Although it’s often overshadowed by ramen and soba, udon is the final member of the triumvirate of Japanese noodles. With a spongy, absorbent texture, it allows diners to really enjoy the flavor of the broth or dipping sauce it’s served with. This airier structure also means you might need a larger serving to get as full as you would from a meal of ramen or soba, however.

With this in mind, and very little in his stomach, our reporter Mr. Sato headed to a branch of popular udon chain Marugame Seimen, where he fearlessly ordered the largest bowl of udon on the menu, the Family Udon.

Marugame Seimen has several locations in Tokyo, often sharing space with other shops and restaurants in the same building. The Family Udon (kazoku udon in Japanese) is only available at stand-alone branches in the suburbs though, so we had to make the trip up north from Tokyo to Saitama Prefecture to try it. At first this system of menu discrimination seemed a little unfair, but it starts to make sense once you see the size of the Family Udon and take into consideration the price of housing in the Japanese city centers. If your family is so big that you need this much udon to feed them, you probably either have to live outside downtown, or you’re loaded enough that you have a private chef and don’t need to go out to restaurants for dinner.

▼ A shockingly large amount of that flour is going to go into our order

Regular-sized orders at Marukame Seimen are handled under the “self-udon” system that’s the norm in Shikoku, the center of udon culture. Essentially cafeteria-style, you grab a tray and order at the counter. The noodles are scooped into a bowl and handed to you directly, after which you grab any pieces of tempura or side dishes you want from their racks, and then pay at the register. Because of the sheer volume of noodles that comprise the Family Udon, however, the order can’t fit on a tray, and also takes about 10 minutes to prepare. Instead, we were given a placard to set on our table while we waited for the waiter to deliver our food.

▼ A regular order of udon

Ostensibly, “Family Udon” refers to the fact that it’s a big enough serving for a family to share. But when our server set the 60-centimeter (23.6 inch) diameter tub of noodles down in front of us, we realized an alternative interpretation is that the thing is easily big enough to give your baby a bath in after you finish eating.

▼ Wait, that doesn’t seem so big…

▼ Oh…

▼ Just a bit larger than the regular size

It was so big that we were lost in thought for a few moments, much like how looking up at the stars in the night sky can force you to ponder your own comparative insignificance. This moment of reflection came at a high cost, however, because while we were lost in thought the udon started soaking up the hot water in the tub, swelling in size like a scene from a science class video on thermal expansion. With the noodles becoming progressively soggier, our reporter knew he had to act fast, but was prevented from diving into his meal by a crafty adversary.

Steam.

As he bent over to scoop up the noodles, Mr. Sato was assaulted by the searing vapor rising from them. Adding insult to injury, each individual strand is extremely long. Dipping them into the accompanying container of sauce is one thing, but getting them from there into your mouth, without them slipping back into the tub and splattering the surrounding area with scalding water, is another. We’d come fully expecting for the size of the dish to be a challenge, but the mechanical difficulties of actually eating it came as a surprise.

That said, bit by bit our man made progress through the Family Udon. Unfortunately, the inability to just chow down at full speed meant the noodles soaked up even more moisture as he ate, which meant an even greater volume to consume.

▼ Time to get to work

▼ Maybe there are some things man just wasn’t meant to do alone

We’re beginning so see why you’re actually supposed to share this with family members or friends. Five of them, to be exact, as the Family Udon is six times the size of Marugame Seimen’s standard individual serving.

For other diners wishing to take on the Family Udon as a solo challenge, we recommend adding Marugame Seimen’s various complimentary condiments, such as green onions, ginger, and tempura flakes as you progress through your marathon meal. Varying the flavors will keep your palette stimulated, and if for some reason you feel like you can put away more than just the Family Udon in one sitting, you can always add a few pieces of tempura vegetables or shrimp to accomplish the same effect.

In the end, Mr. Sato was able to eat about three-fourths of the Family Udon, before finally taping out and bequeathing the rest of his noodles to accompanying correspondent Yoshio. Yoshio easily finished off the task, proving mathematically and unquestionably that a single RocketNews24 reporter can do the work of three ordinary men (as always, we choose to define “work” as “eating lots of inexpensive food”).

▼ OK kids, bath time!

Photos: RocketNews24

Related Stories

• Curry Udon Topped With Whipped Cream!? It’s Better than You Think!
• Finally, an Udon Museum Where You Can Taste the Difference Between Over 45 Kinds of Udon Noodle Dishes From all Over Japan!
• Noodles Go Gourmet: We Sample “Udon Sashimi” in Tokyo
• Nara Noodle Shop’s Revolutionary and Fun Way to Eat Udon From a Draw String Bag!
• To live and dine in L.A.: we find marshmallow ramen in the City of Angels

Origin: How many RocketNews24 reporters does it take to eat one family’s worth of udon?
Copyright© RocketNews24 / Socio Corporation. All rights reserved.

On July 16th, the Japanese beer company, Kirin, released an all-new brand of gin-based alcohol called Kirin Dry Rickey. To build up hype for their new product, Kirin ran a very unique sort of promotional event on Tokyo’s Yamanote train line. When most companies would have thrown their entire advertisement budget into posters, billboards, and commercials, Kirin organized a special event known as nothing more than an “escape game.” Our very own Mr. Sato, lured in by the mystery and the smell of booze, decided to take part in this very special game and discover what it takes to “escape” from a train on the Yamanote Line.

Participants in Kirin’s special game were decided at random from a large pool of applicants. All they were told was to gather at Osaki Station on the designated day for a 2:50 P.M. train departure. No other details concerning the nature of the game were revealed to the participants ahead of time.

▼ How foreboding…

When Mr. Sato arrived, he was impressed to see that an entire train had been rented out for this special event. While boarding he and every other participant were given large envelopes and told not to open them until after departure.

▼ Restrain yourself, Mr. Sato. Don’t open it yet!

▼ At least there was a bit of eye-candy to help explain the rules.

The train took off, and Mr. Sato opened his manila package to discover eight puzzles. If he could determine the answers to all eight, the final solution would be revealed, and he would be able to “escape,” or more accurately proceed to the next train car. Participants were stuck for as long as they were unable to answer the riddles presented to them. The Yamanote train line is a loop which lasts approximately one hour, so the mission was to reach the far end of the train before it returned to Osaki.

▼ Uh-oh. This might take the last of Mr. Sato’s brain cells.

The pressure was on! Mr. Sato stared at his sheet, totally perplexed. The inside of the train car contained some minor hints to working out the puzzles, but it still seemed near impossible for Mr. Sato’s fuzzy head to figure out. One-by-one, his fellow participants progressed to the next car, while he stared down at the perplexing sheets of paper in front of him. He wanted to call out and ask for an extra tip from those smarter than him, but cheating was, predictably, not allowed. Phoning a friend was a big no-no.

▼ “What the hell is this?”

▼ Help? …Anyone?

It was tough, but somehow Mr. Sato managed to work his way to the second train car. As he entered the car, he was given a coaster containing a 12-square grid. Each box was meant to contain a Japanese symbol. The coaster also revealed that if you paid attention outside of the train when it came to a stop, there was a final hint. However, there were only two stops on the entire trip, and our poor Mr. Sato had been so focused on the previous collection of riddles that he’s missed his only chances to view the hints outside!

▼ On to phase two! Good job, Mr. Sato!

▼ Oh dear. The last problems were tough enough even with hints. Now what?!

Wallowing in a moment of absolute anguish, Mr. Sato almost gave up, but then it struck him that if he did, that’d be the end of it and he’d never be able to live down that failure. No one wants to be the guy who lost the special beer game. No, he wanted to reach the goal! Mr. Sato’s fighting spirit reached its peak, and then the answer hit him: it was the brand’s slogan! “Powerful, Fresh, Unsweetened.” Each line was one word, and each word required four Japanese characters! He presented his answer to the car’s “bartender” and was approved access to the next stage. Filled with determination, Mr. Sato fought his way through a slew of riddles to make it to the goal at the end of the train, containing the greatest surprise of all.

▼ Witness here, the face of triumph.

At the end of a long string of questions, car 12 was a party car, complete with a bar and samples of the new Kirin Dry Rickey. And of course, Mr. Sato did not waste this opportunity to get a taste. As promised by the slogan. This drink does not contain even a hint of sweetness. Weak liquors have found a lot of popularity in Japan recently, but a glass of Dry Rickey kicked those babies to the curb. With an alcohol content of seven percent, this drink packs quite a punch, but a powerful citrus flavor and high acidity help to tone down the alcohol so that it doesn’t give the impression of being too strong. People who like liquor should find the flavor quite invigorating.

▼ Cheers, everyone!

▼ Needless to say, Mr. Sato is a man who likes his booze.

After approximately an hour of hard thinking and happy drinking, Mr. Sato reached the end of his round-trip journey. His escape was an absolute success.

▼ “This totally beats my daily commute on the Yamanote Line.”

▼ Congratulations, Mr. Sato. Here’s a ticket commemorating your trip.

Images: RocketNews24

***Bonus*** Check out two of the puzzles Mr. Sato faced while trying to escape the Yamanote Line train!

▼ You’ll need to know your hiragana chart to figure out this problem.

