We love our Mr. Sato. He’s the perfect combination of crazy, silly, and reckless — kind of like a Bugs Bunny that smokes! He’s also not exactly the youngest writer on the staff and is no stranger to being called “ugly” by cruel Japanese commenters. And Mr. Sato seems to have embraced this designation, even calling himself ugly at times.

Obviously, we completely disagree, but who listens to us? Certainly not Mr. Sato! Instead, he went out and found a professional makeup artist to do him up pretty before heading to a photo booth to see just how much of a pretty, pretty princess he could be. So how did it turn go for him? Read on to find out!

To start things off, Mr. Sato headed to one of Shinjuku’s more upscale department stores to buy some top-of-the-line makeup. Of course, he has basically no knowledge of makeup, so he had to ask the staff for help. Feeling a bit embarrassed, though, he ended up telling the woman helping him that he was dressing up as a lady for a company party. We’re not sure how that makes any difference, but at least he got her recommendations for the best supplies!

With the staff’s help, Mr. Sato was able to load up on foundation, eyeliner, lipstick, and blush. The grand total for these four items was 32,400 yen (about US$270). “I knew it would be expensive, but not this expensive,” Mr. Sato told us. “It’s tough being a woman!” It turns out that beauty doesn’t just hurt; it also costs an arm and a leg!

▼ Today’s lesson? Makeup does not come cheap!

▼ Seriously, who does not love that face?!

With his new purchases in hand, Mr. Sato headed to Omotesando in Harajuku, one of Tokyo’s most fashionable areas, to meet a professional makeup artist. He’d already made an appointment, so they knew he’d be bringing his own cosmetics, and this wasn’t the first time Mr. Sato has sought this pro’s help — the same artist had turned Mr. Sato into L’Arc~en~Ciel’s frontman, Hyde, earlier this year. Mr. Sato shares a little bit about the experience with us below!

▼ Getting mentally ready to be beautiful!

The first thing the artist did was moisturizing. It turns out Mr. Sato’s skin was dry — in fact, it was much drier than he’d ever realized! The artist went so far as to call it “rough,” though he couldn’t tell himself. We guess it’s not as bad as having oily skin, but it’s still not great.

▼ Making Mr. Sato moist, moist, moist.

After getting Mr. Sato’s skin nice and moist, it was time to throw some expensive foundation at his face! Or, in this case, to expertly apply the foundation, eyeliner, and eye shadow. Next was the lipstick and the blush.

▼ This is what real magic looks like.

▼ Eye-gouging is definitely an essential part of any application of makeup.

▼ Helloooooo, Mr. Sato!

An hour and one wig later, here is our resplendent Mr. Sato! 

Watch out Scarlett Johansson, your job as prettiest woman in Hollywood is on the line!

Adding in 6,480 yen for the makeup application, brought everything to 38,800 yen. But how was Mr. Sato feeling about his new face? “I looked like I was in a washed out band,” Mr. Sato lamented. Even after spending nearly 40,000 yen, he felt like he’d never escape his fate of having “old man face.”

▼ Later, he admitted that slapping a cap on his head probably didn’t help much…

▼ He does kind of look like a hair metal singer in this photo…

▼ But a pretty hair metal singer!

Clearly, Mr. Sato wasn’t satisfied with the results. We imagine shaving might have helped, but there was one stop left in the day for Mr. Sato: A session at a photo booth!

▼ “Cheeeeeeese!”

This is where the real magic actually happened, according to our gorgeous writer! Thanks to the lighting, eye-enlargement, and general beautification that photo booths apply to photos, Mr. Sato ended up looking…well, you’ll have to see for yourself!

▼ Last minute primping…

▼ Meet Satoko!

▼ Satoko is not available for dates, sadly.

▼ Fear not, Satoko! We definitely love you!

In the end, with the right makeup and software, it turned out Mr. Sato could finally cure himself of “ugly face!” (Not that we think he needed it.) And thus he truly did bring all the boys to the yard.

Don’t you just love a happy ending?

All images © RocketNews24. Broken hearts are on you.

Origin: Pretty Princess Sato: Our hero gets his makeup done by a pro, brings all the boys to the yard
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

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• This new kabuki face pack design will add a little color to your beauty routine
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As you probably know, Attack on Titan, the mega-popular manga and anime series, was recently adapted into a live-action movie and infamously received absolutely horrible reviews—it might be a toss-up between this movie and Fantastic 4 as to which summer blockbuster was worse. For its part, the Attack on Titan movie was so horrible that one Japanese critic hoped for the titans to eat the characters and be done with the whole thing. No one is asking Dr. Doom to eat Mr. Fantastic…yet.

As they say though, you shouldn’t judge something till you see it for yourself, so we had to send one of our own.

Obviously, there was only one man we could trust on such an important mission, our illustrious Japanese writer, Mr. Sato. Although, he too had read the harsh reviews, he wanted to see the first movie himself before the release of the second part of the series, Attack on Titan: End of the World. Is it possible that the ever open-minded Mr. Sato could find something to like about this film? Whatever the answer, you know he is going to wear an appropriate/inappropriate costume for the movie.

▼ Introducing Tiny Titan Sato!

▼ Even though he traveled from Shinjuku to Shibuya, there were no attacks on our titan.

▼ Still unclear what effects rain has on titans.

▼ Even titans need a smoke break

Finally at the theater, Mr. Sato acquired all the essentials required to enjoy a movie: a nice big tub of popcorn and a drink. It’s a good thing he got a large, as he had to satisfy his colossal titan-like appetite. Finally in his seat, he waited for the lights to dim and the movie to start.

▼ Titans also enjoy these concessions when watching movies.

A quick hour and a half later the credits rolled and it was time to find out what Mr. Sato thought about the movie. What sort of reaction will he have?

▼ One second after finishing the movie…

▼ Two seconds after finishing the movie…

▼ Three seconds after finishing the movie…

Though he was paralyzed like a Jizo statue, the diety that protects children, his mind wasn’t as graceful.

“What the #&@% was that?!”

Mr. Sato couldn’t seem to sort out what he was watching as the story had changed so much from the manga and anime versions. There were a number of parts of the movie that he vehemently disagreed with, like the negligence of the characters after they were attacked for the first time, characters who were unable to stick to the original characterization and the enormous deviations from the original story.

He was most hung up on the fact that the relationship between Eren and Mikasa had changed so much. Throughout the original story, they stay strong and support each other even when times are extremely tough. However in this movie, Mikasa is bitter towards Eren and blames him for things obviously out of his control. Mr. Sato simply couldn’t wrap his spandex-wrapped head around that.

Nevertheless, the ever-positive tiny titan is willing to reserve his final judgment until he sees the next movie, then he will have the chance to evaluate the whole live-action offering. The second installment comes out today, September 19, and Mr. Sato will be in the theater to catch the flick, for better or for worse. So if you happen to run into a man in a titan costume, be sure to say, hello.

Photos © RocketNews24

Origin: Attack on Titan live action movie receives its most colossal review from a Tiny Titan
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

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• The world is cruel – Critic skewers second “miserably made” live-action Attack on Titan movie
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• Attack on Thanksgiving! First animated Attack on Titan movie to open in November
• Life-size Attack on Titan monster to appear in projection-mapped form in Kawasaki
• Finally! Attack on Titan director says TV anime’s second season will start production in 2016

Carbs have long gotten a bad rap for their supposed “unhealthiness”, which in turn has spurred a number of fad diets, from the Atkin’s to the gluten-free, that urge their followers to shun the grains. But most nutritionists will still argue that, unless you have specific allergies, your body needs carbohydrates to function at its best.

