RocketNews24 / Bringing You Yesterday's News From Japan and Asia, Today (Page 8)

A Mascot for the Family Jewels! (Women and Children Love Him!)

May 8, 2013 by Preston Phro
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Many cities and institutions have cute mascots for PR purposes, usually based on some special local product or place name. Japan and many other countries have plenty of these kinds of characters, but one surprising new face has caught the attention of the entire globe.

We are speaking, of course, about the mascot based on “the family jewels.” The… family jewels? Yep. It’s exactly what it sounds like! (And totally NOT safe for work!!) Read More

Anime Backgrounds: True Works of Art Hiding Behind All Those Digital Boobs

May 8, 2013 by Mike
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Surprisingly, the majority of time and effort Japanese animators put into a typical anime may not be on the enormous, physics defying breasts of female protagonists, but on the one thing in any movie or TV show that we pay the least attention to – the backgrounds.

One Tumblr user set out to bring those underappreciated backgrounds to the forefront by displaying photos of anime backgrounds with the main characters digitally removed, and boy is it eye-opening. From real world Tokyo locations recreated in painstaking detail, to futuristic cityscapes that tower up and sprawl out as far as the eye can see, to almost photo-realistic close-ups of everyday items, this Tumblr blog showcases the unsung beauty of the best anime backgrounds.

May 8, 2013 by Mike
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Nothing says “luxury vacation” like staying in a hotel room dolled up like a little girl’s dream bedroom. At least, that’s what the Ikenotaira Hotel in Nagano is banking on with the “DokiDoki! Precure Stay Plan.”

DokiDoki! Precure (also known as Pretty Cure) is an anime series popular with elementary school-aged girls in Japan (and, inevitably, a number of creepy middle-aged otaku men) that focuses on a Sailor Moon-esque team of teenaged wizard girls. Read More

Frozen Beer and Beer Cocktails – Mr. Sato Checks Out Kirin Ichiban Garden

May 8, 2013 by John Stuart Translations
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With Golden Week over, it means summer and hot, humid days are just around the corner. Knowing you’ll need a cooling and refreshing oasis to escape to in the months ahead, Mr. Sato headed over to the Mori Trust Garden in Toranomom District, Tokyo to scope out the offerings at Kirin’s Ichiban Garden.

May 8, 2013 by Casey Baseel
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Okayama Prefecture lies in west Japan, three and a half hours from Tokyo by bullet train. Known for its castle, 17th century garden, and folktale of Momotaro the Peach Boy, it’s a laid-back, slow-paced kind of place, so we can understand the difficulties local bus operator Ryobi Group faces in trying to promote the region as a travel destination for young people.

So Ryobi has made the cornerstone of its newest marketing campaign something young Japanese males will enjoy: a bus tour guide who’s also a cute anime idol. Read More

Hatsune Miku + Rika-chan Collaboration Coming Soon!

May 8, 2013 by Cara Clegg
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Exciting news for both Vocaloid fans and doll collectors – the first details of a collaboration between Japan’s version of Barbie, Rika-chan, and otaku idol Hatsune Miku have been leaked online. Read More

Man Sells the Spoils of his Six Year Gaming Career for Thousands of Dollars

May 7, 2013 by Rachel Tackett
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The online role-playing game, Final Fantasy XI has garnered tremendous popularity within Japan, not to mention the rest of the world. Love of the game has grown steadily in the 11 years since its Japanese release in May of 2002.

Unfortunately, as gamers grow older and become busy with real-life responsibilities, they sometimes must set aside their virtual buster swords and magical mage staffs and focus on the tangible things in life. Luckily, there’s always a circle of lazy gamers ready to take their places! These impatient players are wide-eyed and eager to buy your character’s levels and loot off of you. Read More

How to be Popular with Japanese Girls in Seven Steps

May 7, 2013 by Casey Baseel
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I think I speak for all of the male writers here at RocketNews24 when I say that we have no trouble finding dates. For example, I’m so attractive that I have to beat women off with a stick. Or, was it that the last woman I asked out beat me with a stick? Sorry, my memory is a little fuzzy these days. Probably from being hit in the head with sticks.

But for our loyal readers who lack my powerful pheromones (B.O. is a kind of pheromone, right?), we present seven tips for attracting girls in Japan, as originally compiled by Niconico News. Read More

Buzzard Breath? Funky Feet? Odor-Detecting Robots Rate Your Pungency

May 7, 2013 by John Stuart Translations
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A team from Kitakyushu National College of Technology (Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka) and CrazyLabo (Koga City, Fukuoka) has developed two robots capable of detecting degrees of offensiveness in foot odor and breath.

Blow into the face of lovely Kaori, a female mannequin-headed robot, for a quick reading on whether or not you are ready to interact with others. After a brief analysis, Kaori will assign one of four ratings to the (un)pleasantness of your breath…
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Tokyo Robot Can Think, Learn, and Apply Knowledge: Nothing to Fear Here!

May 7, 2013 by Preston Phro
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It seems every time a news story about robots appears, someone inevitably freaks out, screaming about Skynet or the Matrix. Well, this time, they might be right!