▼ This problem should be no biggie for any toddler who’s been taught their ABC’s.

Related Stories

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• Dance contest underway to co-star in AKB48 member’s video, Mr. Sato throws hat into ring
• Tokyo Snow Cones! Mr. Sato Makes the Most of the City Snow Before it Melts
• Mr. Sato shows us how to make a frozen slushie with our favourite sodas
• Frozen Beer and Beer Cocktails – Mr. Sato Checks Out Kirin Ichiban Garden

Origin: Mr. Sato participates in beer company’s mysterious “escape game”
Copyright© RocketNews24 / Socio Corporation. All rights reserved.

When out on the town many drinking establishments in Japan offer yakitori, which is basically grilled marinated chicken on a stick. These are offered in a wide variety using different parts of the chicken, added vegetables, or different sauces, salts and spice blends.

Now Zenyaren Sohonten Tokyo is offering a one-of-a-kind type of grilled chicken called The World’s First Mega-Yakitori. This limited edition menu item is said to contain 30 times the meat of a regular stick of yakitori. This isn’t a simple case of quantity over quality either as the chicken is specially selected from regions across Japan.

Before anyone even asked him, Mr. Sato was digging out his most loose-fitting jeans and on his way to try it out.

■  Tale of the tape

This Mega-Yakitori (served with a Guinness, no less) stands at one meter (3’3”), and weighs in at 1.2kg (2.6lbs). Clearly due to its size, the Mega-Yakitori is only available in limited quantities of four on weekdays and eight on weekends from 20 July to 31 August. If you’re planning on trying one out, it’s highly recommend you call ahead.

▼The Mega versus a regular…

■  Attention to chicken detail

You’d think that with all this chicken they’d just slap on some stuff from the supermarket or worse. However, Zenyaren has carefully selected some of the finest chickens from around Japan for the Mega-Yakitori. There’s Hokkai Chicken from Hokkaido, Kawamata Shamo from Fukushima, Aizu Chicken notably from the Aizu region also in Fukushima, and Horohoro Chicken from Wakayama Prefecture. To complete the quintet of poultry we have the legendary Chosu Kurokashiwa Chicken.

■  The price is right

Naturally when looking at the size and quality of the Mega-Yakitori one would immediately worry about the price. It will run you 1,980 yen (US$20), which is rather high but if you crunch the numbers it’s about the same as buying 15 pieces of regular yakitori. This means that you would effectively be eating the volume of 30 pieces for half the price!

■  Chosu Kurokashiwa is the star of the show

Mr. Sato delighted in sampling the five different types of chicken, firmly fixed on their huge skewer, sensing a richness and sweetness not found in regularly sold chicken. The Chosu Kurokashiwa was particularly delicious. It had a firmness to it, but was also soft and yielding to the bite. The more he chewed, the more of the meat’s flavor would pour out. Even better, the chicken had no notable scent, leaving you to focus entirely on the taste itself.

■  A pure meat experience

The seasoning of the Mega-Yakitori was simply salt and pepper. This was done intentionally to allow you to enjoy the pure essence of the different meats. There are garlic pepper and yuzu salt to add if you like, but it’s not recommended by our man Mr. Sato.

He does recommend, however, that you get over to Zenyaren and try one of these bad boys out. And don’t forget to call ahead if you do!

Shop information

Zenyaren Sohonten Tokyo
B2F Tokyo Sankei Bldg, 1-7-2 Ote, Chiyoda, Tokyo
5:00pm to 11:00pm on weekdays; noon to 10:00pm on weekends and holidays
Open 7 days a week
Website

Original report by Mr. Sato Photos: RocketNews24

▼ Go big or go home.

▼ Long yakitori is long

▼ The Hokkai Chicken

▼ The Kawamata Shamo

▼ Aizu Chicken

▼ Chosu Kurokashiwa of Nagato, Yamaguchi

▼ Horohoro Chicken

▼ This was one food challenge Mr. Sato could handle easily. He was even able to resist swinging the skewer at people like a light saber all night. 

Related Stories

• Mr. Sato Takes on the “Mammoth 2kg Fried Chicken Curry”
• Wendy’s Japan Xtreme Taste Test: We Buy One Of Everything On The Menu, 33 Items For $221.09
• 【Meat+Rice+Meat】We Try KFC’s Bunless Chicken Rice Sandwich… And It’s AWESOME!
• KFC Goes Bunless Again! Kentucky Chicken Rice Sandwich on Sale in Japan Starting February 7
• Was KFC’s Great Chicken Give-Away a Success? Depends on How You Look at It

Origin: We try one meter of skewered grilled chicken: The Mega-Yakitori
Copyright© RocketNews24 / Socio Corporation. All rights reserved.

Japan has a long way to go when it comes to eliminating the public health hazards associated with smoking, but recent public policy efforts have caused a serious change in attitude toward smokers.

Smoking sections in restaurants and cafes are becoming smaller and increasingly more isolated, while fleets of bike-mounted enforcers hand out humiliating fines to those caught smoking on designated no smoking streets.

Finally, however, smokers can indulge in their pastime in peace at the Koshigaya Laketown shopping mall in Saitama Prefecture. A new specialized café, Smoking Café Briquet, caters specifically to tobacco connoisseurs with a variety of smoking merchandise and cigar and cigarette selections, with every seat in the house safe to light up in. It’s almost like being a character in Kaze Tachinu…

We sent our resident reporter and long-time tobacco fan, Mr. Sato, along to try the place out. He soon discovered that Smoking Café Briquet doesn’t mess around.

▼ It’s like a grown-ups’ candy store.

Best of all, though, the entire café is one giant smoking section, so now smokers will finally get to glower at the non-smokers arrogantly sucking up all the precious second-hand smoke with their despicable clean lungs.

Thrilled to have the chance to smoke as part of his job, Mr. Sato plonked himself down in the cafe and lit one up. Just look at him; pleased as punch.

▼ And of course, he had to try a few new varieties.

If you’re a smoker and wish you could enjoy one last cig in a comfortable environment without receiving glares or being subjected to the coughs of irritated patrons, be sure to check out Smoking Café Briquet’s website here.

Photos: RocketNews24

• Plenty of smoke in Ghibli’s ‘The Wind Rises’ – But not the kind you might expect
• Is ‘The Wind Rises’ up in too much smoke? Yes, shouts the Japan Society for Tobacco Control
• Radical Japanese Company Advertises Jobs Online: “We do not employ smokers”
• Have Japan’s Anti-Smoking Laws Gone Too Far? Smokers Begin to Feel the Pressure
• Japanese fashion model proposes violent punishment for people who smoke while walking

Origin: “Smoking Café” last oasis for increasingly ostracized Tokyo smokers
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

In the early days of the iPhone in Japan it was under an exclusive contract with telecoms giant Softbank, which gradually gave way to AU availability as well. This left NTT’s Docomo, as the only big mobile carrier without any Apple product of its own.

However, coinciding with the Japanese launch of the new iPhone5S and iPhone5C today, Docomo has finally jumped on the iPhone bandwagon and is carrying the unit that so many people have been clamouring for. No one was more thrilled at the news then our own Mr. Sato, a long time Docomo subscriber. So he headed down to the Docomo store in Marunouchi to get one as soon as it came out. Turns out he was their very first customer.

■ Mr. Sato lines up

In order to ensure his purchase of this landmark iPhone, Mr. Sato arrived in front of the shop two days before its release date. Much to his delight, he was the only one there. As time passed, more and more people came and formed a line that would total 280 by launch day.

■ Docomo’s president comes bearing gifts

Mr. Sato felt he lucked out with regard to the weather. The nights were a little chilly but for the most part it was neither too hot nor too cold – good weather for sidewalk camping.

But his biggest break happened on the night before the iPhones’ release. Suddenly, the president of Docomo, Kaoru Kato, appeared and began distributing buns, manju (Japanese cake-like snacks), and bottles of Evian water. Our reporter was genuinely touched by this gesture and happily wolfed down the food.

■ Over a decade of Docomo

Finally, the sun had risen on the day of the Docomo iPhone5S release. At 7:45 a.m. a ceremony was held at the entrance of the shop. They called over Mr. Sato who was first in line and interviewed him.

He told about how he used Docomo’s service for 14 years. And while he admitted that there were moments when he considered switching companies he held on with the hope that one day Docomo would get the iPhone. Now, his dreams have come true!

■ Media circus

The countdown had ended and it was time to enter the store. Mr. Sato was shocked to see the entire shop crammed with photographers and cameramen. Inside a press conference was held with President Kato, our own Mr. Sato, and celebrities Maki Horikita and Ken Watanabe. After it finished Mr. Sato made his purchase of a gold-colored 64GB iPhone5S.

With the iPhone in Mr. Sato’s possession he joined President Kato back on stage. The other reporters were calling out asking him to turn it on, but since it wasn’t activated yet he couldn’t get the main screen up. Still the Docomo president helped out Mr. Sato the best he could and looked genuinely thrilled the whole time.

