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Emergency blunder as firefighters douse plane with foam…while plane behind...
You know how all planes look alike… At around 8:00am on 10 December, an engine on China Airlines flight CA1822 caught fire on the runway of Fuzhou Changle International Airport, China, just before...
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Emus? Rocks? Reefs? Yamaguchi Prefecture is the new Australia!
Move over, Land Down Under! The “Administrative District Down and Off to the Side” of Japan not only looks like you, but can go toe-to-toe with many of your attractions. A few years ago, the official...
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Living Christmas tree starts “Uber Illumination” service from Tokyo
Those in downtown Tokyo may have seen a Christmas tree running wild in the streets. Fear not! It’s just Joseph Tame and his Christmas tree dispatch service! ■ The Man Dubbed “The World’s First...
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McDonald’s Japan unleashes final appeal of 2015 to disgruntled fan base:...
The beleaguered fast-food giant wants everyone in Japan to know that it is now your one-stop spot for decadent Viennese Sachertortes and delectable Chocolat Zuccotto. The year 2015 has not been kind...
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The number one movie in Japan last weekend awakens to be…Yo-kai Watch!
What were you expecting? Many parts of the world have already heard the news of Star Wars: The Force Awakens and its opening weekend domination of box office sales setting a new record of $529 million...
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The Osaka taste sensation that no one in Osaka has ever heard of: Coffee &...
Japan’s Fuji TV recently branded the majority of Osakans as people who love putting raw egg into coffee. Not wanting to be left out, we gave it a try. The revelation was tweeted by Makoto Sakurai,...
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Hide your daughters! Kagoshima’s suave new bear mascot is winning hearts all...
Meet the bear that’s making women say: “I wanna fall prey to him!” Until today, I’d never really understood the concept of a “man-crush,” but this promotional character for the prefecture of Kagoshima...
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Just when you thought it was safe to go ba…NINJA CROW SHARK!!!
A recent article published in the Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation unveiled this black beauty as a new species with one badass name: Ninja Crow Shark! Now, don’t go saying: “Go home...
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Motorcycle cop caught on video applauded for doing his job by “not doing his...
Your feelings about the following video will probably depend on your own experiences with police on the road, but the officer in the clip has received huge praise here in Japan for handling a...
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Forget geisha and samurai, experience Japan by dressing up as an Osaka Obachan
Coming to Japan and dressing up like a geisha is a bit like going to the USA and dressing up as a confederate soldier. Sure it’s fun, but it doesn’t really reflect modern society. What you need to...
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New school in Iraq to provide a Japanese-style education
Impressed with Japan’s ability to quickly rebuild after the Second World War, some educators in Iraq are looking to instill similar values in their own youth. As Iraq remains mired in fighting with...
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How far will 10,000 yen get you at Prada?
If you’re up on your currency exchange rates, the answer won’t shock you. ■ Dress for success! Regular readers of this site, particularly the Japanese version, will no doubt be aware of an ongoing...
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【2016 Lucky Bag Roundup】 Lucky Bag favorite Starbucks is back in 2016, we see...
A new year means new lucky bags! So, how’s the haul from Starbucks? We find out after waiting in line all night! Happy new year everyone! As is the custom in Japan at the beginning of each year,...
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【2016 Lucky Bag Roundup】 Evangelion Lucky Bag’s in our office, all’s right...
The fukubukuro fun continues as we snag a lucky bag crammed full of merch, including limited edition items, from the Evangelion Store Tokyo-01. Our Prada-sock wearing reporter Seiji Nakazawa headed...
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【2016 Lucky Bag Roundup】We buy a 3,000-yen, 5-kilo Lucky Bag of junk in...
Mr. Sato visits the Iwayuru Junk Shop in Tokyo’s Akihabara district in search of a true lucky bag: one where you don’t know what you’ll get inside. The problem with lucky bags (or fukubukuro in...
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Researchers use uniformity of Japanese language to read people’s minds
A research group from the Kyushu Institute of Technology have announced that they have successfully read certain words and letters from people’s minds without them saying anything. ■ Method The study...
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ASUS: Four little letters that are a pain to pronounce
There’s a strong chance you’ve been pronouncing this company’s name wrong the whole time. The world is full of brand names with obscure pronunciations. I still feel little odd saying Nike like...
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120-foot golden Chairman Mao golem attacked by trolls, taken down
With all the information technology around these days, it’s getting harder and harder to build a gigantic gold statue in peace. Many of you may remember the huge 37-meter (120-foot) gold colored...
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Hospital bulldozed in China by local government—with doctors and patients...
Demolishing a hospital is a complex operation with many potential hazards. So you can imagine how hard it was for Huiji District to try to take one down while it still had all the doctors and patients...
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And now, a transgender Indian version of Pharrell’s “Happy”【Video】
Dubbed “India’s first transgender band,” the Brooke Bond Red Label 6 Pack Band’s first single shows just how happy the hijra community can get with an Indian-flavored take on the Pharrell Williams hit...
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