Bushido & other Musings of a Japanophile

Electric DeLorean back for the future

2009-03-14T13:35:00.000-07:00

asahi.com（朝日新聞社）：Electric DeLorean back for the future - English

Trust the Japanese to take a great idea and make it better. DeLorean - one of the most iconic cars of the 80s gets a new lease of life from university teachers and students in Hiroshima. There may be a commercial proposition here - how about an electric conversion kit to breathe life into all the old cars. Instead of junking old cars and recycling only a portion of metal, you could recycle 100%. Think of all the landfills, the energy used for recycling metal, the pollution and the terrible waste that could be avoided. This whole concept of having a new car every 3-5 years is so out of line with the current focus on environment - I wish someone would take up these real recycling ideas in right earnest.

Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu

2008-12-28T21:29:00.000-08:00

あけまして　おめでとう　ございます。

A Very Happy New Year to all my friends in Japan.

I just picked up this description from Wikipedia of the characteristics of people born in the year of the Ox, "The Ox is the sign of prosperity through fortitude and hard work. This powerful sign is a born leader, being quite dependable and possessing an innate ability to achieve great things. As one might guess, such people are dependable, calm, and modest. Like their animal namesake, the Ox is unswervingly patient, tireless in their work, and capable of enduring any amount of hardship without complaint.

Ox people need peace and quiet to work through their ideas, and when they have set their mind on something it is hard for them to be convinced otherwise. An Ox person has a very logical mind and is extremely systematic in whatever they do, even without imagination. These people speak little but are extremely intelligent. When necessary, they are articulate and eloquent."

Sounded like a description of Obama - so I looked up his year of birth and lo and behold, he was born in the year of Ox - quite uncanny!

The year of the Rat gives way to the year of the Ox.

Kinkakuji temple looking beautiful in season's first snow

2008-12-28T11:00:00.000-08:00

Ice-cold gold

The Yomiuri Shimbun

The season's first snow covers Kinkakuji temple, known for its Golden Pavilion, in Kita Ward, Kyoto, on Friday morning as the temperature dipped to 0.8 C, below the 2.2 C average for this time of year. In western Japan, the cities of Osaka and Okayama also were dusted with the season's first snow, and the mercury dropped to 3.4 C in Osaka and 0.8 C in Nara.

Technorati Tags: japan, kyoto, golden pavilion, Kinkakuji temple, 2008, first snow

Copying machine graveyard

2008-12-28T10:44:00.000-08:00

This can't be good news for the document technology industry here in USA either. With so much of unused, off-lease equipment in the market, sales of new equipment is likely to take a bigger hit. This apart from the fact that new copiers are not high on business' investment plans right now and increasing reliance on electronic communications is finally making a dent on the print volumes.

From Asahi Shimbun

Recession leads to copy machine graveyard

Recession leads to copy machine graveyard (TAKU HOSOKAWA/ THE ASAHI SHIMBUN)

With barely space to move in this warehouse packed with used copy
machines in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, OA Land, an office
equipment leasing company, recently placed a cap on buying used office
equipment. The company acquired as much as 70 percent more used items
in recent months than usual as the number of companies going bankrupt
or cutting back has risen amid the current global financial crisis.
(IHT/Asahi: December 24,2008)

Japan Subway Posters - "Please do it at home"

2008-12-13T09:49:00.000-08:00

A very interesting series of posters teaching manners and etiquettes to Japanese commuters - we may soon need something like this here as ridership on public transit increased in US cities.

Latest Fad From Japan - Morning Banana Diet

2008-10-14T23:19:00.000-07:00

Yes indeed it is as simple as it sounds. Just have bananas and room temperature water for breakfast every day.

Click here for more details.

Mobile Web - Japan vs. USA

2008-08-09T08:30:00.001-07:00

http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/08/09/japan%E2%80%99s-super-advanced-mobile-web-too-unique-to-serve-as-a-global-blueprint/

An interesting discussion of the way mobile web has advanced in Japan over the last several years leaving the rest of the world way behind. I think all the observations here are right on mark and provide a good understanding of why mobile web has taken off much more strongly in Japan.

However, I feel that probably the most important reason is ignored here - and that is the daily routine of an average Japanese. You see, the Japanese are more mobile than any other people in the world - they walk or cycle or take a bus to the train station in the morning, get on the subway or train, get down and walk out, take a bus or walk to their office, walk to the cafetaria and repeat the whole routine on the way back home late in the evening. In between, they may walk to shopping, to the pub, for dinner, etc. While in USA, mobility means four wheels, in Japan it is your own two legs.

That's why in USA we have our radio, satellite radio, DVD/CD player in the car, even iPOD docked to the car stereo. We lug our laptops to Starbucks and connect on wi-fi. In Japan, when you are on your feet, the only device you can carry is the cellphone - so Japanese do everything we do on their cellphone, while standing on their own two feet - while walking, while standing in the subway, while eating lunch standing up in the cafetaria, etc.

Technorati Tags: japan, mobile web, technology, cellphone, cell phone, akihabara, gadget

The Hemline Economy

2008-02-25T19:07:00.001-08:00

Thanks Vikram for the rejoinder - the hemline theory of economic ups and downs. This one probably goes back to just before the great depression of the 1920s - maybe even earlier.

