Trump uses "accent" to mock Asian leaders at fundraiser

Because this is just regular shit he does on a Friday.



So this is where we're at. The President of the United States can openly mock Asians and it barely registers a shrug, because it doesn't even make the top ten list of Shitty Things Trump Said or Did on a Friday.

Trump Used Asian Accent to Mock US Allies at Fundraiser

At a Hamptons fundraiser hosted at the home of SoulCycle and Equinox majority owner Stephen Ross last week, Trump reportedly mimicked Korean and Japanese accents -- as if he knows the difference -- and mocked South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe. He also re-declared his love for Kim Jong-Un, his BKF (Best Korean Friend).

Brazilian tennis player fined for making racist gesture

You know exactly what gesture I'm talking about.



A Brazilian tennis player has been fined for making a racist gesture while playing against a Japanese opponent during a Davis Cup match in Osaka. You know exactly what gesture I'm talking about.

Guilherme Clezar: Brazilian tennis player fined for 'offensive' gesture

Brazil's Guilherme Clezar made a gesture during a match against Japan's Yuichi Sugita on Friday. Clezar stretched his eyes in the direction of a line judge after successfully challenging a line call.

Because that was definitely the mature, sportsmanlike thing to do.

Actually, no. Clezar was fined £1,100 (about $1,500 US) by the International Tennis Federation for "unsportsmanlike conduct." Yes, at minimum. I would actually characterize it as "racist as shit."

Harass women in every language with this translation device

Dean doesn't speak Japanese, but with ili, sexual harassment has no language barriers!



Ili is a cool-looking new wearable device that translates speech into different languages. The user speaks into the device in English, Japanese or Chinese (Mandarin, presumably?) and it will reproduce the words in any of those languages. Pretty great idea. It's, like, the future.

The commercial that's been circulating for the product, however, is pretty gross.

In the cringeworthy ad for the device, created by a Japanese company called Logbar, a white spokesman named Dean is seen roaming the streets of Tokyo and using the device to ask random women to kiss him. Dean is from the United Kingdom and doesn't speak Japanese, but with ili, sexual harassment has no language barriers! At one point, he actually chases a woman demanding "just one kiss."

'Nanjing: The Burning City' by Ethan Young

Graphic novel tells a powerful account of one of the worst war atrocities of the twentieth century.



Writer/illustrator Ethan Young's graphic novel Nanjing: The Burning City is a powerful and moving account of one of the worst war atrocities of the twentieth century. Set during the Second Sino-Japanese War when the Imperial Japanese Army seized the Chinese capital of Nanjing, the story follows two abandoned Chinese soldiers -- trapped and desperately outnumbered inside the walled city -- as they try to escape.

Nanjing, recently published from Dark Horse Comics, unflinchingly delves into one of the most harrowing chapters of the World War II, pulling no punches in its stark, monochrome depiction of the horrors and human cost of conflict, while telling a heart-wrenching tale of bravery, dignity and defiance. It's a remarkable, devastating book that stays with you long after you've finished it.

Here's a trailer for the book:

Michelle Obama and Michelle Phan Go To Japan

Popular beauty guru gives support to the First Lady's "Let Girls Learn" education initiative.



First Lady Michelle Obama is currently on a five-day trip to Asia to promote her new global education initiative, and she brought along none other than beauty vlogger Michelle Phan to give her hand.

YouTube Star Michelle Phan Joins First Lady Michelle Obama In Tokyo

The popular entrepreneur and YouTube celebrity joined Mrs. Obama in Tokyo to provide support and spread awareness for the "Let Girls Learn" campaign, which aims to get more girls in school around the world. Phan posed questions to the First Lady submitted by her followers through Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Music Video: Beware the suitcase in Spazzkid's "Goodbye"

Mark Redito's prequel to "40 Winks" takes a dark turn.



Los Angeles-based beatmaker Mark Redito makes beautiful, dreamy, upbeat electronic music as Spazzkid. He recently released a new music video for "Goodbye," from his EP Promise. Directed by Czar Campos, and shot in Kyoto, it's a prequel to his previous music video for "40 Winks," which was rather mysterious.

Beware the suitcase. Take a look:

This Guy is Officially the Most Excited Player at the World Cup

Guest Post by @angryplus1



I don't know about you, but even though FIFA is super evil and there are tons of very legit reasons to feel that this soccer spectacle is all a big sham, our household is incredibly excited about the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

But do you know who's the most excited? 24-year-old Hiroki Sakai, a defender on the Japan National Team.

I mean, just look at his profile picture:

Lawsuit seeks removal of 'comfort women' statue

Glendale, California memorial has become a flashpoint for international controversy



There is a battle raging in Glendale, California. The ongoing dispute is over a memorial honoring so-called "comfort women" -- women who were forced into sex slavery by invading Japanese troops during World War II. Last week, a Glendale resident and nonprofit group filed a lawsuit calling for the removal of the statue.

Comfort-women statue dispute continues

The 1,100-pound statue, which sits in Glendale's Central Park, is a memorial for the estimated 80,000 to 200,000 women from Korea, China, Indonesia and other countries who were coerced to work as prostitutes in military brothels against their will. The statue has been a point of international controversy and debate since its installation last July, with multiple delegations of Japanese politicians requesting its removal.

