Japan

Nearly Free Japanese Curry This Thursday!

The signature katsu curry, without further toppings, will be 55 cents this Thursday. Japanese curry is a strange entity, so remote from Indian curries (themselves a sort of convenient fiction), that a resident of Bombay would be unlikely to identify a Japanese curry as such. Yet, it's one of the m ... More >>

Tokyo Restaurant Pioneers Vegetarian Sushi, See the Video

Mmmm, that looks like really fresh uni (sea urchin) A hot new Tokyo restaurant in the Rappongi Hills section turns the sushi and sashimi traditions on their heads by offering an all-vegetarian menu. This is not just a collection of cucumber and pickled-daikon rolls, either, but beautifully turned ... More >>

Japanese Breakfast at Panya in the East Village

The Japanese breakfast is a wild farrago of taste and textures, but where to start? If you're tired of brunching on the usual eggs benedict, french toast with fruit, or basket of muffins, consider the traditional Japanese breakfast at Panya Bakery on Stuyvesant Street in the middle of the East Vil ... More >>

Flight Attendants Prefer To Work Coach!

I learned this from a flight attendant for a major international airline. He said that, based on seniority, flight attendants are given the chance to request where they'll fly to every month and whether they'll do coach, business, or first class. He said Rio, Sao Paolo, and Tokyo are considered th ... More >>

Yoshihito Kida and Mika Ohie Bring You the Joys of Soba

Bang for your buckwheat

'A Visual Essay on Gutai' Sees Japan Reborn

Plus: Sabrina Gschwandtner and Alice Attie

Cats with Your Coffee

Tokyo's cat cafés sound brilliant, in theory. A bunch of little coffee shops where you can sip a green tea latte and pay to play with the in-house cats. But Gideon Lewis-Kraus investigates further for Wired and finds that cat cafés aren't always warm and fuzzy.

MONSTER MASH

Paying tribute to Godzilla

The Story of Futomaki

The futomaki at Ootoya comes disguised like a birthday present. [See More Featured: 10 Best Incredibly Cheap Eats in New York | 10 Best Ice Creams in NYC] Futomaki is a type of sushi that looks like a regular maki roll blown up with a bicycle pump, but still retaining its perfect cylindrical conf ... More >>

ISCANDAR OR BUST

The Yamato blazes 
into space once more

Horror, Romance, and Artistry at the Japan Cuts Fest

The pop and the profound

JAPANORAMA

New filmmakers and national character

In Honor of National Donut Day, A Glimpse of Tokyo's Donut Plant

While New York City has only two Donut Plant locations, including the original on Grand Street, Tokyo can boast 14 locations, with the New York origin loudly proclaimed, and a pastry menu similar to the original. The Tokyo versions often provide outdoor and indoor seating, something lacking in our G ... More >>

That "Ring of Fire" Solar Eclipse is Happening Soon, Here Are Live Streams to Watch It

Forget Mother's Day; or Memorial Day; or Zuckerberg Weekend (what May 18th-20th should be called from now on); or any other important May event. Tonight is the annual solar eclipse and this one, as many astronomists are predicting, could be a rare spectacle to see. At one point this evening, 80 per ... More >>

Live Feed From Tokyo: Ramen at Ippudo

Received 12:02am (our time), bowl of noodles at Ippudo in Tokyo. Red bowl! (photo: Tracy Van Dyk) For comparative purposes:

The Intimate Details of Japanese Life in "Extreme Private Ethos"

FIGHTING SPIRIT

A Japanese village rebuilds with help from Chim↑Pom

Stopped Bridge of Dreams Floats Into La MaMa

John Jesurun pilots a brothel in the sky

How the 'Edo-Mae' Sushi Assortment at Hasaki Is Like a Brief Vacation to Tokyo

What comes in a wooden box and is supremely delectable? Run your eye down the extensive sushi menu at Hasaki, and you'll find many interesting oddities and combinations. At the end of the omakase list, for example, is a $45 combo called Edo-mae Sushi.

Dog Bank From Choken-Bako at AC Gears, Gift Suggestion #4

​Toss a penny in the dish, and the dog laps it up. Today's present in our Christmas gift countdown comes from Japan, but you can find it at computer gadget store AC Gears, where you can get other foodie gifts, too, like thumb drives in the shape of chicken wings and sushi.

Radioactive Baby Formula Sold in Japan

​At least 400,000 cans of baby formula on sale in Japan contain radioactive cesium, but the island nation's government says that the contamination isn't dangerous, The Wall Street Journal reports.

