Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
Taiwan (Page 7)
Hello, Rocketeers! Have our recent posts on cute Taiwanese girls, guys and pets gotten you wanderlusting for the fascinating lands of Taiwan? Well, if the language barrier is a concern, we have some exciting information!
Taipei’s city government has been working with the leading local taxi companies to roll out some city tour packages and 24-hour interpretation services to make travelling around Taipei easier for foreign tourists. All the details after the break!
Not so long ago, being a Japanese idol singer was purely a domestic gig, with even the biggest stars of the genre remaining more or less unknown outside their home country. But thanks to the spread of Japanese pop culture around the world over the last decade and a half, that’s not really the case anymore. These days, it’s not uncommon for J-pop idols, especially those with an anime connection to boost their foreign exposure, to make appearances overseas.
Now, in a case of animated art imitating life, the high school idols of Love Love!, Japan’s biggest current idol anime hit, will be heading abroad as the upcoming Love Live! theatrical feature has been announced for international release.
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.
Did you know that in the United States, you can buy an apple, literally eat it all the way down to the core, and then return the core for a refund? It’s like free apples every day.
Okay, so that’s a little far-fetched; pretty much everybody in the US would go out of business if you could just return everything when you were done using it. But it’s true that, comparatively speaking, return policies stateside can heavily favor the consumer. With the exception of certain goods, you can return most things still in decent condition as long as you remembered to keep the receipt.
And that’s just one of the quirks about various countries of the world revealed in this adorably peppy Taiwanese video:
HTC is planning to announce a new smartphone and smartwatch at the Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona on March 1, according to a report from Bloomberg.
What do you do when the sky itself seems to divide itself right before your eyes? It’s like yin meeting up with yang, or a horrible dark and gloomy day facing off against a beautiful sunny one.
But why let the weather confuse you when RocketNews24 will explain it for you? Sit back and relax as we tell you why the sky is fighting itself in Taiwan.
Remember Xiao Qiong, the Taiwanese anime subway mascot we introduced you to last month? If you thought she was cute, just wait till you check out her new partner in crime who takes the moe madness to dangerous new levels.
We’re proud to present the second mascot character of Taiwan’s Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit System (高雄捷運, or KMRT for short). Everyone, say hi to the blonde bombshell Emilia!
What do you stand for? Well, whatever it is, a pretty face can really help your cause along. Just ask Taiwan’s Sunflower Movement, whose protests gained international attention when Taiwanese star Johanne Liou was photographed within the throngs of their supporters.
The angel-faced Liou seemed to have pretty much everything required to be model spokesperson for the group. Strong principles? Check. Good speaker? Check. A confident, informed woman? Even better. Unfortunately, her shady past involving prostitution wasn’t something that was destined to go down well when it was leaked.
Anything worth doing in excess is worth overdoing in excess. Or at least that seems to be the motto for this gathering in Taiwan. An entire street is covered in what looks like red scraps of paper, or if you’re feeling more poetic, flower petals. Turns out it’s neither of those things, and as the following video will show, “Boom Boom Pow!”
While Japan can boast the most anime girl mascots, both in total and on a per capita basis, the country doesn’t have a monopoly on cute 2-D spokeswomen. Among other neighbors in Asia, Taiwan has shown it’s willing to take a page from Japanese otaku imagery now and again.
Last winter, for instance, McDonald’s workers at one branch in Taiwan dressed up in maid outfits. And if you’re choosing fast food because there’s someplace you’ve got to be, your anime preferences will still be catered to if you choose to get there with the Kaohsiung City subway and its new, doe-eyed, miniskirted mascot.
Despite what many Japanese and Americans think, when we Brits envisage having a cup of tea, it’s usually more “in a giant mug with biscuits for dipping and the TV on” than “cucumber sandwiches and sipping from a china cup.”
If we had access to teabags as delicate and beautifully designed as these Goldfish-shaped teabags from Taiwanese company Charm Villa, though, I think even we Brits might be inclined to switch off the TV and make tea-time chill-out time a bit more often.
As the internet implodes with the news that Kim Kardashian’s naked posterior is on the front of Paper magazine, we thought we’d jump right on the nudity bandwagon and bring you this exciting missive from the clothes-free front line.
That’s right, Taiwan’s rugby union players are releasing a naked calendar, and we’ve got the pics to prove it!
Models, a tiger-head backpack, and one confused Kim Jong-un impersonator–it’s not exactly a list of participants to inspire confidence when it comes to “fan-made” dance videos. Notice the lack of anyone with solid dancing skills here. While we’re sure that all of the folks that appear dancing in this video set to the Chinese hit “Memeda” by Lin Meixi and Xia Wenxi have their own unique talents, it is immediately obvious that moving in a rhythmic fashion in unison is not one of them…
Many people think that good-looking guys get all the girls, but many a time, a guy’s creativity and sense of humor is more charming than a handsome face.