It is interesting - how fashion corelates to economic conditions of the times. I'd love to have more comments on any other corelations that you might have come across.

Thanks Vikram for the rejoinder - the hemline theory of economic ups and downs. This one probably goes back to just before the great depression of the 1920s - maybe even earlier.

It is interesting - how fashion corelates to economic conditions of the times. I'd love to have more comments on any other corelations that you might have come across.

Japanese women hairstyles track economy ups and downs

2008-02-23T16:40:00.000-08:00

Japanese women hairstyles track economy ups and downs

Mon Feb 18, 2008 6:13am EST

TOKYO (Reuters Life!) - Economic forecasters beware: Japanese women are cutting their hair again.

Women tend to wear their hair long when Japan's economy is doing well and short when there is a slump, the Nikkei business daily reported, citing a survey conducted by Japanese cosmetics company Kao Corp.

As for Japan's future economic performance, the Nikkei pointed to expectations for a trend towards shorter hairstyles.

This mirrors the view among some analysts that Japan's longest growth cycle since the Second World War may have ended and the economy is at risk of falling into a recession.

Kao, Japan's second-largest cosmetics firm, has conducted regular surveys of 1,000 women on the streets of Tokyo and Osaka over the past two decades, the Nikkei said.

Until the early 1990s, when Japan's economic bubble burst, 60 percent of women in their twenties kept their hair long, the Nikkei said, citing the survey.

During the 1990s economic slump, short hair -- defined as above the collarbone -- became the dominant hairstyle for Japanese women. But since 2002, long hair has regained some popularity -- just as the economy started to expand, the Nikkei said.

The Nikkei also identified a new factor that could affect the validity of hair length as an economic indicator: the rising popularity of the chignon.

(Reporting by Sophie Hardach; Editing by Eric Burroughs)

It happens only in Japan - Portable Subway Straps

2008-02-11T22:37:00.000-08:00

Portable subway strap shows you’re no groper

15 Jan 2008

A portable subway strap that sells for 525 yen (about $5) is featured on the cover of the fall/winter issue of Tsuhan Seikatsu, a mail order catalog with a readership of 400,000. The primary purpose of this male-targeted commuter strap is not to provide support when the train lurches, but to show other passengers — particularly female passengers — that your hands are occupied, thus reducing your chances of being falsely accused of groping. According to a report on the Cyzo website, Tsuhan Seikatsu quickly sold out of the portable subway strap, an indication that false groping accusations are a real fear for many men who brave the crush of Tokyo’s crowded morning trains.

Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu! あけましておめでとうございます。

2008-01-12T21:11:00.000-08:00

According to the Chinese Zodiac, the Year of 2008 is a Year of the Rat (Earth), which begins on February 7, 2008 and ends on January 25, 2009. First in the cycle of 12 Animal signs, Rat Year begins the sequence and recurs every twelfth year. It is a time of renewal in so many ways. From New Year to Valentine's Day, to the arrival of spring, may all the blessings and delights of the New Year be yours.

A Rat Year is a time of hard work, activity, and renewal. This is a good year to begin a new job, get married, launch a product or make a fresh start. Ventures begun now may not yield fast returns, but opportunities will come for people who are well prepared and resourceful. The best way for you to succeed is to be patient, let things develop slowly, and make the most of every opening you can find.

It happens only in Japan - Amphibious taxi in Osaka

2008-01-12T21:09:00.001-08:00

An amphibious sightseeing taxi drives through the Dotonbori River nearby streets in Osaka, western Japan, during its demonstration run Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2008. The amphibious sightseeing taxi, which is capable of carrying up to three passengers, made a debut in the country. (AP Photo/Kyodo News)

Season's Greetings and Happy New Year!

2007-12-20T21:50:00.001-08:00

Wishing all our friends all the very best this holiday season and in the new year! Click here for an animated greeting.

Eel Powered Christmas Tree

2007-12-16T18:42:00.000-08:00

This is another one of my posts classified under "This happens only in Japan". While this unique way of harnessing the electrical power seen in some underwater organisms is a good demonstration of innovative thinking - I would doubt that this is ever going to be feasible. Yet, something like this would be difficult to do in the Western world - I can just imagine the protests over animal cruelty.

Top Japanese buzzwords of 2007

2007-11-28T21:49:00.000-08:00

An intriguing compilation of buzzwords. They are gonna decide on the top 10 soon - are there any here that particularly tickled you. I was fascinated by the fact that "Compliance" has made it to mainstream vocabulary in Japan. "Temp" is another one - a newer phenomenon in Japan than in USA.

What's wrong with this picture?

2007-10-20T21:15:00.000-07:00

Here's a street corner full of vending machines - pretty typical for a Japanese tow. But can you spot the odd one out?

Yes, you are not imagining things - one of the vending machines has feet! In another one of "It happens only in Japan" series, here's a brand new personal safety idea - wearing vending machine disguise.

If this is not the first time you've come across an odd invention from Japan, you're not the only one. In Japan they even have a name for these - "chindogu", or “queer tools.”

Click here for the article from NYTimes.

Spirit of Japantown festival in San Jose

2007-10-07T23:08:00.000-07:00

There's a lot of Japanese action right now in Bay Area - I missed going to this one though. I've been to Japantown a few times - it's really quiet most weekends. There's a couple of nice art shops selling Japanese handicrafts. The ACE hardware store was probably the first one in Bay Area selling Japanese style electronic toilet seats. Check it out if you get a chance. To see it on the map click here.