■ Mr. Sato’s closing comments

“It’s great that I could get the iPhone5S, but I was really amazed by the actions of the Docomo president. I was really touched when he came and delivered food to us the night before. I came away from this with a really friendly feeling, and until today I never felt so good to be using Docomo.”

Reporter: Mr. Sato

▼ Long lines from the previous day at the Docomo shop

▼ Mr. Sato lined up and was the first one! Look how excited he is!

▼ The president donated food! What a generous guy.

▼ Dawn had come! Mr. Sato’s excitement grew as the iPhone came closer to his hand.

▼ Media coverage! Docomo staff and security!! People everywhere!!

▼ The Docomo shop opens soon and Mr. Sato was called up!

▼ From left: Maki Horikita, Kaoru Kato, Mr. Sato, Ken Watanabe

▼ The Docomo shop countdown has begun!

▼ The store is full of media. Photographers everywhere!

▼ Mr. Sato got the Docomo iPhone5S at last! The first person in Japan to get one!

▼ Mr. Sato and the Docomo president check out the iPhone.

▼ Now that’s one happy boy!

• iPhone5S sells for US$10,000 on eBay
• Mr. Sato Cosplays as Slime and Waits in Line 24 Hours to Purchase Dragon Quest X
• Japanese blogger discovers the real reason people camped out for the iPhone 5S launch
• Mr. Sato’s blonde ambition leads him to look for love from beyond the grave
• We Take Mr. Sato for a Shampoo and Trim at the Pet Salon 【Thrifty Style】

Origin: Our reporter Mr. Sato becomes first Japanese buyer of a Docomo iPhone5S!
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

On a recent evening in the RocketNews24 offices, while the rest of the team was discussing such weighty topics as neuroscience, classic literature, and Gundam-themed cakes, we noticed our most intrepid reporter, Mr. Sato, staring longingly at some reading material with a lascivious grin plastered on his face.

Usually when a man holding print media has that kind of expression, the cause is a photo of an attractive woman, and Mr. Sato’s case was no exception. But he wasn’t perusing some skin mag filled with spreads of F-cup teenagers, but instead a pamphlet for the movie R.I.P.D. Mr. Sato had become smitten by its photos of actress Stephanie Szostak and was determined to meet someone like her, even if that meant facing some paranormal dangers.

“So I’m like gonna go see this new movie Ghost Agent,” Mr. Sato began, using the Japanese-market title for the film that makes it sound less like a sci-fi/horror/police adventure it is and more like a documentary about professional athletes who are represented by undead contract negotiators. “And like, this blond actress, her curves are all like, BAM! And she puts the smack down on some heinous ghosts, too, so she’s like way talented.”

▼ Gentlemen prefer blondes, Mr. Sato is a gentleman, therefore…

We were unsure why Mr. Sato was suddenly talking like an excited 15-year-old girl, until we remembered that at his last birthday he hit the distinguished four decade mark. Had he become just a tad self-conscious about his age?

Why yes, he had. “I wish I could date a chick like her. But there’s, like, you know, no way a beautiful blonde like her would hang out with an old dude like me, amiright?” he lamented. We tried to point out that the object of Mr. Sato’s affection, Ms. Szostak, is just two years younger than him at 38, but by this time he was already moving past despair into the next stage of dealing with his dilemma: taking manic action.

“Just one date! I don’t even care if it’s with a ghost, as long as she’s hot and blonde!” he declared while standing up and heading for the door. “Who you gonna call?” he shouted while heading out into the concrete jungle of downtown Tokyo’s Shinjuku district.

We were confused about what he was saying. We were concerned about his mental health. But most of all, we were bored and curious about just what he was planning to do, so we decided to tag along.

We tailed Mr. Sato to a nearby park that, according to urban legends (always a good basis for decisions made in the middle of the night), is a frequent site of ghostly activity. “Come on, blonde ghost hunter!” Mr. Sato called out. We didn’t know anymore if he was looking for a blonde ghost or hoping to be saved by a blonde ghost-busting professional, and we suspected that he wasn’t sure either.

A woman began walking towards us from the far end of the park, obscured by the shadows. “Oh, could she be my beautiful blonde bombshell?” murmured Mr. Sato as he crouched behind a clump of bushes. No, it turned out to be a raven-tressed young office worker on her way home.

“Well then, what about her?” our reporter queried as he hid behind a sign for a local stonemason. Wrong again.

At this point we began to suspect that the park was indeed haunted and that Mr. Sato had become possessed by a lecherously malicious spirit. Since we hadn’t brought enough cash to post bail for him should his borderline-stalking get him arrested, we suggested a change in both scenery and tactics.

Putting the park behind us, we followed Mr. Sato to Kabuki-cho, one of Japan’s largest and most thriving red light districts. Deciding that women from the realm of the living are the best after all, the new plan was to find a hostess bar with a predominance of blonde servers.

And find it he did. Not wanting to butt in on Mr. Sato’s special time with the cadre of sexily-dressed platinum blonde Russian hostesses who ushered him into their establishment, we watched as he entered the building, then headed home, expecting to see him looking tired but fulfilled the next day.

Instead, a crestfallen Mr. Sato showed up at the office in the morning. “I just had a couple beers, and my bill came to 30,000 yen (US $295)!” he told us. “And when I said I didn’t have that kind of money, all of the pretty blondes disappeared, and they sent a bull-necked bouncer instead!”

Moral of the story: Mr. Sato would have been better off just watching the movie. Film characters aren’t any less real than ghosts. Plus, you can get beer at Japanese theatres, and for a lot cheaper than at a hostess bar.

Photos: RocketNews24

• Dance contest underway to co-star in AKB48 member’s video, Mr. Sato throws hat into ring
• Liquidman lets you dance like a maniac on a busy street from the comfort of your own living room
• Mr. Sato goes on a date with an idol, unleashes his secret weapon: canned rum
• Kiss’ spicy steamed meat buns are Hotter Than Hell
• The Transformation of the Lonely Mr. Sato: Can a New Haircut Change a Loser’s Luck in Love?

Origin: Mr. Sato’s blonde ambition leads him to look for love from beyond the grave
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

Have you ever wanted to start dancing like a madman in the middle of a crowded urban street, but felt restrained by the conventions of society? Our reporter Mr. Sato sure has. So when he learnt about the Halls throat lozenges’ YOUareLIQUIDMAN campaign, he got right on it.

YOUareLIQUIDMAN encourages sheepish individuals to upload a photo of themselves to the Halls website. Their photo is then displayed on liquid man who proceeds to dance like Michael Stipe in front of total strangers.

In case the idea of uploading a photo to project onto the face a man in a tight-fitting outfit with a glass cube for a head is a little difficult to comprehend (and you’d be quite forgiven for being confused there), here’s Halls’ official intro video.

On 10 October Mr. Sato found that Liquidman was coming to Shibuya, Tokyo for some dancing fun. Excitedly, he took a quick selfie and submitted it to Halls’ website. He then grabbed his jacket and ran down to Shibuya to look for Liquidman himself, a spandex-clad figure with a giant Halls liquid-centre lozenge for a head.

Amid the throngs of people Liquidman was surprisingly easy to find. He was already dancing atop a pedestrian bridge with a bunch of girls. Mr. Sato hurried up to the bridge and tapped Liquidman on the shoulder. Liquidman turned around and…

“Awesome!” thought Mr. Sato looking himself in the face through the murky crystal ball of Liquidman. He was amazed that it actually worked and that he was able to see it first-hand. However, as Liquidman turned back to the group of dancing girls Mr. Sato’s grin slowly faded away.

“The f@#$er!” thought Mr. Sato. Liquidman was getting women using his face. Mr. Sato wanted to say “Thank you Liquidman, but the real Mr. Sato can take it from here,” in his best James Bond impression. Alas he couldn’t bring himself to and just hung back feeling a little dejected.

Liquidman then proceeded to dance down the stairs to the main street. A large group began to congregate around the pseudo-Mr. Sato smiling and taking photos. Watching the tireless dancer go wild, another sadness began to wash over Mr. Sato.

It had been weeks since Mr. Sato made the national news with Ken Watanabe and he was jonesing to make a spectacle of himself. However, doing the electric slide in the heart of Shibuya wasn’t in Mr. Sato’s wheelhouse. This was Liquidman’s moment to shine. “Much respect, Liquidman. Indeed, you are all that and a bag of chips.” he murmured and walked off.

If you happen to be reading this before 8:00 pm on 17 October (UTC+9) then you might just catch Liquidman’s next appearance in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Hurry on down and try to find him, but don’t forget to upload your photo to Halls first. However, if you just changed into your PJ’s then you can always just watch the action streaming live on the Halls website.

Source: YOUareLIQUIDMAN
Original Article by Mr. Sato, courtesy of Mondelēz Japan Limited

▼ The rest of the RocketNews24 team watched Liquidman Sato get women live via Ustream.

