Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
cosplay (Page 30)
Halloween has already passed, but when you’re talking about amazing steampunk-inspired outfits and accessories, like these custom-made motorized goggles, who needs a reason to dress up? Check out how this crafty Japanese Twitterer turned some spare parts into a work of art!
If you ever thought you’d have to go to a galaxy far, far away to sit in the cockpit of a Star Wars X-wing fighter, you were wrong. All you have to do is go to Singapore.
School uniforms inspired by Japanese manga have come to life as dresses designed for everyday wear by women of all ages.
When running a full marathon, you want to make sure you’re outfitted with the proper equipment, like supportive, well-cushioned athletic shoes, sunglasses to keep the glare out of your eyes, and, of course, a frilly anime magical girl skirt so you can cosplay as you run.
You’re not looking at a screenshot from the newest Borderlands game. Handsome Jack is here to stake his claim on Earth!
Japanese airlines All Nippon Airways (ANA) has teamed up with Disney to create an in-air experience that’s perfect for the ultimate “Star Wars” fan.
Covered in an R2-D2-like designs and a “Star Wars” logo on the outside, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft also has some fun galactic details inside, such as customized headrests, cups, and lighting. While in the air, passengers can even stream all six of the currently released “Star Wars” films.
Hard day at the office? Money or family troubles got you down? Don’t you just want to slip away to a quiet corner of your home and toss on a golden bejeweled crown to make you feel like the king or queen you ought to be?
But high-quality crowns are expensive and hard to come by…or at least they were until a couple of cosplaying Twitter users shared how they made their own realistic looking crown in just a few steps.
Halloween may be over, but that hasn’t put a stop to the internet being flooded with pictures of all the amazing and not-really-amazing-but-still-popular costumes that people wore.
One costume that was especially popular this year was the Inklings from the Wii U game Splatoon, but the ones who pulled it off the best have to be this pair of Japanese kids. Not only are their costumes homemade, but they look absolutely adorable while running around covering everything in pretend ink.
We’ve seen Twitter celebrity Zawachin work her makeup magic before to transform into pretty much any ethnicity or gender. She’s turned into AKB48 members, all the members of Japanese boy band Arashi, and love-them-or-love-to-hate-them British boy band One Direction.
And for Halloween, Zawachin has been blowing netizens’ minds with her pitch-perfect Avengers Black Widow costume. Some are claiming it’s the actual Scarlett Johansson in disguise, but we have the pictures to prove otherwise.
Attack on Titan fans who pre-ordered the new Levi figure by Good Smile were no doubt super-excited when orders started shipping last month. But one buyer, who goes by the username @Levi_Eren_Karin on Twitter, couldn’t help but tweet about her surprise when the contents inside weren’t quite what she had been expecting…
On Friday night, illustrious RocketNews24 reporters Mr. Sato and P.K. Sanjun ventured out into the streets of Shibuya, Tokyo’s hub of youth culture. Both dressed as Marge Simpson, they were there to check out this year’s collection of crazy costumes. While Halloween as a holiday is still only catching on in Japan, they were thrilled by the number of like-minded, costumed revelers they found.
Join us for a photographic tour of some of the costumed people they ran into on the streets of Shibuya!
The first thing that many people notice about the eyes of anime characters is how big they are, but that’s not the only thing that makes those 2-D peepers special. Through the magic of Japanese animation, anime eyes shine so brightly they almost look like they’re made of crystal or some other equally lustrous precious stones.
Of course, real eyes aren’t so reflective, but if you’ve got your heart set on your eyes sparkling like your favorite anime heroine, you can now achieve the look with the just-released line of anime-style contact lenses.
Halloween is less than a week away! Do all of you have your costumes ready?
If you’re still looking to add a nifty additional touch, then you can do as these handy DIY-ers on Twitter did and turn inexpensive, 100-yen (US$0.84) water guns into clever, steampunk-ish accessories. All it takes is some paint and a little creativity!
As we’ve seen, Japan is really psyched about Halloween. The holiday has been steadily growing in popularity for the last decade, and with October 31 falling on a Saturday in 2015, this year’s celebration is likely to be Japan’s liveliest Halloween ever.
But how did Halloween become Japan’s second favorite foreign holiday, right after Christmas? And also, is Japan staying true to the spirit of the holiday, or is forcefully pressing it into its own domestic mold, as the country is wont to do with cultural imports?
You probably remember that incredible Raiden cosplay from this year’s Tokyo Game Show—the one with the moving mask that wowed pretty much everyone on Internet. We were always a bit bummed there wasn’t more to all the videos and photos, but now Masazi, the cosplayer behind the amazing outfit, has released a minute-long video showing off her suit in action!
In about a week, Halloween, cosplayers‘ favorite holiday, will be upon us. Millions of people — increasingly including Japanese — will take to the streets in costume, and much of it will be cosplay. But some of this activity may actually be against Japanese law.
Shoko Hamada is a seven-year veteran of Japan’s gurabia industry, the subsection of the modeling world focused on women in swimwear and other skimpy outfits. In youth-obsessed Japan, she’s at an age where it wouldn’t be at all odd for her to be retiring from her line of work, but last month the 29-year-old Hamada was announced as the central figure in newly minted gurabia unit gra-DOLL.
