Archive for January, 2011

Misty Garden Humidifier Requires No Electricity

ATV News tests out Misty Garden, a product that acts like a humidifier but requires no electricity:

One need only pour some water into its bowl, and the fake plant will absorb its moisture and spread it into the air. It’s not very powerful, but it does appear to cause a very slight increase in air humidity when used.

The report says it costs over 3,000 yen, but it is available on Amazon.co.jp for a little under 2,000 yen.

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

Chinese Police Microblog Account Follows Japanese AV Idol

Global Times reports that a police station in China has got into trouble after it was discovered that it had a microblog that was only subscribed to the updates of one person: a Japanese adult film actress.

The occasion was made known by a post on the internet, stating that the bureau followed just one person on its verified micro-blog account. The post, including an image, revealed that the person followed by Xigang Bureau was Sora Aoi, a Japenese AV actress who is well known in China and Japan.

On being made aware of the swing it caused, Xigang Bureau immediately removed Sora Aoi from its following list, and updated the list with as many as 119 micro blog users, mainly composed of sites of other public security authorities on Tuesday morning, according to the New Express.

An official surnamed Zhang from Xigang Bureau told Rednet.cn Monday afternoon that the account of the bureau’s official micro-blog had been stolen and used by others. Thus they would try complaining to Sina.com, the blog’s host.”

Sora Aoi’s Chinese microblog can be found here.

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

Japanese MSDF Anti-Piracy Operations in Gulf of Aden: Over 32,000 Served

The Philippine Daily Inquirer reports on Japan’s naval mission protecting merchant ships from Somali pirates:

Of the more than 32,600 sailors who benefited from Japan’s Self-Defense Force’s “anti-piracy operations” in the Gulf of Aden during the past 18 months, at least 10,607 were Filipinos, according to the Japanese Embassy in Pasay City.

In a report, the embassy said “Filipino seafarers are by far the biggest beneficiaries of this ship escort operations in terms of crew members’ nationalities.”

The mission also disclosed that 10 Philippine-flagged ships were among 1,394 vessels that benefited from the same operations.

It said that “following the passage of Japan’s Law on Punishment and Measures against Acts of Piracy on July 24, 2009, its Self-Defense Force started vessel-escorting operations in the Gulf of Aden not only for Japanese vessels but also for all foreign vessels.”

“The legislation enables units of Japan’s Self-Defense Force (including P-3C patrol aircraft) to protect vessels from acts of piracy, complimenting other efforts made globally to ensure safe passage for ships off the coast of Somalia and the Gulf of Aden,” the embassy also said.

Those who can understand Japanese might also want to check out this promotional video created by the MSDF:

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

Tiny French Restaurant in Tokyo

NTV News visits Bistro Ceirsier, a tiny French restaurant near Shimbashi station in Tokyo:

The restaurant can squeeze a whole 6 customers into its counter seats. The chef works in a very narrow kitchen space in which he can barely open the door to his mini fridge. There is a toilet out in the hallway.

For pictures of food and reviews, check out its Tabelog page.

Here is a Google map of its location:

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

QB House Responds to Complaints About “Racist” Sign

A reader of this site has forwarded us a copy of an e-mail he received from QB House after sending them an e-mail tactlessly accusing them of “promoting racism and xenophobia” because one of their barber shops put up a sign informing customers that they might not be able to get a haircut if they can’t speak Japanese.

Original Inquiry (ridiculous lines bolded for emphasis):

From: Jeremy *********
Sent: Saturday, January 15, 2011 2:45 AM
To: infosg@qbnet.jp
Subject: Movie about racisim in Japan.

Hello,

My company is making a documentary movie about racism and right wing practices in Japan. We have seen these signs in your business. Could you please explain why your company is practicing racism? We would like to include your response in our movie. Please tell us why your company is making Japan a non-international country and promoting racism and xenophobia?

Regards,
Jeremy *******
****-Films
Director

Response from QB House:

On 2011/01/17, at 13:55, “F****” <********> wrote:

Dear Mr. *******,

I think you have misinterpret our signs. You might not be familiar or realized that in Japan, besides Japanese language most other foreign language including English are not commonly used and sadly most of our hair dressers are of no exception. Most of them know and understand only Japanese.

As our service depends a lot through communicating with customers on their specific requirements and in order to avoid any unsatisfied service by means of miscommunication, we decided to put up these sign. If you had read carefully, you would have notice that we actually did not mentioned non-Japanese speaking customers would be rejected right away – “Those who are not able to communicate with our staff in Japanese may be refused service”. As we do have a couple of hair dressers who are able to converse in English, we would gladly offer our service to the customers if they happen to be working on that day.

As an International Company with stores operating out of Singapore and Hong Kong, it definitely makes no sense for us to be racist not to mentioned that it had never even come across our mind.

I hope you now have a better understanding of our intention and wish you all the best in your movie making.

Regards,
F*********
Chief Operations Officer
QB Net International Pte Ltd

The response from QB House seems pretty adequate to me, and, as noted in the other post, the signs have already been taken down.

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

Groupon CEO Apologizes to Japanese Customers

Groupon CEO Andrew Mason has posted a video on YouTube apologizing to Japanese customers after his site offered them a New Year’s food deal that was too good to be true:

Technically the not-so-glamorous meals were not Groupon’s fault, but in the days following New Year’s, pictures of the not-so-glamorous meals were splashed all over the internet and television with Groupon’s name next to them. Hence a personal apology from the CEO of the company.

Groupon has also apparently given users who purchased the deal gift vouchers for 5,000 Yen, which is about US $60, or a little less than half of what they paid for the meal. Mason said “We’ve made mistakes before and we will make mistakes again,” but also mentioned the company is working on “capacity planning formulas” to ensure that such a mistake does not happen again.

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