Kawaii Handmade Harajuku Street Style w/ Colorful Oversized Sleeves, Pierrot Collar, Lace & Oyasumi Club

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Saki is a 19-year-old Japanese student at Bunka Fashion College in Tokyo.

When we met Saki on the street in Harajuku, she was wearing a kawaii handmade outfit that features oversized asymmetric quilted sleeves, lace trim, a Pierrot Collar (ruffle collar), and patchwork on the back. Her headdress is also handmade, her rings are from vintage shops and London, and her quilted bag is by Oyasumi Club. She’s also wearing sparkling Dr. Martens boots.

Saki’s favorite fashion brands include Oyasumi Club and RRR by Aiba Runa. Follow her on Instagram for more of her handmade kawaii style.

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tokyo

Harajuku Street Style w/ Brocade Cap, Remake Denim Jacket, Floral Skirt & Never Mind the XU Boots

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Easily catching our eye on the streets is Inoguchi, a Japanese student we met near the famous Dot Harajuku boutique.

Inoguchi is sporting a vintage outfit along with a brocade newsboy cap. He is dressed in an oversized remake denim buttoned jacket featuring lace and fringed trims. He styled his jacket with a red ruched blouse and a long floral print skirt. White printed ribbed socks and black pointy zipper boots from Never Mind the XU completed his street style.

Inoguchi told us he loves the music of Japanese rock band, Sakanaction. Follow him on Instagram for more of his streetwear looks.

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Tokyo Street Style

Outrage sparks as investigation on burned Shuri Castle is closed with no conclusive results

https://ift.tt/2uSOUWQ Eli Pang

Many can only speculate as to what happened to Okinawa’s beloved castle.

Designated as a UNESCO heritage site in 2000, Shuri Castle is a symbol of the many facets making up Okinawa’s complex history and culture. Serving as the palace of the Ryukyu Kingdom in the 1300s and appropriated by the Imperial Japanese Army during WWII, the castle grounds are a testament to both the rich, diverse history of the island, and are a de-facto memorial to the trauma incurred by the Okinawan population in the mid-20th century.

Due to the castle’s unique status, the burning of Shuri Castle in the autumn of 2019 invoked deep sorrow within locals. However, to the disappointment of those seeking an answer as to what may have caused the flames that razed down the main hall and two adjacent buildings, the Okinawan prefectural police have not only closed the investigation of the tragedy, but also concluded the investigation with no leads.

▼ Visitors the morning after were met with closed doors and the glimpse of a charred roof as police investigation began.

After three months of rigorous investigation, the Okinawan prefectural police reported that no evidence could be found in regard to the cause of the fire that devastated Shuri Castle and its vicinity.  Local police initially ruled out arson, and the prefectural police confirmed that there were no possible perpetrators after carrying out a thorough examination on footage acquired from security cameras.

Local firefighters who responded to the scene have also conjectured that a short-circuited wire near the main hall’s northeastern side may have been the cause of the fire, but despite gathering what remained of the wiring at the site of the tragedy, prefectural police decided to close the case as it was “difficult to find a specific cause given the extensive damage done by the fire.”

Understandably, the investigation’s closure and its non-decisive results provoked reactions ranging from disbelief to outrage:

“They’re going to rebuild it despite not knowing what caused the fire? Isn’t that really risky?”

“Someone needs to resign.”

“The people investigating this should be investigated themselves.”

“Isn’t it just going to burn down again if there are no proper countermeasures in place?”

“Didn’t they originally say that there was a short-circuit that might have caused the fire?”

This is the fifth time Shuri Castle will be rebuilt, as the castle grounds have been damaged before in the years 1453, 1660, 1709, and in 1945 during the Battle of Okinawa.

While the governor of Okinawa has ambitious plans to rebuild Shuri Castle by 2022—the 50th anniversary of Okinawa’s transfer from U.S. occupation to the Japanese government—we can only hope that in the process of the castle’s re-construction more fire prevention measures are put in place to protect this cultural site treasured by many domestically and abroad.

Source: Okinawa Times via Hachima Kiko
Top Image: Wikimedia Commons/663highland 
Insert Image: Wikimedia Commons/Kugel~commonswiki
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Grimer ASMR video on official Japanese Pokémon YouTube channel is… oddly satisfying【Video】

https://ift.tt/2vIlICj Scott Wilson

Are you ready for this jelly?

ASMR videos of people speaking softly, slowly, and/or recording highly detailed sounds are extremely popular online. While some find them revolting, others find them soothing, and many are just left slightly confused by it all.

And now, to add another layer of ear wax to the confusing category, the official Japanese Pokémon Kids TV YouTube channel recently pout out an ASMR video of… Grimer “walking.”

▼ It has to be seen to be believed.