Of course, as with all things, moderation is the key. But sometimes it’s okay to give yourself a little treat, and what could be better than a big old bowl of all of the carbs. We’re talking rice, pasta, ramen, and bread combined together in one heavenly bowl. Couldn’t get any better than that. Or, you may be saying to yourself, it couldn’t get any worse. Either way, we decided to give it a try and find out!

Today’s recipe contains only five ingredients: rice, bread, udon noodles, ramen noodles, and spaghetti noodles. And the only tool you’ll need: a rice cooker (if you don’t have one, you should get one. Your life will forever be changed).

Prep couldn’t be easier. After rinsing your rice clean, put it in the rice cooker along with the other ingredients. Dry spaghetti noodles are fine to use, and while raw udon and ramen noodles are preferable, if dried noodles are all you can find those will work in a pinch. Be sure to add more water than what you’d use for just rice, as the noodles will soak some of it up, and you don’t want to be left with partially cooked rice.

Once everything is in the pot and ready to go, switch the cooker on and let it work its magic!

When the time is up, open the lid and enjoy the sweet aroma of all that deliciousness.

…On second thought, maybe the bread didn’t need to be cooked. It ended up quite mushy, and didn’t add a very pleasant texture to the dish. But what’s done is done. Just give the mixture a good mix with a rice scoop and serve up a heaping bowl of goodness!

Then call your friends over for a bite. Our Japanese writers gathered around to taste the Carb King. The verdict…?

▼ “Hmm… Not bad, but the bread is a bit…yeah.”

▼ Nakazawa: “Ugh! The bread is too much!”

▼ Mr. Sato: “It’s pretty bad.”

▼ Go: “Hmm….”

While the taste itself wasn’t that bad, the mushy bread kind of ruined it, although it did lend a nice hint of saltiness to the dish. Perhaps next time we’ll keep the bread out of the rice cooker. Open-faced carb sandwiches, anyone?

If you’re brave enough, give it a go and tell us what you thought of it!

Images ©RocketNews24

Origin: Bread, noodles, and rice. We try ALL THE CARBS together with interesting results 【Rocket Kitchen】
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

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• Craving ramen, but can’t find decent noodles? Transform your spaghetti with this pasta hack!
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• Third time’s the charm – Lotteria’s noodle burger series strikes again
• Our dreams have come true, a ramen donut exists!

As you probably know, the newest iPhone was released last week to much fanfare the world over. Now, usually a new iPhone would be big news for our Japanese writers, who seem to have a bit of an addiction to Apple gadgets and can’t resist lining up to get them on day one But, as you may have noticed, we don’t have photos of Mr. Sato in a weird costume grinning with the new device this time round. What happened? Did we forget to write the article?

Well, no, we didn’t forget to write it…but someone did forget one important detail. In particular, Mr. Sato forgot where he was supposed to be waiting.

Our long-time readers will surely remember Mr. Sato beaming both last year and the year before as he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with actors Ken Watanabe and Maki Horikiata and Docomo president Kaoru Katou. Dressed in his best Slime costume (because why not troll a media event like this?) our very own Mr. Sato has twice been first in line to get the newest iPhone…and get close to his crush Maki Horikita.

▼ But not too close…

After two years in a row, this was becoming a bit of a RocketNews24 tradition—one we wait all year for, like summer vacation but without showering for a few days. And yet, we don’t have any photos of Mr. Sato with a new phone or within waving distance of Maki Horikita. So what went wrong?! Was the camera broken? Has Mr. Sato finally seen the light and decided to try a Palm Pilot instead? Did he decide he just didn’t need a new phone this year?

Well…no. But let’s back up a moment and start at the beginning.

First, on September 10, Mr. Sato found out that preorders for the new iPhone would be accepted starting on the 12th of September at 4:01 p.m. But here is where our esteemed Japanese writer’s hubris began, leading to his ultimate downfall. Instead of making the reservations himself, he left it to Yuichiro Wasai, another of our Japanese staff, sending him instructions online. The message included a URL for reservations and specifically told Wasai to make a reservation for Docomo’s Ginza location.

And, as instructed, young Wasai got online and attempted to make reservations at 4 p.m., but the writer found himself struggling to place an order due to network trouble. Mr. Sato, frustrated with the Wasai, told his fellow writer to call the store directly. Twice! Hey, no one gets between a Sato and his iPhone!

Finally, at 5 p.m., after an hour of fighting with the Internet, Wasai sent Mr. Sato a message with a screenshot of the reservation confirmation for the Ginza Domoco location. Now, all that was left to do was to be first in line!

▼ “Waiting in line! Yaaaaaaaaay!”

Several days later, on September 21, Mr. Sato sent Wasai and Seiji, yet another RocketNews24 Japan writer, a message instructing them to meet him the following day at the Maru no Uchi Docomo location at around 3 p.m. Not the Ginza location, but the Maru no Uchi location. You would think that either Wasai or Mr. Sato would notice that something was amiss here, but we suppose all the excitement over spending three days waiting outside for the new iPhone had made them careless.

And, as you can see from the photo above, everyone looks pretty pumped for the wait, especially Mr. Sato. Come on, who could resist getting swept up in the excitement with that adorable grin beaming at you?! But despite totally ignoring one very important detail, it seems Mr. Sato couldn’t help being a stickler over other details, like pestering his globe-trotting colleague Hatori Go about the location of the blue sleeping bag even after finding a perfectly usable green one. Maybe he was hoping to match the sleeping bag to his slime costume?

▼ Though even the beautiful costume can’t hide the awkwardness in this photo.

And then there was nothing to do but wait. For two long days, Mr. Sato, Wasai, and Seiji sat at the Docomo Maru no Uchi location, exposed to the elements and killing time until Mr. Sato could be first in Japan to wrap his hand around a shiny new iPhone. Until, that is, a fateful message arrived for Mr. Sato from RocketNews24’s tech manager Kawarano.

“It’s kind of late, but I just wanted to check. Your reservation is for Ginza, but are you picking it up at the Maru no Uchi location? Just wondering if you’re at the wrong place.”

Crap.

After waiting for days, after sitting in the rain, after getting his hopes up to meet Maki Horikita again and be the first in Japan to get the new iPhone, after dragging two other writers to suffer with him downtown, Mr. Sato realized it had all been for nothing.

▼ Well, not nothing. The other writers got a good laugh out of it.

With the launch now less than 24 hours away, there was nothing to be done. All that time was no better spent than if they had been seeking an attendance with Godot! Shamed, humiliated, and disheartened, Mr. Sato made the journey back to the office, his dreams of being first in line for the new iPhone three years in a row dashed upon rocks like Icarus after flying too high.

Our normally confident and sexy Mr. Sato could only hang his head and apologize. He even admitted to being a bit deflated, saying it was a mistake that never should have happened.

▼ Our hero smarting from the sting of a downfall brought about by his own hubris.

But this is only one mistake! As surely as winter snows will melt in the spring, there will be another new iPhone, another chance for Mr. Sato to pick himself up and charge forward! Forward into glory! Forward into…waiting several days outside to get a new version of a phone he already owns. Well, it might not be slaying a hydra, but this hero’s tale is hardly over.

Wait on, Mr. Sato! Wait on!

All images © RocketNews24

Origin: “Don’t we have photos of Mr. Sato with a new iPhone?” “No, he spent two days at the wrong store.”
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

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• We try to get the first PS4 sold in Japan, and so does this guy dressed like a Move controller
• Mr. Sato’s blonde ambition leads him to look for love from beyond the grave

It’s been one month since Nakazawa, who’s also a guitarist for two bands, joined the Japanese RocketNews24 team. On a recent day, our veteran reporter Mr. Sato told Nakazawa to follow him as he ventured into the outside world. When Nakazawa asked where they were going, Mr. Sato coolly replied: “To a good place. I’m going to make you happy.”

