Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
Audrey was born in Michigan, raised in Los Angeles but has felt most at home in Nagasaki, Japan. While teaching English in Omura, she discovered her love of nature, the countryside and ultimately Japan. When not working on her black belt in Ryukyu karate, or mastering her Nagasaki dialect, she wrote for and ran the English language magazine Nagazasshi. She loves traveling, frolicking all over Japan and Asia (with a few stints in Africa and Europe). But her best trip to date was her two-and-a-half weeks hitchhiking from Nagasaki to Aomori. Although she has relocated back to the States, she will probably be out the door to somewhere new in no time. Until then she’s enjoying the great outdoors and the bugs that come with it, doing anything from running to rafting, although her current "boom" is rock climbing.
Posted by Audrey Akcasu (Page 4)
There’s something about the heat and humidity that just makes you sleepy sometimes. With summer just around the corner in Japan, beverage company Suntory has a plan to keep you on your toes all day long: Pepsi Strong. More bubbles and more caffeine.
Say goodbye to your afternoons of droopy eyes and nodding off at your desk!
Everyone loves strawberries, right? Not only are they pretty hard to beat on the deliciousness scale, but they have the ability to ward off allergy symptoms and can even occasionally taste like peaches. Not bad for a little red fruit–or big red fruit if we’re talking about the Guinness World Record-breaking strawberry recently harvested in Fukuoka.
If you’ve been reading RocketNews24 for a while, you’ve probably come across the name Mr. Sato. If not, let us explain. Mr. Sato is a hilarious reporter for our Japanese sister site. But he’s so much more than just a writer; Mr. Sato is a teacher, a foodie and is also very patient.
One thing Mr. Sato is not, however, is married.
At roughly 40 years old, Mr. Sato wants to be impressing the ladies, so he’s tried time and again to transform himself to look like different famous people. But so far, nothing has worked. He has a new model in mind, though, that he thinks is fail-safe…
What is the first thing you want to eat when you wake up in the morning? Rice? Granola and yogurt? Toast and jam? If the potato chip company Koikeya had it their way, your answer would be “morning potato chips.”
The potato snack company, known for their wild flavors like mandarin orange, truffle and avocado cream cheese, have decided to break into the breakfast market, announcing the release of their two new flavors: Peach and Banana.
When you hear the story of Hachiko, the dog who waited for his owner outside of Shibuya Station for 10 years, your heart wrenches in pangs of sadness, yet is warmed by the thought that such love and dedication exists in this world. But, what if Hachiko had been a man and his owner was some girl who stood him up, is your heart still warmed?
You don’t just have to imagine this situation, because it actually happened, or, should we say, is currently happening. A Taiwanese man has been waiting outside of Tainan train station for his date who never showed up… 20 years ago.
You guys, it’s May, so that means you can finally go see the beautiful wisteria tunnel that we told you about last October! If you find yourself anywhere near northern Kyushu or have time for a weekend getaway, head to Fukuoka Prefecture’s Kitakyushu City. If you think we’re exaggerating or doctoring the pictures to make them more beautiful (we’re not), at least trust the opinion of the Japanese Twitter users gushing over the wisteria’s beauty!
Even when speaking with fellow English speakers, sometimes you realize that the same thing can be called a variety of names. (Try calling soda “pop” in most of the US and enjoy the funny looks you get.) The same is true in Japan, where, thanks to regional dialects, some people have a hard time being understood when they leave their hometowns.
One Twitter user recently brought regional dialect differences to the forefront of the Internet when he surveyed over a thousand people about the word they would use to describe a certain way of sitting. Collecting and plotting the data on a map of Japan, the results have been surprising people from all regions!
Congratulations, Japan; you’re on your way to being awarded yet another UNESCO World Heritage honor!
This time around the honor will be going to “Sites of Japan Meiji Industrial Revolution,” which includes Nagasaki’s legendary (and awesomely spooky) “Battleship Island” among others, granted it passes the final approval stage.