• Mr. Sato’s blonde ambition leads him to look for love from beyond the grave
• Mr. Sato Puts Panties on His Head to Become Superhuman
• The Taste of Lies: Can the Taste of a Man’s Face Betray His Wickedness?
• Mr. Sato shows us how to make a frozen slushie with our favourite sodas
• Dance contest underway to co-star in AKB48 member’s video, Mr. Sato throws hat into ring

Origin: Liquidman lets you dance like a maniac on a busy street from the comfort of your own living room
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

Though the brand hasn’t gained much popularity outside of Japan yet, earth music&ecology has propelled itself into the mainstream Japanese fashion world, thanks in large part to their ad campaigns featuring actress Aoi Miyazaki. With a focus on being “colorful and useful,” the brand seems mostly targeted at young women who aren’t looking for anything too extravagant.

Recently, the company rolled out a new smartphone app that allows users to add marketing text over their own photos, giving their patrons a chance to stand in Ms. Miyazaki’s place. A rather clever bit of marketing, we thought…until Mr. Sato decided to try it out!

First, to get an idea of the kind of marketing earth is best known for, here’s one of their ads featuring Ms. Miyazaki looking a little lost and confused.

▼ “Words can. They can hurt, and they can bring warmth.”

A bit abstract, but it does have quite the impact, doesn’t it? And while the scenery isn’t necessarily what you might expect from a fashion brand, there is a certain glamour to the minimalistic presentation.

The new app, which is available on both iOS and Android, keeps with the earthy, minimalistic design. But how does it work? Quite simply, actually!

The app lets you either select a photo saved to your phone or take a new one–like most any photo app. From there, you can apply a filter and select the area of the photo you want. It’s all very easy to use, and you’ll soon be ready for the next step: applying text!

Unlike a meme-creation app, earth music&ecology have a number of set phrases from which you choose, such as the phrase from the ad we showed you earlier. While the typical user might select a serious photo to match the abstract text, Mr. Sato decided to go in a slightly different direction.

To begin with, he chose a random photo from his phone…

▼ “Look deep into my eyes!”

…and, after applying a filter, carefully selected the best text to go with this inspiring image.

▼ “Words can. They can hurt, and they can bring warmth.”

Well, that’s a success if we’ve ever seen one! Ms. Miyazaki should thank her lucky stars that Mr. Sato is already happily employed, or she might have to find a new clothing brand to represent. But wait, we’re not done yet. Turns out that Mr. Sato has more than one photo on his phone!

Bear in mind that all of the text applied to the photos was supplied in the app by earth music&ecology.

▼ “You wrapped a scarf around me. Tears flowed.”

▼ ”Words and clothes. Clothes and words.”

▼ “Are you okay?” “Yeah. I’m okay.”

▼ “What is ‘hate speech’?”

▼ “Tomorrow what will you wear as you go on living?”

We’re not sure if this is exactly what earth music&ecology had in mind when they made their app…but if it wasn’t, they were doing something wrong!

In his review of the app, Mr. Sato said that he found it quite easy and intuitive to use. Oddly enough, the iOS version seems to have a wider range of options than the Android version.

If you’re interested in putting your face in place of Ms. Miyazaki’s, be sure to download the app! There’s also a diary section, where you can view old photo arrangements, and coupons, though there weren’t any available when we checked.

And be sure to post your best arrangements in the comments!

Reference: earth music&ecology
App download: iOS / Android
All images by RocketNews24, except app image by earth music&ecology

• There’s an App for That (and That and That and That…)
• SoftBank’s White Dog Gets a Free Rap and DJ App for iOS (and It’s Awesome)
• Liquidman lets you dance like a maniac on a busy street from the comfort of your own living room
• It’s Disney Magic! Turn yourself into a Disney Princess
• Can ‘Make Me Asian’ App Make Japanese People Look Asian Too? We Investigate

Origin: Japanese clothing brand earth music&ecology release new photo app, Mr. Sato has fun with it!
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

Thursday Throwback is your peak into the archives of RocketNews24. We’d hate for you to miss any of the quality quirky news from Asia and Japan just because you recently stumbled on our site. And if you’re a devout RN24 reader, thank you for your continued readership! Enjoy this blast from the past! 

(Originally posted on April 19, 2012 by Steven)

Well that didn’t take long. Just yesterday we shared the story of how our own Mr. Sato capitalized on Burger King Japan’s current 15 bacon strips for 100 yen (US $1.20) promotion by ordering a Whopper with 105 bacon strips. While Mr. Sato managed to finish the burger, he didn’t seem to be in the best shape afterwards, falling into a meat-induced coma and then suddenly breaking out of it only to run out of the room with his hand covering his mouth.

Surely we thought Mr. Sato had finally learned his lesson that consuming stacks of bacon is a task better left to professionals. So imagine our surprise when he came in the office holding a plastic bag sagging under the weight of a 1,050 bacon strip Whopper.

It took the poor folks at Burger King roughly two hours to assemble the bacon behemoth; we’re guessing they either had to have more bacon delivered from other stores or just slaughter a pig on the spot. In either case, they did a stand-up job, even going so far as to carefully wrap its entire length in layers of Burger King wrapping paper to prevent the tower of bacon from falling over.

After Mr. Sato brought the burger in, we helped peel off the layers of grease-soaked paper, careful not to upset its balance as if it were some cruel butcher’s Jenga. We removed the last bit of wrapping and there it was: the top half of a Whopper sitting comically upon an epic throne of bacon, with a sliver of lettuce sprouting from the base, suggesting that the bottom half of the burger may be salvaged yet.

There’s really not much else we can tell you about the burger that the images can’t. It weighs in at 2.7 kilograms (5.92lbs) and roughly 14,300 calories—enough energy to sustain a person for about 10 days.

Before going to work on the burger, Mr. Sato once again began his primal ritual of psyching himself up, shouting: “This is what real hamburger lovers eat! 10 strips? 100 strips? Like that’s enough! A real man needs 1,050 strips of bacon!” Mr. Sato then plunged his face into the top of the burger, holding on to the top bun and a layer of bacon below the beef patty for support.

Eventually he ran out of burger to supplement his bacon and simply started stuffing bacon into his mouth by the fistful, all the while ranting: “Delicious! This is what meat is all about! This is the taste of a real hamburger!”

But you’re only eating bacon…

Coming off of his bacon high, Mr. Sato started to slow down…

▼  “Give up”

Mr. Sato simply couldn’t go on any further so he called in backup.

And the entire office enjoyed the sweet smell and taste of bacon all day…

In any case, thanks to Mr. Sato’s gluttony, we have learned that there is seemingly no limit to the amount of bacon you can add to a Whopper. Or maybe it’s because this is Japan and they’re just that dedicated to their customers; we’re not sure if we could walk into a Burger King in America and expect the same level of service…

It should go without saying that you should probably not attempt to eat 1,050 strips of bacon at home. But if you do, make sure to call a good two hours in advance so they have time to thaw their stocks of bacon and call for backup. Or, you know, just go to the supermarket and buy your own bacon.

Photos, video & so much bacon: RocketNews24

• We Order Whopper With 1050 Bacon Strips, Struggle to Level Comically Huge Burger
• The Onion Tower is Here! Mr. Sato Takes on 100 Slices of Grilled Onion in one Monster Burger
• This is What a Whopper With 1000 Slices of Cheese Looks Like
• Burger King Japan’s Pumpkin Bomb Burger, Five Times the Pumpkin For $1.25
• Lotteria Mega Ramen Burger Challenge: Mr Sato Takes on a Tower of Carb Power

Origin: 【Thursday Throwback】We order a Whopper with 1,050 bacon strips, Struggle to level comically huge burger
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

It has been a great year for gamers. Two new game consoles—PlayStation 4 and Xbox One— have ushered in a new generation of living room gaming, and then scientists gave us some delicious data to throw back in mom’s face about how spending all that time glued to the NES was actually making us smarter. And to add to the year of good news, a very (un)official poll of about 50 couples at Joypolis arcade in Tokyo said that playing video games actually makes you more attractive on a date!

But which games are best to impress, and does it really work? Click below to find out as well as to participate in our official RocketNews24 poll to test this theory of video games’ effects on beauty.

Shattering the stereotype of the lonely video game-playing nerd, the teenage and 20-something couples surveyed overwhelmingly said that they actually found their significant other more attractive when they watched them play video games. About 81% of these couples also said that playing video games, specifically ones like the tile-matching game Puyo Puyo, together can make their relationship closer. Something about the puzzle aspect of the game made couples feel more connected, unlike shooting games that left them feeling cold. The couples also recommended two-player games where lovebirds can play at the same time.

Apparently, seeing your significant other playing video games allows you to better understand and see their mannerisms as well. We can only guess it comes from the intensity video games can bring out unlike normal date activities like watching a movie or eating dinner. Something about frantically trying to match that one last Tetris tile before losing draws out raw emotions that couples normally do not experience.

Although this video game concentration face may be attractive to a date, we wonder if the effect works on people intensely playing a video game alone. If a face concentrated on getting the highest score on Dr. Mario can impress a date, can the same face also woo our readers? That is why we have asked our very own Mr. Sato to help us out. First, take a look at his “video game face.”

