- Author: Artefact
- Categories: Japan, News
- Date: Feb 20, 2013 09:31 JST
- Tags: AKB48, Feminism, Fukuoka, Idol, Internet, Marketing, Music, Otaku, Tourism

AKB48 idol Mariko Shinoda has resigned as mayor of Kawaii after Fukuoka’s gender equality commission heard complaints that “cute girls promote sexual discrimination.”
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- Author: Artefact
- Categories: Anime, News
- Date: Feb 7, 2013 07:08 JST
- Tags: Aeroplanes, Events, Hatsune Miku, Hokkaido, Marketing, Otaku, Sapporo, Tourism, Winter



Hatsune Miku’s winter incarnation has once again taken over New Chitose Airport, Japan’s third busiest, in some force, much to the delight of her fans.
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Winter has been taking its toll on animals unfortunate enough to find themselves in Chinese zoos, though not just because of the weather – reports have emerged of sluggish crocodiles being stoned to death “because they looked fake,” whilst elsewhere delighted visitors have been spotted enjoying the opportunity to pelt the lions with snowballs.
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The majestic wonders of China’s aqautic environment are yet again in the news – this time with the news that the great Yangtze River has turned rust red for “unknown” reasons.
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China’s billion dollar “pirated” copy of the Austrian village of Hallstatt has finally opened, much to the annoyance of the inhabitants of the original, who still complain the Chinese copied their village in secret and never bothered to ask for permission.
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- Author: Artefact
- Categories: Japan, News
- Date: May 21, 2012 18:04 JST
- Tags: Architecture, Bizarre, Buildings, Food, Fukuoka, Image Gallery, Shinto, Starbucks, Tourism


The “harmonious” design of a Starbucks outlet located at one of Japan’s top Shinto sites has outraged the architectural sensibilities of many Japanese, although pleasurable feelings of violation at the hands of corporate America are sadly complicated by the fact it was designed by Japanese architects…
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A plan to make a copy of the Titanic in China has been attracting considerable attention, combining as it does the hubris of the “Titanic” name and the manufacturing quality of China.
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- Author: Artefact
- Categories: Japan, News
- Date: Apr 10, 2012 02:16 JST
- Tags: Brassieres, Comparison, Gifu, Kyoto, Oppai, Pettanko, Saitama, Statistics, Tourism

A map showing the average bra cup size in each of the Japanese prefectures has lately been giving succour to breast lovers, whatever their their preference.
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The overpowering cuteness of Disney’s new anime-styled ad for its Tokyo Disney Resort – as well as the rather artful romance it manages to compact into a 30 second spot – have been inspiring much appreciation online in Japan and beyond.
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London’s newly won position on the K-ON! “seichi” pilgrimage circuit appears to be well in hand – fans of the K-ON! movie are already hunting through its frigid and grimy recesses to find the various locations fictionally graced by their moeblob icons.
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Spicy wolf Horo (or Holo) has lately been enjoying a life of international travel and luxury courtesy of one of her most besotted of admirers…
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Japanese TV has been investigating what has been hailed as the (second) creepiest train ever – the “maid train,” offering the complete maid service experience and the overpowering combination of maid fanciers and train spotters all in one carriage.
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