Casual clothing brand Uniqlo has created the most captivating web calendar ever, featuring a random assortment of time-lapse tilt-shift imagery from locations across Japan and charming background music by Fantastic Plastic Machine. Highly addictive.
[Link: Uniqlo Calendar]
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* Read -- UPDATE: Tadpole rain in Japan
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As rainy season approaches, Japan's Ishikawa prefecture has been receiving some unusual precipitation -- it's been raining tadpoles.
According to prefecture officials, tadpoles have reportedly fallen from the sky in two separate towns this month. Although it is not unheard of for waterspouts and strong wind to to pull small fish and animals from water and drop them on land, no foul weather has been observed in the area, leaving residents baffled.
The first reported case of anomalous tadpole rain occurred at about 4:30 PM on June 4 in the town of Nanao. After hearing a strange sound outside the Nakajima Civic Center, witnesses discovered approximately 100 dead tadpoles in a 300 square meter area in and around the parking lot. The tadpoles measured 2 to 3 centimeters long.
Tadpoles on car windshield outside Nakajima Civic Center
Dozens more tadpoles reportedly fell on the nearby town of Hakusan in the early morning hours of June 6, according to local officials. One 75-year-old resident described finding a handful of tadpoles on the hood of her car at around 7:00 AM. Others were found scattered in nearby yards and parking lots. A strange sound was reportedly heard in the middle of the night, even though no wind or rain was observed.
According to Kanazawa Meteorological Observatory officials, the two towns -- which are dotted with rice fields -- experienced stable weather during the period in question and the conditions were not favorable for the development of waterspouts.
"I've never seen anything like this before," said one meteorologist. "We have no idea what caused it."
[Source: Sankei]
UPDATE: Asahi is reporting that more freak animal rain may have fallen in Ishikawa prefecture, only this time it is fish.
Crucian carp believed to have fallen from the sky in Ishikawa prefecture
On the evening of June 9 in the town of Nakanoto located about 15 kilometers from Nanao (where it rained tadpoles on June 4), a number of small fish were found scattered over a residential area. About 10 fish recovered from roadsides and the tops of cars appear to be Crucian carp measuring 3 to 5 centimeters long.
The Chiba Lotte Marines might suck, but their game posters rule. Sighted at JR Kaihin-Makuhari station, these retro movie-style posters depict the home team heroes defending the city from attack by villainous monster opponents.
Marines vs. Giants
Marines vs. Swallows
Marines vs. Bay Stars
Marines vs. Dragons
Marines vs. Carp
Marines vs. Tigers
[Link]
Astronaut Koichi Wakata, who has been living aboard the International Space Station since mid-March, has carried out a series of offbeat space experiments proposed by the Japanese public.
+ Video
The experiments, which the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has dubbed "Try Zero-G," consist mainly of physical exercises and gymnastics (including calisthenics, push-ups, flips, twirls, cartwheels, overhead soccer kicks, and swimming). In addition, Wakata folds clothes, rides a ?magic carpet,? squirts water from a syringe, puts eyedrops in his eye, and attempts to propel himself through the room by flapping a fan. He also enlists the help of a fellow astronaut for some arm wrestling, hand-shaking, slap sumo, and tug of war.
[Soundtrack: "Seashell" by Skylab (from the "Skylab#1" CD)]
WAHHA GO GO, the latest nonsense machine by Tokyo-based multimedia art "company" Maywa Denki, is a manually operated device designed just for giggles. To activate the machine -- which looks like a skeletal humanoid with accordion-like lungs and a big toothy grin that takes up half its head -- simply spin the heavy metal disk mounted on its torso. WAHHA GO GO rears back its head, takes a deep breath, and exhales through artificial vocal cords to emit an uncanny laugh that invites you to laugh along with it (or at it).
+ Video
In its final days before crashing into the surface of the moon on June 11, Japan's KAGUYA explorer has been shooting high-definition footage of the lunar terrain from low altitude.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), which operates the HD camera-equipped probe along with public broadcaster NHK, has uploaded two videos on YouTube.
The first video (embedded above) was shot from an altitude of about 11 kilometers (7 miles) up, at between 45 and 52 degrees south latitude and 262 and 263 degrees east longitude.
The second video, which offers a view of the Antoniadi lunar crater, was shot from an altitude of about 21 kilometers (13 miles) up, at between 64 and 70 degrees south latitude and 186 and 188 degrees east longitude.
After its launch in late 2007, KAGUYA started in orbit about 100 kilometers (62 miles) above the moon. In February 2009 the probe dropped to an altitude of 50 kilometers (31 miles), and in April it dropped to between 10 and 30 kilometers (6 - 19 miles).
The KAGUYA probe will end its scientific exploration of the moon with a controlled impact on the lunar surface. The crash, scheduled for 3:30 AM (Japan standard time) on June 11, 2009 (6:30 PM GMT on June 10, 2009), will occur in the shadow on the near side of the moon, at 63 degrees south latitude and 80 degrees east longitude.
The red star shows where KAGUYA is expected to crash
JAXA has not announced whether the probe will film its own demise.
The stomach contents of famous monsters are revealed in this series of Brazilian ads for Cup Noodles (a.k.a. "genuine Japanese fast food").
Godzilla [+]
Kanegon [+]
Gomora [+]
Alien Baltan [+]
[Via: I Believe in Advertising]
See also: Hungry (for giant prehistoric beasts)?
Photographer Daikichi Amano's deliciously macabre portraits are a titillating blend of horror, dark humor, and animal parts. (NSFW.)
