Tag: culture | RocketNews24

culture

Ranking of Taxi Fares Around the World – Japanese Passengers Getting Hosed, Even More So Next Year

23 hours ago by Master Blaster
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Countries of the world have a lot of different features and services that make them unique to each other, but one of the things you can always find from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe is the humble taxi cab.

Of course not all taxis are equal; the cars used and more importantly the fares charged can vary greatly. If you’re interested in where your country stands or if you’re planning a trip abroad, Trip Advisor Japan has whipped up a quick and handy infographic ranking 25 places around the world by the rates of their taxis.

yesterday by Rachel Tackett
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For being a country so heavily steeped in traditional culture, Japan sure does love to fiddle with an amalgamation of spiritual folklore. Just listen to the bizarre conglomerate of beliefs practiced in one particular “town of mystery” in Aomori Prefecture of the Tohoku Region. Shingou Town claims to be the true burial site of Jesus Christ, and if that’s not crazy enough, just wait until you hear about their connection to Dracula and the pyramids! Read More

‘So Glad I Went!’ 2013 Ranking: The Places In Japan That Made an Impact on Foreign Visitors

2 days ago by Oona McGee
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Every year, seven to eight million foreigners make the trip to Japan. But where do they go sightseeing? And, more importantly, do these places come up to scratch? A list of the most impressive sightseeing spots for the year to date, as ranked by foreign tourists, has been released by the popular travel site TripAdvisor. And while you’d think the top spot might go to a beloved and well-known destination like Kyoto or Tokyo, it actually goes to a simple-looking, modern building in the south-west of the country, in Hiroshima Prefecture.

2 days ago by Oona McGee
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This collection of culturally important buildings, moved from their original locations in Japan and preserved in a park in Tokyo, gives us a glimpse into time periods from the Edo era (1603-1868) through to the early Showa era (1926-1945). Thirty buildings have taken up residence here over the past two decades, and each one is like a giant treasure box, filled with trinkets, memories and undiscovered gems. If their walls could talk, we can only imagine the stories they would tell. Come with us as we take you through the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Musuem and stop by some of the most interesting buildings Japan has ever seen.

3 days ago by Casey Baseel
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Like many people who moved to Tokyo in their youth, most of the time I’ve spent in Japanese taxi cabs has been directly preceded by heavy drinking. In the country’s urban centers, people primarily get around by train and subway. However, both of them stop running around midnight (for now?), at which time you can see a mass of people stumbling towards the station like Cinderella if she’d spent less time on the dance floor with the prince and more at the ball’s open bar. Once the trains stop, they don’t start again until about five in the morning, and since staying out all night drinking only seems like a good idea until your buzz wears off at around 2:30 a.m., if you missed the last train the only way you’re getting home is by taking a taxi.

Like taking a cab ride anywhere else in the world, the drivers use radios to communicate with the dispatcher and other cars in the fleet. I could never understand what Japanese taxi drivers were saying to each other, but the reason why isn’t because I was liquored up (OK, so it wasn’t only because I was liquored up). It turns out cab drivers in Japan have a whole set of jargon and code words that you won’t find in any textbooks. Read More

The Lowdown on Japan’s Cosplay Industry

4 days ago 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

Free Boyfriend Rental in China: for Busy Career Women Trying to Prove They’re Not Gay

4 days ago 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

The Arduous Audition Process to Become a Cold Stone Japan Part-Timer

May 8, 2013 by Casey Baseel
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Among the many myths about Japan is the one that goes, “Japanese people don’t like sweet foods.” The success of Arizona-based ice cream chain Cold Stone here is proof positive that Japan has as big a sweet tooth as any other nation.

With branches stretching from Hokkaido in the north to Kyushu in the south, Cold Stone Japan requires a steady inflow of part-time workers. But as you might expect from a business that makes all of its profits selling a product no one needs but almost everyone enjoys, the interview process is a little different from the one at other workplaces. 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 5, 2013 by Mike
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Typically a heaping plate of raw meat isn’t exactly the type of food you’d picture putting people in an amorous mood, but this tiny watering hole-slash-barbecue joint in Kanda (one station over from Tokyo) is famous for bringing patrons together through the magic of a hot grill, cold drinks, and very, very close quarters.

The interior of the restaurant, Rokkakai, is only 6.6 square meters, meaning complete strangers are pretty much forced to crowd around and share a single, rectangular table. We can see where this might result in the odd coupling, but that’s apparently not the only secret behind the location’s uncanny ability to bring people together.

