February 2010

  • Pizzicato Five and the Shibuya-kei Sound

    By msarko on 2/22/10 10:33pm
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    Everything about Japan is a condensed version of what happens in other cultures. Tokyo is a city of cities, equal parts Manhattan, Las Vegas, Paris and Hong Kong. The country villages are like a bullion of provincial charm. And as for Japanese pop culture, it too operates on a much more intense, insular level than its counterparts in the West. Take the music scene in Japan in the 1990's, for instance. It was a sort of artistic renaissance in every sense of the word. Not only was there a boom in the number of unique artists in the recording studios of Tokyo, Hiroshima and Sapporo, there was also a refreshingly international flavor to the clear influences of the artists. For the first time in the history of pop music, Japanese artists made a splash beyond their own borders.



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  • Japanese Robot Saya Strikes Again

    By akgoemans on 2/22/10 2:25am
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    SayaSaya
    Remember Saya from July last year? One of the receptionist robots at the Tokyo robot exhibition? The one created by the well-meaning folks at Kobayashi Laboratory? The one with the glassy eyes and fake smiles? I'm sorry if that brought up frightening memories but it gets worse. Apparently Saya made another appearance, this time in a less conference-type of venue.

    The said appearance was at a Tokyo department store late last year. Seems like the shop might have been testing out how well Saya worked in a PR sort of setting. Thus you had the creepy bot approaching customers and offering help and suggestions.

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  • Perfume and Japan's Admirable Lack of Irony

    By msarko on 2/18/10 1:00am
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    To really understand Japanese culture, Americans are going to have to remember what it was like to be five years old again. I don't mean to imply that Japanese pop is immature, or at least any more so than American pop. No, I'm referring to that child-like ability to embrace things in an entirely unguarded way. American pop culture is so dependent on irony that it's impossible to make stateside pop that isn't even a little bit self-aware, or even self-conscious. Underneath our bubblegum and whimsy is a drive to be taken seriously, to be hard and stoic. Such is not the case with Japanese pop culture. It's a culture without doubt and unnecessary humility. As such, it can produce a nearly endless supply of candy-colored sap without so much as one batted eyelash.



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  • Karakuri Ningyo

    By akgoemans on 2/15/10 6:47am
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    KawaiiiiiiiKawaiiiiiii
    I stumbled upon references to Japan's karakuri tradition whilst writing about Loving the Machine (a book about Japanese robots, in case you were wondering). Karakuri, or karakuri ningyo as it is called, refers to a particular type of Japanese craftsmanship, namely that of the creation of automated or mechanized dolls (also known as clockwork dolls). Folks usually regard them as the earliest robots in Japan.



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  • Weird Zoo Drill

    By akgoemans on 2/11/10 8:34am
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    PokePoke

    This right here is my WTF moment of the day. Ueno Zoo, a cozy little animal sanctuary in Tokyo, recently performed an animal escape drill. These drills, which are held regularly, has some guy dress up in an animal suit and run amok. Folks will then try capturing it whilst making sure injured parties are taken care of.



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  • Capsule Hotel

    By akgoemans on 2/1/10 8:13am
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    Capsule HotelCapsule Hotel

    Photo Source: Link


    Heard about the capsule hotels of Japan? It's one of those weird Japanese concepts where you feel like you are witnessing a manifestation of a futuristic idea. You know, the type mentioned in books and movies, possibly one where a beefed-up guy wearing an eye-patch is saving the world from robots. Just thought I would throw that in there.
    Capsule hotels are what it sounds like. These are hotels that rent out rooms which are basically man-sized containers to willing customers. So you end up with bedding on the floor and a TV and/or radio. And of course, most spots have a panel that lets you set up an alarm and control the lighting in that tiny space.

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