Not one to argue with a perpetual fan-favorite reporter, especially as a new recruit, Nakazawa obediently agreed.

Two short train rides later, our two adventurers finally arrived at their destination: a collection of bars and other late-night eateries near Tokyo’s Kita-Senju Station. Nakazawa followed Mr. Sato silently until the expert reporter suddenly stopped in his tracks. “We’re here,” Mr. Sato announced. Nakazawa looked up and was shocked to discover that they were standing in front of what looked like a hotel—and not just any hotel, but a LOVE hotel!

Though they had been walking in a straight path after leaving the station, Nakazawa was caught off-guard when Mr. Sato suddenly changed direction and veered onto a side street and headed deeper into the maze of back alleyways. As his face remained expressionless and his pace unwavering, Nakazawa admitted that he felt a twinge of fear at what lay ahead.

Finally, the moment came when Mr. Sato abruptly stopped and announced that they had reached their destination. Nakazawa followed the direction he was pointing in and his eyes came to rest on none other than the exterior of…a love hotel!? Why would his senior bring him to a place frequented solely by horny couples and the occasional shifty looking businessman? The only thought swirling around in Nakazawa’s head was, “Mr. Sato, you can’t be serious!”

▼ “We’re here.” But where the heck is here?

Nakazawa stammered out an awkward plea to let himself go freely this time, despite being the newest member of the team and in the presence of a more experienced coworker. On any other occasion he would do almost anything for RocketNews24’s own in-house celebrity—anything but that!

▼ “Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy…but yeah, this is crazy.”

In all of his seasoned professionalism, Mr. Sato calmly answered: “Huh? What are you taking about? Look.” This time, Nakazawa’s eyes lit upon a small sign by the door…displaying a list of sushi!?

▼ “Read, you fool!”

▼ “Ohhh. Phew, I almost had a heart attack there.”

They opened the doors and walked down a flight of stairs, and it was indeed a sushi restaurant, and not some kinky love hotel! Nakazawa was palpably relieved. After all, no matter how attractive Mr. Sato is, he had only just met the man a few weeks ago…

It turned out that Mr. Sato had wanted to celebrate Nakazawa’s one-month anniversary of joining the team and decided to take him out to sushi at this restaurant called Sushitani. Touched as he was, Nakazawa couldn’t help but scream inside his head: “Couldn’t you have just said so from the start!?”

The restaurant was divided into a counter area and booths, inviting a casual atmosphere. A quick glance at the menu showed a full selection of sushi toppings. The prices also appeared to be comparable to other places in the city—except for the salmon set, which was strangely cheap at five pieces for only 380 yen (US$3.18).

▼ The inexpensive salmon set

Despite the restaurant’s easily confusing facade, the sushi’s taste was reasonably solid, and the ingredients were definitely fresh.

The only other surprising item on the menu was an extra-large portion of chawan-mushi (a steamed egg custard, usually served in a teacup-sized dish) being sold for 1,000 yen ($8.38). Mr. Sato decided to order it half for fun, but he got much more than he bargained for when it arrived in a porcelain bowl usually reserved for rice and meat dishes! It was a mystery to them why the restaurant offered that dish, and only that dish, in an extra-large portion variation…

All in all, Nakazawa greatly appreciated Mr. Sato’s generous treat to commemorate the start of his working at RocketNews24. But he still hopes that the next time Mr. Sato decides to have him tag along somewhere, it will be to a less conspicuous place!

▼ Nakazawa celebrating the end of his “ordeal” with a full stomach.

Restaurant Information
Sushitani/すし谷
Address: 1st floor, SS Building, 1-32-2 Senju, Adachi-ku, Tokyo
東京都足立区千住1-32-2 SSビル 1F
Hours: 5pm–3:30am
Closed: Sundays and national holidays

All images © RocketNews24

Origin: Mr. Sato takes our newest reporter to a sushi restaurant, he mistakes it for a love hotel!
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

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• 21 photos of Sukiyabashi Jiro sushi, probably the best in all the world
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• We sample blue Drift Ice Curry from the India of the Okhotsk Sea
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With Halloween just around the corner, people across Japan are getting ready to transform into all manner of awesome creatures. As a matter of fact, even some restaurants are getting into the spirit with special Halloween menu items, and we found one that’s a genuine monster: Tokyo’s massive Monster Burger, which is actually five burgers combined as one!

Some men have a weakness for beautiful women. Other can’t resist the lure of games of chance. But the personal siren song for our intrepid Japanese-language reporter Mr. Sato is gigantic hamburgers, which is why he found himself sitting in the AS Classics Diner in Tokyo’s Roppongi Hills entertainment center.

From October 16 to 31, the restaurant is offering the Monster Burger, a 35.8-centimeter (14.1-inch) tower of beef and buns. Accompanied by one of his understudies, Mr. Sato recently visited the eatery, and the sandwich was just as huge as promised.

Two things make the Monster Burger special, even compared to other oversized hamburgers of its ilk. First is the presentation. Usually, when restaurants are trying to grab your attention with quantity, they don’t put much effort into how the food is arranged. AS Classics makes sure the Monster Burger is looking good, though. With its ingredients carefully stacked, the sandwich stood tall and proud, with no danger of toppling or collapsing under its own weight.

What’s more, it’s not like the Monster Burger is just a quintuple order of the restaurant’s most bare-bones burger. It’s actually formed of the five most popular hamburgers on AC Classics’ menu, like a delicious edible Voltron.

▼ After lion and vehicle, burger was the obvious next component choice.

Starting at the penthouse and making your way down, you’ll find a cheeseburger…

…avocado burger…

…bacon cheeseburger…

…chili burger…

…and, finally, a teriyaki burger.

This being Roppongi, where Tokyo’s beautiful people come out to play, the restaurant isn’t expecting you to dismantle the Monster Burger on your own, possibly spilling food on your clubbing gear in the process. After giving diners a moment to snap pictures of the behemoth, the wait staff will put the sub-burgers onto plates, if you so request.

Mr. Sato is glad to report that the flavor is as impressive as the presentation. The patties are nice and juicy, and the buns are soft and absorbent, soaking up cheese and meat drippings so you can savor every last drop of flavor.

At 4,860 yen (US$41), the Monster Burger works out cheaper than ordering the equivalent burgers individually. Split between four or five people, it’s actually pretty reasonably priced, especially for this swanky part of Tokyo. Best of all, AS Classics is happy to bag up any leftovers, just in case you can’t finish the whole thing in one sitting.

▼ And yes, the Monster Burger comes with a side of fries.

Restaurant information
AS Classics Dinner Roppongi Hills branch / エーエス クラシックス ダイナー 六本木ヒルズ店
Address: Tokyo-to, Minakto-ku, Roppongi 6-4-1, Roppongi Hills Metro Hat Hollywood Plaza basement level 1
東京都港区六本木6-4-1 六本木ヒルズ メトロハット ハリウッドプラザ B1F
Open 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
Website

Photos ©RocketNews24

Origin: Tokyo’s massive Monster Burger is the combining robot of hamburgers
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

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• What Kind of Hamburger Is Worth 23 Bucks?
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• Third time’s the charm – Lotteria’s noodle burger series strikes again
• Why does Burger King’s black burger turn poo green in the U.S. and the U.K., but not Japan?

For English speakers, the Japanese language can be difficult to master. The writing system is completely alien, sentences sound like something Yoda would say thanks to the order the words come in, and while it makes perfect sense once you get the hang of it, the Japanese’s habit of omitting pronouns can make conversations almost impossible to follow.

The good news is that for short visits to Japan you can usually get by with very little Japanese since people are usually extremely patient and accommodating. A bit of miming here and a “please” and a “thank you” there will get you a long way.

