Japanese mom finds dead dad’s Amazon cart has one last message of love for his grandchildren

Present he never got to give breaks and warms daughter’s heart.

In today’s world, where you can find anything online, many people live in fear of what would happen to their Internet browser histories if they were to suddenly die, thus baring their private queries and interests for others to see. So perhaps it was with some trepidation that Japanese Twitter user Mokoko (@ChocoTriplets) started up the PC that her father had been using before he passed away last year.

Sure enough, when she pointed the browser at Amazon, she noticed that there were three items left in her dad’s cart, but which hadn’t been purchased yet. If you thought he’d been browsing saucy DVDs and risque photo albums, though, think again, as Mokoko reports:

“No one had used my dad’s computer since he passed away last year, and today I noticed there was something left in his Amazon cart. So I took a look, and found that he was planning to order three sets of baby clothes, and now my heart is breaking.”

As Momoko’s Twitter user name implies, she’s a mother to triplets, two boys and one girl, who she gave birth to in October.

Momoko doesn’t mention the exact date of her father’s death, but since he passed away sometime in 2018, that means he had, at the very most, only a few months to spend with his grandchildren, if he was even able to meet them at all. Still, they were in his thoughts, enough so that he was already shopping for presents for them.

As anyone who’s spent much time around babies knows, though, they grow up fast. Sadly, in the time since Momoko’s father picked out the clothes and now, the babies have gotten big enough that the outfits he chose, even in their largest available sizes, are too small for his grandchildren to get much use out of. However, his final act of affection won’t be in vain, as Momoko has put the order through and has a plan for when the clothes are delivered:

“The clothes my dad chose are pretty small for my kids now, so after they wear them one time, I’m going to take the fabric and use it to make three stuffed animals for them, and the stuffed animals will watch over them as they grow up.”

Momoko often shares photos of her triplets in adorable coordinated outfits, and no doubt when her Amazon delivery comes, she’ll be taking snapshots again. We can’t wait to see the babies’ loving grandpa picked out for them, though we suspect we’re going to need some tissues to wipe away the tears before we get a good look.

Source: Twitter/@ChocoTriplets via Jin
Top image: Pakutaso
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Anime lingerie takes a walk on the wild side with GeGeGe no Kitaro fundoshi from Japan

This possessed cotton spirit will scare everyone away from your private parts.

GeGeGe no Kitaro is filled with characters and mytholgy drawn from Japan’s rich tradition of yokai folklore. First created in 1960 as a manga series by legendary Japanese writer and artist Shigeru Mizuki, GeGeGe no Kitaro revolves around the main character of Kitaro, a half-human, half-yokai who gets around with a large eyeball under his hair.

Joining Kitaro on his many adventures are some other supernatural spirits from the yokai world, one of which is a a character called Ittan Momen. Literally translating to “a tan of cotton” (one tan measures 30 centimetres by 10.6 metres, or 11.8 inches by 417 inches), Ittan Momen is a flying yokai, and according to Japanese folklore it flies through the sky at night, attacking people by wrapping itself around their necks and faces, smothering them to death.

The Ittan Momen that appears in GeGeGe no Kitaro is a lot kinder and friendlier, however, as it fights alongside Kitaro and his pals and often allows them to ride on its long, billowy cotton body. Now the friendly Ittan Momen from the hugely popular manga and anime series is ready to help you out too – as a fundoshi loin cloth.

See the fundoshi in action below.

The Ittan Momen fundoshi is the third item to be added to Premium Bandai’s “GeGeGe no Kitaro Lingerie” range, which previously introduced two anime lingerie sets for women. As the first “lingerie” product for men in the range, this is one of their most stunning designs yet, as the promotional video shows how the fundoshi wraps around your private parts, with the long front flap flying up to reveal the face of the cotton spirit, complete with little hands.

The fundoshi is worn in the same way as a traditional loincloth, with this four-step guide showing the process required to wear it.

▼ At 120 centimetres in length, the fundoshi is considerably shorter than the original yokai spirit that flies through the skies.

The character’s face is instantly recognisable to those familiar with the anime series, though, and if you don’t have an electric fan nearby to help your loincloth ghost come to life, you can always hold it up to reveal it in all its spooky beauty.

