Cannibalism, Salty Fruit, And Conservative Otaku [Sunday News]

Hashi — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 16:00:35 +0000

Every Sunday we gather the week’s weird and interesting Japanese news and present it to you in our Sunday News column. It might not always be hard-hitting news, but we hope that it still informs and entertains you. Enjoy!

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[threecol_two]Salty Watermelon Pepsi Coming Soon to Japan!: I really wish that Western companies like Pepsi and Kit-Kat weren’t afraid to unleash their weird, novelty, and seasonal flavors upon the US like they do with Japan. If America can handle the Dorito taco, why can’t we try salty watermelon?![/threecol_two] [threecol_one_last]Olympic glory? Many in kendo say no thanks: While most people would see inclusion in the Olympics as the ultimate validation for a martial art, practitioners of kendo or kenshi, would rather not have anything to do with the Olympic games. I don’t get it. I mean, why wouldn’t you want to join the ranks of such prestigious sports as curling? Wait, don’t answer that. [via News On Japan]

Toru Hashimoto: Japan’s would-be dictator: Sometimes, politicians’ personalities overshadow their actual work. Tokyo’s governor Shintaro Ishihara is notorious for his off-the-wall, often controversial statements, but Osaka mayor Toru Hashimoto is trying to give him a run for his money. A warning to Hashimoto: don’t ruin it for Hashis everywhere, man. [via News On Japan][/threecol_one_last]

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[threecol_one]Man cooks, serves own genitals to 5 paying diners: I passed up running this story in last week’s Sunday News because I thought it was just too damn disturbing, but now that I’ve found a source that tastefully excludes pictures, I don’t feel so bad running it. Still, my advice is to read the headline and leave it at that. Proceed at the risk of reading what can’t be unread. [via News On Japan]

Are Japanese Moe Otaku Right-Wing?: Although the title of this article is one of the most bizarre things I’ve ever read, Néojaponisme shows us the strange crossroad of otaku and Japanese conservatism. Turns out, it’s more prominent than you might think. Once again, 2ch and its ilk provide an interesting glimpse into a weird subculture.[/threecol_one] [threecol_two_last]Musician Noel Gallagher Blogs About Encounter with AKB48: There are some groups of people that you just don’t want to mess with, and high up on that list is AKB48 fans. Oasis frontman Noel Gallagher didn’t get the memo, and was flooded with hate mail after insulting the pop group on his blog. Apparently, the strength of J-pop exceeds even that of Britpop. Who knew?[/threecol_two_last]

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Header image by Joshua Rappeneker

Tofugu» cannibalism

Cannibalism, Salty Fruit, And Conservative Otaku [Sunday News]