Archives: ‘Art/Culture’ Category

World’s most complex origami

09 Feb 2007

World's most complex origami, by Satoshi Kamiya --- Check out this video showing three amazing creations by master origamist Satoshi Kamiya. Hard to believe, but each of the pieces shown in this video was folded from a single sheet of paper.

The red dragon, made from a 1.2 x 1.2 meter sheet, took only 6 hours to fold. The yellow hornet was commissioned by luxury retailer Hermes and was put on display in their New York store. The white dragon is fashioned from a 2 x 2 meter sheet of paper. "As far as I know, it is the most complex origami in the world," says Kamiya in the video.

Check out Kamiya's gallery for photos of his other paper creations.

[Via: Japan Probe]

La sekintani dot oni

08 Feb 2007

La sekintani dot oni ---

Medical book meets manga meets porn in Norihiro Sekitani's insane collages. (Not exactly safe for work.)

[Link: la sekintani dot oni]

Robot nabs naked fugitive in freezing Seoul sewer

01 Feb 2007

Robot nabs naked fugitive in freezing Seoul sewer --- This story is not from Japan, but I couldn't resist...

On Tuesday, police in Seoul, Korea enlisted the help of a small robot to track down a fugitive purse-snatcher hiding out in the city's sewage system. The 57-year-old suspect was on the run after snatching a woman's purse at a hospital. Witnesses to the crime tried to detain the man, but he wriggled out of his clothes -- all of them -- and managed to escape into the city's sewage system through a 1-meter (3.3 feet) diameter pipe.

Police located the man four hours later with the help of a 6-wheeled, camera-equipped sewage pipe inspection robot able to broadcast images for up to 150 meters (nearly 500 feet). Once they apprehended the man, who appeared to have lost his way in the darkness of the cramped pipes, the police returned him to the hospital, where he received treatment for hypothermia. The temperature in Seoul on Tuesday was 1 degree Celsius (34 degrees Fahrenheit).

At the end of this video news clip, the police ask the man why he stripped off his clothes, to which he replies, "Leave me alone. I'm not feeling well."

[Sources: Chosun Ilbo, TUF]

Gemotion screen shows video in living 3D

22 Jan 2007

Gemotion -- Here's a groovy display for people looking to add that extra dimension to their viewing material...

Gemotion is a soft, 'living' display that bulges and collapses in sync with the graphics on the screen, creating visuals that literally pop out at the viewer.

Yoichiro Kawaguchi, a well-known computer graphics artist and University of Tokyo professor, created Gemotion by arranging 72 air cylinders behind a flexible, 100 x 60 cm (39 x 24 inch) screen. As video is projected onto the screen, image data is relayed to the cylinders, which then push and pull on the screen accordingly.

"If used with games, TV or cinema, the screen could give images an element of power never seen before. It could lead to completely new forms of media," says Kawaguchi.

The Gemotion screen will be on display from January 21 to February 4 as part of a media art exhibit (called Nihon no hyogen-ryoku) at National Art Center, Tokyo, which recently opened in Roppongi.

[Source: Asahi]

Only in Japan

17 Jan 2007

For interesting photos of scenes unique to Japan, do a search for "only in Japan" on Google Image Search. Here's a sampling of what you'll find on the top few pages...

Only in Japan --
A relaxing day at the swimming pool

Only in Japan --
Hello Kitty in the snow

Only in Japan --
Manhole cover

Only in Japan --
Nipplescarf

Only in Japan --
Honda WOW: Dog-friendly concept car

Only in Japan --
Extreme casemod

=========================

It's also fun to see what comes up when you do an "only in [...]" search using other place names. Can you guess where each of the images below are from?

Only where? --
Subway map, only in...?

Only where? --
Car wash, only in...?

Only where? --
Snake wash, only in...?

Only where? --
Convenient emergency services, only in...?

[Link: Google image search]

Future tourist destinations

12 Jan 2007

Here are a few places that will be interesting to visit once they are complete...

