The supermoon, which is also known by the slightly less mellifluous name perigee-syzygy, occurs when the timing of a full moon coincides with the satellite passing through its closest point to Earth in its orbit. The result for those us gazing up at it is a bigger, brighter version of Luna.

▼ Size comparison of the regular and supermoon

Astronomy fans have been blessed in recent years, with the supermoon appearing with nearly annual frequency. This weekend’s event was preceded by a supermoon on May 5 of last year, plus another on March 19 in 2011. The next is expected on August 11, 2014.

▼ The supermoon in 2011

▼ In 2012

▼ And in 2014?

The supermoon will, of course, be visible around the world. But as we sit writing this in Japan, rain is falling while the season’s first bona fide typhoon bears down on Tokyo. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that the gale passes and the skies clear by Sunday night, saving us from having to scrap our romantic stargazing date plans for the weekend.

Source: N Lab
Top image: Yahoo!
Insert images: Wikipedia, Rakuten, Hatena, Wikipedia Wallpapersuzie

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• See this amazing video of a “Super Moon” – breathtaking images that look almost surreal!
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Origin: Supermoon coming on June 23, lovers and lycanthropes alike hoping for clear skies
Copyright© RocketNews24 / Socio Corporation. All rights reserved.

The kitchen can be a dangerous place, full of intense heat and sharp, pointy objects. For people who lack the culinary skills to so much as peel a potato, ambitious kitchen exploits can result in a great deal of blood, sweat, and tears. The thought of thinly slicing a carrot puts fear into every fingertip. Thankfully, there’s a new product on the market which makes the act of cutting thin strips of vegetables quick, safe, and easy. Anyone who’s ever owned a box of colored pencils can now use those grade school pencil sharpening skills to use on their favorite veggies, adding some healthy flair to any dish.

This new product, called Nejicco, is also known as the “vegetable pencil sharpener.” It cuts your vegetables into long, thin strips, like the shavings you get off of a hand-held pencil sharpener. Just insert your veggie into the colorful cone and twist it against the blade. It doesn’t matter how thick the thing is that you’re cutting. This slicer can handle anything from cucumbers to carrots to giant white radishes, as long as they fit inside the cone. The only sort of ingredients it has trouble with are slender and elastic foods that bend when you twist them.

▼ Here’s the stack of Nejicco sharpeners on their little stand.

The company that makes the Nejicco is Kanda , based in Tsubame City in Niigata Prefecture. They specialize in making professional-grade Chinese food preparation utensils but have started making tools for the general public in recent years. When they released the Nejicco at an exhibition in April this year, it was an instant hit with visiting chefs. Although it’s a product meant for the general public, it promises to be a big hit in the food service industry, where cooks of various skill levels must produce dishes of consistent quality at a constant speed. To get thinly sliced vegetables with just a few quick twists should save a lot of time and open up a whole new realm of menu options to both professional chefs and home cooks alike.

The Nejicco comes with three different “sharpeners” to give you slices of three different widths: thin straws for garnish, wide strips for wraps, and an in-between noodle width. It can be purchased online or in stores like Kappabashi Dougu Street and Tokyu Hands department stores at just 2,500 yen (US$26) per set.

▼ Mint green gives you the thinnest pieces, great for garnish and mini salads.

After such an enthusiastic entrance into the market this May, Kanda is predicting to sell approximately 12,000 units in their first fiscal year. Be one of the first consumers and try out the Nejicco for yourself. It promises to open up a whole new realm of possibilities for not only vegetable garnishes but also veggie noodles, pickles, and a slew of other interesting dishes.

Source: Nikkei Trendy, New Pack Sumitomo (Japanese)
Images: Rakuten

▼ Carrot orange offers a cut that’s perfect for thick vegetable noodles.

▼ Mimosa yellow makes the widest vegetable slices and also comes with a handy peeler on the side.

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Origin: Add interest to your homemade dishes with the help of this ‘vegetable pencil sharpener’
Copyright© RocketNews24 / Socio Corporation. All rights reserved.

Or you could just do the like the kids at one Japanese elementary school who said the heck with it and went to town licking each other’s eyeballs.