May 2, 2013 by Philip Kendall
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See that face? It’s pretty much exactly the same as the one I pulled when I heard that there is to be yet another Die Hard movie. My expression when I heard that the production may be released under the title Die Hardest was like this, too, but as if a gang of irritated bees was also stinging my face and eyes.

That’s right, cinephiles, Bruce Willis is set to return in yet another action adventure extravaganza sometime in the near future, somehow evading bad guys with curious accents, speeding bullets and his own slowly encroaching retirement once again.

This time around, the mayhem is coming to none other than Japan’s capital city Tokyo. Our enigmatic reporter Mr. Sato has already locked himself away in a dimly lit room to study the past films at length and practice screaming in the hope of landing himself a walk-on part.

May 2, 2013 by Philip Kendall
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Japan’s Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Japan have announced that they are working to produce a smartphone application designed to help the visually impaired identify and differentiate between banknotes, it has been revealed. The application, which uses a regular, camera-equipped smartphone to scan the surface of bank notes, provides users with audio feedback as well as displaying the value of the cash on screen in large print.

May 1, 2013 by Casey Baseel
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UNESCO’s advisory board has released the results of their analysis of Mt. Fuji’s bid for World Heritage Site status. The mountain and its surrounding area have been deemed “fit for certification,” with the title expected to be officially given in June. Read More

How to Succeed at Japanese Business Using Beer

Apr 30, 2013 by Casey Baseel
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There are a lot of counterintuitive things about working in a Japanese company. When you come in the door, you always say, “Good morning,” even if you’ve been at a conference all day and it’s 4 p.m.. Office romances are accepted, if not expected and encouraged.

And one of the best ways to put yourself on the fast track to promotion is by getting blotto with the boss. Read More

Squid Sperm – One More Reason to Not Eat It

Apr 30, 2013 by Casey Baseel
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Here at RocketNews24, one of our reporters’ duties is chronicling the intriguing or shocking culinary options we come across. Whether it’s giant cheeseburgers in Japan or gasoline-roasted clams in North Korea, we’re happy to taste test them for the entertainment and edification of you, our readers.

But not this time. Read More

【Follow-Up Report】“Miss Korea” Entrants’ Similar Features Not the Product of Plastic Surgery

Apr 29, 2013 by Michelle
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When head shots of this year’s Miss Korea entrants surfaced on the Internet, the world was shocked at how similar each girl’s features were. With the same pointed nose, slender chin, and eerily matching smile, it was easy for anyone to guess that these ladies all went to the same plastic surgeon. However, a second set of photos has surfaced, showing each girl wearing light makeup and dressed in very informal attire, confirming that this year’s Miss Korea entrants actually aren’t identical manmade clones.

Apr 27, 2013 by Casey Baseel
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Over the years, Thailand has gone by many names. Until 1939 it was Siam, and the country’s friendly citizens have earned it the nickname “The Land of Smiles.”

For a few days each year though, Thailand is also “The Land of the City-Wide Splash Fights.” Read More

Suicide Prevention Month: Depressing Posters Cause Controversy in Kobe

Apr 26, 2013 by Oona McGee
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As part of efforts by Kobe City to prevent suicides, a number of huge posters (each measuring 2.1 by 1.35 metres), have been set up on local subway platforms at Sannomiya Station, in Kobe’s Central Ward. While some have commended the effort, it seems that the crowds of commuters aren’t all on board with the somewhat depressing content, as the move has been generating a lot of criticism from the public.

Apr 25, 2013 by Philip Kendall
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Although at first I blamed my insular, uncultured British brain when I struggled to tell the difference between many of the entrants for this year’s Miss Korea pageant, after speaking with members of the editorial team at RocketNews24 Japan, I soon discovered that they, too, were having tremendous difficulty telling some of the girls apart.

If beauty is something that can be defined by one particular look, facial expression and hairstyle, then the entrants for Miss Korea 2013 clearly all got the exact same memo…

Apr 17, 2013 by Philip Kendall
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“Seen this way, Tokyo really is beautiful.”– A comment from the Japanese Niconico Video user who originally posted photographer Samuel Cockedey’s video “Inter States” to the social video site.

The time-lapse video shows splashes of neon interspersed with orange street lamps, streaking red taillights and rushes of black figures, painting detail onto the concrete canvas that is Japan’s capital city. Hives of energy and movement, it sometimes takes an outsider’s perspective to recognise that even a sprawling metropolises like Tokyo can be quite breathtaking when we stop to notice them. The full video after the jump.