June 2009

  • Why was Hello Kitty invented?

    By akgoemans on 6/25/09 2:08am
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    Hello KittyHello Kitty

     

    Source: the 3786 cups of water via Flickr

    We've covered a lot of interesting facets of Japanese culture. However, I noticed that one of the most influential cultural good from Japan has yet to be featured – the incredibly cute Hello Kitty!

     



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  • Himeji Castle

    By akgoemans on 6/23/09 4:00am
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    Himeji CastleHimeji Castle

     

     

     

     

     

     

     


    Photo Source: Mr Wabu Via Flickr

     



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  • Mmm, pancakes with robot oil!

    By akgoemans on 6/18/09 4:42am
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    How fantastic is that?A shiny new robot that can whip up pancakes. The robot in question is Motoman SDA10 and it is a hefty looking piece of machinery that, oddly enough, reminds me of Bender. I'm not about to be put off by this similarity; the "I no longer have to cook" option outweighs any possible Bender-style deviations.

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  • I know when you sneezed last summer

    By akgoemans on 6/16/09 4:43am
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    Photo Source: Sin's World via Flickr

    People have been really worked up about the recent increase in swine flu cases all over the world, especially in Australia and U.K. In fact, the most recent news about the sad death of a patient in Scotland has quite a few folks on edge. Well, while most of us have been focused on travel warnings, hospital hygiene and whatnot, Japan has gone one step ahead of everyone ... again!

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  • WTHIGO?- Bean Insanity

    By msarko on 6/14/09 11:05pm
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  • Ooh, It’s Raining Frogs, Yeah

    By sarajean on 6/13/09 4:12pm
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    While it’s doubtful that the Weather Girls would advise you to leave your umbrellas at home if it were indeed amphibians falling from the sky rather than men, the fact still remains that tadpoles are apparently falling from the skies of Japan.

    And I say “skies” because the phenomenon seems to be taking place in multiple cities. On June 4 in one city, Nanao, over 100 dead tadpoles were covering car windshields for 30 meters in a civic center parking lot. Others were found in nearby yards.

    Only two days later in another city, Hakusan, more tadpole downpours were reported.

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  • Edu-Manga

    By akgoemans on 6/9/09 4:31am
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    As you might have guessed, Edu-Manga is manga that teaches its reader a bit more about a given topic while maintaining a manga style story-line. In most cases, it appears to be a educational figure or institute who is promoting or implementing such a fusion. Not that I am complaining; as a manga fan, I would eagerly nab some of these collectibles.

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  • The Shower Clean Suit

    By akgoemans on 6/8/09 6:30am
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  • WTHIGO?- Muscle Video Game

    By msarko on 6/5/09 8:34pm
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    Hello, folks. I know it's been a long time since my last entry, but I got a little burned-out on the particular brand of insanity that rockets across the Pacific in surprisingly cute, hyper-efficient missiles. Now that I've concluded the Anime Friday column at our partner website Foreign Entertainment, I have more time and a stronger overall desire to devote myself to Japanese... culture. But it wasn't just my new-found freedom that brought me back to Kabuki Shojo. No, it was something more specific.

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  • You found what in that machine?

    By akgoemans on 6/5/09 6:38am
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    You know the world is a crazy place. People all over the world are into some absurd hobbies and pastimes. It's just scary when, once in a while, you see such a hobby in action. In action, in place or available in an innocent looking vending machine, you get the gist.

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  • CCTV in UK and iPhones in Japan?

    By akgoemans on 6/2/09 8:13am
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    Aoyama GakuinAoyama Gakuin

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Photo Source: Marufish via Flickr

    Caption: Generic picture about Aoyama Gakuin University. Note: Bet some students look this ectastic after the iPhone offer.

     

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