A Japanese website recently posted a story about an elementary school teacher who noticed an alarmingly large number of pupils sporting eyepatches. Determined to find the source of the sudden outbreak of eye ailments, the instructor started asking around, and found that a third of the 12-year-old students questioned admitted to having licked a classmate’s eyeballs.

Overseas media outlets picked up on the story, and it’s now sending shockwaves around the globe. The U.K.’s, Daily Mail put out an alarmist headline proclaiming that the trend of couples licking each other’s eyes is spreading across Japan, leading to skyrocketing rates of eye infection.

As enamored as the whole English RocketNews24 team is of Japan, this is one time where we’d like to take refuge in our expat status. Except, how these kids got their freak on freaked out our Japanese coworkers just as much as it did us. And it turns out this unusual method of showing affection isn’t even unique to Japan, as an investigation by America’s Huffington Post turned up eyeball licking aficionados in the U.S. as well.

The news provider spoke to one young woman in her 20s about how she developed her unusual ocular penchant. “There’s just something I like about it. I had as boyfriend a long time ago who used to lick my eyeballs, and it just drove me wild.” she said. “We ended up breaking up, but I have the guy I’m with now lick my eyeballs too.” So no, there really isn’t any limit as to how far a guy will go if he thinks it improves his chances of getting a girl in the sack.

▼ Wait, does it make it better or worse if your date is referring to their eyes when they say “Lick my balls?”

One thing every report includes is the common sense warning that eyeball licking is dangerous. Doctors say that if the licker is a carrier of oral herpes, the disease could be transmitted to his or her partner’s eye. There is also the risk of contracting pinkeye, and in extreme cases loss of vision may occur. Of course, if you find yourself licking eyeballs with someone, odds are you didn’t have a great deal of vision in your life to begin with, but that only makes preserving what little you have all the more important.

▼ Eyeball licker or F18 fighter pilot: you can only pick one as your goal in life

Thankfully, Internet commentators have restored our faith in humanity by displaying the appropriate reaction: appalled horror.

”This…is just nasty!”

“Why why why are people doing this? All it’s gonna do is mess up your eyes!”

“So are they going to start selling eye condoms now?”

Sadder however was the reaction, “I like Japanese culture, but this is too much!” We’d like to stress that eyeball licking is about as close to “Japanese culture” as Rocky Mountain Oyster eating contests are to the typical American way of life. Sure, neither one is something a person can do all by themselves, but they’re both considered grossly inappropriate contact with disgusting orbs by the vast majority of the countries’ citizens.

In the meantime, remember kids, it takes two to eye lick! So if your new steady makes a move on you and you feel uncomfortable, don’t forget that as he makes his move, his jaw should be properly positioned for a nice uppercut.

▼ We’re not sure which base the eyeball is, but in any case, you’re not getting there today, pal

Sources: Mail Online, The Huffington Post, YouTube
Top image: Tofufu
Insert images: 99 Main, Very Cool Photos, Crunchyroll

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Origin: Eyeball licking: actually not better than a poke in the eye
Copyright© RocketNews24 / Socio Corporation. All rights reserved.

It was reported on 17 June that Yoshiyuki Ikutani of Tokyo had been arrested on suspicion of the embezzlement of his former employers, Microsoft Japan. Luckily he was easy to find having already been charged with the embezzlement of his former employers over at a now-defunct subsidiary of IBM.

The now 48-year-old Ikutani had been working at IBM Business Consulting Services during a period from April 2008 to April 2009. According to police, during this time he had charged clients a consultancy fee but rather than have it sent to the company he delivered it to his own private account.

It is suspected that he had embezzled 300 million yen (US$3M) since 2005 , but the charges stand at the approximately 130 million yen (US$1.3) from 12 transfers over the one year period.

Allegedly, when the company asked about the missing funds, Ikutani hired actors from a talent agent to pretend to be reps from clients giving formal apologies saying things such as, “I’m deeply sorry about the slow payment”.

IBM Business Consulting Services was eventually dissolved and merged with IBM Japan. By this time Ikutani had moved on to a position at Microsoft Japan, and IBM Japan begun an internal audit.

