All posts by Ted Tanaka

  • Teen found dead after phone under pillow explodes

    Alua Asetkyzy, a 14-year-old teenager from Bastobe, Kazakhstan, left her smartphone under the pillow plugged into a nearby electric socket and fell asleep listening to music. Then the phone’s battery burst, seriously injuring the girl resulting in...

    • Posted October 24, 2019
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  • There’s a new Panda Express in Chiba

    After the success of Panda Express’s first food court style eatery in Japan at Lazona Kawasaki Plaza,  the American style Chinese food chain is adding another store in Chiba on May 25.     35-year old Panda...

    • Posted May 23, 2018
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  • Fatburger offers custom burgers at its newly opened store

    A new American hamburger joint from Los Angeles founded by a woman entrepreneur, Lovie Yancey, sets up its first Japan store in Shibuya on April 28.   Starting as a 3-stool sandwich stand in L.A.’s Western Avenue,...

    • Posted April 28, 2018
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  • Japan puts the spotlight on the works of Hayao Miyazaki at a new theme park

    Aichi prefecture has announced the opening in 2022 of a new theme park in Nagoya dedicated to the anime films of Japan’s famous celebrity Hayao Miyazaki. 77-year old Hayao Miyazaki is the prominent director and artist behind...

    • Posted April 25, 2018
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  • Hatsumode: Shrines that bring you good luck in the New Year

    Just as Christians go to midnight mass on Christmas eve, the Japanese ring in the new year with a first visit to a Shinto shrine, an age-old tradition called Hatsumode.  The visit happens on the first 3...

    • Posted December 27, 2017
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  • Japan’s Internet Download Speed Has Just Gone Faster Than Last Year

    Internet speed-test company OOKLA reports internet download speeds for world’s broadband and mobile connections grew more than 30 percent in 2017. In just one year, Japan’s broadband download speed jumped to 73.51 mbps in 2017, a 20.7%...

    • Posted December 17, 2017
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  • Japanese couples sleep in separate beds, seldom kiss each other but many are happy in their marriages, says new survey.

    One in three marriages in Japan leads to divorce. Many have cast doubt on the notion that unhappy marriage is likely the result of the absence of intimacy in Japanese couples. A recent survey shows that the...

    • Posted November 21, 2017
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  • Everyday is a bargain at OK supermarket.

    I have been making a mental list of interesting names of shops I find in Tokyo: ‘Eye Rashes’, an eyelash extension salon, ‘Assort’ hairdressers, and a new one I’ve added to the list – a supermarket called...

    • Posted November 15, 2017
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  • Ninja wannabes take a certification test in Japan

    In Japan, if you want to be a certified NINJA, you need to take a test.   On October 22, Sunday, 200 Ninja wannabes will be taking a certification test at the Koga Ryu School of Ninjutsu...

    • Posted October 19, 2017
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  • What to look out for when buying a mom bike in Tokyo

    When it comes to Tokyo living, the most important purchase for most families is a bicycle. Buying a bicycle requires knowing what to look out for says Liz, a 28-year old Tokyo mom who was disappointed when...

    • Posted October 4, 2017
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  • What is the best debit card in Japan for foreigners?

    A debit card is a card on which the price is immediately deducted from the bank account when paying for goods or services. It is issued by a financial institution with a deposit account, and it can...

    • Posted August 21, 2017
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  • ‘Ganbatte’ is not the same as ‘Good Luck’

    Japanese parents believe that having their children focus on hard work is the ticket to academic success rather than an inherent ability. Where some cultures say ‘good luck’, the Japanese put emphasis on effort.  Thus, the ubiquitous...

    • Posted August 11, 2017
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  • Do you want to cut your communication costs? Here are the best deals in Japan now.

    The lure of purchasing a new handset in installments bundled with voice calls and data plan through major mobile phone carriers in Japan may sound attractive at first. But, if you do the math, you actually pay...

    • Posted August 3, 2017
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  • Former Software Engineer Ditches IT Job for a home-based business.

    “JOB STRESS WAS KILLING ME” Right after college, Indian mum Ashitha Sreejesh was hired by an American multinational company as a Software Engineer.The work involved grueling night and weekend shifts with frequent overtime in between. “All I...

    • Posted July 27, 2017
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  • Japan’s Fishermen Sells Wake Up Call Service

    Busy brains keep deep sleepers from waking up. If an alarm clock doesn’t work for you and have trouble jumping out of bed in the morning, fret not, Japan’s fishermen have your back. Yes – fishermen. The...