No stranger to beauty regiments, makeovers and fashion trends, Mr. Sato agreed to participate in this official RocketNews24 poll about the effect that video games have on beauty. That is where you, our beloved readers, come in. We have three non-video game playing photos for you to compare to Mr. Sato’s “video game face” above. Take a look at the photos below and be sure to answer our poll at the bottom!

▼ Is a giant stick of grilled chicken a better accessory than a video game?

▼ Can Mr. Sato improve his parasol/fundoshi on the beach realness with a video game?

▼ Does fake cleavage trump “game face Sato”?

Click away, good people! Let us, and our man, know which look suits him best!

Source: ShuPure News
Images: RocketNews24

• Get paid one million yen (US$10,000) for three months of hardcore gaming!
• Sony Unveils its Vision for the Future of Video Games with PlayStation 4
• Japanese mom shows daughter how it’s done with awesome old-school gaming notebook
• Nintendo Wii U: Our Impressions of the New Console’s Biggest Launch Titles
• Lonely this Christmas: Japanese gamers feeling left out in the cold as new consoles launch elsewhere

Origin: Can video games really help “level up” your beauty stats? 【Poll】
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

There may not have been any Thanksgiving festivities in Japan this past week, but the Japanese language’s ample opportunities for puns gave us two special days to celebrate. Coming on the heels of Knee-High Socks Day was the equally pun-tastic Good Meat Day on November 29.

Good Meat Day gets its name by breaking the date into its individual digits of 1-1-2-9, which can be read as ii niku, literally “good meat.” We decided the best way to commemorate our carnivorous cravings was by hitting Burger King to catch the tail-end of their all-you-can-eat burger promotion.

Although it sounds like some sort of wonderful fever dream, Burger King Japan’s unlimited Whopper deal is totally legit. There are a couple of catches, though. First, you have to finish off an entire large-sized Whopper combo, including the drink, before you can get another burger. Second, your stay in the magical kingdom of Unlimited Burger Land is limited to 30 minutes from your initial order.

Since the promotion started, advice on the Internet has been that the best way to get your money’s worth is by ordering your Whoppers with just the bread and meat. But if you ask us, that’s just throwing your money away. After all, whether you hold everything or get your Whopper with the works, the price is the same. Given the choice between fiscal irresponsibility and extreme gluttony, we’ll take the latter each and every time.

And what of the precious nutrients lost by skipping the lettuce and tomato that the sandwich ordinarily comes with? If we’re going to eat an entire day’s worth of meat in one sitting, we’re going to do it the healthy way.

Proponents of the “hold-everything” strategy say the method is an easy way to cram three Whoppers in your belly in 30 minutes. But could we devise a plan to get four Whoppers without skimping on any of the fixings? To find out, we called upon the best man for the job: our very own Mr. Sato, who never backs down from a challenge, whether he should or not.

This isn’t the first time Burger King has offered all-you-can-eat Whoppers, and Mr. Sato picked up the meaty gauntlet the chain threw down last year, too, where he polished off three of the sandwiches. Confident that we could improve on that performance, we tagged along to watch him do his thing.

Sure enough, as Mr. Sato walked up to the counter to place his order, we overheard another customer ordering his Whopper combo with just the meat and buns. We had an urge to try to make him see the error of his ways, but restrained ourselves. Sometimes, the only way you can help people learn is to let them make their own mistakes.

More importantly, Mr. Sato had already launched into his battle plan, which begins at the ordering stage. You have to finish your drink before you get your burger refill, but thankfully, like most fast-food emporiums in Japan, Burger Kings beverage options included non-carbonated choices like oolong tea and orange juice that are less filling than cola.

Mr. Sato also recommends passing on the heavier French fries and getting your combo with onion rings instead. You won’t smell as good afterwards, but if you came to Burger King to make out, odds are you have some algebra homework you should be doing instead, anyway.

There are two key regulations to remember when trying to maximize your burger count. First, Burger King will cut you off 30 minutes after you place your initial order. However, you have as much time as you want to eat your last burger. So really, in order to get four burgers, you don’t have to finish them all in 30 minutes. As long as you can polish off your third in about 25 minutes you’ll still have enough time get your order in for a fourth, which was what Mr. Sato set out to do.

It’s also important to take into consideration the time you’ll spend in line so you can ask for your next burger. Avoiding peak lunch and dinner times will help out in this regard (as well as limit the number of people who see you cramming fistful after fistful of sandwich into your mouth).

Soon enough, Mr. Sato’s initial order was ready, and it was time to begin.

▼ Let’s do this!

▼ 10 minutes later, all that was left of Mr. Sato’s first combo was our memories of it.

▼ Round two!

▼ By sticking to a steady pace, the second set was done at 18 minutes in.

▼ Third Whopper, coming up!

▼ Hmm….

At this point, Mr. Sato ran into a problem. The Whopper may be a tasty sandwich, but eating three in a row starts to overload your taste receptors. Is there any way to mix up the flavors a little?

Why yes, there is.

At some point in history, Japanese fast food chains hit upon the idea of putting corn chowder on their menus. As part of its cultural adaptation, Burger King followed suit when it came to Japan, and Mr. Sato had placed a separate order for a cup of the soup, which we proceeded to use as a dipping sauce for Whopper number three.

“I wouldn’t say it tastes great, but at you get some variation this way,” he explained between soggy bites.

But would Mr. Sato’s daring, Zen-like strategy of consuming more food in order to increase the number of burgers he could eat pay off?

Of course it would.

Mr. Sato’s cleared his tray for the third time at the 26-minute mark, giving him just enough time to slip back into line and beat the buzzer to order his fourth burger.

Congratulations, Mr. Sato! And thanks for showing us all how to get four Whoppers for the price of one.

▼ Warning: Side effects may include bloating, onion breath, and listing.

Photos: RocketNews24

• All-you-can-eat Whoppers at Burger King Japan. Thank you. Thank you so much.
• The Onion Tower is Here! Mr. Sato Takes on 100 Slices of Grilled Onion in one Monster Burger
• 【Thursday Throwback】We order a Whopper with 1,050 bacon strips, Struggle to level comically huge burger
• Burger King Japan Offering 15 Bacon Strips for $1 So We Order Whopper With 105 Bacon Strips
• We Order Whopper With 1050 Bacon Strips, Struggle to Level Comically Huge Burger

Origin: Mr. Sato celebrates Japan’s Good Meat Day by taking on Burger King’s all-you-can-eat Whopper deal
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

It’s been said that Christmas in Japan is for lovers, and that’s bad news for someone like our Mr. Sato. That’s not to say he’s unlucky with the ladies, but whenever he goes in for that first kiss his prickly stubble never fails to repel them.

However, Christmas is also a time for miracles, and while walking through the Akihabara streets last week, a blue Oasis appeared before him. Staffed by several sexy women clad in cute blue Santa outfits stood the Gillette Skin Diagnosis Event.

■  The story of Sato’s stubble

People often assume that Mr. Sato’s stubble is the result of a lazy lifestyle. However, this is not the case. He’s a hardworking reporter who must consume a ridiculous amount of calories to maintain his lifestyle. And while he may look tough, Mr. Sato is actually a surprisingly sensitive soul, and chooses not to shave because of how irritated his skin becomes after every stroke of the razor. He feels that the choice between a little scruff and bleeding red blotches isn’t a choice at all.

Mr. Sato had long ago accepted this card that fate had dealt him, and didn’t expect much from this street-side “skin diagnosis.” However, he was interested in diagnosing the skin of the cute blue Santas, so went in to investigate.

■  Diagnosis: [X]

Walking up to the event, Mr. Sato was met by a group of Gillette Santa girls. Using a method developed by ZZ Top, they began their analysis.

After, gauging the cell-count of his stratum granulosum Mr. Sato’s smooth skin diagnosis was determined. It didn’t look good for our reporter.

These women’s jobs were not solely to hand down bad news though. The reason they wore blue was to symbolize a way for Mr. Sato to change his painful post-shave Santa-red skin into a refreshing blue sensation.

■  Pro Glide

The Santas sat Mr. Sato down and showed him a Gillette Pro Glide. It had five curved blades and a friction-reducing motor in the handle. The combination of the five ultra-thin blades and motor resulted in an unprecedented smoothness and never gets caught in even thick facial hair, of which our man is definitely the owner.

After getting lathered up by the Santas, Mr. Sato nervously began to shave. It didn’t take long for him to realize the smoothness of the Pro Glide as he effortlessly guided the blades around his rugged and manly contours. “Is this even a razor?” he thought to himself.

■  Second opinion

Having finished his shave, the blue Santas performed another analysis and found that “he got face, and he knows how to use it.” They certified him as “kissably smooth for Christmas” labelled him as such and sent him on his way.

Mr. Sato indeed felt extra smooth and ready to win with the ladies! There was still time until Christmas, but he felt sure he could maintain this baby-bottom texture until then with his new Pro Glide. Recently, he’s been preparing by playing the Virtual Kiss Experience Game staring Japanese actress Saki Aibu on the Gillette website. Actually he hasn’t left his room in a few days since starting… Eh, he’s probably fine.

