In a series of illustrations entitled "Twelve Animals," graphic artist Kentaro Nagai rearranges the world map to create the beasts of the Chinese zodiac.
Rat
Ox
Tiger
Rabbit
Dragon
Snake // Horse
Sheep
Monkey
Rooster
Dog
Boar
The images shown here are high-contrast black-and-white photos of Nagai's work, which is on display at the Japan Media Arts Festival at the National Art Center, Tokyo until February 15.
- Added: Also check out the animated Flash version of "Twelve Animals" at Graflex Directions. (Thanks, Patomaru!)
At the 1970 World Expo in Osaka, consumer electronics maker Sanyo demonstrated their vision for the future by showcasing a series of appliances they thought would populate the home of tomorrow. Included was the Ultrasonic Bath, a pod-like human washing machine that cleans, massages and dries the user in a fully automated 15-minute process.
Using a ladder, the bather climbs in through an opening on top of the machine, which stands about 2 meters (6 ft) tall. Once the desired water temperature is set and the main switch is activated, the pre-rinse cycle starts, spraying the user with jets of hot water for 5 minutes.
Next, the chamber fills up with hot water for a 3-minute massage bath. High-pressure jets create a powerful whirlpool, and scores of knobby, golf ball-sized "massage balls" suspended in the water pelt the body, delivering a vigorous massage intended to stimulate blood circulation. An ultrasonic wave generator creates a ticklish cloud of tiny air bubbles that lift dirt from the skin.
The bath is then followed by a 2-minute hot rinse cycle. Finally, a 5-minute dry cycle blasts the user with warm air, while a flood of infrared and ultraviolet light destroys any lingering germs.
Developed as a concept model, the Ultrasonic Bath never made it into our homes. Several years ago, however, Sanyo unveiled the $50,000 HIRB ("Human In Roll-lo Bathing") system, a compact version designed for use in elderly homes.
Via The Echinoblog's profile of starfish-themed monsters in Japanese cinema come these classic clips of Starfish Hitler, a Government of Darkness (G.O.D.) villain who battled superhero Kamen Rider X on TV in 1974.
Here is some awesome time-lapse footage of the eruption of Mount Asama, an active volcano straddling the border of Gunma and Nagano prefectures north of Tokyo, which suddenly awoke in the early morning hours of Monday, February 2. The video was shot between 1:55 and 2:30 AM.
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Other cameras captured the volcanic activity from different angles. The time-lapse videos below were created from photos shot at 10-minute intervals. The eruption occurs toward the end of each video.
