RocketNews24 / Bringing You Yesterday's News From Japan and Asia, Today (Page 6)

Sony promises no restrictions on used games for PlayStation 4 – releases cheeky video to rub it in

Jun 11, 2013 by Philip Kendall
0
Tweet

Jack Tretton, president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America, thrilled gamers today when he declared that the company will not impose any restrictions whatsoever on used games. Suffice it to say, the crowd at E3 went wild.

Seconds after the announcement had been made, a video appeared on Sony’s YouTube channel that simultaneously shows how easy it is to trade games with friends while poking fun at competitor Microsoft. Check it out after the break.

Jun 11, 2013 by Philip Kendall
0

It’s the moment millions of fans have been waiting for ever since Sony first announced that its new console would be in our hands by the end of 2013: the PlayStation 4 has finally been revealed for the world to see!

And it looks…

Jun 11, 2013 by Cara Clegg
0

Japan’s answer to YouTube, NicoNico Video, will be showing live coverage of the Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3) in both Japanese and English!

Jun 11, 2013 by Preston Phro
0

That magical time of year when game companies throw themselves a giant party and start spilling family secrets like your drunk aunt is finally upon us. That’s right, E3 starts Tuesday! And all this week, excited fans will be glued to the blogs, chomping on the bits for new info from Microsoft, Sony, Ubisoft, and many other major publishers. One company that won’t be giving a massive, blow-all-the-fuses presentation, though, is Nintendo.

Even so, that doesn’t the company is skipping the event entirely.

Jun 11, 2013 by Rona Moon
0

Whoohoo, party’s on tonight! Happy, happy, joy, party rock is in the house tonight!! Drinking parties (nomikai) in Japan go off. Can’t wait!!!

But hold on… there’s a catch. It’s still common for smoking to be permitted in bars in Japan. You might not notice it, but as soon as you get home it hits you like a karate chop to the nose—the stink of cigarette smoke. Even if you weren’t smoking yourself, the second-hand smoke will make your clothes reek, right down to your stinky underwear. Yes, even if you didn’t expose your underwear. Yuck.

Could this simple trick be the solution?

Jun 11, 2013 by Philip Kendall
0

When it comes to food and drink, there really is no “right” way to enjoy it. Just as some will cringe at the very idea of munching on raw fish dipped in a little soy sauce, others will stare in horror and disbelief as their housemate smothers a baked potato in peanut butter (you know who you are). But when it comes to beer, as many foreigners visiting or living in Japan will no doubt attest, the fondness Japanese have for topping their drink off with an enormous amount of foam sometimes borders on the absurd. “It’s delicious!” Japanese colleagues tell me when I ask why a third of my beer is head. It may well be tasty, but when it takes three gulps of naught but white froth to reach the beer itself, you have to wonder if this is all some kind of hilarious practical joke that the entire country is in on.

But what about when drinking at home? Without a bartender to ensure that beer arrives with a thick head, how can the thirsty foam lover achieve the same results? Enter the Koku Awa beer pourer from Green House.

Jun 11, 2013 by Rachel Tackett
0

What do you do when it’s late into the evening the day before a big project is due? If you’re a good little worker, you rest easy because everything is already taken care of, but for those of us who have perfected the art of procrastination, it’s time to pull an all-nighter. And what is your beverage of choice when you want to stay awake? For a lot of people, the answer is a strong cup of coffee.

However, what many view as a miracle mug of liquid energy can actually have the opposite effect! In Natsuko Kasai’s book Sweet things are Bad for the Brain, the certified nutritionist and meal counselor explains how drinking coffee has an unexpected side-effect that can wear you out more than wake you up.

Jun 11, 2013 by Oona McGee
0

Cast your vote in one of the cutest elections around! A total of 100 characters are in the running to be named crowd favourite in Sanrio’s annual popularity poll this year, each one primped and ready with the standard political sash and some imaginative campaign promises. We take a look at some of the elected delegates, from well-known favourites to brand new faces and some unique characters we never even knew existed. Will Hello Kitty come out on top? Or will she be knocked off her perch by a smiling high speed train, a group of android beetles, or a dog that resembles a custard dessert? Take a look and choose your favourite for 2013!

Jun 11, 2013 by Philip Kendall
0

United States Vice President Joe Biden came under fire late last month after a number of Chinese students took offence at comments he made during a congratulatory speech at the University of Pennsylvania, a China Smack report has said.

