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Awesome Japan

Gundam: The Origin Free Manga

Gundam: The Origin Free Manga

First released in 2001, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin is a comic book retelling of the 1979 anime that launched the entertainment juggernaut we know and love. Now you can read its English version legitimately for free, thanks to manga publisher Comic Walker.

Japan Lover Sukajan Store

Japan Lover Sukajan Store
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The Saitama-based online store Japan Lover offers souvenir jackets from a variety of manufacturers and styles. They have everything from plain bombers to reversible blood red and purple joints that go for several thousands of dollars.

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This Be Book Bad Translation

This Be Book Bad Translation
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From veteran translator Clyde Mandelin (Mother 3, Dragon Ball, Attack on Titan) comes This Be Book Bad Translation, Video Games!, a funny and insightful book about how errors in video game localizations occur, with 99 screenshots of bad translations as examples.

Tokyo Gifathon

Tokyo Gifathon

To commemorate his 30-day trip to Tokyo, animator James Curran of Slim Jim Studios created a daily animated GIF celebrating some of Japan’s attractions and pop culture. We can’t decide which one is our favorite, but the claw machine and Shibuya crossing are up there.

Figma Yakko Edobei Action Figure

Figma Yakko Edobei Action Figure
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The latest addition to Max Factory’s Table Museum is based on Ōtani Oniji III in the Role of the Servant Edobei, one of the most famous woodblock prints of 18th century Japanese artist Sharaku. It comes with swappable arms as well as samurai swords.

EDC Demon Hunters Posters

EDC Demon Hunters Posters
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Neo Tokyo state of mind. Artist Mau Lencinas aka Easy Demons Club re-released his wicked collection of posters featuring characters that combine modern street wear with traditional Japanese symbols and objects. Each poster measures 18″x 24″.

Evisen 2017 Summer Decks

Evisen 2017 Summer Decks

Inyo flip. Japanese skate shop Evisen Skateboards worked with artist Usugrow to create three decks with art inspired by Buddhist texts, while artist Toshikazu Nozaka designed a pair of decks featuring creatures from Japanese folklore.

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Stairway to Heaven: Japanese Style

Stairway to Heaven: Japanese Style

A quartet of musicians perform a soothing cover version of Led Zeppelin’s 1971 classic in a classic Japanese style, played on 21-string Nijugen-Kotos and wooden flutes. It’s reminiscent of Regina Spektor’s fantastic cover version of While My Guitar Gently Weeps.

And so we put goldfish in the pool.

And so we put goldfish in the pool.

(PG-13) In 2012, four teenage girls in a small Japanese town stole hundreds of goldfish then let the fish loose in their school’s swimming pool. Writer and director Makoto Nagahisa turned the bizarre tale into a story of teenage angst in this excellent short film.

Better Know the Great Wave

Better Know the Great Wave

Did you know that The Great Wave‘s focus is arguably not the wave but Mt. Fuji, since it’s part of a series of paintings about the mountain? Or that there’s a boat at the bottom of the painting? Seriously, we missed that one big time. More on The Art Assignment’s video.

How Soy Sauce Is Made

How Soy Sauce Is Made

National Geographic and filmmaker Mile Nagaoka introduce us to Yuasa Town, Wakayama, Japan – the first place make soy sauce, and continues to do so for 750+ years. The process, which involves fermentation of soybeans reminded us of how spirits are made.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Jugemu

Fullmetal Alchemist: Jugemu

The DVD release of the excellent anime Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood contains a series of non-canonical and lighthearted side episodes. One of them is this parody of Jugemu, a Japanese oral folktale that has a hilariously stupid premise.

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Ichiran: An Introvert’s Paradise

Ichiran: An Introvert’s Paradise

…but it’s gonna cost you. Japanese food chain Ichiran serves only tonkotsu ramen – noodles in thick pork broth. They let you customize it to your heart’s content, then serve it in private cubicles. Just you and your food. There’s one in Brooklyn, but again…

World Order: Singularity

World Order: Singularity

The champions of good vibes, World Order are back with another song and video. But this time they’re joined by the ladies of the Japanese idol group SKE48, who show the guys that they can let loose and still do the robot.

Computer Cooking

Computer Cooking

We’re thinking this video in which a woman stops what she’s doing at work and turns her PC into an impromptu pancake griddle is sort of like the Chinese equivalent of HowtoBasic. Though the result of her cooking looks far more appealing than that channel’s food stuffs.

Staying in a Capsule Hotel

Staying in a Capsule Hotel

Travel reporter Chris Broad shares his experience staying in one of the bargain-priced sleeping pods at Ginza’s Bay Hotel in this lighthearted video from his series Abroad in Japan. The rooms may be tiny, but the communal areas actually look pretty nice.

Japan’s Calculator Enthusiasts

Japan’s Calculator Enthusiasts

This excerpt from a 2013 episode of Begin Japanology talks about Japan’s love for calculators. Despite the prevalence of computers and spreadsheets, Japan still has calculator clubs in some high schools and holds calculator speed competitions.

2020 Olympics Ambassadors

2020 Olympics Ambassadors

Olympic ambassadors are chosen from the host country’s exemplary citizens. Since the 2020 Summer Olympics will be held in Tokyo, who better to represent Japan than the likes of the seventh hokage and a Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan? Troll level: Shin-chan.

The Godfathers of Beyblade

The Godfathers of Beyblade

“Seeing as you’re the master of the Kanto region, first show me your death throw style.” Another classic from YouTuber funny japan and, well, Japan. This time it’s the slightly embellished story of the spinning top master, One Shot Meijin.

Best Japanese Commercials: 2016

Best Japanese Commercials: 2016

If there’s one thing we can count on from Japan, it’s their weird, wacky, and over-the-top sensibilities when it comes to its TV shows and commercials. JPCMHD put together a reel of the most entertaining Japanese commercial spots from 2016. We totally want a DualSaw now.

Tasogare

Tasogare

“Tasogare means twilight – a time of ambivalence…” Musician Lia Mice recently performed at Tasogare, a music festival held at Komyoji, a Buddhist temple in Tokyo. She spoke with Tasogare’s founders to find out the origins and ideas behind this unorthodox gathering.

Making a Bento Picnic Lunch

Making a Bento Picnic Lunch

YouTuber Life Where I’m From’s kids and his niece prepared lunch for their indoor picnic (and for an NHK show called Cool Japan). They also teach us a few Japanese words while cooking. Dekinai any of that stuff.

Nigel Sylvester: GO! Tokyo

Nigel Sylvester: GO! Tokyo

Pro BMX rider Nigel Sylvester eats at Robot Restaurant, tries sumo wrestling and much more in the latest episode of his hyperactive POV series. Featuring cameos by soccer player Giovani Dos Santos, BAPE founder Nigo, and the slick new Casio G-SHOCK GA700 watch.

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