Experiment Confirms Transparent Swimsuit Concern

Swimsuits that can be "Photoshopped" see-through may distract Japanese Olympic swimmers at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. The Shukan Post quotes a spokesperson for the Japan Swimming Federation. The spokesperson says that following the Athens Olympic Games in 2004, official swimsuit manufacturers were asked by the JSF to "ensure their products would not become see-through when filmed in infra-red." Asics, Descente, and Mizuno are the official suppliers to Japan’s swim team. Speedo’s high tech LZR bodysuit, which the team may be allowed to wear, is also susceptible to digital manipulation. Descente developer Toshiharu Tsubouchi told The Shukan Post the Descente swimsuit utilizes polyurethane for adhesiveness, and adds "depending on the way light shines on it, the color can brown a bit. That may make it look a little bit transparent." He points out a tight fit is essential for athletes, thus some body parts will bulge out more than others. Shukan Post Via Daily Mainichi: Faustian swimsuit gives Japanese swimmers the edge while revealing the points more: Japanese denied ‘high-tech doping’ Speedos Japanese swimmers could do U-turn on bodysuits

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The Wine Advisor reads the bar code on the bottle label and offers food recommendations to match the wine. The electronic scanner terminal is installed over wine racks at the 10 newest Peacock supermarkets in Japan.

Newsweek International reports the machine recommended roast beef, Maribo and Samsoe cheese and pain de campagne to go with a Bordeaux. This digital sommelier is also available in Queen’s Isetan.
source: When The Sommelier’s A Machine

Track Your Meat

A computer terminal in many AEON supermarkets offers domestic meat traceability, and tells you the animal’s birthday, where it was born, its birth weight, what it grazed on, and maybe even its favorite TV program.

Too Technical

Let Asimo shop for you.

“I Survived a Japanese Game Show“, has begun taping in Japan. US broadcaster ABC-TV says the new, unscripted program features “10 Americans — many of whom have never traveled outside the United States — who are whisked away to Japan and compete in the ultimate Japanese game show … with hilarious results.”

Tony Sano, a U.S. actor fluent in Japanese hosts the show, with his “Mamasan” sidekick. A third host, Rome Kanda focuses on the events.

ABC says the results and prizing will be determined by “who best adapts to Japanese culture and the challenges in each episode.” The surviving stunt contestant wins USD $250,000. The program debuts in Prime Time (9-10 p.m. EDT) June 24, 2008.

Some of the games/challenges will include:

Why is this food so hard to eat? – Why? Because the food is attached to the head of a teammate who must run in place on a fast-moving treadmill, while the first teammate leans over a platform and tries to eat from the moving dish.

Crazy Crane Finds Fluffy Bear – This takes the American arcade game to the next level, as blindfolded teammates must operate a moving crane while another teammate precariously dangles trying to collect as many stuffed animals as he/she can.

Chicken Butt Scramble — The contestants create their own version of Japanese scrambled eggs as they attempt to smash goo-filled oversized eggs with only their butts… while wearing chicken suits.

source: abc Press release 1 ; press release 2
Learn more: TV In Japan

"Sports Injuries Around the World" MAD Magazine #490, June 2008

Happiest Advertising Laughs Edition

10Mizuho Bank Happy Photo
9Kewpie Monthly Happy Present
8Calpis Happy Refresh
7Microsoft Happy Digital Life
6Docomo Happy Lucky
5Happy Lawson
4Rent-A-Car Happy
3Indy Japan Happy Bowling
2Daiwa Happy Hug House
1Happy Period

Most Attractive Gifts Announced

Found a beautiful gift in Japan? How does it compare to winners of the second “Attractive Souvenir” contest held by The Visit Japan Campaign (Yokoso Japan)?

Some winners:

Food Category, using regionally produced ingredients
Gold Prize - Nambu Hand-baked Senbei Rice Cracker Set
Bronze Prize - Kameya Grated Wasabi Mustard

Crafts & Skills Category
Gold Prize - Edo Kiriko Glass Furin Wind Chime

Cool Japan Category
Gold Prize - Artistic Japanese Erasers

All prizewinners here.

The objective of the Contest is to promote tourism in Japan by selecting particularly attractive souvenirs in terms of quality and design as seen by foreign visitors, that will lead not only to nurturing and finding attractive Japanese souvenirs, but to promoting regional brands, and conveying through such merchandise the beauty and the appeal of Japan.

Write Novel Like Real Author

Pretend to be a writer and these inns will also have a lady bring a snack to your room and inquire about the progress of your manuscript. The Arima hot spring resort was a favorite place of inspiration for writers. Now, accommodation in the area is offering would-be authors three writing-stay plans.

Targeting baby-boomers, the writer plans are available at 26 hotels and ryokan at the resort. The cost of accommodation is additional.

Lodgers may request a writing desk, writing pad, and a tanzen jacket. And you can ask for the late-night visit from that female muse – she’ll encourage you and address you as “sensei”.

Rates:
3 days: learn how to write a story, 15,000 yen
5 days: write a digest version of a story, 15,000 yen
7 days: a story you’ve already written will be proofread and prepared for publication, 30,000 yen

Prisons Plan for Geriatric Perpetrators

Age: 80Gender:M Crime: punched, hurled souvenirs and sandwiches at shinkansen conductor

Age: 65Gender:M Crime: attacked son with hammer then accidentally stabbed himself and died

Age: 87Gender:M Crime: strangled 82-year-old bed-ridden wife

Age: 67Gender:F Crime: stabbed her 76-year-old husband in murder attempt

Age: 69Gender:M Crime: murdered, buried 74-year-old woman

LetsJapan has been tracking this trend. Now The Sydney Morning Herald reports on Japan’s “neo-geriatric” crime wave and prison preparations, and offers some theories about why senior citizens are trading their little houses for time in the big house.

related stories:
As Japan Ages, Prisons Adapt to Going Gray (New York Times); Japan’s Ageing Society (BBC) Tokyo Greying (Reuters) Slideshow - Japan’s Aging Prisoners, elderly inside prison in Japan (New York Times)
Illustration from graphic novel “Doing Time” by Kazuichi Hanawa

Anime Voice of Toilet Information

Stations on the Yurikamome Line in Tokyo each use a different anime voice actor for all the electronic information kiosks in a given station. Map, fare adjustment, and toilet locator audio guides are provided.

The 16 voice actors and the stations they represent are profiled here.

Real or fake?