As IBM Japan was beginning to learn of Ikutani’s alleged creative bookkeeping he was, according to police, already draining money from Microsoft Japan to the tune of 15 million yen (US$157,000).

When requested by the company to hire a consulting firm he would use a fake company he had set and transfer the payment to his own account while forging the imaginary president’s signature.

After an internal investigation the company fired Ikutani in September 2011, and worked on filing charges leading to his arrest now. However, he had already been arrested on charges of embezzlement from his time at IBM after charges were filed late last year.

It was reported that Ikutani had used the money he embezzled for private investments such as foreign currencies.

Source: MSN News 1, 2 via My Game News Flash (Japanese)

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Origin: Japanese man arrested for ripping Microsoft off for $157,000 after already being arrested for embezzling $1.3M from IBM
Copyright© RocketNews24 / Socio Corporation. All rights reserved.

A recent survey of working conditions in the world’s largest economies reveals some interesting insights, as well as some that might not be so shocking to anyone who’s worked in said country. Read on for the full ranking.

No matter how high the Customer Satisfaction (CS) rating of a company, if the employees there are working under unsatisfactory conditions, you can’t exactly call it a good company, right?

The words “employee satisfaction” (ES) and “work-life-balance” and have been cropping up lately in relation to CS. But how many companies are actually striving to make sure their employees are satisfied?

The survey results have been compiled by the British-based Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD), who investigated working environments in each of the G8 and BRICS countries. The G8 group consists of France, the UK, Germany, Italy, Japan, America, Canada and Russia; BRICS includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa; this brings the total number of countries looked at to 12.

Here we have the G8 & BRICS Employee Satisfaction Rankings.

1. Canada (G8) – 91%

2. United Kingdom (G8) - 91%

3. Germany (G8) - 86%

3. Italy (G8) – 86%

3. America (G8) - 86%

3. Brazil (BRICS) -86%

7. South Africa (BRICS) - 81%

7. Japan (G8) - 81%

7. France (G8) - 81%

10. China (BRICS) -73%

11. Russia (G8/BRICS) - 60%

12. India (BRICS) – 39%

※The percentages indicate level of satisfaction

Any surprises there? Let’s take a look at Japan.

Japanese employee satisfaction in the workplace apparently stands at 81 percent. That doesn’t seem so bad, but then consider that it places Japan in 7th place out of 12 countries, and second worst out of the G8 countries.

Levels of employee satisfaction are closely connected to salary and balance between work and private life. Now, I’m not meaning to point any fingers here, but could Japan’s low rating be connected to its reputation for overworking its employees?! I mean, there must be a reason Japan has a word (karōshi) to mean death from overwork. Just sayin’…

Other interesting conclusions drawn from the survey include:

• Japan has the highest proportion of the elderly in the workforce
• Around 20 percent of American companies let employees bring their pet to work
• The average French lunch break lasts just 22 minutes
• 46 percent of Russia’s senior executives are female – in Japan its just 5 percent

How do you guys feel about the list? Is your country represented? If so, how do you feel about its rating?

Source: Business Owners Direct, CIPD (PDF file)
Photo: RocketNews24

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Origin: Japan second worst in G8 for employee satisfaction
Copyright© RocketNews24 / Socio Corporation. All rights reserved.

Needless to say, the restaurant must be doing something right, and once we heard the rumors that the anago portions are extremely generous, we couldn’t keep ourselves away and made the trip out to the restaurant to try it for ourselves.

The photos in this article can be viewed in 3D. The MPO (3D data) zip files can be downloaded here for viewing on a Nintendo 3DS or 3D-capable TV or PC. You know how we love toys…

Fukugawa Tsuribune is located three minutes’ walk from Kunitachi Station on the JR Chuo Line, a straight shot from Shinnjuku. As we stepped through the restaurant’s door, we were greeted by the friendly staff, who beckoned us to a seat at the counter. We sat down and ordered our anago bowl, which the seasoned chef skillfully prepared right in front of our eyes.

After a few minutes, the anago bowl was placed in front of us. We mentioned before that anago don is tempura eel served over rice, and in Fukugawa Tsuribune’s case, the description is literal. The leviathan-like piece of anago is too massive to fit in the bowl, and is instead draped across the top of it. Our order also came with no less than four pieces of vegetable tempura.