San Francisco's Hotel Tomo Jacks Into Japanese Culture

2007-10-07T14:21:00.000-07:00

WIRED has this coverage of the newly renovated Best Western Hotel Tomo in San Francisco - a haven for Japanese culture fanatics and videogame lovers. Miyazaki's movies playing in the lobby, PlayStation3 in the deluxe suites, murals with Japanese street scenes - seems like a great place to stay. More here.

Fall Festival brings 17,000 cranes to San Francisco's Japantown

2007-09-22T14:03:00.000-07:00

Paper cranes with messages calling for peace and prosperity fluttered in the wind over San Francisco's Japantown on Friday, which made Richard Hashimoto rejoice. So, too, Carol Murata.

For the past eight months, Murata and Hashimoto have overseen the behind-the-scenes doings of a project that culminates today with a daylong festival to celebrate the start of fall and San Francisco's official 50-year connection to Osaka, Japan.

The sister-city relationship was born out of the aftermath of World War II, when President Dwight Eisenhower asked San Francisco Mayor George Christopher to pick a place in Japan to reconcile the differences between the former enemies.

Like San Francisco, Osaka is a port city with an identity that goes far beyond its country's borders. Today's festival features dancers, drummers, speeches, a religious blessing and a hanging of cranes on the 100-foot-tall Peace Pagoda that anchors Japantown. The flying cranes are part of a centuries-old Japanese tradition that has been adopted for today's festival.

"This is the first time we've had anything hanging from the pagoda," said Hashimoto, a native of Japan who is president of the Japantown Merchants Association. "It's of great significance."

For the past three months, visitors to Japantown have written their most treasured wishes onto thousands of pieces of origami paper. Volunteers then folded those papers into the shape of cranes, which were put into streamers that Friday were attached to the pagoda in Japantown's Peace Plaza.

About 17,000 cranes were completed. People wished "for health, prosperity, 'hope my mother gets well,' peace - a lot of peace," said Murata, a Japantown merchant who helped organize the crane project.

One young wisher, she said, asked for "my brother (to) stop pulling my hair."

Osaka Mayor Junichi Seki, who is visiting San Francisco, was ecstatic to see the flying cranes. Among the activities today is the renaming of Japantown's Buchanan Mall to Osaka Way. In February, Seki hosted San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom on a trip he took to Osaka.

"Fifty years is quite a milestone," Seki said. "I believe (the relationship) is quite an asset to both cities."

Today's festival is called the Aki Matsuri, which means "Fall Festival" in Japanese. The tradition of folding cranes is a symbol of long life and happiness. Along with the streamers, scores of banners with cranes flew on Friday from Japantown's pagoda.

Murata says she made a wish that was folded into a crane now fluttering from the pagoda.

She said she wrote, "I hope this event turns out OK."

If you go

The Aki Matsuri (Fall Festival) happens today in San Francisco's Japantown, at Post and Buchanan streets, from noon to 8:30 p.m. For more information, go to sfjapantown.org.

E-mail Jonathan Curiel at jcuriel@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page B - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle

For India and Japan, a freedom fighter's legacy endures

2007-08-20T22:34:00.001-07:00

Things are really changing at Japan under Abe-san - seems to be a revival of sorts of nationalistic pride. Although bothersome to its close neighbors, many a Japanophiles believe that it's all part of Japan retaking its rightful position in the world. Nationalism need not equate to militarism and I think that this current trend is quite benign.

It surely is a great gesture by Abe-san to visit Kolkata and meet with Netaji Subhash Chander Bose's grandchildren. Once forgotten under the Nehru-Gandhi scheme of things, Netaji's legend has continued to grow in the recent years and many would argue that he was perhaps the most daring of the Indian nationalists who really upset British to the point of abandoning their imperial ambitions in India.

Not All Is Well In Japan

2007-08-19T10:07:00.000-07:00

The Japanese industrial juggernaut seems to have done much better in the recent years than the Americans. But things are not going too well for some of the earlier success stories. Sony is the one name that just can't seem to regain its lost glory. On peak of consumer electronics industry worldwide in the 90s, it lost the gaming market first to Microsoft XBox in the high end, to Nintendo DS in the handheld and now to Nintendo Wii in the mass market consoles. Its Walkman franchise is all but dead in face of the onslaught from Apple iPod.

It comes as no surprise then that Nintendo's market capitalization exceeded Sony's for the first time. What comes as a surprise though is that Sony seems to be in deep slumber - all this is yet to awaken it. Here's an article from Forbes that talks about Sony's options and how it seems to be taking the path of least resistance.

In the automobile industry, while Toyota seems to have fulfilled its promise of being the global number one, the 90s success story of Nissan with its Gaijin leader seems to be getting derailed. Profits have taken a hit for the first time under Ghosn. See this article from Forbes.

The mystery of the Golden Turd of Tokyo

2007-05-23T00:59:00.000-07:00

Finally I have figured out what that huge piece of turd is actually supposed to be - well, it is the golden beer foam - the building it's on is Asahi's beer hall. Quite appropriate I would say, but you do need a wild imagination to think of that abomination as beer foam.

Click here for this article from 3Yen.

