This blog offers selected features of alternative Asian TV segments, news stories, editorials, photos and more from Japan, Korea, India, China and many other Asian countries. This blog also includes some WTF Japanese, North Korean online videos, entertainment news, beautiful Chinese and Japanese models, and much more.
North Korea's state media announced on July 25th that The Great Eater's wife is actually Comrade Ri Sol-ju who is another popular singer of the DPRK. Apparently, they have been married for three years or so and may have one child. So the mystery of it all continues to be slowly revealed.
Earlier today Next Media Animation TV released this hilarious 3D animation news reel on this puzzle:
Here is a rare photo of John Lennon and George Harrison tuning up their guitars backstage in Tokyo, Japan in 1966. From June 30 to July 2 of that year, the Beatles performed five concerts at the Nippon Budokan indoor arena in Tokyo. Of course, all the shows were sold out and the live television broadcasts captured an incredible 60% audience rating. These concerts were the first musical events ever held at the Budokan arena, which was originally dedicated for the competition of traditional martial arts. These landmark shows also inspired many young Japanese to start playing guitars and the biggest ever Japanese rock band revolution soon followed. That movement forever changed the direction of the Japanese popular music scene.
Perhaps the above photo was taken prior to the start of this show:
Here is a beautiful photo of the Red Beach near Panjin City, China. The beach is part of the Liao River delta about 30 kilometers southwest of the city. The Red Beach gets its name from the seablite plants that start growing green in Spring and gradually turn red and then become a bright vivid red color in Autumn. Most of this beach is closed to the public as it is a part of the Shuangtai Hekou Nature Reserve. Only a small section is open to tourists who visit this popular natural attraction in the Liaoning Province of China.
According to some unconfirmed intelligence reports some 20-30 North Korean soldiers and General Ri Yong-ho were killed in a gun battle in Pyongyang, North Korea. Earlier this week it was reported that the general had been fired by Kim Jong Un. Other reports claimed that Ri resigned because of an "illness." It is believed that the Supreme Leader had ordered Vice Marshal Choe Ryong-hae to physically remove him from office and that is what triggered the fire fight earlier today. It was also reported that there were many previous clashes between Choe and Ri:
A gunbattle broke out when the North Korean regime removed army chief Ri Yong-ho from office, leaving 20 to 30 soldiers dead, according to unconfirmed intelligence reports. Some intelligence analysts believe Ri, who has not been seen since his abrupt sacking earlier this week, was injured or killed in the confrontation.
According to government officials here, the gunbattle erupted when Vice Marshal Choe Ryong-hae, the director of the People's Army General Political Bureau, tried to detain Ri in the process of carrying out leader Kim Jong-un's order to sack him. Guards protecting Ri, who is a vice marshal, apparently opened fire. "We cannot rule out the possibility that Ri was injured or even killed in the firefight," said one source. Continued...
BEIJING — Impoverished North Korea is gearing up to experiment with agricultural and economic reforms after young leader Kim Jong-un and his powerful uncle purged the country's top general for opposing change, a source with ties to both Pyongyang and Beijing said.
The source added that the cabinet had created a special bureau to take control of the decaying economy from the military -- one of the world's largest -- which under Kim's father was given pride of place in running the country.
The downfall of Vice Marshal Ri Yong-ho and his allies gives the untested new leader and his uncle Jang Song-thaek, who married into the Kim family dynasty and is widely seen as the real power behind the throne, the mandate to try to save the battered economy and prevent the secretive regime's collapse. Continued...
Here is a romantic photo of a young Japanese woman and a US soldier sharing some chocolate and cigarettes together in Japan circa 1946. Photo by John Florea. Apparently, it was illegal for US servicemen to share smokes with local Japanese folks at that time. This photo first appeared in LIFE magazine on December 2, 1946.
Here is an incredible photo of a very brave bee bearding contestant who took second place in a recent bee-wearing contest in Hunan Province, China. This man weighed in with about 50 pounds of bees all over his body. The Guiness world record is 87 pounds of bees by Mark Biancaniello an American animal trainer. Also, in 2009 a Chinese beekeeper couple were married while completely covered in bees.
This is not photoshopped, it is for real. To be sure it clearly says "HFC Hitler Fried Citizens" with a picture of Adolph Hitler dressed up as the iconic Colonel Sanders of KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken). And it is, indeed, from China, of course. So WTF is this OMFG jaw-dropping logo for?
Well, believe it or not, this is an iPhone case that can be purchased from 798 Fantasy Utopia Studio which appears to be a kind of fashion accessory retail website. Mmmmkkkaaayy... but why?
Earlier today, mishmash＊Julie Watai released this slightly NSFW short version of their third single entitled: "Don't Shoot Me. I'm Only the Pin-up Girl". This video features many beautiful Japanese models and attractive gravure idols! Check it out:
UPDATE:The final audio versions of this song are now available on Amazon in English and Japanese. UPDATE: Both the Japanese and English final versions of this song (audio only) are now available on the Ototoy Features website.
