On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: Do students in Saga Prefecture still have to wear white underwear? Topics Discussed The decision by Saga Prefecture’s Board of Education to get rid of an existing rule in some of its schools that made it mandatory for students to wear white underwear under their school uniforms The possibility that some school …

Today’s Question On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: What is a tsuchinoko? Topics Discussed What a tsuchinoko is How you say “cryptid” in Japanese Tsuchinoko’s status as a U.M.A. (Unidentified Mysterious Animal) What a tsuchinoko looks like Some of the abilities tsuchinoko are said to have The areas in Japan where tsuchinoko tend to live The sounds tsuchinoko …

Quack quack yo! The Japanese hip hop group Sushiboys has come out with a music video featuring a song tailor-made for the next time you find yourself cruising around with your posse on one of those swan-shaped paddle boats often seen at parks. Released on August 13, the group’s latest video is for a track called “Ahiru Bōto” (literally “duck …

Who knew wookies were such talented musicians? Even if you’re not a Star Wars fan, you almost certainly know Chewbacca. This famous and lovable creature is incredibly strong, loyal, and, of course, very hairy. Judging by a new video though, it would appear that he’s also an expert xylophone player. Released late last month to coincide with the June 29 …

Starmie to the rescue. If you’re at all familiar with the Pokemon franchise, then you know that Starmie is a Generation 1 Pokemon modeled after the starfish. However, what you probably don’t know is that Starmie isn’t just a Pokemon, Starmie is also a superhero named Starfish-Man (Hitodeman), or well, that’s what a new music video released to the official …

Something’s a little off about these Piplups. Piplup is a water-type penguin-like Pokemon that made its debut as a starter in the Generation IV series of games. Called Pocchama in Japanese, Piplup is cute, blue, prideful, and not particularly known for its dance abilities. That is, until now. The video below was tweeted out on April 22 by Twitter user …

Brace yourselves. The Pikachu are coming. This August Yokohama will once again be overrun by legions of everyone’s favorite yellow electric mouse Pokemon, Pikachu, when the city plays host to the 2018 Pikachu Outbreak! event (Pikachu Tairyō Hassei). Set to take place between August 10-16 in the Minato Mirai harbor district of Yokohama, Pikachu Outbreak! is a yearly event started …

It’s that time of the year again. Despite April Fools’ not being from Japan, Japanese companies have fully embraced it. Every April 1 brings with it a whole new batch of silly jokes. Some are hilarious, some are genuinely interesting, and some are a little lackluster. This year was no different and so here’s a quick roundup (in no particular …

You wouldn’t want to know what Pikachu says about Mimikyu’s mother. Pikachu is a Pokemon of many, many talents. Not only can Pikachu shoot deadly electricity from his body, understand human speech without any problem, and dance, a new video has just revealed that Pikachu is also able to spit rhymes like no other. Released on December 8, this promotional …

Leave now if you’re not into mindless insanity. MAD videos, or MAD movies as they are also sometimes called, are a genre of Japanese online video/meme that uses crazy epilepsy inducing editing techniques, anime and video game music, visuals from anime and video games and random strange video clips and images taken from all over. These videos tend to be …

Children, avert your eyes! A video of a bizarre, yet hilarious mishap involving a deflating dancing Pikachu getting whisked off stage in the middle of a performance at a Pokémon festival held in Korea has gone viral. Serving as both a celebration of the popular Pokémon franchise and a grand opening event for a new outdoor mall called Triple Street …