But if you’re not familiar with Japanese hand gestures, you may end up in a sticky—or at least rather embarrassing—situation…

In this short video, our famous reporter Mr Sato quizzes you on four common Japanese hand gestures. He’ll also show you a few that you won’t often see in the wild but which make him the man we love so much. So sit back and get ready for a crash course in Japanese gestures. If you see something you’d like to know more about, be sure to leave a comment at the foot of the page—we’re sure one of your fellow readers who has a black belt in Japanese be able to help you out.

Take good care of those tiny foxes, boys and girls, and have a great weekend!

Now read:

Four Western gestures that are difficult for Japanese people to understand

Origin: Talk with your hands — Mr Sato tests your knowledge of common Japanese hand gestures【Video】
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

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It’s been months of events and marketing in the making, and Halloween has finally arrived in Japan. Our own Mr. Sato and P.K. Sanjun decided to hit the streets of Shibuya in costume to  report on the festivities at hand.

Well actually, they went a day early, but as we’ll soon see, October 31st ain’t nothing but an ordinal number assigned to anachronistically named month, because in Japan, Halloween comes whenever you want it to.

Last year, Mr. Sato and P.K. went out as pear-mascots inspired by the famous Funassyi yurukyara. Of course, choosing the same costume two years in a row lacks artistic integrity. On the other hand, they still had gallons of yellow paint at their disposal. That, combined with the large amount of blue bubble wrap that just happened to be lying around, could mean only one thing: Marge Simpson.

Sure the dresses weren’t exactly Simpsons canon and the pair made the bold choice of painting pupils on top of their eyes, giving them a trippy double eye look, but we’ll be damned if they didn’t pull it off.

With our Marges suited up, it was time to head down to Shibuya and check in on the action. Mr. Sato first went to the editor to request a Uber car to take them there.

“Excuse me, could we…” began Mr. Sato.

“What are you supposed to be one of those ‘rocky horror shows’ or something?” asked the editor with his eyes locked on an intense Spider Solitaire game.

Mr. Sato replied, “No, We’re Mar…”

The editor then threw a handful of 10-yen coins at their feet. “Whatever, here’s some train fare. Shut up and get out of here.” he said eyes still fixated on his monitor and made a shooing gesture at them with his hand.

And so, it was time to ride the rails.

Mr. Sato silently stared at P.K. on the train and noticed that his make-up was beginning to peel under the chin giving him a somewhat reptilian appearance. “Should I tell him?” thought Mr. Sato, “Naw, that would just bum him out.”

By the time they exited Shibuya Station, Mr. Sato had really taken to his Marge Simpson character. He was walking through the station with all the grace of a young Jackie O. PK on the other hand carried himself with the poise of a young Dennis Rodman coming off the court.

The guys were growing anxious, knowing that it was actually the night before Halloween. Sure enough, when they hit the famous Shibuya intersection at about 7:00 p.m. they were the only ones in costume. That alone would have made them stick out but the extremely bright yellow paint and yard of blue bubble wrap on their heads really sealed the deal.

However, rather than running in terror at P.K.’s cracking face and Mr. Sato’s all-too-form-fitting dress, everyone pulled out their cameras and asked to have their pictures taken with the pair.

But, as the night went on, bit by bit, people in costume began appearing in the streets too.

And as flakes from the face of P.K. continued to fall onto his dress, they even bumped into the rest of the Simpson family.

But the highlight of the night came when a quartet of pretty girls approached our reporters screaming and waving. Our reporters were initially frightened, but calmed down after realizing it wasn’t the usual pepper spray or court orders that girls like that usually wave at them.

Glancing over at the gullet of PK who at this point looked just like an iguana, Mr. Sato thought to himself, “Wow cute girls like these actually want to talk to a couple of old farts like us?! Halloween is awesome.”

It was indeed a fortuitous Halloween party and a sign that the actual holiday would be even more of a happening in the streets of Shibuya. However, with all of the make-up completely fallen off the throat of P.K. it was time to call it a day.

Merry Halloween to all, and to all a good night!

Photos: RocketNews24

Origin: Our reporters search for the spirit of Halloween in Shibuya and make some new friends
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

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On Friday night, illustrious RocketNews24 reporters Mr. Sato and P.K. Sanjun ventured out into the streets of Shibuya, Tokyo’s hub of youth culture. Both dressed as Marge Simpson, they were there to check out this year’s collection of crazy costumes. While Halloween as a holiday is still only catching on in Japan, they were thrilled by the number of like-minded, costumed revelers they found.

Join us for a photographic tour of some of the costumed people they ran into on the streets of Shibuya!

Despite being the night before Halloween, Mr. Sato and P.K. managed to find an impressive number of people who were already dressing up. The getups ranged from simple bloody face make-up and cat ears to all-out costume labors of love. But no matter how complex the outfits were, the atmosphere was one of people wholeheartedly embracing the fun spirit of Halloween.

Some of the most impressive displays were groups who dressed up around common themes. Such groups created a definite visual impact, as seen in the following two squads:

▼ These cuties positively begged to take a picture with our hunky reporters, so who were they to refuse?

▼ Perhaps the cleverest group were these girls dressed up as the titular character from the popular Where’s Wally/Waldo? series of children’s books. Too bad our reporters didn’t get anything for finding them!

But before all that, Mr. Sato and P.K. had to get to Shibuya, which was a whole adventure in itself. They certainly drew more than a few stares on the train with their yellow body paint and (dare we say–ingenious) use of bubble wrap to create Marge Simpson’s signature ‘do:

▼ P.K., maybe you could’ve touched up the paint on your neck a bit so it doesn’t look so much like a wild animal mauled you…

▼ Exiting the gates in epic fashion

▼ No, they don’t stand out or anything…

▼ Finally reaching their destination!

After reaching Shibuya Station, they headed directly to Center Gai, a narrow street full of shops right past the famous scramble intersection which is considered to be the heart of Shibuya. Thankfully, they had no trouble finding fellow Halloween revelers right away in this area.

Enjoy the following photos they took with some of Shibuya’s finest costumed merrymakers!

Not to rush things, but we’re already looking forward to seeing what impressive getups Mr. Sato and P.K. find next year on Halloween!

All photos ©RocketNews24

Origin: Tokyo Halloween 2015: Our reporters’ collection of photos from their night in Shibuya【Photos】
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

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Believe it or not, our crack Japanese-language reporter, Mr. Sato, has been struggling with his self-image recently. In recognition of all his hard work, we decided to spring for a makeover for the poor guy, and not at a pet grooming salon like we did before.

No, this time, Mr. Sato is getting the full-on host bar treatment, complete with a photo session commemorating his transformation into a guy so hot women would pay money just to sit and drink with him.

The RocketNews24 offices are located in Shinjuku, not far from Tokyo’s Kabukicho pleasure quarter and its warren of hostess and host bars. As Mr. Sato walks past the latter on his way to work, he can’t help but notice the photos of suave, handsome hosts plastered on the signs of the establishments they work for, and by the time he gets to the office, he’s completely depressed over how uncool he thinks he looks by comparison.

▼ Mr. Sato, in his everyday form.

But with a job that sits at the crossroads of modeling and hospitality, certainly hosts don’t just rely on their God-given good looks, right? As in any profession where appearances count, they obviously put a lot of effort into grooming and fashion, and those glossy photos that reel customers into their bars are taken by professionals. So we decided to see if we could get Mr. Sato looking just as sharp as a Tokyo host.

First up was a visit to AnZie, a beauty salon located on Omotesando in the trendy Harajuku neighborhood. AnZie’s stylists took Mr. Sato’s salt-and-pepper hair and dyed it a youthfully fashionable light brown, and also trimmed and styled his powered-up locks.