While it lacks the dexterity and sweetness of other robots, this one can not only assess and comprehend its surroundings but also learn through the Internet! (Oh, please keep it away from Wikipedia. It’ll conquer the world in a month.) Read More

Kyaaah! The Anime Power Moves Everyone Tried (And Failed) To Master

May 7, 2013 by Rona Moon
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Desperate to master the power moves we’d seen so many times in our favourite anime (Japanese animated cartoon), we practiced them day and night. Nothing impresses friends and destroys enemies like a well-timed “Turtle Destruction Wave”. Sure of our eventual success and rise to glory, we eagerly followed in the footsteps of heroes, mimicking their warrior cries and poses. Our best efforts were doomed to fail, but we kept on trying. You did too, right? Probably. Hadouken!

MyNavi News asked 286 men and women in Japan which moves they practiced as children. Here are the most common (and surprising) responses.

May 7, 2013 by Preston Phro
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When it comes to bizarre toilet stories, China may be in the running for the number one spot. (Or should we say “number two?” Sorry…) This story, though, is a little more… explosive. Read More

3-D Mickey and Minnie Cakes are Too Cute to Eat!

May 7, 2013 by Cara Clegg
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Disney toys are a dime a dozen, but there’s something special about this Mickey and Minnie – they’re entirely edible! Read More

47 Prefectures, 47 Unique Japanese Souvenirs: Which One Will Win?

May 7, 2013 by Oona McGee
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Omiyage, local, often food-based souvenirs, are a big thing in Japan. Each of the country’s 47 prefectures takes pride in producing a well-known representative that speaks for their area and reflects their unique terroir. But which region and what delicacy would come out on top if put to the test in a general election? A recent television programme in Japan thought to do just that, conducting a national tournament of omiyage vs omiyage, sifting through the delegates to bring us the top 20 areas and their delicious representatives.

May 7, 2013 by Preston Phro
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It doesn’t take 80 days to circumnavigate the world anymore, but we do have a host of new problems, like how to stay connected when overseas and outside of our smartphone carrier’s signal!

Well, a fun article popped up on Gizmodo Japan this weekend with nine great apps to have on your iPhone while traveling the world. Based on the author’s personal 3-month long journey around the world, there are lots of good recommendations! Unfortunately, some of these apps might not help you if you don’t live in Japan, but most of them will be useful for any world traveler. We’ve come up with our own alternatives where applicable.

May 7, 2013 by Master Blaster
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It looks like Mt. Fuji is well on it’s way to becoming an official piece of World Heritage, which means the area can expect an upswing in tourism. Around 200 km away in Gunma Prefecture, workers at Fujiyamashita Station are also bracing for an increase in foreigners mistaking the tiny station for the closest stop to the majestic mountain.

For Hirokazu Nagumo, the operator of a single car train for Jomo Rail, this is bad news. The disappointed faces of heartbroken visitors over his 18 year career is an image he has trouble shaking from his memory.

May 6, 2013 by Preston Phro
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When it comes to Japan, Akihabara is one place you’ll find on almost every tourist’s map. The name alone immediately brings to mind everything from games, manga, anime, figurines and AKB48 to Gundam, computers and electronics. Still one thing stands out as being particularly iconic: maid cafes.

Most visitors to Tokyo have stopped by one of these cafes at least once, and even if you haven’t, you’re probably familiar with the concept: cute, young women in fluffy “maid” skirts serving drinks and food while giggling with customers and, often, putting on shows. But have you wondered where these cafes came from? Read More

Gyu-Kaku Philippines Now Open, Serving Up Excellent Seafood

May 6, 2013 by Oona McGee
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Mariah Carey’s done it. Lindsay Lohan did it too. Megan Fox even does it with her husband. And in Japan, practically everyone’s doing it. It’s yakiniku, barbecuing meat on a charcoal flame, and the hottest place to do it is at the popular Japanese restaurant chain Gyu-Kaku.

Now people in the Philippines are getting a taste of the celebrity-endorsed outlet, with the April 5 opening of their first branch in metropolitan Manila. Already, it’s proving to be very popular with the locals. But when we heard that the star of this Gyu-Kaku (“Bull’s Horn”) wasn’t the meat but the seafood, we had to pay them a visit to see what was going on.

May 6, 2013 by Cara Clegg
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America is known for being particularly prudent when it comes to sex and nudity, and the censors have been at it again in the US release of new Fire Emblem Awakening content. Someone somewhere has judged an image in the game to be far too naughty for sensitive American eyes, incurring the wrath and bemusement of fans around the globe. Read More

Which is More Loved in Japan: Cats or Dogs?

May 6, 2013 by Master Blaster
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It’s the eternal struggle of pet preferences. There’s no question that the top two choices for pets are cats and dogs and the human race is ultimately divided between so-called “cat-people” and “dog-people.” Since there can only be one animal to take the number one spot as “favorite pet,” large scale surveying website Research Planet asked nearly 30,000 Japanese people straight up, “Which do you like better, dogs or cats?”