Osaka IRT Lab -- Osaka IRT Research Center (Osaka)

With the completion of the Umeda Kita Yard Redevelopment Project in 2011, the robot takeover of central Osaka will have begun. This 7-hectare area on the north side of JR Osaka station will be home to the Osaka IRT Research Center (tentative name), which will bring together ten companies -- including Citizen, German industrial robot manufacturer KUKA, Panasonic (Matsushita), Murata Manufacturing and others -- who will conduct IRT (information/robot technology) research in areas ranging from data communication networks to artificial intelligence to control technology. In an area open to the human public, the companies will maintain ongoing interactive exhibits showcasing the latest advances in robotics, making it an ideal destination for tourists and residents who wish to acquaint themselves with their new overlords.

Sumida Tower -- Sumida Tower (Tokyo)

The year 2011 will also see the completion of the Sumida Tower, which will stand 614 meters (2001 feet) tall. As the tallest free-standing tower in the world and the tallest man-made structure in Japan, Sumida Tower will serve as a communications tower for six television stations.

The tower, which is also referred to as the New Tokyo Tower, is expected to attract about 3 million people per year to Tokyo's Sumida ward, replacing Tokyo's other tower (Tokyo Tower) as the phallic tourist trap of choice. The Sumida Tower will dwarf the aging 333-meter Tokyo Tower, which was constructed in 1958 by the Takenaka Corporation.

No need for the Takenaka Corporation to feel envious, though. The company has bigger plans...

Skycity 1000 -- Sky City 1000 (Tokyo)

Since 1989, the Takenaka Corporation has been toying with the idea of constructing Sky City 1000, a 1 km (3281 feet) tall superstructure containing a virtual city of 35,000 residents and 100,000 workers. Sky City's 8 square kilometers (3.1 square miles) of floor space means there will be plenty of room for shops, schools, theaters, and all the other trappings of urban life that attract tourists.

Sky City 1000 will no doubt be a nice place to explore, and it should relieve some of Tokyo's congestion and free up some green space in the city below -- which will be great for the peons living on the outside.

Shimizu Corporation's space hotel -- Space hotels (450 km over Tokyo)

For travelers seeking greater highs, there are space hotels. Since 1989, Shimizu Construction has been developing plans to construct a 64-room space hotel, which the company hopes to put into operation in another 20 to 30 years.

At 450 kilometers (279 miles) above the planet surface, guests will enjoy fantastic views from their 7 x 4 meter rooms. The 7,500 ton facility will rotate at 3 rpm, producing enough centrifugal force for an artificial gravity of 0.7 g.

For the traveler seeking a more colorful destination, there is Pon De Station, a 24-room low earth orbit hotel designed to resemble a stack of "Pon de Ring" donuts from Mister Donut. The Pon De Station design comes from the Space page on the quirky SNTV site, and it appears to be a variation of the proposed "Space Love" hotel that also appears on the site.

Pon de Station --

The Space Love Project is seeking investors in its hotel, which will specialize in offering intimate space weddings. The hotel plans to offer rooms to couples for 10 million yen ($83,000), which includes the round-trip journey aboard a small space plane.

(For a glimpse of hyperactive web weirdness, visit the SNTV jump page, sit back and enjoy the ride.)

Martian colony, Obayashi Corporation -- Martian settlement (Mars)

For the ultimate getaway, there is Mars. Japanese construction giant Obayashi Corporation has been researching and developing plans for a Martian colony for over 10 years. According to the company's projections, the Martian population will reach 500 in the year 2057. By 2090, the population will be 50,000 strong and the Martian economy will make up 5% of the solar system's GDP. By then, it should be an interesting tourist option. But the company believes Martians will declare independence from Earth in 2092, so you better hurry up and make those travel arrangements before things get sticky.

Pink Tentacle’s biggest spikes of 2006

27 Dec 2006

Pink Tentacle Top 10, 2006 --

As 2006 comes to a close and Pink Tentacle celebrates its first birthday, I'd like to thank all the readers for making this a rockin' first year for the site! In 2007, Pink Tentacle will continue to probe the less explored regions of the Japanese web in search of excitement. In the meantime, here's a quick look back at the site's top 10 stories of 2006 in case you missed them. Enjoy!

