Archive for July, 2009

Avoid heat stroke in summer by not taking hot baths

A few days ago ATV news aired a special report about the dangers of heat stroke. Examples of risky activities that could cause heat stroke were given, and tips were provided on how to stay cool.

Here’s a short clip from the report about a “Mr. A” who, like many Japanese, likes to take hot baths in the middle of summer:

Mr. A took a hot bath after only drinking a beer with his meal. He kept the window to the bathroom shut because the neighbors’ house was only a few feet away from that window. As he finished his bath and pulled out the drain stopper, he passed out from the heat. Had his heat stroke occurred before he pulled out the drain stopper, he could have drowned. Luckily, he family found him in an empty tub and was able to take him to the hospital.

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

My name is Johnny Depp

Actor Junji Takata shows off his English ability while filming a TV show in Tokyo:

Almost as good as the time he tried to pick up a foreign chick…

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

Devoting one’s life to scaring children

A short news report about Ichio Nakata, an 83-year-old who has spent his whole life creating scary faces for haunted houses across Japan:

It is estimated that he has made over 1000 scary faces, sometimes making over 100 a year. Nowadays he makes only a few each year, but he has no plans to quit. He considers making freaky faces that scare children his purpose for living.

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

Girolamo Panzetta encounters Sam

Italian talento Girolamo Panzetta visits the Mediterranean to advertise the new version of the Super Sea Story pachinko game:

They encounter images of Sam, a character in the game. Panzetta at first doesn’t believe that Sam could be in the Mediterranean, but he comes to realize that it is indeed the famous Sam from Super Sea Story.
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• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)
• Kirainet.com – A geek in Japan (Subscribe)

A bizarre bowling team

A team of non-pro bowlers in Kyoto who use bizarre techniques [clip from "Nanikore Chin Hakkei"]:

Apparently they are capable of regularly getting scores of around 200.

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

Free Coffee at McDonald’s

McDonald’s Japan is running an interesting promotion between July 24th and July 30th:

Just show up at McDonald’s between 8:00 and 9:00AM and ask for a coffee: The first 1,000,000 will get their coffees for free. It’s clearly a ploy meant to trick people into ordering other food to go with the coffee, and it will probably work.

(The offer appears to be limited to stores in Tokyo, Saitama, Kanagawa, Chiba, Gunma, Ibaraki and Tochigi prefectures. Sorry, Kansai folks!)

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