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Trailer released for Takashi Murakami’s first film Jellyfish Eyes
A teaser trailer has been released for artist (and uber-businessman) Takashi Murakami’s first film, a fantasy movie called Jellyfish Eyes (Mememe no kurage) that is set for release in April 2013 in...
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Ryuichi Sakamoto rallies creative movers and shakers for anti-nuclear Tumblr
Musician and composer Ryuichi Sakamoto (The Last Emperor, Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence), perhaps the most respected person in the Japanese modern classical music world (or for that matter, in the...
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Christmas “Itasha” otaku anime cars rev up in Akihabara
While the world goes mad for Christmas, anime fans are gathering in Akihabara for the Fuyu no Rajikan Matsuri 2012 (Winter Radio Kaikan Festival 2012), where so-called “itasha” (cars decorated with...
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Apple’s 2013 Lucky Bags certain to be massive
Apple is proving that despite being a foreign brand in Japan, it takes its local customers very seriously. The manufacturer’s legions of Japanese fans can get their hands on Apple Lucky Bags on January...
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KitKat and singer wish students good luck with 3D AR phone app
It might only be late December but some people are already thinking about spring next year. Why? Because the most important exams ever for school students take place then. The singer Naoto Inti Raymi,...
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Visitor numbers to Japan return to pre-Fukushima levels
The Japan National Tourist Organization reported late last month that estimated numbers of visitors to Japan for November 2012 were 648,600, a 17.6% increase from the same month in 2011 and even up...
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Fan creates perfect Neon Genesis Evangelion cardboard model
Think you like Evangelion? Think again. Not till you’ve created an Evangelion Angel out of cardboard that looks as good as this can you call yourself a real fan! Sure, you may be able to head to a...
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Bandai’s Tamagotchi Revival: One-hit wonder is still alive and kicking
Remember the Tamagotchi? You know, the digital pet from Bandai that was all the rage when it was first released in 1996? It went on to sell 40 million units around the world but then the boom dried up....
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Japanese seniors get into video arcades gaming
How do you get new people into video arcades? That’s the dilemma facing Japan’s famed “game centers”. The amusement centers are slowly but surely dying. Sales have been dropping annually for five...
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Yukihero: Japan Pro Wrestling Fashion
Japanese wrestling likely isn’t the most natural choice for your look when you start up a new fashion brand. The sport (entertainment?) is a kind of a mix of martial arts and American-style wrestling —...
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The Most Unusual Japanese RC toys
Remote control or radio control toys are big the world over. As well as the usual planes, choppers, UFOs and flying “space balls”, though, Japan’s toy makers have given us some more… well, let’s just...
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UNIQLO donates Heattech thermal clothing to Japan’s coldest town
Think Tokyo was cold yesterday in the snow? Well, it was literally freezing, yes, and the main streets were jammed with cars trundling along at the most cautious of speeds. I was almost taken out by...
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Alice in Wonderland Test for Japanese Lewis Carroll fans
Think you like Alice in Wonderland? Not as much as some people in Japan, it seems. If you think you are up to the challenge, the first Alice in Wonderland Test (Fushigi no kuni no arisu kentei) will be...
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Former Prime Minister Hatoyama visits Nanjing Massacre museum in China
Former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama is perhaps best remembered for making outlandish eco claims to the UN, being the first DPJ premier, and suffering the infamy of being labelled as “loopy”...
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Japanese Manga App for Turning Photos into Comic Books
Forget the retro charms of Instagram, transform the photos taken with your phone into a personal comic book strip instead! Manga Camera is an phone app that converts your regular image into a frame...
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Old Osaka shipyard hosts mystery-solving site-specific game event
Play hunt the lost ship in Osaka this weekend. At the Creative Center Osaka (the former Namura Shipyard) there will be a “Vanished Ship Plan” event on January 27th. Participants will be divided into...
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Ultraman and Ultra Seven musicians can now play on luxury retro themed guitar
Are you a fan of Ultraman and Ultra Seven? Do you have $30,000 to spare? Can you play the guitar? If you answered “Yes” to all of the above, you may want to get your strumming hands on the Flying Seven...
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Japanese action figures evolve into super posing low-fi performers
Japanese figure culture is a lot more than just Akihabara shojo girl figurines. In recent years makers like Bandai have been releasing highly sophisticated figure models with around 30 movable joints....
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Fukushima, the manga
I suppose it was inevitable when a medium can give birth to themes as diverse as the life of the Buddha through to bestselling tales of flying pirates that eventually Japan’s mainstream comic book...
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Forever Hand in Hand Mittens for winter romance
What a great idea for both the winter and Valentine’s Day! If you’ve ever wanted to hold your partner’s hand while out and about in the cold — here’s your perfect winter accessory. Usually chilly...
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