Hey! Neat! JPHey! Neat! JPDiscussing the interesting aspects of Japan, ranging from electronics and gadgets, to entertainment and pop culture, to the traditional and beyond. Articles
姚明
2007-12-14 10:09:00 姚明（1980年9月12日- ）生于上 海，祖籍江苏吴江，中国职业 球运动员，目前效力于美国国 篮球协会（NBA）的休斯顿火箭 队，球衣11号，位置是中锋。他 是NBA目前最高的球员，身高达2. 28米（7英尺6英寸）。CBA时期姚 的赛季前的表现令不少人质疑 他如何成为首轮被选中的状元 。他在常规赛一开始一直在坐 板凳，似乎距离作为主力为球 队效力的日子遥遥无期。不过 在11月中旬，他开始扭转局面 在与洛杉矶湖人队的比赛中， 凭9次投篮和2个罚球得到20分 这还引发了一个小趣闻：TNT电 台的篮球评论员查尔斯·巴克 之前曾与人打赌说如果姚明能 得19分，他就当众亲吻TNT的联合 解说员肯尼·史密斯的臀部，结 果他不得不在电视上亲吻史密 带去的一头驴的臀部。2场比赛 之后，在与火箭队的州内劲旅 拉斯小牛队的比赛中，姚明独 30分和16...
Khai mạc Hội nghị đầu tư vào Việt Nam
2007-09-12 16:29:00 TP Hồ Chí Minh (TTXVN) - Ngày 11/9, hơn 100 đại diện các ngân hàng đầu tư, công ty quản lý tài sản, quỹ đầu tư và các doanh nghiệp Việt Nam và nước ngoài đã tham dự Hội nghị đầu tư vào Việt Nam tại Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh.Đánh giá về những cơ hội đầu tư tại Việt Nam, ông Don Lam, Tổng giám đốc VinaCapital cho rằng sở dĩ Việt Nam thu hút mạnh đầu tư nước ngoài (10 tỷ USD năm 2006 và hơn 8 tỷ USD trong 8 tháng đầu năm nay) là do có lực lượng lao động trẻ, giá nhân công rẻ và tình hình chính trị xã hội ổn định. Các diễn giả khác cũng nhận định việc cổ phần hóa các công ty nhà nước ở Việt Nam sẽ mang lại nhiều cơ hội cho các nhà đầu tư. Đầu tư vào cơ sở hạ tầng, thị trường địa ốc cũng là những lĩnh vực Việt Nam đang thu hút các nhà đầu tư nước ngoài.Phát ...
Real Estate Prices on the Rise in Japan
2007-03-24 09:48:00 After Japan 's economic bubble collapsed in the early 1990s, the country's land prices took a sharp nose dive, and there was no sign of improvement for quite some time. Now, after 16 years of steady losses, prices are starting to go back up again. Residential land saw an increase in value of about 0.01%, while commercial land did significantly better at a 2.3% increase.Bare in mind that these numbers are based on a national average. Local markets like Tokyo, Osaka, and other big cities saw slightly greater increases.Given how long it's been since prices budged upward, it was certainly a surprise to see this news.(Technorati Tags: japan japanese news japanese news real estate ) More About: Estate , Real Estate , Rice , Price
Where do Shinkansen go when they die?
2007-03-21 14:20:00 JR West is about to decomission the last of their 0 series bullet trains, the first of their high speed commuter trains introduced in the 1960s. So, what will happen to these historical means of transportation? Some will be used as test vehicles in Taiwan, others remade into libraries and museums, and the rest dismantled. If you want to read a bit more about the first of the shinkansen, go here, there is a lot of interesting information about the trains.Only six trains, each consisting of six cars, are running as the Kodama service on West Japan Railway Co.'s Sanyo Shin kansen Line between Shin-Osaka and Hakata. JR West, which will introduce the latest-generation N700 series in July, plans to draw the curtain on the aging 0 series cars. A total of 3,216 cars were made up to the end of 1986, when the 0 series went out of production. More About: They , When , Here , Where
More Culinary Oddities from Fukuoka
2007-03-18 08:07:00 I noticed a pair of articles over at Mainichi Shinbun about some unusual culinary finds in Fukuoka Prefecture over the weekend. The first was a giant daikon found in Kitakyushu that looks like a foot. It's kinda gross, but it sure does look like a foot! The other was for a restaurant in Hakata that plans to start selling fois gras burgers *shudders*. I think I'd much rather keep hamburgers and sheep liver as far away from one another as possible, but maybe the hoidy-toidy types are into that thing. It's just one more food related mystery to emerge from these islands... More About: Oddities , More , Culinary
Look Out! Here Come the Sushi Police!
