In the early 1970s, the Kewpie Corporation (maker of Kewpie brand mayonnaise) produced a deck of promotional playing cards featuring various pachimon kaiju (imitation monsters modeled after creatures from popular movies and TV shows). 1 -- Kyuradorosu (vampire monster)/ Height: 5 meters/ Weight: 800 kilograms/ From Chiba 2 -- Kashuasu (pollution monster)/ Height: 10 meters/ […]
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Photos: ‘Snow monsters’ of Japan
04 Feb 2011
Ghostly trees covered in snow and rime ice -- known as "snow monsters" or juhyou (frost-covered trees) in Japanese -- are a celebrated feature of the winter landscape in mountainous areas of northern Japan. Here are a few photos. Hakkōda Mountains, Aomori prefecture [via] Hakkōda Mountains, Aomori prefecture [via] Mt. Moriyoshi, Akita prefecture [via] Hakkōda […]
Dekotora art trucks
27 Oct 2010
Here is a collection of videos and photos of Gundam-style dekotora art trucks from Japan. [Video: Alienware Dekotora] [Photo: Satoshi Minakawa via today and tomorrow] [Photo: ART SEKI] [Photo: FREEDOM遊遊フレンド☆はぐれ雲]
Evolta mascot robot walking from Tokyo to Kyoto
22 Sep 2010
As a publicity stunt to demonstrate the durability of Evolta batteries, Panasonic's mascot robot is hiking the historic 500-kilometer (300-mi) Tōkaidō Road from Tokyo to Kyoto. Evolta World Challenge III: Kyoto or bust! -- Photos via Sankei News The Evolta humanoid, whose new design is meant to resemble an ancient highway traveler pulling a two-wheeled […]
Mecha art by Naochika Morishita
15 Sep 2010
Hagane Bito, a book of collected works by freelance artist Naochika Morishita, is teeming with illustrations of anime robots. Here are a few. Gundam heads Daijyushin Gundam GM Custom Gundam vs. Elmeth Jaburo Jaburo-2 Z Mobile Suit-2 Dom Wing Gundam Zero Custom MagiDragon Scopedog and Berserga Dom Tropen V Gundam RX-93 Nu Gundam (Thanks, Ian!) […]
Medical woodblock prints from 19th-century Japan
06 Sep 2010
The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) maintains a collection of 400 health-themed woodblock prints from 19th-century Japan. The collection -- which includes drug advertisements, illustrated instructions for treating and preventing contagious diseases, and visual guides to the human body -- offers a unique look at Japanese medical knowledge in the late Edo and early […]
The Japanese Tradition – Apologizing
21 Jul 2010
"Shazai (謝罪)" -- from "The Japanese Tradition" series of videos by Japan Culture Lab -- is a useful and entertaining guide to the art of apologetic bowing. + Video The video provides techniques and tips for the entire spectrum of bows, from the commonplace shallow bow (for casual apologies) to the various forms of ojigi […]
Photos: Rice paddy art (2010)
13 Jul 2010
This year's selection of rice paddy art has begun to crop up in fields across Japan. Rice paddy art in Inakadate (Aomori prefecture) [photo] Two historical figures -- the legendary warrior-monk Benkei (left) and the warrior Ushiwakamaru, a.k.a. Minamoto no Yoshitsune (right) -- have emerged in a pair of fields in the Aomori prefecture town […]
Chameleon vs. human (in super slow motion)
12 Jul 2010
Described as a "mixed martial arts match" between man and lizard, this super slow motion encounter captured by goomo, a Tokyo-based media production agency, shows a chameleon firing its tongue at the face of a human opponent. + Chameleon vs. human The video is one in a series of 25 episodes that capture compelling moments […]