Kenji Tanigaki.

This brand new project is titled Voices and features action-packed footage and some stirring theme music. That seems like some solid preview material, but it appears they have left out one key point, what in the world is “Voices”?

Japan
(Kenji Tanigaki • martial arts • Shinji Higuchi • swords • video • voices)

Synchronized robot dance group World Order performs their final music video together【Video】

Scott Wilson
Oct 23, 2015

Here at RocketNews24, we’re huge fans of the hypnotically synchronized dance group World Order. We’ve followed them dancing all over Tokyo, London, and even giving one of the most amazing opening pitches to a baseball game ever.

The group has recently put out a new music video entitled “The Next Phase” where they show off their robotic moves in Paris and Berlin. While it’s just as impressive as their other videos, this one has a bittersweet twist: it will be the last performance by the group’s leader Genki Sudo.

Watch the video and find out why he’s leaving at the link below!

Japan
(berlin • dance • Genki Sudo • music video • paris • video • World Order)

New Japanese toilet paper dispenser tears off sheets, folds the ends into a point for you【Video】

Oona McGee
Oct 23, 2015

With their heated seats, hidden sensors and warm water cleansing systems, Japanese toilets are used to being the centre of attention in hotel bathrooms, public restrooms and ordinary residences all around the country.

Now its time for their next-of-kin to get an upgrade, with a new machine set to revolutionise toilet paper dispensers, making it possible to automatically cut sheets and even fold the final edge into a neat little triangle for the next person to use.

Japan
(bathrooms • Japanese toilet • restrooms • technology • toilet paper • video)

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)

Thai commercial tugs at our heartstrings, reminds us to call our parents more often【Video】

KK Miller
Oct 22, 2015

We don’t know what it is about huge companies these days, but they really like to make us feel the feels recently. When did they all have a financial meeting and decide to spend money on making us cry? These commercials are emotional, beautiful and give us hope that even with all the bad in the world, moments of undeniable good can still be found and cherished.

Inspired by true events, this commercial really gives off a “Humans of New York” vibe even though it’s an advertisement for life insurance. Get your tissues ready because, when children show how much they care about their parents, it really warms the cockles of our hearts.

Internet, SE Asia
(adorable • family • moving commercial • Superheroes • Thailand • TV • video)

Amazing tool fixes ingrown nails, looks like a torture device

Mike
Oct 21, 2015

The somewhat euphemistically named process of “denailing” has remained a popular torture method since medieval times and, according to the sort of creepily detailed Wikipedia page for the method, it remains in use today.

There are a few good reasons for that. It apparently leaves no permanent marks or injury – after the nail grows back, of course – and requires only the most basic of tools to pull off. It also objectively hurts like hell and there’s something about the tips of the toes and fingers being manipulated that leaves a person feeling unbearably vulnerable.

All of which has us wondering why anyone would voluntarily use this tool, which is clearly just a re-purposed torture device, to fix their ingrown toenails, regardless of how amazingly well it supposedly works.

Japan
(beauty • crazy • inventions • technology • video • wtf)

Sumo sprinting really ought to be the next evolution in track and field【Video】

Master Blaster
Oct 21, 2015

Let’s face it, something needs to be done about track and field. Although it could be considered human athleticism in its purest form, surely the art of running in a straight line is nearing our maximum potential as a species.

It’s time to take events such as sprinting to the next level. Luckily a small group of sumo wrestlers may have stumbled upon a way to bring another dimension to the sport, and another chin or two as well.

Japan
(Olympics • sports • Sumo • sumo wrestlers running • track and field • video)

Can you spot what’s odd about this Japanese classroom?【Video】

Scott Wilson
Oct 20, 2015

Japanese commercials are known all over the world for being just as entertaining as the programs they interrupt. Whether they’re ridiculously cute, heartbreakingly sad, a little confusing, or nightmare-inducingly bizarre, most commercials have something special going on.

So what about this commercial? It looks so normal at first; it’s just a bunch of high school girls hanging out in a classroom, playing a guitar, reading, whatever. But then, right in the middle, something happens. Watch it for yourself and see if you can figure it out before the reveal!

Japan
(beautiful boys • commercial • crossdressing • high school • Japanese high school • surprise • video)

Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” played on Japanese instruments? Yes, please!【Video】

Preston Phro
Oct 20, 2015

Michael Jackson‘s popularity remains strong world-wide despite his death six years ago, and that includes in Japan. There is no shortage of MJ fans in the country, and many still consider him one of their favorite artists. Of course, with a discography as massive as his, it’s nearly impossible to choose one “most famous” Michael Jackson song, but “Smooth Criminal” is certainly a strong contender. This has resulted in the tune being covered in nearly every genre imaginable, but there’s always room for one more. Especially when it’s played on shakuhachi and koto…even more so when it’s played this well!

Internet, Japan
(Erina Ito • koto • Michael Jackson • music • shakuhachi • Smooth Criminal • traditional Japanese instruments • video • Yoshimi Tsujimoto • Yuko Watanabe)

DMM to release Premaid AI, programmable idol robots that dance however you want【Video】

Preston Phro
Oct 20, 2015

The robot revolution is coming, and when it arrives, they’ll have an awful lot to be mad about, like making them dance for our amusement. But that’s still a long way off as far as we can tell, so we might as well get as much enjoyment out of our synthetic minions as possible now!

DMM is one of Japan’s most well-known technology companies, and considering everything they do, it’s easy to see why. From steaming video services to retail to friggin’ robots, they have a lot of thumbs in a lot of pies. But the pie that’s sure to infuriate our future roboverlords the most is probably DMM’s new Premaid AI—robot idols that will do dance whatever dance you want on the tabletop of your choosing.