The makeup artist also touched up our man’s face.

Since no one’s been able to definitely settle that argument about whether the clothes make the man or the man makes the clothes, we decided to cover both bases by outfitting Mr. Sato with a fitted suit and subtly bold purple dress shirt.

▼ Is…is that really you, Mr. Sato?

▼ Oh, we guess it is.

But while he had the look, Mr, Sato still wasn’t quite capable of walking the walk. Hosts are supposed to be dripping with confidence, but the suddenness of his transformation had him feeling just a little tense when we turned our camera on him.

So our next stop was Urecco Studio Men’s, a photo studio in Kabukicho that specializes in taking professional-use pictures for hosts and host bars. “Is there any way you can help me?” Mr. Sato nervously asked as he stepped into Urecco, and the smiling cameraman assured him “You’re gonna look great!”

Being pros, Urecco’s services don’t come cheap. A two-photo set will cost you 5,400 yen (US$45), and each additional pose is 1,080 yen more. Still, the staff knows its stuff, and as the camera clicked away, they gave a steady stream of easy-to-understand advice to Mr. Sato, telling him to loosen a shoulder here, gaze of into the distance there, and make other subtle adjustments that he wouldn’t have thought of on his own.

So is it worth the price? Well, remember, Mr. Sato started out like this:

And here’s how he looks in his Urecco-produced host photo portfolio.

Seriously, we don’t think we’d have been able to recognize him, and we see him every day! We never knew the guy had so much sexiness in him.

▼ It’s just wrapped in several layers of silliness.

So on your next girl’s night out in Tokyo, take a close look at the guys in the host club, because one of them might just be RocketNews24’s very own Mr. Sato.

Related: AnZie, Urecco Studio Men’s
Images ©RocketNews24

Origin: Tokyo’s host club photo studio will have you looking like the coolest Kabukicho club king
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

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Mr. Sato isn’t the only RocketNews24 reporter who recently had a Kabukicho host club-style makeover, but is he the coolest? Cast your vote and help us decide!

Last week, we gave one of RocketNews24’s Japanese-language correspondents, Mr. Sato, a makeover that had him looking like a sultry host of the type you’ll find working the clubs in Japan’s pleasure districts. However, stunning as the transformation was, we know from experience that there’s nothing Mr. Sato can’t do.

So we started wondering, could we repeat the same result with another member of our staff? And that’s how Go, another writer for our Japanese sister site, found himself in front of the AnZie hair salon in Tokyo’s Harajuku neighborhood.

In order to prove that anything Mr. Sato can do, he can do better, Go wanted to compete on an even playing field. So not only did he have his hair and makeup done at the same salon as Mr. Sato, he even called on the services of the same hairstylist, the talented Koji Sato (no relation to the aforementioned Mr. Sato), who’s helped us out on a number of projects.

“Make me look like a host,” Go said to the stylist, who responded with a confident “Understood,” despite the vagueness of the request.

But that did indeed turn out to be all the direction Koji needed to get Go’s hair and makeup looking just right. After a little more than an hour, Go left AnZie looking like a host from the shoulders up.

Next, it was time for Go to put together his host wardrobe, and he spared several expenses, buying a 10,000-yen (US$83) white suit online, and ordering a couple of flashy shirts while he was at it.

Still, something didn’t seem quite right. Instead of looking like a hot and put-together host, Go felt he was giving off more of a washed-up pop star vibe.

▼ An unimpressed Mr. Sato looks on as Go snaps selfies in his apartment.

This called for professional equipment, a professional studio, and a professional cameraman. So it was time for another trip to Urecco Studio Mens, located in Kabukicho, the heart of Tokyo’s host and hostess bar scene.

Urecco usually only offers its services to professional hosts, but when Go told them of his desire to one-up Mr. Sato, they agreed to lend him their support. With Urecco’s cameraman encouraging him to bring out his playful side, it wasn’t long before Go felt like he was truly becoming a host.

After taking pictures with a variety of poses and backdrops, it was time to check the results, and Go was not disappointed.

Yes, believe it or not, this…

…is the same person as this guy!

As a matter of fact, Go was so impressed with his new look that he’s been toying with the idea of having people refer to him as “The White Fallen Angel who Dances through the Night.” And that’s not the only distinction he wants. Go is also laying claim to the title of “The Number-One Rocket Host,” asserting that the number-two slot has Mr. Sato’s name on it.

But that’s not a title you can just give yourself. It’s time to let the people’s voice be heard, so tell us, fine readers, which of these two fine men, Host Go (shown on the left below) or Host Sato (on the right), would you pay to sit and drink with you?

Related: AnZie, Urecco Studio Men’s
Images ©RocketNews24

Origin: Can lightning strike twice? We return to Tokyo’s host photo studio to crown the RocketHost 【Poll】
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

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RocketNews24 reporter extraordinaire Mr. Sato will soon be taking your questions about life, love, Japan, and everything in between.

He’s the cool uncle you always wished you had, and he’ll make it all better soon. Say hello to our newest feature: Ask Mr. Sato.

We’ll be posting the email address you can send your musings and queries to on the website sometime next week, but in the meantime enjoy this teaser video. Doesn’t Mr. Sato look sharp in his suit?

Stay tuned, Rocketeers!

Origin: RocketNews24’s Mr. Sato is here to help!【Video】
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

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If you’ve ever wanted to turn back time and step into the clothes of a well-dressed geisha, a pipe-smoking courtesan or a sword-wielding samurai warrior, we’ve found the perfect place for you!

Located in Asakusa, Tokyo, Studio Nanairo offers customers a wide range of settings and photographic options, and is so large it’s spread out over eight floors of a high-rise building. Our reporter Mr Sato paid a visit to the studio to try out their services, and while he was impressed by their geisha, maiko and oiran (courtesan) packages, he decided to forgo the ladylike styles this time and instead opt for the samurai experience.

Smiling for his before shot outside the studio, Mr Sato looks just like a regular guy. Now it’s time to unleash the samurai hiding within!

Once inside, the transformation begins in the dressing room on the second floor. The “samurai-style package” includes hair and make-up and a kimono, haori (Japanese formal coat) and hakama (man’s formal skirt) set. Plus, you’re free to use as many of their props as you like and you can choose from Japanese-style studio spaces or ones with plain white or grey backdrops.

Mr Sato requested to use the studio usually reserved for oiran courtesan packages. The area is low so you can’t stand up inside, which makes it perfect for sprawling out in the manner of a sexy courtesan but not ideal for any impressive sword-holding shots. The staff are dedicated to providing customers with the best possible photos so they’re more than happy to meet requests and will even take sample shots of you in different rooms to find the one that suits you best.

The low-nature of the room actually made this the perfect setting for a high-ranking lord enjoying an evening in the pleasure quarters, so Mr Sato quickly got into character.

▼ Bring me sake and the prettiest girl you’ve got!

▼ That’s your prettiest courtesan? Retreat and bring me another!

▼ Oh yes! Now that’s more like it!

The photographer is great at guiding you into new poses and facial expressions, which helps to create some beautiful images. Mr Sato suggests to really let yourself go and aim for a facial expression that at first might seem a bit over the top to get some really good shots.

▼ Here, Mr Sato channels an evil magistrate from the Edo period (1603–1867).

▼ And here he plays a wistful poet, contemplating life and love.

The mood of the photos changes again once the haori coat is removed. Check out the gorgeous autumn leaf details by his side!

▼ Don’t mess with Mr Sato!

The entire experience took just one and a half hours to complete, and everything was seamless, from start to finish, thanks to all the professional staff. While the samurai-style package cost 15,120 yen (US$123.24), including a choice of three photos, in 2L-sized prints and CD-R formats, Our reporter was so impressed with the photos, he purchased all the data from the day for an additional 20,000 yen.