The Ittan Momen fundoshi retails for a very reasonable 2,700 yen (US$24.52), which means you’ll have more money to invest in Premium Bandai’s GeGeGe no Kitaro kimono cosplay. The fundoshi is currently available for pre-orders online now, with delivery scheduled for May.

Source: Premium Bandai via Japaaan
Featured image: YouTube/バンダイ公式チャンネル
Insert images: Premium Bandai, YouTube/バンダイ公式チャンネル
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Twitter artist crafts chocolate box town, mini masterpieces from Japanese packaging

This Japanese paper craft artist takes used-up, everyday product packaging and turns it into beautiful art.

The Japanese art of kamikiri, or paper cutting, was originally performed before a live stage audience during the Edo period (160 –1868), but in these modern times, Twitter makes a great platform for showcasing the art. We last reported on Twitter papercrafter @02ESyRaez4VhR2l a while back when they posted some beautiful artwork on their Twitter page, made from a cookie box.

Since then, 02ESyRaez4VhR2l has been busy adding to their repertoire, with their latest effort being this gorgeous, multi-leveled traditional paper town crafted from empty Charlotte-brand chocolate boxes.

▼ “Made with empty Charlotte boxes!” 

The Charlotte boxes are a perfect option for this concept, since they feature gorgeous artwork of quaint European scenery.

▼ “This one used a shadow box-type technique, and needed 16 boxes, four of each colour, so it was fairly costly! Check out the photos of the other angles if you’d like!” 

But, while houses and buildings are already fairly box-like in structure, the artist also has a wide range when it comes to shapes. Check out the smooth curves on this classic car!

▼ “Made with empty Dinner Curry boxes!” 

And, they’re also pretty adept at creating animal character art, sometimes cartoonish in style…

▼ “Made with empty Chocoball boxes!” 

…and sometimes showcasing more ‘realistic’ fantasy animal shapes, like this ferocious winged lion!

▼ “Made with empty Ritz boxes!” 

And it’s not only snack packages that provide the raw materials for this artist. Humble tissue boxes are also upcycled into lovely art.

▼ “Made with empty Hana no Celeb [tissue] boxes!” 

And sometimes, the artist manages to retain the packaging’s original purpose, as in the case of this adorable tissue seal!

It dispenses tissues from its back! Cute AND functional!

The artist is also known for their Pringle Men series, which made a splash on Twitter with many a retweet and spawned countless iterations on the theme.

▼ “Made with empty Pringles tubes!” 

The delicate detailing can be seen in this close-up of the shoes. That’s incredible! Just look at the tiny shoelaces!

And, lest we accuse anyone of being gender exclusionary, there’s also a sassy Pringles dame to be found among the moustachioed men!

The Pringle people series also drew the attention of the folks behind Pringles, who sent the artist a gift to show their appreciation of their art!

▼“I received an assortment from Pringles! Going to have to put these to good use making more!”

We’re looking forward to seeing what the artist comes up with next – it’s always exciting to see an artist grow their craft, especially when said craft is both intricate and inspiring – perhaps we should all be turning more of our garbage into cute/functional crafts! If you’ll excuse us, we’ll be rummaging through the SoraNews24 office’s trash cans to see what we can make out of empty instant ramen cups and scribbled ideas for articles… probably nothing anywhere near as amazing as this selection of awesome kamikiri artwork made from single post it notes, but everyone’s gotta start somewhere!

Source, featured image: Twitter/@02ESyRaez4VhR2l
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Anime-style isekai story is actually an English-learning textbook from Japan’s public broadcaster

Ordinary schoolgirl sets out to save fantasy world from an evil dragon while readers set out on the path to learn English.

There’s a new book that just hit store shelves in Japan, and looking at the cover illustration will instantly tell you what kind of story it is. Standing in the center of the trio of characters is our protagonist, wearing a Japanese schoolgirl’s uniform, and flanking her are a dashing swordsman and a woman dressed in a gown that makes her look like a warrior princess, an elegant enchantress, or some combination of the two.

And sure enough, the plot description confirms that this tale is 100-percent isekai, the genre of anime, manga, and light novels in which someone from our world gets transported to an alternate world where fantastic adventures and/or zany hijinks ensue. The story’s teaser description reads:

Runa Wakatsuki is a second-year junior high school student in Japan who, through strange circumstances, travels back and forth between a mysterious world and reality.