Japan
(DMM • idol • Premaid AI • robots • video)

Zelda orchestra provides legendary performance of series’ music on Stephen Colbert’s Late Show

Casey Baseel
Oct 20, 2015

This year marked a huge change for American broadcaster CBS’ Late Show. After 22 years of hosting the program, David Letterman finally stepped down, and the reins of the show were handed to Stephen Colbert, who took over in early September.

The move instantly attracted fans who’d been hungry for more Colbert since the final episode of The Colbert Report aired last December, and as proof that the Late Show is hoping to be more relevant to this younger demographic, the new host recently welcomed the members of The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses to perform music from the series live in front of the studio audience.

USA
(music • nintendo • Stephen Colbert • video • video games • Zelda)

If people, not pocket monsters, battled it out in the Pokémon world【Video】

Meg Murphy
Oct 20, 2015

In the Pokémon world, trainers collect and battle their pet monsters against other trainers to gain experience, earn badges, and aim to become the greatest pocket monster master in the world. But what about the Pokémon themselves—do they even get a say in whether or not they want to fight? If trainers want to determine which of them is the strongest, why don’t they just duke it out themselves?

Well, the folks over at Dorkly ran with that clever idea and made it happen, with two guys fighting it out to familiar chip-tune battle music in this all-too-perfect video showing just what it would look like if humans battled it out in the Pokémon world!

Internet
(anime • Dorkly • Game Boy • human pokemon • Pokemon • video • video games)

Toxic bubble froth in Bangalore catches fire, raises environmental flags for the second time

Krista Rogers
Oct 17, 2015

This is one bubble bath that you’ll never want to take a dip in.

Locals in Bangalore, India are calling for immediate action after foam which had accumulated on Bellandur Lake, the biggest lake in the city, was blown onto streets and even caught fire for the second time in only a few months. While experiencing a gigantic bubble bath outside of your bathtub may seem like a fun idea at first, the foam that is spewing out from Bellandur Lake is actually toxic in nature and supposedly has a terrible stench.

S Asia
(Bellandur Lake • Bengalore • environment • foam • Karnatake • toxic • video)

Cool Sweets: Tokyo’s sweet-and-sour shaved ice is the perfect dessert after Tsukishima monjayaki

Preston Phro
Oct 16, 2015

Tokyo is packed full of delightful little neighborhoods, each with their own specialties. One of our favorite little neighborhoods is Tsukishima, renowned for Monja Street, an area overflowing with monjayaki restaurants. Located not far from Tsukiji Fish Market, it’s a great place for lunch when spending the day around Tokyo Bay.

But after eating a meal of monjayaki, you may have a hankering for something sweet. Fortunately, Cool Sweets, one of the best kakigori (shaved ice) places we’ve found yet, is located right on Monja Street! We recently stopped by to grab some photos and video of their delightful treats and highly recommend that you do too!

Japan
(cafes • food • kakigori • shaved ice • sweets • Tokyo • video)

Determined cat tries to get inside all the things, occasionally succeeds【Videos】

Preston Phro
Oct 16, 2015

The old saying is that curiosity killed the cat. We’re not sure which cat they were talking about, but it’s definitely true that cats are downright nosy and always getting into everything.

But some cats are a bit better at “getting into everything” than others, like this much-loved feline who demonstrates a single-minded dedication to opening all the things!

Internet, Japan
(cat • cute • twitter • video)

Five things you should know before coming to Japan【Video】

Jamie Koide
Oct 16, 2015

According to statistic, anywhere from one to two million people visit Japan per month, and more foreigners are working and living here than ever before. That’s a lot of people hopping a plane over, and especially if yours is a one-way flight, preparing yourself mentally before you arrive in Japan is just as important as the physical things you pack with you in your suitcase.

Think you’ve done all your research when it comes to the Land of the Rising Sun? Check out this video on five things you should know before making the big move.

Japan
(culture shock • life in japan • rachel & jun • society • video)

Hatsune Miku appears with J-pop legend Namie Amuro in new music video

Casey Baseel
Oct 16, 2015

Vocaloid music still isn’t exactly what you’d call mainstream in Japan, but the genre of virtual idols has made considerable strides in popularity over the last couple of years. Just last month, Vocaloid Hatsune Miku appeared on perpetually popular TV program Music Station, a feat that’s considered a feather in the cap of any performer.

Now, Japan’s most popular virtual vocalist has teamed up with one of its most popular human ones, as Hatsune Miku and J-pop recording legend Namie Amuro have collaborated on a new song and music video.

Japan
(anime • Hatsune Miku • J-Pop • music • Namie Amuro • video • Vocaloid)

New Dead or Alive beach volleyball game full of the busty ninjas, steel drums fans love 【Video】

Casey Baseel
Oct 16, 2015

After Sega got the 3-D fighting video game craze rolling with Virtua Fighter in 1993, latecomers had to do something to differentiate their own games in the genre. Namco added accessible controls for its Tekken series, Tamsoft spruced up its Toshinden, and Tecmo added attack reversals to Dead or Alive. Oh, and also large, heaving breasts.

Over the years the supersized busts of Dead or Alive have sort of become the tail that wags the dog, or the bouncing bosoms that lead the torso and shoulders. So after releasing Dead or Alive 5 Last Round, the third upgrade to the fifth game in the main series, publisher Koei Tecmo is taking a break from the fighting and doubling down on the eye candy with a new beach volleyball game, Dead or Alive Xtreme 3, starring its female martial artists, and the first gameplay video has just been released.