RocketNews24 / Bringing You Yesterday's News From Japan and Asia, Today (Page 5)

This Blue Beer Looks Like it Came from Alcoholic Willy Wonka’s Factory

May 17, 2013 by Mike
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The Abashiri Brewery in Hokkaido which, judging by its website, really is some kind of beer-themed Willy Wonka side project, boasts what may be the world’s first naturally blue beer.

Always ready to get drunk for the sake of our readers, RocketNews24 took it upon ourselves to investigate this mystifying beer anomaly, appropriately named the Ryuhyou Draft (“Ice Floe Draft”), at a beachside pub. Read More

Drunk Man in Taiwan Severs Own Genitals with Pair of Scissors, Regrets It the Day After

May 17, 2013 by Master Blaster
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Ever have one of those nights where you knock back one too many and wake up not remembering what happened the night before? Then as you fumble around for clues like a matchbook or photos on your phone, you discover that you’ve cut off your own privates with a pair of kitchen scissors?

If so, I’m terribly sorry for your loss, but, as this truly sobering tale of self-mutilation reveals, you’re not alone…

May 16, 2013 by Rachel Tackett
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These days, cosplay functions as a 40 billion yen (US$390 million) industry and has a large impact on Japan’s economy. Now, before moving on, please allow me to clarify that ‘cosplay’ to Japan does not only refer to people dressing up as anime and video game characters, but includes all manner of live action, Western, original characters, nurses, maids, and so on. Virtually any costume worn for fun is considered cosplay over here. So what kinds of special services are available to avid cosplayers in Japan? And how are cosplayers themselves making the most out of this bountiful, infinitely tolerant environment? Read More

Korean Remote Controlled Turtle Project Making Slow But Steady Progress

May 16, 2013 by Casey Baseel
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One year when I was in junior high school my parents gave me a radio controlled car for Christmas. It was the perfect gift for a young boy right in the middle of dealing with the most awkward, confusing psychological change that comes with puberty (no longer thinking riding a bike is cool, but still being too young to drive a car). I loved that R/C car, so much that I kept playing with it outside as it started to rain one day, eventually frying the circuits so that it never ran again.

But things would have been different if my parents had been researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, or KAIST. First, everyone would have been surprised by how two Korean scientists ended up with a Caucasian son with blond hair. And next, they could have hooked me up with a controllable water-resistant reptile, like the remote controlled turtle KAIST is currently developing. Read More

Another Amazing Vending Machine From Japan! But This One’s No High-Tech Gadget

May 16, 2013 by Kay
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Readers of our site may be aware that Japan is home to vending machines that sell a wide range of bizarre and unexpected products, from pornographic magazines to fresh eggs and even fermented soybeans (natto). Now, we’ve found yet another interesting vending machine that’s been featured in a story on Asahi Newspaper’s digital site which we thought would be interesting to share with you.

This machine in particular caught our attention because it combines the Japanese people’s fondness of vending machines with their love of a dish that is extremely popular in Japan. And what might that dish be? We’ll give you a hint — it’s golden brown in color and has a delightfully rich and spicy aroma that’s sure to make your mouth water… Read More

Iranian Murderer Pardoned Seconds After Hanging

May 16, 2013 by Rachel Tackett
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Last Wednesday in Mashhad, Iran, a man was sentenced to hang for the crime of murdering a police officer. However, just moments after the sentence was carried out, the bereaved family cried out their forgiveness, demanding that they put a stop to the execution. Read More

Japanese Performance Artist’s Balancing Act More Nerve-Wracking Than a Game of Jenga

May 16, 2013 by Mike
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Watching Japanese performance artist Miyoko Shida’s physics-defying balancing act is a more intense experience than your closest game of Jenga, guaranteed. At Rocketnews24, a lot of our writers have trouble just walking straight, so trying to imagine the coordination and concentration required to put on a show like this makes our heads hurt.

May 16, 2013 by Master Blaster
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From their humble beginnings on Taiwan’s video series Weather Girls, a seven-girl idol group by the same name that specializes in bringing you the week’s weather, have been building a solid fan base in their new home of Japan.

Though a variety of theme months and a constantly improving grasp of the Japanese language, these girls have steadily shown that they are willing to work hard for their place in the spotlight. However, the next step is a doozy.

It has come to light that all seven girls (one for each day of the week) are studying hard to take the extremely strict National Weather Forecaster Exam next year. The test, which was established in 1994, reportedly has a 5 percent pass rate. However, if the girls succeed they will become full-fledged weather forecasters.

May 16, 2013 by Oona McGee
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Forget showing your love with matching tattoos and his ‘n hers pendants; romance in the digital age is all about texts, video calls and saucy photos. So it makes all kinds of sense to show the world your devotion with a set of kissing covers for the iPhone 5. Couples, it’s time to throw those matching T-shirts away and save your friends the embarrassment with – wait, possibly more embarrassment than ever before.