The images are perfect for creating New Year’s nengajo cards, so if you’re one of Mr Sato’s peeps, you can expect to see one of these in your inbox or mailbox on January 1. A message from Lord Sato—what a way to start the year!

Located close to the famous Senso-ji shrine in Asakusa, Studio Nanairo is the perfect place to pop by to create a personal souvenir you won’t get anywhere else. With several packages on offer, be sure to visit their website to check out all the details!

Studio Information
Studio Nanairo/浅草変身写真館  スタジオ七色
Address: Tokyo-to Taito-ku, Kaminarimon 2-17-8
東京都台東区雷門2-17-8
Website

All images © RocketNews24

Origin: Asakusa photo studio transforms visitors into courtesans, geisha and samurai
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

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Episode 1 of our brand new series, Ask Mr. Sato, is here! Join us at the link below to listen to the great man’s sagely advice!

This week, RocketNews24’s intrepid reporter Mr. Sato shares his wisdom on the subjects of dreams, cats vs dogs, and being a hit with the ladies.

Pay attention, boys and girls; this guy knows his stuff!

Mr. Sato hath spoken!

Have a question for the man in the chair? Mail him, in English or Japanese, at: 

info@en.rocketnews24.com 

Be sure to use the subject line “Ask Mr. Sato” and include your first name, age (if you’re willing to share!) and the country you live in.

The best questions will be put to the honourable Mr. Sato and be answered in our next video! See you next time!

Origin: Ask Mr. Sato Episode 1 – Love, Dreams, Cats vs Dogs【Video】
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

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We sent Mr. Sato to Forever 21 with 10,000 yen (about US$82) and asked them to help him put together an outfit. The results may surprise you!

Mr. Sato has been busy this month! From playing dress-up in Asakusa to answering all your (slightly crazy) questions, our hero has hardly had any time to himself. And now the poor guy is clearly in need of some clothes that aren’t super traditional or suits, so we figured we figured we’d treat him to a new outfit! With a 10,000 yen note in one hand and dreams of trendy clothes in his head, our dashing writer headed to the nearest Forever 21 store and asked them to put together an outfit!

Yes, you read that correctly. Mr. Sato would be (mostly) leaving the purchasing decisions to the Forever 21 staff. Whether or not that’s a good idea, we’ll leave to you to decide…

▼ I swear I had this same shirt in high school in the 90s…

The first staff member Mr. Sato spotted was a handsome foreigner. “This guy looks like someone who knows how to dress,” Mr. Sato decided and walked up to the young man. “Excuse me, but would you mind picking out 10,000 yen worth of clothes for me?” After some momentary shock, Mr. Sato’s victim, ahem, we mean, assistant readily agreed and the pair dove into the store to recreate the weirdest version of Pretty Woman you’ve ever seen.

One of the first things Mr. Sato noticed about his new friend was how fast he moved through everything. “Do you want a shirt or a sweater? Black or red?” The questions kept coming and each answer resulted in another article of clothing selected for our writer. He later told us just how impressed he was with the staff member, so, good job, Forever 21 staff! You have the Mr. Sato seal of approval for your fashion-choosing skills!

The outfit was based around the black and red flannel shirt above, which was paired with black pants and a black cardigan. We have to admit that it looked like everything was going together well in a “Pearl Jam-in-sweaters” kind of way.

But then Mr. Sato totally threw the whole process off the rails when he laid eyes on what might be the most hideous hat we’ve ever seen and felt a twinge in his heart. “I must have it!” he decided.

▼ One of the great mysteries of the universe: Who thought this was a good idea?

Unfortunately, the headgear pushed the price of the total ensemble over 10,000 yen. Fortunately, the gentleman helping Mr. Sato was perfectly capable of dealing with the request and quickly switched out the thick cardigan he’d originally selected for the thinner one you see below.

And there was still just enough money to buy a plain, black scarf!

So, after all that, how does the final outfit look? Not bad, actually!

▼ Except for the poor swamp rat flopped over his head.

Mr. Sato was thoroughly impressed with the decisions the foreign Forever 21 staff member made for him. And even in the fashion industry, the most important thing is keeping your customers happy!

▼ The receipt came in just under 10,000 yen.

In his final assessment, Mr. Sato decided that if you’re an unfashionable guy looking to kick things up a notch, going to Forever 21 with a few bills and asking for help is a good option. We’ll let you take a look at our Mr. Sato fashion show before you decide if he’s crazy or not.

If nothing else, we have to say this outfit does give Mr. Sato a sort of “young man” look. Though we’re still partial to his suit and cigar!

All images © RocketNews24

Origin: How fashionable can you be with $82 at Forever 21? Mr. Sato finds out!
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

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This week, Starbucks Japan released a giant US$700 ceramic mug, and naturally, we had to order one and get Mr. Sato to do something crazy with it!

The “Big Logo Mug”, which was released for sale exclusively through Starbucks Japan’s online store starting December 1, is definitely a hefty piece of pottery. And not only is it huge, it also comes with an eye-popping price tag of 86,400 yen (US$703.64)! Seriously, who would be buying this? Well, as it turns out, plenty of people were interested in the oversized mug, and the item quickly sold out the day it was released.

We too couldn’t resist ordering one ourselves and sharing our experience with you, so here’s our report on Mr. Sato’s adventure taking the mug out for a cup of coffee.

▼ Here’s the mug, as advertised on the site. It arrived the very next day!

photo: Starbucks Japan online shop

▼ We expected it to be big, but we couldn’t help being impressed with how big it was!

▼We opened the box in anticipation.

▼ Simply opening the box was quite a job…

▼ So…heavy! The product description says it weighs 9.5 kilograms (20.9 pounds)!

▼ That’s one large mug!

▼ We couldn’t help admiring it from different angles.

▼ Placing it besides the Starbucks China mug shows how big it really is!

Now, while they’re calling this product a mug, apparently it’s not designed to be used as an actual cup and you’re technically not supposed to pour liquid in it. But we really, really wanted to try having Starbucks coffee with the mug, so we decided to have Mr. Sato take the enormous cup with him to a Starbucks store. And what better place to do that then at the Starbucks in front of the Shibuya scramble crossing, one of the busiest places in all of Japan?

▼ Here’s Mr. Sato on his way to Shibuya on the subway with the mug.

▼ Here we are inside the train. Yup, the mug definitely catches the eye.

Walking to the station and taking the subway while carrying around the heavy mug wasn’t exactly easy. By the time Mr. Sato reached Shibuya, he was really ready for that cup of coffee. Oh, and it might just have been our imagination, but we’re pretty sure we go quite a few surprised stares from passers-by on our way to Shibuya!

▼ Phew, we finally made it to the Starbucks in Shibuya!

▼ Now we were ready to order!

But when we tried to order our coffee, the staff at the counter were totally thrown by the mug and asked us to wait a moment while she went to get someone in charge. Here’s how Mr. Sato’s conversation with (whom we assumed was) the store manager went:

Mr. Sato: Can I have some coffee, please?

Staff: I’m very sorry, sir, but we can’t put liquids in this mug.

Mr. Sato: It’s not possible to get coffee in this mug?!

Saff: The inside surface of the mug hasn’t been appropriately coated, so there’s a chance that it could leak.

Mr. Sato: I see. Hmm… But I really wanted to drink coffee with this, though.

Staff: We’re very sorry, sir.

In short, although they were extremely polite about it, they made it clear that they couldn’t serve us coffee in the mug. But we couldn’t just give up! So, we decided to just order some coffee and pour it into the mug ourselves. The largest size they serve at this store was a tall, so we ordered one and took a seat on the second floor where we had a nice view of the Shibuya crossing. Not surprisingly, we attracted a lot of attention with our mug in tow.

