The Japanese government will soon be offering a $51 billion economic stimulus package to businesses and taxpayers. Here’s some information on what normal people can expect to get out of it:
As part of the deal, 2 trillion yen in all will be handed out to Japanese households in one-off payments by next March. [...]

Sean Bonner traveled to Tokyo recently to join the authors of Japanese monster guidebook Yokai Attack in a search for the elusive Kappa. The video was featured in BoingBoing TV:

Part 2:

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Former sumo wrestler Wakanoho has failed to sue his way back into the sport:
Judge Shigeru Nakanishi ruled that the alleged possession of marijuana is a major illegal act and the sumo association’s decision is not as severe as claimed by the disgraced grappler, lawyer Makoto Miyata said.
Wakanoho was disappointed by the court’s decision, Miyata [...]

Enka signer Nezumi Senpai visited Beijing recently on a quest to meet the fake Mickey Mouse at Shijingshan Amusement Park:

Upon entering the park gates, he asked some mascots where he could find fake Mickey Mouse, and he was told that Mickey was somewhere else inside the amusement park. Nezumi Senpai was distracted by [...]

Earlier this year CNN(embedded above), the BBC, and the Associated Press reported about Yukio Shige, a retired police officer who founded a non-profit organization that helps prevent suicides. Shige spends most of his days at the Tojimbo Cliffs, a scenic spot where many people come to commit suicide. When he spots suspicious-looking [...]

The trailer for Neko Râmen Taishô has convinced me that all future film adaptations of manga should be done in puppet form:

As you may have noticed, feline stationmaster Tama makes a cameo appearance in the film – possibly in a puppet-on-cat love scene.
For more details, check out Neko-Rahmen.com and Wikipedia.
[hat tip to Michel]
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Akihabara News – [...]

Reuters reports on a robot that can do some basic household chores:

Japanese scientists have created a robot that mops up, does the laundry and even cleans the kitchen. The ‘Assistant Robot’ is the brain child of Tokyo University’s Information and Robot Technology (IRT) Research Initiative system research centre and a slew of japanese companies including [...]

A fake commercial for a “wrist cutter” product (from the movie Tokyo Gore Police):

[via Zaeega]
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Looks like somebody told the Associated Press about the Yamanote Halloween Train, because they’ve got an article up about Japanese police posting extra officers at 30 stations on Halloween night in to deal with “naked, drunken revelers:”
Signs have been posted at all stations warning that the network will not tolerate any high jinks.
“WARNING: Any actions [...]

A crowd of pro-Pyongyang Zainichi Koreans gathered to protest yesterday as police raided the offices of an organization believed to have performed illegal tax accounting for Korean businesses in Tokyo:

The Tokyo police searched locations Wednesday including an affiliate of the pro-Pyongyang General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, or Chongryon, on suspicion of violating the [...]

Two mildly stupid but nonetheless impressive feats:
1. Butt jump rope for 30 seconds

2. Bouncing on a balance ball for 30 seconds without touching the ground

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A gotcha question for Prime Minister Taro Aso:
Asked in parliament late Tuesday how much a package of Cup Noodles would cost at a supermarket, Aso said: “I think it used to be very cheap, but now it costs around 400 yen (4.12 dollars), doesn’t it?”
An opposition lawmaker immediately retorted that a cup of instant noodles [...]