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Japanese Apple fans queue up in 1 km line to get hold of the lastest iphone in Ginza

Japanese Apple fans queue up in 1 km line to get hold of the lastest iphone in Ginza

Posted on Sep 20, 2013 in Japanese customs, News, Stories about Japan |

Apple acolytes got their hands on new iPhones Friday in the global roll-out of two new models, but failure to make headway in China and complaints about the price struck a sour note. The once-unbeatable king of the smartphones has penned a potentially lucrative new deal with Docomo, Japan’s biggest mobile carrier, but is without a new alliance in the vast Chinese market. That, and rumblings over the high cost—even of the pared-down iPhone 5C—could mute the fanfare that...

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Japanese Part-Timers ‘Terrorize’ Employers with Pranks

Japanese Part-Timers ‘Terrorize’ Employers with Pranks

Posted on Sep 20, 2013 in Japanese customs, Must see, News, Stories about Japan |

Stuffing out cigarettes in sushi, wearing pizza dough as a mask and cleaning feet in the dishwasher – these are just some of the stunts part-time workers are pulling to the delight of their Twitter followers and the chagrin of their employers. While the part-timer pranks may not seem particular unusual to readers outside Japan, the behavior has raised eyebrows in Japan – a nation that takes dedication to work and strict discipline very seriously.Since a man posted a...

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Things to do this weekend in Tokyo September 19th-September 22nd; Dress up as a Cosplay character and visit the Tokyo Game Show

Things to do this weekend in Tokyo September 19th-September 22nd; Dress up as a Cosplay character and visit the Tokyo Game Show

Posted on Sep 20, 2013 in Japanese customs, Must see, News, Stories about Japan, Things to do |

On your way to the Tokyo Game Show?  Trying to decide which costume to wear? Wait! The organizers of Japan’s biggest videogame industry meet have come up with a long list of do’s and don’ts for cosplay fans attending the event. Cosplay, short for costume play, has reached an art form in Japan. Events such as Comiket attracts hundreds of thousands of manga and anime fans intent on demonstrating their affiliations by dressing up like their favorite characters. The Tokyo Game...

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Things to do: Have your dinner blessed by a Koyasan monk

Things to do: Have your dinner blessed by a Koyasan monk

Posted on Sep 18, 2013 in History of Japan, Japanese customs, Stories about Japan, Things to do, Where to eat |

Monks have taken over the menus at restaurants in the posh Shin-Marunouchi building in Tokyo to offer real soul food. Throughout the weeklong Koyasan Cafe event, diners can fill their stomachs and their spirits with Buddhist-inspired dishes. Koyasan Cafe takes its name from the spiritual center of Japanese Buddhism, Koyasan in Wakayama Prefecture. Also known as Mount Koya, it is the last resting place of the eighth-century monk Kukai, the headquarters of the Shingon sect he...

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Things to do: Dress up in cosplay and have your picture taken

Things to do: Dress up in cosplay and have your picture taken

Posted on Sep 18, 2013 in Japanese customs, Japanese technology, News, Stories about Japan |

Cosplay (コスプレ kosupure), short for “costume play”, is an activity in which participants wear costumes and accessories to represent a specific character or idea from a work of fiction. Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture centered on role play. A broader use of the termcosplay applies to any costumed role play in venues apart from the stage, regardless of the cultural context. Favorite sources include manga, anime, comic books, video games, and films....

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Anime fans flock to temple to offer prayer tablets featuring favorite characters

Anime fans flock to temple to offer prayer tablets featuring favorite characters

Posted on Sep 18, 2013 in History of Japan, Japanese customs, Stories about Japan, Things to do |

Anime enthusiasts are flocking in droves to Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, but not in a spiritual pilgrimage or prompted by a sudden interest in religion. Instead it’s worship of a different kind, a devotion to fictional characters from their beloved animated works. At the shrines and temples, these anime buffs are dedicating mountains of votive picture tablets, called “ita-ema,” containing drawings of their favorite characters. On one weekend in...

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