Source: Gillette
Original report by Mr. Sato
Photos: RocketNews24

▼ Mr. Sato wasted no time rushing in for the “smooth skin diagnosis”.

▼ “Why, hello there! I’m ready for my, ahem, diagnosis. Heheh”

▼ Smooth, ain’t it.

▼ “Aw c’mon! I need smooth skin…”

▼ Mr. Sato undergoes treatment with the Gillette Pro Glide

▼ Mr. Sato had no idea what they were talking about, but once they started lathering up their hands he was immediately up for anything.

▼ “Handsomeness, here I come!”

▼ The smoothness on his face was felt immediately.

▼ Wow, looks like he accidentally shaved off a few years while he was at it!

• The Transformation of the Lonely Mr. Sato: Can a New Haircut Change a Loser’s Luck in Love?
• Mr. Sato Takes on the “Mammoth 2kg Fried Chicken Curry”
• Mr. Sato’s blonde ambition leads him to look for love from beyond the grave
• Dance contest underway to co-star in AKB48 member’s video, Mr. Sato throws hat into ring
• Our Team Tries out the Legendary ‘Nyotaimori’ Body Sushi, Mr. Sato Giggles with Excitement

Origin: Sexy sapphire Santas smoothly shave Sato’s stubble
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

On Monday this week, Tokyo was hit by one of the biggest snow dumps it has seen in years. Although winters are often unfathomably cold in Japan and it’s not uncommon for snow to fall even in the capital, the city of cuddle cafes, cornman and cross-dressing was entirely unprepared for so much of the stuff in such a short space of time, and within 24 hours of the snow’s arrival the ordinarily robust public transport system was on its knees and dozens of people were left nursing twisted ankles, bruised buttocks and hurt pride.

Just two days later, though, the generous blanket of white fluffy stuff had started to disappear, putting an end to all sledding, snowman building and frosty fun. As quickly as it had arrived, Tokyo’s winter wonderland was already nearly gone.

From the topmost floor of Rocket Towers, international man of mystery and reporter extraordinaire Mr. Sato watched as men with shovels worked to clear the last of the snow from the pavements and miniature mountains began to appear on each street corner, adorning the footways like dollops of sweet white frosting around the edge of a miserable grey cake. It was at that moment that a quite remarkable idea hit him.

Zipping up his wind breaker and grabbing his wallet, Mr. Sato charged out of the office like a man possessed and flew down the stairs. Bursting out of the building, he headed directly for the nearest supermarket. Moments later, he stepped back out onto the city streets armed with three bottles of thick, sugary syrup. Things were about to get tasty.

Thursday Throwback is your peek into the archives of RocketNews24, featuring articles from back when we were just getting started. We’d hate for you to miss any of the quality quirky news from Asia and Japan just because you recently stumbled upon our site. And if you’re a devout RN24 reader, thanks for sticking around! Enjoy this blast from the past! 

(Originally posted on January 18, 2013)

With strawberry, melon and worryingly yellow lemon flavours of syrup in hand, Mr. Sato trawled the streets of Shinjuku looking for the most delicious-looking piles of snow that he could find. Although to most the snow was little more than dangerous mounds of frozen water waiting to be slipped on, Mr. Sato saw it as the perfect opportunity to enjoy as much free kakigōri (shaved ice with sweet toppings) as he could eat. After all, despite being mostly water, the stuff costs a small fortune during the summer at festivals!

▼Kakigōri is a traditional Japanese summertime treat

Although much of the snow had been cleared or melted away, it didn’t take long before our man spied a tempting pile sitting untouched near a pedestrian crossing. Fluffy, white and still in surprisingly good condition despite dogs peeing nearby and passing vehicles spurting out noxious gasses, the untapped frosty snack called out to him to try it.

After a thorough inspection and the removal of a couple of dead leaves, Mr. Sato reached for his bottle of strawberry syrup and got to work.

▼”Not too little… not too much…”

▼”Om.”

▼”Delicious!”

Success! Had it been handed to him in the middle of a festival scene he would never have guessed it had sat at the side of a street for three days!

“More! There has to be more good snow left to sample!” our ravenous reporter thought to himself, screwing the syrup cap back on and looking around like a meerkat high on caffeine. Just around the corner, he came across a dejected-looking icy puddle that needed some attention. With an entirely different colour and texture to the first snack spot, this one simply had to be sampled.

▼”A little melon this time, methinks…”

▼Slurp!

▼We’ve never been prouder.

From that point on, Mr. Sato was on a roll. Leaving no snow bank untasted, he combed the city looking for new and interesting taste sensations.

▼”The police box! They’re bound to have some good snow!”

▼”From my experience this looks like some good quality stuff…”

▼”More lemon please, Kuzo!”

▼”Wait, that is syrup, right?”

▼”Hmmm. A bit too gritty for me…”

As much fun as he seems to be having, we have to wonder about all of the dirt, exhaust fumes and animal waste that have found their way into that snow, Mr. Sato. Don’t try this at home, kids; it might damage your brain and before you know it you’ll be scampering through the night wearing camo gear.

Shaved ice image: Kakigōri

• Tokyo Snow Cones! Mr. Sato Makes the Most of the City Snow Before it Melts
• We have a winner! Bicycle-riding snow cat gets full marks for awesomeness
• Mr. Cup Noodle forced to shovel snow in front of his own museum
• Tokyoite creates epic snow monster following record snow dump, gets phonecalls from neighbours
• The Taste of Lies: Can the Taste of a Man’s Face Betray His Wickedness?

Origin: 【Thursday Throwback】Tokyo snow cones! Mr. Sato makes the most of the city snow before it melts
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

It’s a little known yet unsurprising fact that Mr. Sato loves a nice bowl of potato chips. However, much to the chagrin of his colleagues, he loves them so much that he begins to flail his limbs around wildly when he gets some.

After brushing the crumbs off the keyboards and shopping around online, the rest of the RocketNews24 staff found Gyro Bowl. For only 2,480 yen (US$24) this German-engineered bowl boasts a full 360° of spill prevention. All that combined with Mr. Sato’s inherent love of orange spinny stuff made this purchase a no-brainer. When the bowl arrived it was time to fire up the cameras and see how Gyro Bowl held up to Mr. Sato’s chip dance of joy.

It was Tuesday, so of course our reporter was dressed up like Funasshi, the jiggly pear-like mascot. We put some salted chips with ruffles into a Gyro Bowl and set it on the counter for him to discover. Funasshi-Sato found it, swatted it with his paw a few times and picked it up. It was time for the dance.

Usually that spectacle would result in flakes of fried potato in everyone’s hair and even up in the sconces of the RocketNews24 office. But thanks to Gyro Bowl, it all stayed safely in Mr. Sato’s possession. Our bright-yellow reporter was also impressed saying, “I think children everywhere would want one of these… But not this one… This is MINE.”

Source: Rmore.jp (Japanese)

• Dance contest underway to co-star in AKB48 member’s video, Mr. Sato throws hat into ring
• Mr. Sato shows us how to make a frozen slushie with our favourite sodas
• Liquidman lets you dance like a maniac on a busy street from the comfort of your own living room
• Mr. Sato’s blonde ambition leads him to look for love from beyond the grave
• We Take Mr. Sato for a Shampoo and Trim at the Pet Salon 【Thrifty Style】

Origin: We give Mr. Sato a Gyro Bowl: Can it withstand even his creepiest undulations?
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

Among the many kinds of tasty sweets indigenous to Japan, you’ll find the monaka. Monaka consist of two wafers, traditionally sandwiched around a dollop of the sweet red bean paste called anko.

Different confectioners put their own unique spin on monaka, such as infusing it with citrus or mixing ice cream in the filling. But while we’ve eaten plenty of variations on the tasty treat, our intrepid reporter Mr. Sato recently brought back one we’d never heard of before: suicide monaka.

Technically, Mr. Sato’s morbidly-named snacks are called seppuku monaka, with seppuku being the more respectful term for the practice of self-disembowelment more commonly known in the west as hara-kiri. But how did these sweets end up with a name associated with the samurai way of expressing your bitterest regrets?

The seppuku monaka are made by Shinshodo, a confectionary shop established more than 100 years ago. Shinshodo is located in Tokyo’s Shimbashi district. While the neighborhood now contains the head offices of several of Japan’s largest and most powerful corporations, long ago Shimbashi served as the home to a different group of powerful leaders: the samurai lords of Japan’s Edo Period.

▼ Shinshodo’s storefront

Before Shinshodo opened its doors, the plot of land where it now stands was part of the estate of Lord Tamura Tatsuaki. Aside from being Tamura personal residence, the estate was also where another famous samurai, Asano Nagahiro, former lord of Ako Domain (near present-day Kobe) was forced to commit seppuku following a violent dispute with Kira Yoshinaka, another samurai lord, in the halls of the Shogun’s castle. Asano’s retainers would later avenge their master by killing Kira, and then committing seppuku themselves, with the events now being known as the tale of the 47 Ronin.

But enough talk about 50 or so people putting swords in their bellies. Let’s get back to talking about putting food in your stomach!