As if first impressions weren’t tricky enough to deal with, pick-up lines make things even more challenging. Instead of going halfway around the planet in an attempt to hit on a girl in a not-so-obvious but not-too-subtle way, a Taiwanese YouTuber demonstrates that making a humorous approach is the fastest way to get a girl’s contact details.
Like the rest of my classmates in my first Japanese class, I was inspired by manga to start learning Japanese. Although manga is usually deemed as ‘leisure’ reading, there are some quality manga that deal with serious societal issues. In fact, at National Cheng Chi University, one of the top universities in Taiwan, there is actually a class in which you have to read manga. Mandatory manga readings? It’s no wonder the class is so popular that some students have to wait four years to get in!
Earlier in our thankfully extremely sporadic series, “Oh Boy, That’s Pretty Racist,” we covered a Japanese “comedian” (I use this term loosely) who posted Vine videos as a poorly acclimated Indian guy living in Japan, complete with racist accent and affinity for curry, of course.
For our second installment, we have a Japanese woman living in Taiwan explaining the reasons people should choose Japanese women over Taiwanese women using broad cultural stereotypes that at best unfairly pigeonhole Taiwanese ladies, and at worst are outright false. Let’s take a look:
Do you remember seeing the photos of Japan’s jaw-dropping “Lady of Eternal Youth” Masako Mizutani? Or how about the unbelievably young-looking 42-year-old grandmother Kazuko Inoue? There’s no denying that these two ladies look vastly younger than they actually are, but if the following photos are anything to go by, they may want to make some room for a new challenger.
As featured on The Dailypedia, 41-year-old Zhang Tingxuan is the latest youthful-looking woman making a splash on Asian social media sites. A mother of two, Zhang even looks more like an older sister than a mother when posing next to her son. Check out the pictures after the jump.
Last year, Osaka and many other cities around the world found themselves hosting a 25-meter-tall inflatable rubber duck designed by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman. But after sending the rubber duck project around the world (and becoming part of a copyright battle), Hofman seemed to have thought we needed a new super-sized animal and unveiled a giant white rabbit earlier this month at a Taiwanese art festival. Resting against a former military bunker, the huge rabbit drew a big crowd at the festival with visitors eager to get a picture with the serene-looking creature.
If you ever wished you could visit the infamous candy house from Hansel and Gretel, then have we got the chair for you! Looking absolutely delectable and fairytale-ready, this “Hard Candy Stool” from Taiwanese designer, Jojo Chuang is the perfect combination of function and fantasy.
Following on from this post, we thought it might be appropriate to share some opposing opinions to the ice bucket challenge, which is still going strong and getting more column inches (not to mention YouTube minutes) than anyone could have ever dreamed.
The craze recently found its stride in Asia with an ongoing chain of Japanese business folk, as well as tycoons and celebrities across China. However, one Taiwanese sufferer of the ALS had some criticisms to voice.
Foreigner’s request for help in Tokyo makes us sad for the state of society
Red light district sushi restaurant in Tokyo shows us just how wrong we were about it
Celebrate another year of life by putting it in jeopardy with this birthday candle flower
Starbucks Japan adds a Motto Frappuccino to the menu for a limited time
Historical figures get manga makeovers from artists of Spy x Family, My Hero Academia and more
Japan’s massive matcha parfait weighs 6 kilos, contains hidden surprises for anyone who eats it
Pokémon Sleep camping suite and guestrooms coming to Tokyo Hyatt along with giant Snorlax burgers
Japanese city loses residents’ personal data, which was on paper being transported on a windy day
Akihabara pop-up shop sells goods made by Japanese prison inmates
Anime girl English teacher Ellen-sensei becomes VTuber/VVTUber and NFT
McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
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 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 characters
New 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 spectacles
Tokyo 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
Japan’s massive matcha parfait weighs 6 kilos, contains hidden surprises for anyone who eats it
Pokémon Sleep camping suite and guestrooms coming to Tokyo Hyatt along with giant Snorlax burgers
Japanese city loses residents’ personal data, which was on paper being transported on a windy day
Akihabara pop-up shop sells goods made by Japanese prison inmates
Anime girl English teacher Ellen-sensei becomes VTuber/VVTUber and NFT
French Fries Bread in Tokyo’s Shibuya becomes a hit on social media
Resol Poshtel: Cheap capsule hotel in Tokyo is a hit with overseas visitors, and we find out why
Ghibli Park now selling “Grilled Frogs” from food cart in Valley of Witches
Studio Ghibli glasses cases let anime characters keep an eye on your spectacles
Sandwiches fit for a sumo served up in Osaka【Taste Test】
Tokyo Tsukiji fish market site to be redeveloped with 50,000-seat stadium, hotel, shopping center
We spend Culture Day in prison, food was arguably better than Yoshinoya
Disney artist brings classic characters to life inside pictures from traditional Japan 【Pics】