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7-Eleven that survived Fukuoka road collapse becomes mecca for Japanese students
This “unsinkable convenience store” has become a source of inspiration for exam-takers all over and business couldn’t be better as a result. ■ Open rain or shine… giant holes are another story As we...
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Piko Taro to perform in legendary Budokan arena, sadly the musician who plays...
Piko Taro is the creation of a real musician with real talent named Kosaka Daimao, but unfortunately for him, Piko will be the one playing the Budokan this March. Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan was built in...
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TV report on “World’s Youngest Idol” causes her to break down in tears, miss...
Six-year-old Ai-chan is getting the full idol experience at a young age: the singing, dancing, meeting fans, and even the occasional hatchet-job by the media. Ai-chan Roku-sai is the purported “world’s...
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“Japan’s USA” catches flak for celebrating Trump inauguration
One quaint little town calling themselves “Japan’s USA” unexpectedly found themselves in hot water for celebrating the new American president. Nestled along the coast of the Suonada Sea in Oita...
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National Garden employee says he let 160,000 foreigners in for free because...
Sometimes it pays to look intimidating. Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden is a beautiful treasure in the heart of Tokyo. Anyone looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of the big city should have...
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Chinese company gives employees two boxes of condoms each for year end-bonus
You can’t put a price on safe sex. At least that’s what Chinese company Scisky is banking on. Having been in the synthetic polymer game for just over a century, Scisky Shuixing Ketian is a firmly...
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We try to join legendary Japanese rock band Guitar Wolf
One of Japan’s premier names in rock music, Guitar Wolf, is looking for a new bassist, and our reporter Seiji Nakazawa has filled out his resume. ■ JETTO ROKKU!!!! The successful jingle...
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Chinese stuntman sets Guinness record for fastest lap on Nurburgring using...
It was also probably the slowest lap ever recorded on the notorious race track, but that’s understandable. On 18 January, Guinness World Records announced that stunt driver Han Yue of China set the...
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Residents of Karatsu City struggle to vote when two candidates have exactly...
It’s a tale of two city councilmen like no other. This weekend the citizens of Karatsu City in Saga Prefecture are heading to the polls to choose their city council for the next term. However, this...
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Video captures man tossing baby from sinking car in China’s Hunan Province
With a lot of luck on their side, everyone made it out uninjured. In what would be a nightmare scenario for any family, a car full of people went off a jetty in Changde City, Hunan Province on 28...
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Undead train station in Yokohama is beautifully nostalgic, poignantly desolate
Mr. Sato visits a virtually abandoned station that continues to operate in Yokohama. Hardcore fans of our Japanese writer Mr. Sato will have learned by now that he is actually a country boy from the...
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Coca-Cola to release their healthiest cola ever in Japan this March
Although they are stopping just short of calling it an actual “health cola,” Coca-Cola Plus is the latest addition to the health-oriented cola war in Japan. It’s long been reported that the population...
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“Crazy” new mascot for Kure City is an impressively good dancer with a slick...
Mr. Kure may not know karate, but he knows ku-re-shi! Kure City, located on the coast of Hiroshima Prefecture, was once a major military port for the Japanese Imperial Navy. Today the city has a...
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How to deal with sushi harassment in the workplace
The following story is an important example of how one person’s holiday cheer can be another’s form of abuse in the workplace. Setsubun is a Japanese holiday celebrating the transition from winter to...
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Behold a 10,000-yen sushi roll covered in gold! 【Taste Test】
We try out an exquisite gilded sushi roll, inexplicably packaged in cheap plastic. Last Friday, 3 February, was Setsubun in Japan. It is an old fashioned day in which some households throw beans to...
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$89 “Phantasmal Sushi Roll” fancies up life with Matsusaka beef and truffle...
If you can afford this luxury lucky sushi roll, how much luck do you really need? On 3 February while Mr. Sato was buying the most expensive Setsubun ehomaki covered in gold from Isetan in Shinjuku,...
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Japanese artist shows cheap and easy way to scare children during next...
The 2017 Father of the Year Award goes to… As we saw earlier this week, Setsubun (3 February) is a time when many Japanese people enjoy extra-stuffed sushi rolls known as ehomaki. However, there is a...
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Mr. Sato calls a phone number he found on a 1,000 yen bill
Our reporter tried to uncover the truth behind “AKB48 Non Yuu” and their mysterious phone number. Back where I come from it wasn’t uncommon for bills to come into my possession in various states of...
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Our resident illustrator dramatically corrects an amateur drawing in 10 minutes
To celebrate Manga Day in Japan, RocketNews24’s best artist has some tips to help add some flare to an average Joe’s drawing. Yes, 9 February is Manga Day… and so is 17 July and 3 November for that...
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Odawara welfare officials in trouble for calling cheats “Dregs,” calling...
It’s unclear if this rogue group of city workers were fully aware of the acronym they made for themselves or not. A stir was caused in the municipal government of Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture...
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