Archive for June, 2011

Father’s Day in Japan

It’s Father’s Day! Here is a Japanese TV news clip about some trendy gifts that are being given to fathers this year:

Gifts mentioned include:

• Cool Biz Business Attire – With offices planning to reduce electricity consumption this summer, Dad will appreciate light clothing that will make the heat a little more bearable.
• Sports Biz Shoes – Although these shoes look like normal business shoes, they are made of light material that should make them feel cooler and more comfortable. One brand advertises that it is possible to comfortably run a marathon in its business shoes.
• Drinking Cups & Glasses – Dad can enjoy his sake or beer in style. After the March 11th disaster, more people are choosing to drink at home, so stores have seen sales double.
• Thank You Beer – Sankt Gallen Brewery’s Kansha (“Thanks”) Beer is selling well as a Father’s Day gift. Its big 1 shō (1.8 liter) bottle is especially popular.

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

Giant Crane Returns 400-ton Fishing Boat to Sea

When the March 11th tsunami struck the city of Kesennuma, many large fishing boats were swept ashore and grounded. Now, as these video clips show, a giant crane is being used to lift the boats return them to the sea:

So huge are the ships that moving them back to the sea has not been attempted in more than three months. Many have been propped up with metal beams so they won’t fall over.

Now ship owners have banded together to jointly negotiate a contract with a logistics company to move five of the vessels in a deal insurers have agreed to cover. Even with a group discount it will cost around £620,000 to move each ship.

[...]

Earlier this week, two towering cranes hoisted the 400-tonne Akane Maru No 1, a deep-sea fishing boat, about 30 feet off the ground from where it had been tossed by the wave.

The cranes gently lowered it onto a huge trolley in primary colours that looks like a super-sized Lego creation. It was the start of what would be a three-day operation organised by Penta-Ocean Construction.

The 192-tyre trolley – normally used for transporting equipment such as train carriages – then slowly rolled toward the quay. Yesterday, the cranes lifted the boat up and into the water.

After some repairs, the Akane Maru No?1 should be ready to start fishing in August, ship owner Hirohito Ikeda said.

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

Video: Driving into the Tsunami

NTV’s “News Zero” recently recovered and aired this video, which gives a first-person view from inside a car as it is overtaken by the March 11th tsunami:

The vehicle is carried around by the waves. The driver sits inside, taking photos with another camera and quietly considering whether it would be a good idea to force his way out of the car. After about 4 minutes, the driver slipped out a window and swam to safety. A few seconds later, waves smashed the car into a building and water pours in, disabling the camera.

If your car is ever overtaken by a tsunami, what should you do? An expert says the best course of action would be to:

1. Before escaping, you should confirm that the flow of the water is not too strong and there are not large and dangerous objects being swept about.
2. If those conditions are met, break or open a window and get out.
3. If possible, swim or run to the safety of a high place. If you can’t get out of the water, at least try to grab on to a sturdy object, such as a fence or light pole.

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

Treadmill Dog

“Nanikore” visits a souvenir shop in Nikko where the owner has built a “running machine” for her dog:

The dog, an American Pit Bull Terrier named Teroru, seems to love the machine. Even after going on an hour-long walk with his master, Teroru wants to be taken to his treadmill to continue exercising. Sometimes he uses it for several hours straight. Because the machine is powered by his own walking, he doesn’t require human supervision. He can stop whenever he gets tired.

Related link: It seems that some companies actually sell motorized dog treadmills.

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

Swarms of Flies Plague Tsunami Disaster Area

A TV report focuses on what has become a huge annoyance for people who are trying to rebuild the cities wrecked by the March 11th tsunami: flies.

The tsunami wrecked homes and seafood warehouses, leaving large areas strewn with rotting fish and garbage. The flies have been breeding like crazy in the mess. Thousands and thousands of flies swarm around.

Normal fly swatters and insect spray are not enough. To kill as many flies as possible, people have been building fly traps from empty plastic bottles:

Small holes, barely large enough for a fly to enter, are cut into each plastic bottle. A mixture of sake, vinegar, and sugar is placed into the bottle. Flies are attracted to the odor and enter the bottle, but have difficulty getting out. It becomes a death trap for the insects.

Within just 5 minutes of placing a bottle outside, it is filled with a couple dozen flies. If the bottle trap is left in place for 2 days, it will become nearly half full of dead flies.

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

Fukushima Daiichi Makes Ibaraki’s Tourism Industry Suffer

A news report about how tourist attractions in Oarai, a popular vacation spot in Ibaraki prefecture, are now practically deserted:

• The Oarai Aquarium is like a ghost town.
• Since March, reservations at local hotels and ryokans have plummeted. One ryokan owner shows off a nearly empty reservation book. There has been a 48% decrease compared to March, April and May of 2010. The situation will probably continue into the future.
• A local shopkeeper says there are all kinds of rumors going around about radiation. Some people are afraid every rainfall will bring dangerous radiation.
• Local businesses are teaming up to demand compensation from Tepco and the Japanese government.
• It’s already been decided that businesses in Fukushima prefecture will receive compensation payments. To expand the scope of the payments, businesses in Ibaraki will have to convince authorities that their downturn in tourism is due to the nuclear accident, rather than post-tsunami restraint.

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