Fastest-Accelerating Roller Coaster Closes Because Riders Keep Breaking Their Bones
Do-Dodonpa, the world’s fastest-accelerating roller coaster, has been temporarily closed after a number of people broke their backs or necks after riding it in the last nine months. Located in the Fuji-Q Highland Park, in Fujiyoshida, Japan, the Do-Dodonpa roller coaster has been operating since 2001, offering riders an adrenaline-fueled experience. It is famous for […]
“Rice Babies” Help Japanese Parents of Newborns to Respect Social Distancing Rules
Japanese parents are sending bags of rice that weigh as much as their babies to relatives who can’t visit them because of the Covid-19 pandemic. As is customary in many cultures around the world, when a Japanese couple welcomes a baby into the world, relatives come to visit the family and celebrate, but because of […]
Innovative Japanese Service Lets You Rent Paintings Instead of Buying Them
Buying works of art can become an expensive habit, but what if you didn’t have to buy the artworks and instead lease them for however long you wanted? That’s the premise of an ingenious Japanese business that lets people rent paintings. Casie is an innovative service that connects painters and art lovers in a whole […]
Hoshizuna-no-Hama – Japan’s Beautiful Star Sand Beach
Hoshizuna-no-Hama, which translates to “Sand in the Shape of a Star”, is a small but charming Japanese beach famous for its star-shaped tiny grains of sand. Located on Irimote, the second-largest island in Okinawa prefecture, Hoshizuna-no-Hama doesn’t look too different than the hundreds of other beaches in the Japanese archipelago, at least at first glance. […]
Kagami Numa – Japan’s Magical Dragon’s Eye Lake
Kagami Numa is a mythical Japanese lake that turns into a giant eye every spring, during the thawing process, hence its nickname, Dragon’s Eye Lake. Located near the summit of Mount Hachimantai in north-eastern Japan, in the middle of a dense forest, Kagami Numa doesn’t look much different than the many other volcanic lakes in […]
Controversial Class Has Middle School Students Raising and Naming Fish Before Eating Them
The “Class of Life” is a controversial program introduced in various Japanese middle-schools where students spend months raising and getting attached to fish, before having to decide whether to eat them or not. A part of the Sea and Japan Project sponsored by Nippon Foundation, the Class of Life was introduced in a number of […]
“Remote Cohabitation” Trend Increasingly Popular Among Japanese Couples
“Remote cohabitation” has become a hot topic in Japan over the past couple of days, after a popular TV show reported that young couples prefer to live separately and keep in touch using free video call apps. On July 21st, TV Asahi’s ” Hatori Shinichi Morning Show” featured remote cohabitation as a growing trend among […]
High-Tech Sink Cleans Your Smartphone While You Wash Your Hands
A video of a high-tech sink that comes with a special slot for cleaning your smartphone as you wash your hands has been getting a lot of attention on social media. Sadly there isn’t much context to go with this viral TikTok clip originally posted by @kensei_prochari_, but then again, the video itself is pretty […]
Scientists Create Weight-Changing Glass That Alters the Drinker’s Perception of the Beverage
A team of Japanese researchers recently unveiled a weight-shifting contraption that attaches to a glass, making it feel heavier or lighter than it actually is, thus altering the drinker’s perception of the beverages they are consuming. It has long been known that we consume foods and drinks with a number of senses, not just our […]
Real-Estate Company Specializes in Haunted and Other “Stigmatized” Properties
While most real-estate firms try their best to conceal potentially disturbing details about the properties they are trying to sell or lease, one Japanese company puts these details front and center, focusing on the advantages haunted or spooky houses have. Jikko buken, the Japanese term for “accident properties” are a controversial aspect of Japanese culture. […]
The Body-Painted Illusions of Hikaru Cho
Hikaru Cho is a Tokyo-based body painter who specializes in surreal body art created using a combination of body paint and makeup. Tokyo-based artist Hikaru Cho may only be 27-years-old, but she is already one of the most highly regarded body painters in the world, having worked with big brands like Samsung or Shiseido, and […]
Bizarre Japanese TV Show Is All About Women Running Up Steep Streets
Having been running for the last 15 years, TV Asahi’s Zenryokuzaka is one of Japan’s most longstanding television shows, which is a bit strange considering its simple premise. Every night at 1:20 a.m., Monday to Thursday, thousands of people tune in to TV Asahi to watch the latest episode of Zenryokuzaka, a bizarre show featuring […]
Perfectly-Camouflaged Moth Looks Like a Twig Fragment
Tsumaki Shachihoko is a rare Japanese moth that features impressive natural camouflage which allows it to perfectly mimic small twigs in order to avoid predators. We’ve always found natural camouflage fascinating here at Oddity Central, and simply searching the term in our search box will yield over a dozen amazing examples of natural mimics. Today […]
Used Women’s Shoe Thief Arrested for the Second Time in Seven Years
Seven years after being busted for allegedly stealing over 200 pairs of women’s shoes, a Japanese man was once again arrested and deprived of his collection of 139 pairs of women’s footwear. On June 10, following the raid of a local man’s home, police in Murakami, Japan displayed a rather unusual haul – 139 pairs […]
Every Year, This Japanese Shrine Holds the Weirdest Ritual You’ll Ever See
The Aruka Shrine in Japan’s Ebina City is the oldest shrine in all of Sagami Province, but to the general public it’s known for a unique ceremony that involves a priest wearing a 2-meter-long headgear in the shape of a green onion. Negi-san, the head priest at Aruka Shrine has been performing the green onion […]