10. AIST develops 3D image projector -- Coming soon: eye-popping signs and ads that float in mid-air. (Watch a short video of this technology demonstrated at SIGGRAPH 2006.)

9. Hiroshima engineers develop robotic carp -- Robocarp!

8. Asimo: 'I've fallen and I can't get up' -- For many, the only thing more amazing than a robot climbing stairs is a robot falling down the stairs. Poor Asimo. This video spread like wildfire just as Asimo's new commercials were set to debut in the UK. However, rumor has it that Asimo is playing us all for fools, deliberately taking a dive to generate buzz for the commercials before their release. Even so, Asimo may never live it down.

7. Eco-friendly bra doubles as shopping bag -- Just say NO to plastic bags (and YES to braless grocery shopping).

6. Tourists bask in blue glow of firefly squid -- Toyama owes its economic existence to the bioluminescent firefly squid, a fishery product that also fuels the local tourist industry. Local residents recently worked with Solid Alliance to develop a USB drive modeled after their beloved glowing beast.

5. Dekotora photo galleries -- Wild Japanese art trucks!

4. Gallery of fantastic creatures -- Roam the hallways of Hajime Emoto's Museum of Fantastic Specimens.

3. Through the (zero-reflection) looking glass -- Is this glass truly invisible?

2. Actroid DER2 fembot loves Hello Kitty -- Fembot for rent. She ain't cheap, fellas, so start saving your yen.

1. Device uses waves to "print" on water surface -- AMOEBA (Advanced Multiple Organized Experimental Basin) writes on water. Check out this short video of AMOEBA in action.

Edo-period illustrations by Kurimoto Tanshuu

21 Dec 2006

Octopus/jellyfish/squid --

Vermin --

Fantastic fish --

Kurimoto Tanshuu (1756 - 1834) sketched wildlife during the Edo period. Check out the National Diet Library links below for more of his fantastic illustrations.

- Senchuufu: 275 pages of creepy crawlies (3 volumes)
- Tako-kurage-ika rui zumaki: 16 images of octopi, jellyfish and squid
- Igyozusan: 10 images of unusual fish (folding scroll)
- Gyofu: 51 images of stingrays and unusual fish
- Gyofu: 60 pages of fish (2 scrolls)
- Mamboukou: 18 images from a book on mambou (sunfish)
- Igyozusan/Seikaihyakurin: 60 images of fish (2 volumes)
- Hyakucho fuzanketsu: 5 images from a scroll of birds
- Karei zui: 38 images of flatfish (scroll)
- Choujuugyo shaseizu: 5 images of various animals (scrolls)

[Via: armchair aquarium]

Sweet wheat

18 Dec 2006

Sweet wheat -- On December 12, researchers from Japan's National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO) and Nippon Flour Mills announced the development of sweet wheat, a hybridized variety of wheat with twice the sugar concentration of common wheat. This first-of-its-kind sweet wheat eliminates the need to add sugar when it is used in cakes or other baked goods, researchers claim.

By repeatedly breeding varieties of wheat with low levels of enzymes associated with starch production, the researchers were able to lower the wheat's starch content -- which is ordinarily around 70% -- to 25%. The result is a variety of wheat with a significantly higher concentration of sugars such as maltose and sucrose.

In this way, sweet wheat is similar in concept to sweetcorn, which also was specifically bred to increase its sugar content.

Sweet wheat is identical in appearance to common wheat, except that it withers and develops wrinkles when dehydrated. Its natural sweetness gives it a distinctive flavor when it is ground into flour and used as an ingredient in baked goods.

Nippon Flour Mills hopes to make sweet wheat commercially available in two to three years. In the meantime, the company is looking into the possibility of developing new types of food products that draw upon the natural flavor of sweet wheat.

[Source: Chunichi, Yomiuri]