Xbox 360 with a cool Domo-kun paint job

Posted in Xbox 360 by Conner Flynn on December 29th, 2008

Xbox 360 with a cool Domo-kun paint jobWhile this isn’t the most mind blowing console mod we’ve ever seen, this paint job gives your Xbox 360 a bit of Japanese flair. It was painted by deviantART member Ricepuppet and it looks like a pretty faithful Domo-kun themed console.

The console is pretty cool all by itself, but it even has it’s own matching controller, which we assume is functional. Hopefully the user won’t mess up the paint job while playing a shooter. It looks hungry and I bet it’s eyes seem to watch you while you are playing.

Japanese inventor creates cheap, painless injection

Posted in Health by Conner Flynn on September 29th, 2008

Japanese inventor creates cheap, painless injectionIf there’s one thing people hate and fear, it’s needles.(Aside from snakes and politicians) There’s some good news. A Japanese inventor has created a needle-free and painless injection that will allow you to get your vaccinations without fear. It even has a nice name. “Mother’s Kiss” uses tiny plastic ampules to deliver medicine. I hear ya. It’s painless, but it must be expensive.

Nope. It’s cheaper and safer than regular syringes, which also makes it perfect for developing countries, because shared needles spread diseases like crazy. Assuming they can get costs down low enough, you may soon see this in your doctor’s office. Though I’m sure he’ll just find another way to scare you.

Japanese fridges spray Vitamin C to keep food fresh

Posted in Home by Conner Flynn on August 31st, 2008

Japanese fridges spray Vitamin C to keep food freshThe Japanese are ahead of us in everything, even Fridge tech. Not only do they like to spray snow to deodorize things, they also like their fridges to emit vitamin C. Hitachi fridges, that is. The idea behind their new fridges seems sound enough. The R-Y6000 releases Vitamin C into the air inside to keep your food fresher.

Apparently this is possible because Vitamin C helps meat keep it’s color longer and also slows down nutrient loss in vegetables and fish. The wonder fridge also has a filter to help prevent mold. And six drawers. We typically have two here. It has a volume of 602 liters and will cost $3,100. 3,000 units will be produced on a monthly basis, until they run out of vitamin C and have to resort to squeezing oranges inside.

Photo printing service hits Japanese Wiis

Posted in Wii by Conner Flynn on July 27th, 2008

Photo printing service hits Japanese WiisHere’s something else to complain about when it comes to Nintendo’s constant need to keep things away from American hands. A new partnership between Nintendo and Fujifilm is spawning the Wii Digicam Print Channel, which is immediately available for Japanese Wii consoles to access.

It lets owners upload images from SD cards and get customized prints, photo books, business cards, and more in the mail. I’m not entirely sure why they feel the need to waste resources on this one when people can just use their computer, but I’m sure one or two people will love it. Probably the same people who bought the gameboy printer. It will likely hit North America and Europe at some point in the future.

Handsome Man Bank for lonely Japanese women

Posted in Home by Conner Flynn on July 6th, 2008

Handsome Man Bank for lonely Japanese women
Apparently all the good and handsome men are taken in Japan. I guess that’s why Japan’s women are finding romance with this virtual man called the “Handsome Man Bank”.

It comes in girl-friendly pink or white, with an LCD display that will show 5 handsome men. It costs about $50 and he’s a player alright. A real smooth guy with lines like “Can I kiss you?” or “May I rub your shoulders?” But at the end of the day he’s all talk, leaving some longing and needful Japanese women all hot and bothered. Should have come with another accessory for this phase I guess.

Japanese researchers figure out how to get 42GB on a DVD

Posted in News by Conner Flynn on June 27th, 2008

Japanese researchers figure out how to get 42GB on a DVD
Researchers at Tohoku University have reportedly figured out a way to “multiply the amount of data that can be stored on a DVD or CD by 9.” Apparently, it works by shaping the pits on a DVD’s surface like Vs, essentially allowing you to get more out of the disc. The problem is that existing DVD & CD players won’t recognize the media made in this way, and for some reason the process can’t be applied to Blu-ray Discs. Still pretty cool though.

EMobile’s Japanese ad compares Obama with a monkey?

