Category: Japan

Amazing Full Sized Iron Votom – スコープドッグ　ブルーティッシュカスタム

This is a true labor of love (no pun intended). This guy, who obviously has quite the kick ass shop, is building a full sized Votom battle suit out of iron plate. What he intends to do with it once he is done I have not the faintest clue. Maybe it goes in a museum as a display, maybe it’s an artistic project, maybe he is just building it because he wants to. Whatever the reason is it is one hell of a project.
スコープドッグ　ブルーティッシュカスタム1/1

Want one of your own? Go visit Amazon and pick up a somewhat smaller than life sized verson.

Armored Trooper Votoms Scopedog Green 1/12 Scale Full Action Model

DORYU 2-16 Pistol Camera

Oh yeah baby, you can be James Bond and Weegee all at the same time with this gem!
After a bit of digging I discovered it’s DORYU 2-16 with Cine-Nikkor 25mm F1.4 lens.

" This camera is a serious camera for the police, and not a toy. It is a pistol camera DORYU 2-16 famous as rare and valuable camera. The DORYU 2-16 has the same C mount as the 16mm movie camera. A Cine-Nikkor 25mm F1.4 lens was able to be mounted in the DORYU 2-16 pistol camera. You can find the small lens for GOLDECK 16 on the table."

This is something I’d buy if I had that chance.
The site has some impressive Nikon gear on it, I like those S Motor bodies a lot! I love Nikon cameras, go check it out.

[via Ektopia]
DORYU Pistol Camera

NT Zeppelins over Tokyo

NT Zeppelins over TokyoI can only hope that someone decides that this sort of service is needed at the Grand Canyon. Makes more sense than a silly transparent walkway.

Starting this month Nippon Airship Corporation will begin offering airship cruises over Tokyo, at roughly US $1,100 to $1,500 a pop, no pun intended. Rides will be aboard a Zeppelin NT and will last 90 minutes

Too cool. You can read more about NT Zeppelin here.

Zeppelin rocks on in Japan

A Hot Dog Vending Machine

Hot Menu - photo by James Hart
Once again, I’m impressed with Japanese vending machine technology. This time it’s hot food for a few bucks, er, yen.

We all heard about the wacky vending machines before coming to Japan, but this still surprised me. Hot dogs, noodles, french fries, etc microwaved from frozen, 400Yen each.

There is a close up of the selections here.
[via metroblog tokyo]

Japan’s Internet Cafe Homeless

'Net cafe Tokyo Image by Kai Hendry
Nice to know that if I’m ever in Tokyo and need a place to sleep I can just hunker down in an Internet cafe for the night. Apparently there are a few thousand people that just can’t get enough work to afford an apartment in Tokyo. You have to remember that when you undertake the renting of an apartment you have to pony up about four months worth of rent as the down payment. Ouch! You also have to have a co signer in case you can’t make the rent, if you don’t have one of these your out of luck. It’s no wonder that these guys will spend 980 yen ($US) for a place to sleep. The deal breaker is the free coffee and soda that the cafes offer.

[via boingboing and futurismic]
The internet cafe refugees – no friends or prospects, and only a cubicle to call home

Japanese Vending Machines Now Sell Noodles!

Japanese canned noodles a big hitWhat a great idea. I know from personal experience that there is nothing like getting a delicious can of hot chocolate from a machine next to a train station on a cold winter night. Being able to buy noodles the same way would be like heaven…

Kyoto-based vending machine manufacturer Fujitaka was the first company to come out with canned ramen. In May this year it began selling Sapporo-style noodles, which gained huge popularity, mainly in the Akihabara district. In June, the company added hiyashi-men (chilled noodles) to its lineup of canned products.

The noodles are made from konnyaku to prevent them from going soggy when they soak up the noodle soup. Since no hot water is needed they can be eaten straight away.

Now the company’s canned products are sold in vending machines across Japan. They are reportedly so popular that the firm is having trouble keeping up with demand.

Canned noodles emerging as hit product in Japan