Archive for December, 2009

Hot water bottles can cause burns

A news report warns that popular hot water bottles can cause burns:

Sales of such products have jumped in the last couple years, partly because consumers are looking for eco-friendly ways to stay warm in winter. However, having one’s skin in direct contact with a somewhat hot object for a long period of time can cause low temperature burns. Experts recommend that hot water bottles be removed from inside one’s futon when one goes to sleep.

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• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• Dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)

Giant jelly fish are “bigger than sumo wrestlers”

This news story is about Japan, so the size of the jelly fish must be explained in a Japan-related way:

The report seems to blame global warming, but there is also mention of Chinese pollution as a possible cause of the plague of giant jellyfish. (A similar theory was reported in a previously-posted Japanese news video)
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• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• Dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)

Live webcast: Japan – 2009 in review

Those of you interested in Japan News and live webcasts should check out Trans-Pacific Radio’s program that will be airing at 7:30PM Japan time tonight (in about 10 minutes in progress now):

2009 in politics – Aso’s floundering, DPJ sweep – Noriko Sakai scandal – what the hell happened and what we can learn from it – Predictions for 2010

Adam Richards of the blog Mutant Frog and Garrett DeOrio of the political, economic, and news blog and podcasting site Trans-Pacific Radio will be giving us their opinions and commentary while encouraging full participation- comments as well as questions – from the audience. So, come and make your voice heard!

This PCC event will be streamed live on the internet as well as recorded for future release.

The video should be streaming here.

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• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• Dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)

Google offers free internet at cafes in Japan

Google announced free wireless internet access at select restaurants and cafes in Japan as part of thier “Sagasou” Campaign until February 28, 2010.  At participating Tully’s Coffee, Pronto, and Lotteria shops in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, Saitama, Aichi, and Osaka Prefectures, users can access NTT Broadband Platform’s WiFine wireless service for unrestricted internet access once a day for 30 minutes.  Here is a list of shops where the service is available.

Users will be required to create an account and register their device (iPhone, DS, PSP, notebook, etc.) to access this service.  There is a registration link here, but at this time it is 404.  To register on site, connect to the WiFine network, open a browser window, and click the google banner.  WiFine is available in many stations in larger cities, but these access points are not included in this service and will continue to provide only local information, with no internet access to non-subscribers.

I just saw the commercial below on TV this morning, so it seems Google is getting serious about the Japanese market.  Their Android mobile operating is currently available on a phone from Docomo, coming soon to Softbank, and powering the upcoming Hikari iFrame.  So, hopefully we will see better support for the Japanese language from Google soon.

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Contributor Bio: Steve has been splitting time between the US
and Japan for the past 10 years or so and is now a post doctorate
fellow at a large, lumbering University in Tokyo, where he gets paid
to play with dirt.

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• AkihabaraNews – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)

American police officers travel to Japan

An excerpt from an article about some American police officers who traveled to Japan as part of a sister city program:

Jaquish prepared tacos but her host family members, who were used to eating everything atop their rice, found it strange to put cooked meat into a tortilla.

The 5-foot, 10-inch officer found that she towered over most of the Japanese men. And her feet hung off the end of a hotel bed.

She also discovered a greater degree of sexism in Japanese police organizations.

“Female officers wear skirts and don’t do the same jobs as the men,” she said, noting that many police women do clerical work rather than patrolling the streets.

In Hino, surveillance cameras are ubiquitous. Images are projected on huge screens back at the station houses.

“Their cameras can zoom in and see a freckle on your face,” said Marquez.

Neighborhood police stations are numerous, and when citizens change residences, they report their new addresses to local authorities.

Officers and the public interact differently.

Rather than being feared or avoided as they might be at home, visiting officers are offered coffee and treats.

“There is a sense of (community) ownership there that we don’t have here,” Rocha said. “They don’t vandalize things because they know they will have to clean it up themselves.”

The officers had wanted to accompany Japanese cops on patrol and check out a Japanese jail, but they were apparently not allowed to do so.

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• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• Dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)

Disturbing DVD shop in Tokyo

A search for Japan-related videos on YouTube this morning turned up a video filmed by somebody enraged at the DVD’s of children they found on sale at one store in Tokyo [click the image to view the video on YouTube - !!not safe for work!!]:

It may not be illegal, but if you think it should be, I suppose you can check out this recent Mainichi article for a hotline number you can call to complain about this kind of stuff.

Update: Looks like it has been removed rather quick. It was a video of a store that sold DVD’s of barely-clothed elementary school aged boys and girls.

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• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• Dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)