The plaintiffs, Glendale resident Michiko Shiota Gingery and GAHT-US Corp. -- an organization that fights against the recognition of comfort women -- straight up deny that Japan was involved in sexual slavery during World War II. The lawsuit alleges Glendale exceeded its municipal power and infringed on the U.S. Constitution in meddling with foreign affairs by erecting the statue.

Gingery claims she can no longer enjoy Central Park because the statue makes her suffer "feelings of exclusion, discomfort and anger." Sucks for you, Michiko.

Welcome to America, Masahiro Tanaka

Classy as always, New York Post.



Got this passed along to me from multiple people... Not that I expect anything less than tastelessly exploitative from the New York Post, but take a look at this cover from Thursday's metro edition. The headline heralds the New York Yankees' signing of Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka to a $155 million contract.

No doubt, that's a pretty big deal, but does it warrant the accompanying image of a Japanese World War II aircraft? Decades later, people still seem to go out of their way to invoke war imagery with anything related to Japan. How about trying a little harder? And stay classy as always, New York Post.

Questlove goes to Japan... and brings tired-ass Asian jokes

Questlove and Padma go there with the Ls and Rs



[UPDATE: Questlove has apologized for his comments. See below.]

At this point in the year, my brain is shutting down, I'm stuffing my face and settling into a state of personal reflection and Twilight Zone reruns. So when something like this comes across my desk, I'm feeling more annoyed than anything else. We couldn't close out the year without some more ignorant social media s%*t?

Questlove and Padma Lakshmi Under Fire for 'Racist' Asian Jokes

From personalities I kind of like, no less. Musician Aamir "Questlove" Thompson of The Roots and model/Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi have recently got into some trouble for comments exchanged on Twitter regarding Quest's travels through Japan, where The Roots are currently on tour. Somewhere along the way, he snapped a photo and just had to throw in the joke about the stereotypical, mixed-up mispronunciation of Ls and Rs.

Eye roll. But then his manager Dawn Englehart (who is of Asian descent) and Padma joined in:

Music Video: Tokyo loneliness in Spazzkid's "40 Winks"

"Loneliness in a crowded city. A girl is abandoned with a mysterious suitcase."



I'm a big fan of electronic musician (and former Angry Reader of the Week) Mark Redito, also known as Spazzkid. He recently released the official music video for "40 Winks," one of my favorite tracks for his album Desire. Four months in the making, and shot entirely in Tokyo, it's a gorgeous, mysterious and mesmerizing accompaniment to the song. Check it out:

Ah, the good ol' chased-by-a-dinosaur prank

When you want to make someone mess their pants, a fake dinosaur always does the trick.



Forgive me, but this made me laugh. A lot. There are pranks... and then there are Japanese pranks. Not content with just giving the unsuspecting victim a fright, pranks of the Japanese variety are intended to terrify, traumatize and make you crap in your pants. They're also hilarious. So just watch as this poor guy wets himself, running away from what he believes is an actual dinosaur loose in the office. Some things don't need translation:

Crazy Cute Photos: It's Kanna's World. You're just in the way.

Warning: extreme cute. This 4-year-old Kanna. Her father Toyokazu Nagano likes to photograph her in a variety funny, crazy and wonderfully cute situations, all on the same road in Ishikawa, Japan. And that's all you really need to know. Enjoy: 20 Frickin' Adorable Photos Of A Girl And Her Imagination.

Here are some more fun photos of Kanna:

New Music: Leehahn's "Koenji" is a cool trip through Japan

I get a lot of new music sent my way. It's hit and miss. But every now and then, something great jumps up and grabs me... like this video by Korean Australian beatmaker David Hansoo Lee, aka Leehahn. He just dropped a new track, "Koenji," inspired by his recent trip to Japan. Nice tune, set to a cool video montage of his travels. Check it out:

On the anniversary of the atomic bomb: Hiroshima Revisited

Today marks the anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. In a single cataclysmic moment on August 6, 1945, the Japanese city faced a devastating, life-altering reality, and the story of its citizens became one of death, destruction... and survival. Hiroshima Revisited, directed by Tobias Bando and hosted by Steve Nguyen, is a short documentary that examines the city of Hiroshima today, looking at how the city has preserved its history and created a new future:

Classy, TMZ: "Johnny Depp Ready to Drop His Bomb on Japan"

This is an actual headline on TMZ. Nothing really more to say. Stay classy, assholes.

Skull Reaper A-ji is for the people

I don't know much about the problems and concerns of people in Oita, Japan. But I do know that there is one hero who will do what it takes to tackle those problems head on: Skull Reader A-ji, city councilman. But only if they'll let him wear his mask: Japanese politician banned for wearing wrestling mask to meetings.

Skull Reaper A-ji, who was elected to the city council on a platform of educational reform and improved social welfare facilities, has been banned from council meetings for refusing to take off his full-face, red-and-black leather wrestling mask. For some stupid reason, Skull Reaper's stuffy fellow councillors have deemed the mask "inappropriate" for the assembly:

Martin Hsu visits the house from My Neighbor Totoro

Just passing this along for all you Miyazaki fans... Our friend and fellow Hayao Miyazaki fan Martin Hsu has been traveling in Japan and recently made a pilgrimage to Satsuki and Mei's house from the animated classic My Neighbor Totoro: Studio Ghibli’s Satsuki and Mei’s House from Totoro in Real Life!.

Basically, it's a real-life, fully furnished replica of the house from the animated movie, with all the little details inside and out. Martin documented his visit with this visual tour, and is also doing a giveaway of Totoro memorabilia. Here are a few photos from his trip: