Some cool and interesting thing have been happening in Japan! Check this stuff out.
Available in Japan, Microsoft is releasing a limited edition anime style OS featuring Madobe Yu and Madobe Ai.
Here’s a Windows 8 CM
Here’s the old Windows 7 anime version commercial too
Source: gdm.or.jp
The researchers at the University of Tokyo’s Ishikawa Oku Laboratory have created a new robot which specializes in rock-paper-scissors where it is guaranteed to win the game 100 percent of its matches by using common human trait known as cheating. The researchers have developed a program for the “Janken” robot to recognize the hand shape of the human opponent and counter it within millisecond.
The program that the robot utilizes is called the human-machine cooperation system. It relies on a high-speed vision to stay one step ahead of its opponent. There is no way that a human can win the game for it can move 33 times faster than humans.
According to Professor Masatoshi Ishikawa, the human eye can only process 30 frames per second at most, but the robot can process 1,000 frames per second. As a consequence, the robot responds at a lightning speed for it has the capability to read the hand of the opponent faster that the human eye.
A Japanese TV station wanted a robot that is easier to understand and they have requested to build this rock-paper-scissors machine. Maybe this news is a bit old but… ‘Go-Go-Gadget’ Janken!
On March 11, 2011, one of the largest earthquakes in recorded history struck near Honshu, Japan, triggering a 23-foot high tsunami that devastated the coastline and the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear plant. Hundreds of thousands of Japanese lost their lives, their homes, and their livelihoods.
This terrible catastrophe has inspired many in the art community to help. FABLES FOR JAPAN is a collection of stories and artwork donated by writers, artists, animators, and students.
These talented people from around the world, ranging in age from fifteen to eighty-six, have come together to raise money and help rebuild Japan. The book brings together a fascinating mix of styles – fiction, poetry, painting, illustration, and comic book art – all connected by the theme of Japanese Folklore.
FABLES FOR JAPAN, BOOK 1 (of 3) is now available as an e-book download. 124 pages! 28 contributors! 24 amazing stories, all for $4.95!
All Proceeds will be donated to the Red Cross in care of Japan.
For additional information, please check out our website, www.fables4japan.com, as well as our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/Fables4Japan
If you’ve been to any clubs lately you’ll notice that Korean pop music and fashion in Japan is growing in popularity. 2NE1′s new single in Japan “I Love You” should be released 2012.9.12 following up on their debut album ‘Collection’ and check out 2NE1′s Official Website Japan at http://www.2ne1.jp/
Here’s a mini mv (music video in Japanese)
Here’s a full version in Korean
Back in March they released “Scream” and debut album “Collection”.
The Japanese stars will be showing off their acting skills along with Hugh Jackman on the next Wolverine movie that is going to be released on summer of 2013. Since the new movie is acting as a standalone and the co-stars from the X-Men Origins: Wolverine won’t be showing up, it means that it needs a whole new to cast to surround Hugh Jackman as Wolverine travels to Japan to train with a samurai warrior.
From news sources, the story is based in Japan and the production will take place in Jackman’s native Australia and will also spend some time in Japan. The Wolverine cameras will start to roll next month (UPDATE: See video below) and it will be released on July 26, 2013.
The Japanese stars who are lined up to join the cast of the new Wolverine adventure are Hiroyuki Sanada, a big deal in Japan who has casted in the American films The Last Samurai, Revenge, Lost, Rush Hour 3, and Danny Boyle’s underseen Sunshine, he will be playing Shingen; Hal Yamanouchi, who appeared in The Way Back and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, will be playing Yashida; Tao Okamoto and Rila Fukushima, the two newcomers who are playing Mariko and Yukio.
If you’re going to compare the Facebook users on Japan to other countries, only 30 percent of Japanese internet users have an account. It’s quite different compared to the U.S. where 67.2 percent uses Facebook and even 39.3 percent in nearby South Korea. It’s comparatively low but 30 percent is a huge increase on May’s figures where just one year ago the figures were around 16 percent using Facebook during the beginning of 2011.
According to a Nielsen/Netratings report, 17.2 million unique visitors from Japan were recorded on Facebook the other month, more than double the 8.2 million in May 2011. On a separate poll, Mixi has seen a loss of about 60 million users at the end of 2011.
