We love Japan, and this is where we show it. From gadgets to toys, live-action to anime, hillsides to cities and cars to architecture, JHYPE loves it all.
The 70s, 80s and 90s see Japanese cars flirting with new technologies and modern looks. I am sure they also experimented with drugs and illegal substances, from the looks of some of these cars.
As usual, there are WAY more photos after the jump. Relive your youth aspirations and dreams, or just be horribly embarrased by the cars that you used to adore. Read the rest of this entry »
Japan may not be the first word you think of when you think of stylish cars, but they surely have come a long way since the mass production of cars took off courtesy of Ford Motor Company and the Industrial Revolution of the 1920s.
Whichever words you use to describe them – Cheap, expensive, cheerful, copycat, unique, reliable, unreliable, fast, economical, boring, exciting – I am sure they have played a part of your lives at some point.
So here are a selection of Japanese concept cars from the past 50 years. By no means definitive, but an interesting look nonetheless at the evolution of car styling over the decades. A LOT more photos after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »
If you have always wondered how good Japanese design and architecture can be, look no further than this offering by Shinichi Ogawa and Associates. Located in a suburb of Hiroshima, Japan, ‘warehouse’ is the creation of the local architecture firm Shinichi Ogawa and Associates.
This visual tour de force captured the essence of Japanese design perfectly. It’s simplicity meets zen meets modernism. A lot more gorgeous photos and information on ‘Warehouse’ after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »
A friend of ours found this captivating video of one man’s Shinkansen journey from Osaka to Tokyo.
The creative twist he put into the video makes this Jhype worthy. Have a good weekend, Jhypers.
Have USD$3400 lying around? Feel the utmost urge to blow the cash on something completely stupid, yet uber cool? Not sure what to do with all that family inheritance? Neighbours next door just bought a new car and you need to keep up? Need a big toy to keep your 1:1 scale MGS Solid Snake company? Wonder no more as Bandai unveiled the Hyper Hybrid Model RX-78-2 GUNDAM for sale.
It’s a 1/12 scale version of the RX-78-2 Gundam and based on another 1/12 Gundam model Bandai introduced in 2006. Bandai said that the older model sold a solid 1,500 units, which begs the question – Where do these mad cashed up people come from? The new replica will be shipped with a beam rifle, a beam saber, and a shield. Completely bonkers, completely Japanese, we love it.
Aren’t these some of the coolest toys that you ever come across in life? It’s both educational and fun, it’s form follows function. It’s modern mecha meets cultural roots.
Japanese toy giant Bandai is set to release a series of nifty kanji figures that transform into the shapes of the animals they represent. The shape-shifting critters, called Mojibakeru (moji means “character” and bakeru means “to change”), come in six varieties — 犬 (dog), 虎 (tiger), 魚 (fish), 馬 (horse), 鳥 (bird) and 竜 (dragon) — and are available in black, white, yellow and blue.
Pictures of EVERY awesome transformation and information after the jump.
Frustrated that your eraser hampered your latest and greatest creation on paper?
KOKUYO has a clever solution to erase your frustrations away (Bad pun, I am sorry).
The 5-sided start shaped eraser has various widths, so you can choose the width best fit to the object you would like to erase.
Japan, it’s the one magical word that will conjure up endless images of beautiful natural sceneries, neons, advanced technologies, geishas, kimono, kabuki, sumo, anime, idols, sushi and much much more.
Now take that image, add gold and chrome (lots of it), awnings, baffles, pipes, yet more neons, wings … and blend all of it into a massive truck. Welcome to the world of Dekotora!
Dekotora or Decotora (デコトラ, dekotora) is the local abbreviation for “Decoration Truck”. They are sometimes known as the Art Trucks [(アートトラック),ātotorakku] too. The truckers of Japan love to decorate their trucks with shiny stainless or golden exterior parts, beautifully painted landscapes, kabuki or manga characters,or pictures of celebrities. At night, their fluorescent handiwork come to life with colourful and bold neon and ultraviolet light displays. These decorations usually adorn the cab as well as the trailer, on the exterior as well as in the interior.
So let’s not waste time and explore the world of Dekotora!
The name Inakadate usually doesn’t conjure up any specific imagery of Japan in one’s head. It has a population of around 8700 people and it is situated about 965km (600 miles) away north of Tokyo. Mount Fuji, vending machines, futuristic miniature technologies, karaoke, boxy cars, pokemon, anime, maid cafes, cosplayers, mechas … have nothing to do with this village in the Aomori prefecture. So why does Inakadate make it to JHYPE?
Every year, hundreds of volunteers and villagers in this rural town create rice field art by planting four different varieties of rice in late May across huge swathes of paddy fields in special patterns. Let’s have a look at some of the truly AMAZING works of rice crop art in Inakadate (and beyond).
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