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 […]
Toyoni – Japan’s Naturally Heart-Shaped Lake
Surrounded by lush forest on all sides and untouched by human civilization, the heart-shaped Lake Toyoni is a hidden gem among Japan’s many tourism attractions. Up until a few years ago, Lake Toyoni was virtually unknown to most Japanese, but a popular television commercial featuring an aerial view of the heart-shaped natural wonder turned it […]
Muscle Girls – A Unique Fitness-Themed Bar Staffed by Female Weight-Training Enthusiasts
Muscle Girls is a Tokyo-based women’s gym that doubles as a fitness-themed bar staffed by a group of young, muscular women. Japan is famous for its plethora of themed bars and cafes, from black cat cafes to cafes dedicated to women’s thighs, but Muscle Girls is the country’s first and only bar dedicated to female […]
Meet Takimika, Japan’s 90-Year-Old Fitness Instructor
Most 90-year-olds can barely walk, let alone exercise, but 90-year-old Takishima Mika not only conducts daily fitness regimens religiously, but she actually works as a fitness instructor at a gym. For most of us, “age is just a number” is just a tired cliché, but people like Takishima Mika, aka “Takimika”, are proof that it […]
Unique Service Lets You Rent Fat People by the Hour
A new Japanese service is drawing attention for allowing both individuals and companies to rent out “fat people” for 2,000 yen ($18) per hour. Renting people for various purposes isn’t anything new in Japan. From renting someone to befriend your cheating partner’s lover and convince them to back off, to renting middle-aged men for company, […]
Japan’s Mesmerizing Tree Circles Are the Result of a 50-Year Experiment
A cedar forest in Japan’s Miyazaki Prefecture is home to a couple of unusual crop circle-like patterns that are clearly not random in nature. Photos of the bizarre patterns, which are visible only from above, made their way on the internet about three years ago and fueled all kinds of conspiracy theories that involved everything […]
Human-Powered Grill Makes You Work for Your Food
A tech-savvy Japanese youtuber recently unveiled a special grill that requires users to actually burn some calories to power up the device and cook the meat. Japanese youtuber Bomb_tamio specializes in wacky inventions that put a smile on viewers faces, but his latest creations actually intrigued a lot of people, especially those looking for creative […]
Mojie Ringo – Using Sunlight to Turn Apples Into Edible Works of Art
‘Mojie Ringo’ is a Japanese technique of harnessing the power of the sun to create beautifully decorated apples without the use of any sort of chemicals. For centuries, apple growers in Japan’s Aomori Prefecture have been creating stunning heirloom apples by using the mojie ringo technique. The process is fairly simple, as basically implies depriving […]
Screambulance Offers Haunted House Scares on the Go
The Screambulance is a new haunted house experience in Japan designed to offer the most terrifying experience in a very tiny space, while abiding by social distancing rules. The Covid-19 pandemic has really taken a toll on the entertainment business, and haunted house experiences are no exception. So now companies are coming up with creative […]
The Satisfying Art of Hand-Sculpting Ice Cubes With a Knife
Who knew watching and listening to a bartender chop block of ice into translucent jewels with a santoku knife could be so satisfying? A Tokyo bartender recently got his five minutes of online fame after a video of him carefully turning blocks of ice into beautiful jewels went viral on Twitter, getting over one million […]
Man Eats Rotisserie Chicken, Preserves Skeleton as Museum Exhibit
A Japanese skeleton enthusiast recently got his five minutes of online fame after posting photos of an impressive chicken skeleton he managed to put together out of the bones of a rotisserie chicken he ate. Mr. Kudo, a Japanese man who dreams of transforming his home into a museum-of-sorts filled with all sorts of animal […]
Want to Take Your Pet Fish for a Walk? There’s a Bag for That!
A Japanese company is working on a quirky container-like bag for live fish, suitable both for pet owners wanting to take their favorite fish on walks, and fans of super-fresh sashimi… Known as “katsugyo bag” this portable fish tank is shaped like a long tube with a transparent middle section, a handle and a gauge, […]
Artist Turns Generic Figurines into Ultra-Realistic Sculptures of Anime Characters
A talented Japanese artist uses airbrushes and classic brushes to transform generic plastic figurines of popular anime characters into custom works of art. The mysterious artist, who goes by MA Man on social media, specializes in taking commercially available figurines of popular anime series from series like Dragon Ball or JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure and giving […]