April Fools’ Day

The Fake Burger returns to Burger King Japan…or does it?

Chain’s infamous “Fake Burger” is said to be returning after a four-year absence.

Read More

After reopening, Japan to require foreigners to eat *daily* sushi to revitalize tourism industry

Will it taste as good when shoved down our throats?

Read More

Japan’s Olympic stadium to fill thousands of empty spectator seats with waifu pillows

Not sure if creative or cringey.

Read More

Embassy employee pulls April Fools’ Day prank, gets admired for Photoshop skills instead

His Photoshop power level! It’s over 9,000!

Read More

Japanese government appoints hikikomori as head of council on “self-quarantine strategies”

Once loathed by society, now hikikomori might save society.

Read More

Top April Fools’ Day prank news stories from Japan

Edible watches, Nintendo characters and a handy Lego app all make an appearance on this year’s roundup of fantastic news we wish was true today.

Read More

Japanese company proposes Marie Kondo as mascot for new “Spark Joy” police taser weapons

Will the Queen of Clean upgrade to the Empress of Electrifying?

Read More

Japanese idol group disbands after debut concert, citing members’ excessive individuality

But there’s a comical silver lining that has heartbroken fans drying their eyes.

Read More

Fashion model Yutaro trolls online shoppers in funny April Fools’ Day cosmetics prank

If you guessed the prank is that the model in this picture is actually a man, he makes no secret about that, and the real trick is something else.

Read More

Japanese bodybuilder becomes world-famous on Twitter, but not for his swole bod

Instead he’s been tweeted all over the world for his (partially) convincing transformation into a pretty girl.

Read More

Never get bored on a long flight again with Jetstar and Joysound’s Karaoke Flights!

What could be a better way to pass the time than singing your favorite songs with your friends?

Read More

Top April Fools’ Day prank news stories from Japan

Our roundup of the country’s craziest April Fool’s Day products and services we actually wish were real.

Read More

To combat declining birth rate, Japan to begin offering “Breeding Visas” to foreigners

Later this year, Japan will attempt to induce its own baby boom.

Read More

New Nara deer adoption program lets you take home your own pet deer, help with overpopulation!

Love Nara’s legendary deer? You’ll love them even more when they’re in your house.

Read More

Licca-chan spills her guts (literally) with this unsettling April Fool’s Day joke doll

This is the creepiest version of Licca-chan ever, even for an April Fool’s Day joke.

Read More

McDonald’s Japan gets in on the April Fools’ Day fun with “new menu items”

Nothing says “I’m lovin’ it” like a few cheeky jokes.

Read More

April Fools’ Day has really taken off in Japan over the past few years, with major companies getting in on the action too. One of our Japanese writers, the one and only Mr. Sato, sifted through the Internet to find products worthy of his time. That is how he came across the “Princess Urine” drink. You better believe that he bought it, examined it and took some hearty gulps, all for our entertainment, of course.

Read More

Never lose focus on April Fools’ Day, you never know who will surprise you next

There’s nothing like kicking back in a theater and watching the latest movie release. With so many new flicks coming out every month, it’s hard to choose the best ones. That’s why the humble movie poster is really handy. Every once in a while a poster will jump out at you and catch your attention. Maybe it features a sexy image, or it shows a cool movie star, either way, the movie it is advertising wins a small spot in your memory.

In the case of this movie, the studios are having a little bit of fun at your expense, however. Behold, Will Smith’s new movie, Focus, starring NOT Will Smith! Who could possibly pull off the swagger of the former Fresh Prince of Bel Air?

Read More

Google knows you’re no April Fool, so they offer you Pac-Man playable in Google Maps

You may remember Google’s April Fools’ challenge last year, since it was pretty epic. If you missed it, Google came out with a game where you could search for Pokemon on the Google Maps app on your mobile device. It got rave reviews and it’s such a shame that it was only available for a limited time.

This year, Google is reaching out to a slightly older generation of video game lovers, letting us play Pac-Man on real streets of Google Maps!! Of course, being Google and April Fools’ Day, there is a catch, but more or less, you can transform neighborhoods into Pac-Man game screens.

Read More

Google sends winners of Pokémon Challenge ‘Pokémon Master’ business cards

Google Maps‘ elaborate April Fools joke got even better. On April 1, Google launched its Pokémon Challenge game, where users could search real world locations on Google Maps and catch the original 151 Pokémon to complete a Pokédex.

Players who successfully completed the Pokédex received a message from Google Maps to fill out a form for a “surprise.” It turns out their efforts weren’t for naught, as several players, including Reddit user “tinygrump” received a congratulatory letter from Google Maps software engineer Tatsuo Nomura and 10 business cards with the title “Pokémon Master.”

Read More

  1. 1
  2. 2