2007-03-17 08:09:00 The Japanese government has decided to go through with a means of certifying "real" Japanese food in restuarants overseas, as some have raised concern that the country's cuisine is being mangled abroad. "Japanese restaurants are sharply increasing throughout the world despite insufficient information on Japanese food and the ingredients characteristic of Japanese cuisine," said the report approved Friday. "As a result, there is concern that the image and brand of Japanese cuisine is being damaged," it added. It's funny to hear officials saying things like this, yet there are plenty of French, Italian, and other types of restaurants in Japan that modify the food to make it more suited to the local palette. What many are doing to Japanese cuisine abroad is very similar.There's also the whole matter of fusion cooking. If restaurants are combining Japanese cuisine with that of other countries it's unavoidable that the end result won't be all that traditional.It's intere... More About: Police , Sushi , Come , Here , Look
Tokyo Gubernatorial Race Picks Up
2007-03-16 08:37:00 Two of the main figures in the coming elections to become Tokyo 's Governor have announced their platform today. One of them is the incumbant, the ever-controversial Shintaro Ishihara. His goals if re-elected seem simple enough: create "the world's safest capital", improve the environment, provide more health care for minors, and keep pushing for the 2016 summer Olympics.However, given Ishihara's track record, so much of what he said seems contradictory. From a story covering his news conference:He is pledging to improve the capital's antidisaster policies, to consider cooperating with Kanto-region governors to create a broader regional government and to further internationalization efforts and cultural interchanges by hosting the 2016 Olympics.Yet on several cases the governor has made racist statements, not the least of which suggesting that in the event of a natural disaster Tokyo could be overrun by foreign riff raff. So, now he's saying that the Olympics will be a great op... More About: Race , Nato , Pick , Tori
Well, Looks Like Horie's Guilty
2007-03-16 05:19:00 The ruling has come down on Takafumi Horie as Japan's courts decided if he was involved with securities fraud, and the verdict is guilty with a sentence of two and a half years in prison (Horie plans to appeal). As was discussed earlier, Horie believes that he was set up, and that much of this is all to do with grumpy old gaurd business men trying to take him down for marching to the beat of his own drum. Is this the last we'll be hearing of Horie? Is he doomed to a couple of years of making license plates? Only time will tell... More About: Guilt , Like , Look , Guilty , Well
Folding at Home Coming to the PS3
2007-03-15 18:12:00 For decades, gamers have been able to save virtual kingdoms, planets, and universes. However, in the next little while PlayStation 3 owners will be able to do their part to save the real world as well, as Sony and Stanford University are teaming up to bring the Fold ing @ Home Project to the PS3. This is a project that does protein folding with a computer's unused processing power, which helps in the research of a variety of diseases with the hope of understanding them better and eventually being able to create better treatments for various ailments.A new demo of the PS3 version of the software is about to be shown at Stanford, with Gizmodo giving a play-by-play of what is happening. The announcement that Sony and Stanford would be working together on this initially came late last summer, where it was said that 100 gigaflops of data would be processed per console.This isn't the first time that a large company has chosen to take part in the project, as Google has been participating... More About: Ming , Gathering
Ken Togo Interview
