Only in Japan: Burning a Mountain as a Celebration
On the fourth Saturday of each January, the dead grass of Mount Wakakusa is set ablaze as part of a unique and impressive festival called Wakakusa Yamayaki (‘Wakakusa Burning Mountain’). No one known exactly how the tradition of burning an entire 342-metre-high hill in Japan’s Nara Prefecture actually started, but one thing is for certain […]
The Intricate Pumpkin Sculptures of Angel Boraliev
When it comes to artistic pumpkin carving, Bulgarian food artist Angel Boraliev is a cut above the rest. From fine details like feathers to intricate motifs, there is nothing he can’t carve out of a pumpkin. Boraliev, who works in the hotel and restaurant industry showcases his amazing sculptures at various events, but he has […]
The Irresistibly Cute Honduran White Bat
Of the roughly 1,300 known species of bat, very few can be described as cute and cuddly, but the tiny Honduran White Bat is definitely one of these rare exceptions. Also called the Caribbean White Tent-Making Bat, this adorable flying mammal can be found in the tropical forests of Central-American countries like Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa […]
Struggling Railway Operator Sells Canned Stones to Weather Pandemic
With tourism at an all-time low, a struggling Japanese railway operator is trying to avoid going under by selling canned stones from its railway tracks. Founded in 1923, the Choshi Electric Railway company, in Japan’s Chiba Prefecture, had to overcome adversity several times during its 97-year history, but the situation has never been more dire […]
14-Year-Old Forced to Give Away His Belongings After Taking Family Car on Joyride
A family from Phoenix, Arizona came up with an original way of punishing their 14-year-old son after he was caught by police speeding in the family car: they made him give away all his possessions. 14-year-old Angel Martinez’s parents were celebrating their anniversary in Las Vegas earlier this month when they received a call from […]
The Famously Narrow ‘Pie House’ of Deerfield
A suburban Chicago home has become known locally as the “Pie House” because of its resemblance to a wedge-shaped slice of pie. Built in 2003, on an oblong plot of land in Deerfield, Illinois, the Pie House has become somewhat of a local tourist attraction, with people stopping by regularly just to take pictures of […]
These Juicy-Looking Fruit Are Not What They Seem
An amateur confectioner from Vietnam has been getting a lot of attention for her stunningly-realistic tangerine-shaped steamed buns. Le Thuy, a secondary school teacher from Ho Chi Minh city, is well known among the confectioner community of the Vietnamese capital, especially for her jelly and bean cakes. However, she recently managed to surprise her peers […]
Massive Road Bridge Built Around Tiny House of Very Stubborn Owner
A newly opened highway in China’s Guangdong province has been making news headlines for a very peculiar reason: it’s built around the tiny home who refused to move. China is well-known for its “nail houses”, properties of homeowners who reject compensation from a developer for their demolition, but while most such examples are encountered within […]
Self-Taught Indian Artist Carves Tiny Sticks of Chalk Into Detailed Sculptures
A trained software engineer, Sachin Sanghe spends most of his free time sculpting sticks of chalk into beautiful artworks, from portraits of celebrities, to depictions of Hindu gods. As a high-school student, Sachin Sanghe was always called to the front of the class to write notes on the blackboard, so it’s no surprise that he formed […]
Vietnamese Hairstylist Trims Intricate Artworks on the Backs of People’s Heads
Truong Xuan Tuan, a young hairstylist from Hanoi, in Vietnam, uses simple tools like trimmers and razors to create detailed works of arts on the backs of his clients’ heads. The 30-year-old has been working as a hairstylist for 10 years now, and started experimenting with various designs half a decade ago. He first made […]
This Remarkable Beetle Can Somehow Survive Being Eaten by Frogs
Scientists recently discovered that a species of tiny water beetles can live through being eaten by a frog by somehow surviving a journey through its gut and simply exiting through the butt hole. Until this week, Regimbartia attenuata was just another species of water beetle, but ever since a study on its astonishing survival skills […]
Florida Man Buys New Porsche With Check Printed on Home Computer
A 42-year-old Florida man managed to dupe dealership staff into letting him drive off in a $140,000 Porsche 911 in exchange for a fake check he had printed on his home computer. Casey William Kelley walked into a Porsche dealership in Destin, Okaloosa County on July 27 and managed to drive off with a brand […]
Mother Single-Handedly Digs 35-Foot-Long Underground Tunnel to Bust Son Out of Prison
A 51-year-old Ukrainian woman was recently arrested after it was discovered that she had been digging an underground tunnel near the walls of a prison, with the intention of helping her convicted son to escape. The unnamed woman reportedly hails from the Ukrainian city of Nikolaev and had rented a house near the prison where […]
Vietnamese Man Decorates Home With Almost 10,000 Porcelain Dishes
A Vietnamese man obsessed with traditional porcelain dishes and antiques has spent the last 25 years of his life decorating his house with almost 10,000 porcelain bowls, plates and urns. Nguien Van Truong first fell in love with porcelain antiques in 1986, a year after being discharged from the army and returning to his home […]
Thai Family Buy Stomach-Churning Glow-in-the-Dark Pieces of Sushi
A Thai family got the shock of their lives when they took home a box of sushi to eat only to see it glow bright blue in the dark after allegedly becoming infected with fluorescent bacteria. Last Tuesday, Arun Yolpaiboon, 58, and her son, 21-year-old Natthanai Kanchanawasa, had just returned home with some boxes of […]