Jinichi Kawakami – Japan’s Last Real Ninja
As the 21st head of the Ban clan, a line of ninja that can be traced back 500 years and the only living person who learned all the skills that were directly handed down from ninja masters, Jinichi Kawakami is considered by many the last real ninja in all of Japan. 63-year-old Kawakami, a retired engineer, says […]
The Fake Christian Priests of Japan – A Booming Business
Christians make up only 1.4% of Japan’s 127 million population, but Western “white weddings” now account for around three quarters of all bridal ceremonies, which means Christian priests are in high demand. To meet their clients’ expectations bridal companies have given up on trying to find ordained ministers and have kept requirements to a minimal – men […]
Japanese Vodka Made from Fermented Giant Hornets
The voracious Japanese giant hornet has a quarter-inch stinger that pumps out venom containing an enzyme so strong that it can literally dissolve human tissue. The sting of a giant hornet causes excruciating pain, yet some people are willing to endure a few stings while trying to capture them to make a special kind of shouchuu (Japanese liquor similar […]
The Ocellated Ice Fish – World’s Only Vertebrate with Transparent Blood
Every animal with bones hemoglobin in its blood, which carries oxygen through its body and gives blood its red color. Every animal except one – the ocellated ice fish which has water-clear blood. The ocean’s depth have revealed a series of odd life forms in recent years, from giant squid to translucent sea anemones, but […]
Japanese High-Tech Coat Imitates Girlfriend Hugs
Studies have shown that hugs can truly make lonely people feel better, so a group of Japanese students from Tsukuba University have invented a coat designed to imitate the feeling of a girlfriend hugging you from behind. Hugging is all the rage right now. London has its own cuddling workshop for people in need of a […]
Hari Kuyo – Japan’s Unique Memorial Service for Broken Needles
Hari Kuyo is a Japanese festival dedicated to old and broken needles. Celebrated every year on the 8th of February, this festival sees hundreds of women dressed in colorful kimonos, gathering at various Shinto shrines or Buddhist temples in and around Tokyo. This 400-year-old ritual involves sticking old and broken needles into soft chunks of […]
Tokyo’s Monk-Run Bar Mixes Cocktails with Buddhism
Who says booze and religion don’t mix? That’s certainly not the case at Vowz, a unique Tokyo bar run by two Buddhist monks who serve customers delicious cocktails, religious chants and sermons. There are over 10,000 bars in Tokyo, but none like the Vowz, in the city’s Yotsuya neighborhood. Opened by Japanese Buddhist monk Yoshinobu Fujioka, this […]
Japanese Dude Needs Your Help to Travel the World and Take Photos of Beautiful Women
Kei Akatsu is a Japanese student who wants to travel the world and take photos of beautiful women for his Beauties World Map project. But he needs your help to do it. Traveling isn’t cheap, so he’s turned to an online crowd funding service to fulfill his dream. The Tokyo University of Science student spent half a […]
Bathing in Fermented Sawdust – The Latest Bizarre Beauty Treatment from Japan
Forget about greasy creams, mud wraps and even Botox shots. All you need to keep your skin looking healthy and beautiful is a good old fashioned fermented sawdust bath. It’s all the rage right now in Japan, and everyone seem to love it. Women will do all sorts of weird things to their bodies in order […]
Would You Pay $600 a Month to Live in a Human Locker Room?
It’s no secret that Tokyo is one of the most crowded cities n the world. It’s also got some of the smallest apartments in the world, but a recent news program showed this whole housing problem is getting ridiculous. People are paying huge rents to live in coffin-sized apartments. Just looking at photos of these […]
Young Japanese Women Rent Out Their Bare Legs as Advertising Space
A good way to make sure your advertisement gets plenty of exposure is to place it where a lot of people are looking. With this important marketing rule in mind, one Japanese advertising service is offering brands a novel way to raise awareness to their business – placing advertising stickers on the bare thighs of […]
Eat My Face – 3D Printed Face in Chocolate for Valentine’s Day
Nothing says “I love you” like your detailed mug rendered in delicious chocolate. At least that’s what the Japanese at 3D-printing firm KS Design Lab and FabCafe, in Tokyo, are hoping you’ll think, as they offer patrons the chance to “chocolatize” their faces as gifts for Valentine’s Day. Valenntine’s is big business in Japan. As we […]
Women-Only Sleeping Cafe Opens in Tokyo
Power naps – those short periods of sleep during the day – have been known to boost brain activity and increase productivity at the work place. Now a sleeping cafe in Tokyo’s Akasaka business district is offering hard-working Japanese women the chance to enjoy the benefits of the power nap, for a fee. Stress and fatigue […]
Japanese Restaurant Employs Masked Monkey Waiters
Are you running a restaurant and can’t afford to hire waiters? Well, you could take a cue from this Japanese restaurant that hired monkeys for the job. And in an attempt to make them look more human, they even strapped masks on their faces. Not that they really fooled anybody. The restaurant in question is […]
Japanese Company Offers Valentine’s Day Insurance for the Lonely
Valentine’s Day, the most romantic celebration of the year, is fast approaching, and while some people can’t wait to declare their love and shower their partners with gifts, flowers and chocolate, for others it’s just a day of painful loneliness. However, Japanese bachelors no longer have to worry about being the only ones at the […]