2007-03-15 14:55:00 I saw this bit in the news today. It's excerpts from an interview with Ken Togo , Japan's first openly gay politician. In it he discusses what it was like being gay and running for office when the odds were very much against him. It's an interesting look into what he had to deal with, and this was 30 years ago, when Japanese society was far from ready to accept a gay politician."Gays weren't the only people discriminated against. Lesbians, the disabled, entertainment industry workers, they're all discriminated against," Togo says. "Until all discrimination and segregation are eliminated, there's no true liberty of equality."There's quite a bit more on the subject that can be found here. I remember reading an acamedic journal a while back that had a very good analysis of various aspects of Japanese sexuality ranging from the ideal male and female form, to homosexuality, to the changing roles of the genders in a modern society. I'll see if I can track it down later. More About: Inter , Interview , View
Caveat Emptor: Rat Curry
2007-03-14 15:36:00 Reminding us once more that we should be careful when eating out, this news story tells of a noodle vendor outside JR Shin-Shin-Koiwa Station in Tokyo who sold curry to 18 people with a rat in the pot that he used to boil some of the ingredients. The thing was 8 centimeters long, and apparently the clerk closed the stand as soon as he discovered the rat. Since then, the company that owns this stand and a host of others offered an apology.I still don't understand how someone would not notice a rat in their pot. Either it was in there from the start or it snuck in after. In either case, how does one not notice that a) there's a big ol' rat in their pot, or b) that there's a big ol' rat being slowly boiled to death in their pot. It's difficult to fathom, and just plain disgusting. It's gross enough when I discover that a restuarant has a mouse living in it, but stewing the creatures with the food is just vile.(Technorati Tags: japan japanese japanese food japanese news ) More About: Curry , Caveat Emptor , Cave
87.7% of University Grads in Japan Find Work
2007-03-14 08:23:00 New stats are out showing how many university grads in Japan are able to find work once they're out of school, and the numbers are quite impressive at 87.7% It's interesting when compared to North America where legions of young 20 somethings find themselves with little prospects but to become a well-educated coffee slinger with a mountain of student loans. More About: University , Work , Find , Univ
Scary Landing for ANA Pilot
2007-03-14 08:11:00 Earlier today, an ANA domestic flight in Japan had the misfortune of experiencing technical difficulties where the front wheel of the plane got stuck. As such, the pilot was forced to land the plane on its bare belly. Thankfully he was able to land safely, and no one onboard was hurt. You really need to see actual video footage to appreciate the landing. He did a great job of bringing the plane down. The plane was flying from Osaka to Kochi. More About: Scary , Land , Pilot , Landing
So, Horie didn't like his job at Livedoor
2007-03-13 21:06:00 Once the golden boy of Japanese business to some, and a big middle finger to the establishment, Takafumi Horie is out and about giving interviews since giving his closing arguments in January. Now he's speaking out to the press as to why he thinks his company, Live door, was persued by prosecutors in early 2006.For those unfamiliar with Horie, and his company, he dropped out of Tokyo University to begin a internet startup in 1996 called Livin' on the Edge. It was a portal site similar to what Yahoo does. Over time it grew in popularity, and morphed into Lived oor. All the while, Horie not only gained fame for being a successful business person, but for doing it in a very non-traditional fashion, balking at the crisp suits and other formalities often associated with your typical Japanese salaryman. While the younger generation applauded this, the old guard were none too fond of how Horie conducted business. It was all far too brash for them.In January of 2006, Livedoor's offices wer... More About: Like , Door
Buried Treasure!
2007-03-12 17:06:00 A construction crew was doing their thing in Nagoya on Saturday, and they discovered 50 million yen buried in the ground (that's a little bit shy of $500,000US). I'm not sure if I'd be excited, or worried about such a discovery. It would be cool to stumble across the cash, but I would be far more concerned about just who put it there in the first place. The last thing that I would want is a couple of guys short on fingers knocking on my door asking for their money!(Technorati Tags:japan japanese japanese news nagoya ) More About: Sure , Treasure
JAL Captain: Safety Say What?