Even before our first taste, the golden brown color of the tempura coating told us we were in for a treat. With its delicious aroma breaking down the last remnants of our willpower, we bit into the sea beast.

And it was good.

Between the satisfying crunchiness and enticing scent of the breading, the fluffiness of the eel, and the delectable sauce, it was all we could do to keep from fully losing our composure.

The dish was completely devoid of any harsh flavors or the unpleasant smell that comes with lesser-quality fried foods. Everything that exists in the bowl is there to enhance the straightforward, delicious taste of the anago so that the diner can savor it to the utmost.

Anago don isn’t Fukugawa Tsuribune’s only claim to fame, though. Patrons also rave about its kakiage bowl, in which the tempura topping the rice is a mass of sliced vegetables. Unfortunately, the restaurant is popular enough that when we asked about making a reservation to come back, we were told there were no openings until the month after next! Thankfully, the anago bowl was so filling enough that it’ll probably be about that long before we start to feel hungry again.

Restaurant information:
Fukugawa Tsuribune
Address: Tokyo, Kunitachi City, Higashi 1-15-18, Shirano Building, 2nd floor
東京都国立市東1-15-18 白野ビル2F
Hours of operation: 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. / 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Closed Sundays

Photos: RocketNews24

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Origin: Giant sea eel: fearsome monster or delicious lunch?
Copyright© RocketNews24 / Socio Corporation. All rights reserved.

And as you can see from the video we have for you below, while Aki-chan may not be a member of the Homo sapien species, she certainly has a delightful trick up her sleeve (even if she isn’t wearing anything with sleeves)!

Now, who would ever have thought we’d be seeing monkeys buying drinks from a machine?

Aki-chan, the star of the video, is a kind of monkey called the tufted capuchin, and a resident of the Tohoku Safari Park located in Fukushima Prefecture. And she obviously knows her way around vending machines, as she shows us her slick moves from inserting the coins to retrieving the drink from the slot at the bottom, with a bit of banging on the machine in the process, of course.

Even though tufted capuchins are known for their dexterity and ability to use tools, Japanese internet users have nonetheless been impressed and amused with Aki-chan’s performance. With just a little help, she knows how to open the bottle cap, and more importantly, she knows she’s supposed to return the proper change to the person who gave her the money (which in fact may be more than can be said about some human beings).

▼Got to put in those coins

▼Aki-chan giving back the change

▼Ahh… the juice tastes good!

Once again, we’re reminded that nothing beats a cute animal video when it comes to making us smile and relax. Well done, Aki-chan, and thanks for entertaining us!

Source: YouTube via Kotaro Blog
Top Image and Inset Photos: YouTube

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Origin: Cute and smart — what more could you ask for in a gal? Except this girl’s not human
Copyright© RocketNews24 / Socio Corporation. All rights reserved.

If you were asked to name a type of surgery to correct short-sightedness, most likely the first thing that would come to mind is laser eye surgery. While in recent years the precision levels and success rates of laser surgery have risen like never before, the idea of zapping your eye with a laser isn’t one that everyone is comfortable with. Recently, however, “orthokeratology”–a new form of vision correction which uses hard contact lenses to shape the cornea and requires no surgery whatsoever–is becoming increasingly popular.

Find out how our reporter Kuzo got on with a pair of the unique lenses after the break.

Left in overnight and removed upon waking, the lens’ shaping effects are said to allow the user to spend an entire day with perfect vision without the need for glasses or contact lenses. But how did our reporter fare?

• The science behind the lens

The special orthokeratology contact lens is designed in such a way so as to apply gentle pressure to the surface of the cornea, flattening it in a way that restores normal vision. Put simply, the contact lens corrects the way light is refracted when entering into the eyes. You simply pop them in before going to bed and then remove them the following morning.

