Archive for July, 2009

Gundam + Solar Eclipse

It was a cloudy day in Tokyo yesterday, but as this video shows, the partial eclipse was still visible in the sky above Odaiba’s giant Gundam:

For some really great pics and video of the eclipse as it appeared from non-cloudy areas, check out this post over at Mutant Frog.

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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 Proposition

In anticipation of the upcoming election the Liberal Democratic Party (自由民主党) of Japan recently released this video on their Youtube site.  The cartoon depicts a young man who looks like a young Yukio Hatoyama (head of the opposition Democratic Party of Japan 民主党) proposing to a woman.  The young man promises that he can make her happy, so why not switch.  He goes on to promise free expressway fees and support for education, child care, and elderly citizens.  When asked how he will pay for all of this, the man snaps at the woman saying he’ll think about the details after they’re married.

It’s so cute when grown-ups fight.

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Contributor Bio: I am a doctoral student of environmental anthropology currently living and conducting research in a mountain village in Nagano. In my research I explore modernity as it is expressed in a rural mountain community. Specifically I look at national management structures, as well as social discourses, related to forests and probe the impacts these have on local human communities. I have lived and worked in Japan for 5 years. My interests also include Buddhism, literature, music, and mountaineering. Read more at my personal blog: In the Pines.
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• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)
• Kirainet.com – A geek in Japan (Subscribe)

Angry Whopper in Japan

The Angry Whopper has come to Burger King restaurants in Japan, and a weird event was held in Shibuya to celebrate:

To make sure people got the message, Burger King Corp. hosted an “angry shouting challenge” contest in downtown Tokyo Wednesday, in which passers-by were invited to scream their frustrations away.

“I need to get a girlfriend,” a man yelled at the top of his lungs in an effort to win the prize, a year’s worth of Whoppers. “Professor, give me my credits,” exclaimed another.

The burger will cost 460 yen ($4.90), a pretty high price for fast food in Japan. An Angry Whopper game cooking game can be played on this website (which also has coupons).

[hat tip to Onigiriman]

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

Poop-shaped object adds nice smell to bath

Former Kamen Rider Hiroshi Fujioka takes a bath with a poop-shaped aroma block to see how nice it will smell (this clip is from the same show that made him eat spider pizza):

Despite its crappy appearance, it actually produces a very pleasant rose smell!

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

Bangladeshis in Japan

A really great report from TBS news about the increasing number of Bangladeshis living and working in Japan (partially subtitled in English):

Part 1

Part 2

In the end of the second clip, we are told that people from Bangladesh are choosing Japan over the United States because America is unsafe and there is “discrimination” against Muslims in that country. These may be reasons for the shift, but it probably has a lot more to do with the fact that post 9/11 security measures have made it much harder for citizens of Bangladesh to obtain work and student visas for the United States.

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

Virtual Meats エア焼肉

CNET reports on a new website that allows users to enjoy Japanese yaki-niku 焼肉 (grilled meat) right on their computer.  See the original post here.

Now even vegetarians can enjoy the pleasures of yaki-niku. Bon appetit!

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Contributor Bio: I am a doctoral student of environmental anthropology currently living and conducting research in a mountain village in Nagano. In my research I explore modernity as it is expressed in a rural mountain community. Specifically I look at national management structures, as well as social discourses, related to forests and probe the impacts these have on local human communities. I have lived and worked in Japan for 5 years. My interests also include Buddhism, literature, music, and mountaineering. Read more at my personal blog: In the Pines.
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• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)
• Kirainet.com – A geek in Japan (Subscribe)