2007-03-12 06:05:00 A little while back I posted about how JAL was starting an intensive program to crackdown on human errors in flights and operations at the airline. Now that I've read this news story, it makes me wonder if there is any other lapses of judgement happening at the company.I don't care if the co-pilot was still at the controls, there just shouldn't be instances where anyone other than the pilot or co-pilot are at the controls unless they're both dead. I remember watching this show on Discovery a while back that is part of a series on airliner disasters. It was about Aeroflot Flight 593 where a Russian flight where the captain let his kids visit the cockpit. While there, the captain's 15 son was allowed to handle the controls, which eventually led to the plane crashing.What this JAL pilot did was grossly irresponsible. People who do things like that should not be allowed to fly commercial airliners.(Technorati Tags: japan japanese airlines planes aircraft travel ) More About: Safety , Hat , Safe , Captain
Nintendo's Miis vs. MySpace
2007-03-11 22:31:00 So, SciTech Today has an article talking about how Miis (tiny avatars that can be created for Nintendo 's new game console, the Wii), can turn into a new virtual popularity contest. It looks at how people are now able to vote for their favorite Mii at various sites that compare screenshots of people's avatars, and how there are contests to create celebrity lookalike Miis. The article suggests that there is enough attention whoring and competing for popularity that the whole concept could become similar to MySpace .It would be interesting to see just how much a cult of personality could surround these little characters. If something like this were to really happen, I'd love to know the psychology behind it. There is enough of this mentality surrounding real celebrities, but what would it mean if this sort of thing happened with something like a Mii?(Technorati Tags: japan japanese videogames gaming nintendo wii ) More About: Myspace , Tend , Pace
Japanese Food That Isn't Sushi
2007-03-11 07:35:00 So many times when I've said to someone, "Oh, I went for Japan ese last night," I get the same response: "Oh, I l-o-o-o-o-v-e sushi." It's hard not to let out a bit of a sigh after hearing that. The way in which sushi bars have spread like wildfire across North America, I guess it's to be expected that a lot of people's knowledge of Japanese cuisine is limited to that, as well as anything with the word "teriyaki" in it, and perhaps the crazy creations of the Iron Chefs.I just wish that there were more opportunities outside of Japan to eat all of the other good food that the country has to offer.Probably my favorite dish out there is donburi, a rice bowl with various meats or fish on top. The name of the specific dish changes depending on what is served on the rice, so it will be named naninani~don. For instance, "gyuu" (牛) is Japanese for beef, so a donburi served with beef is called "gyudon" (牛丼). The same holds true for other donburi dishes, such as tendon (tempura shrimp... More About: Food , Hat , Pane
Giant Strawberry in Fukuoka
2007-03-11 02:14:00 A farmer in Miyako, Fukuoka harvested a 190 gram strawberry this weekend, which is an impressive feat given that this particular type of strawberry only averages around 30-50 grams. It looks pretty darn disgusting, though. You could dip the thing in a tub of chocolate and it wouldn't look any more appetizing. Yuck!"I've grown strawberries for 20 years, but I've never harvested such a big one," Nakasono said. "It's too big to be sold, so I'd like to display it for another day. I hope someone will eat it."Taking a look at other giant strawberry findings, there are some that look equally disgusting. Via: Mainichi Shinbun More About: Strawberry , Berry , Giant , Stra
Corporate Naming Rights and Pork Barrel Politics in Japan
2007-03-10 22:07:00 It's become common place in North America for various venues to be named after a large corporation that helped finance its construction. It can be anything from a stadium to a movie theatre, each with a stale, soulless company name bolted in front of it. This practice isn't limited to just the one side of the Pacific though, as cities throughout Japan are selling off the naming rights to various public areas in order to help refill dwindling town coffers. What's even more interesting here is that naming rights are being given to older structures and locations, not just new projects. As such, companies are jumping at the chance to plaster their brand wherever they can, and cities are making some decent coin out of the deal.Officials with the cities claim that the money will go toward various cultural projects, but what will really be necessary is for local governments to address their spending habits so that they don't have money issues in the first place (municipal and national ... More About: Politics , Rights , Corporate , Pork
Connoisseurs eager for 1 million yen brandy
2007-03-10 08:47:00 Asahi Breweries has been taking reservations for about 300 bottles of Louis XIII Black Pearl brandy, a very fancy liquor with 1,200 different unblended brandies inside, all neatly packaged in a 700ml crystal bottle designed by Baccarat.Apparently orders came pouring very quickly, and the company has had to turn people away. I just can't see how some people justify forking out so much money for alcohol be it brandy, scotch, wine, or whatever. 1 million yen (a little shy of $10,000 US) is a lot of scratch. Talk about pissing one's money away. More About: Yen , Lion , Andy , Brandy , Brand
Osaka vs. Tokyo
2007-03-10 04:55:00 There has been tons of discussion among people in the know regarding the differences between Osaka ns and Tokyo ites. Considering these are the two largest population centers in Japan, it's understandable that a rivalry has developed over time. Now a new study has come out analyzing that makes people from these two cities tick, and where their priorities lay: Osakans may drive a hard bargain in business, Yano points out, but if they enjoy a windfall by winning the lottery, they will generously treat their friends. Note the discrepancy in responses to the question "Suppose you and a few friends went to purchase lottery tickets together but only your ticket wins 100,000 yen. What would you do?" Nineteen percent of Tokyoites replied "Keep the whole amount myself." Among Osakans, the response was 11.7 percent. Another 71 percent of Tokyoites replied they would share a little bit and keep the rest. For those big-hearted Osakans, the figure was 76.7 percent. You can find some analysis he...