“What? I’m the ‘Girl of Legend?’ I’m going to save the people of the kingdom from a dragon?! N-, no way!!”

Let’s go on a thrilling adventure together with Runa!

Since otaku-oriented reading material usually means ridiculously long titles, you might be expecting the book’s name to be a major mouthful, of course with a trendy abbreviated nickname. But actually, the title of the tome this isekai story appears in is incredibly succinct: English Fundamentals 2.

▼ Kiso Eigo/基礎英語 translates to “English Fundamentals”

And no, that’s not “English” as in “from England, the land of castles and knights.” It’s “English” as in “the English language,” and if you shift your eyes away from the anime-style cast of characters, you’ll notice the name of Japanese public broadcaster NHK in the upper-left corner of the cover.

▼ So yep, the Japanese government is getting into the isekai business.

That’s because the book is actually the companion textbook for NHK’s English Fundamentals 2 radio program for people studying English as a second language. Each month, the organization releases a new textbook corresponding with the vocabulary and grammar it’ll be covering in the next batch of upcoming episodes, and for April there’s going to be an isekai theme.

A major target for April’s lessons is learning how to talk about yourself and your friends, and the isekai scenario seems like it’s present ample opportunities for the characters to do just that, as outsider Runa will have an entire alternate world’s worth of potential new people to introduce herself to, and odds are she’ll need them to explain about their homeland to her before she can fulfil her dragon-defeating destiny.

Among the phrases covered in the text are:
● “Japan? I don’t know that kingdom.”
In Japanese: Nihon? Sono oukoku ha shirimasen ne.
● “A dragon captured Prince Jonquil of Blossom Kingdom.”
Doragon ga Burossamy Oukoku no Jonkuiru-ouji wo toraemashita.

On the one hand, you could argue that using an isekai story as the framing device for a series of English lessons is blatant and silly otaku-baiting. But on the other hand, traveling to a foreign country is about the closest real-world proxy there is to an isekai tale, in which you’re suddenly part of an already-developed civilization that presents opportunities to explore and thrive in as long as you’re willing to adapt yourself to the new environment. There’s also the fact that isekai light novels have never been more popular in Japan than they are now, with teens being some of their most voracious readers, and tapping into subject matter they enjoy should help keep them entertained and energized while learning English.

The textbook, priced at 486 yen (US$4.40), can be ordered online here. It’s unclear how long Runa’s adventure will be, but it looks like we’ll at least be able to follow her quest for the next month, during which time we expect a whole new supply of English-teaching anime-style character fan art to come pouring in.

Top image: NHK
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What is the Coolest Accidental Death?

Zac Oyama, Brian Murphy, and Tony Sam join Katie to discuss deadly water sports and jacuzzi protocol.

What is the Coolest Accidental Death?


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End of the Heisei Era: Japanese government to announce new era name on 1 April

Japanese netizens pitch in with guesses on what it might be.

Almost three years after Emperor Akihito, the current emperor of Japan, hinted that he would be abdicating the throne because of his ailing health, we are now hurtling toward the end of the Heisei Era.

And with 30 April confirmed to be the date of abdication, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga has revealed that a new era name will be officially announced on the morning of 1 April.

▼ No, we doubt the government will risk ire trying to pull off an April Fool’s joke on everyone.

Japanese era names are traditionally composed of two kanji that carry the hopes and dreams for the coming period. Heisei (平成), for instance, means “achieving peace”, a fitting name for the harmonious age following the tumultuous Second World War.

As to what exactly the new name would be is up to speculation, but an ongoing survey asking for input from Internet users has revealed some interesting opinions. Performed by supermarket chain Izumiya and Shimazaki Sake brewery, correct guesses of the new era name would award winners a bottle of wine each.

Spanning eight months, the survey recorded a total of 11,307 entries as of 29 March 2019. The top five guesses were as follows:

▼ 1. Anei (389 respondents)

Translated as “everlasting peace”, this would be a great candidate if not for the fact that an era of the same name already exists, lasting from 1772 to 1781.

▼ 2. Ankyu (348 respondents)

Also meaning “everlasting peace” but with a different kanji, this one has been making rounds all over the Japanese Internet.

▼ 3. Eiko (199 respondents)

A period of “everlasting light” would be a fantastic way to illuminate the future.