Over the past couple of years there has been something a revolution in the perception and treatment of chubby girls in Japan. With the coining of the term “Marshmallow Girl,” plus-sized girls across Japan have been gaining confidence and options in the fashion world. There is now a fashion and beauty magazine dedicated to these girthy girls and even an idol group!
Although the fashion world is slowly coming around to providing for these larger-than-average young ladies, there are still holes in certain sectors, like cosplay. “Marshmallow girls” can rejoice, however, as a special line of plus-size costumes is due to be released this fall.
Who’s ready for the hot and humid summer? We’re approaching the second half of spring here in Japan, so that means it’s almost time to get out those Cool Biz clothes and your sweat towels, because this summer is bound to be as uncomfortably muggy as always.
Starbucks has your back this year though. Later this month they’ll be releasing the “Starbucks Frozen Drink Maker” – a reusable mug that doubles as a super simple frozen coffee mixer. It’s easy, it’s cold and it’s delicious. Let’s take a look!
Where Japan has taken Kit Kats (originally an English treat) to a whole ‘nother level with seasonal flavors, regional flavors, even “adult sweetness” varieties, America has taken a similar road with another chocolate goody: Oreo cookies.
Intrigued by America’s fascination with Oreos, one Japanese cook took her chances at making a fantastically American concoction: Bacon Fried Oreos. But how does the Japanese palate react? Find out after the jump.
Attention all designers, artists, fashion enthusiasts and people who just appreciate some nice Japanese artwork: The Smithsonian Libraries should be your best friends.
Among their thousands of other free artwork and books, The Smithsonian Libraries and the Freer and Slacker Galleries, Smithsonian’s Museums of Asian Arts now offer free downloads of thousands of beautiful Japanese prints.
You’ve probably heard that RocketNews24 got a special exclusive interview with Chibatman recently. It’s kind of a big deal, but you know, he’s not the only superhero roaming the streets of Japan. Cut to Kitakyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture where you can frequently spot iconic Japanese superhero Kamen Rider cruising the streets and laying down the law.
There are few places on this planet as diverse and international as New York City. Whether it’s a fair estimation or not, the Big Apple also has a common image that is a little less appealing, however: one of being a little bit dirty and home to a veritable army of rodents.
Questions of their cleanliness aside, apparently the New York City rats are just as diverse and talented as their human cohabiters. Take for example this little guy who looks like he may be training for some kind of Ninja Warrior competition for rodents.
It would be every adulterous man’s worst nightmare to wake up to find out that both of his girlfriends not only crossed paths, but realized his infidelity at the exact same time. But that’s nothing compared to what one Chinese man – whom we’ve dubbed “The Master of Cheating” – probably went through after all 17 of his girlfriends got wind of his antics simultaneously.
Recently the world got a look at the busy world of salarymen in Japan via a viral video, but there were also some slight reassurances that these company men didn’t necessarily hate their lives. We may have been a bit too optimistic, however, because a study done last year found that less than 30 percent of Japanese man can confidently say, “I am happy.” Well… that’s some statistic.
What’s behind the unhappiness factor among Japanese men? Bad marriages, work problems, convenience store diets? Accomplished Japanese author Reiko Yuyama gives her two yen on the root of the problem.
You might imagine that, in 2015, with smartphone, PlayStation Vita and Nintendo 3DS, few gamers would ever want to go back to the simple graphics of the original Nintendo Game Boy. But you’d be very wrong. People go out of their way to make their high-tech gizmos play the old-school games of yore. Call it nostalgia, call it silly, but many call it simply, awesome.
Video game peripheral and accessory manufacturers Hyperkin just announced some new plans for a Game Boy-esque accessory into which you can insert your smartphone and play original Game Boy games. Now this sounds pretty good, but it’s already getting mixed reviews.
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.
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.
Although over 70 percent of the Earth is covered in water, over 96 percent of that is salty. As anyone who’s gotten a mouthful of ocean water knows, we can’t drink that, and bathing in it is a big no-no. So, we are dependent on the limited fresh water supply, 70 percent of which is used for agriculture. That doesn’t leave much for us, so water conservation has been a hot topic for years, especially in places like Southern California that are suffering from droughts.
