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.
If you break down the formula of any successful Japanese anime, you essentially have the following (in no particular order):
1. Swords and/or Supernatural powers
2. Robots
3. Even bigger robots
4. Catchy opening and ending song
5. Transformation of some sorts
6. Boobs
So what do you do when the Japanese got hold of the license to remake/revise the ever popular Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? That’s right, they added some giant robots, super powers and take this shit to the next level. It’s like they said “Pizza loving mutated turtles that studied ninjutsu with a rat in the sewers? That’s not good enough! We need more dragons! A Phoenix armour! A crab turtle thing! A homage to the white power ranger turtle! Shredder that transforms into a mecha dragon! Flying turtles!”
So as the subtitle in the video says “What you see here is the result”. It may be heartbreaking for the TMNT purists, but you gotta admit that it’s strangely appealing.
Older anime fans, and younger ones with their heads not on backasswards, will be familiar with the 1987 film, Wings of Honneamise.
Set on an alternate version of Earth, Honneamise tells the story of humankind’s first attempts at manned space flight. Unlike our Earth, the Royal Space Force is ridiculed and generally seen by the public as a waste of time and money.
So what happens when your dog is desperate for a walk and it’s been raining heavily for the past few days? Dogs usually don’t like the rain and like its human owners, most dogs don’t like wearing raincoats either.
The solution could be in this umbrella for dogs — it faces downwards instead of up and has a leash attachment to it so that it automatically opens up over your dog as he walks. Interesting!
Not sure how it’ll work with your cat though. You can buy the product here.
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!
Our good friend, Lisa Katayama of Tokyomango (and Boing Boing) fame recently wrote about the wonderful world of Kit Kat in Japan (and beyond). Lisa mentioned that “Sampling different flavoured Kit Kats has become a side hobby for some Japanese, and in turn Nestle produces unusual flavours for consumption — mostly in Japan, but also in other countries, presumably for Japanese tourists to take home as gifts. Some of the more curious flavors include soy sauce, grilled potato, and sports drink.”
My personal favourite would be the Cherry Blossom / Sakura flavoured Kit Kat. Marketing gimmick aside (for the cynics), they do taste awesome. Certainly beats the old chocolate milk, white chocolate or dark chocolate variety here in the local supermarkets. Anyway, enjoy the Kit Kat collection (from Flickr) and have a great weekend!
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).
Ladies, are you overly shy? Can’t get up the nerve to talk to that cute guy in your building? Hurtin’ bad after a break-up? If so, order Miterudake For Lady a self-help DVD that helps shy women gain (or regain) their social savvy.
“Miterudake” means “only looking” in Japanese and that’s just what this curious and kinda creepy DVD is all about: 51 young men staring into the camera lens for about a minute each, ending with a quick smile and a reassuring phrase.
Who would watch such a thing, you might ask? According to Avex, the manufacturer, Miterudake For Lady is aimed at the woman whose “heart was almost broken at love and interpersonal relationships.” Obviously chocolate and ice-cream do not work in Japan.
More after the jump. Including Miterudake for Men! (you know you want it, boys).
To help celebrate Meiji Chocolate’s 84th anniversary, Bandai had decided to make a special line-up of Meiji “Infinite” (Mugen) chocolate. The item allows one to enjoy the sublime thrill of breaking off a piece of chocolate from the bar, again and again, sugar & calorie free. Sweet! More info and pics after the jump.
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