An interesting travelogue on Tokyo

2007-03-04T20:32:00.000-08:00

Chris Steele-Perkins' lens gives you a view of Tokyo that's intriguing, mysterious, multi-faceted, complex, dichotomous.

Mount Fuji Webcams from Around the Five Lakes Area

2007-01-13T08:36:00.000-08:00

Mt.Fuji and Fuji Five Lakes(fujigoko.tv)

When Dr Singh met Japan's King

2007-01-13T08:26:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the long break from blogging about Japan. Things are starting on a great note for 2007 though. The Indian Prime Minister was in Japan in Dec. and 2007 may be a record year for Japanese investments in India. Abe-san seems to have a preference for India too - though Japanese companies would continue to invest heavily in China, India might catch up in the coming years.

Here's wishing the very best to Indians and Japanese all over the world in this year of the Wild Boar!

Business booms for fallout shelter industry following North Korea's nuclear test - MSN-Mainichi Daily News

2006-10-16T22:49:00.000-07:00

Business booms for fallout shelter industry following North Korea's nuclear test - MSN-Mainichi Daily News: "business isn't always as brisk for Oribe as it is now, but the company sees its upturning fortunes as the result of forward thinking when it was formed in 1963, the year after the Cuban Missile Crisis."

Incredible picture of a lightning strike near Itami airport in Osaka, Japan

2006-09-01T15:41:00.000-07:00

Japanese prove easy prey for Chinese honey traps - MSN-Mainichi Daily News

2006-09-01T15:13:00.000-07:00

Japanese prove easy prey for Chinese honey traps - MSN-Mainichi Daily News

I have often wondered about the Japanese love affair with China. Ask almost any business person in Japan where he would prefer to travel on a business trip and the answer is always China, followed by Thailand, Philippines, maybe. Part of the attraction is the cultural similarities but beyond that in some cases their seems to be an attraction to the incredible entertainment and night-life these countries offer - say in comparison to India.

But this article might raise a red flag for Japanese business executives doing business in foreign countries. Yes, India does not have the equivalent of such night clubs with beautiful women, but then we don't have a culture of such entrapment, blackmail, etc. either.

In India, Japanese businessmen are usually encouraged to visit some of the best sites of historical and cultural importance. Apart from the ever popular Agra with its Taj Mahal, a lot of Japanese also love to travel to Buddhist sites like Gaya in Bihar (eastern India).

As for night life, we have incredible restaurants offering all kind of cuisines in our five star hotels, plus we have a lively disco culture - but you need to bring your own companions. Good thing is that in India it's quite OK for men to hang out in bars, restaurants and even discos on their own without being looked at suspiciously as being gay or something :-)

technorati tags: japan,, china,, business,, outsourcing,, nightlife,, entertainment,, sex,, karaoke

State-of-technology in Japan

2006-08-11T22:33:00.000-07:00

While I marvel at technological innovations every time I visit Japan, things at this famous hotel chain - Prince Hotels, never seem to change. I am staying at the Shinagawa Prince Hotel - there's a light rain and some thunder outside and the TV in the hotel room doesn't work - probably lost the satellite feed due to clouds.

Here's the picture of the 15 year old Sony Trinitron in my room with an error message and a picture of surrounding buildings - the view from my grand $125/night room.

technorati tags: technology, gadget, japan, tokyo, skyline, shinagawa+prince+hotel, cnn, satellite+television

Another lead for Japan over USA - Digital TV for Cell Phones

2006-04-03T14:42:00.000-07:00

Wired News: Japan: Digital TV for Cell Phones:

Once again in the Mobile world, Japan and other parts of the world are leading over USA. Japan just introduced digital TV over public airwaves that can be received by cellphones with a special receiver. Unlike attempts in USA, this service is FREE and is broadcasting regular TV channels - ones that people are used to watching at home. Verizon's and Sprint's attempts to offer some limited video on demand lags far behind. Besides, why go for internet based streaming video when you can do it over the airwaves.

Mobile to replace cash and plastic in ten years?

2006-03-31T08:47:00.000-08:00

Mobile to replace cash and plastic in ten years?

At least in Japan it might happen. Already you can use your cell phone (kei-tai denwa) to buy train tickets, purchase drinks from a vending machine, etc.

Tags: japan, credit card, electronic wallet, mobile, cell phone, payment, cash

http://whatjapanthinks.com/2006/03/28/mobiles-to-replace-cash-and-plastic-in-ten-years/

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Japan's 'second virgins' are camels in a dry spell - MSN-Mainichi Daily News

2006-03-22T09:28:00.000-08:00

This is very interesting - with 50% of women not marrying till 30 and so many of the above 30 males becoming virgins - Japan is in for major demographic troubles ahead

Japan's 'second virgins' are camels in a dry spell - MSN-Mainichi Daily News: "year "

Quote Details: Pierre Beaumarchais: It is not necessary... - The Quotations Page

2006-03-21T16:23:00.000-08:00

"It is not necessary to understand things in order to argue about them."
- Pierre Beaumarchais, French businessman & comic dramatist (1732 - 1799)

I guess this must be most bloggers' swan song - that includes me by the way, so please no angry comments. Just kidding - taking a break from serious blogging.

technorati tags: blob, blogger, blogging, quotation, cynical

Shunbun no Hi - Vernal Equinox Day

2006-03-21T15:39:00.000-08:00

March 20 or 21 is the Vernal Equinox Day - celebrated as the Start of Spring Season in Japan.