CYBERDORKS

Where's Harrison Ford when you need him?

SAY KANPAI!

SAY KANPAI!

Domino's Pizza Japan Says It's Launching a Branch on the Moon. Is It a Joke?

Pizzas in space.​While Domino's is busy killing the word "artisan" in America, over in Japan the fast-food chain has its sights set on space. The L.A. Times blog notices that the company has launched a website outlining its "Moon Branch Project." Is it a hoax marking the pizza chain's 25th ann ... More >>

Dish No. 61: Pork Kimchee Tsukemen Soba at Cocoron

​This is the thick dipping sauce for your noodles, served hot. If you're up to your ears in ramen, consider switching to soba, the most traditional noodles of Japan. These noodles are made of buckwheat, a plant not related to wheat, and classified as neither a grain nor a grass. The wild pla ... More >>

U.S. v. Japan: A Final Kick in the Pants, But a Fantastic Run

Saki Kumagai focuses before her winning penalty kick.​To me, the U.S. women's soccer team's bid for the World Cup was more inspiring than the 1980 men's Olympic hockey team's victory (you know, the "Miracle on Ice"). I think that what they were doing — giving us all something to cheer about ... More >>

Women's World Cup Sets New Tweet Record

​Alas, the U.S. lost in Sunday's Women's World Cup final, ceding the first place spot to Japan, but worldwide there were other competitions -- on different fields -- afoot. As we watched the final moments with bated breath, people were tweeting about them like crazy around the world, surpassin ... More >>

Get Out the Antacids and Start Prepping for Go! Go! Curry's Annual Eating Contest

​Competitive eating contests get some riled up given that many live in a time of food insecurity, but they can also be sources of camaraderie and good eating. Whatever your opinions on timed gluttony may be, Japanese restaurant Go! Go! Curry is hosting its third annual curry eating contest t ... More >>

The World Is Really Ending This Time!

​I can't stand Chicken Little types who always think the planet is coming to an a tragic end. To me, their whining only adds to the general unpleasantness and their hot air can be detrimental to foliage. But after taking a look at today's headlines, I'm convinced not only that the sky is fa ... More >>

Top Chef Alums Rally to Raise Money for Japan

​Though Richard Blaise is busy parlaying his Top Chef victory into a stint shilling for the National Pork Board, some of his fellow reality show survivors are lending their names and food to a more philanthropic endeavor.

'Tsunami Dog' Rescued at Sea After Three Weeks

via​Happy news for adorable animals in trouble! A dog caught in Japan's tsunami and believed to have been at sea for three weeks has been rescued by the Japanese coast guard. The dog managed to cling to the roof of a washed-away house, apparently, and had been adrift since March 11. He was "em ... More >>

SONIC RELIEF

Two benefits for Japan draw marquee names

American Red Cross Donations to Japan Hit $120.5 Million

​Previously, we've covered the Red Cross's efforts to help Japan, and answered the question of "What Is the Red Cross Doing With Your Donations to Japan?" Today the American Red Cross announced that the total amounted donated to Japan for relief following the earthquake and tsunami has reached ... More >>

A Musical Guide to Japan Benefits and Valiantly Intentioned Fundraising Efforts, Featuring Thrill Jockey and Rebecca Black

​"I've been inspired by Japan for many years and have a true love, appreciation and respect for the Japanese people and their culture," said early American-adopter and purveyor of Japan's Harajuku girl style, Gwen Stefani. "The disaster in Japan is beyond heartbreaking and I want to do anythin ... More >>

430 Times Normal Radiation Near Fukushima Nuclear Plant; Indian Point Operators Consider Changes; William Shatner Is 80

​• Soil tested 25 miles from Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant on Monday had radiation at "430 times normal levels" as reported by Japan's Science Ministry. Tokyo Electric's executive VP has visited evacuees in the area to apologize for the situation. In addition, it seems that multipl ... More >>

Klaus Jacob, Columbia Disaster Expert: Why Closing Indian Point Makes Sense

​In October 2008, the Voice profiled Klaus Jacob, Columbia University's expert on urban environmental disasters. In that story, we examined how the Ivy League school had ignored warnings by its own expert about expanding into areas subject to flooding because of climate change. Today we talke ... More >>

Yo La Tengo Are Playing A Benefit For Japan at Maxwell's This Wednesday; Tickets On Sale at 10 a.m.