Sadly, Shinshodo missed a great marketing opportunity by not selling the seppuku monaka in packs of 47. Instead, they come in boxes of 5, 10, 15, or 20, although you can also purchase a single seppuku monaka for 190 yen (US$1.80).

Monaka are often dainty things, with the wafer being as much of an attraction as the filling. The seppuku monaka are far less skimpy with the anko though, as there’s so much threatening to spill out that the wafers aren’t even close to forming a complete shell.

Speaking of the anko, it’s incredibly glossy, making the seppuku monaka all the more enticing.

Despite the decadent appearance, the anko isn’t overpoweringly sweet, and quickly melts in your mouth. There’s even a small mocha rice cake concealed inside, the chewiness of which makes for a great contrast to the crispiness of the wafers. The overall effect is surprisingly elegant and delicate, especially considering the confectionary’s shocking name.

Not all of Shinshodo’s creations have such dark inspirations, as the shop also sells prosperity monaka.

Shaped like a koban (the oblong golden coins used during Japan’s feudal age), the prosperity monaka’s portion of anko isn’t nearly as generous as that of the seppuku monaka. However, the coin-shaped sweets come seasoned with brown sugar for an additional good economic omen. Brown sugar is called kokutou in Japanese, literally “black sugar,” and the hope is that whoever eats the prosperity monaka will end up “in the black” for the current fiscal year.

However, when you need to say “I’m sorry,” the seppuku monaka are really the best choice. For those of you who are looking for pointers on how to beg for forgiveness Japanese-style, we’ve put together this illustrated guide featuring Mr. Sato apologizing for a recent work-related blunder.

▼ Step one: Get down on your knees

▼ Step two: Prostrate yourself

▼ Make sure to keep your face pressed into the floor, and your peace offering raised towards the target of your apology.

▼ Step three: Confirm the sincerity of your regret by silently bearing the shame as your counterpart steps on your head and relieves you of the seppuku monaka.

Don’t worry, Mr. Sato. We forgive you, and look forward to more of your zany schemes in the future. And as long as you say you’re sorry with desserts, we hope they all end in glorious, delicious failure.

Shop information:
Shinshodo / 新正堂
Address: Tokyo, Minato-ku, Shimbashi 4-27-2
東京都港区新橋 ４－27－2
Open Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-8 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Closed Sundays and holidays (closed Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays during August)

Photos: RocketNews24

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Origin: Suicide cakes – Sweets to die for
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

Recently the walls of the RocketNews24 office have been echoing with giddy squeals of “Eeeeeee… Takamina!” at a rate of about once per hour. In between, we have been treated to a middle-aged man’s song-stylings of AKB48’s single Koisuru Fortune Cookie.

It all started last year when our reporter Mr. Sato had entered a dance contest to meet graduating AKB48 member Tomomi Itano, but despite his best efforts he lost out. Now, he has his sights on Minami Takahashi (“Takamina”) and the chance to see her and other members in an exclusive show only available to the winners of a contest held by Japan’s Wonda Coffee.

■ Always an AKB48 fan, never an AKB48 attendee

Mr. Sato had long been a fan of AKB48 and idols in general. As a young adorable cherub himself, he always felt that this genre of music spoke to him in a way that his uglier colleagues and friends just couldn’t comprehend.

However, his one life regret was that he has never attended a live AKB48 event despite working only across town from where they perform. The demand for tickets is so great that he could never get a hold of any. He would have to book in advance, and when your job involves eating copious amounts of food resulting in copious hours in the bathroom, it’s hard to plan ahead.

■ The contest

Japanese coffee producer Wonda may have provided a way for him to get there after all. By collecting stickers adhered to cans of their brand of coffee, he could enter to win access to a special event to which no tickets are sold. “Thish ish mai chansh,” he mumbled through a mouthful of bean paste from his suicide cake.

As any eternally poor lottery player will tell you, the key to winning is to get in as many entries as possible. Winners are announced weekly, so Mr. Sato would simply have to drink as much coffee as possible in that time frame to win. But where would he get the supplies he needed?

■ Office supplies

Mr. Sato explained his plan to his editor, and told him that he would require 100 cases of Wonda coffee to see Minami Takahashi live. While our editor agreed that unleashing Mr. Sato on AKB48 would indeed be entertaining, 100 cases was a tall order and the space it would take up could interfere with other work.

“Alright, I’ll give you 10 cases,” he replied, and placed an order. Mr. Sato’s face stretched to a big bean paste encrusted grin and he skipped out of the office singing “Yeah-eee yeah-eee yeah!”

■ Come and they will build it

Shortly after Mr. Sato arrived at the office to find 10 cases of Wonda coffee piled at his desk. “Just make sure you keep out of everyone’s way, okay?” his editor warned. Mr. Sato mumbled a “yes” with his gaze fixed on the coffee. It wasn’t 600 liters of water, sugar and milk he was looking at, though. This was the rich, dry-roasted road to Minami.

As his editor walked off, Mr. Sato snapped out of his daydream and started barking at all his co-workers. “You! Start making the foundation with these cans of black coffee. And you, prepare the café au lait for some flying buttresses!” Then clapping his hands he said “We have a temple to build people! Right here, in the center of the office.”

Mr. Sato had known that the center of the office was a power spot and his conduit to the gods of coffee. By lunch, Mr. Sato stood sipping on his fifth Wonda Morning Shot and with a twitching left eye watched as his co-workers put off their articles to help him finish his temple.

■ The Temple of Coffee

With the temple complete, Mr. Sato sat in the middle and absorbed the spiritual essence of the coffee gods. “Please! Please help me get near Takamina! I beg of you!” he wailed while rocking back and forth clutching his smartphone.

About 20 liters of coffee later, Mr. Sato remained in the temple… except when he had to go to the bathroom every seven-or-so minutes.

“Workinginthedivineatmosphere [gasp] ofthetempleofcoffee [gasp] Iwilldomybestexcept [gasp] duringbreakstoenjoyyourcoffee,” he would continuously blurt out. Strangely he hadn’t mentioned AKB48 or Minami Takahashi at all since his 24^th Wonda Gold.

As of this writing Mr. Sato had not won a ticket to the exclusive AKB48 event, but he has until 7 August to claim one, and winners are announced on the Monday of every week. Quite frankly we’re not totally sure he’s going to make it until then, so if you’re an idol fan and want a chance to get in on this exclusive event grab a can of Wonda coffee and check out their contest website for entry. Mr. Sato would have wanted it that way.

Source: Wonda & AKB48 Special Campaign (Japanese)
Video: YouTube – AKB48

• Liquidman lets you dance like a maniac on a busy street from the comfort of your own living room
• Dance contest underway to co-star in AKB48 member’s video, Mr. Sato throws hat into ring
• Mr. Sato’s blonde ambition leads him to look for love from beyond the grave
• Mr. Sato shows us how to make a frozen slushie with our favourite sodas
• Our reporter Mr. Sato becomes first Japanese buyer of a Docomo iPhone5S!

Origin: AKB48 to hold exclusive show for coffee contest winners, Mr. Sato immediately buys over 300 cans
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

A few days ago we brought word of a revolutionary hay fever remedy from the folks at Thanko. Harnessing the mighty power of nylon and universal serial bus ports, the USB Pollen Blocker may be our savior for this impending allergy season in Japan.

To be sure, we picked one up in Akihabara and gave it to our resident ace-reporting guinea-pig Mr. Sato for a road test. Did it cure him of his seasonal sniffles or did it simply make him look like an demented bee-keeper on the streets of Tokyo? The following is his report.

■  The fan is pretty quiet
I was surprised at how quiet the fan actually was after putting on USB Pollen Blocker for the first time. It has two settings – weak and strong – but on either I hardly noticed any noise. Also, since the hood completely covered my face I was worried it would cloud up, but the fan kept it clear enough for me to see.

■  Visibility issues
That being said, the plastic window was naturally cloudy due to the material and did affect my quality of sight. Glass would have been better but I guess it would have been too heavy and dangerous for regular use. Nah, that wouldn’t work.

In addition, the hood made it so my peripheral vision was all but removed. This worried me the most since 75 percent of my attackers strike from directions other than straight ahead.

■  Failure to communicate
Using a USB battery pack, I decided to take the USB Pollen Blocker out to a Starbucks for some coffee. Inside the shop I ordered a “coffee of the day, hot and tall” but the barista replied “you want a short?” Apparently my speaking was muffled to them. So, in situations that require conversation you might have to speak louder than usual.

■  Not suitable for outdoors?
Based on my experience, the USB Pollen Blocker is best used in the home or office. I think Thanko intended that by making it USB-powered and incredibly ugly. However, keeping it indoors, I think it would be a really good help protect yourself from pollen this spring. So, for those looking for anyway to escape their allergies, you might want to check this hood out.

Original Article by Mr. Sato
Photo: RocketNews24

▼ This is what USB Pollen Blocker is like when you open the box.

▼ It reminds me of the hat I used to wear in kindergarten, only there’s a USB switch included.

▼ The fan is attached to the surface of the hat.

▼ And underneath is a surgical mask that acts as a filter. Commercially available masks are ok to use. The mask is hard screwed in.