Posted in News by Conner Flynn on June 24th, 2008


The Japanese have done a ton of wacky things they should be ashamed of gadget-wise and otherwise. Now they’re getting into politics to sell phones and the result is bizarre. This commercial for Japan’s EMobile cellular company has a monkey dressed up in a suit, at a podium in front of a crowd.

The crowd is holding signs that read “Change.” At the end, the monkey cries a tear, clearly ashamed as he should be. Bad monkey. Their intentions may or may not have been entirely innocent, but we all know that if this aired in America there would be hell to pay.

Japanese earthquake gear for cats & dogs

Posted in Pets by Conner Flynn on June 16th, 2008

Japanese earthquake gear for cats & dogs
Those who live in Japan never know when the next big earthquake is going to hit. So the order of the day is to be prepared. Be prepared for the earthquake and if you have pets, be prepared to be a sucker and get them a cat or dog survival suit. It comes with a few essentials and a few items strictly thrown in to get your sucker money.

The items? Water & Biscuits which of course are required for your pet’s survival. Aromatherapy oils…so your pet can be safe from the smell of death in a disaster? Four rubber shoes for their delicate feet…Presumably so Fido won’t hurt his little feet on the rubble everywhere. They even throw in some sealed bags…for some reason. And of course, the flame retardant carrying case with storage pockets.

Nishi-Ki keyboard is bright, flowery

Posted in Keyboards by Conner Flynn on May 21st, 2008

Nishi-Ki keyboard is bright, flowery
Sometimes keyboards don’t look all that typical these days. Just looking at this bright-colored flowery thing, I’m half blind and now feel all girlly. Where are my Polly Pocket toys? hmmm. I’d say this is a good alternative for those who don’t like the Optimus keyboard from Art Lebedev, but want something outrageous still.

The Nishi-Ki keyboard will save you a bundle in the process as it retails for $153. Each and every butterfly-lovin’ key is painted in tiny flower scenes, and the whole thing measures just a foot long, so it’s not for those with large hands. It looks like a large tile game.

Japanese Fast Dehydrator dries clothes

Posted in Home by Conner Flynn on May 1st, 2008

Japanese Fast Dehydrator dries clothes
Japanese homes are on the small side, so chances are you won’t find a dryer with the family washing machine. So what you have are many clotheslines with a TON of laundry all over a given neighborhood. But the Somela Fast Dehydrator offers a solution by being small and acting fast.

The device can dry clothes in just 3-5 minutes and doesn’t use heat, so no worries about damaging delicate items. There is one problem. The device requires manual interaction, like you holding clothes while the device pulls. So prepare to put a few spare hours aside to dry items one-at-a-time. Still, if you don’t mind some old-fashioned labor, get it for just $173.

DS Bimoji game teaches calligraphy

Posted in Nintendo DS by Conner Flynn on March 15th, 2008

Ds bimoji game teaches calligraphy
Bimoji Training isn’t a first person shooter, and Mario doesn’t have a damn thing to do with it. What it will do is teach you how to draw Japanese Calligraphy. It will teach you how to properly draw those neat Kanji and Kana characters. The included stylus even looks like a traditional Japanese lettering brush.

It has an emphasis on taking tests and getting feedback from your virtual teacher, so it might have an educational feel. Still, for anyone who has ever wanted to learn the art of Japanese Calligraphy, this will be right down their alley. You can get one for $39.

Japanese Teahouse or glowing peanut?

Posted in Home by Conner Flynn on February 21st, 2008

Behold the glowing peanut
This Japanese teahouse resembles a futuristic glowing peanut SPACESHIP with a huge docking bay in front. This inflatable Japanese teahouse is designed by Kengo Kuma, and was created for an exhibit at the Museum für Angewandte Kunst Frankfurt. Inside you’ll find a bunch of LED lights that not only light the place up, but they also serve as an interior heat source.

Normally this type of structure does not make it past the drawing board, but the Japanese have more guts then we do when it comes to architecture. It almost looks like a real living organism. Put a few futuristic fighting samurai outside guarding the door and you have yourself the opening to a cool Sci-Fi flick.


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