Jun 10, 2013 by Preston Phro
0

For many, Japan equals technology and robots, and we can hardly blame them! Between Honda’s Asimov and Professor Hiroshi Ishiguro’s android, there’s no shortage of exciting robotics news coming out of Japan.

Today, however, we’re going to show you something equally amazing… but hardly new at all.

Jun 10, 2013 by Casey Baseel
0

If there’s one thing Japan loves, it’s ramen, and if there’s a second thing, it’s hot springs (or onsen in Japanese).

We recently found a place in Tokyo’s Suginami Ward that combines both.

Jun 10, 2013 by John Stuart Translations
0

Located about 120 kilometers outside of the city of Huayin, Shaanxi province, Mount Hua is one of China’s Five Great Mountains. Certainly beautiful, the mountain has historically been a religious retreat for “strong-willed” monks able to find “the way” to the top on narrow pathways alongside gut-churning drops.

With tourism now booming in a more affluent China, the government has worked to improve access to the top of the mountain by widening the trail, adding railings and safety chains, and in general working to prevent hikers from experiencing a quick, unplanned descent to the bottom. Let’s find out what the dizzying location has to offer!
Read More

Enjoy the delectable taste of chocolately Edible Anus

Jun 10, 2013 by Master Blaster
0

Excuses are like anuses; everyone’s got one. That’s the reasoning behind the Edible Anus line of chocolates created in England. These handcrafted chocolates represent something that transcends cultural boundaries to offer creamy sphincter shaped goodness to the whole world, even reaching Japan where netizens have been left open-mouthed at the idea of munching on a chocolatey orifice.

Jun 10, 2013 by Cara Clegg
0

For today’s random trivia, we try to catch a rare and elusive special koala from Lotte’s delicious Koala’s March snacks.

Jun 10, 2013 by Cara Clegg
0

There’s no nation in the world that loves hot springs more than Japan. Known as onsen (lit. warm 温, and spring 泉), there are very few Japanese alive who could ever claim to having never taken a dip. If you’re tired, you head to the onsen; if you’re going on holiday, you visit an onsen; you go to the onsen to hang out with your friends, on a date, to relax with the family – anything is an excuse to strip off and let the hot water soak your aches, pains and worries away!

But onsen actually exist all over the world, even in America. Today our Japanese reporter Yoshio reports on his stay at a hot spring hotel in America, and his experiences in their natural sulfur spa. Let’s find out if the US’s version of the hot spa stands up to our reporter’s rigorous testing…

Jun 10, 2013 by Master Blaster
0

The yuru-kyara world watches with a cautious eye as recent unofficial mascot Teruhiko has been steadily building a fan base online. This slightly emo looking mascot character operating out of Hakodate has been winning over hearts with his cooking tips.

However, Teruhiko has a dark side that occasionally appears in impassioned tweets that threaten to undermine the otherwise diplomatic and squeaky clean world of people in puffy costumes.

Jun 10, 2013 by Preston Phro
0

Japan, as I’m sure you know, is a gorgeous country. Whether it’s sand dunes, beaches, forests, mountains, or snowy plains, there’s something for nearly everyone.

But even with so much amazing scenery, some places still manage to stand out, like Toyama Prefecture! Here’s a list of places in Toyama you simply must visit at least once!

Jun 10, 2013 by Master Blaster
0

While our reporter was out visiting the Nation at War Tavern and other sights in the southern city of Kagoshima, he perused a guide map of the area and saw a listing for “Japan’s best conveyor belt sushi restaurant.”

Conveyor belt sushi restaurants, also known as sushi trains or kaiten-zushi in Japanese, are eateries where the dishes float past your seat allowing you to effortlessly serve yourself. They are fun and cheap places to get some decent quality sushi, but are hardly considered haute cuisine in Japan. So what could Mawaru Sushi Mekkemon be doing that elevates it past the largely uniform conveyor belt sushi preparation and presentation to earn it the coveted title of “Japan’s Top Conveyor Belt Sushi”? Our reporter went to find out and brings us this report.

Jun 10, 2013 by Mike
0

Square-Enix is offering this adorable, limited edition slime hourglass for Dragon Quest series fans with the munchies. The company says the hourglass is timed at about three minutes, which is around the same amount of time it takes to perfectly cook a cup of instant ramen noodles.

Jun 10, 2013 by Master Blaster
0

Koi-Yamagata Station, nestled deep in Tottori Prefecture where few people reside, now has a bold new makeover. The once drab station, mostly devoid of staff or passengers, has been given a hot pink paint job and a heart-shaped monument for love.