F-15 Accident: Fallen Fuel Tank
An ASDF F-15 fighter jet flying out of Komatsu base in Ishikawa Prefecture seems to have dropped part of its fuel tank in a field near the base:
The fuel tank, which measures 6.6 meters long, 0.8 meter in diameter and 155 kilograms in weight, fell at around 8:45 a.m. at a place some 4 kilometers north-northeast of the Komatsu base, according to the local kyodo news citing officials.
Parts of the fuel tank were scattered over some 10 locations, such as the roof of a sewage facility and empty lots, in the city of Nomi, near Komatsu, according to firefighters.
According to NHK, the pilot says he heard and saw an explosion from the tank. All 202 of the ASDF’s F-15 fighters have been grounded until authorities figure out more information about the cause of the accident.
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Categories: General Japan
Stress Measuring Device
A group of Japanese researchers has developed a gadget that can supposedly measure human stress levels:
“Previous research has shown that when you analyze the pulse-rate waveform using chaos theory, you can see whether it is maintaining a certain rhythm, and this relates to how healthy a person is. We have fine tuned that system so that this measurement can serve as a stress index. You may wonder if what we’re measuring is really stress. In this regard, the clearest indicator of stress is the amount of hormones in the blood. Data from such blood analysis has about a 70% correlation with the results of our software. So it’s probably fair to interpret this measurement as an indicator of stress, like a blood test.”
“I think many office workers harm their health by continuing to work while their stress level is high. We think it would be good if people could look after their health by assessing their own stress level.”
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Categories: Technology
Chimpanzee Grills Fish & Arranges Flowers
Pan-kun the chimpanzee learns how to grill some saury and arrange flowers:
I am guessing that Pan-kun can sense the heat of the grill and is smart enough to know that he should avoid touching it, but still seems like a pretty risky stunt.
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Categories: Animal Videos
Burmese Refugees Face Difficulties
A group of 18 Burmese refugees recently arrived in Japan, where they will be resettled with the assistance of the Japanese government:
The newly arrived refugees — members of four ethnic Karen families — will take part in a 180-day support program, including Japanese language study and job training, before deciding where to work and live, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.
A 33-year-old male refugee said he is happy to be in Japan and added, “I will do any work I can.”
Under Japan’s plan to accept 90 Myanmar refugees over three years starting in 2010, 27 refugees from five ethnic Karen families came to Japan last year as the first group, and now live in Chiba and Mie prefectures.
Unfortunately, the support being offered by the government does not seem to be enough. The refugees are only given 6 months of Japanese lessons before being dispatched to the new homes and work locations. As you can see from the video, both workers and employers feel that the language education has been adequate. Without proficiency in the Japanese language, it will be incredibly hard for these refugees to ever feel comfortable living in Japan.
And the work being offered to the refugees isn’t exactly attractive either. Two families that were sent to Chiba prefecture are refusing to work:
The families, who settled in the prefecture in March, are looking for jobs in Tokyo after complaining about the long work hours and low wages paid by the agricultural corporation that is running the farm during the training period, Shogo Watanabe of the Japan Lawyers Network for Refugees said at a news conference Monday.
They have refused to take the farming jobs as labor conditions have not improved despite a work boycott in July, Watanabe added.
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Categories: Foreigners in Japan
Fake Book Cover: Why Do Japanese People Stare At Foreigners?
Arni Kristjansson, an Icelandic musician/music scholar who resides in Tokyo, has come up with an interesting tool that helps foreigners who don’t like being stared at by Japanese people. It’s a fake cover for a book entitled Why Do Japanese People Stare at Foreigners?:
“The idea is simple, print out this cover and wrap it around a book in Japanese. Then, as soon as you get stared at on the train or in a public place (to the point where it becomes uncomfortable) take out the book and pretend to start reading it while giving the starer ample view of the cover. The starer is then made aware of the situation in the most Japanese of ways, through non-confrontation.”
There are no plans to sell it as a product, so anyone who wants to use this idea will have to design and print their own fake book covers.
[via CNN Go]
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Categories: Foreigners in Japan
Danish Otaku vs. Japanese Female Announcer
One of the most viewed clips on YouTube Japan today shows a Japanese announcer interviewing a Danish guy on the street in Akihabara:
He tells her that he is studying Japanese so he can better understand anime and manga. His favorite anime is “Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai” (My Little Sister Can’t Be This Cute). She asks him what would give him a “moe” feeling, so he asks her to please call him “onii-chan” (big brother).
She does it, and he gives an appropriate “moe” reaction. He says it warms his heart.
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Categories: Foreigners in Japan, Otaku & Anime