Archive for May, 2009

An unpleasant encounter between two feline stationmasters

Some PR people recently arranged a meeting between Kotora (feline stationmaster of Kichigahara station) and Bus (feline stationmaster of Aizu Ashinomaki Onsen station).

Unfortunately, it seems that the cats did not like each other:

After seeing the photos on the net, I was hoping to see some video of the encounter on TV. Unfortunately, since it was not about Tama the cat, it didn’t seem to make it on to any of the news programs I watched.

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• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)
• Kirainet.com – A geek in Japan (Subscribe)

Nazi symbols on Japanese wrestling poster

A poster that was produced for New Japan’s upcoming “DOMINION 6.20″ pro wrestling event in Osaka:

According to WrestleZone.com, New Japan has “careless” in making the poster and plans to redesign it.

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• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)
• Kirainet.com – A geek in Japan (Subscribe)

Metal container sucked into JAL jet engine

A sucky start to a flight from LAX to Narita:

A Japan Airlines Boeing 747, with 245 passengers on board, sucked up a large metal baggage container as the plane prepared to depart from Los Angeles International Airport yesterday.

To the shock of onlookers – and no doubt the dismay of airline officials and crew on board – the empty baggage cart was sucked into one of the Boeing 747’s four engines, forcing the plane to become grounded and passengers returned back to the terminal.

[via FG]

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• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)
• Kirainet.com – A geek in Japan (Subscribe)

Miss Universe Japan 2009 – Emily Miyasaka

Emily Miyasaka* has won the 2009 Miss Universe Japan pageant:

This title will make her Japan’s official representative at the main Miss Universe pageant, which will take place in August.

For more photos, check the galleries at her blog, MSN, Sankei and Mainichi.

*The Miss Universe site writes her name in English as “Emily,” but the kanji for her name is actually read “Emiri.” On her official blog, she signs most of her posts as “Emily,” but “Emiri” is also used in one post and in the title banner of the blog.

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• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)
• Kirainet.com – A geek in Japan (Subscribe)

The popularity of Japan at a Chinese gay bar

NTV’s “Bankisha” went to southern China to visit a gay bar and observe the popularity of Japan among the gay community:

The main attraction of the bar is its musical and dance performances, many of which involve popular Japanese songs. A few of the dancers also have given themselves Japanese names. The report focuses on one of them, an 18-year-old man who calls himself Matsuko.

Apparently Matsuko has not directly told his mother that is he homosexual, but she does know about his job dancing in drag. She comes to watch one of his shows and seems to enjoy it. Afterwords, it is implied that she already understood that he was gay and accepts it.

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• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)
• Kirainet.com – A geek in Japan (Subscribe)

Narrow triangle-shaped building in Japan

ATV news gives us a look at a very narrow building:

The first floor of the building is a yakitori restaurant. Part of the counter can be altered to make a table, allowing for about 15 customers to fit into the restaurant at a time.

The building has been in the shop owner’s family for about 100 years, and his parents live on the second floor. Their living space has a variety of furniture specially made to fit in the triangle-shaped room. Until a recent renovation, their house lacked a bath and they would have to use a public bathhouse. The parents are quite pleased with the room and its convenient location near so many shops. The father also notes that there is a funeral home right down the street.

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• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)
• Kirainet.com – A geek in Japan (Subscribe)