▼ This is what it’s like to wear.

▼ It kind of feels like you’re in a world of your own.

▼ Inside, my sense of focus… heightens.

▼ Ta-dah! If you connect a USB battery you can take it outside! Time to get a coffee!

▼ Yeah… it doesn’t seem to affect my ability to walk at all.

▼ Yeah… it’s not all that different from wearing a regular hat.

▼ Yeah… but… it’s a little hazy.

▼ Yeaaaahaaaa, and I can’t see anything to my immediate right… Where’s Starbucks again?

▼ Mr. Sato: “Um, egscooze me. Ezzere a Starbugs aroun here?”

▼ Police Officer: “Yeah. It’s that big green sign right behind you.”
Mr. Sato: “Ochhgh, I walgged right beshidet. Schank you bery mut.”

▼ Mr. Sato: “Coffee a deday, hodarnarll pluz!”

▼ Staff: “Ok? A hot coffee of the day… um, short right?”
Sato: “Yes, that’s right.” (We think Mr. Sato didn’t hear the staff correctly)

▼ Thanks to Pollen Blocker and my Macbook Air, I can enjoy my coffee outside with clear sinuses.

▼ Oh… Oh, wait a second…

▼ As an added bonus I combined USB Pollen Blocker with WizSpander, a Bluetooth speaker that can go around my neck.

▼ It’s like having a music dome on your head!

• How tired of allergies are you? Thanko hopes enough to wear this giant USB-powered mask
• Hay Fever Sufferers, Stay Out of Tokyo, Pollen Density Levels Are Off the Charts
• Forget Surgical Masks and Fake Glasses, Wear Your Allergy Remedy Around Your Neck With the Virus Blocker!
• Japanese Scientists Engineer Pollenless Cedar Trees, May Be Too Late to Alleviate Japan’s Growing Hay Fever Problem
• How to stand out in a land where everyone wears surgical masks: wear a black one

Origin: Mr. Sato takes a stroll in his USB Pollen Blocker: “Felt great but it was a struggle to order coffee”
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

Ah, the power of the mosaic – that little clump of pixels used by news networks to blur out the faces of anonymous sources and by Japanese porn producers to conceal people’s sexy parts. They can pretty convincingly hide most sensitive visuals from public scrutiny, while still offering us just a little tantalizing glimpse of the features beneath.

They can also, it turns out, serve as a pretty good litmus test for how gutter-minded you are; because when applied to everyday scenes, such as chefs preparing meals, athletes celebrating victories, even something as innocuous as folks making pottery, the scenes are suddenly transformed into something that appear, at first glance, much dirtier than they should.

Take these .gifs, for instance: Can you correctly guess what’s beneath the mosaic? (Hint: Shouting “Penis!” is only correct in maybe one or two of these.)

▼ Oh no, I think one from my editor’s private porn collection got mixed up in here…

This gives us a great product idea: Mosaic Glasses, that overlay a mosaic over the things you’re seeing in real life. Endless chuckles for everyone! We call dibbsies on that idea, by the way. If we see these on the market in the future, you’ll all be hearing from our extremely competent lawyer, Mr. Sato.

Source: Curazy

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Origin: Adding a mosaic makes almost anything NSFW
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

The intense competition in the Japanese snack food market means that every week some product is getting kicked off convenience store shelves to make room for another one. Somehow, though, the puffed corn snack umaibo has remained consistently popular for over 30 years.

Umaibo’s biggest fans are elementary school kids, and the tasty little cylinders were a major component of some of our writer’s childhood diets. Recently we came to the realization that it’s time for us to grow up, though. Not by giving up our umaibo, of course, but by learning to open our snacks like a man.

As always when we need meaningful life advice, we turned to our resident wise man, Mr. Sato. “Please, Mr. Sato, teach us how to look cool as we open our umaibo!” we implored him. At first we thought our pleas had fallen on deaf ears, as he continued chattering away on his phone. Being the Grand Master that his is, though, it wasn’t that Mr. Sato had rejected our request, but rather that it was so easily within the bounds of his considerable prowess that it didn’t even warrant a break in the conversation he’d been carrying on.

After finishing his power brokering phone call (and his snack), Mr. Sato gave us a few pointers on how to replicate his display of power and coordination.

First, it’s important to hold the top half of the umaibo.

Next, cock your elbow, and swing it down as you raise your leg, contacting the bottom of the package with the portion of your thigh just above your knee.

The key is to smack the snack like it was giving you lip. If you waver and give it a gentle tap, you won’t build up the air pressure needed to make the cylinder pop out cleanly, and the package will fail to open, and you’ll just end up with a closed bag full of umaibo powder and crushed bits.

Even armed with Mr. Sato’s hints, it still takes a while to get the exact movement and timing down. Thankfully, umaibo is cheap enough that you could pretty easily buy enough to build a house with (literally). At just 10 yen (US 9 cents) each, you can probably get all the practice supplies you need with the change you’ve got in your pocket.

Photos: RocketNews24

• Is Umaibo housing the architecture of the future?
• Mr. Sato goes on a date with an idol, unleashes his secret weapon: canned rum
• Tokyo Snow Cones! Mr. Sato Makes the Most of the City Snow Before it Melts
• 【Thursday Throwback】Tokyo snow cones! Mr. Sato makes the most of the city snow before it melts
• Suicide cakes – Sweets to die for

Origin: Mr. Sato shows us how a real man opens his snacks 【Video】
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

Give a young boy a rubber band and chances are he’ll try and find a way to fling it across the room. The more ingenious of them will use resources like clothespins, popsicle sticks or Legos to craft a rubber band gun (here in Japan, many of us use disposable chopsticks). And, when they’ve grown up and gained access to all the big-kid toys, some of them will make an arsenal of semi automatic rubber band firearms from aluminum and stainless steel.

This is your Throwback Thursday article of the week, your peek into the archives of RocketNews24 featuring articles from back when we were just getting started. We’d hate for you to miss any of the quality quirky news from Asia and Japan just because you recently stumbled upon our site. And if you’re a devout RN24 reader, thanks for sticking around! Enjoy this blast from the past! 

(Originally posted on March 11, 2012)

ZumA2 is a steel cabinetmaker living in Kanagawa Prefecture who, in 2008, began making rubber band guns using materials and equipment from his shop.

After completing his first gun, Silver Wolf, which he was inspired to make after playing the Playstation3 game Metal Gear Solid 4, he received a visit from the Japan Rubber Band Gun Shooting Association.

“It overturned my perception of rubber band guns as a simple toy made to fling rubber bands. They explained that those who wish to participate in official events are judged in three categories: technique in manufacturing, marksmanship and mental strength. I had no idea there was so much to the hobby…before I knew it, I was hooked.”

ZumA2 has since made nearly 30 different guns, including the production model Fenrir which is available for sale on his website “PSYCHODRIVE Over Boost!?” starting at 19,000 yen (US$185, sales limited to Japan only).

We recently had the opportunity to visit ZumA2 at his workshop in Kanagawa, where we were surprised to learn he makes all of his guns completely by hand. This includes the Fenrir, which is equipped with a wooden grip that ZumA2 meticulously carves and finishes himself for each order.

While most of the rubber band guns are semi automatic pistols that fired 10-12 rounds, we were also shown a fully automatic submachine gun that fires 30 rounds at a rate of 1000rpm.

All of the guns we were shown left us feeling like 10-year-old boys on Christmas and we were blown away by the thoroughness and detail with which each gun is made. While the only model currently available for sale is the Fenrir, we guarantee that it is more than enough to fulfill your childhood dream of armed rubber band violence.

Photos & Video：Rocketnews24
Official Site：PSYCHODRIVE Over Boost!?

▼ The Silver Wolf. Yes, it’s as heavy as it looks.

▼ There’s even a laser sight attached below the barrel!

▼ The fully automatic submachine gun, Yeti 30

▼ Heavy as well, but feels oh-so-good!

▼ Fenrir, the production model available for sale.

▼ Holds 12 rounds like the Silver Wolf.

▼ With a hand-made wooden grip.

▼ The Cachalot, which can switch between full and semi automatic firing.

▼ Weighs the same as the Silver Wolf but looks much more dignified, a real gentleman’s gun.

▼ This model is for use in official competition.

▼ A box of wooden grips.

▼ This machine is the primary tool ZumA2 uses to make his guns.

▼ Has Mr. Sato ever looked so pimp? We think not.

▼ Mr. ZumA2, architect of children’s dreams.

• Badass Full Metal Rubber Band Guns, We Visit Factory For Some Shooting Practice
• Teacher accidentally fires confiscated “fake” gun in Fukuoka Prefecture school
• Toys for Grown-Ups – Tokyo Marui Comes to Play with ‘Gun-Sound’ Replica Sniper Rifles, Pistols and Grenade Launchers
• Revolutionary Speakers Made Entirely of Rubber, All the Bass without those Pesky Magnets
• Kids handle assault weapons at US Navy open house, Kanagawa civic groups angered

Origin: 【TBT】Badass full metal rubber band guns: We visit factory for some shooting practice
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.