If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

MAD magazine uses a lot of Japanese words in it’s satire. In MAD issue 492 (August 2008) there is a parody of product advertising by US electronics retailer Circuit City, titled "Sucker City". The spoof  illustration includes the Japanese TV brands "Shiitake" and "Hibachi". related: MAD Magazine Hurts

about

Welcome to Lets Japan. I’ve been in Tokyo since 1993, working, watching and waiting. Having contributed for a while to a couple of Japan-oriented blogs and sites, the wait is over: my own Lets Japan blog debuts February 6, 2008. Here you’ll find a variety of inspired, interesting, humorous, meticulously crafted posts reflecting a unique outlook. I’ll do my best to avoid repeating the fine coverage being performed by other Japan blogs, which Lets Japan happily recommends visiting. Mark Weitzman  letsjpn at gmail.com

disclaimer

The opinions expressed on the Lets Japan blog are those only of the author or as attributed to article sources or as attributed to individuals quoted in articles, or of individuals that have posted to the "Comments" sections. Editorial content is not influenced in any way by any advertiser. Photos and graphics are original works by Lets Japan, or official publicity releases, or are published according to Creative Commons or The Public Domain or Fair Use guidelines, or with permission or as credited to the best of the ability of Lets Japan to determine such permissions and credits. more: Electronic Frontier Foundation; Borrowing Images from the Web.

subscribe

An easy way to check Lets Japan everyday. When you subscribe, each new story from Lets Japan will appear in your RSS reader.  If you’re not familiar with RSS readers and feeds, click here or here to learn more. Lets Japan recommends Google Reader.

To subscribe now, click here and follow any instructions that may appear in your browser. Or click this button for other feed readers and ways to subscribe to Lets Japan.

reading

Some words on the Lets Japan site may be written in Japanese characters. If your browser or RSS reader does not display the text correctly, please install or enable Japanese fonts in your computer.

sources

Some websites maintain articles online for only a few days. Regarding sources that remove articles, Lets Japan provides an image of cited articles.

advertise

Please send your advertising inquiry to this email address:  advertise at markmode.com. For information about editorial policy and integration of advertising content, see the Advertising Policy.

advertising policy

Ads on the Lets Japan blog are independent of editorial content. Advertisers do not exert any influence over editorial content. Advertisements, sponsorships and endorsements are conspicuously identifiable as such. In articles, any links to products, businesses or services are provided as editorial content and such links are not paid-for by the corresponding products, businesses or services or third parties.

get lets

Easy Lets Japan content links for your website or blog. Free!

Stay Behind The Yellow Line

Crocs sandals may sometimes get snagged in escalators in Japan and cause toe injuries, but other Crocs troubles have arisen.

After several reports of Crocs-related escalator accidents in Japan, in April 2008, the Japan Ministry of  Economy, Tade and Industry asked Tokyo-based Crocs Asia Pte Ltd. to change the sandals‘ materials and designs.

The ministry says 65 accidents were reported since May 2007.

In late July, 2008, the Niwot, Colorado-based Crocs said it had begun phasing-in tags about escalator safety that will be attached to the shoes. There was no indication whether the notice from Japan was a factor in the Croc’s decision.

The hang-tags state in part:
* Stand facing forward in the center of the step
* Step on and off carefully
* Do not touch sides below handrail
* Avoid the sides of the steps where shoe entrapment can occur
* Supervise children at all times

Croc-cidents  Around The World

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has documented 77 soft shoe entrapments on escalators since January 2006.

Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is cautioning travellers to be aware of shoe entrapment on escalators. At least three children have experienced “Croc-cidents” at the airport since June 2008. In response, a 35-second Crocs-caution announcement is broadcast in the airport every five minutes.

Crocs have been banned in some hospitals in the US, Canada, UK, Vienna, and at east one hospital in Sweden, because static builds up in the clogs and could interfere with precision electronic equipment, or even spark an explosion. Pittsburgh’s Mercy Hospital prohibits Crocs, saying accidentally dropped syringes might fall into ventilation holes on the shoes.

But will Crocs be able to complete it’s warning tag plan? It seems Crocs sales have stagnated. Company officials say second-quarter earnings net income dropped more than 95 percent from the same period last year. photos: Crocs escalator warning