▼ We still couldn’t get over how big it looked next to the coffee cup!

▼ In this, it looks like there’s hardly any coffee…

▼ And now to actually drink it! The mug was so heavy, it was a struggle to lift it.

Okay, so Mr. Sato ended up really just licking the coffee, because if he tried any harder, he would have fallen backwards with the weight of the mug.

▼ By the way, the mug was so large you could see it clearly from outside the store!

▼ And here’s a video of the whole experience:

So, our conclusion for Mr. Sato’s outing with the (amazingly heavy) Starbucks Big Logo Mug is that you really probably shouldn’t try to drink out of it.

Thanks for all the heavy-duty carrying and lifting, Mr. Sato. And we hope you got to enjoy a nice cup of coffee in the end after all the hard work!

Original report by: Hidenori Sato
Photos: ©RocketNews24 except where otherwise noted

Origin: Mr. Sato decides to go out for a cup of coffee…with a giant 20-pound Starbucks mug!
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

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A certain reporter we know recently decided to make 20 kilos (44 pounds) of ‘Fruiche’ dessert in his very, very large Starbucks mug…

Starbucks Japan began selling the “Big Logo Mug” exclusively through its online store on December 1. Being big fans, we naturally snapped one up right away—with its hefty price tag of 86,400 yen (US$703.64), the mug wasn’t a cheap purchase by any means, but since when have you ever known RocketNews24 to go the safe route?

After Mr. Sato’s recent (mis)adventure lugging said mug to the Starbucks location in front of JR Shibuya Station to get a cup of joe, he was at a bit of a loss for how to best make use of his brand-new possession. As quickly became blatantly apparent, the mug is too cumbersome to drink from on a regular basis…but that got Mr. Sato’s creative mind-wheels spinning—maybe he could cook something in it instead!

Mr. Sato and some of our other Japanese reporters eventually decided to whip up a very, very large batch of Fruiche, a simple chilled dessert that’s very popular in Japan and requires only milk to be added to it before being placed in the fridge for a while. We have to say, it came out pretty darn good, too!

Check out the video of Mr. Sato’s culinary adventure below then scroll down for the step-by-step description. 

To make the Fruiche, we needed a lot of ingredients to fill the ginormous mug, which measures approximately 37 centimeters (14.6 inches) in height and 30 centimeters (11.8 inches) in diameter.

Estimating that roughly 24 liters (6.3 gallons) of dessert could fill the mug, we calculated the necessary ingredients accordingly and set out to buy a whopping 60 boxes of Fruiche mix and 12 1-liter cartons of milk. See, kids? Math is useful when you grow up!

▼ The culinary adventure spoils

We weren’t worried about getting the milk, which can be bought easily in bulk at the supermarket. Even if the store ran out of stock, we could just swing a local convenience store to grab the necessary remainder.

However, finding 60 boxes of Fruiche was trickier than we thought! A long time ago, even small, local stores used to carry it regularly, but nowadays it’s not a guaranteed find even at large chains or convenience stores. It took Mr. Sato and the others a long time to find 60 boxes—but find them they did!

▼ Preparing the Fruiche mix packets

While they were off buying the above ingredients, we also made sure to preemptively chill the mug in the office fridge. But even such a seemingly simple task wasn’t so simple after all–we ended up having to take out all of the shelves just so that it could fit inside!

Once we had procured all of the ingredients, it was finally time to begin making the Fruiche. But then we had another realization–the mug was being substituted as a giant bowl, but what could we use to stir the contents with? We had no choice but to go out to buy a giant ladle from the hardware store!

We then proceeded to begin dumping the Fruiche mix into the mug and stirring the milk in little by little:

Keep stirring, guys! Mix it until your arms want to fall off.

▼ Also note our new giant teddy bear friends taking a breather from all the hard work in the background.

Naturally, the mixture got more and more difficult to stir as the volume increased. We couldn’t take a break from stirring or else it wouldn’t come out right, so we had no choice but to take turns pushing our muscles to their limits. However, at this point, something entirely unexpected happened–the giant ladle broke! The dessert mixture must have been too much for the handle to handle (no pun intended…).

Not to let this little setback get in the way of our mission, we somehow managed to keep stirring and filled the mug to the top. All in all, we used up 50 of the 60 boxes of Fruiche mix and 10 of the 12 cartons of milk, producing an incredible 20 kilograms (44 pounds) of Fruiche. Adding in the weight of the mug, it actually came out closer to 30 kilograms (66 pounds) in total. Now the final challenge was just to move the mug back into the fridge to let the dessert chill and harden.

▼ Have you been faithfully hitting up the gym, Mr. Sato?

After leaving it in the fridge for 30 minutes, we were pleased to see that it had hardened quite nicely!

We probably just broke a record for the largest tub of Fruiche or something:

The chilled mixture was too hard to scoop with regular spoons, so we ended up using a trowel to dish it out instead:

So what was the verdict? Everyone agreed that it was a massive success! Despite the exponentially larger-than-normal size of the recipe, it came out tasting like a perfect Fruiche.

We hope that other potential buyers of a Starbucks “Big Logo Mug” will use our story as a reference for how to best make use of their own giant mugs. Hear that, everyone? All you need is a 86,400 yen-mug, 50 boxes of Fruiche mix, 10 liters of milk, and you too can enjoy an unusually large treat! And preferably, one crazy man to help you along the way.

▼ Mr. Sato approves.

All images © RocketNews24

Origin: What do you do with a very large novelty Starbucks mug? Make a very large dessert!
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

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We hear there are also customized cars at the event, but somehow our eyes were drawn elsewhere.

The Tokyo area actually has two major car industry events each year. But while the first, the Tokyo Motor Show, is conveniently located at Tokyo Big Sight, the other, the Tokyo Auto Salon, actually takes place at the Makuhari Messe convention hall in Chiba Prefecture, roughly an hour’s ride away from the center of Japan’s capital.

So why would anyone bother making the trip all the way out to Makuhari for the Auto Salon? Well, unlike the Motor Show, which focusses on the offerings of car manufacturers themselves, the Auto Salon is all about the aftermarket, making it the place to see Japan’s latest and greatest tuner cars.

Oh, and the Auto Salon also has a far greater number of booth models than the more mainstream and conservative Motor Show.

Because of this, our ace reporter Mr. Sato was only too happy to cover the show for us. As a matter of fact. he even included some photos of the cars in the first batch of images he submitted.

▼ Two photos of cars, to be precise.

After that, it was all booth girls, as Mr. Sato threw himself with gusto into a photo safari of the lovely ladies.

It’s important to remember that all of the models on the show floor are actually working, so as inviting as their smile may be, they might not always have time to stop and pose for a picture with you. As such, the courteous thing to do is to ask them if it’s OK to take a picture together, the phrase for which in Japanese is “Issho ni shashin wo totte mo ii desu ka?”

▼ Let’s review: Issho ni…

▼ …shashin wo…

▼ …totte mo…

▼ …ii desu ka?

Of course, with the Tokyo Auto Salon becoming a gradually more internationalized event, you might not have to be able to speak Japanese to request a snapshot with some of the ladies.

And if you’re looking for some advanced pointers in the etiquette of taking photos like these, consider leaving some distance between yourself and the model in the shot. That way it’ll be easier for your friends to crop you out later.

▼ Before…

▼ …and after!

Unfortunately, Mr. Sato couldn’t completely resist the temptation to sandwich himself between beautiful women.

Hmm…guess we’re stuck with him this time…

Or are we?

Granted, we didn’t so much remove Mr. Sato as replace him with a disturbing interdimensional monster, but show that picture to some of your single male friends. We bet half of them won’t even notice anything wrong with it.

