Naoto Kan Masks
A little preview of Naoto Kan masks, which will be hitting stores across Japan as soon as this company in Saitama finishes creating molds for them:
Until recently, they had been producing and selling Yukio Hatoyama and Ichiro Ozawa masks. However, as the approval rating of the Hatoyama administration plummeted, so did mask sales. The good ol’ days were back during the Junichiro Koizumi administration, when Japan had a popular Prime Minister who stayed in office for years, allowing the mask company to have a steady stream of revenue from its Koizumi masks.
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Categories: Odd / Strange
Is Waterproofing a Must-have Function for Cell Phones?
It’s not too much to say that our daily life cannot even conducted without a cell phone. We use them everywhere. That means that cell phones are likely to get wet by accident in a bath or a toilet, at a kitchen or a laundry, anywhere you name it. Especially summer is the season Japanese cell phone companies like to release waterproof cell phones.
KDDI‘s speck called “IPX7″ has got strong water-resistance. It can be used even after 30 minutes in 1 meter deep water. Fujitsu makes cell phone that can take pictures in the water.
Dr. Fix is professional data recovery service company specialized in cell phones. Some people trust waterproof function too much to use it right, nevertheless every cell phone model has different levels of waterproofing.
Dr. Fix is located at 500 photo shops in Japan, which is increasing up to 1000 shops within this year, reflecting its high demand. They break down cell phone and dry it in the special equipment. In this way 80% of cell phones can recover data, although verbal communication function is dead.
Do you think waterproofing is essential to every cell phone?
I personally think KDDI (AU) should make more phones that you can use internationally, which is a lot more important to me than adding the strongest waterproofing. My KDDI phone is used only inside Japan. Their international models are too limited to select from. 
Contributor Bio: Kirin is a Japanese woman spending her life so far somewhere around Tokyo. She now works from home and is also spreading Japanese kawaii culture and etc. through her popular blog, Tokyo Kawaii,etc.
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Categories: Technology
Sea Shepherd Kicks Out Peter Bethune
Radical animal rights group Sea Shepherd has expelled Peter Bethune, one of their members who is currently on trial in Japan for crimes he committed during one of the group’s anti-whaling missions (trespassing, vandalism, possession of a knife, obstructing business and assault). Why? Apparently because his decision to carry a bow & arrows was in violation of Sea Shepherd’s “non-violent” mission:
“The bow and arrows revealed to be on the Sea Shepherd vessel Ady Gil, and in the possession of Captain Bethune on that ship, are absolutely not in line with Sea Shepherd’s policy,” the statement reads.
“Even though we know Captain Bethune’s objectives were sincere, that the bow and arrows were never used in Sea Shepherd actions and that he certainly never intended to use the bow and arrows against any person, his decision to bring them on a Sea Shepherd campaign is unacceptable.
“Therefore, although Sea Shepherd will continue to support Captain Bethune through his legal battle in Japan, Sea Shepherd will not select him to participate in future campaigns.
“Captain Bethune is an amazing and brave conservationist, he is a hero for the whales, but unfortunately he will no longer be formally associated with, or be a representative of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, because his methods are not in complete alignment with the organisations [sic].”
However, as the video clip below shows, Sea Shepherd is lying. Bethune’s possession of the weaponry was actually known about and accepted by Sea Shepherd’s leaders. They even let him show off the bow and arrows on their TV show:
Earlier this week, Bethune’s wife claimed that Sea Shepherd kicked her husband out of the organization because they thought it might help him avoid jail time. However, in a more recent interview, she has stated that she fears the move helped Japanese prosecutors argue that Bethune is so extreme that even well-known pro-violence organization like Sea Shepherd wouldn’t accept his actions.
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Categories: Anti-Japan
Chinese Students Illegally Sold Man Enhancement Drugs
An NTV news video about how Japanese police have arrested 2 Chinese students for selling male enhancement drugs that were not approved for sale in Japan:
They sold the products through online auction sites. As you can see, this was a drug bust worthy of a fancy display.
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Categories: Foreigners in Japan
Stop-motion Super Mario
A paper stop motion Super Mario show that travels its way through a school in Japan:
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Categories: Odd / Strange
Turtle Shell Vandalized
Either a turtle has learned to write on its own back, or somebody thinks this is amusing:
A prankster apparently decided a turtle living in the moat around Maizuru Castle Park here needed some self-introduction, writing “kame desu” (I am a turtle) on its shell in white paint.
“We want to clean the graffiti off as soon as we can,” said a representative of the Yamanashi Prefecture’s city planning section, which manages the park. “We definitely don’t want any copy-cats.”
The article goes on to warn any possible copy-cats that whoever did this is unlikely to face any punishment, since there is technically no legal owner of the turtle who can seek property damages against the vandal in court.
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Categories: Odd / Strange