Awesome Japan

Not about to be outdone by their American counterparts, Google Japan joins in on April Fools’ Day with this technical joke: a mechanical hand that makes it easier to use touchscreen devices. Captions available.

Genki Sudo and the rest of World Order’s kempt robots take us on a tour of Akibahara, a district in Tokyo known for its electronics and geeky establishments. Guest starring members of AKB48, who Wreck-it-Ralph fans might know.

Made by Haibara, these handcrafted washi envelopes and sheets are outlined with red or blue woodblock print. A wonderful gift for people who love writing by hand. Each pack comes with six sheets and three envelopes.

How would you describe the experience of chewing gum? We’re not sure we’d go beyond “meh.” But Lotte thinks that their long-lasting Fit gum will make you feel like you have your own Catbus. So… what’s in the gum?

English Words That Don’t Appear on Tests (試験に出ない英単語) is a series of Japanese books that teach English through hilarious sentences accompanied by silly illustrations. They’re available at Amazon Japan and E-Hon.

Swordsman Shozo Kato Sensei has attained 8th Dan in Kyoshi Kendo and 7th Dan in Kyoshi Iaido. Here he describes the heart of both martial arts. A short film that’s part of Mercedes-Benz’ The Avant/Garde Diaries.

Comedian Toshiaki Kasuga ends up on the receiving end of a cruel prank from the Japanese TV special Dokkiri Award. According to Kotaku, Kasuga got drunk the night before the prank, sleeping through the elaborate setup.

This insanely intricate wood veneer box from Japan requires its owner to remember a sequence of exact steps in order to open it and access its contents. Unfortunately, it’s not impervious to sledgehammers.

(NSFW) Takayo Kiyota aka Tama-chan talks about her sushi art. Amazingly, she is not a trained chef. The humble and funny artist started her hobby because “very few Japanese know how to make sushi these days.” More here and here.

In Japan, it’s considered bad form for women to open their mouths wide to eat. Freshness Burger came up with a simple solution to this problem – a wrapper which lets them hide their big mouths while they chomp into their giant burgers.

Daredevil Yves “Jetman” Rossy recently completed his latest flight, this time buzzing by the incredibly majestic sights of Mount Fuji in Japan. We still can’t imagine how loud it must be to have four jets strapped to your body like that.

(Gore) Beyond Outrage is a Japanese action film about two yakuza clans taking their power struggle to a national scale. Starring, written by and directed by the legendary Japanese entertainer Takeshi “Beat” Kitano.

In celebration of Tokyo’s selection for the 2020 Summer Olympics, World Order continues to work their slow-mo choreography, while giving us a brief tour of Japan’s biggest city in their trademark blue business suits.

A peek at the insanity that is Ski Jumping Pairs, a pachinko game that was ported to the PSP and PlayStation 2. The game was made by Riichiro Mashima, who would later go on to make the even more insane Japan World Cup games.

This animated commercial for a Japanese lighter and USB drive has so many mind-boggling aspects. First off, it’s over two minutes long. Second, it looks like it was made two decades ago. Third, everything else.

(NSFW: Language) Riichiro Mashima revitalized horse racing arcade games in Japan with Japan World Cup, a nonsensical horse racing betting game that combines CG animation with bizarre comedy. More here and here.