    • Posted July 9, 2017
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  • Nintendo Super Famicom is back in a smaller version.

    Japan’s video game company Nintendo,  has announced today the return of its classic Super Famicom box in a version smaller than the first video game system played by families in the 90s. Aptly named “Nintendo Classic Mini:...

    • Posted June 27, 2017
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  • The new questionnaire US visa applicants all over the world need to know

    Are you traveling to the US this summer and need a US visa? According to Reuters, the Trump administration has approved a new questionnaire for those who need a visa to enter the United States. The new...

    • Posted June 3, 2017
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  • How are bonuses calculated in Japan?

    In Japan, most companies pay twice-a-year bonuses to its full time employees.  The summer bonus or Kaki Shoyo  is paid in June or July and Toki Shoyo or Winter bonus is paid in December. Giving of bonuses...

    • Posted June 1, 2017
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  • License now required for people renting out properties to people through an online marketplace.

    When you rent out your property or motor vehicle to visitors through an online marketplace, there is a risk owners have to take in case occupants cause some damage to the rented property. Occupants too can be...

    • Posted June 1, 2017
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  • Toshiba’s new ‘Ultra fine bubble’ washer gets rid of stubborn laundry stains once and for all

      Many top washing machine brands are reliable but none of them has Ultra fine bubble. Zaboon Ultra Fine Bubble is Toshiba’s latest fully automatic washer/dryer to be released in early July. WHAT DOES ULTRA FINE BUBBLE...

    • Posted May 31, 2017
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  • Booking your summer vacation online? Be vigilant with credit card fraud.

    Summer is here and most families may be shopping online for cheap air tickets and hotel accommodation. While e-commerce has become the norm for many, Japanese people are still concerned about the security of online shopping because...

    • Posted May 26, 2017
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  • Vintage photos of Samurai in the 19th century

    These are beautiful vintage photographs of Samurais taken between 1863 and 1900 in Japan. In the 19th century, people who took photos were called camera artists, not photographers as we know today. Camera artists believed that a...

    • Posted May 23, 2017
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  • Ice cream that does NATTO melt

    Parents can now say adieu to dripping ice cream cones because scientists at Universities of Edinburgh and Dundee in Scotland have finally cracked the code to creating a firmer, slower-melting ice cream by using a special protein...

    • Posted May 22, 2017
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  • Japan’s next generation bicycle tires don’t need air

    When conventional tires’ pressure drop after about a certain distance travelled, it is normal for bikes to become sluggish and less responsive. The good news is with Bridgestone Cycle’s next generation ‘air-free’ nirinsha, (Japanese word for two-wheelers) ...

    • Posted May 16, 2017
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  • What the Japanese law says about paying for goods and services in coins

    Almost everyone in Japan pays in cash at convenience stores.You might be surprised by how many coins in spare change one can accumulate every single day. I have a bucketful of stashed one-yen coins collecting dust at...

    • Posted May 13, 2017
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  • Internet puzzled: Japanese engineers can’t solve Junior High school math equation

    Kobe University and Doshisha University research group  found out many engineers at major companies can not solve a fundamental mathematical equation used for  junior high school entrance examination tests in Japan. In the 1980’s, the percentage of...

    • Posted May 3, 2017
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  • A visit to Sony ExploraScience

    As a working dad in Tokyo, it’s not unusual that I want to spend all of my weekends with my two boys. I decided to take them to Sony ExploraScience at Aqua City in Odaiba. We drove...

    • Posted May 2, 2017
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  • Japan’s new luxury train will leave travelers spellbound

    Beginning today, rich travelers who have money to burn will be able to experience true luxury while traveling around the country via the Train Suite Shiki-Shima , JR Higashi’s version of the Majaraja Express, except that, its...

    • Posted May 2, 2017
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  • Adorable dad and daughter review Oreo’s new flavor

    Thirty years ago when NABISCO’s snack icon OREO first arrived in Japan, it had to undergo minor tweaks : less sugar and creamier filling to suit the Japanese taste.  Japan got it right because after 3 decades,...

    • Posted May 1, 2017
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  • New glider bikes for kids 2-5 years old

    Kicker Avance, a new two-wheeled pedal-less bike by Asahi designed for children ages 2-5 years old is what every parent needs to make his child’s transition to a regular kids bike easy. It rides like a regular...

    • Posted April 26, 2017
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