Mesmerizing video art pays tribute to the Japanese nuclear meltdown

Sarth Reader Find

By Sarth in New Art on Friday 15 February 2013

Any time a piece of abstract art can make me feel uncomfortable, I want to talk about it. And this one mesmerizes, too. Kazumasa Teshigawara made this experimental website/video-art piece in response to the nuclear meltdown in Japan (remember that?) and I love the rest of his video art as well. Big ups to the [...]

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Shippo: a mood controlled cat tail from Japan

Kuan Huang Reader Find

By Kuan Huang in New Products on Monday 11 February 2013

Shippo, which means ‘tail’ in Japanese, is a mechanic tail controlled by brain waves which literally interacts with your mood. This gadget captures your brain waves, and interprets the signals into waving patterns. Shippo wags ‘soft and slow’ when the person is relaxed, and ‘hard and fast’ when the person is concerned.

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Musculoskeletal android: the Japanese are making one

Low Lai Chow Contributor

By Low Lai Chow in New Trends on Monday 4 February 2013

Robots. They just look like… robots. Well, not the Kenshiro Robot. Modeled after an average Japanese preteen who stands at 1.58m and weighs 50kg, the Kenshiro comes with sinewy life-like muscles and bones. It doesn’t quite move like Jagger, to be sure, but from the test video — and barring some laughable bits at 0:50 [...]

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Built your own custom KRATAS robot for just $1.4 million

Takahiro Sumida Reader Find

By Takahiro Sumida in Tech on Wednesday 16 January 2013

Suidobashi Heavy Industry have released the first giant boarding robot, dubbed KRATAS. It’s a 13 foot tall mechanized robot with rocket launchers for shoulder pads and machine guns embedded into its arms. You can even built your own custom KRATAS. It will only cost you $1.4 million.

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Amazing light installation at a Japanese botanical garden

Rebekah Rhoden Contributor

By Rebekah Rhoden in New Events on Wednesday 9 January 2013

These incredible light installations in Nabano no Sato’s botanical garden in Japan might just be the greatest winter light show in the whole country. Millions of brilliant LED lights arranged in intricate patterns and arrangements illuminate this already beautiful garden, creating a visual experience like no other.

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New work by Japanese artist Yasuaki Onishi

Dunya Atay Reader Find

By Dunya Atay in Video on Friday 21 December 2012

Japanese artist Yasuaki Onishi (aka the creator of the ghostly mountains floating in space) questions the term ‘invisible with the help of some basic materials, such as plastic sheeting and black hot glue.

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Japan’s Bad Land motorcycles

ONEQ Reader Find

By ONEQ in New Products on Thursday 20 December 2012

Bad Land makes motorcycles with passion in Kawasaki, Japan. Their motorcycles are high quality and designed in the European style. Their bikes are functional, beautiful, and well-designed. Even people who aren’t interested in motorcycles can appreciate these ones.

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Sunrises shot from the same spot on Mt Fuji over 600 days

Cormack O'Connor Contributor

By Cormack O'Connor in New Art on Tuesday 11 December 2012

Have you ever wanted to do something totally insane, like spend 600 days on the side of a mountain? Well, if you have but haven’t been able to come up with a good enough excuse to do so, you should follow Japanese artist Yamauchi Yu’s lead. For four consecutive years, Yu spent five months living in a hut just near the summit of Mt Fuji all in the name of art. His series DAWN is the product of the stint; showing sunrises from the same spot. Did we mention that each shot is completely unique? Neat, huh?!

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Amazing underwater rollercoaster in Japan

Rebekah Rhoden Contributor

By Rebekah Rhoden in Cool Travel on Tuesday 4 December 2012

You can find this amazing rollercoaster at the Cosmo Land amusement park in Yokohama, Japan. The Vanish rollercoaster features a terrifying and exciting drop into an underwater tunnel. It looks as if the riders are plunging straight into a giant pool, with water splashing up around them as they dive in. This ride is definitely [...]

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SPONSORED: Win a trip to the Sapporo Snow Festival

Lost At E Minor Reader Find

By Lost At E Minor in Cool Travel on Monday 26 November 2012

Using Instagram, entrants are asked to shoot a weekly theme relating to Sapporo Beer and hashtag SHOOTSHARESAPPORO. Each week, a panel of professional photographers choose finalists who will go in the draw to win a trip to the Sapporo Snow Festival in Japan. This is our favourite entrant for this week’s Chopsticks theme.

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The ruins of the Nakagusuku hotel in Okinawa

ONEQ Reader Find

By ONEQ in Cool Travel on Friday 23 November 2012

Strange hotel ruins are located at the Nakagusuku castle in Okinawa. The ruins stand calmly with the sea in view. The hotel was under construction for a long time, and many people in Okinawa think that it is haunted. The old ruins are very dangerous, but it is still a beautiful site.

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Fake food that can pass off as the real deal

Low Lai Chow Contributor

By Low Lai Chow in New Food and Packaging on Tuesday 20 November 2012

If we had to trust anyone to make stuff out of anything, we would trust the Japanese. Yes, from bento-making to sushi-making, they’re known for elevating all sorts of culinary pursuits to an art form. When it comes to making PVC look like the most palatable food ever, they can’t be rivaled either. Gujo Hachiman, a town in Gifu Prefecture, is home to a staggering number of factories that feed the world’s appetite for scarily realistic PVC food replicas. Don’t believe us? Have a look at these pics. If you’re too lazy to travel to see something that isn’t real, check out Fake Food Japan online, which does worldwide deliveries.

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Weird Japanese Beauty Products

Cheyenne Tulsa Contributor

By Cheyenne Tulsa in New Products on Tuesday 20 November 2012

When it comes to ‘weird’, the Japanese have proved again and again that their imagination knows no no bounds. Especially when it comes to beauty enhancement. Forget anti-wrinkle creams and a healthy, antioxidant-filled, low cholesterol diet. Think instead of a gadget that lifts your nose up by applying electric vibrations, a Hannibal Lecter look-alike mask to get rid of smile lines, or something that fits like a drain plug – or an arcane sex toy – in your mouth to exercise the cheeks. How low can your self-esteem go?

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WONDER 365: new short-film animations every day

Jo Mo Reader Find

By Jo Mo in Video on Friday 16 November 2012

Animator Mirai Mizue is a key figure of the new generation of abstract animation in Japan. He focuses on cell animation, preferring to draw every frame individually. This year he has been creating a short animated loop everyday, which will then be made on a 365 second animation towards the end of the year.

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Brilliant 1938 Japanese gas attack posters

Rebekah Rhoden Contributor

By Rebekah Rhoden in New Design on Friday 16 November 2012

In 1938 after the Japan-China war, Japanese government and the Red Cross teamed up to create a series of precautionary posters concerning the Anti-Aircraft Defense Law. This law required citizens to be aware of the possibility of gas attacks and the protective measures they should take incase one actually happens. These posters demonstrate proper gas mask-wearing techniques, what to do if gas comes in contact with your skin, and even how to protect your children.

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