▼ 4. Eian (193 respondents)

Similar to the aforementioned Anei, but with the kanji switched around, this would be akin to “peace everlasting”.

▼ 5. Eiwa (183 respondents)

Meaning “never-ending harmony”, this once again seems to highlight Japanese people’s desires for a steady period of peaceful unity.

We will find out whether any of these were chosen on 1 April, when Prime Minister Shinzo Abe explains the meaning of the new era name after its reveal. There’s only a month left before Crown Prince Hironomiya Naruhito ascends to the Chrysanthemum Throne in what’s sure to be a splendid ceremony. The Heisei era will soon end, but as long as we hold hope in our hearts, the future remains forever bright.

Source: Livedoor News via My Game News Flash, Izumiya, PR Times
Top image: Pakutaso
Insert images: Pakutaso, SoraNews24
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Monkey Majik and Taiiku Okazaki team up for bilingual Japanese-English track【Video】

What lyrics do you pick out from this funky tune?

Pop quiz! Have you heard of “mondegreens?” They’re lyrics that sound drastically like other words, to the extent that some people will swear that the misheard lyrics are the real ones.

▼ A personal favorite where Celine Dion sings about meat products.

Mondegreens happen in Japan too, especially when Japanese audiences are listening to English-language lyrics. For example, the memetic Numa Numa song is associated with drinking in Japan, since the “noma” in the line “Noma! Noma! Yay!” sounds like nomu (the Japanese word for “drink”).

But what about if you want to create that lyrical ambiguity for yourself? Canadian-Japanese band Monkey Majik has tackled this twisty challenge for themselves with their new jam, titled “Ryugakusei.” Or maybe it’s “You Gotta Stay.” It’s a little hard to tell.

They recruited one of the most capable multilingual mouths in music, Taiiku Okazaki. As Okazaki has a deft hand (or tongue?) for making his Japanese sound like other languages, he was a perfect fit for this mind-bending song.

The video starts with Maynard and Blaise Plant of Monkey Majik meeting in a bar, where they have a hilariously circuitous conversation in English (the Japanese subtitles read “Genki? Genki. Genki? Genki. …Genki?“) and then reminisce about a wild night with Okazaki.

The gang then proceed to sing what sounds like a syrupy love song in English, but the Japanese lyrics tell another story.

▼ The Japanese reads “wakaran wa”, meaning “I don’t have a clue.”

The chorus, “you gotta say” is subtitled in the video as “ryugakusei”, the word for a student who studies abroad (in this case a Japanese student studying seemingly in America.)　The cheery “Hey, I need you here babe” becomes “Heya nijuu heibei” (“My room is 20 square meters”) and that smooth pick-up line “Better never talking cause it’s no good” is “Beddo neru toki kutsu nugu” (“You take your shoes off at bed time”).

All of these – the shock at the huge rooms and food, the complaints of not being understood, the need to tip – are common symptoms of culture shock faced by Japanese people residing in the West.

▼ In this part, the English lyrics are “Tell me, you not a fan of Monkey Majik? It’s not too late!” but the subtitles read “Demo yappa fuan demo ki majii na tsuree” (“I’m as nervous and anxious as I expected – it sucks!”)

Because of the disparate lyrics, what seems to be a light-hearted bop actually takes on a sardonic, comically grim angle as you realize almost all the Japanese lyrics are complaining about feelings of isolation and struggling to fit in – about the furthest thing from the wild party lyrics espoused in the English version.

Personally, the chorus is the real standout for me: I can flip between “hearing” the Japanese and English versions as easily and clearly as that old “Laurel vs. Yanny” meme from a year or so back. Some of the lines leave something to be desired, for me, though, especially this one:

Shou ga nai maa ii ka de katadzukenna tachihadakaru kotoba no kabe
“Can’t brush things off with a “no big deal, that’s just how it is” – a language barrier cuts me off.”

The video helpfully has Okazaki brandish his hands which have “KEVIN” written across them in large text, meaning that “kabe” is presumably supposed to sound like “Kevin” (I heard “cabin.”) The rest of the sentence has me at a total loss, though. “Shrug in a mike and I gonna touch your hand and then put it in a cabin?” “Should we go and make a good old touching hands and coat ’em in a cupboard?”

I really like how “Mou gomen da” (“I don’t want to let that happen”) sounds like the English word “commander”, though.

Source, images: YouTube/avex



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