Mixi is Japan’s longest dominant social network where most users are anonymous or use nicknames and only reveal themselves to people they know and have met in person and it operates more as an online notice board where they can discuss topics on public forums.Because Mixi allows anonymity, as well as other social networks sites such as Gree and Twitter, has gained popularity in Japan.
Mixi’s Vice President said that he didn’t feel that the rise of Facebook meant the inevitable downfall of Mixi. Facebook is becoming popular in the country because of the social aspect, but it’s still too early to tell if it will surpass Mixi.
In the past, tattoos have been a sign of rebellion and in Japan it has traditionally been associated with yakuza or gang membership, especially large, intricate designs, but not anymore. However, they might get you demoted in Japan’s third largest city the Osaka.
In May, a full-scale crackdown on tattoos was launched by a rising political star, Mayor Toru Hashimoto. In a mandatory survey, he demanded that public employees (including teachers) to disclose their tattoos, both visible and concealed. They will also need to detail how long they had had them.
According to results that were released, 113 of the over 32,000 city workers and ten of 17,000 teachers admitted to having tattoos. Body art is hugely banned from gyms, some major companies, swimming pools, and popular onsens or hot springs. There are also places where people are asked to cover up their ink to avoid any speculation.
With all the tattooed workers found in the survey, the city is now considering what to do with them. According to a welfare officer, those employees with positions that require daily interaction with members of the public will be transferred to a “behind-the-scenes” role. And for the teachers, they will not be expelled, instead they will be asked to remove any tattoos that are visible to students.
Times are changing, and more and more people of the younger generation are getting tattoos to follow a fashion trend. Disregarding if you like or dislike tattoos in general – do you think tattoos should be more accepted in the country of Japan?
At first glance, Japan seems like it would be a good place to hide money because of the cultural differences and language barrier, but that’s not the case.
An agreement has been made between the U.S. Treasury Department and the countries of Japan and Switzerland to help banks in those countries comply with upcoming U.S. tax regulations and to track down American tax evaders hiding money abroad.
Under the agreements, the foreign financial institutions or banks in those countries would deal directly with the U.S. government to provide the American accountholders’ information, such as reporting to them the identities, account balances, and other information on U.S. accounts in 2014 and 2015.
When I hear about things like this it shows me more and more how America seems to care more about money than people. It’s too bad the country doesn’t focus on foreign custody cases when it comes to marriage and child custody and work with Japan regarding child abduction before it looks for stashed cash.
According to research firm Data Vendor MM Research Institute, throughout the year of 2011, the Apple’s iPhone has been the top selling smartphone in Japan having a sales figure of 7.25 million units and this makes Apple the single biggest smartphone seller in Japan, driving its sales far ahead from its main rival Samsung.
From the research, 30% of the 24.2 million smartphones shipped in the country were iPhone while Samsung accounted for only 8.3%. This data makes it clear that the Apple is the leader in this cell phone category.
iPhone fashion accessories on display at Softbank event
Who are the big players? The smartphone market in Japan is dominated by Apple and Samsung. These two companies have traded the lead as they release new models. In terms of sales figures the iPhone led the market but in terms of platform Android is still in the lead. The Android OS phones have taken 69 percent of the entire market but still no one vendor could overtake Apple.
Apple’s sales were boosted by the launch of its iPhone 4S late last year having 26.6 percent market share in Japan and have picked up even more after the release of iOS 5.1 update because it brought Japanese language support to Siri. Siri is the popular personal assistant and knowledge navigator application that is proprietary to Apple. Also this is the first time where an Apple phone has been carried by the two operators in Japan, au/KDDI and SoftBank.
Source:Telecommunications Carriers Association Data Processed by SR Inc.
Smartphones made up 57% of total mobile shipments during the fiscal year according to the data showed by MM, bringing Apple to be the 2nd in the entire Japanese handset market, behind Fujitsu. Another set of data showed that Apple is considered to be the top consumer brands in the country for beating out 999 other brands to the top position.
Rumor has it that Apple will use low-temperature poly-silicon (LTPS) touch-screens with a resolution of 326 pixels-per-inch and the companies Sharp and Japan Display could be the main suppliers.
On a side note as an iPhone user, I’m excited about the new 0.25mm soft waterproof case (¥3,000). The case carries an IPX-8 Waterproof Standard. IPX-8 is the highest rating for a waterproof product based on the IEC 529 Specifications. Check out the video!