Grimer is an interesting choice for a video, considering it’s the oft-forgotten Pokémon between Seel and Shellder. However, its poisonous, gelatinous body does make for some unique sounds.

We definitely recommend watching the video for the full aural experience, but here’s some highlights from it:

▼ Grimer starts off by flopping down a staircase, resulting in something like a peanut-butter slinky.

▼ Then it traverses over a field of eggs, turning into what could be describing as golf balls swirling in a stream of sewage.

▼ Next it gets shaken up by a vibrating floor, like churning thick, poisonous butter.

▼ And finally, Grimer goes on a smooth, echoing adventure through its favorite location: pipes.

The video then repeats, showing all of the sounds one more time, until it slowly fades to black and a silent image of Pikachu and Pichu encourage you to subscribe.

While it’s definitely an odd decision for video content on a Pokémon channel for kids, the Grimer ASMR is fun. I know when I was a kid, I loved making weird sounds with Silly Putty and Gak, and this would’ve been right up my alley too.

Here’s how Japanese netizens reacted:

“Um, excuse me what?”
“The video’s title says ‘Walking Grimer’ but I don’t think ‘walking’ is what it’s doing.”
“We’re living in 2020, but whoever came up with this video is living in 3020.”
“Well this is bound to awaken something in some of its viewers.”

If you’re one of those such viewers, then good news! The YouTube channel has also released ASMR videos of Charmander and Chespin too, so you can enjoy a campfire with your little lizard friend, or a snack with your leafy-otter pal.

Source: YouTube/Pokémon Kids TV via My Game News Flash
Images: YouTube/Pokémon Kids TV
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Tokyo Disneyland’s attention to detail really ‘leafs’ an impression!

https://ift.tt/2Oi8LFQ Katie Pask

The Magic Kingdom leaves no stone unturned when it comes to customer service!

Disneyland is a place well-known for its staff members, or ‘cast’, going above and beyond when it comes to excellent customer service. It is, after all, the Magic Kingdom. From the grandiose character themed rooms to the shape of the hand soap, no detail is too small; everything is done to bring a touch of magic to its customers’ day.

And when we say no detail too small, we really mean it. Small Mickey Mouse symbols (or ‘Hidden Mickeys’) are hidden all over the park; on walls, in windows, on the backs of chairs, everywhere! For die-hard Disney fans, finding the Hidden Mickeys is a fun side quest to do as you make your way round the park. Some of them are obvious, some of them less so.

Twitter user @_he_art managed to find one in a most unexpected place when they visited Tokyo Disneyland recently – on a single leaf.

ディズニーやばい。 キャストさんに「カバンに何かついてますよ」って言われて見たらこれ。 https://t.co/NWmHpegEtH

—
ロボット (@_he_art) January 27, 2020

“Disney’s awesome. A cast member told me ‘Something’s on your bag’ and when I looked this is what I saw.”

The silhouette of Mickey Mouse, carved into a single leaf, had Japanese netizens saying:

“This is something only Disney would do. I love Disney so much!!”
“If they do stuff like this… I’ll just have to go back and visit again and again! Disney’s so impressive!!”
“The cast really are wonderful!”
“That’s so Disney… always going above and beyond expectations!”

And @_he_art is not alone in their discovery. Fellow Twitter user @stsn0426 shared their lucky leaf discovery.

@_he_art 自分も同じ経験あります。 トムソーヤ島あるあるなんですかね https://t.co/t6kE8Y5hdf

—
さとしん 【琉】 (@stsn0426) January 28, 2020

It appears that in order to get one of these magical Mickey leaves, you need to make your way to the Tom Sawyer Island. But it’s not only Mickey that gets the leaf treatment; you can also get Stitch imprinted on a leaf, like this Twitter user did.

@_he_art 失礼します！嬉しいですよね！うちの子はスティッチを見つけまして宝物にしています😊 https://t.co/xVQVmbZByt

—
くどう まりも (@kudomarimo) January 29, 2020

Another Twitter user was reminded of a similar incident from their childhood –

@_he_art @sumika___yoruno FF外失礼します！素敵ですね！ 僕も、小さい頃に行った時、貰ったことあります！ 船を漕いでるキャストさんがいて、自分も乗りたいなーと思ってじっと見ていたらこちらに来てくれて、ちょ… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

—
ろんた(龍太)@絵を描くいくらとまと (@1013oekakisuki) January 28, 2020

“I got one of these too, when I was a kid. There was a raft with a cast member rowing it. I was staring at the raft because I really wanted to ride it. The cast member saw me staring, came over to me and made a Mickey Mouse silhouette leaf they’d made by tearing the edges! I wasn’t even six at the time, so my memories are pretty hazy but I remember being impressed with how good they were with their hands! I was so lucky. The other customers on the raft were even saying ‘Wow!’ and ‘Good for you!’ 