Companies all over the world have been coming out with water-efficient faucets and toilets to help, but they have barely made a dent in mitigating the problem, that is, until one Japanese entrepreneur set their mind to the problem. In 2009, a Japanese start-up created a water-saving nozzle that is purported to reduce water usage by up to 95 percent. This could be a life-changing and world-changing invention.
Tokyo Tsukiji fish market site to be redeveloped with 50,000-seat stadium, hotel, shopping center
McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Red light district sushi restaurant in Tokyo shows us just how wrong we were about it
Sandwiches fit for a sumo served up in Osaka【Taste Test】
Japanese ramen restaurants under pressure from new yen banknotes
Anime girl English teacher Ellen-sensei becomes VTuber/VVTUber and NFT
New private rooms on Tokaido Shinkansen change the way we travel from Tokyo to Kyoto
Beautiful Red and Blue Star luxury trains set to be Japan’s new Hokkaido travel stars
Japan’s massive matcha parfait weighs 6 kilos, contains hidden surprises for anyone who eats it
Haku is…Chihiro’s dead brother? Studio Ghibli fans blown away by Spirited Away theoryMcDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goodsJapanese 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 lounge
French Fries Bread in Tokyo’s Shibuya becomes a hit on social media
Studio Ghibli releases new action figures featuring Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind charactersNew private rooms on Tokaido Shinkansen change the way we travel from Tokyo to KyotoRed light district sushi restaurant in Tokyo shows us just how wrong we were about it
Studio Ghibli glasses cases let anime characters keep an eye on your spectaclesTokyo Tsukiji fish market site to be redeveloped with 50,000-seat stadium, hotel, shopping center
Beautiful Ghibli sealing wax kits let you create accessories and elegant letter decorations【Pics】McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Studio Ghibli releases Kiki’s Delivery Service chocolate cake pouches in Japan
New definition of “Japanese whiskey” goes into effect to prevent fakes from fooling overseas buyers
Our Japanese reporter visits Costco in the U.S., finds super American and very Japanese things
Studio Ghibli unveils Mother’s Day gift set that captures the love in My Neighbour TotoroJapanese ramen restaurants under pressure from new yen banknotes
New Japanese KitKat flavour stars Sanrio characters, including Hello KittyAll-you-can-drink Starbucks and amazing views part of Tokyo’s new 170 meter-high sky lounge
More foreign tourists than ever before in history visited Japan last month
New Pokémon cakes let you eat your way through Pikachu and all the Eevee evolutionsMcDonald’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 1950s
Ghibli founders Toshio Suzuki and Hayao Miyazaki contribute to Japanese whisky Totoro label design
Doraemon found buried at sea as scene from 1993 anime becomes real life【Photos】
Tokyo’s most famous Starbucks is closed
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
Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
Anime girl English teacher Ellen-sensei becomes VTuber/VVTUber and NFT
New private rooms on Tokaido Shinkansen change the way we travel from Tokyo to Kyoto
Beautiful Red and Blue Star luxury trains set to be Japan’s new Hokkaido travel stars
Japan’s massive matcha parfait weighs 6 kilos, contains hidden surprises for anyone who eats it
Haku is…Chihiro’s dead brother? Studio Ghibli fans blown away by Spirited Away theory
Mt. Koya planning to instate visitor’s tax to cope with huge tourist numbers
You COULD eat a terrifying octopus egg in Japan, but SHOULD you? Let’s find out!【Taste test】
Beautiful new Final Fantasy T-shirt collection on the way from Uniqlo【Photos】
Limited-edition Carbonara Udon will anger noodle purists and pasta lovers 【Taste test】
New Pokémon cakes let you eat your way through Pikachu and all the Eevee evolutions
Gacha capsule machines now dispense perfumes in Japan
Akihabara pop-up shop sells goods made by Japanese prison inmates
Tatami etiquette: Why you should never step on the threshold of a washitsu Japanese room
Do ANA international inflight meals taste better on the ground than they do in the air?