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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: 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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Only in Japan: Old fart prances around town living out his “school girl fantasy”. Check out his youtube video!

Only in Japan: Old fart prances around town living out his “school girl fantasy”. Check out his youtube video!

Posted on Sep 17, 2013 in Japanese customs, Must see, News, Stories about Japan |

ressed in schoolgirl’s uniform, “GrowHair” has become has an Internet phenomenon in Japan over the past five years, and he’s a regular sight in Tokyo’s über-trendy Harajuku/Shibuya district. According the website dedicated to him (Google Translate): GrowHair enjoys walking the streets wearing a sailor-suit school uniform where he is widely known as ‘Sailor Uncle.’ In born 1962, his real name is Hideaki Kobayashi and he has master’s degree in Mathematics from the...

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Doing hard time just got easier with this lovely mascot employed by a Hokkaido prison

Doing hard time just got easier with this lovely mascot employed by a Hokkaido prison

Posted on Sep 17, 2013 in Japanese customs, News, Stories about Japan |

A Japanese prison housing a range of convicted criminals has unveiled a cuddly life-size mascot that bosses hope will help change the jail’s forbidding image. Officials say Asahikawa Prison in Hokkaido is too often thought of only as a dark place with imposing gray walls and not as a place of rehabilitation. They hope “Katakkuri-chan”, a nearly two-meter humanoid with a huge square face and an enormous purple flower for hair, will make people understand the true nature of...

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The shocking truth: One in four Japanese 65 years or older

The shocking truth: One in four Japanese 65 years or older

Posted on Sep 17, 2013 in News, Stories about Japan |

Twenty-five percent of the population is now estimated to be 65 or older, the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry announced ahead of Respect-for-the-Aged Day on Moday. As of Sunday, the number of elderly people in the nation was a record 31.86 million, an increase of 1.12 million, or 0.9 percentage point, year on year. This is one in four of every Japanese. The ministry attributed this situation to the fact that baby boomers are beginning to reach the age of 65. By...

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Earth’s largest volcano found in Pacific Ocean east of Japan

Earth’s largest volcano found in Pacific Ocean east of Japan

Posted on Sep 14, 2013 in News, Stories about Japan |

The largest single volcano ever found on Earth lies quietly in the depths of the Pacific Ocean, about 1,500 km east of Japan, having been extinct for millions of years. Scientists have now discovered the dome-shaped behemoth, which has a footprint the size of New Mexico. The discovery topples the previous world record holder for largest volcano — Mauna Loa, one of the five that form the Big Island of Hawaii. The area covered by the newly discovered volcano rivals the...

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