May 16, 2013 by Rachel Tackett
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For young and middle-aged women in China who just want to live freely without being hounded by their parents to marry, renting a boyfriend for a day could be the perfect answer! Japanese news site, Nikkei, recently sat down with 27-year-old financial businessman and volunteer boyfriend, Wang Zhuo, for an interview regarding his 100 plus “girlfriends” over the past two years. Could it be that for whatever reason China’s women are becoming increasingly dependent on rental boyfriends? We’ve seen how it works for lonely ladies in Japan! What sort of insights has Wang gained into these Chinese women’s desires… Read More

Oozing up From Below, Mysterious Marshmallow-like Substance Covers Nanjing Street

May 16, 2013 by John Stuart Translations
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Ever wonder what happened to the remains of the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man when Venkman and the rest of the gang destroyed it by “crossing their streams” in Ghostbusters? Well, it appears they may have fallen through a crack in a New York City sidewalk only to emerge 29 years later all the way over in China!
Read More

Hungry for Justice (and Bento), Alleged Kobe Thief Turns Himself In

May 16, 2013 by Casey Baseel
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Hyogo Prefecture has a bit of a reputation for culinary excellence. Besides being the home of Kobe beef, it’s also famous for French and Chinese cuisine, along with boasting some of Japan’s best octopus. But could Hyogo’s food be so good that alleged criminals would give up their freedom for it?

On May 12, police at the Nagata Ward Precinct in Kobe took a suspected thief into custody. The unemployed 32-year-old man, whose name has been withheld, turned himself in, saying, “I want to eat the tasty food Nagata Precinct serves prisoners in its holding cells.” Read More

The Ten Most Beautiful Tunnels in the World and Where You Can Find Them

May 15, 2013 by Michelle
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If a wardrobe filled with musty coats brought people to Narnia, we wonder where these beautiful tunnels might bring you. Let’s take a look at ten beautiful passageways from around the world.

May 15, 2013 by Master Blaster
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I freaking knew it!

Spaghetti and other pasta recipes have repeatedly asked us to “boil with salt” – a rule that has always baffled me. Once, early on in my cooking life, I decided to be a good boy and add the salt as requested only to find that it didn’t make a lick of difference to the end result. I haven’t looked back since.

In an interview with website, President Online, Tokyo Kasei University Graduate School of Home Economics, Keiko Nagao, puts this myth of boiling with salt to rest once and for all, thus saving us from a needless cooking step. Read More

Vietnamese Trade Ao Dai for Anime-Inspired Uniforms and Collars at Ho Chi Minh City’s First Locally-Owned Maid Café

May 15, 2013 by Casey Baseel
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One of the most enduring images of Japanese pop culture in the past few years is that of the maid café, where customers are served by waitresses with personalities to match the careful craftsmanship of their cute, frill-covered outfits. Maid cafes have become something of a cultural export, popping up in the U.S., Canada, and, as RocketNews24 previously showcased, Russia. The phenomenon has also reached Southeast Asia, as showcased by reporters from website Post Seven who recently visited a maid café in Vietnam.

May 15, 2013 by Mike
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It used to be that to go to space you needed to join NASA and become an astronaut. But you’re an evil billionaire, and you’re far too busy being evil for all that training in the gravitron.

Lucky for you and whatever evil space plans you’re hatching, SXC (Space Expedition Corporation) offers the dream of space travel to any commoner with US$100,000 lying around, a pittance that will barely put a dent in your underground chamber of dubiously acquired gold bricks.

There are also a number of other aerospace companies offering a variety of space travel flavors, from a few minutes in orbit to a full 9 days at the International Space Station (ISS), complete with space walk. Let’s take a look at the different space travel packages offered, including one that costs US$150 million.

May 15, 2013 by Preston Phro
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In 1597, Japan was reaching the end of the Warring States period and starting to unify under the rule of Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. At the same time, which was 15 years after the Tenshô embassy (the first Japanese embassy to Europe), three Japanese men were completing their (unwilling) journey to Mexico, of all places.

Using records from the Inquisition found in the National Library of Mexico, Lucio de Sousa (University of Evora in Portugal) and Oka Mihoko (University of Tokyo) have discovered conclusive proof of the men’s journey to the New World. They’ve also managed to piece together a few details of their stories.

May 15, 2013 by Cara Clegg
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Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city, has a ton of internet cafes. There are also coffee shops with wi-fi, and places where you can plug into the net directly, so our intrepid author had no trouble getting online when he was there. He tells us about his experience. Read More

Oops – The Weird and Cute Things Found in Japan’s Public Photocopiers

May 15, 2013 by Preston Phro
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Forgetting stuff at the copy machine is one thing when you’re at work and everyone already knows about all your weird little obsessions (we’re looking at you, whoever’s making copies of horse-riding advertisements and Jell-o recipes), but it’s entirely different when you forget your stuff at a public copy machine. Someone might even take pictures and tweet them for the whole world to see!

May 15, 2013 by Master Blaster
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It’s a familiar coming-of-age scenario for many a young man. Things with the girlfriend are progressing well and it’s time to round third into the home plate. However, there are still condoms to get. How do you confront the judgmental gaze of the minimum wage cashier who in reality couldn’t care less what you’re up to?

One young Taiwanese lad at the tender age of 43 faced with this dilemma opted to steal a box of condoms rather than deal with the awkwardness of buying them legally, and as such has become international news.