Wagashi – Japanese Sweets
on Nov 24, 2009 in Food, Drinks, & Snacks Headline Japanese Culture & Customs Videos from Japan & Snacks Drinks Japanese Food japanese sweets Japense food video wagashi Here are a couple of videos to help explain all those wonderful candies or wagashi that you see when at the department stores or at other confectionery shops around Japan. Wagashi truly is an art and is generally made from natural ingredients. Wagas...

1Q84 – Murakami Speaks About the Unreal
on Nov 23, 2009 in Books Featured People in Japan 1Q84 Haruki Murakami Japanese Books In the chaotic world after the Cold War and the September 11 2001 attacks, Japanese author Haruki Murakami says metaphors can be even more powerful than what’s real — a reason why his surreal books are read worldwide. “I think peopl...

JAL in the Crossfire between Delta and American
on Nov 23, 2009 in Featured Travel American Airlines Delta JAL Japan Travel Delta Air Lines and its alliance partners offered $1 billion in aid to Japan Airlines on Wednesday, a proposal that American Airlines quickly said it would top as the world’s biggest airlines escalated a war for influence over the ailing Japanese c...

Universal Language Communicator
on Nov 21, 2009 in Fashion Featured Products Technology NEC Tele Scouter Real Life Universal Translator Star Trek's universal translator Universal Language Communicator universal translator Well…for Star Trek fans this might be the closest we’ve come to the universal translator..for the rest of us it might be the next new toy to exploit in both the workplace and well…abroad. Electronics giant NEC has reportedly develop...

Hayabusa Asteroid Probe’s Rescue Plan
on Nov 21, 2009 in Featured Technology Hayabusa Hayabusa Asteroid Probe Ion Engine JAXA Japanese engineers have devised a plan to combine parts from two partially-failed ion engines to resume the Hayabusa asteroid probe’s journey back to Earth. In a press release Thursday, officials said they will use the neutralizer of Thruster A...

‘Runaway Sites’ Latest Exploitation of Young Girls
on Nov 21, 2009 in Headline Japan News Technology Exploitation of Young Girls Japan's Runaway Sites Net-based Exploitation Sex Exploitation ‘Runaway sites’ latest Net-based exploitation of young girls as men advertise a place to stay for troubled youths in return for sex. First there were the “enjo kosai” Internet sites where underage girls hook up with adult male...

Ocean Warming Causes Jellyfish to Swarm Japan’s Northern Waters
on Nov 19, 2009 in Blue Goals Spot Eco Featured Japan News Places in Japan Videos from Japan Climate Change Jellyfish Japan Jellyfish Swarm Ocean Climate Change The fishermen leaned into the nets, grunting and grumbling as they tossed the translucent jellyfish back into the bay, giants weighing up to 450 pounds, marine invaders that are putting the men’s livelihoods at risk. The venom of the Nomura, th...

Robot meets iPhone
on Nov 18, 2009 in Technology Videos from Japan iPhone Japanese Technology robot meets iphone robotics This video is nifty in every sense of the word. It puts the power of the iPhone with a little bit of ingenuity in perspective like no other video I’ve seen. Plus the fun little animation is super kawaii, I mean creative. – Did I just ty...

Nice Cup In Bra
on Nov 17, 2009 in Comedy Fashion Featured Pop Culture Sports Videos from Japan Fashion Japan Japan Fashion Nice Cup In Bra Female golfers in Japan can now remove their bras and practise their putting no matter where they are. Called the “Nice Cup In Bra,” by Triumph International Japan, this “lingerie” consists of a grass-green top that, when removed, con...

Okinawa to Guam? Possibly…
on Nov 17, 2009 in Japan News Futenma Air Station John Roos Katsuya Okada Okinawa Military Base The United States reiterated its demand Tuesday that Japan implement a 2006 bilateral pact on the transfer of a U.S. military airfield in Okinawa during the first meeting of a working group on the thorny issue. While the participants agreed on the ne...