Tag Archives: japan

Modern pop music is packed to the brim with machine-aided singers, probably more than we can even imagine. But what happens when the machines start singing for themselves? HRP-4, the first ever divabot, is a Japanese fembot programmed to sing. With an assortment of software enhancements, HRP-4 mimics pop singers down to their every last breath and facial tic. A ...

In a culture that’s been terrified by monsters like Godzilla and Mothra for decades, I’m not sure an inflatable giant was the best choice of advertising mediums for the people of Tokyo, Japan. Panasonic used a gigantic inflatable model of their celebrity spokeswoman, Ayase Haruka, wielding a Lumix FX700 larger than two humans, to convince/terrorize the people of Tokyo to ...

First there was Shawn Michaels and The Rock, now prepare for SHN MC-LS and The Metal. Dekinnoka takes the concept of professional wrestling, a la the WWE, and turns it on its big fat non-metallic head. Broadcast live online from Ustream TV, Japanese Professional Robot Wrestling pairs machine against machine, programmer against programmer, robot against robot. The next scheduled show ...

Japan’s Kori no Suizokukan, located in Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture houses a collection of 450 specimens of 80 or so different species of marine wildlife captured at a nearby port. But there’s one major difference that separates this aquarium from any other — all of the wildlife is frozen in massive blocks of ice. A flash freezing technique is used to ...

At the peak of their career, they numbered over 80,000 in Japan. Now, boiled down to a number lower than 1,000, the modern geisha has become more a novelty than the once revered and exclusive figures they once were. Largely the result of a 20-year economic slump in Japan, professional geisha, born and raised into the life of servitude, entertainment ...

Japan’s newest media darling, unlike similar stars in the U.S., is famous for all the right reason. He puts a smile on the face of Japanese children and he makes ice cream. No meltdowns (at least none that aren’t caused by actual heat), no drunken photographs. Just the promise of sweets and a fun robotic show. Lovingly called Yaskawa-kun by ...

Comb through the streets of Denden town, located in the Nipponbashi district of Osaka, Japan and you might come across something that makes your heart-writhe and your head sing. Super Potato is a gaming and game collectible superstore located in the shopping district of Osaka, and the images I’ve posted speak for themselves. While it’s square-footage is meager, the contents ...

Akihabara is the place to be for us geeks. Travel through the city streets and your bound to come across one of these magnificent oddities. Case in point? This amazingly awesome claw machine filled with Famicon cartridges. Play for �100 (around $1.10) a pop. Sure, you could probably find most of these in a bargain bin at the store next ...

Professor Dzmitry Tsetserukou at the Toyohashi University of Technology, Japan developed the iFeel_IM, a virtual hugging vest that simulates your social life,�eliminating�all need for human contact period. The iFeel adds a human touch to online chat, simulating heartbeats, warm feelings, butterflies in your belly and the chill of fear. The setup resembles the straps of a backpack which contains sensors, ...

Sillof created these awesome custom action figures which restyles your favorite Star Wars characters into samurai-inspired creations. If you’re the type of person who draws references between Star Wars and Imperial Japan, not only do we feel slightly sorry for you, but you’ll be in heaven with these awesome action figures. Pictured above is R2-D2. Can you guess the rest? ...