Next time you pay a visit to the Magic Kingdom, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for some unbe-leaf-able Hidden Mickeys! And for those unable to make it to Tokyo Disneyland, you can always try to make your own Hidden Mickeys at home with this boiled egg recipe! 

Source: Twitter/@_he_art via Jin
Featured image: Twitter/@_he_art
Top image: Pakutaso
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You can help Australia’s koalas by eating some of Japan’s favorite chocolate treats!

https://ift.tt/2RL6THu Kay

Lotte, makers of the popular Koalas’s March snack, have been helping out koalas for over two decades now. 

We’ve all been heartbroken by the wildfires that have brought so much devastation to the wildlife in Australia, especially by the pictures of countless koalas that have been killed, injured or burned out of their homes by the fires. Naturally, there has been support from around the world for efforts to provide aid for the people and animals affected, and in Japan, the fund-raising activity by snack maker Lotte has become the subject of some attention recently.

Lotte is the maker of the long-selling Koala’s March (Koala no Māchi) snack, and for those of you not familiar with the snack, they’re basically chocolate-stuffed crackers with adorable images of koalas printed on them. They can be found in basically any convenience store or super market in Japan and are often offered in limited edition or seasonal flavors as well.

▼ The Koala’s March snack from Lotte — simple yet tasty, and cute to look at too!

The Koala’s March website provides a link from which you can directly make a donation to the Australian Koala Fund, but that’s not all. Whenever you buy any Lotte snack, not just Koala’s March, a portion of the sales also goes to the Fund. Yup, we think it’s awesome that you can help koalas while enjoying yummy treats, not to mention that “But it’s to help koalas,” has to be just about the best excuse you can give for buying anything.

▼ Each cracker has a different koala image printed on it, and if you’re lucky, you might find a rare version.

While the recent bushfires have brought much global attention to the unique and rich wildlife of Australia, Lotte have actually been contributing to the preservation of koalas against dangers such as poaching, fires and loss off habitat from land development by supporting the Australian Koala Fund since 1994, which marked the 10th anniversary of Koala’s March’s release. According to the information on Lotte’s Koala’s March website, the koala population in the 20th century has dwindled from approximately three million to under 100,000, and understandably, funding is necessary for research to protect these lovable animals.

Let’s pray that the fires in Australia are brought under control soon and that we’ll be seeing many happy koalas in the near future.

Source: Lotte Koala’s March website
Related: Australain Koala Foundation
Top image: Lotte Koala’s March website
Insert images: Lotte online shop 
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A pack of natto (fermented Japanese soybeans) a day keeps the death away according to study

https://ift.tt/2Ohu6Pz Master Blaster

Terrible news for picky eaters.

In the wide world of Japanese cuisine, there are few dishes as divisive as natto, which is basically a wad of fermented soy beans. It was once notorious for its foul smell, but recently technological advances have enabled some producers to reduce its odor considerably.

Even still, Natto’s texture, which to me is comparable to old lumpy vomit, continues to make it a bane of those with sensitive palates and overactive gag reflexes. However, for those who can stomach it (it’s a breakfast staple in many homes in east Japan), natto is said to be a highly nutritious food for all ages.

Natto’s rep as a health food has just gotten another boost from the National Cancer Center, who conducted a 25-year study on the diets and mortality rates of 90,000 men and women in Japan. Based on a follow-up survey they determined that men and women who consumed about 50 grams (1.8 ounces) of fermented soy enjoyed a 10-percent lower mortality rate than those with other dietary habits.

▼ If that’s the case then competitive eater Yuka Kinoshita may achieve immortality

The good news is that “fermented soy” can also include the infinitely more delicious miso. However, because natto usually undergoes less processing and is conveniently served in 50-gram containers, even I have to begrudgingly admit it’s probably the better choice if you’re looking to stave off death for as long as you can.

▼ As long as a chunky viscous strand of natto

The National Cancer Center said that these foods retained more minerals and nutrients which are believed to help prevent cardiovascular diseases like strokes. This was all previously known, but with the empirical evidence of significantly fewer deaths among those who eat a lot of natto is very compelling.

Normally, I’d jump right on something purported to have such a positive effect on my health…but, ehhhh…

I mean, you have to ask yourself: Is a life where you have to choke down cold, slimy beans day in and day out, really living?

I’ll have to think about that, but in the meantime, those ready to adopt a natto lifestyle might want to try one of the many suggested serving methods such as: in a crepe, on ice cream, on fired chicken (to simulate girls’ feet apparently), in instant noodles, with pudding, in tacos, in a snow cone, or on toast.

None of those really make natto any more tolerable, but can help liven up the daily suffering, because it’s probably going to last a long time.

Source: Asahi Shimbun
Photos ©SoraNews24
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