Category: Japan (Page 79)

Japan

Rey Ayanami’s Spear of Longinus is a Large and Unsightly Broken Churro

Aug 20, 2012 by Steven
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On August 15, Japanese convenience store chain Lawson launched a Evangelion tie-in campaign to promote the November release of the film Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo.

Like any other Japanese convenience store promotion, Lawson is selling a small collection of limited-edition Evangelion goods and snacks. Among them is a package of 2 “churro sticks” called “Rei Ayanami’s Spear of Longinus,” supposedly modeled after the iconic weapon.

Aug 20, 2012 by Steven
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If you ever visit Japan and want to sample one of the staples of local cuisine, find a convenience store and grab an onigiri, or rice ball. Easy to make, plentiful in variety and an essential component of any bento lunch, the onigiri is to Japan what the sandwich is to the West.

But with so many different fillings, how do you know which onigiri to try out? If you want a taste of the REAL Japan, you need to eat what REAL Japanese people are eating, which is why we’d like to share with you this REAL list ranking the most popular onigiri fillings in Japan.

Aug 20, 2012 by Kay
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We’ve reported several times in the past on some of the unusual jobs taken on by Hello Kitty, including cosplaying as characters like Sonic the Hedgehog and Sadako (from the Ring series), or even getting baked whole into golden brown cakes.

Well, since Ms. Kitty, as we sometimes call her when she’s in business mode, is so willing to take on any job thrown at her, some people have apparently decided to send Ms. Kitty on a virtual “tour of hardship” to put her professionalism to the test, and we’ve found a collection of pictures showing some of the hardships she endures.

So, let’s see what torments our beloved Ms. Kitty has been going through! Read More

Overseas Edition of “Prince’s Proposal” Getting Turned Down by Fans: “Princes Look Disgusting”

Aug 20, 2012 by Master Blaster
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Unlike American game makers, Japanese video game companies often sweat over every detail before selling their games overseas to make sure it fits the culture. Although the sentiment is appreciated the results are often poor, as people in other countries enjoy those cultural differences more often than not.

Case in point is Prince’s Proposal’s (Ojisama no Puropozu) treacherous journey abroad. Prince’s Proposal is an otome game where your character, a university student, has a chance encounter with six princes whom you must find romance with by making the right choices throughout the story.

Its recent westernized incarnation called Be My Princess, however, decided to replace the stylish anime princes and characters with rubbery, emotionless ones.

Aug 19, 2012 by Steven
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There are literally tens of thousands of songs out there that use the Hatsune Miku Vocaloid software for vocals, but few can inspire and touch people’s hearts like the work of Japanese 11-member music group Supercell.

On August 14, Supercell released the music video for their new single “ODDS&ENDS,” their first song to feature Hatsune Miku in over a year and the opening theme for the upcoming Playstation Vita game “Hatsune Miku Project DIVA-f.”

Check out the video below and be sure to grab a box of tissues because Supercell has once again managed to pour more emotion into this virtual singer than can be found in most pop songs today.

Aug 19, 2012 by Master Blaster
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I have to admit, I’m the kind of guy who clings to his underwear until it’s little more than two threads attached to a stretched out, useless elastic band. Guys tend to be creatures of habit and would rather put up with worn down shorts than go to the store to buy new ones.

Freepan (short for Free Pants) is a totally new patented service prepared to send up to seven free pairs of underpants every month – with free delivery!

Catch? Yes, there are a couple catches but not as bad as you might imagine.

Aug 18, 2012 by Karen Bremer Masuda
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Rumor has it that the world-famous Bill Gates has started building a vacation home in Japan’s premier mountain resort town Karuizawa, Nagano!

After it was substantiated in an article in　Shinken Shinbun, a local construction periodical, the Bill Gates Mansion became the talk of the town. The land for it includes an area of 19,979 square meters. It will be one-storied and go down two stories into a basement. There will be a heliport and a private underground road accessing the grounds where a 2000 square metered garden is planned.

Aug 18, 2012 by Master Blaster
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This photo has been showing up on various websites recently depicting glowing blue objects lining up along a shore. This beach is in Toyama, Japan and for the locals this isn’t such a crazy sight.

Before clicking “more” place your bets on what you think this is; algae, radioactive waste, aliens?

Aug 18, 2012 by Steven
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A Korean man protesting at the infamous Yasukuni Shrine was assaulted by a group of Japanese men on August 15, the 67th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II.

Aug 18, 2012 by Master Blaster
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There are many pizza places in the world but very few have achieved the worldwide notoriety of Domino’s Pizza. So it’s comforting to know that they reward their workers handsomely when outstanding work is done.

In Japan, a manager deemed “excellent” by the corporation gets rewarded a Rolex watch. Granted the Rolex is engraved with the Domino’s logo in places, but it’s still a Rolex, and it’s worth a pretty penny too according to the pawn shop one was sold to.

Aug 17, 2012 by Kay
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It’s a fact of life that summers in Japan are hot and humid, and the Japanese people have a long history of trying to find ways to cool down in hot weather. One tradition that has come about as a result is the telling of terrifying horror stories in the summer, for the purpose of getting “chilled with terror”. And right now with the summer in full swing in Japan, we are indeed in need of some “chilling”.

