We posted about this bizarre contraption recently, but then I found this article that goes more in-depth about it, so consider this an update filled with juicy details. Leave it to a hi-tech Japanese company to create something that will make the rest of the world supremely jealous. Toto, a company that manufactures various types of toilets and bathroom gadgets, unveiled the “Dr. John” toilet, which, among the obvious purposes, also ...

Photo from LA Times While the Anime industry is definitely a global phenomenon, you may be as surprised to read the following article as I was when I first read it. Apparently, The problems plaguing the industry are numerous. Seeking lower costs, production companies for decades have been outsourcing the work to animation companies in South Korea, India, Vietnam and elsewhere, where scores of trade schools have cropped up and artists can be hired...

More proof that the Future is here….gender-sensing vending machines! This contraption is….cool and scary at the same time. According to this article, When a customer nears the machine, only images of the available drinks will be displayed. The machines come equipped with sensors that can recognize age and sex with a 75% accuracy, and make recommendations based on the situation. 75% accuracy? I am in awe at the super-smart scientists ...

Luckily, I have never been in the position of catapulting into a pool only to come to the horrific realization that my precious cell phone was in my pocket….so I have never had to deal with the ramifications of such activities. However, I have over the years come across countless Facebook groups and pages set up saying things like “DROPPED MY PHONE IN THE TOILET/PHONE TOOK A SWIM, NEED YOUR NUMBERS!!!” by the poor saps who have...

Yep, that’s right. The Akihabara district in Japan is now home to “capsule hotels”, or small cube-shaped sleep pods where users can cramp up and sleep off train delays or just take a nap in the comfort and relaxation provided by a…small box. As the website states, these “capsule hotels” contain  public lounge space including bathing, and the other is a private space where the sleeping rooms (capsules) are arr...

This is a pretty smart ad campaign. As this article from the Escapist says, an ad campaign in Japan for the upcoming video game Fallout: New Vegas portrays some gamers expressing their outrage over the conventions and repetitiveness of most role playing games nowadays. Some of the signs say things like the following: Translated by Andriasang, one sign reads: “What’s the point of playing again if there’s no change to the story.&...

I’m not sure if this is worthy of a “hey, congratulations!” but apparently a Japanese graphic designer in Tokyo recently posted the twenty BILLIONTH tweet on Twitter. Of course, since it’s Twitter, the landmark message doesn’t really make a lot of sense: http://twitter.com/GGGGGGo_Lets_Go/status/20000000000 Translated to English, it reads “So that means the barrage might come back later all at once.” tha...

I read this article over at the New York Times website, thought it warranted sharing. Among other issues, the article concerns the Nintendo DS and how it is significantly more popular among the older crowd in Japan than in the United States. That is, the author mentions hardly ever spotting anyone older than “about 20″ playing a DS in public, which he contrasts with the abundance of 20-30 something year old people playing the handhel...

Right at this very moment, comic book/movie/game/tv show/cult/pop culture obsessors are converging in San Diego, California, for the yearly Comic-Con convention. Once there, everyone will stand in lines to see panels for all types of things, such as upcoming films like TRON: LEGACY and SALT and SCOTT PILGRIM and THE GREEN LANTERN and so on. Unfortunately, I won’t be attending the convention, much to my disappointment…I haven’...

I have no clue what that lady above is doing in a Jetsons-like pod car thing that doesn’t appear to have wheels, but that picture popped up on my Google image search and it amused me. We already have a bunch of different electric cars on the market, such as those in the Tesla line, but Honda announced yesterday that they plan to bring some plug-in models to the US and Japanese markets in 2012. As this cNET article describes, Honda said it ...

On July 24th, the massive 1:1 scale Gundam mobile suit will be officially available for public viewing. Obviously, they constructed this thing in public, but on the 24th the project will finally be completed. The towering structure, which was constructed at Highashi-Suzuoka station in Shizuoka City, Aoi-ku, is sure to be a hit among Gundam fans everywhere, and probably non-fans who will find themselves feeling like helpless specks at the feet of...

Watermelon stroller/cooler. An essential item in any person anywhere’s life. I can’t believe this hadn’t been thought of yet. Thank God they finally came out with it though. Thank God.  buy it here Translation of product description in Japanese: Tama-chan is the whole season, and even when cool or warm depending on the season OK. The outdoors is the really shines more! Hot summer day is a whole watermelon “Tama-chan̶...

Japan Probe tipped me off to an article about Hayao Miazaki, the legendary animator/filmmaker responsible for such classics as Ponyo, Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro, and Kiki’s Delivery Service. Excerpts from an interview with IT Media, translated by the cool people at Japan Probe, highlight his disdain for the technology crush that has all of us in its grip: “For me, there is no feeling of admiration or no excitement whatsoever,�...

How much would you spend on a rice cooker? $50? $100? $200 max? What if I told you that it modifies its cooking process according to the seasons* to provide you with the best rice possible? (*Apparently, if you want to cook the BEST rice, the amount of water differs due to changes in humidity and temperature). Okay, what about if it has a mode that lets you cook rice RIGHT AFTER you cook the first share? Uh… what if the rice DANCED inside t...

Are you in the Los Angeles/Southern California area? If so, then this post is for you. Visual Communications and the Japanese American Cultural Community Center are teaming up to host some cool events this summer, including a FREE outdoor screening of the film ULTRAMAN. Just read for yourself: Movies, food trucks, and lively music all come together in the JACCC Plaza as families, friends and downtown LA neighbors join in on the festivities unde...