Momo's parts. All about the different parts of one Japanese man's pet hamster plus illustrations. "I have read that hamster's whiskers shows the width that they can pass through. But Momo forgets. One day Momo tried to go into the cleaner hose. As he has the big hip, he could't go into it. And in his effect to go, he could't get his head out. When I ran to him in a hurry, his head gone out of the hose, and he rolled backward."
posted by moz
on May 17, 2002 -
17 comments
UnificationChurch Under Siege in Brazil Rev. Moon's massive land purchases lead to major search-and-seizure operation. Money laundering and other no-no activities. This cult, the Avis to Scientology's Hertz, has paid President Bush I handsome money to speak in their behalf when they began operations in Brazil. They also own the Washington Times, Insight Magazine and many many other businesses, including a university, jewelry stores nationwide, and a ballet company. Their found, Rev. Moon, a convicted felon (taxes). Rumored to get money from Japanese mob to do their conservative activities, and now want to open car plant in China. Gone the days of merely selling roses.
posted by Postroad
on May 14, 2002 -
2 comments
Japan’s Gross National Cool - Foreign Policy has an interesting article on the impact of Japanese culture and how it has replaced "Made in Japan" products as the dominant export from Japan. The author points to director Hayao Miyazaki, director/actor Takeshi Kitano, artist Takashi Murakami, and singer/songwriter Namie Amuro, as well as anime in general and Hello Kitty as examples of the global spread of Japanese culture. Do you recognize these people or their work? [more inside]
posted by gen
on Apr 30, 2002 -
18 comments
Japan To Host IWC Meeting in Whaling Port . . .the sheer volume of food they [whales] need has actually become a threat to the ocean environment.
Apparently they feel that when the rest of the world gets to taste whale bacon, or whale soup, they will suddenly realize who stupid we've been in banning commercial whaling.
Am I hypocritical in eating tuna or salmon, but being horrified with the potential resumption of commercial whaling?
posted by Danf
on Apr 18, 2002 -
16 comments
Under 5,000 Xboxes sold in Japan last week. This is compared to 100k Playstation2s and 25k Gamecubes. Since its launch, the Xbox has sold 190k units in Japan versus the Playstation's 980k units sold in the first 3 days.
Is the Xbox doomed in the notoriously tough Japan gaming market, or does the Xbox just need a price cut to stay competitive?
posted by jragon
on Apr 8, 2002 -
51 comments
Japanese Devils is a documentary featuring 14 veterans of the Imperial Army testifying to their brutal participation in Japan's 15-year war against China. Director Matsui Minoru presents a powerful historical record of these soldiers' individual crimes, helping to break Japan's long silence about its wartime atrocities in China.
Please also see
Iris Chang's "The Rape of Nanking'' and be aware that the Japanese government is
still whitewashing their brutal WWII history via
school textbooks. We must understand the truth of history so that we are not doomed to repeat it.
posted by gen
on Apr 4, 2002 -
5 comments
It's the Shperiks! Those wacky mascots for the upcoming FIFA World Cup Korea-Japan!
I can't tell what the heck is going on here, and if it weren't for the upbeat BGM, I'd probably be scared to visit this site again. But it was an interesting little adventure...
posted by Bixby23
on Mar 26, 2002 -
6 comments
Robot Guard Dogs - two new types of robo-dog on their way to market (in Japan) next year from Sanyo (the T7S
Type 1 and
Type 2) About 3 feet long, 80 pounds of Aibo-style security for $750. Cool factor - their onboard CCD cameras and cell phones can watch for intruders and beam images to your own 3G phone.
posted by kokogiak
on Mar 26, 2002 -
17 comments
Um... not counting that whole WW2 thing. February 18, 2002 -- President Bush, in a speech in Japan. "My trip to Asia begins here in Japan for an important reason. It begins here because for
a century and a half now, America and Japan have formed one of the great and enduring alliances of modern times. From that alliance has come an era of peace in the Pacific." Of course, the
Official White House transcript corrects the blunder.
posted by crunchland
on Feb 21, 2002 -
61 comments
Teddy Bears to watch you While other countries are banning teddy bears from Children's hospital rooms, Japan is putting digital high tech teddy bears that will watch you and inform doctors when you need help.
posted by AsiaInsider
on Feb 21, 2002 -
5 comments
Did I say devaluation? Nothing important, just another presidential blunder that caused a bit of confussion among Japan traders. Here in Europe it's been all over the place in the news and I am surprised that that little detail has been absent of the main USA media. I'm sure I didn't do my (online) homework well, could you please help me?
Maybe is that the European media jumps at every oportunity to ridiculize Bush? Or is the american media protecting Bush image
inside the USA?
Could things like this
controversial Pentagon plan be the beguinning of a New Media War? We begin by hidding the little things and then we'll go for bigger and bigger
blackouts, and then even lies?
posted by samelborp
on Feb 20, 2002 -
17 comments
Breakup businesses in Japan I wouldn't be surprised is this became a television show in Japan. Best line: "Men can always be seduced if the woman operative is reasonably good-looking," says Hiwatashi. "That's an absolute. Men are basically simpletons."
posted by zinegurl
on Jan 10, 2002 -
9 comments
Akebono's sumo retirement ceremony American-born sumo Yokozuna Akebono retired from the sport Sepetember 29th in Kokogikan, Japan.
