It is a common sight in winter to see octopi hanging out to dry along sidewalks in the town of Toba (Mie prefecture), according to the caption for this image from the Toba Photo Gallery.
[Link to full image]
Archives: ‘Art/Culture’ Category
Boy hacker scams 36 mil yen for virtual dress
24 Jan 2008
A 16-year-old male gamer infatuated with the gothic dress worn by the fictional princess in an online role-playing game has been arrested for hacking into the game company's servers and scamming a boatload of virtual money.
On January 24, Tokyo Metropolitan Police officers from the "Hi-Tech Crimes Control Center" arrested the high school student from Fukui, Japan and charged him with illegally accessing the website of Tokyo-based game company NEXON and stealing over 36 million yen ($325,000) worth of virtual currency used in the Mabinogi online role-playing game. The money can be used to purchase virtual items in the game, and it can be converted into real-world cash.
According to investigators, the suspect used software from an illegal website to obtain the ID and password of a former NEXON employee, which he used to access the company's servers from his home computer last October. Once inside NEXON's system, he registered a new ID and password and began filling his coffers with the in-game money.
While most of the loot went unused, the suspect allegedly converted 7 million points into about 600,000 yen ($5,500) worth of web money, which he used to purchase books and software.
The suspect has reportedly fessed up to the crime. "I originally wanted the dress worn by the princess," he admitted, "but I just ended up racking up a bunch of game points."
[Source: Nikkan Sports]
Larva Chocolate looks sick, tastes sweet
22 Jan 2008
A unique chocolate made to look like a beetle larva has captured the fancy of candy aficionados in Japan. Produced by the Komatsuya confectionery and bakery based in Akita prefecture, the bite-sized Larva Chocolates (Youchu Choco) have a grub-shaped body made from milk chocolate and corn flakes, a layer of skin made from white chocolate, legs made from tiny strips of dried squid, and a dainty mouth made from orange peel. Komatsuya, which is struggling to keep up with demand, hand-produces about 400 per day and sells them online (shipping in Japan only) for 210 yen ($2) each. The company also offers up the repulsive-yet-cute candy grubs at product fairs, where they tend to get snapped up in a hurry. Larva Chocolates are now available in Tokyo at the Chocolate and Sweets Expo, which is being held at Sunshine City (Ikebukuro) until March 9.
[Source: Akita Keizai Shimbun]
Video: Nobuo Takahashi’s animated landscapes
21 Jan 2008
"Musashino Plateau" and "Japan" -- a pair of 3D computer animations directed by Nobuo Takahashi -- illustrate (in dramatic fashion) how Japan's landscape changed during the postwar period of rapid economic growth. The animations begin slowly with the early postwar recovery years, but the pace quickens to a frenzy as explosive growth during the bubble years (late '80s/early '90s) transforms the cityscape into a chaotic, tightly packed jumble of single-family homes, large apartment complexes and high-rise buildings. In the end, development grinds to a halt with the collapse of the bubble.
Video 1: Musashino Plateau
Video 2: Japan
[Source: Yoshida Gakuen Joho Business]
H.R. Giger’s creatures in ’80s Pioneer ads
21 Jan 2008
Fantastic Japanscapes
17 Jan 2008
The Japanese landscape makes a stunning subject for high dynamic range (HDR) photography, as demonstrated by these images and the 500+ others in the Japan HDR Flickr Photo Pool.
Nihonbashi [Tokyo] -- Photo: Altus
Wave Gate [Numazu] -- Photo: Altus
Cloudy Day in Gotokuji [Tokyo] -- Photo: stu72
No.6 [Kanagawa prefecture] -- Photo: dokool
Machinery [Nippori station, Tokyo] -- Photo: heiwa4126
Landmark Tower and Minato Mirai 21 [Yokohama] -- Photo: shinnygogo
Shibuya Backstreet [Tokyo] -- Photo: yongfook
Brides of Kimiko Yoshida
16 Jan 2008
Photographer Kimiko Yoshida transforms herself into the brides of the world in an ongoing series of self-portraits taken over the last seven years.
The Sakura Bride, 2006
The Cyber Bride, 2003
The Green Tea Bride, 2006
The Mao Bride, 2006
The Pokemon Bride, 2002
The Tamates Bride, Vanuatu, 2003
The Afghani Bride with a Bukhara Cap, 2005
The Shinto Bride, 2002
Browse the entire collection of 150+ nuptial beauties at Yoshida's website (not entirely safe for work).
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.
Shokotan’s Sukashikashipan
11 Jan 2008
Otaku idol Shokotan (Shoko Nakagawa)'s obsession with sand dollars has resulted in a new type of sweet bun, called Sukashikashipan, which is scheduled to hit Lawson convenience store shelves nationwide at the end of January.
Since Shokotan began drawing attention to sand dollars (known as sukashikashipan in Japanese) on her popular blog last April, she has often remarked how they look like a type of kashipan (sweet bun). A Lawson product development team apparently agreed (they also picked up on the fact that sukashikashipan sounds like kashipan), and they contacted Shokotan about helping them design a new product. The result is a sugary treat that looks like a palm-sized sand dollar, complete with five radially symmetric holes. Sukashikashipan will sell for 125 yen (a little more than $1) at Lawson stores nationwide beginning January 29.
As an added bonus, the package will feature a QR code that, when scanned, takes you to a mobile site that provides a variety of Sukashikashipan-Man anime content. Sukashikashipan-Man is a fictional hero conceived by Shokotan.
Giza-kawayusu!
[Source: Gigazine]