Akihabara Station

2006-03-21T14:28:00.002-08:00

Japan March 2006 007, originally uploaded by sanjaykalra.

The station itself is quite nondescript - belying Akihabara's reputation as the world capital for glitzy electronics.

Lighted path to Epson Aqua Stadium in Shinagawa, Tokyo

2006-03-20T19:29:00.002-08:00

Japan March 2006 016, originally uploaded by sanjaykalra.

In Japan it's christmas lights all year round - yet they are the most efficient users of enegy in the developed world - two reasons really - one, high density housing, and two, mass transit system.

Toyota I-Swing: Geneva Motor Show 2006

2006-03-03T12:33:00.000-08:00

I-Swing, you swing, we all swing for I-Swing :-)

This working demo of what Toyota calls the I-Swing sure tilts and balances a lot like a Segway, except instead of standing, you are seated in a cushioned chair. It is also a car, said a Toyota executive from Tokyo speaking through a translator. Unless something was lost in the translation, the vehicle will be street legal like a motorcycle, he said.

Geneva Motor Show 2006

Hina Matsuri (Girls' Festival)

2006-02-28T21:42:00.000-08:00

Hina Matsuri - Explore Japan - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan

March 3 is Hina Matsuri (Doll Festival or Girls' Festival), when people pray for the happiness and healthy growth of girls. Families with young daughters mark this day by setting up a display of dolls inside the house. They offer rice crackers and other food to the dolls.

Technorati: Favorite Buttons

2006-02-22T08:42:00.000-08:00

Technorati has introduced a new Favorites feature - you can add upto 50 blogs to your favorites - and you can share your favorites with the world. Try this feature by clicking on the button below - if you want to add my blog to your favorites.

Get $5 for signing up for this free service

2006-02-20T22:15:00.000-08:00

This is a great new service for sending and receiving cash through your cell phone - almost like a Paypal for cell phones :-) And the great news is, they are paying you $5 to sign up for this service. The service itself is absolutely free and there is no contract. This is sure to be a huge thing. It should be great for paying your half of the lunch you had with a friend, or the movie tickets that your friend bought for you or for making and receiving payment on craigslist etc.

If you want to make $5 for reading this blog, just sign up by clicking on the TextPayMe banner below.

Windows Bento

2006-02-05T19:03:00.000-08:00

Rico & Coco: 新しいPC購入!?

Setsubun in Japan; A Lunar "New Years' Eve"

2006-02-05T08:37:00.000-08:00

Setsubun, Oni Out, Happiness In

Here's an informative account of Setsubun which was celebrated on Feb. 3, 2006 in Japan. Setsubun marks the Lunar New Year in Japan (corresponding to the CHinese New Year) and it also marks the beginning of Spring.

Octopuses hung out to dry

2005-12-08T07:03:00.000-08:00

MSN-Mainichi Daily News: Photo Specials

Sumo Wrestling in Manhattan

2005-10-22T13:36:00.000-07:00

Sumo wrestlers, dressed in their traditional Mawashia, cross Seventh Avenue in New York, on their way to a 'weigh-in', October 20, 2005. They are participating in the 'World S.U.M.O. Challenge - Battle of the Giants' at New York's Madison Square Garden on October 22, 2005. (Seth Wenig REUTERS/Reuters)
- Sanjay Kalra

Auto Shows & Concept Cars on Yahoo! News Photos

2005-10-21T10:05:00.000-07:00

Japanese motorcycle giant Yamaha unveils the concept model of a high-performance hybrid motorcycle, the 'Gen-Ryu,' equipped with a 600cc engine and electric motor hybrid system which can achieve over 1,000cc class machine performance at the 39th Tokyo Motor Show in Makuhari.(AFP/Yoshikazu Tsuno)
- Sanjay Kalra
Auto Shows & Concept Cars on Yahoo! News Photos

The sun also rises | Economist.com

2005-10-08T09:42:00.000-07:00

The sun also rises | Economist.com

Oct 6th 2005
From The Economist print edition
Japan's chances of prosperity and influence look surprisingly bright

IT HAS taken an extraordinarily long time, but Japan really is now recovering from its debt- and deflation-ridden stagnation of the past 15 years. Proper jobs are being created, wages are rising and economists are raising their forecasts of economic growth—all despite worries about high oil prices and an American slowdown. The prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi, grabbed the world's attention last month by calling and winning a snap general election, as a referendum on economic reform. Foreign investors are rushing to Tokyo so as not to miss the fun. There is a spring in the step of Japanese politicians and diplomats, relieved that they no longer have to apologise for Japan's weakness, pleased that they might now be better placed to deal with those bumptious Chinese. They have to pinch themselves to be sure it isn't all a dream...

Chrysler Akino Concept Car to debut at Tokyo Motor Show

2005-09-24T22:08:00.000-07:00

This is awesome - an American car designed by a Japanese woman!
AutoWeek - The Auto Enthusiast's Online Resource

Howard Stinger, CEO, Sony

2005-09-23T09:34:00.000-07:00

Here's a discussion of Sony's recent woes. Sounds pretty interesting.

Personally, I think Sony should lay off all its people and shut down the company - that will cure all their problems. And it will be good for their people too - they will all be picked up by Samsung, LG and other Chinese and Taiwanese manufacturers.