Kuzo first started wearing this special type of contacts lens back in May 2011. He was so impressed with the results that he continues to use them even now. He reported that after using orthokeratology for just one night, both his eyes had been restored to 20/20 vision. Although Kuzo hasn’t had his sight tested recently, he claims that his vision is just as crisp as when he first started using the lenses two years ago. Whether it be lounging about in front of the TV, enjoying a movie or reading a book, he loves not having the restrictions that come with regular contact lenses or glasses. Dare we say that Kuzo often comments that his sight is a little too good?

• So what’s the best thing about orthokeratology?

Ultimately the biggest advantage has got to be that unlike normal contact lenses, your eyes don’t become dry, nor do they feel tired after hours of use. What’s more, as it’s not necessary to put anything in during waking hours, you’re eyes feel really healthy. Obviously in order to achieve this, wearing the contacts at night is a prerequisite, but as the wearing time coincides with your sleeping hours, most of the time you’re not even aware you’ve got them in.

• Are there any downsides we should be aware of?

Before heading to bed each night, it is necessary to insert the hard contact lenses into your eyes. At first, this might prove a bit fiddly and take some getting used to. There are also reports of your eyes feeling sore during the initial period of getting used to the lens. However, these are the same things reported by users who try hard contact lenses for the first time. The lenses used in orthokeratology are no different to normal hard contact lenses in terms of comfort, so once you pass this obstacle, it comes as almost second nature.

Another possible downside is that unlike laser surgery, the contact lenses need to be worn regularly to sustain effective results. For many, this means every night although it really does depend on how soft your cornea is and how long it takes for it to return back to its original state. Kuzo admits that after wearing the lenses for two whole years, even after missing a couple days of wear, there is little deterioration in his sight. However, in the early stages of use it is often required to put the lenses in every night so as to stabilize the shape of the cornea.

• What about the price?

In Japan, the lenses have only received official approval by the government in recent years so their uptake is still a little behind other countries. The optician that Kuzo visited charged 160,000 yen (about US$1,680) for both eyes but the price will of course vary from place to place. The price also seems to vary depending upon how much aftercare is included.

Most opticians in Japan providing orthokeratology also offer a free trial period which is ideal in finding out whether the product is right for you. For anyone curious about this type of non-invasive vision correction, the chances are that whether you’re residing in Japan or not, you’re local optician could well be offering a similar service. If you’re even the tiniest bit interested, why not go and check it out?

If you’ve tried, or are currently a user of, orthokeratological lenses and would like to share your views about it, we’d love to hear how they worked for you, so let us know in the comments section below.

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Origin: Correct short-sightedness without surgery: our reporter tries out orthokeratology
Copyright© RocketNews24 / Socio Corporation. All rights reserved.

Whenever I’m forced to suffer the humid heat of Tokyo’s hot and rainy summers, I’m grateful for the large number of vending machines and convenience stores, all ready to sell me a nice, cold drink. It seems that not everyone shares my excitement, however, as a large percentage of Japan’s residents have shown distaste for chilled beverages. Some quote health reasons, while others just don’t like cold drinks. Lucky for them, the convenience store, Daily Yamazaki, is ready to meet their call.

In a survey conducted by a big beverage producer, it was found that 40 percent of consumers are interested in buying drinks that were sold at room temperature. Their reasons were many and varied. “It’s for the sake of my health and beauty,” said one responder.

Many people feel that lukewarm water is good for taking medicine. “I don’t like cold drinks; I’ve always preferred room temperature,” said another. “I hate it when condensation gets the inside of my bag all wet,” explained a third.

In order to test the reception of lukewarm drinks in stores, select branches of the convenience store chain Daily Yamazaki began offering 555mL bottles of water and 500mL bottles of tea in displays separate from their cold cases. Apparently, the test was successful, as reports show that the four branches in Tokyo which offered room temperature drinks had 40 percent more drink sales than their regular counterparts.

Starting on the first of July, approximately 600 of the Daily Yamazaki’s 1,600 nation-wide stores will introduce an new drink corner with lukewarm tea and water in addition to their usual variety of chilled drinks. They come highly recommended as an accompaniment to any bentou lunchbox.

Source: Yahoo! Japan News via Alfalfa Mosaic (Japanese)
Top image: FastCompany

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Origin: Convenience stores’ room-temperature drinks get warm reception on hot days
Copyright© RocketNews24 / Socio Corporation. All rights reserved.