This excellent photo essay talks about a few of the 300+ people scheduled to help cut off the topknot, a little on the history of Sumo, and why he needs 8 men to help him with the
belt tying ceremony.
Also a few good photographs of another American-born Yokozuna, Musashimaru, and one Japanese one, Takanohana.
posted by swenson
on Jan 5, 2002 -
10 comments
It's a girl!! Japanese Crown Princess Masako gives birth to a daughter. Congratulations to the Imperial family and to MeFi readers in Japan.
posted by shylock
on Nov 30, 2001 -
15 comments
Necoro is a robotic cat that looks more like a cat than a robot. This site is only available in Japanese, but check out the
photo and
movie galleries. (I saw this thing mentioned in a
Reuters article about the new "human-like" Honda robot).
posted by edlundart
on Nov 13, 2001 -
17 comments
Incredible Java Banner Remember that cool "Mind The Banner" Project? Exonemo, Japan, present their stuff. To me the concept for a new view on banners. Arty and strange, but worth to see. Move the Popups around!
posted by heimkonsole
on Nov 8, 2001 -
4 comments
Curly and Motly are kinda cute, but Luncheon and Lambchop look might tasty. The children from St Canices school in Westport New Zealand welcome you to Lambs Online, where ten of our students are ‘fostering’ 10 lambs which have been ‘adopted’ by a group of Japanese school children from their sister city in Amagese Japan. Each lamb has its own personal website and we invite you to follow their progress through the eyes of our students by clicking on the photos and links below.
posted by adampsyche
on Oct 26, 2001 -
6 comments
Oh, that wacky Bruce Willis (Warning, links are to 2.5M/30" Quicktime movies.) This commercial has been running in Japan for awhile, and is being used to announce the merging of two gas station chains, Nisseki and Mitsubishi Sekiyu, into a new entity called Eneos.
This one introducing Eneos high-octane fuel is even wackier.
The third one has his voice dubbed except for the end where he utters that immortal Eneos slogan "Move You." Huh?
Does anybody else have a favorite foreign (not to you, necessarily) commercial with American stars doing/saying bizarre stuff?
posted by Bixby23
on Oct 23, 2001 -
27 comments
Tokoyo Rose We've all heard of her, how many actually know what or who she really was? There were over 20 "Rose's", one got screwed over.
If you think you know what the story was, you should read up, you're prolly wrong. Iva Toguri was a real patriot of the USA who got stuck between a rock and a hard place.
I think it's a facinating story, racsim, sexism and one woman who in her own way fought for the USA while being kept by the enemy. Talk about getting the shaft!
posted by Dome-O-Rama
on Oct 22, 2001 -
1 comment
Anthrax, its been done before. It just doesn't do the job: "the cult attempted to release anthrax spores from its mid-rise Tokyo office building laboratory. At that time, police and media reported foul smells, brown steam, some pet deaths, and stains on cars and sidewalks."
2,
3. "Many view the cult Aum Shinrikyo as a group seeking to bring on the end of the world." and "an estimated $1.5 billion in assets" (thats more than Usama). me=alarmist, today.
posted by tomplus2
on Oct 17, 2001 -
5 comments
PostPet Japan's most popular email program. it's NOT outlook, it's NOT notes, it's NOT eudora. it's PostPet. related article here:
A Dancing Pink Bear Named Momo. now looking at this pink bear in particular and japanese culture in general, any chance that
imode will *really* be popular in Europe and the US?
posted by HeikoH
on Oct 9, 2001 -
14 comments
Online petition to bring Spirited Away, Japan's currently largest grossing film, to thje states. Disney owns the domestic rights to all of Hayao Miyazaki's films (think Princess Mononoke) and has no plans to release
Spirited Away.
posted by skallas
on Aug 30, 2001 -
25 comments
Not many still-practiced sports existed at the dawn of recorded
history. Sumo wrestling is one of them. I've been trying to
learn
more about Sumo lately, and with the Aki-Basho tournament coming
up next month, now is the time to
follow
along on the
web as the drama unfolds.
posted by machaus
on Aug 25, 2001 -
5 comments
"Protrude, Flow" A most amazing artistic endeavor - metallic filings dumped in oil to make magnetic liquid, and the fun that ensued afterwards. Make sure to check out the
video as well! (from memepool)
posted by skinjob
on Aug 23, 2001 -
11 comments
More Elvis Goodness from Japanese PM Junichiro Koizumi, who recently released a CD of his favorite Elvis tunes. What's next, a collection of Dubya's favorite Garth Brooks tracks?
posted by dogmatic
on Aug 23, 2001 -
3 comments
3D Cell Phones - Japanese cell phone manufacturer
J-Phone will be selling cell phones with 3D display capability by mid 2001 (
press release). Just seems like everyones scratching hard to be the next big thing - but it surprises me, given the lukewarm to non-existent success of 3D on the Web, that a cell phone maker would go this route, let alone call it the "next logical step". As if the UI on small cell phone screens wasn't bad enough.
posted by kokogiak
on Jun 7, 2001 -
4 comments
The Trial of Unit 731 "is the forgotten war-crimes prosecution of the 20th century." In 1949, Soviet courts tried a unit of the Japanese Imperial Army for wartime biological weapons experimentation on human subjects.
This article contains some gruesome descriptions.
posted by dfowler
on Jun 6, 2001 -
8 comments
