Archives: May 2010

Zombie meat

24 May 2010

Zombie Meat (Zonbi niku) --

"Zombie Meat," an exquisite new Japanese snack for the horror enthusiast, consists of bite-sized chunks of tender blue flesh that, according to the package, has been aged to deadly perfection at the graveyard.

Zombie Meat (Zombi niku) beef jerky --
Zombie Meat

The ghastly meat snack, which tastes remarkably like peppered beef jerky, can be found at select shops in Japan for 399 yen (about $4.50) per pack.

Impossible motion: Magnet-like slopes

12 May 2010


+ Video

The winner of the 2010 Best Visual Illusion of the Year Contest is "Impossible Motion: Magnet-like Slopes," a three-dimensional object with slopes that appear to defy the laws of gravity when viewed from a certain angle. Created by engineering professor Kokichi Sugihara from the Meiji Institute for Advanced Study of Mathematical Sciences.

[Via: @GreatDismal, @anjkan, @dgroundsel]

Mojibakeru kanji-animal transformers

11 May 2010

Moji-bakeru kanji-animal transformer toys --

Japanese toy giant Bandai is set to release a series of nifty kanji figures that transform into the shapes of the animals they represent. The shape-shifting critters, called Mojibakeru (moji means "character" and bakeru means "to change"), come in six varieties -- 犬 (dog), 虎 (tiger), 魚 (fish), 馬 (horse), 鳥 (bird) and 竜 (dragon) -- and are available in black, white, yellow and blue.

Inu-bakeru moji-bakeru kanji-animal transformer -- Inu-bakeru moji-bakeru kanji-animal transformer --
Inubakeru - The 犬 (inu, "dog") kanji transforms into a dog

Tora-bakeru moji-bakeru kanji-animal transformer  -- Tora-bakeru moji-bakeru kanji-animal transformer --
Torabakeru - The 虎 (tora, "tiger") kanji transforms into a tiger

Uo-bakeru moji-bakeru kanji-animal transformer -- Uo-bakeru moji-bakeru kanji-animal transformer --
Uobakeru - The 魚 (uo/sakana, "fish") kanji transforms into a fish

Uma-bakeru moji-bakeru kanji-animal transformer -- Uma-bakeru moji-bakeru kanji-animal transformer --
Umabakeru - The 馬 (uma, "horse") kanji transforms into a horse

Tori-bakeru moji-bakeru kanji-animal transformer -- Tori-bakeru moji-bakeru kanji-animal transformer --
Toribakeru - The 鳥 (tori, "bird") kanji transforms into a bird

Ryū-bakeru moji-bakeru kanji-animal transformer -- Ryū-bakeru moji-bakeru kanji-animal transformer --
Ryūbakeru - The 竜 (ryū, "dragon") kanji transforms into a dragon

The collectible toys will be priced at 100 yen (about $1) each when they hit shelves in Japan next week.

Want to buy Mojibakeru? Email shop@pinktentacle.com for details.

[Source: Mainichi via dannychoo]

Japanese steamship travel posters

10 May 2010

Here is a collection of early 20th century travel posters for Japanese steamship companies (from the book Miwaku no Funatabi, published by the Museum of Maritime Science, 1993).

Vintage passenger ship travel poster --
Osaka Mercantile Steamship Co., Ltd., 1909

Vintage passenger ship poster --
Osaka Mercantile Steamship Co., Ltd., 1916

Vintage passenger ship poster --
Oriental Steamship Co., 1919 (Chinese poster)

Vintage passenger ship poster --
Osaka Mercantile Steamship Co., Ltd., 1916

Vintage passenger ship poster --
Japan Mail Steamship Co. (NYK), 1910

Vintage passenger ship poster --
Korean Mail Steamship Co., 1918

Vintage passenger ship poster --
Osaka Mercantile Steamship Co., Ltd., 1912

Vintage passenger ship poster --
Japan Mail Steamship Co. (NYK), 1914

Vintage passenger ship poster --
Japan Mail Steamship Co. (NYK), 1940

Vintage passenger ship poster --
Osaka Mercantile Steamship Co., Ltd., 1909

Vintage passenger ship poster --
Osaka Mercantile Steamship Co., Ltd., 1916

Vintage passenger ship poster --
Oriental Steamship Co., 1914

Vintage passenger ship poster --
Japan Mail Steamship Co. (NYK), 1909

Vintage passenger ship poster --
Japan Mail Steamship Co. (NYK), 1928-1930