Photos ©RocketNews24

Origin: The booth girls of Tokyo Auto Salon 2016【Pics】
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

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RocketNews24’s mightiest eaters assemble to take on competitive eater and devourer of all things delicious (and possibly the occasional soul too) Sachiyo Masubuchi.

RocketNews24 was recently asked by the Japanese distributors of the latest Fantastic Four movie to promote its February 3 release on DVD and Blu-ray across the country. When asked if we had any superhuman abilities to demonstrate we said, “Of course: eating!”

And so a spotlight with a hamburger silhouette was shone into the overcast night sky and three of RocketNews’ hungriest employees answered the call. They were:

Known for his incredibly elastic stomach, Mr. Satostic has taken on many of our largest eating challenges to date.

Through years of physical training, P.K. Sanjun has been developing the uncanny ability to make himself invisible. Unfortunately he’s only gotten as far as making his clothes vanish at this point.

Seiji Nakazawa is well-known for his hard-hitting fashion reports, but when trouble is brewing you can be sure to hear his battle cry of, “Wool on!” And he’ll casually walk into action with one of his trusty sweaters.

With these three heroes of the gourmet world, there was no Megaburgerpizza too mega.

However, our sponsors felt that this was neither Fantastic nor Four enough to do the movie justice. So they enlisted…

Don’t be fooled by Sachiyo Masubuchi’s slight build and pixie-like looks. Inside her gut is a powerhouse digestive track that was mutated by cosmic rays and hardened into a flexible orange rock-like substance which can withstand even the heaviest of meals.

However, when Sachiyo appeared, The Invisible Sanjun immediately flew into a rage. The two had met before last year when Sachiyo challenged Sanjun and his sidekick Mega-Sawaii to a two-kilogram (4.4-pound) Stamina Ramen eating contest.

The Invisible Sanjun and Meg were defeated by Sachiyo in a battle which resulted in Meg being banished to the toilet, never to return. Every day since then, P.K. had vowed revenge.

And so, rather than team up, Sachiyo suddenly found herself pitted against RocketNews24 once again. But this time the combined stomachs of P.K, Mr. Sato, and Seiji were a serious force.

The rules of engagement were set out: Each side was to eat 5 kilograms (11 pounds) of curry loaded with various toppings like fried shrimp and eggs. This was not a time trial, however. Simply finishing the food would be considered a win.

▼ Each platter and container is holding 2.5 kilograms (5.5 pounds)

Looking at the scene, The Invisible Sanjun couldn’t help but smirk. With Mr. Satostic and The Human Sweater by his side there was no way they could lose since they only needed to consume a piddly 1.7 kilograms (3.7 pounds) each. As they started to eat, they joked and told each other how delicious the pork cutlets looked.

Meanwhile, the smiling Sachiyo quietly poured a glass of tea and daintily ate her curry with a spoon.

Gradually the banter and comradery between the men faded and their grins morphed into looks of deep contemplation.

Sachiyo simply looked on and continued to eat.

Another five minutes passed and cracks began to form in our superhero alliance. The Human Sweater snapped at P.K, “Hey you’re giving me all the heavy parts!” To which the Invisible Sanjun replied “That’s because you’re making me eat most of this crap!”

He then turned to Mr. Satostic and yelled, “Hey, put down that smartphone and pick up a goddamn spoon!”

Mr. Sato replied, “Uh just…a…” and ran off to the bathroom.

Our writers were still busy complaining and giving each other stink eyes when they heard a cheery “I’m done♪” Sachiyo displayed the two silver plates which she had completely cleaned. However, the men still sat gazing bleary-eyed at their remaining one kilogram (2.2 pounds) of curry and admitted defeat.

Pound for pound the men clearly had an advantage but in the end let personal differences and a lack of teamwork lead to their downfall. And so, they decided to set aside all past grudges and joined forces with Sachiyo in…eating stuff.

The spirit of teamwork is a valuable lesson for us all and one that can be learned in Fantastic Four, now available on DVD and Blu-ray in Japan for rent or sale…or possibly as a prize in the Fantastic Four retweet contest linked below. In comparison to past versions, this film takes a more introverted look at what its like to be a superhero and work with other super-abled people.

Yeah, I know it’s a commercial, but these guys risked serious bloating to bring you this message.

Still not going to? Alright then…watch this all-cat version of the Fantastic Four instead. That ought to get you in the mood.

Meanwhile our own fantastically fattened and feasibly flatulent four will be ready for whatever threat to reckless consumption of foodstuffs may befall the world next…

Fantastic Four: Official Website, Fox Movies Japan (Japanese)
Original article by P.K. Sanjun
Photos, video: RocketNews24
Bottom Image mask: Amazon

▼ A video recap of the contest

Origin: Superhuman forces collide when three of our writers take on a pro in an 11-pound curry eat-off!
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

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Looking for a way to revolutionize the stale traditions of Japanese Valentine’s Day, Mr. Sato believes he has found the ultimate gift.

In Japan, Valentine’s Day is a time when women are expected to give the significant men in their lives gifts of chocolate. In the case of extra-special men, this involves whipping up some homemade chocolates, but as you can imagine, this can be a time-consuming chore. Another option would be some high-end chocolates from a fancy pâtissier, but such quality would be lost on most guys who are at this moment probably googling “pâtissier.”

This is why our reporter Mr. Sato has looked for something that is both easy for women to make, and satisfying for the men to eat. That something is Kentucky Fried Chicken coated in chocolate or as it’s creator calls it: “Choco-Kenta.”

By design, Choco-Kenta is extremely easy to make since KFC does most of the hard work for you. Just get a few pieces of the Colonel’s Original Recipe and some chocolate bars. The brand of chocolate shouldn’t matter, but we can’t guarantee the results with any other kind of fried chicken.

First crush the chocolate bars in a metal bowl. The finer you make the pieces, the easier and smoother it will melt.

Then melt the chocolate by placing the bowl into a larger bowl of hot water. It is possible to melt the chocolate in a microwave. However, for novices like Mr. Sato it can be difficult to do without burning it.

Once the chocolate has melted, evenly paint it onto the chicken. A rubber spatula is good to get into all the nooks and crannies of the chicken. When you’re finished, let it sit so that the chocolate hardens, otherwise it’ll be quite messy for the eater, and one should be able to retain their civility while eating chocolate covered fried chicken.

At this point you, like Mr. Sato, might get the bright idea to put the Choco-Kenta in the fridge so that it hardens more quickly. That, however, would be a terrible mistake.

Mr. Sato put his Choco-Kenta in for about an hour and when he took it out the chocolate and congealing grease from the chicken had merged and hardened even more than expected. In fact, it fused itself to the plate that it was sitting on causing Mr. Sato to almost blow a rotator cuff just trying to pick it up.

In the end it was all worth it though. After taking the first bite Mr. Sato found his Valentine in Choco-Kenta. He was skeptical at first thinking the bold sweetness of the chocolate would conflict with the Colonel’s 11 herbs and spices causing the two to drown each other out.

However, the two flavors had embraced each other like a pair of long-separated lovers meeting on a foggy train station platform at dusk.

On the other hand, the hardness wasn’t optimum and simply eating it probably took a few hours off his lifespan. But overall it was still an above average dining experience. Mr. Sato also gave it to his fellow writers, all of whom agreed that “it wasn’t bad.”

So if you’re in Japan struggling with a new, exciting, or just plain easy way to give some chocolate to the man in your life, look no further because Choco-Kenta is all that and a bag of chips…provided you ordered a combo.

Original article by Mr. Sato
Photos © RocketNews24

Origin: This Valentine’s Day tell your man how you truly feel — tell him with chocolate-covered KFC
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

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