But with so many gurabia idols filling the Japanese media landscape, Hamada and her cohorts needed to do something special to stand out and get the attention any new endeavor needs. Dressing up in Sailor Moon lingerie should do the trick.
Here in Japan, Halloween may be a relatively new tradition, and we haven’t gotten to the point of dressing in costume at school or work (at least not at normal jobs), but there’s no denying we’re quickly embracing the seasonal event, especially with special sweets and beverages. With Halloween-themed parades and parties becoming more and more common, finding an attractive and appropriately playful costume is something an increasing number of people are thinking about this time of year.
Well, if you want something original and eye-catching, then how about renting a Japanese kimono as a Halloween costume? Of corse, you won’t be wearing it like a regular kimono, though!
The creative team at Bibi Lab have been at it again. The inventive brand dedicated to bringing weird and wonderful items out into the world have delighted us with life-sized human-shaped pillows, mosquito net jumpsuits and even sailor-style schoolgirl uniforms for men.
Now there’s another item we’ll be adding to our growing collection of Bibi Lab products: the giant anime-style pigtails pillow.
New Tokyo restaurant charges higher prices to foreign tourists than Japanese locals
Studio Ghibli releases new mug and tumbler collection featuring Jiji and Totoro
Tokyo’s famous Lost in Translation hotel is closed
Tokyo DisneySea’s new Fantasy Springs area reveals the beauty of Rapunzel’s Forest
Japanese hot spring inn lets you spend night for under US$1 if you do something special in return
Is the absolute closest conveyor belt sushi to Akihabara Station any good? Let’s find out!
Cheap Japanese ryokan at Kusatsu Onsen is hidden at the back of a traditional store
Tokyo tortilla restaurant is worth visiting whether you love or hate traditional Mexican cuisine
Enjoy the hydrangeas, birds, and more at Fuji Kachoen Garden Park in Shizuoka Prefecture
How to make a secret rice bowl at Ichiran ramen
“Mt. Fuji convenience store” issues apology for bad tourist manners, adds multilingual signsHow to make a secret rice bowl at Ichiran ramen
FUK COFFEE?!? Japanese cafe has a perfectly innocent reason for its startling-looking name
Studio Ghibli unveils new goods that tip the hat to The Cat Returns
McDonald’s Japan’s new pancake pie is a taste sensation
Japan has nearly 4 million abandoned homes, but where and why?
Tokyo sweets store sells beautiful soft serve ice creams that look like works of art
Bad tourist manners at Mt Fuji Lawson photo spot prompts Japanese town to block view with screens
Two things to do, and two things not to do, when leaving a traditional Japanese inn
This is Japan’s, and the world’s, first capsule hotel, and you can still stay there
McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Foreigner’s request for help in Tokyo makes us sad for the state of society“Mt. Fuji convenience store” issues apology for bad tourist manners, adds multilingual signs
Japanese ramen restaurants under pressure from new yen banknotes
All-you-can-drink Starbucks and amazing views part of Tokyo’s new 170 meter-high sky loungeBad tourist manners at Mt Fuji Lawson photo spot prompts Japanese town to block view with screensMcDonald’s Japan’s new pancake pie is a taste sensation
More foreign tourists than ever before in history visited Japan last month
Disney princesses get official manga makeovers for Manga Princess Cafe opening in Tokyo
French Fries Bread in Tokyo’s Shibuya becomes a hit on social mediaMcDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Sales of Japan’s most convenient train ticket/shopping payment cards suspended indefinitely
Sold-out Studio Ghibli desktop humidifiers are back so Totoro can help you through the dry season
Japanese government to make first change to romanization spelling rules since the 1950sForeigner’s request for help in Tokyo makes us sad for the state of society
Ghibli founders Toshio Suzuki and Hayao Miyazaki contribute to Japanese whisky Totoro label design
Tokyo’s most famous Starbucks is closed
Doraemon found buried at sea as scene from 1993 anime becomes real life【Photos】
One Piece characters’ nationalities revealed, but fans have mixed opinions
We asked a Uniqlo employee what four things we should buy and their suggestions didn’t disappoint
Is the absolute closest conveyor belt sushi to Akihabara Station any good? Let’s find out!
Cheap Japanese ryokan at Kusatsu Onsen is hidden at the back of a traditional store
Tokyo tortilla restaurant is worth visiting whether you love or hate traditional Mexican cuisine
Enjoy the hydrangeas, birds, and more at Fuji Kachoen Garden Park in Shizuoka Prefecture
How to make a secret rice bowl at Ichiran ramen
“Mt. Fuji convenience store” issues apology for bad tourist manners, adds multilingual signs
Japanese-style accommodation at the new Premium Dormy Inn hotel in Asakusa will blow your mind
5 Japanese women who can kick your ass (in martial arts)【Women in Japan Series】
Haku is…Chihiro’s dead brother? Studio Ghibli fans blown away by Spirited Away theory
Foreign shoppers in Akihabara tip us off to an awesome souvenir idea: DIY Paper Theater kit【Pics】
Should married couples in Japan be allowed to have different family names? Survey investigates
Okinawa soul food: We try the most epic pork and egg onigiri rice balls in Japan
