Google’s auto-complete feature attempts to find the question users want to ask about Japan. And you’ll find all the answers to the above on JHYPE … (^_^)
Sorry for the slow updates as of late. The team at JHYPE had been in great demand outside the internet world for a change (i.e. working hard to pay off our christmas indulgences). We will eventually return to normality with more wacky and wonderful Japan.
To make up for it, may I present you the wonderful robots at last year’s IREX (International Robot EXhibition) at Tokyo Big Sight. Here are a few photos from the event. Enjoy!
In a salute to luxury brand Chanel, artist Tetsuya Noguchi has created some concept samurai armour suits designed to appeal to the fashion-conscious warrior. Made from resin, cashew lacquer, cloth and glass, the exquisitely crafted protective suits sport the iconic double-C logo, allowing the wearer to flaunt his superior social status while crushing the enemy on the battlefield.
More pictures of the luxe armour after the jump.
Gyaruru - Natsuko Sone (centre)
You may be wondering why a group of nubile young Japanese Pop (J-Pop) stars make it to Jhype. Rest assured Jhype is still the place to be for all things worth hyping about from Japan. To be specific, we are only interested in one person in the group, Natsuko “Gal” Sone, or better known as Gal Sone.
Sone is known for her bleached chestnut hair, high-pitched staccato voice, thick makeup and girlie fashion, which make her a thoroughly trendy Tokyo “gal.” So what makes her “Jhype” special you may ask?
Let’s see, the fact that she can eat 6KG (no typo, it’s kilograms) OF CURRY SOBA IN 23 MINUTES. Or eat 10 plates of bacon and cheese pasta, 10 plates of gyoza (a staggering amount of 50 dumplings) and 10 plates 0f sushi (a mind blowing 100 pieces of sushi) against a group of 11 (ELEVEN!) people. More after the jump.
Somebody’s finally discovered a practical use for lazy cats. The video after the jump absolutely made my day. Japan, you have done it again.
House H is the latest project by Sou Fujimoto Architects in Tokyo. The house is an “experiment to find a balance between volumes, spaces and light”.
The non-designer crowd usually cringe at fancy designer phrases like this, but I have to say that Sou’s House H is pretty spot-on with that phrase.
There’re a lot of stairs in this house too, and where are the bedrooms?
More pictures after the jump.
If ever you need proof of Japan’s pervasive mecha culture, you only need to look at the latest EXILIM EX-G1 from Casio. The styling is almost derived from the latest Gundam or Evangelion anime.
The EXILIM EX-G1 is Casio’s first foray into shock-resistant, waterproof, freezeproof, and dustproof digital cameras.
The EX-G1 claims to be the world’s slimmest shock-resistant camera, too, offering an interesting combination of rugged design with sleek lines to satisfy the taste of any intermediate camera lover – mecha fan or not. More info and pics after the jump.
What is this? Why, it’s a guest post by JHYPE friend, Jasmine! – van
Hello Kitty. At a glance, she’s a black outline of a cat with six whiskers, two beady black eyes, a little button nose – and no mouth.
The official word from Sanrio is that Hello Kitty speaks from the heart; and as Sanrio’s global ambassador, she is not bound by language.*
Beyond that, there’s no pinning her down; she’s been everything from princess to witch to black egg (hello, Hakone!) and sumo. She has travelled all around the world, and even beyond.
Her merchandising is possibly even more diverse than Kitty-Chan herself. According to the London Times, there’s an estimated 12,000 Hello Kitty items on the market, with some 600 new items introduced each year.
Let’s cut to the chase: these are Japan Self-Defense Force Sunglasses (or JSDF for short – we ♥ acronyms here in JHYPE) and, apparently, they’re officially endorsed by Japan’s armed forces.
Each lens boasts the ability to withstand an impact from an object up to 6.55mm (0.3in) traveling at 171km/h (or 106mph). Of course, those specs probably won’t mean much against a 9mm bullet speeding toward your eye at over 1,000 miles per hour, but that’s more of a concern for the JSDF than it is for us regular folks.
Hole in one?
Golf, in Japan, is almost as important as its national sport (and pastime), Baseball. It’s especially popular among Japanese men in their mid 30s and 40s. Lately, though, golf is fast gaining popularity with the younger market.
This is evident from my last trip to Tokyo, where I spotted a sports clothing and apparel department store dedicated to golf, and golf alone, in the trendy area of Shinjuku.
Now in order to help the Japanese women find a new golfing mate, Triumph decided to offer to the ladies a new and “unique” bra that doubles as a golf-putting mat in order to combine pleasure and … pleasure. More bizzare pics and a video after the jump.
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