Here is a rare photo of David Bowie and Axl Rose of Guns N Roses. This photo was taken in October 1989 at the China Club in Los Angeles when GNR opened for the Rolling Stones. Photo by Lisa Rose/Globe Photos, Inc.
Here is a really beautiful photo of where The Great Wall of China meets the Pacific Ocean via the Bohai Sea in the Shanhaiguan district of Qinhuangdao, Hebei. Nicknamed "Old Dragon's Head" this is a very popular tourist attraction located about 300 kilometers or 186 miles east of Beijing.
Recently, Youtuber alsionesvx put together a Xtion PRO (a Kinect-like motion sensor) with a pair of video goggles and went out on a date with Japan's Forever Alone virtual singer and idol Hatsune Miku. At first, things went well and the happy couple enjoyed a short walk in the park with Miku-chan following him around and smiling. But then, later on, alsionesvx started "touching" his 3D girlfriend back at his place and we can see how she reacts:
Towards the end of the video, we can see how Miku-chan reacts to being hit over the head and also as a victim of sexual harassment! Check it out:
Here is beautiful photo of the Son Doong Cave in Vietnam the world's largest subterranean area of it's kind. If you look closely you should be able to see the person standing in the middle of the photo. The Son Doong Cave was discovered in 1991 and became open to the public in 2009.
In an seemingly ongoing effort to create a new image, North Korea aka "Best Korea" recently released a new patriotic theme song for The Great Eater: Kim Jong Un. This is a majestic, upbeat tune entitled "Onwards Toward the Final Victory." But strangely enough, in the official music video for this song, there are no photos nor video footage of Kim Jong Un included within it. Instead, there is a greater emphasis on industrial power, happy workers and, of course, the military. Check it out:
Here is a truly incredible photo of some Japanese nuclear protesters standing right up against the Japanese police. Notice how some of the protesters are sharing their umbrellas with the cops! Amazing.
Also today the independent parliamentary committee known as the Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission (FNAIIC) released a highly critical report which concluded that the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear disaster was “man-made” and the result of “collusion” between Japan’s regulatory bodies and Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO). This report also "blames Japanese culture for the fundamental causes of the disaster" and comes at a time when it could further inflame the overall distrust of the government and significantly empower the anti-nuclear movement in Japan. On Sunday, the Ohi nuclear plant was switched back on against widespread anti-nuclear sentiment and protests that continue in Tokyo.
Today we discovered that back on March 6, 2010, Japan had it's first 'Flying Female Panties Day' in Akihabara, Tokyo. According to Hobby Media, this started as a collaboration between the award-winning science fiction writer Hōsuke Nojiri and a company known as Questioners and some other geeks including Nico Nico Video's [NHK] Live Webcast group and others. So they all got together planned and promoted this one-day event and also developed a unique "ornithopter" made of elastic, balsa wood and women's undergarments for the "Sky Festival" that was held in Akihabara, Tokyo.
Akihabara or "Akiba" is commonly known as "Electric Town" and nowadays it has become Tokyo's sexy central with various cos-play fashion stores, maid cafes and a very popular 7-story sex shop known as m's.
Prior to the "Sky Festival", they also produced a very cute very annoying Japanese language video showing how to correctly make the bikini briefs into flying sexual harassment machines:
So to summarize, basically, the Questioners company developed and sold some 2,000 yen “Panty ornithopter” kits that were then made into some rubber-band powered perverted planes. Other people brought other planes and flew them too and Nico Live [NHK] braodcast the entire day's activities live on the internet. At this point, it is very tempting to just say "Because Japan" on all of this. But, actually, there was a reason for this production. And that was that this event was inspired by a viral web video entitled "Sora No Otoshimono Ending 2" which depicts hundreds of women’s panties magically flying like birds:
Yes folks, believe it or not, they reenacted a famous anime TV show ending! Now that is some serious loyalty, indeed. It should also be noted that the Sora no Otoshimono "Heaven's Lost Property" show is a very well-known "romantic comedy" loved by millions of people in Japan and throughout the world.
LONDON (AP) — He says he was one of late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's favorite propaganda artists, singing the praises of the Dear Leader in dozens of poems. But these days Jang Jin-sung says he prefers to tell the truth about North Korea.
The former state poet, who defected to South Korea in 2004, now writes to tell the world about what he calls the brutality of everyday life in the North.
"North Korea has nuclear programs, but South Korea has the media," said Jang, who is in London for a global poetry festival involving poets from countries competing in the July 27 to Aug. 12 London Olympics. "Truth is the strongest weapon." Continued...
Here is a rare photo of Godzilla actor Haruo Nakajima taking a tea break on the set of "Mothra vs Godzilla" in 1964. Nakjima played the original "Gojira" monster as well.