Ayumi Hamasaki / Hello Kitty Figure
2007-03-10 04:47:00 Toy Maker Sanrio and pop idol Ayumi Hamas aki have come to an agreement whereby the singer's likeness will be made into a very cartoony figurine featuring herself, holding a small Hello Kitty doll. The piece of kitch is due out when Hamasaki begins a tour of Asia tomorrow.Honestly, I would have had no idea who this figure was unless someone told me. It could be any young lady with lightbrown hair. Oh well, I guess all parties involved will make a truckload of money out of the deal, something crucial for all of these empoverished pop singers and mega corporations.The figure will go for 600 yen when it comes out.
Sometimes mudslinging can be a good thing
2007-03-10 01:23:00 Japundit has an interesting article up discussing the Dairokuten-no-Hadaka Matsuri (the "Naked Festival") , explaining the history of the festival and how different regions celebrate it. At its center is a lot of mud, which is associated with luck. There is quite a bit of stomping about, and playfighting in the mud involved, with a slew of excellent photos of the event in the article. While under most circumstances people would grumble about mud, it is considered lucky here because of its agricultural roots. Centuries ago, farming was a far more important part of Japan, and an abundance of mud signaled a good rice harvest. Certainly a sign of good fortune. More About: Time , Times , Good , Thing , Sling
Gundam Razor
2007-03-10 00:52:00 A pretty self-explanatory post, and for 980 yen it can be yours!Via: Japan Probe More About: Gundam , Razor
Death Note Live Action Movie Thoughts
2007-03-04 20:04:00 A little while back, I finally had the chance to check out the live action movie based on the anime series Death Note . In recent years, my interest in anime has subsided quite a bit, so I was unfamiliar with the series on which the movie is based. Nonetheless, it proved to be a fun romp with some interesting twists and commentary thrown in. Before going any further, just a quick heads up that spoilers will start showing up in the coming paragraphs. If you haven't seen the movie yet, plan to, and don't want parts of it spoiled, stop reading now. This will be my only spoiler warning.While the film is based on an anime, its director has done a good job of setting the tone so that people unfamiliar with Death Note's animated roots don't feel lost when watching. It's very easy to get absorbed by what's happening on screen. For those who don't know the premise of Death Note, it goes like this: Death Note is a magical book where one can write the name of an individual in it, and tha... More About: Movie , Action , Thoughts , Live Action
Hikaru Utada and Hubby Split
2007-03-03 19:40:00 News came down the wire today that Japanese pop singer, Hikaru Utada (24) and her husband Kasuaki Kiriya (38) have decided to call it quits after four years of marriage. According to Utada, the split came "over the direction they want to head for and the concept of a married couple". Maybe one of them wanted kids, while the other didn't, but that's just idle (idol?) speculation.Even with Utada setting out on a new life, she may have a tough go of things. There's still the matter of her mother, Junko Utada, being taken in for questioning last year after being caught with over $400,000US in her carry-on luggage at JFK Airport in New York. Junko claimed that she was donating the money to a foster home in Las Vegas that she apparently never visited nor could remember the name of. When drug officials had a canine unit sniff the money, it detected trace amounts of controlled substances. Now the DEA wants to take the money under suspicion that it may have been used for drug dealing.Inte... More About: Split |
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