I stil can't fathom as to how a company that literally owned the personal music player space could lose out to an industry outsider like Apple.

As for the legendary Sony quality, these days Samsung quality is a whole lot better than Sony.
Japan Today - Quote Of The Day - We have made promises before but we failed to execute them. We must fight like the Sony warriors that we are. - Japan's Leading International News Network: "We have made promises before but we failed to execute them. We must fight like the Sony warriors that we are.
Sony CEO Howard Stringer, announcing a major restructuring program."

Honda rolls out new hybrid Civic

2005-09-23T09:27:00.000-07:00

I like Honda's strategy for Hybrids better than Toyota. Civic looks good - like the regular civic - but gives you great mileage and is eco-friendly like a Hybrid.

If you wanna go arond making an environment-friendly statement, but a Toyota Prius. But if you are the slient, non-exhibitionist type, just do your "Civic" duty :-)
Sanjay Kalra
Japan Today - News - Honda rolls out new hybrid Civic - Japan's Leading International News Network: "hybrid system"

It's Samba time in Tokyo

2005-08-31T00:15:00.000-07:00

It's that time of the year again - yes people, its peak summer and the heat makes Tokyo-jins forget for a day that they are still in Tokyo and not in Rio.

Japanese love these Samba ladies - the dresses - what little is there - sure are very exotic. What I noticed though was that the ladies tend to be much more plump than the ones you'd see in Rio or USA. But they pack a lot of Oomph!

WHIT - What's Happening in Tokyo podcast

2005-08-31T00:04:00.000-07:00

This sounds interesting - the latest happenings in Tokyo - from a Gaijin's perspective and in English. There's some good music too. Best of all, you can subscribe to the feed with any RSS aggregator or with a podcast player like iTunes or iPodder.

http://www.whitokyo.info/WHIT.htm

Another cultural export from Japan

2005-08-29T11:38:00.000-07:00

After making its mark with Anime, Manga, Hello Kitty, Pokemon, etc., Japan is now exporting its unique fashion sense to the West. Already, Gwen Stefani has paid a tribute to Harajuku fashion in her song "Harajuku Girls".

See the article in SF Chronicle "TOKYO A-GO-GO - COOL TEENS IN HARAJUKU MAKE A FASHION ASSAULT FROM THEIR IMAGINATIONS"

The Evolution of TV in Japan

2005-08-26T18:30:00.000-07:00

A great article on the parallel advances that were going on in pre WWII Japan - almost at the same pace as those in Western Europe and USA.

The Evolution of TV -English-

Zip Zap ZOOM... - India & China takingover from Japan in the motorcycles market

2005-07-25T21:37:00.000-07:00

Japan has no one to blame but itself - by not being able to take full advantage of a low cost producing base like India for exporting all over Asia and the developing world, they have ceded the market without a fight. What a shame for sch a great manufacturing country.

What we need is a new breed of industrialists in Japan that are more global and less hesitant in playing in markets and cultures that may not be similar to theirs.
Zip Zap ZOOM...

News.3Yen.com - Alien crop-circles in Japan? - News on Japan - Japanese News

2005-07-08T08:54:00.000-07:00

News.3Yen.com - Alien crop-circles in Japan? - News on Japan - Japanese News

An Unspoiled Japan Survives on Noto - New York Times

2005-07-06T20:21:00.000-07:00

An Unspoiled Japan Survives on Noto - New York Times:

MDN: Special - A Nagasaki Report - By George Weller

2005-06-19T11:29:00.000-07:00

Mainichi Daily News of Japan is publishing the recently found censored news reports from George Weller - the first American news reporter to reach Nagasaki rigth after one of the 2 American atomic bombs flattened the city.
MDN: Special

Singapore's Japanese prostitute era paved over

2005-06-18T08:07:00.000-07:00

The Japan Times Online

The hype behind India's Japan ties

2005-06-16T22:23:00.000-07:00

Asia Times Online :: South Asia news, business and economy from India and Pakistan: "The hype behind India's Japan ties"

Yale Anime Society: David Soler's 100 Most Essential Words in Anime

2005-06-16T22:20:00.000-07:00

Yale Anime Society: David Soler's 100 Most Essential Words in Anime: "THE 100 MOST ESSENTIAL WORDS IN ANIME"

Kooizumi's visit to India

2005-05-15T09:47:00.000-07:00

Economy & Policy: "your "

Paris Hilton in Tokyo

2005-05-04T06:03:00.000-07:00

Most Japanese couldn't recognize her in person - they have never seen her with so much clothes on - on the Internet pictures and videos :-)
MDN: Photo Specials

Amagasaki Train Accident

2005-05-04T06:01:00.000-07:00

On a sober note - the accident at Amagasaki was a terrible disaster - my condolences to family members of all who lost their lives.