Well, to help those of us desperate to feel just even a little bit cooler, Japanese entertainment group Culture Convenience Club (CCC), which operates TSUTAYA, one of the largest Video/DVD rental chains in Japan, has released a list of the 20 most-rented horror movies in Japan over the past three decades (1983 to 2012 to be exact). So, let’s see which movies made the list! Read More

Turntable Rider Converts BMX Bike Into Musical Instrument

Aug 17, 2012 by Steven
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Yo dawg, Japanese smartphone-based bike-sharing service Cogoo heard you like freestyling, so they stuck a DJ mixer into your BMX bike so you can freestyle while you freestyle.

Aug 17, 2012 by Steven
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Many foreigners view Japan as some marvelous dreamland of technology and culture; a place where crazy is the norm and embracing fantasy in everyday life is acceptable.

But to Japanese people, Japan is just that place you were born. Everyone and everything is routine, and it’s often difficult to see why the rest of the world get’s so worked up about “Japanese culture.”

Earlier this month, we sent one of our Japanese reporters to Comic Market (or “Comiket“), the world’s largest self-published comic book fair and otaku mecca, to interview real live foreigners and ask them what it is they really think about this country.

Aug 17, 2012 by Karen Bremer Masuda
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In the cold of winter everyone knows how important it is to keep your feet warm. Shouldn’t it stand that in the lingering heat of summer, cool feet are equally important? Of course, we can’t all go around barefooted, and in most societies business is conducted in shoes and socks. Feet take the brunt of the heat when temperatures soar with humidity on a constant rise. It can’t be helped because feet are most likely wrapped in socks and placed in shoes that keep out the air so that they are enveloped in humid heat. Poor feet!

The “USB Shoe Cooler,” a USB stick with attached tube sends cool air to the bottom of your feet, could be the answer that shoe-clad feet all over the world have been waiting for! Read More

Limited-Edition Pikachu Yellow Nintendo 3DS XL Coming to Japan in September

Aug 17, 2012 by Steven
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While North America and Australia are still have a week to wait before they can get their hands on the Nintendo 3DS XL, Japan is already getting its first limited edition version of the little giant: Nintendo 3DS LL Pikachu Yellow.

Aug 17, 2012 by Bruce
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Asuka Tachikawa, 27, famous for being a “beautiful city councilor,” has had pressure put on her to quit her job because she is actually an alien in disguise trying to ruin the city of Niizu in Saitama (near Tokyo).

Elected as a city councilor in February this year, the Saitama Prefectural Electoral Office has decided that her election is invalid because she may not have lived in the city for more than the required 3 months. In other words, she is an alien.

But what evidence do they have?
Read More

Internet Ladies Going Nuts Over Gymnast’s Arm Pit Hair, Fantasies Involve Using It as Seasoning

Aug 16, 2012 by Master Blaster
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Move over Ryohei Kato! There’s another male gymnast whipping women into a frenzy online. His name is Kohei Uchimura, and while his boyish good looks and personality scores points with the ladies, it’s a certain part of his body tucked away that sets him apart from others.

That’s right. Women can’t seem to get enough of Uchimura’s arm pit hair. In fact, there’s a lot of talk of using it a garnish as one person commented “I want to sprinkle his fresh pit hair over my soba and savor the taste.”

Aug 16, 2012 by Karen Bremer Masuda
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The dainty little burger you see in the photo above is the new “Osaka Burger.” But does it look like a burger to you? Maybe a burger with the meat on the outside?

The Osaka Burger actually uses the famous Osaka specialty, okonomiyaki, for buns and consists of a chicken patty, fried egg with shiso leaf and topped with a plum sauce, (bainiku sauce).

And it actually was known as something else before being called the Osaka Burger: “Ume Chicken”, the most popular item on the menu at Osaka Burger Kaen Hanamaru. Whatever you want to call it, its originality sparks the curiosity enough to make you wonder: ‘how does it taste?

The Osaka Burger will appreciate your curiosity because it hopes to represent Osaka cuisine alongside the ranks of okonomiyaki and skewered deep-fried pork by bringing together several regional specialties into a new and exciting culinary experience through the burger!

Aug 16, 2012 by Kay
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We’ve introduced some unique smartphone apps in one of our previous posts, but here’s one more unique app that’s caught our attention and may even be useful, if you believe what the developers say. If you’ve ever been annoyed by mosquitoes in the outdoors, and I believe most of us have at one time or another, then the Mosquito Buster app may be the solution to your pest problem. Yes, those small, buzzing blood-suckers can really be a pain, can’t they? But can a smartphone app really help you avoid mosquitoes? Well, the people at TABROID, a Japanese site that focuses on Android-related news and information, have apparently tested the app out in the field to see if it actually works. Read More

Regional Culture of Japanese Food Varies Widely From East to West

Aug 15, 2012 by Karen Bremer Masuda
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If you know a little about eating in Japan, you know about the set menus, particularly popular at lunchtime in many eateries all over Japan. Its called a Teishoku, or set meal, always including rice, pickles and miso soup, plus a ‘main’ dish. The main dish varies from meat, like pork cutlets, to grilled fish, to sashimi, the kind of fish depending on availability and season. All kinds of side dishes can also be included, including a variety of stewed vegetables. The price of this set meal is usually very reasonable. It is understandable why the ‘Teishoku’ is such a popular meal all over Japan.