Yo La Tengo at Maxwell's in December. Photo by Liz Clayton.​We'd heard rumors of this last week, and yesterday, the band made it official--Hoboken humanitarians and all around good humans Yo La Tengo will be playing a hastily organized benefit for Japan this Wednesday at Maxwell's. Tickets are ... More >>

Radiation From Japan Is Headed for California...But Don't Worry

​Before you freak out over the words "radioactive plume" hitting Southern California, know that any radiation from the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan will be diluted and, via the New York Times, "at worst, would have extremely minor health consequences in the United States, even if hints of ... More >>

U.S. Airport Radiation Detectors Being Triggered by Japanese Passengers

​There are fewer words scarier than "nuclear meltdown" and, of course, "radiation." So it's not surprising that Americans are concerned, particularly on the West Coast, where low, reportedly "not dangerous" levels of radiation are now headed, about possible fallout from the nuclear crisis at J ... More >>

Sad Japanese Cat Is Reportedly Safe!

via​Yesterday we posted an image of a cat in Japan that seemed to be just hanging on with the most heart-wrenching of expressions above what we, given the timing, interpreted as tsunami water. We would like to correct ourselves. It turns out that the photo, which had been reblogged by WNYC's T ... More >>

Eat and Drink for Japan

​Tonight from 6 to 8 p.m., 100 percent of proceeds at Mehtaphor will go to the Japanese Red Cross to benefit disaster efforts in Japan. But even if you can't make it to the restaurant, there are other places where you can put your appetites to more philanthropic use.

Gilbert Gottfried Fired as Aflac Duck Voice For Japan Jokes on Twitter

via​Gilbert Gottfried, the loud comedian you may remember from his role as the loud character voice in movies like Disney's Aladdin, has been fired as the voice actor for disability insurance provider Aflac after he joked repeatedly on his Twitter about the earthquake in Japan. Many are left w ... More >>

This May Be the Most Heart-Wrenching Photo You Will See Today

via​WNYC's Transmitter has posted this photo of a cat struggling to stay above the tsunami waters in Japan. It is apparently their most popular Tumblr post. If this doesn't make your heart ache at least a little, you have no soul. (Larger photo, with perspective, after the jump.)

The Stupidest Things Said About Japan on the Internet

via​We always love to say that "tragedy brings out the best in people." Unfortunately, that's not always the case. As we documented earlier, people flocked to Twitter and Facebook in droves to celebrate the Japanese earthquake and subsequent tsunami, which have been responsible for thousands u ... More >>

What Is the Red Cross Doing With Your Donations to Japan?

​Earlier today we were asked some questions about how organizations like the Red Cross are dealing with donations received for Japan. Specifically, how long do those text donations take to reach aid organizations? Are donations even reaching Japan, and will they? Gizmodo addressed the question ... More >>

Now a Volcano Is Erupting in Japan

The Shinmoedake volcano in southern Japan began erupting again yesterday, after last erupting January 19. It's uncertain whether the eruption is related to the earthquake that occurred on Friday; the volcano is located about 950 miles from the epicenter of that quake. According to the L.A. Times, "J ... More >>

Japan Fights to Avoid Nuclear Disaster; Death Toll From Tsunami Could Top 10,000

Reuters/Toru Hanai​Japan is facing what prime minister Naoto Kan called its "toughest and most difficult crisis" since World War II, as workers struggle to prevent meltdowns in two reactors at the Fukushima power plant. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said that a third reactor would possibly e ... More >>

Is Western Coverage of Japan Veering Into "Disaster Porn"?

Reuters via NYT​An idea getting thrown around on the Internet is that American news networks' coverage of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan is a form of "disaster porn." This post from Tokyo photographer Rikki Kasso's blog reposted on Tumblr sums up the argument: Please everybody do not re ... More >>

Japan Quake Death Toll Could Rise to 1300; Nuclear Plant Explosion Causes Radiation Leak, Fear of Meltdown

Reuters via NYT​The death toll from yesterday's 8.9 magnitude earthquake and tsunami in northern Japan could rise to more than 1300, government officials told Japanese news media. CNN is reporting that the number of deaths is 900 and is expected to rise. Half the population of one town, Minamisanr ... More >>

A High-Speed Bullet Train and a Cruise Ship Are Missing in Japan

​Details continue to come in about the aftermath of the 8.9 magnitude earthquake in Japan and the devastating tsunami that followed. The death toll, currently in the hundreds, is expected to increase dramatically. Google has launched a person-finder app to try to help people locate missing fri ... More >>