I travel from JR Osaka to Itami stations quite often - passing through Amagasaki. I have always admired the dilligence with which most JR drivers operate - their manners and devotion is quite different from the staff you see in public transits in USA. However, it seems that all is not as it seems - corporate greed and cutting corners on quality and safety is being imported into Japan from USA, just like layoffs, outsourcing and other things.
MDN: Photo Specials

Tokyo Biker Girls

2005-05-04T05:56:00.000-07:00

Sensational Biker Girls from Tokyo - The motorcycles are impressive too but I wonder if anyone noticed :-)
MDN: Photo Specials

Tokyo Night Highlights

2005-05-04T05:44:00.000-07:00

Trveling to Tokyo - don't miss out on all the fun you can have at Roppongi :-)
Tokyo Night Highlights

The New York Times > National > Fred Korematsu, 86, Dies; Lost Key Suit on Internment

2005-04-02T09:51:00.000-08:00

A hero of the Japanese-American community on the West Coast, Korematsu-san fought a long fight against the unjust internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII. He was finally vindicated when President Bill Clinton awarded him the Medal of Freedom in 1998.
The New York Times > National > Fred Korematsu, 86, Dies; Lost Key Suit on Internment

CNN.com - Top 25: Technological breakthroughs - Apr 1, 2005

2005-04-01T13:02:00.000-08:00

CNN.com - Top 25: Technological breakthroughs - Apr 1, 2005: "Advances that transformed how the world communicates are among the top 25 technological breakthroughs of the past quarter century, according to a panel of experts assembled by CNN."

TOTO's Networked Intelligent Toilet

2005-03-31T18:29:00.000-08:00

Another "Only in Japan" oddity - an intelligent toilet. This is one thing that we really need in US - I wonder why these are not getting popular in US - I mean the sheer convenience, hygiene and luxury of it is enough to convert anyone!

2005-03-26T04:36:00.001-08:00

A Plum tree in full blossom at Kiyomizudera

2005-03-26T04:36:00.000-08:00

Drinking the holy water at Kiyomizudera (Pure Water Temple)

2005-03-26T04:35:00.000-08:00

The stage at Kiyomizudera - built entirely of wood - no metal nails, etc.

2005-03-26T04:33:00.000-08:00

Pray to this deity for promotion

2005-03-26T04:31:00.000-08:00

World Heritage site - Kiyomizudera, Kyoto

2005-03-26T04:24:00.000-08:00

The famous Yodobashi Camera store in Osaka

2005-03-26T04:23:00.001-08:00

Osaka skyline in the morning from Hotel Granvia

2005-03-26T04:23:00.000-08:00

Osaka at night

2005-03-25T16:21:00.000-08:00

Car Display at Shin-Osaka Station

2005-03-25T16:19:00.000-08:00

Shinagawa Station

Yamaha's "MyRoom" - an indoor, soundproof private room for adults :: TechJapan :: English news on technology from Japan

2005-03-25T02:33:00.000-08:00

Yamaha's "MyRoom" - an indoor, soundproof private room for adults :: TechJapan :: English news on technology from Japan

How the iPod Ran Circles Around the Walkman

2005-03-12T20:28:00.000-08:00

It's just amazingly stupid - how Sony is letting everyone else get ahead in the digital music player market. Why would anyone buy Sony's 20GB hard disk player for $50 more than the comparable iPod? In fact, given that Sony can be a great volume player, they should be beating iPod on price and features and they should be coming out with an even lower priced model under their AIWA or other brand to beat the Creative, iRiver and other Asian competitors.

And they just have to support the widest variety of standards out there - Sony - hear it now before it's too late - Atrac is dead - just like the Betamax - give up now and get onto the popular stuff. Think about 5.1 channel mp3 standard recently announced with backward and cross compatibility with every other standard. And join forces wit Microsoft, Yahoo and Real to beat Apple.

As a consumer, we need the competition - Sony with its worldwide reach and branding power can really make this a consumer product from the current hightech image it has and bring standardization, lower prices and high quality to the market.
The New York Times > Business > World Business > Digital Domain: How the iPod Ran Circles Around the Walkman

Google circa 2014

2005-03-12T19:23:00.000-08:00

I have no idea who these guys are - but this short animation of the shape of things in the year 2014 is both awe inspiring and scary. It talks about the evolution of Google, its epic battle against the traditional information sources - like the New York Times and with its adversaries like Microsoft and Amazon. Well, I won't give away the ending - see for yourself.
ols-master

Some great quotations about Cycling

2005-03-07T11:54:00.000-08:00

Quote:Unquote: "'Nothing compares to getting your heart rate up to 170-something, riding hard for an hour-twenty, getting off and not hurting, as opposed to 24 minutes of running, at the end of which I hurt. When you ride a bike and you get your heart rate up and you're out, after 30 or 40 minutes your mind tends to expand; it tends to relax.'
President George W Bush"

What's What in Japanese Restaurants: A Guide to Ordering Eating and Enjoying

2005-03-05T19:50:00.000-08:00

Great primer on Japanese cuisines. If you love eating Japanese food, this book is a must buy.
Amazon.com: Books: What's What in Japanese Restaurants: A Guide to Ordering Eating and Enjoying

underground tokyo guidebook -- Tokyo, underground, guide book, punk, hentai, shinjuku, harajuku, tourism, anime, hardcore, japan, akihabara

2005-03-04T19:59:00.000-08:00

underground tokyo guidebook -- Tokyo, underground, guide book, punk, hentai, shinjuku, harajuku, tourism, anime, hardcore, japan, akihabara

REALTOKYO

2005-02-26T17:19:00.000-08:00

Cultural Search Engine for events in and around Tokyo - great website design and presentation.
REALTOKYO