We previously reported on the development of two kinds of new chocolate chip cookies based on the traditional Japanese snacks, castella and karinto, released by Fujiya and their popular soft cookie line, Country Ma’am.

Well, today’s the day these cookies were released to the hungry public, so we snatched up a few bags to see how the American taste of a chocolate chip cookie adopts these two Japanese tastes. Our full, lips-on review after the break!

■ Country Ma’am: Honey Castella

Castella is essentially yellow sponge cake at first glance. However, different from sponge cake, it doesn’t rely on the addition of any frosting or fruit. Instead it has a mellow but firm taste baked right into it. Although castella lacks the intense sweetness of other packaged cakes there is an unmistakable boldness to it.

Country Ma’am’s take on castella was interesting. They tried to maintain the softness of castella on the inside, and as a result seemed to have made two cookies acting as one. The outer layer was your typical chocolate chip flavor and consistency, but on the inside was a more delicate cookie/cake hybrid material with an infused honey taste and white chocolate chip companions. Such tasty companions.

The taste was extremely smooth; as with real castella there weren’t any powerful flavors to knock your socks off. It was just a velvety sweetness that spreads through the mouth and down the throat effortlessly – all in all a very relaxing cookie, even by Western standards!

■ Country Ma’am: Black Honey Karinto

Karinto is a fried cookie with a texture kind of like a pretzel but a little flakier. They have been sold with a variety of seasonings both salty and sweet for well over a century in Japan. The flavoring that Country Ma’am employed with its karinto-style cookie, however, was black honey. Black honey is derived from the unrefined “black sugar” of Okinawa and has a consistency and flavor similar to molasses.

I thought the black honey flavor was a little inconsistent among the cookies. In one cookie I would get a sharp taste of raw sugar, but in the next cookie I could hardly taste it at all. Also, it seemed that they tried to match the crispiness of karinto by using a little black honey on the outside. This gave the outside coating of the cookie a slightly harder texture, but nowhere close to a karinto.

These factors gave the cookie a kind of schizophrenic taste. The flavor of each cookie was unpredictable and sometimes didn’t jive with the texture well.

■ When Chilled

Prior to their release, the makers of Country Ma’am recommended chilling the cookies in the freezer before eating for a cool summer treat. I’m not big on cold and hard chocolate generally, but for the sake of cookieology I gave it a go.

The castella cookie came out much firmer than at room temperature and although the white chocolate chips were now crispy it was more or less the same experience. On the other hand, the black honey karinto cookies really benefit from a little freezer action. The previously not-so-crispy outer coating was now fully realized and definitely had a karinto feel and taste to it. The flavors also came out bolder and more consistently this way.

■ When Heated

In spite of the ridiculously hot weather recently, I went ahead and sampled these cookies after a little heating, which resulted in the karinto cookies taking on yet another form!  This time the outer portion of the cookie was soft and creamy while the inside had a chewy texture to it. However, the castella variety remained largely unchanged aside from the temperature.

In both cases the sweetness seemed to have gotten a boost from heating as well so if you’re not into the subtle sweetness of Japanese cakes and cookies this would be the best way to eat them.

■  Conclusion

Overall, Coutnry Ma’am: Honey Castella is a reliable cookie that seems to work in all temperatures with a smooth sweetness that anyone could get into. Country Ma’am: Black Honey Karinto on the other hand was a more temperamental cookie that changed greatly with chilling and heating. Given a choice I would opt for the castella but the karinto cookies do make some bold choices and are an interesting taste experience as well.

If you’d like to try out these cookies you’d better act quickly, as with all Country Ma’am specialty flavors, they don’t last long!

Country Ma’am: Official Site
Photos: RocketNews24

▼ These flavors only seem to be available in the five cookie bags sold in convenience stores for around 150 yen (US$1.60)

▼ As always they’re individually wrapped, which cuts down on binge eating, but gives the environment the finger.

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Origin: RocketNews24 taste test: Country Ma’am Honey Castella and Black Honey Karinto cookies
Copyright© RocketNews24 / Socio Corporation. All rights reserved.