Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu

 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.

Copying machine graveyard

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)

Latest Fad From Japan - Morning Banana Diet

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.

It happens only in Japan - Portable Subway Straps

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.

It happens only in Japan - Amphibious taxi in Osaka

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)

Eel Powered Christmas Tree

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

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?

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.

San Francisco's Hotel Tomo Jacks Into Japanese Culture

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.

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

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

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

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

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

When Dr Singh met Japan's King

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!