Learning how to make the most of middle age

2005-02-26T09:00:00.000-08:00

The Japan Times Online: "
BILINGUAL

Learning how to make the most of middle age"

The woes of the minunderstood "Gaijin"

2005-02-26T08:58:00.000-08:00

The Japan Times Online

Japan finds way to deal with excess rice: Make bread

2005-02-26T08:13:00.000-08:00

As the Japanese increasingly turn away from rice, the longtime staple of their diet, baker Koichi Fukumori believes he has found a solution to boost the heavily subsidized crop: Turn it into bread.
Taipei Times - archives

Yahoo! News - As Japan goes grey, toymakers design dolls for the elderly

2005-02-23T18:36:00.000-08:00

Yahoo! News - As Japan goes grey, toymakers design dolls for the elderly: "As Japan produces fewer children and more retirees, toymakers are designing new dolls designed not for the young but for the lonely elderly -- companions which can sleep next to them and offer caring words they may never hear otherwise."

Dekotora

2005-02-23T00:08:00.000-08:00

Short for "Decorated Truck," a dekotora is a personally owned freight truck which is modified to look like the ugly love child of a tranformer and a 70's vegas casino.

Young Americans revel in Japanese pop culture

2005-02-20T07:23:00.000-08:00

ARLINGTON, Virginia (AFP) - Judging from the colorful crowds at the "anime-con" event here, the Japanese pop cultural invasion of the United States is in full swing.
Yahoo! News - Young Americans revel in Japanese pop culture

Juergen Specht - Photographs - Documentation 1: Japanese Warning Signs

2005-02-18T18:22:00.000-08:00

A great compilation of Japanese warning signs - might save you a lot of trouble next time you're in Japan.
Juergen Specht - Photographs - Documentation 1: Japanese Warning Signs

Disinfotainment: BlogTV Japan: The Social Life of Public Toilets

2005-02-17T00:57:00.000-08:00

Disinfotainment: BlogTV Japan: The Social Life of Public Toilets: "hapless foreigners"

Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami

2005-02-12T14:15:00.000-08:00

Guardian Unlimited Books | Extracts | Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami

Book Recommendation - Haragei - The Unspoken Way - Silence in Japanese Business and Society

2005-02-11T15:36:00.000-08:00

Haragei - precisely the ability of 'Nature' to express itself completely unhindered by the limitations of the five senses and the intellect - Karlfried Durckheim in "Hara, The Vital Center of Man"

Essential reading for understanding the Japanese psyche.

Japanese toilet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

2005-02-10T00:56:00.000-08:00

Japanese toilet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

TRENDS / Pop goes Japanese culture

2005-02-06T14:43:00.000-08:00

TRENDS / Pop goes Japanese culture

King Penguins procession at Asahiyama Zoo

2005-02-02T11:22:00.000-08:00

Yahoo! News - AFP Top Photos

Some great videos featuring Ostriches from Japan

2005-01-30T15:03:00.000-08:00

?????(JR???)|???net>JR??? ???CM?????

Workplace Definitions

2005-01-28T03:03:00.000-08:00

"That WOOFY was a CROP DUSTING SEAGULL MANAGER who got where he is by ASSMOSIS."
Occasionally the Internet provides us with things that we just can't do without, like the following "Essential additions for the workplace Vocabulary" for 2004:

BLAMESTORMING: Sitting around in a group, discussing why a deadline was missed or a project failed, and who was responsible.
SEAGULL MANAGER: A manager, who flies in, makes a lot of noise, craps on everything, and then leaves.
ASSMOSIS: The process by which some people seem to absorb success and advancement by kissing up to the boss rather than working hard.
SALMON DAY: The experience of spending an entire day swimming upstream only to get screwed and die in the end.
CUBE FARM: An office filled with cubicles.
PRAIRIE DOGGING: When someone yells or drops something loudly in a cube farm, and people's heads pop up over the walls to see what's going on.
MOUSE POTATO: The on-line, wired generation's answer to the couch potato.
SITCOMS: Single Income, Two Children, Oppressive Mortgage. What yuppies turn into when they have children and one of them stops working to stay home with the kids.
STRESS PUPPY: A person who seems to thrive on being stressed out and whiney.
SWIPEOUT: An ATM or credit card that has been rendered useless because the magnetic strip is worn away from extensive use.
XEROX SUBSIDY: Euphemism for swiping free photocopies from one's workplace.
IRRITAINMENT: Entertainment and media spectacles that are annoying but you find yourself unable to stop watching them. The O.J. trials and Michael Jackson's affairs are examples.
PERCUSSIVE MAINTENANCE: The fine art of whacking the crap out of an electronic device to get it to work again.
ADMINISPHERE: The rarefied organizational layers beginning just above the rank and file. Decisions that fall from the adminisphere are often profoundly inappropriate or irrelevant to the problems they were designed to solve.
404: Someone who's clueless. From the World Wide Web error message "404 Not Found," meaning that the requested document could not be located.
GENERICA: Features of the American landscape that are exactly the same no matter where one is, such as fast food joints, strip malls, etc.
OHNOSECOND: That minuscule fraction of time in which you realize that you've just made a BIG mistake.
WOOFYS: Well Off Older Folks.
CROP DUSTING: Surreptitiously passing gas while passing thru a cube farm, then enjoying the sounds of dismay and disgust.